rferl--2020-02-14--Serbia, Kosovo Ink 'Milestone' Railway, Highway Deal

PRISTINA -- Serbian and Kosovar officials have signed a deal to restore a railway link between Belgrade and Pristina and to connect the two capitals with a highway in a step toward normalizing bilateral relations .
The signing ceremony occurred on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on February 14 in the presence of the Serbian and Kosovar presidents , Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci , as well as U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Richard Grenell , who also serves as U.S. ambassador to Germany .
The move comes after the two sides last month signed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Serbia and Kosovo that were halted two decades ago , when the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict escalated .
`` Another milestone ! ''
Thaci tweeted after the Munich signing ceremony , calling the agreement a `` great step '' toward reaching a final deal on normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina .
The Kosovar leader also told RFE/RL he believed that Belgrade and Pristina could reach such a deal this year .
Relations between Pristina and Belgrade have remained strained since the Kosovo war , which claimed more than 10,000 lives and left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to consider its former province part of its territory , although its independence , declared in 2008 , has been recognized by about 100 countries , including the United States .
Talks on normalizing diplomatic relations were derailed in November 2018 by Pristina 's imposition of 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods and services in response to Belgrade 's continued lobbying for countries to reverse their recognition of Kosovo .
After the signing ceremony in Munich , Thaci and Vucic thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his leadership .
`` We feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future and that we will ensure peace for decades to come , '' the Serbian leader wrote on Twitter .
Grenell hailed Thaci and Vucic for their goodwill , saying , `` What I talked to the presidents about is trying as much as possible to concentrate on economic development , jobs for the future . ''
`` I have to say that from the very beginning both presidents have agreed that that is the focus -- how do we move forward on economic development , '' he added .
In his interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and job creation was what the peoples of Kosovo , Serbia , and the entire Western Balkans `` need . ''
Currently , there is train link between a small city in central Serbia to a northern Kosovo town .
Most people travel by car and bus on poorly maintained roads across the border .
With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Munich

PRISTINA -- Serbian and Kosovar officials have signed a deal to restore a railway link between Belgrade and Pristina and to connect the two capitals with a highway in a step toward normalizing bilateral relations.
The signing ceremony occurred on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on February 14 in the presence of the Serbian and Kosovar presidents, Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci, as well as U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Richard Grenell, who also serves as U.S. ambassador to Germany.
The move comes after the two sides last month signed an agreement on the resumption of commercial flights between Serbia and Kosovo that were halted two decades ago, when the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict escalated.
"Another milestone!" Thaci tweeted after the Munich signing ceremony, calling the agreement a "great step" toward reaching a final deal on normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
The Kosovar leader also told RFE/RL he believed that Belgrade and Pristina could reach such a deal this year.
Relations between Pristina and Belgrade have remained strained since the Kosovo war, which claimed more than 10,000 lives and left over 1 million people homeless.
Serbia continues to consider its former province part of its territory, although its independence, declared in 2008, has been recognized by about 100 countries, including the United States.
Talks on normalizing diplomatic relations were derailed in November 2018 by Pristina's imposition of 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods and services in response to Belgrade's continued lobbying for countries to reverse their recognition of Kosovo.
After the signing ceremony in Munich, Thaci and Vucic thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his leadership.
"We feel that this will bring us a better future and that we will ensure peace for decades to come," the Serbian leader wrote on Twitter.
Grenell hailed Thaci and Vucic for their goodwill, saying, "What I talked to the presidents about is trying as much as possible to concentrate on economic development, jobs for the future."
"I have to say that from the very beginning both presidents have agreed that that is the focus -- how do we move forward on economic development," he added.
In his interview with RFE/RL, Thaci said economic development and job creation was what the peoples of Kosovo, Serbia, and the entire Western Balkans "need."
Currently, there is train link between a small city in central Serbia to a northern Kosovo town. Most people travel by car and bus on poorly maintained roads across the border.
With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Munich


rferl--2020-02-14--Pakistani Cabinet Passes Controversial Social-Media Rules

Pakistan 's government has approved new rules for regulating social-media content that critics say would give the authorities unflinching powers to stifle dissent and free speech .
The regulations were approved by the federal cabinet in late January without public consultation , and were reported by the media on February 13 .
The text stipulates that social-media companies are made responsible for preventing the live streaming of any content `` related to terrorism , extremism , hate speech , defamation , fake news , incitement to violence , and national security . ''
The move comes amid accusations that Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to censor the media , and intimidate and silence its opponents .
The army has also been accused of cracking down on media and free speech .
The cabinet and the army have rejected the allegations .
Under the new regulations , social-media companies will have three months to register with Pakistani authorities and must have a representative office in the country to answer complaints filed by the National Coordinator .
The companies will have 24 hours to respond to a request by the regulator to remove material deemed unlawful , and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information '' about users on demand .
Companies not complying with the regulations could be blocked online and fined up to 500 million rupees ( $ 3.24 million ) .
Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqi of the Ministry of Information Technology , which authored the new regulations , said the measures were needed to `` uphold the integrity , decency , and respect of individuals and sanctity of institutions . ''
Siddiqi insisted that the government would not take any steps against the interests of social-media users .
But the opposition Pakistan People 's Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules in parliament and the courts , with PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar , chair of the Senate Human Rights Committee , saying the measures were seen `` as an attempt to further restrict space of free discourse in Pakistan .
Media Matters for Democracy , a Pakistani nongovernmental organization promoting press freedom , called the rules a `` direct threat to Pakistan 's digital economy and the citizens ' rights to freedom of expression and privacy . ''
Pakistan 's not-for-profit Digital Rights Foundation described the new measures as a `` blatant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's constitution .
The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the Pakistani government to `` immediately reverse course and seek broad consultations with legislators and civil society , including the media , on how to proceed with any such regulations . ''
`` These stringent but vague rules ... threaten the ability of journalists to report the news and communicate with their sources , '' said Steven Butler , the New York-based watchdog 's Asia program coordinator .

Pakistan's government has approved new rules for regulating social-media content that critics say would give the authorities unflinching powers to stifle dissent and free speech.
The regulations were approved by the federal cabinet in late January without public consultation, and were reported by the media on February 13.
The text stipulates that social-media companies are made responsible for preventing the live streaming of any content "related to terrorism, extremism, hate speech, defamation, fake news, incitement to violence, and national security."
The move comes amid accusations that Prime Minister Imran Khan's government has sought to censor the media, and intimidate and silence its opponents. The army has also been accused of cracking down on media and free speech. The cabinet and the army have rejected the allegations.
Under the new regulations, social-media companies will have three months to register with Pakistani authorities and must have a representative office in the country to answer complaints filed by the National Coordinator.
The companies will have 24 hours to respond to a request by the regulator to remove material deemed unlawful, and to provide decrypted content and "any other information" about users on demand.
Companies not complying with the regulations could be blocked online and fined up to 500 million rupees ($3.24 million).
Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqi of the Ministry of Information Technology, which authored the new regulations, said the measures were needed to "uphold the integrity, decency, and respect of individuals and sanctity of institutions."
Siddiqi insisted that the government would not take any steps against the interests of social-media users.
But the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) vowed to challenge the rules in parliament and the courts, with PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, chair of the Senate Human Rights Committee, saying the measures were seen "as an attempt to further restrict space of free discourse in Pakistan.
Media Matters for Democracy, a Pakistani nongovernmental organization promoting press freedom, called the rules a "direct threat to Pakistan's digital economy and the citizens' rights to freedom of expression and privacy."
Pakistan's not-for-profit Digital Rights Foundation described the new measures as a "blatant violation" of free-speech provisions in Pakistan's constitution.
The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the Pakistani government to "immediately reverse course and seek broad consultations with legislators and civil society, including the media, on how to proceed with any such regulations."
"These stringent but vague rules...threaten the ability of journalists to report the news and communicate with their sources," said Steven Butler, the New York-based watchdog's Asia program coordinator.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-02-14--Bulgarian Journalists Facing 'Disgraceful Attacks' By Top Officials

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) is calling on the Bulgarian authorities to stop trying to intimidate journalists , who the watchdog says are subjected to `` personal and offensive '' verbal attacks and threats by very senior officials .
In a statement on February 13 , Pauline Ades-Mevel , the head of RSF 's EU and Balkans desk , said European Parliament President David Sassoli should `` clearly condemn these disgraceful attacks , '' saying the bloc `` can not allow journalists to be threatened in such an institutional and systematic manner '' in a member state .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 , Prime Minister Boyko Borisov likened journalists to turkeys and , in an attempt to mock them , tried to imitate the gobbling of a turkey for a few seconds , the Paris-based media watchdog said .
The next day in Brussels , Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev turned on the editor of the investigative news website Bivol , whose articles have suggested that the official has been involved in questionable transactions .
Instead of responding to Atanas Tchobanov 's questions , Geshev started putting questions to the journalist that showed he had information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Bulgarian member of the European Parliament , Aleksandr Yordanov , called Tchobanov a `` little provocateur '' when the journalist asked him a about a case of corruption in which one of his colleagues is allegedly involved .
And on February 11 , Bulgarian National Assembly deputy speaker Valeri Simeonov accused two journalists with the commercial TV channel bTV of being `` corrupt '' and asked prosecutors to investigate them for failing to report alleged links between the owner of online casino Efbet and gambling czar Vasil Bozhkov , who has recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax fraud , attempted bribery , and organized crime .
The bTV Media Group defended its reporters , Venelin Petkov and Anton Hekimyan , saying that `` the journalist 's role is to report the truth after verifying and investigating . ''
`` Bulgaria has been experiencing a serious media crisis for the past decade because many media outlets are owned by just a few oligarchs and journalists are constantly subjected to harassment , '' according to RSF .
The country ranks 111th out of 180 countries listed on RSF 's World Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any EU member state .

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is calling on the Bulgarian authorities to stop trying to intimidate journalists, who the watchdog says are subjected to "personal and offensive" verbal attacks and threats by very senior officials.
In a statement on February 13, Pauline Ades-Mevel, the head of RSF's EU and Balkans desk, said European Parliament President David Sassoli should "clearly condemn these disgraceful attacks," saying the bloc "cannot allow journalists to be threatened in such an institutional and systematic manner" in a member state.
At a press conference in Sofia on February 4, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov likened journalists to turkeys and, in an attempt to mock them, tried to imitate the gobbling of a turkey for a few seconds, the Paris-based media watchdog said.
The next day in Brussels, Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev turned on the editor of the investigative news website Bivol, whose articles have suggested that the official has been involved in questionable transactions.
Instead of responding to Atanas Tchobanov's questions, Geshev started putting questions to the journalist that showed he had information about his private life.
Meanwhile, a Bulgarian member of the European Parliament, Aleksandr Yordanov, called Tchobanov a "little provocateur" when the journalist asked him a about a case of corruption in which one of his colleagues is allegedly involved.
And on February 11, Bulgarian National Assembly deputy speaker Valeri Simeonov accused two journalists with the commercial TV channel bTV of being "corrupt" and asked prosecutors to investigate them for failing to report alleged links between the owner of online casino Efbet and gambling czar Vasil Bozhkov, who has recently been arrested on charges on charges of tax fraud, attempted bribery, and organized crime.
The bTV Media Group defended its reporters, Venelin Petkov and Anton Hekimyan, saying that "the journalist's role is to report the truth after verifying and investigating."
"Bulgaria has been experiencing a serious media crisis for the past decade because many media outlets are owned by just a few oligarchs and journalists are constantly subjected to harassment," according to RSF.
The country ranks 111th out of 180 countries listed on RSF's World Press Freedom Index -- the lowest ranking of any EU member state.


rferl--2020-02-14--Security, Political Leaders Gather In Munich Amid Global Tensions, Conflicts

Some 35 heads of state and government , security leaders , and diplomats are set to attend the Munich Security Conference , which begins on February 14 at a time of high tensions amid allies and long , bloody conflicts elsewhere .
French President Emmanuel Macron , Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg are expected at the event , which runs through February 16 .
The list of top diplomats includes U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi , and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif .
The annual conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world 's top security leaders and has occasionally been conducted during times of strained U.S.-European relations , such as during the debate over the Iraq war in early 2003 .
But the current level of tension exceeds that of previous years and involves a wider range of issues , including disagreements over policies toward Iran and demands by U.S. President Donald Trump that European allies increase defense spending to ease the burden on U.S. taxpayers .
Tensions could also develop within the U.S. contingent .
The senior Democrat in the U.S. House of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the conference , where she will be with members of Trump 's administration .
The California lawmaker played a key role in the impeachment effort against Trump , who was acquitted of two articles in a Senate trial .
Pompeo and U.S. defense chief Mark Esper are likely to participate in what could be the major event in Munich when they meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of the conference .
Participants in talks between U.S. and Taliban negotiators have given strong indications that a seven-day `` reduction in violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations between Afghanistan 's warring factions is close .
Ahead of the gathering , conference Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger focused on two war-torn countries , saying he was `` deeply troubled '' about the `` unforgivable failure '' of the international community on Syria , and he expressed disappointment that a Libya peace plan negotiated recently in Berlin had not gained ground .
`` We have more crises , more serious crises , more horrific events than one can actually imagine , '' he said .
Protests are expected at the event , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployed to the site to help provide security .
With reporting by dpa and AP

Germany’s president has suggested that Russia and China, along with the United States, were stoking global instability, as he warned of the danger that the three were slipping into a new "great power" competition and nuclear arms race.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier made the comments on February 14 at the opening of the Munich Security Conference, a high-level diplomatic and political gathering held annually in the German city since 1963.
Nearly three dozen heads of state, diplomats, and others were scheduled to attend this year’s conference, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
"Russia...has made military force and the violent shifting of borders on the European continent the means of politics once again," Steinmeier said in his opening remarks.
"China...accepts international law only selectively where it does not run counter to its own interests," he said.
"And our closest ally, the United States of America, under the present administration itself, rejects the idea of an international community,” he said.
"'Great again' -- even at the expense of neighbors and partners," Steinmeier said, a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan: "Make America Great Again."
The upshot, Steinmeier said, is "more mistrust, more armament, less security...all the way to a new nuclear arms race.”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper were the highest-level U.S. officials scheduled to attend; both were slated to participate in a panel discussion, along with Stoltenberg, on February 15.
Current Tensions
The annual conference has long been a gathering of world leaders and has occasionally been conducted during times of strained U.S.-European relations, such as during the debate over the Iraq war in early 2003.
But the current level of tension exceeds that of previous years and involves a wider range of issues.
Tensions could also develop within the U.S. contingent. The senior Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, is traveling to the conference, where she will be with members of Trump’s administration.
Pelosi played a key role in the impeachment effort against Trump, who was acquitted of two articles in a Senate trial.
The presence of Pompeo and Esper have given hope that there may be a major breakthrough on the sidelines of the conference when they meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Participants in talks between U.S. and Taliban negotiators have given strong indications that a seven-day "reduction in violence" agreement that would lead to formal negotiations between Afghanistan's warring factions is close.
Ahead of the gathering, conference Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger focused on two war-torn countries, saying he was "deeply troubled" about the "unforgivable failure" of the international community on Syria, and he expressed disappointment that a Libya peace plan negotiated recently in Berlin had not gained ground.
"We have more crises, more serious crises, more horrific events than one can actually imagine," he said.
Protests are expected at the event, and some 3,900 police are set to be deployed to the site to help provide security.
With reporting by dpa and AP


rferl--2020-02-14--U.S. Accuses China's Huawei Of Helping Iran Track Protesters

The U.S. Justice Department has accused Huawei Technologies of helping Iran track protesters in its latest indictment against the Chinese tech giant as Washington steps up pressure on the world 's largest telecommunications equipment maker .
In a new indictment unsealed on February 13 , Huawei was also charged with conspiring to steal trade secrets from six U.S. technology companies and to violate a racketeering law typically used in the fight against organized crime .
The indictment supersedes one unsealed last year in federal court in Brooklyn , New York .
According to prosecutors , Huawei provided surveillance equipment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during anti-government protests in Tehran last year .
`` Huawei assisted the government of Iran by installing surveillance equipment , including surveillance equipment to monitor , identify , and detain protesters during the anti-government demonstrations of 2009 in Tehran , '' the prosecutors said in the indictment .
The indictment also alleges Huawei employed at least one citizen in Iran , which is a violation of U.S. law .
Following a move by Iranian authorities to impose gasoline rationing and raise prices in November 2019 , anti-government protests erupted in more than 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put them down amid an Internet blackout .
The company already faces charges of lying to banks about deals that violated economic sanctions against Iran .
The indictment also alleged that the company sought to hide business it was doing in North Korea despite economic sanctions against Pyongyang .
The company called all the allegations `` without merit '' in a statement released late on February 13 .
It said the new indictment was `` part of the Justice Department 's attempt to irrevocably damage Huawei 's reputation and its business for reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
A spokesman for China 's Foreign Ministry urged the United States to `` immediately cease its unreasonable oppression of Chinese enterprises . ''
The U.S. administration has raised national-security concerns about Huawei and has pressed Western allies to block the company from wireless , high-speed networks .
U.S. national-security adviser Robert O'Brien this week asserted that Huawei can secretly tap into communications through the networking equipment it sells globally .
The company disputes that , saying it `` has never and will never covertly access telecom networks , nor do we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' With reporting by AP , NBC , and Reuters

A polytechnic school in Russia’s Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.
The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.
The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
Since then, RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.
“My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away,” Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. “He said to me on the phone, ‘Come and get me or I’ll die,’ so I picked him up immediately.”
Zhanna, who asked that her underage son’s name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.
The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-02-14--Hungary To Survey Households On Roma, Schools, Prisons Amid Critics' Protests

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced plans to conduct a new `` national consultation '' survey of households next month to gauge their opinion on a variety of matters -- a move critics say will provide justification for the far-right leader to further diminish the independence of the courts and inflame prejudice against the Romany minority .
Chief of Staff Gergely Gulyas on February 13 briefed journalists on the survey , which he said was `` about restoring moral order . ''
Respondents would be asked nine questions on issues such as legal rulings on prison overcrowding , school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop awarding financial compensation to Roma for discrimination cases .
Orban , according to state-run media , said the survey should be conducted because `` for certain activist groups , the rights of violent criminals have become more important than the rights of law-abiding citizens . ''
Last month , Orban criticized court awards to prisoners over substandard jail conditions while saying it was `` deeply unfair '' for Romany families to receive money `` without working for it . ''
He suggested that Romany families instead be given training programs as compensation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocacy groups say Orban 's remarks about Roma are disparaging and further incite prejudice against them .
His public comments , they say , highlight his lack of respect for the rule of law and judicial independence .
The first nationwide household survey was held in 2015 and included questions about `` immigration and terrorism . ''
The United Nations refugee agency at the time expressed `` shock '' at its formulated questions and said it could promote xenophobia in the EU country .
Based on reporting by Hungary Today , USF , @ @

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced plans to conduct a new "national consultation" survey of households next month to gauge their opinion on a variety of matters -- a move critics say will provide justification for the far-right leader to further diminish the independence of the courts and inflame prejudice against the Romany minority.
Chief of Staff Gergely Gulyas on February 13 briefed journalists on the survey, which he said was "about restoring moral order."
Respondents would be asked nine questions on issues such as legal rulings on prison overcrowding, school segregation, and whether the courts should stop awarding financial compensation to Roma for discrimination cases.
Orban, according to state-run media, said the survey should be conducted because "for certain activist groups, the rights of violent criminals have become more important than the rights of law-abiding citizens."
Last month, Orban criticized court awards to prisoners over substandard jail conditions while saying it was "deeply unfair" for Romany families to receive money "without working for it."
He suggested that Romany families instead be given training programs as compensation in school-segregation cases.
Rights and Roma advocacy groups say Orban's remarks about Roma are disparaging and further incite prejudice against them. His public comments, they say, highlight his lack of respect for the rule of law and judicial independence.
The first nationwide household survey was held in 2015 and included questions about "immigration and terrorism."
The United Nations refugee agency at the time expressed "shock" at its formulated questions and said it could promote xenophobia in the EU country.
Based on reporting by Hungary Today, USF, and AFP


rferl--2020-02-14--Trump Says May End Practice Of Having Aides Listen In On Calls With Foreign Leaders

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is considering ending the long-standing practice of having other government officials listen in on calls with foreign leaders .
`` I may end the practice entirely , '' Trump said in a radio interview broadcast on February 13 .
A July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was at the heart of the House of Representatives ' impeachment case against Trump .
Democrats accused Trump of pressuring Kyiv in the call to begin an investigation of a political rival , Democrat Joe Biden -- allegations Trump denied .
Presidents generally have staffers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Situation Room in the West Wing basement , listen in and take notes on conversations with foreign leaders .
National Security Council personnel then use the transcripts or notes to prepare a memorandum about the call , which serves as an official record .
`` The long-standing practice is something meant to help and protect the president .
It allows the president and the national security adviser to track any agreements made on the call and to refute quickly and accurately any incorrect claims about the call made by the foreign side , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence veteran who managed the Situation Room during the administration of Barack Obama , told AP .
Meanwhile , Trump also said the impeachment process made him think about the `` dark '' days when Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in August 1974 over the Watergate scandal before his own likely impeachment .
`` Well , it 's a terrible thing and , you know , I think of Nixon more than anybody else and what that dark period was in our country and the whole thing with the [ secret White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump said .
`` It was dark and went on for a long time , and I watched it . ''
Based on reporting by AP and Politico

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that there can be no advancement in the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unless there is an improvement in the treatment of women in the country.
Speaking to reporters on August 15, the two-year anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of power in Kabul, Blinken said the United States continues to work to hold the Taliban accountable for the commitments that it's made, particularly when it comes to the rights of women and girls.
"We've been very clear with the Taliban -- and dozens of countries around the world have been very clear -- that the path to any more normal relationship between the Taliban and other countries will be blocked unless and until the rights of women and girls among other things are actually supported," Blinken said.
No country has recognized the Taliban-led government, and the United States has avoided direct economic engagement in part over the treatment of women and girls, who have seen their rights drastically curbed by the hard-line Islamists. This includes a ban on women working in local and international nongovernmental organizations and a ban on education beyond the sixth grade.
The Taliban stormed back to power in August 2021 after President Joe Biden withdrew U.S. troops under the terms of an agreement reached in February 2020 between the Taliban and the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
Blinken defended the pullout and said the United States was not focused on other priorities.
"The decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was an incredibly difficult one, but also the right one," Blinken said. "We ended America's longest war. For the first time in 20 years, we don't have another generation of young Americans going to fight and die."
A number of international human rights organizations earlier on August 15 called the Taliban's two years of rule shameful and worrying.
Amnesty International and several other international human rights organizations demanded in a statement an effective response to the situation, noting the Taliban's strict decrees against human rights in Afghanistan, especially against women and girls.
The organizations said in a statement that in the past two years, the Taliban has increasingly imposed harmful policies against women and girls and religious and ethnic minorities that clearly violate Afghanistan's obligations under international human rights law.
The Taliban has previously rejected reports on the treatment of women as propaganda of international organizations. The militant group's leaders have said they have strengthened all the rights of women in Afghanistan in light of Islamic principles.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban, said in an interview with the AP marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country that the Taliban views its rule of Afghanistan as open-ended and as drawing legitimacy from Islamic law. He also suggested a ban on female education will remain in place.
Female activist Soheila Yousefi calls the situation alarming and wants the world to pay attention.
"The international community should take serious action in this regard because the world chose to be silent in these two years and did not take any practical steps. Our request is that they should look at the current situation in Afghanistan, then take a serious and comprehensive review."
The Taliban did not respond to Radio Azadi's questions before the release of the report, but the rulers have spoken of strengthening human rights in Afghanistan, especially the rights of women and girls, according to Islamic principles.
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-02-14--Romania Indicts 14 Suspected Of 'Enslaving' German Teens

Romanian prosecutors have indicted 14 people , including a German couple , on charges of trafficking and treating German teenagers `` like slaves '' under the guise of a state-funded reeducation program .
Children aged 12 to 18 were trafficked from 2014 to 2019 , suffering `` profoundly abusive '' treatment at a center funded by the German state in a remote mountain area of northern Romania , according to the prosecutor 's office for fighting organized crime ( DIICOT ) .
The probe , which started in August , has now been sent for trial on charges of membership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trafficking , deprivation of liberty , and money laundering .
German citizens Bert Schumann , 61 , and his wife , Babett Schumann , who founded the program called Projekt Maramures , after the name of the northern region the center is located , allegedly were the masterminds of the operation .
Others include an employee from Romania 's child protection agency and locals who used the children as workers , a source in the prosecutor 's office told the media .
The children , who had behavioral problems and came from troubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the German state had taken them from their families and entrusted them to the rehabilitation program , prosecutors said .
`` In reality , they were subjected to tough and brutal methods of so-called education ... , '' they said .
`` They were held in conditions that amount to slavery , exploited by being forced to work beyond their physical power until exhaustion , deprived of food and liberty . ''
The funds paid by the German state were `` mostly used for other purposes than the ones for which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found 137,000 euros ( $ 152,000 ) in Schumann 's home .
Based on reporting by AFP and digi24.ro

Romanian prosecutors have indicted 14 people, including a German couple, on charges of trafficking and treating German teenagers "like slaves" under the guise of a state-funded reeducation program.
Children aged 12 to 18 were trafficked from 2014 to 2019, suffering "profoundly abusive" treatment at a center funded by the German state in a remote mountain area of northern Romania, according to the prosecutor's office for fighting organized crime (DIICOT).
The probe, which started in August, has now been sent for trial on charges of membership of an organized criminal group, child trafficking, deprivation of liberty, and money laundering.
German citizens Bert Schumann, 61, and his wife, Babett Schumann, who founded the program called Projekt Maramures, after the name of the northern region the center is located, allegedly were the masterminds of the operation.
Others include an employee from Romania's child protection agency and locals who used the children as workers, a source in the prosecutor's office told the media.
The children, who had behavioral problems and came from troubled families, were enrolled in the program after the German state had taken them from their families and entrusted them to the rehabilitation program, prosecutors said.
"In reality, they were subjected to tough and brutal methods of so-called education...," they said.
"They were held in conditions that amount to slavery, exploited by being forced to work beyond their physical power until exhaustion, deprived of food and liberty."
The funds paid by the German state were "mostly used for other purposes than the ones for which they were entrusted."
Prosecutors in August found 137,000 euros ($152,000) in Schumann's home.
Based on reporting by AFP and digi24.ro


rferl--2020-02-14--U.S., Taliban Reach Deal On Reducing Violence In Afghanistan

U.S., Taliban Reach Deal On Reducing Violence In Afghanistan -- U.S. Official

The United States and the Taliban have reached a deal on a weeklong reduction of violence that could lead to U.S. troops withdrawing from Afghanistan , a senior U.S. official has said .
The official , who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity , told reporters on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich on February 14 that the deal to achieve a seven-day reduction in violence would take effect `` very soon . ''
However , he told reporters that the agreement on a week of reduced violence had yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Defense Secretary Mark Esper , and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of the conference .
U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and General Scott Miller , the commander of the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan , also attended the meeting .
The U.S. official said the Taliban had committed to stopping roadside and suicide bombings as well as rocket attacks .
The official said the deal was `` very specific '' and covered the entire country , including Afghan forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would monitor the truce and determine if there were any violations .
`` It was violence that derailed the signing of the agreement in September , '' the official said , adding , `` now we have an agreement on the reduction of violence .
And , should the Talibs implement what they 've committed to doing , we will move forward with the agreement . ''
It would then be followed by the signing of a deal that would launch inter-Afghan peace negotiations within 10 days , the official said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump said there were promising signs that the United States would reach a peace deal with the Taliban by the end of this month .
Chances are `` good '' for the agreement to be sealed , Trump said on February 13 .
Earlier on February 13 , Esper told journalists in Brussels that both sides had negotiated a `` proposal '' for a week-long scaling-down in violence .
He said a drawdown of troops and further negotiations with the militants would be “ conditions-based ” and begin after a decline in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters

The education of girls and women is universally accepted in more than 200 countries and territories, including nearly 50 Muslim-majority nations.
But Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamist Taliban rulers have banned teenage girls from attending school after the sixth grade since they returned to power two years ago. The ban was extended in December to women in universities.
Countless protests by Afghans inside the country, pressure from the international community, and lobbying by Muslim scholars and clerics have failed to convince the fundamentalist Taliban leaders to reopen schools.
Experts are divided over whether the ban is rooted in how the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam is shaped by conservative Pashtun tribal customs and cultural practices or if it is prompted by how senior Taliban ideologues interpret Islamic teachings.
Most Taliban leaders are ethnic Pashtun, Sunni Muslim clerics. Many were educated in Deobandi madrasahs in neighboring Pakistan. Deobandism emerged as a puritanical Islamic revivalist movement in 19-century British Colonial India. Based on the Sunni Hanafi school of jurisprudence, it is a prominent strain among Islamists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Tribal Influences
Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator, argues that the Taliban restrictions against women are linked to social customs and cultural practices in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
Most Taliban leaders come from various Pashtun rural tribal communities in these regions bordering Pakistan.
"They believe that a woman's place is either inside a house or in a grave," Yousafzai said of the basic Taliban belief influenced by the status of women in the families of clerics and religious leaders in these Pashtun regions.
“Women living in the households of the current Taliban policymakers were never educated and never left their homes,” said Yousafzai, who has tracked the Islamist group since it emerged as a ragtag militia in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar in late 1994. “These women never performed any government or nongovernmental jobs.”
Yousafzai says the Taliban backs policies shaped by this worldview by leaning on Islamic teachings supporting such ideas. He says Taliban leaders rely on sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad that discourage women from leaving their homes.
“Their primary belief is that pubescent girls should not leave home under any circumstance,” he said. “This is why they view women leaving home for education or work as engaging in moral corruption.”
In Afghanistan, a Muslim nation of some 40 million people, activists and rights advocates accuse the Taliban of implementing "gender apartheid" by denying women education, work, freedom of movement, and deciding how they can appear in public.
Most Muslims agree that Islam allows women to get an education. Yet the Taliban publicly says that it will allow girls access to education only after ensuring complete gender segregation and other unspecified conditions.
Almost all Afghan secondary schools were gender segregated and universities imposed a strict separation between men and women after the Taliban takeover.
Yousafzai says in conservative and traditional Muslim societies around the world, some clerics also favor restrictions on women's education, work, and their role in public life. But the governments in those countries usually oppose or limit such ideas.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia -- one of the most conservative Sunni Muslim nations -- has allowed women to drive and granted them freedom of movement without a male guardian. These steps are part of a reform and modernity drive by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
The Taliban ban on education has invited universal condemnation from Muslims globally.
“The Taliban's ban on women's education is not rooted in [the Islamic] Shari’a law but rather reflects cultural biases that contradict the teachings of Islam,” said Salam al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in the United States.
He said that contrary to Taliban practices, “Islam emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge and encourages all individuals, regardless of gender, to acquire an education.”
Historical Conflict
But Islamic scholars and those who have attempted to convince the Taliban about reopening girls schools offer a different explanation.
John Mohammad Butt, an Islamic scholar and former BBC broadcaster who is the only Westerner to graduate from India’s Darul Uloom Deoband, argues that the Taliban's policy on girls' education is not tribal but shaped by the century-old conflict over modern education.
“The problem is that girls' education in Afghanistan -- indeed, contemporary education in general -- has generally been introduced in Afghanistan in line with a secular agenda,” he said.
In the 1920s, a coalition of conservative clerics and tribal and community leaders deposed reformist King Amanullah Khan. He wanted to modernize Afghanistan along Turkish leader Kamal Ataturk's secular lines and championed modern education and rights for women.
This opposition to modernity and secularism continued, and conservative clerics opposed women's education and work. It became a key part of the Islamist opposition to the pro-Soviet Afghan communist governments after the April 1978 military coup that ended the Afghan monarchy. The mujahedin accused the communists of spreading immorality by promoting women’s education and empowerment.
“This has led to particular wariness on the part of conservative circles in Afghanistan with regard to girls' education,” Butt said.
'Deep Ideological Conviction'
Obaidullah Baheer, a political science lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan, became part of an effort to rescind the ban by talking to the Taliban last year.
But he says the effort failed because “the ban is a matter of deep ideological conviction” for the current supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.
Baheer says that the most prominent Taliban leaders have studied in Pakistani madrasahs and were thus disconnected from village and tribal life.
“They have been indoctrinated by the Deobandi school of thought so that they now enforce the strictest version of Islam on the Afghan population,” he said.
He argues that the ban on girls’ schools is a deliberate policy championed by Akhundzada, who he says has endorsed Taliban Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani's Arabic language book The Islamic Emirate And Its System. In this book, Haqqani supports a fringe Islamic opinion of preferring the choice of one of the Prophet Muhammad's wives, Sawdah Bint Zam'ah, who chose to stay at home until her death.
Baheer says Haqqani ignores his other wives and other female companions that played an active role in many sectors of society and how they served as students and teachers for men.
“This fringe opinion is not held by all Taliban leaders but is one that the current absolute sovereign, the Taliban emir, seems to be convinced of,” he said.
Butt says that even Haqqani has acknowledged the principle that if there is something that women need to act upon, then that is also something that women need to learn about.
“I hope the Taliban authorities will come to realize in the not-too-distant future that education for women will make Afghan women into better Muslims,” he says. “It will enable them to make a stronger contribution to the well-being of their country.”
Two years after grappling with the issue, Western diplomats appear to be encouraging Afghan conservative and clerical circles to find ways to end the ban.
Tom West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, recently tweeted that Afghan women must be educated and contribute to the economy to help their country stand on its own two feet.
“If change to policies is made, it will be because Afghans have asked for it, not a result of foreign requests,” he wrote.


rferl--2020-02-14--Kyiv Court Refuses To Mitigate Pretrial Restrictions For Two Suspects In Sheremet's Killing

A Kyiv court has refused to mitigate pretrial restrictions for two suspects in the high-profile 2016 killing of journalist Pavel Sheremet in the Ukrainian capital .
The Kyiv Court of Appeals on February 14 remanded Yulia Kuzmenko , a pediatric surgeon , in pretrial detention and left curfew restrictions for military paramedic Yana Duhar .
Kuzmenko , Duhar , and Andriy Antonenko , who is being held in pretrial detention as well , were arrested in December as suspects in the case .
Vladyslav and Inna Hryshchenko , a married couple suspected in another unrelated case , were declared persons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All five took part in military operations in different capacities in Ukraine 's east , where government forces are fighting against Russia-backed separatists .
The Interior Ministry and the National Police said in December that the group 's goal was `` to destabilize the political and social situation in Ukraine '' by killing Sheremet .
Sheremet , a Belarusian-born Russian citizen who had made Kyiv his permanent home , was leaving his apartment to head to the studio where he hosted a morning radio program when an improvised explosive device planted under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 , 2016 , killing him instantly .
Sheremet 's killing underscored concerns over a climate of impunity for attacks on journalists and others who challenge the authorities , while the government has faced persistent criticism over a perceived lack of progress in solving the case .
Last month , Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Ruslan Ryaboshapka said additional evidence was needed for the Sheremet 's murder case to go to trial .
Sheremet 's mother , Lyudmila Sheremet , told RFE/RL in December that she does not know if the suspects are guilty or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innocent people may be hurt '' as officials try to show they 're making headway in the case .
With reporting by UNIAN and Ukrayinska Pravda

A Kyiv court has refused to mitigate pretrial restrictions for two suspects in the high-profile 2016 killing of journalist Pavel Sheremet in the Ukrainian capital.
The Kyiv Court of Appeals on February 14 remanded Yulia Kuzmenko, a pediatric surgeon, in pretrial detention and left curfew restrictions for military paramedic Yana Duhar.
Kuzmenko, Duhar, and Andriy Antonenko, who is being held in pretrial detention as well, were arrested in December as suspects in the case.
Vladyslav and Inna Hryshchenko, a married couple suspected in another unrelated case, were declared persons of interest in the Sheremet case.
All five took part in military operations in different capacities in Ukraine's east, where government forces are fighting against Russia-backed separatists.
The Interior Ministry and the National Police said in December that the group's goal was "to destabilize the political and social situation in Ukraine" by killing Sheremet.
Sheremet, a Belarusian-born Russian citizen who had made Kyiv his permanent home, was leaving his apartment to head to the studio where he hosted a morning radio program when an improvised explosive device planted under the vehicle he was driving exploded on July 20, 2016, killing him instantly.
Sheremet's killing underscored concerns over a climate of impunity for attacks on journalists and others who challenge the authorities, while the government has faced persistent criticism over a perceived lack of progress in solving the case.
Last month, Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Ruslan Ryaboshapka said additional evidence was needed for the Sheremet's murder case to go to trial.
Sheremet's mother, Lyudmila Sheremet, told RFE/RL in December that she does not know if the suspects are guilty or not, but that she is afraid "innocent people may be hurt" as officials try to show they're making headway in the case.
With reporting by UNIAN and Ukrayinska Pravda


rferl--2020-02-14--In Phone Call, Zelenskiy And Putin Discuss Next Normandy Summit, Possible Prisoner Exchange

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Russian counterpart , Vladimir Putin , have discussed by phone preparations for a new summit in the so-called Normandy format and a possible prisoner swap , Zelenskiy 's office said on February 14 .
`` Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Vladimir Putin paid special attention to the process of releasing Ukrainian citizens being held in temporarily occupied territories of Donbas [ districts controlled by Russia-backed separatists since April 2014 ] , Crimea , and the Russian Federation , '' the office said .
After his upset win in presidential elections last year , 41-year-old former comedian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exchange with Russia that saw the two countries exchange dozens of prisoners in September and December .
The two met for the first time in Paris in December under the auspices of the Normandy peace format which also includes France and Germany besides Russia and Ukraine .
Meanwhile , the Kremlin said on February 14 that during the talks , Putin `` directly '' asked Zelenskiy if Kyiv plans to fully comply with the 2015 Minsk peace agreement -- a peace plan that was brokered by France and Germany in the Belarusian capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eastern Ukraine which have generally failed to hold .
`` The Russian President stressed the importance of the full and unconditional fulfillment of all measures and decisions made in Minsk and adopted at the Normandy summits , including the one held in Paris on December 9 , 2019 ... Vladimir Putin directly asked if Kyiv intends to really implement the Minsk agreements , '' The Kremlin 's statement said .
The Kremlin 's relationship with Ukraine has been hostile ever since protests in Kyiv led to the overthrow of the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia annexed Ukraine ’ s Crimean Peninsula shortly thereafter and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine , sparking an ongoing war in the Donbas that has resulted in more than 13,000 deaths .

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have discussed by phone preparations for a new summit in the so-called Normandy format and a possible prisoner swap, Zelenskiy's office said on February 14.
"Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Vladimir Putin paid special attention to the process of releasing Ukrainian citizens being held in temporarily occupied territories of Donbas [districts controlled by Russia-backed separatists since April 2014], Crimea, and the Russian Federation," the office said.
After his upset win in presidential elections last year, 41-year-old former comedian Zelenskiy managed to negotiate a long-awaited prisoner exchange with Russia that saw the two countries exchange dozens of prisoners in September and December.
The two met for the first time in Paris in December under the auspices of the Normandy peace format which also includes France and Germany besides Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said on February 14 that during the talks, Putin "directly" asked Zelenskiy if Kyiv plans to fully comply with the 2015 Minsk peace agreement -- a peace plan that was brokered by France and Germany in the Belarusian capital and set a series of cease-fires in eastern Ukraine which have generally failed to hold.
"The Russian President stressed the importance of the full and unconditional fulfillment of all measures and decisions made in Minsk and adopted at the Normandy summits, including the one held in Paris on December 9, 2019... Vladimir Putin directly asked if Kyiv intends to really implement the Minsk agreements," The Kremlin's statement said.
The Kremlin's relationship with Ukraine has been hostile ever since protests in Kyiv led to the overthrow of the nation’s pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.
Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula shortly thereafter and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, sparking an ongoing war in the Donbas that has resulted in more than 13,000 deaths.


rferl--2020-02-14--Belarus Threatens To Tap Oil From Russian Pipeline

MINSK -- President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has said Belarus would start taking oil from a transit pipeline if Russia does not supply its neighbor with the required volumes of crude , the state news agency BelTA reports .
Russian oil flows to Belarus have dwindled since the beginning of the year , as Minsk and Moscow failed to agree terms for oil supplies for 2020 .
Lukashenka , whose country is heavily reliant on Russia for cheap oil and billions in annual subsidies to prop up its Soviet-era economy , said on February 14 that Belarusian refineries received 500,000 tons of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned 2 million tons .
`` If Russia does n't supply oil in necessary volumes , we would start taking it from the transit pipeline , '' the Belarusian leader said , referring to the Druzhba pipeline , which crosses Belarusian territory and supplies about 1 million barrels of Russian oil to Europe .
The dispute over Russian oil supplies is part of wider political discord between Russia and Belarus over forming a union .
Lukashenka , who has been in power in Belarus for more than 25 years , has faced growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeper integration under a 1999 unification agreement , which envisaged close political , economic , and military ties but stopped short of forming a single nation .
On a visit to southeastern Belarus on February 14 , Lukashenka told officials of his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi last week .
The Russian side hinted `` at the incorporation of Belarus in return for unified energy prices , '' Lukashenka said , adding that he is `` convinced that neither Russians nor Belarusians will ever want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They understand integration as swallowing up Belarus .
This is n't integration .
It 's incorporation .
I will never go for this , '' he also said .
With reporting by Reuters , AFP , and AP

MINSK -- President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has said Belarus would start taking oil from a transit pipeline if Russia does not supply its neighbor with the required volumes of crude, the state news agency BelTA reports.
Russian oil flows to Belarus have dwindled since the beginning of the year, as Minsk and Moscow failed to agree terms for oil supplies for 2020.
Lukashenka, whose country is heavily reliant on Russia for cheap oil and billions in annual subsidies to prop up its Soviet-era economy, said on February 14 that Belarusian refineries received 500,000 tons of Russian crude in January instead of a planned 2 million tons.
"If Russia doesn't supply oil in necessary volumes, we would start taking it from the transit pipeline," the Belarusian leader said, referring to the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Belarusian territory and supplies about 1 million barrels of Russian oil to Europe.
The dispute over Russian oil supplies is part of wider political discord between Russia and Belarus over forming a union.
Lukashenka, who has been in power in Belarus for more than 25 years, has faced growing pressure from Moscow recently to agree to deeper integration under a 1999 unification agreement, which envisaged close political, economic, and military ties but stopped short of forming a single nation.
On a visit to southeastern Belarus on February 14, Lukashenka told officials of his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi last week.
The Russian side hinted "at the incorporation of Belarus in return for unified energy prices," Lukashenka said, adding that he is "convinced that neither Russians nor Belarusians will ever want to follow this path."
"They understand integration as swallowing up Belarus. This isn't integration. It's incorporation. I will never go for this," he also said.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP


rferl--2020-02-14--Kyiv, Moscow Say Zelenskiy, Patrushev Did Not Meet In Oman

Presidential offices in Kyiv and Moscow say Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev did not meet in Oman last month , as rumors swirled following a report by the investigative journalism group Schemes ( Skhemy ) , that showed the two officials crossed paths in the Middle Eastern country .
Schemes , a joint project run by RFE/RL ’ s Ukrainian Service and UA : Pershy television , reported on February 13 that Patrushev , a long-time friend and close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin , arrived in Oman at night on January 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the next day to return to Kyiv .
Andriy Yermak , head of the Ukrainian presidential administration , called the report `` a lie from the beginning to the end , '' while Zelenskiy 's press secretary , Yulia Mendel , wrote in a post on Facebook on February 14 that it was `` hard to deny that some Russian officials fly to Oman , '' though the two did not meet .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any allegations concerning a Zelenskiy-Patrushev meeting are `` malarkey '' and `` a classic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schemes report quoted unnamed sources saying that Patrushev was aboard the plane and that sources had access to the database on the Russian border crossings .
It has not been confirmed officially that Zelenskiy was aboard the same plane when flying from Oman to Ukraine on January 8 .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Russian and Ukrainian services

Presidential offices in Kyiv and Moscow say Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev did not meet in Oman last month, as rumors swirled following a report by the investigative journalism group Schemes (Skhemy), that showed the two officials crossed paths in the Middle Eastern country.
Schemes, a joint project run by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service and UA:Pershy television, reported on February 13 that Patrushev, a long-time friend and close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrived in Oman at night on January 7 aboard a chartered plane which Zelenskiy then used the next day to return to Kyiv.
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, called the report "a lie from the beginning to the end," while Zelenskiy's press secretary, Yulia Mendel, wrote in a post on Facebook on February 14 that it was "hard to deny that some Russian officials fly to Oman," though the two did not meet.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any allegations concerning a Zelenskiy-Patrushev meeting are "malarkey" and "a classic example of fake news."
The Schemes report quoted unnamed sources saying that Patrushev was aboard the plane and that sources had access to the database on the Russian border crossings.
It has not been confirmed officially that Zelenskiy was aboard the same plane when flying from Oman to Ukraine on January 8.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian and Ukrainian services


rferl--2020-02-14--Report: Iranian Hackers Still Targeting Western Universities

Government-backed Iranian hackers have targeted universities in Europe , the United States , and Australia in the past months , @ @ @ @ @ , according to Dutch broadcaster NOS .
The hackers were attempting to steal academic literature @ @ @ @ @ NOS reported on February 14 .
It said it was unclear whether the attempts to @ @ @ @ @ including those of three Dutch universities and another higher education institution , were successful .
@ @ @ @ @ United States charged nine Iranian citizens over their alleged involvement in a state-sponsored large-scale hacking @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.S. Treasury Department also slapped sanctions on 10 individuals and an Iranian company @ @ @ @ @ hacking hundreds of universities on behalf of Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps .
Tehran @ @ @ @ @ false . ''
`` We can see from the infrastructure they use that the same @ @ @ @ @ active , '' NOS quoted Gerwin Naber of PwC Netherlands as saying .
`` At @ @ @ @ @ in November , '' Naber added .


rferl--2020-02-14--German President Takes Swipe At Global Powers As Munich Conference Opens

Germany ’ s president has suggested that Russia and China , along with the United States , were stoking global instability , as he warned of the danger that the three were slipping into a new `` great power '' competition and nuclear arms race .
Frank-Walter Steinmeier made the comments on February 14 at the opening of the Munich Security Conference , a high-level diplomatic and political gathering held annually in the German city since 1963 .
Nearly three dozen heads of state , diplomats , and others were scheduled to attend this year ’ s conference , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Justin Trudeau , and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg .
`` Russia ... has made military force and the violent shifting of borders on the European continent the means of politics once again , '' Steinmeier said in his opening remarks .
`` China ... accepts international law only selectively where it does not run counter to its own interests , '' he said .
`` And our closest ally , the United States of America , under the present administration itself , rejects the idea of an international community , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even at the expense of neighbors and partners , '' Steinmeier said , a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s campaign slogan : `` Make America Great Again . ''
The upshot , Steinmeier said , is `` more mistrust , more armament , less security ... all the way to a new nuclear arms race.
” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper were the highest-level U.S. officials scheduled to attend ; both were slated to participate in a panel discussion , along with Stoltenberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference has long been a gathering of world leaders and has occasionally been conducted during times of strained U.S.-European relations , such as during the debate over the Iraq war in early 2003 .
But the current level of tension exceeds that of previous years and involves a wider range of issues .
Tensions could also develop within the U.S. contingent .
The senior Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives , Nancy Pelosi , is traveling to the conference , where she will be with members of Trump ’ s administration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment effort against Trump , who was acquitted of two articles in a Senate trial .
The presence of Pompeo and Esper have given hope that there may be a major breakthrough on the sidelines of the conference when they meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani .
Participants in talks between U.S. and Taliban negotiators have given strong indications that a seven-day `` reduction in violence '' agreement that would lead to formal negotiations between Afghanistan 's warring factions is close .
Ahead of the gathering , conference Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger focused on two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply troubled '' about the `` unforgivable failure '' of the international community on Syria , and he expressed disappointment that a Libya peace plan negotiated recently in Berlin had not gained ground .
`` We have more crises , more serious crises , more horrific events than one can actually imagine , '' he said .
Protests are expected at the event , and some 3,900 police are set to be deployed to the site to help provide security .
With reporting by dpa and AP


rferl--2020-02-16--Pakistani Journalist Found Dead In Irrigation Canal

Police in Pakistan ’ s southern province of Sindh have found the dead body of a local journalist in an @ @ @ @ @ ’ s body was found in Naushero Feroz district on February 16 , officials say @ @ @ @ @ that Memon was strangled to death before his body was thrown into the canal .
@ @ @ @ @ the Sindhi-language Kawish Television Network ( KTN ) and thee Kawish newspaper .
Months ago @ @ @ @ @ message saying he was receiving threats for his coverage of a news story .
In @ @ @ @ @ York-based Committee to Protect Journalists reported 16 unsolved killings of journalists in Pakistan over the @ @ @

Police in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh have found the dead body of a local journalist in an irrigation waterway.
Aziz Memon’s body was found in Naushero Feroz district on February 16, officials say.
The initial investigation suggests that Memon was strangled to death before his body was thrown into the canal.
The journalist was working for the Sindhi-language Kawish Television Network (KTN) and thee Kawish newspaper.
Months ago, Memon released a video message saying he was receiving threats for his coverage of a news story.
In October 2019, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists reported 16 unsolved killings of journalists in Pakistan over the previous decade.


rferl--2020-02-16--North Macedonia Parliament Dissolves After Passing Key Prosecution, Defense Legislation

SKOPJE -- North Macedonia ’ s parliament has passed two key bills , on the public prosecutor 's office and defense , before the chamber dissolved to pave the way for snap elections .
`` I believe that all the decisions we have made in this parliament were in the interest of our citizens , '' speaker Talat Xhaferi told the last session of the 120-seat parliament on February 16 .
Earlier , 80 lawmakers -- the minimum needed for the law 's adoption -- backed the Law on the Public Prosecutor 's Office , which the ruling Social Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set a date for the start of accession talks .
The EU ’ s October 2019 decision to halt the opening of membership negotiations with Skopje prompted the Social Democrats to call the early parliamentary elections for April 12 -- eight months before the normal expiration of the parliament 's four-year term .
A total of 80 lawmakers also backed on February 16 a draft law on defense to align the country ’ s legislation with NATO ’ s collective-security principles .
North Macedonia is expected to become a full NATO member later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member of the alliance -- Spain -- ratifies its accession protocol , which is expected to happen by mid-March .
North Macedonia was granted a protocol on accession to NATO membership a year ago after an agreement with neighboring Greece to change the name of the former Yugoslav republic .

SKOPJE -- North Macedonia’s parliament has passed two key bills, on the public prosecutor's office and defense, before the chamber dissolved to pave the way for snap elections.
"I believe that all the decisions we have made in this parliament were in the interest of our citizens," speaker Talat Xhaferi told the last session of the 120-seat parliament on February 16.
Earlier, 80 lawmakers -- the minimum needed for the law's adoption -- backed the Law on the Public Prosecutor's Office, which the ruling Social Democrats hope will persuade the European Union to set a date for the start of accession talks.
The EU’s October 2019 decision to halt the opening of membership negotiations with Skopje prompted the Social Democrats to call the early parliamentary elections for April 12 -- eight months before the normal expiration of the parliament's four-year term.
A total of 80 lawmakers also backed on February 16 a draft law on defense to align the country’s legislation with NATO’s collective-security principles.
North Macedonia is expected to become a full NATO member later this year once the 29th and final member of the alliance -- Spain -- ratifies its accession protocol, which is expected to happen by mid-March.
North Macedonia was granted a protocol on accession to NATO membership a year ago after an agreement with neighboring Greece to change the name of the former Yugoslav republic.


rferl--2020-02-16--Scores Of Opposition Leaders, Activists Detained Ahead Of Election Protest In Baku

BAKU -- Police in Azerbaijan have detained three opposition party leaders and more than 100 activists ahead of a protest in Baku against the results of last week 's parliamentary elections that were criticized by international observers .
Many of those detainees were released later on February 16 .
The ruling Yeni Azerbaijan ( New Azerbaijan ) party won 72 out of 125 seats in the single-chamber legislature on February 9 , according to the Central Election Commission ( CEC ) .
Nearly all other seats went to small parties and independents loyal to President Ilham Aliyev .
Before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start , police detained either at their homes or outside their party headquarters the leader of the REAL party , Ilgar Mamedly , the leader of the Musavat Party , Arif Hajili , and the head of the D18 opposition movement , Ruslan Izzatly .
They were later released outside of Baku .
Izzatly said he will sue the Interior Ministry .
Riot police surrounded the CEC building where the rally had been planned and put anyone arriving to take part in the protest on buses .
After his release , Hajili said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in police vans to remote , deserted places 200-300 kilometers from Baku and abandoned there . ''
Mehman Huseynov , who ran as a candidate in the municipal elections , was among those taken away from the capital .
He posted on Facebook a picture of himself sitting on the side of a road in a deserted area .
On February 11 , police in Baku detained more than 20 opposition and independent candidates who protested the results of the elections in front of the CEC building .
In a preliminary report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) and the Council of Europe cited widespread violations in the vote count , instances of ballot stuffing and multiple voting , as well as pressure on voters , candidates , and observers .
The observers also noted that the number of registered voters in more than half of the 125 constituencies deviated by more than allowed by the Election Code .
The 58-year-old Aliyev , who has ruled Azerbaijan since shortly before his father 's death 17 years ago , called the elections in December , nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid public discontent over a slowing economy .
Since the South Caucasus country declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 , its elections have repeatedly been deemed as falling short of democratic standards by international observers from the OSCE and Council of Europe .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP

BAKU -- Police in Azerbaijan have detained three opposition party leaders and more than 100 activists ahead of a protest in Baku against the results of last week's parliamentary elections that were criticized by international observers.
Many of those detainees were released later on February 16.
The ruling Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) party won 72 out of 125 seats in the single-chamber legislature on February 9, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). Nearly all other seats went to small parties and independents loyal to President Ilham Aliyev.
WATCH: Azerbaijani Police Disperse Postelection Protest
Before the February 16 unauthorized protest was scheduled to start, police detained either at their homes or outside their party headquarters the leader of the REAL party, Ilgar Mamedly, the leader of the Musavat Party, Arif Hajili, and the head of the D18 opposition movement, Ruslan Izzatly.
They were later released outside of Baku. Izzatly said he will sue the Interior Ministry.
Riot police surrounded the CEC building where the rally had been planned and put anyone arriving to take part in the protest on buses.
After his release, Hajili said some of those detained were "taken in police vans to remote, deserted places 200-300 kilometers from Baku and abandoned there."
Mehman Huseynov, who ran as a candidate in the municipal elections, was among those taken away from the capital. He posted on Facebook a picture of himself sitting on the side of a road in a deserted area.
On February 11, police in Baku detained more than 20 opposition and independent candidates who protested the results of the elections in front of the CEC building.
In a preliminary report, monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe cited widespread violations in the vote count, instances of ballot stuffing and multiple voting, as well as pressure on voters, candidates, and observers. The observers also noted that the number of registered voters in more than half of the 125 constituencies deviated by more than allowed by the Election Code.
The 58-year-old Aliyev, who has ruled Azerbaijan since shortly before his father's death 17 years ago, called the elections in December, nine months before it was formally due, amid public discontent over a slowing economy.
Since the South Caucasus country declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, its elections have repeatedly been deemed as falling short of democratic standards by international observers from the OSCE and Council of Europe.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP


rferl--2020-02-16--Rohani Says Tehran Will Never Talk To U.S. Under Pressure

President Hassan Rohani says Iran will never hold talks with the United States under pressure or from a position of weakness , adding that Tehran 's help was needed in establishing stability in the Middle East .
Speaking on February 16 ahead of parliamentary elections later this week , Rohani also appealed to voters to turn out in spite of the fact that thousands of people who had registered to run were disqualified , including 90 current lawmakers .
The February 21 vote is widely seen as a contest between hard-liners and conservatives after the Guardians Council , a hard-line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most pro-reform and moderate candidates .
The elections will also be a test of the popularity of Rohani , a relative moderate who has struggled to deliver on promises to improve people 's lives under U.S. economic sanctions which have taken a severe toll on the Iranian economy and sent the national currency plunging .
The United States has reimposed the crippling sanctions after exiting a major nuclear deal in 2018 that exchanged curbs on Iran 's nuclear program for sanctions relief .
U.S. President Donald Trump has argued that the terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons , agreeing curbs to its ballistic-missile program , and ending its support for `` proxy '' groups across the Middle East .
However , Iranian leaders have repeatedly dismissed talks over any new agreement , saying they are possible only if the United States returns to the accord and lifts sanctions .
Referring to Trump 's Iran strategy , Rohani on February 16 said “ America 's 'maximum pressure ' toward Iran is doomed to failure . ''
`` Iran will never negotiate under pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America 's pressure and we will not negotiate from a position of weakness , ” he said , adding that the Islamic republic will one day force its foe to come to the negotiating table .
The Iranian president , whose country has been involved in decades of regional proxy wars , also said that Tehran ’ s role was essential for security in the region .
`` Securing peace and stability in the sensitive region of the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf is impossible without Iran 's help , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Iranian top military commander was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad , escalating tensions in the region .
In retaliation , Iran targeted two bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq .
At his press conference , the 71-year-old Rohani ruled out resigning and vowed to see out his second and last term set to end next year .
The president admitted he had offered to resign twice since being elected , and that the offers were rejected by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
Based on reporting by ISNA , @ @ @ @ @ @


rferl--2020-02-16--Magnitude 5.8 Quake Hits Iran's Qeshm Island In Persian Gulf

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake has hit in the vicinity of Iran 's Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf , Iranian @ @ @ @ @ .
`` So far , there has been no loss of life reported , '' @ @ @ @ @ Alireza Nasri , told the official government news agency IRNA .
`` The damage to @ @ @ @ @ level of cracks in walls . ''
The United States Geological Survey said the magnitude @ @ @ @ @ .
Based on reporting by Fars , ISNA , and Reuters


rferl--2020-02-16--Russian Artist Pavlensky, Partner Being Questioned Over Sex Tape That Sank Macron Ally

A Russian artist and his partner were being detained for questioning about a sex video leak that upended the Paris mayoral race , prosecutors in the French capital said on February 16 .
Pyotr Pavlensky , who was arrested on February 15 regarding separate allegations of violence on New Year 's Eve , has claimed responsibility for posting online a sex video that brought down a high-profile candidate for Paris mayor .
The candidate , Benjamin Griveaux of French President Emmanuel Macron ’ s centrist La Republique En Marche party , resigned as a junior minister last year to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Polls put him in third place behind outgoing Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo and conservative challenger Rachida Dati .
Macron 's party is now scrambling for a replacement candidate for the contest .
The prosecutor 's office said Griveaux filed a complaint on February 16 for invasion of his private life and an investigation was opened .
`` No one should be subjected to such abuse , '' Griveaux had said .
French police says Pavlensky ’ s partner , who was not named by investigators , was also being detained for questioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual images without consent .
Pavlensky was arrested on February 15 over a case involving “ violence with a weapon ” on New Year ’ s Eve , the Paris prosecutor ’ s office said .
French media reported that Pavlensky allegedly drew a knife during a dispute at a Paris apartment and that two guests were wounded .
Pavlensky fled Russia in 2017 and was granted political asylum in France .
The artist is known for attention-grabbing protests .
In the past , he has nailed his scrotum to Moscow 's Red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrapped himself naked in barbed wire , and chopped off part of his ear .
With reporting by AFP and dpa

A Russian artist and his partner were being detained for questioning about a sex video leak that upended the Paris mayoral race, prosecutors in the French capital said on February 16.
Pyotr Pavlensky, who was arrested on February 15 regarding separate allegations of violence on New Year's Eve, has claimed responsibility for posting online a sex video that brought down a high-profile candidate for Paris mayor.
The candidate, Benjamin Griveaux of French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist La Republique En Marche party, resigned as a junior minister last year to take part in the mayoral race in March. Polls put him in third place behind outgoing Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo and conservative challenger Rachida Dati.
Macron's party is now scrambling for a replacement candidate for the contest.
The prosecutor's office said Griveaux filed a complaint on February 16 for invasion of his private life and an investigation was opened.
"No one should be subjected to such abuse," Griveaux had said.
French police says Pavlensky’s partner, who was not named by investigators, was also being detained for questioning on suspicion of violating privacy and publishing sexual images without consent.
Pavlensky was arrested on February 15 over a case involving “violence with a weapon” on New Year’s Eve, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. French media reported that Pavlensky allegedly drew a knife during a dispute at a Paris apartment and that two guests were wounded.
Pavlensky fled Russia in 2017 and was granted political asylum in France.
The artist is known for attention-grabbing protests. In the past, he has nailed his scrotum to Moscow's Red Square, sewn his lips together, wrapped himself naked in barbed wire, and chopped off part of his ear.
With reporting by AFP and dpa


rferl--2020-02-16--Nine Homeless Drug Users Killed in Afghan Capital

Gunmen have shot dead nine homeless drug users in the Afghan capital , officials said on February 16 .
The incident took place late on February 15 in a cave on the outskirts of Kabul near the Koh-e Qurugh mountain , police spokesman Faramarz Tamanna told dpa .
One addict was found wounded and was taken to hospital , police added .
The motive for the attack in Kabul was not clear and police said they were investigating .
Drug addiction has been reportedly on the rise in the war-torn country that produces the majority of opium and heroin consumed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Drug Use Survey has found that there are between 2.9 to 3.6 million drug users in the country of roughly 37 million .
`` It 's a social crisis , '' Dr Shokoor Haidari , deputy of the ministry 's counter-drugs department , was quoted as saying by Reuters .
The ministry can only treat 40,000 people a year but far more seek help , said Haidari .
Lack of social services , unemployment , and easy access to drugs have fueled drug abuse in Afghanistan , Haidari said .
Based on @ @ @ @ @


rferl--2020-02-16--Rockets Hit Near Base Hosting U.S. Forces In Baghdad

Multiple rockets hit a U.S.-led coalition base near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad early on February 16 , causing little damage and no injuries , a U.S. military officer said .
Colonel Myles B. Caggins III , a spokesman for the U.S. military operation in Iraq , said the attack occurred just before 3:30 a.m. local time .
Warning sirens blared across the embassy compound , but it was not known where all of the missiles struck or how many were fired .
The embassy is next to a coalition military base .
An AFP correspondent reported hearing multiple strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green Zone , the high-security area of the city where diplomatic sites , including the U.S. Embassy , are located .
So far , no group has claimed responsibility for the shelling , the latest in a series of attacks targeting the Green Zone .
Washington blames Iran-backed militias for a series of rocket attacks on U.S. assets in Iraq .
The militias have vowed revenge following a January 3 U.S. air strike near Baghdad that killed Major General Qasem Soleimani , the leader of Iran 's elite Quds Force , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militia and several other people .
In response to Soleimani 's killing , Tehran launched missile strikes on two bases hosting U.S. troops in Iraq .
The Pentagon says 109 U.S. service members have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injuries following the attack on the Ain Al-Asad air base in western Iraq , though no one was killed .
Based on reporting by AFP , Reuters , and dpa

Multiple rockets hit a U.S.-led coalition base near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad early on February 16, causing little damage and no injuries, a U.S. military officer said.
Colonel Myles B. Caggins III, a spokesman for the U.S. military operation in Iraq, said the attack occurred just before 3:30 a.m. local time.
Warning sirens blared across the embassy compound, but it was not known where all of the missiles struck or how many were fired. The embassy is next to a coalition military base.
An AFP correspondent reported hearing multiple strong explosions followed by aircraft circling near the Green Zone, the high-security area of the city where diplomatic sites, including the U.S. Embassy, are located.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the shelling, the latest in a series of attacks targeting the Green Zone.
Washington blames Iran-backed militias for a series of rocket attacks on U.S. assets in Iraq.
The militias have vowed revenge following a January 3 U.S. air strike near Baghdad that killed Major General Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran's elite Quds Force, along with a senior commander of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia and several other people.
In response to Soleimani's killing, Tehran launched missile strikes on two bases hosting U.S. troops in Iraq. The Pentagon says 109 U.S. service members have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injuries following the attack on the Ain Al-Asad air base in western Iraq, though no one was killed.
Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and dpa