rferl--2020-03-16--COVID-19: Serbia Declares State Of Emergency; Iran Warns Of Overwhelmed Health System

A roundup of the latest news on the coronavirus crisis in RFE/RL 's broadcast countries : Serbia has declared a state of emergency to contain the coronavirus outbreak , shutting down schools and universities and deploying the military to guard hospitals .
`` We will close down to save our lives , to save our parents , to save our elderly , '' President Aleksandar Vucic said in a televised address on March 15 .
Vucic said the details of the measures will be announced on March 16 , adding that `` there will be limitations of all sorts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 the military will be guarding state hospitals , while police will be monitoring those quarantined or in self-isolation for 14 or 28 days .
Those who violate quarantine may face jail terms of up to three years , he warned .
Earlier on March 15 , Serbia announced it was closing the borders to foreigners coming from the worst-hit countries .
Vucic , however , said the border entry ban does not apply to people from China , praising Beijing for helping Serbia amid the COVID-19 crisis .
He criticized the European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
After Vucic 's address , Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told state TV that borders will be open only “ for Serbians , foreign diplomats , and foreign nationals with residence permits.
” The Balkan state has so far recorded 48 coronavirus infections .
There have been no fatalities , but two patients are in a serious condition , health authorities say .
Five more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Uzbekistan , bringing the total to six , the government 's Telegram channel dedicated to the disease said on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are members of one Uzbek family returning from France , the government said in a separate statement .
Uzbekistan early on March 15 had reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 .
The same day , neighboring Kazakhstan declared a state of emergency as authorities announced that three new cases had been recorded , pushing the total number there to nine .
Kazakhstan was thought to have been coronavirus-free until four infections were confirmed on March 13 .
The state of emergency announced by presidential decree imposes a nationwide quarantine and will restrict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country to all except diplomats and individuals invited by the government .
Kazakhstan had already announced the cancellation of Norouz holiday celebrations and a military parade devoted to the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany .
Officials there previously said more than 1,000 people were in quarantine and nearly 500 others in self-quarantine at home .
Uzbekistan announced similar sweeping measures on March 15 , barring entry for all foreigners and departures by locals .
The Uzbek government also closed schools and universities for three weeks , canceled all public events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connections beginning March 16 .
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the only Central Asian republics to have officially registered any cases of the new coronavirus at the center of a global pandemic that as of early March 15 had infected more than 156,000 people and killed more than 5,800 .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ended his two-day self-isolation in Sevan and returned to the capital , Yerevan , after testing negative for the coronavirus for the second time .
Pashinian underwent another test for the potentially deadly infection after one of the individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a southern Armenian province last week had tested positive .
“ The answer to our tests is negative again .
Coming back to Yerevan in the morning , ” Pashinian wrote in a Facebook post on March 15 , referring to the results of his test and the test of his wife , Anna Hakobian .
The couple decided to isolate themselves in a government villa at Lake Sevan late on March 13 and undergo coronavirus tests after local media raised concerns about Hakobian ’ s contacts with the wife of Brazilian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Latin American country on March 7 .
An aide to Bolsonaro and another senior Brazilian government official tested positive for coronavirus , raising questions about the president 's health .
The Brazilian leader has since said he tested negative for the virus .
Amid the quarantine , Pashinian suspended his political campaigning ahead of next month ’ s constitutional referendum .
He said his government will discuss this week whether to move ahead with the national referendum scheduled for April 5 amid the spread of the virus .
Armenians will be asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would lead to the dismissal of seven of the Constitutional Court ’ s nine members installed before nationwide protests swept Pashinian to power in 2018 .
As of March 15 , Armenia ’ s health authorities confirmed 28 cases in the country with more than half located in one region .
They said the first patient hospitalized on March 1 had already recovered from the disease .
Armenia shut down the city of Vagharshapat in a bid to curb the spread of the virus , Pashinian said on March 15 .
Vasharshapat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 kilometers to the west of the capital , Yerevan .
Vagharshapat , which has a population of 46,000 people , has accounted for more than half of the 28 registered coronavirus cases in Armenia .
Pashinian said residents will be able to leave the city only after having their body temperature taken .
Afghanistan reported five new cases on March 15 , bringing the total number of registered cases in the country to 16 .
Officials in Kabul said that all of those infected are Afghans who have recently returned from neighboring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15,000 Afghan migrants workers and refugees are returning from Iran on a daily basis .
Officials in Iran , which is battling one of the world 's worst outbreaks , have warned that the county 's health facilities could be overwhelmed if the current growth in new cases continues .
Iran had registered nearly 14,000 cases of coronavirus by March 15 , up from about 1,000 at the start of the month .
Iran has the third-most registered cases after China and Italy .
The nation 's death toll reached 724 on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kianush Jahanpur , Iran 's Health Ministry spokesman , said in a televised news conference that citizens `` should cancel all travel and stay at home '' to halt the spread of the deadly virus. Pakistani President Arif Alvi is on an official visit to China on March 16-17 to hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart , Xi Jinping , and other top officials , Alvi ’ s office said in a statement on March 15 .
The statement said the visit aims at “ further solidifying historic bonds '' between the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the closest friends and staunch partners.
” It also pointed out that the visit comes as China is “ engaged in efforts to contain ” the spread of the new coronavirus , which has affected 157 countries and territories since it was first recorded in Wuhan , a city in central China .
It ’ s Alvi ’ s first official visit to China , a strategic partner and major investor to Pakistan ’ s economy .
Pakistan on March 16 announced 41 additional cases of infection with the coronavirus after 41 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region , bringing the total tally to 94 .
Dozens of people quarantined at the Pakistan-Iran border protested what they called the poor hygiene in the camps .
The quarantined include religious pilgrims who are now returning from Iran .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan , Armenian , Uzbek , and Kazakh services , RFE/RL 's Radio Mashaal , and AP , AFP , and Reuters

A roundup of the latest news on the coronavirus crisis in RFE/RL's broadcast countries:
Iran
Iran says the COVID-19 illness has killed 129 more people, a single-day record high for one of the countries worst hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
During a televised news conference on March 16, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur appealed to the public to drastically curb outings, especially intercity trips.
"Our plea is that everyone take this virus seriously and in no way attempts to travel to any province," Jahanpur said.
The deaths bring the overall toll to 853 fatalities since February 19, when the government announced Iran's first two deaths from the COVID-19 disease sparked by the coronavirus.
Ayatollah Hashem Bathaei, a 78-year-old member of the Assembly of Experts, which is empowered with selecting the country's supreme leader, is the latest of several Iranian officials to have died, local media reported.
Jahanpour also reported 1,053 confirmed new cases of infection in the past 24 hours, raising the total to 14,991.
Iran has the third-most registered cases after China and Italy.
Tehran Province had the highest number of new infections with 200 cases, about 50 fewer than the day before.
The central province of Isfahan followed with 118 cases, with Mazandaran in the north of Tehran coming next with 96.
The holy city of Qom in central Iran, where the virus was first reported, had 19 new cases that took its total to 1,023.
There are suspicions that the outbreak in the Islamic republic -- whose government is known for its opaqueness and censorship -- is far worse than authorities are admitting.
President Hassan Rohani on March 16 urged Iranians to stay home for the Norouz holiday celebrations on March 20 and to avoid traveling over the festive period.
Police are to begin checking the temperature of drivers, Rohani said, adding to a raft of measures that include the closure of schools, universities, and Iran's most sacred site.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has canceled his annual Persian New Year's speech in the city of Mashhad, planned for March 21.
Russia
Russia says it will ban the entry of foreign nationals and stateless people to May 1 in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The government said on March 16 that the ban, starting on March 18, won’t apply to diplomatic representatives and some other categories of people.
Russia has reported 93 cases of the virus so far, but no deaths.
Earlier in the day, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced new measures in the Russian capital, including prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people until April 10, and closing schools and universities from March 21 until April 12.
Sobyanin also asked elderly people to stay home.
A subsidiary of Russian Railways Rail said service between Russia and Ukraine, Moldova, and Latvia would be suspended as of March 17.
Belarus
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has criticized Russia's "unnecessary" decision to close the border between the two countries in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"There must be no unnecessary moves that might complicate already uneasy relations between the two nations," he said on March 16 during a meeting with officials in Minsk.
The Russian government said the restrictive measures against Belarus, announced earlier in the day, were "prompted by special circumstances and are absolutely temporary."
Belarus has reported 36 cases of coronavirus so far, but no deaths. Russian authorities have confirmed 93 cases, and no deaths.
Belarus, heavily reliant on Russia for cheap oil, has been at odds with Moscow over oil prices for months. The dispute is part of wider political discord between the two countries over forming a union state.
Instead of closing the Russian-Belarusian border, Lukashenka said, "our dearly beloved" Russia should help Belarus beef up security against coronavirus at its border with Poland, which he called "our common union-state border."
The Belarusian leader also said he would talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone soon.
Lukashenka, who has been in power in Belarus for more than 25 years, has faced growing pressure from Moscow in recent years 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 country.
Serbia
Serbian election authorities have delayed general elections scheduled for April 26 until after the end of a state of emergency imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Republican Election Commission said it decided to "temporarily suspend the elections process during the state of emergency triggered by the coronavirus outbreak," in a statement on March 16.
Preparations for the elections will be resumed after the state of emergency is revoked, according to commission Chairman Vladimir Dimitrijevic.
The Balkan state has so far recorded 57 coronavirus infections. There have been no fatalities, but two patients are in serious condition, health authorities say.
Serbia declared a state of emergency on March 15 in a bid to prevent the rapid spreading of the epidemic, shutting down schools and universities.
In announcing the decision, President Aleksandar Vucic said in a televised address that from March 16 the military would be guarding state hospitals, while police will be monitoring those quarantined or in self-isolation for 14 or 28 days.
Those who violate quarantine may face jail terms of up to three years, he warned.
Serbia also announced it was closing its borders to foreigners coming from the worst-hit countries.
Vucic, however, said the border-entry ban did not apply to people from China, praising Beijing for helping Serbia amid the COVID-19 crisis.
He criticized the European Union for allegedly failing to provide adequate support.
After Vucic's address, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told state TV that borders will be open only "for Serbians, foreign diplomats, and foreign nationals with residence permits."
Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan
Five more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Uzbekistan, bringing the total to six, the government's Telegram channel dedicated to the disease said on March 16.
Four of the six individuals are members of one Uzbek family returning from France, the government said in a separate statement.
Uzbekistan early on March 15 had reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19.
The same day, neighboring Kazakhstan declared a state of emergency as authorities announced that three new cases had been recorded, pushing the total number there to nine.
Kazakhstan was thought to have been coronavirus-free until four infections were confirmed on March 13.
The state of emergency announced by presidential decree imposes a nationwide quarantine and will restrict both entry to and departure from the country to all except diplomats and individuals invited by the government.
Kazakhstan had already announced the cancellation of Norouz holiday celebrations and a military parade devoted to the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
Officials there previously said more than 1,000 people were in quarantine and nearly 500 others in self-quarantine at home.
Uzbekistan announced similar sweeping measures on March 15, barring entry for all foreigners and departures by locals.
The Uzbek government also closed schools and universities for three weeks, canceled all public events, and suspended international air and highway connections beginning March 16.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the only Central Asian republics to have officially registered any cases of the new coronavirus at the center of a global pandemic that as of early March 15 had infected more than 156,000 people and killed more than 5,800.
Armenia
The Armenian government has declared a monthlong state of emergency to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
The National Assembly discussed the move for several hours, and none of the three parliamentary factions raised any objections or proposed any amendments.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian told lawmakers that Armenia would have to hold its referendum on constitutional reforms, originally planned for April 5, after the state of emergency ends.
"Under Armenian legislation, a referendum cannot take place during a state of emergency. The referendum will take place no sooner than 50 and no later than 65 days after the end of the state of emergency," he said.
Armenia reported 17 new coronavirus cases on March 16, bringing the total number of cases to 45. One patient is said to have recovered, and more than 300 people remain in quarantine. There have been no recorded deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, in the country.
INTERACTIVE: The Symptoms Of COVID-19
Armenia and Russia have agreed to suspend passenger flights between the two countries for two weeks in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Armenian government press service said on March 16.
The decision was made during a phone conversation between Pashinian and his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Mishustin.
All Armenian educational institutions in the country are shut, while the borders with Iran – one of the countries hardest hit by the outbreak – and Georgia are closed.
Georgia
Georgia will close its borders to foreign nationals for two weeks, starting on March 18.
Irakli Chikovani, the spokesman of the prime minister, said Georgian citizens who wish to return to the country will be able to do so, using Georgian Airways flights.
Georgia has registered 33 cases of the new coronavirus.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan reported five new cases on March 15, bringing the total number of registered cases in the country to 16.
Officials in Kabul said that all of those infected are Afghans who have recently returned from neighboring Iran.
The officials said up to 15,000 Afghan migrants workers and refugees are returning from Iran on a daily basis.
Pakistan
Pakistani President Arif Alvi is on an official visit to China on March 16-17 to hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and other top officials, Alvi’s office said in a statement on March 15.
The statement said the visit aims at “further solidifying historic bonds" between the two countries and described China and Pakistan as “the closest friends and staunch partners.”
It also pointed out that the visit comes as China is “engaged in efforts to contain” the spread of the new coronavirus, which has affected 157 countries and territories since it was first recorded in Wuhan, a city in central China.
It’s Alv'’s first official visit to China, a strategic partner and major investor to Pakistan’s economy.
Pakistan on March 16 announced 41 additional cases of infection with the coronavirus after 41 more cases were confirmed in the Sindh region, bringing the total tally to 94.
Dozens of people quarantined at the Pakistan-Iran border protested what they called the poor hygiene in the camps.
The quarantined include religious pilgrims who are now returning from Iran.
Romania
President Klaus Iohannis has declared a state of emergency for 30 days to fight the spread of the disease.
During the state of emergency, schools will be closed; prices for medicine, fuel, and utilities are frozen; road and air traffic could be banned; and borders may be closed if necessary.
Romania has 158 registered cases.
One Romanian citizen -- a woman in her 80s -- died last week in Italy from COVID-19, the illness sparked by the virus.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria banned entry on its territory of citizens from 15 countries with large coronavirus outbreaks, including five EU member states, as of March 18, the Health Ministry said.
Exceptions will be made for citizens with permanent or long-term permits to stay in Bulgaria and their family members.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan, Armenian, Uzbek, and Kazakh services, Radio Mashaal, and AP, AFP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-03-16--Russia Without Putin Is A Failed State, State Media Boss Says

Russian state media boss Dmitry Kiselyov said his country would be a failed state without President Vladimir Putin as he sought to justify constitutional changes that would allow the former KGB colonel to hang on to power until 2036 .
Putin , who is in his fourth presidential term , last week backed a new amendment that would allow him to ignore a current constitutional ban on him running again in four years ' time .
The Constitutional Court is expected to approve the changes later this month .
“ Let 's be honest .
Russia without Putin is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 15 during his popular weekly Sunday program on Rossia 24 , adding the nation ’ s political system still hasn ’ t been “ completed ” and “ balanced.
” Kiselyov , considered the nation ’ s chief propagandist , said the nation still doesn ’ t have a “ responsible opposition ” capable of winning elections without derailing the country .
Putin remaining in power another 12 years would give Russia ’ s political institutions time to develop , he claimed .
Russia ’ s political institutions , including parliament and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Putin ’ s two-decade-long tenure , while many opposition figures have been jailed , killed , or have fled amid concerns over their safety and freedom .
The nation ’ s elections have also been marred by fraud such as ballot-stuffing while some opposition politicians have been barred from running .

Russian state media boss Dmitry Kiselyov said his country would be a failed state without President Vladimir Putin as he sought to justify constitutional changes that would allow the former KGB colonel to hang on to power until 2036.
Putin, who is in his fourth presidential term, last week backed a new amendment that would allow him to ignore a current constitutional ban on him running again in four years' time.
The Constitutional Court is expected to approve the changes later this month.
“Let's be honest. Russia without Putin is still not viable,” Kiselyov said on March 15 during his popular weekly Sunday program on Rossia 24, adding the nation’s political system still hasn’t been “completed” and “balanced.”
Kiselyov, considered the nation’s chief propagandist, said the nation still doesn’t have a “responsible opposition” capable of winning elections without derailing the country.
Putin remaining in power another 12 years would give Russia’s political institutions time to develop, he claimed.
Russia’s political institutions, including parliament and political parties, have been severely weakened during Putin’s two-decade-long tenure, while many opposition figures have been jailed, killed, or have fled amid concerns over their safety and freedom.
The nation’s elections have also been marred by fraud such as ballot-stuffing while some opposition politicians have been barred from running.


rferl--2020-03-16--Russia Announces $4 Billion Fund To Help Economy Cope With Oil Plunge, Virus Impact

Russia , hit by falling oil prices and the coronavirus outbreak , has announced the formation of a $ 4 billion fund as part of a package of measures to support the economy .
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on March 16 that the new measures would include tax breaks for airlines and companies in the tourism sector , along with an expansion of a program to give preferential loans to businesses .
State companies , such as Gazprom and Rosneft , may also be allowed to delay dividend payments by six months .
The 2020 Russian federal budget includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dividends from state companies , the paper said .
State companies usually pay the dividends in the middle of the year .
Russia ’ s economy is heavily dependent on oil prices , which suffered their largest one-day drop in nearly 30 years on March 9 .
Russia 's budget balances at an oil price above $ 40 per barrel versus current prices in the low $ 30s .
Russia can tap its sovereign wealth fund of more than $ 120 billion to help fill any budget deficits in the coming years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
Russia has 63 confirmed coronavirus cases with no deaths so far .
The government has already restricted passenger flights and other transport links with Europe , and Mishustin said on March 16 that the border with Belarus would be closed as well .

Russia, hit by falling oil prices and the coronavirus outbreak, has announced the formation of a $4 billion fund as part of a package of measures to support the economy.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on March 16 that the new measures would include tax breaks for airlines and companies in the tourism sector, along with an expansion of a program to give preferential loans to businesses.
State companies, such as Gazprom and Rosneft, may also be allowed to delay dividend payments by six months.
The 2020 Russian federal budget includes the receipt of $7.4 billion in dividends from state companies, the paper said. State companies usually pay the dividends in the middle of the year.
Russia’s economy is heavily dependent on oil prices, which suffered their largest one-day drop in nearly 30 years on March 9. Russia's budget balances at an oil price above $40 per barrel versus current prices in the low $30s.
Russia can tap its sovereign wealth fund of more than $120 billion to help fill any budget deficits in the coming years, the nation’s Finance Ministry said last week.
Russia has 63 confirmed coronavirus cases with no deaths so far.
The government has already restricted passenger flights and other transport links with Europe, and Mishustin said on March 16 that the border with Belarus would be closed as well.


rferl--2020-03-16--Trump Says He May Pardon Former National-Security Adviser Flynn

U.S. President Donald Trump said he may pardon his former national-security adviser Michael Flynn , who was among the first individuals swept up in the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign in 2016 .
“ So now it is reported that , after destroying his life & the life of his wonderful family ( and many others also ) , the FBI , working in conjunction with the Justice Department , has “ lost ” the records of General Michael Flynn , ” Trump said in a tweet .
“ How convenient .
I am strongly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 61-year-old Flynn pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington , D.C. , on December 1 , 2017 , to lying to the FBI about his communications during the presidential transition period with Sergei Kislyak , who was then Moscow ’ s ambassador to the United States .
Prosecutors on January 7 called for Flynn to be sentenced to up to six months in prison .
It was a reverse of their previous stance that Flynn should receive probation because of his cooperation with investigators in Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s probe of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Flynn was a top adviser to the Trump campaign and was hired as the president 's first national-security adviser , a powerful White House post .
However , he resigned after 24 days when reports of his contacts with Kislyak surfaced .

A former top FBI counterintelligence agent pleaded guilty to charges related to his work for notorious Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, changing his plea after federal prosecutors filed new, reduced charges of conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Russia by working for the billionaire industrialist.
The move by Charles McGonigal, made on August 15 before a federal judge in New York City, ends a prosecution that had stunned the FBI, where McGonigal had investigated Russian influence operations for years while climbing the bureau’s ranks.
The 55-year-old also still faces a separate set of foreign agent charges in Washington, D.C., related to work he did for Albanian officials.
McGonigal, who retired as head counterintelligence in the FBI's New York bureau in 2018, was originally indicted in January by a grand jury on more serious charges of money laundering and violating U.S. sanctions.
Prosecutors alleged that McGonigal and a former Russian diplomat with whom he was associated, were paid more than $200,000 to do work for Deripaska, a wealthy Russian metals tycoon who has long been seen as a Kremlin insider. Deripaska was hit with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2018.
U.S. authorities said McGonigal was hired to dig up negative information on Vladimir Potanin, a rival oligarch to Deripaska. McGonigal and the former diplomat, Sergei Shestakov, also worked to try and get Deripaska removed from U.S. sanctions lists.
Shestakov has pleaded not guilty to the more serious charges than had been originally filed against McGonigal.
They "attempted to conceal Deripaska's involvement by, among other means, not directly naming Deripaska in electronic communications, using shell companies as counterparties in the contract that outlined the services to be performed, using a forged signature on that contract, and using the same shell companies to send and receive payment from Deripaska," the Justice Department said in a press release after McGonigal entered his plea.
McGonigal could receive up to five years in prison when he is sentenced in December.
The separate case filed in Washington, D.C., by federal prosecutors centers on work McGonigal allegedly did on behalf of a former Albanian intelligence officer, for which he was paid $225,000.
McGonigal also allegedly lied to the FBI about his contacts with foreign nationals and foreign travel while he was still employed by the bureau.
Deripaska also faces charges of violating U.S. sanctions through real estate deals and a complicated scheme under which he allegedly arranged for his girlfriend to travel to the United States to give birth to two of their children.


rferl--2020-03-16--Terrorism Charge Brought Against Russian Journalist Prokopyeva

MOSCOW -- Russian journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva has been formally charged with justifying terrorism in a case that has drawn criticism from rights and media watchdogs .
Prokopyeva , a freelance contributor for RFE/RL 's Russian Service , said on March 16 she had been handed the indictment document at the prosecutor 's office in Pskov .
She denies the charge , describing the criminal case against her as an attempt to `` murder the freedom of speech '' in Russia .
If found guilty , the journalist faces seven years in prison .
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly condemned Prokopyeva 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack any merit , and have been brought instead in a cynical effort to silence an independent journalist . ''
`` Independent journalists in Russia should be respected for their critical role in providing people with important news and information about issues they are facing , and not treated as criminals for doing their jobs , '' Fly added .
The charge against Prokopyeva stems from a November 2018 commentary she made for the Pskov affiliate of Ekho Moskvy in which she discussed a bombing that occurred the week before outside the offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) in the far northern city of Arkhangelsk .
Russian media reported that the suspected bomber , a teenager who died in the incident , had posted statements on social media in which he accused the FSB of falsifying criminal cases .
In her commentary , Prokopyeva linked the teenager 's statements to the political climate in Russia under President Vladimir Putin , suggesting that political activism in the country was severely restricted , leading people to despair .
In an open letter published by nearly a dozen independent Russian media outlets in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not justify terrorism . ''
`` I analyzed the reasons for a terrorist attack .
I tried to understand why a young man , who should want to live , decided to commit this crime and suicide , '' Prokopyeva wrote .
`` I consider this case to be just simple revenge on the part of the offended security agencies , '' she wrote .
`` In my article , I placed responsibility for the Arkhangelsk explosion on them .
I wrote that a repressive state should expect such a reaction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized by international media-freedom watchdogs such as Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) , the Committee to Protect Journalists , and the European Federation of Journalists .

MOSCOW -- Russian journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva has been formally charged with justifying terrorism in a case that has drawn criticism from rights and media watchdogs.
Prokopyeva, a freelance contributor for RFE/RL's Russian Service, said on March 16 she had been handed the indictment document at the prosecutor's office in Pskov.
She denies the charge, describing the criminal case against her as an attempt to "murder the freedom of speech" in Russia.
If found guilty, the journalist faces seven years in prison.
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly condemned Prokopyeva's indictment, saying that "the charges lack any merit, and have been brought instead in a cynical effort to silence an independent journalist."
"Independent journalists in Russia should be respected for their critical role in providing people with important news and information about issues they are facing, and not treated as criminals for doing their jobs," Fly added.
The charge against Prokopyeva stems from a November 2018 commentary she made for the Pskov affiliate of Ekho Moskvy in which she discussed a bombing that occurred the week before outside the offices of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in the far northern city of Arkhangelsk.
Russian media reported that the suspected bomber, a teenager who died in the incident, had posted statements on social media in which he accused the FSB of falsifying criminal cases.
In her commentary, Prokopyeva linked the teenager's statements to the political climate in Russia under President Vladimir Putin, suggesting that political activism in the country was severely restricted, leading people to despair.
In an open letter published by nearly a dozen independent Russian media outlets in October, Prokopyeva insisted that she "did not justify terrorism."
"I analyzed the reasons for a terrorist attack. I tried to understand why a young man, who should want to live, decided to commit this crime and suicide," Prokopyeva wrote.
"I consider this case to be just simple revenge on the part of the offended security agencies," she wrote. "In my article, I placed responsibility for the Arkhangelsk explosion on them. I wrote that a repressive state should expect such a reaction."
The case against Prokopyeva has been criticized by international media-freedom watchdogs such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the European Federation of Journalists.


rferl--2020-03-16--Russia's Constitutional Court Approves Amendments Allowing Putin To Rule Until 2036

Russia 's Constitutional Court has approved constitutional amendments that could enable President Vladimir Putin to stay in power for another 16 years .
The court 's March 16 announcement comes three days after all Russian regions approved the controversial bill on amendments to the constitution .
The legislation sets Putin 's previous presidential term count back to zero because of the sweeping changes to the constitution , which sparked protests in Russian cities .
Putin 's current term , his second consecutive six-year term , is slated to end in 2024 .
The existing constitution prohibits presidents from serving more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amendments would enable him to seek a fifth overall presidential term in 2024 , and conceivably a sixth in 2030 .
Final approval will come if more than half of the country 's voters support it in a nationwide vote scheduled for April 22 .
Putin , a 67-year old former KGB officer , has ruled Russia as a president or prime minister for more than 20 years .
The idea about setting Putin 's previous presidential terms to zero was unexpectedly voiced at a session of the parliament 's lower chamber , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Valentina Tereshkova , an 83-year-old lawmaker and the world 's first woman to fly to outer space , put forward the proposal , which other lawmakers quickly approved .
Critics say Tereshkova was likely used by the Kremlin as a tool in a Soviet-style `` initiation '' of a political move .
In some cities people have launched campaigns to rename local streets named after the world 's first female cosmonaut , saying that her role in Putin 's move to keep his grip on power `` set her glorious past to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian region of Mordovia , Saransk , a campaign has been launched to rename Tereshkova Street after Laika -- a Soviet space dog who became one of the first animals in space and the first animal to orbit the Earth in 1957 .
A similar petition launched online by activists in the largest Siberian city , Novosibirsk , aims to change Tereshkova Street in that city to be named after the second female cosmonaut and the world 's first woman to perform a spacewalk , Svetlana Savitskaya , and has been signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Activists in Moscow , meanwhile , have asked the city administration to allow them to hold demonstrations against the amendments on March 21-22 .
On March 16 , Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin signed a decree banning all mass gatherings and public events in the Russian capital until April 10 , due to the coronavirus pandemic .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Tatar-Bashkir Service , TASS , and Interfax

Russia's Constitutional Court has approved constitutional amendments that could enable President Vladimir Putin to stay in power for another 16 years.
The court's March 16 announcement comes three days after all Russian regions approved the controversial bill on amendments to the constitution.
The legislation sets Putin's previous presidential term count back to zero because of the sweeping changes to the constitution, which sparked protests in Russian cities.
Putin's current term, his second consecutive six-year term, is slated to end in 2024. The existing constitution prohibits presidents from serving more than two consecutive terms, but the amendments would enable him to seek a fifth overall presidential term in 2024, and conceivably a sixth in 2030.
Final approval will come if more than half of the country's voters support it in a nationwide vote scheduled for April 22.
Putin, a 67-year old former KGB officer, has ruled Russia as a president or prime minister for more than 20 years.
The idea about setting Putin's previous presidential terms to zero was unexpectedly voiced at a session of the parliament's lower chamber, the State Duma, on March 10.
Valentina Tereshkova, an 83-year-old lawmaker and the world's first woman to fly to outer space, put forward the proposal, which other lawmakers quickly approved.
Critics say Tereshkova was likely used by the Kremlin as a tool in a Soviet-style "initiation" of a political move. In some cities people have launched campaigns to rename local streets named after the world's first female cosmonaut, saying that her role in Putin's move to keep his grip on power "set her glorious past to zero."
In the capital of the Russian region of Mordovia, Saransk, a campaign has been launched to rename Tereshkova Street after Laika -- a Soviet space dog who became one of the first animals in space and the first animal to orbit the Earth in 1957.
A similar petition launched online by activists in the largest Siberian city, Novosibirsk, aims to change Tereshkova Street in that city to be named after the second female cosmonaut and the world's first woman to perform a spacewalk, Svetlana Savitskaya, and has been signed by more than 4,000 local residents.
Activists in Moscow, meanwhile, have asked the city administration to allow them to hold demonstrations against the amendments on March 21-22.
On March 16, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin signed a decree banning all mass gatherings and public events in the Russian capital until April 10, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-03-16--Russian Scholars, Legal Experts Sign Up Against 'Constitutional Coup'

In the lead-up to the Russian Constitutional Court 's approval of a raft of amendments to the basic law that could , among other things , allow President Vladimir Putin to run for two additional terms , hundreds of scholars , journalists , and legal experts warned that a `` constitutional crisis and a pseudo-legal , unconstitutional coup '' loomed over the country .
Just hours before the court on March 16 affirmed that Putin had a right to make the changes , more than 420 people had signed the open letter published by Ekho Moskvy .
The court 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already been approved by all regional legislatures , both houses of parliament , and Putin himself -- leaves only a nationwide vote in the way of them becoming law .
The letter makes three main arguments against the changes .
The first is that the amendment nullifying the terms of the current president , which effectively could allow Putin to start an entirely new presidential career , is `` fundamentally unlawful , and politically and ethically unacceptable . ''
The letter further expresses deep concern regarding amendments to Chapters 3 and 8 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structure and local self-government , respectively .
The letter says the changes are not in keeping with Chapter 1 , which lays out the fundamentals of Russia 's constitutional system , and Chapter 2 , which deals with individuals ' rights .
Neither of those two chapters are changed , creating a `` situation of internal contradiction '' and leading to the `` paralysis and degradation of constitutional legal mechanisms . ''
Finally , the letter criticizes the `` gross violation of the procedure for adopting constitutional amendments , '' saying that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ openly violates '' federal law .
Ultimately , the letter concludes that the situation `` undermines the evolutionary development of our country on the principles of democracy and freedoms and threatens to turn into a new tragedy of national discord . ''
The letter follows the publication of an online `` manifesto '' by Novaya gazeta in January decrying what it called a `` coup '' to `` keep Vladimir Putin and his corrupt regime in power for life . ''
That initiative , which has been signed by more than 22,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the amendments if they are put forward in a public ballot .
With the Constitutional Court 's March 16 decision , the vote is expected to be held on April 22 .
The majority would determine whether the amendments will be accepted or not .

In the lead-up to the Russian Constitutional Court's approval of a raft of amendments to the basic law that could, among other things, allow President Vladimir Putin to run for two additional terms, hundreds of scholars, journalists, and legal experts warned that a "constitutional crisis and a pseudo-legal, unconstitutional coup" loomed over the country.
Just hours before the court on March 16 affirmed that Putin had a right to make the changes, more than 420 people had signed the open letter published by Ekho Moskvy.
The court's decision on the amendments -- which have already been approved by all regional legislatures, both houses of parliament, and Putin himself -- leaves only a nationwide vote in the way of them becoming law.
The letter makes three main arguments against the changes.
The first is that the amendment nullifying the terms of the current president, which effectively could allow Putin to start an entirely new presidential career, is "fundamentally unlawful, and politically and ethically unacceptable."
The letter further expresses deep concern regarding amendments to Chapters 3 and 8 of the constitution, which pertain to federal structure and local self-government, respectively.
The letter says the changes are not in keeping with Chapter 1, which lays out the fundamentals of Russia's constitutional system, and Chapter 2, which deals with individuals' rights. Neither of those two chapters are changed, creating a "situation of internal contradiction" and leading to the "paralysis and degradation of constitutional legal mechanisms."
Finally, the letter criticizes the "gross violation of the procedure for adopting constitutional amendments," saying that the avenue taken for the pending amendments "openly violates" federal law.
Ultimately, the letter concludes that the situation "undermines the evolutionary development of our country on the principles of democracy and freedoms and threatens to turn into a new tragedy of national discord."
The letter follows the publication of an online "manifesto" by Novaya gazeta in January decrying what it called a "coup" to "keep Vladimir Putin and his corrupt regime in power for life."
That initiative, which has been signed by more than 22,000 people, called on Russian citizens to vote against the amendments if they are put forward in a public ballot.
With the Constitutional Court's March 16 decision, the vote is expected to be held on April 22. The majority would determine whether the amendments will be accepted or not.


rferl--2020-03-16--EU Slams Russia For Militarization, Human Rights In Crimea, Six Years After Referendum

The European Union has slammed Russia for its increasing militarization of Ukraine ’ s Crimean Peninsula and human rights transgressions six years after its “ illegal ” annexation .
The bloc said in a statement on March 16 that its 27 members remain committed to “ fully implementing ” a nonrecognition policy , including through the use of sanctions , until Ukraine 's sovereignty and territorial integrity are restored .
“ The European Union reiterates that it does not recognize and continues to condemn this violation of international law , ” said the statement , which was issued on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s status that many consider staged .
“ It remains a direct challenge to international security , with grave implications for the international legal order that protects the territorial integrity , unity , and sovereignty of all states , ” it added .
Moscow sent its forces to the Black Sea peninsula , secured control of key buildings , and conducted a referendum considered illegitimate by at least 100 countries .
The statement said that in violation of international humanitarian law , Russian citizenship and conscription in the armed forces of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents .
It also condemned the construction of the Kerch Bridge without Ukraine 's consent and the recent opening of a railway section , calling them “ further steps towards a forced integration of the illegally annexed peninsula with Russia , and a further violation of Ukraine 's sovereignty and territorial integrity .
“ Furthermore , Russian Federation should stop changing the demographic structure of the population by transferring its own civilian population to the peninsula , ” it said , calling for the immediate release of all people “ who have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in breach of international law.
” Russia must also take measures to improve the environmental situation , which has considerably worsened since the illegal annexation , ” the statement noted .
The EU ’ s sanctions list , which now consists of 175 individuals and 44 entities , was established after the Russian move and has grown over the following years as Moscow has continued to back separatists in eastern Ukraine .
The United States and Canada have adopted similar measures against Russia .

The European Union has slammed Russia for its increasing militarization of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and human rights transgressions six years after its “illegal” annexation.
The bloc said in a statement on March 16 that its 27 members remain committed to “fully implementing” a nonrecognition policy, including through the use of sanctions, until Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity are restored.
“The European Union reiterates that it does not recognize and continues to condemn this violation of international law,” said the statement, which was issued on the sixth anniversary of a referendum on Crimea’s status that many consider staged.
“It remains a direct challenge to international security, with grave implications for the international legal order that protects the territorial integrity, unity, and sovereignty of all states,” it added.
Moscow sent its forces to the Black Sea peninsula, secured control of key buildings, and conducted a referendum considered illegitimate by at least 100 countries.
The statement said that in violation of international humanitarian law, Russian citizenship and conscription in the armed forces of the Russian Federation are being imposed on Crimean residents.
It also condemned the construction of the Kerch Bridge without Ukraine's consent and the recent opening of a railway section, calling them “further steps towards a forced integration of the illegally annexed peninsula with Russia, and a further violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Furthermore, Russian Federation should stop changing the demographic structure of the population by transferring its own civilian population to the peninsula,” it said, calling for the immediate release of all people “who have been detained in the Crimean Peninsula and sentenced in breach of international law.”
Russia must also take measures to improve the environmental situation, which has considerably worsened since the illegal annexation,” the statement noted.
The EU’s sanctions list, which now consists of 175 individuals and 44 entities, was established after the Russian move and has grown over the following years as Moscow has continued to back separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The United States and Canada have adopted similar measures against Russia.


rferl--2020-03-16--U.S. Embassy Urges Russian Authorities To Investigate Ponomaryov's Beating

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has called on the Russian authorities to `` thoroughly '' investigate the police beating of 78-year-old veteran human rights defender Lev Ponomaryov .
The embassy said in a message on Twitter on March 15 that it was concerned over the situation , which occurred when police detained dozens of protesters , including Ponomaryov , after he had argued with police over the legality of single-picket protests , which do not require prior permission from city authorities .
`` We 've seen alarming press reports that police beat respected human rights activist Lev [ Ponomaryov ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & that he 's been hospitalized .
Authorities must conduct a thorough , credible investigation , '' the embassy 's tweet said .
The Moscow Helsinki Group , a rights group , also condemned the `` unacceptable actions '' by police during the dispersal of single-picket protesters who were trying `` to protect the constitution . ''
On March 14 , mostly young protesters rallied in front of the headquarters of the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) in Moscow to protest what they say is political repression in the country .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Federal Service of Lawlessness , '' while others shouted , `` Shame ! ''
Ponomaryov said later that he was punched in the face while in police custody and brought to a hospital with symptoms of a concussion .
Medical personnel later concluded that Ponomaryov did not have a concussion .
The action was organized by supporters of men convicted this year on terrorism charges , many of whom said in court that they had been tortured by the FSB .
A court in the Penza region last month handed terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven young men who were accused of creating a terrorist organization known as Set ( Network ) .
Russian investigators said the group planned to organize a series of explosions in Russia during the presidential election and the World Cup soccer tournament in 2018 `` to destabilize the situation '' in the country and to organize an armed mutiny .
They have all denied the charges in court , and most said they had been beaten and tortured while in custody with electrodes to extract confessions .
Two other defendants in the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has called on the Russian authorities to "thoroughly" investigate the police beating of 78-year-old veteran human rights defender Lev Ponomaryov.
The embassy said in a message on Twitter on March 15 that it was concerned over the situation, which occurred when police detained dozens of protesters, including Ponomaryov, after he had argued with police over the legality of single-picket protests, which do not require prior permission from city authorities.
"We've seen alarming press reports that police beat respected human rights activist Lev [Ponomaryov] after he peacefully picketed on March 14 & that he's been hospitalized. Authorities must conduct a thorough, credible investigation," the embassy's tweet said.
The Moscow Helsinki Group, a rights group, also condemned the "unacceptable actions" by police during the dispersal of single-picket protesters who were trying "to protect the constitution."
On March 14, mostly young protesters rallied in front of the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow to protest what they say is political repression in the country. Some unfurled signs calling the security service the "Federal Service of Lawlessness," while others shouted, "Shame!"
Ponomaryov said later that he was punched in the face while in police custody and brought to a hospital with symptoms of a concussion. Medical personnel later concluded that Ponomaryov did not have a concussion.
The action was organized by supporters of men convicted this year on terrorism charges, many of whom said in court that they had been tortured by the FSB.
A court in the Penza region last month handed terms of between six years and 18 years to seven young men who were accused of creating a terrorist organization known as Set (Network).
Russian investigators said the group planned to organize a series of explosions in Russia during the presidential election and the World Cup soccer tournament in 2018 "to destabilize the situation" in the country and to organize an armed mutiny.
They have all denied the charges in court, and most said they had been beaten and tortured while in custody with electrodes to extract confessions.
Two other defendants in the case are still on trial in St. Petersburg.


rferl--2020-03-16--COVID-19: Russia To Seal Border; Iran Reports Single-Day Record In New Deaths

A roundup of the latest news on the coronavirus crisis in RFE/RL 's broadcast countries : Iran says the COVID-19 illness has killed 129 more people , a single-day record high for one of the countries worst hit by the coronavirus outbreak .
During a televised news conference on March 16 , Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur appealed to the public to drastically curb outings , especially intercity trips .
`` Our plea is that everyone take this virus seriously and in no way attempts to travel to any province , '' Jahanpur said .
The deaths bring the overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when the government announced Iran 's first two deaths from the COVID-19 disease sparked by the coronavirus .
Ayatollah Hashem Bathaei , a 78-year-old member of the Assembly of Experts , which is empowered with selecting the country 's supreme leader , is the latest of several Iranian officials to have died , local media reported .
Jahanpour also reported 1,053 confirmed new cases of infection in the past 24 hours , raising the total to 14,991 .
Iran has the third-most registered cases after China and Italy .
Tehran Province had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200 cases , about 50 fewer than the day before .
The central province of Isfahan followed with 118 cases , with Mazandaran in the north of Tehran coming next with 96 .
The holy city of Qom in central Iran , where the virus was first reported , had 19 new cases that took its total to 1,023 .
There are suspicions that the outbreak in the Islamic republic -- whose government is known for its opaqueness and censorship -- is far worse than authorities are admitting .
President Hassan Rohani on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Norouz holiday celebrations on March 20 and to avoid traveling over the festive period .
Police are to begin checking the temperature of drivers , Rohani said , adding to a raft of measures that include the closure of schools , universities , and Iran 's most sacred site .
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has canceled his annual Persian New Year 's speech in the city of Mashhad , planned for March 21 .
Russia says it will ban the entry of foreign nationals and stateless people to May 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The government said on March 16 that the ban , starting on March 18 , won ’ t apply to diplomatic representatives and some other categories of people .
Russia has reported 93 cases of the virus so far , but no deaths .
Earlier in the day , Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced new measures in the Russian capital , including prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people until April 10 , and closing schools and universities from March 21 until April 12 .
A subsidiary of Russian Railways Rail said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Latvia would be suspended as of March 17 .
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has criticized Russia 's `` unnecessary '' decision to close the border between the two countries in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus .
`` There must be no unnecessary moves that might complicate already uneasy relations between the two nations , '' he said on March 16 during a meeting with officials in Minsk .
The Russian government said the restrictive measures against Belarus , announced earlier in the day , were `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary . ''
Belarus has reported 36 cases of coronavirus so far , but no deaths .
Russian authorities have confirmed 93 cases , and no deaths .
Belarus , heavily reliant on Russia for cheap oil , has been at odds with Moscow over oil prices for months .
The dispute is part of wider political discord between the two countries over forming a union state .
Instead of closing the Russian-Belarusian border , Lukashenka said , `` our dearly beloved '' Russia should help Belarus beef up security against coronavirus at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called `` our common union-state border . ''
The Belarusian leader also said he would talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone soon .
Lukashenka , who has been in power in Belarus for more than 25 years , has faced growing pressure from Moscow in recent years 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 country .
Serbian election authorities have delayed general elections scheduled for April 26 until after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the coronavirus outbreak .
The Republican Election Commission said it decided to `` temporarily suspend the elections process during the state of emergency triggered by the coronavirus outbreak , '' in a statement on March 16 .
Preparations for the elections will be resumed after the state of emergency is revoked , according to commission Chairman Vladimir Dimitrijevic .
The Balkan state has so far recorded 57 coronavirus infections .
There have been no fatalities , but two patients are in serious condition , health authorities say .
Serbia declared a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bid to prevent the rapid spreading of the epidemic , shutting down schools and universities .
In announcing the decision , President Aleksandar Vucic said in a televised address that from March 16 the military would be guarding state hospitals , while police will be monitoring those quarantined or in self-isolation for 14 or 28 days .
Those who violate quarantine may face jail terms of up to three years , he warned .
Serbia also announced it was closing its borders to foreigners coming from the worst-hit countries .
Vucic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not apply to people from China , praising Beijing for helping Serbia amid the COVID-19 crisis .
He criticized the European Union for allegedly failing to provide adequate support .
After Vucic 's address , Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told state TV that borders will be open only `` for Serbians , foreign diplomats , and foreign nationals with residence permits . ''
Five more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Uzbekistan , bringing the total to six , the government 's Telegram channel dedicated to the disease said on March 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of one Uzbek family returning from France , the government said in a separate statement .
Uzbekistan early on March 15 had reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 .
The same day , neighboring Kazakhstan declared a state of emergency as authorities announced that three new cases had been recorded , pushing the total number there to nine .
Kazakhstan was thought to have been coronavirus-free until four infections were confirmed on March 13 .
The state of emergency announced by presidential decree imposes a nationwide quarantine and will restrict both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all except diplomats and individuals invited by the government .
Kazakhstan had already announced the cancellation of Norouz holiday celebrations and a military parade devoted to the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany .
Officials there previously said more than 1,000 people were in quarantine and nearly 500 others in self-quarantine at home .
Uzbekistan announced similar sweeping measures on March 15 , barring entry for all foreigners and departures by locals .
The Uzbek government also closed schools and universities for three weeks , canceled all public events , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning March 16 .
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the only Central Asian republics to have officially registered any cases of the new coronavirus at the center of a global pandemic that as of early March 15 had infected more than 156,000 people and killed more than 5,800 .
The Armenian government has declared a monthlong state of emergency to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak .
The National Assembly discussed the move for several hours , and none of the three parliamentary factions raised any objections or proposed any amendments .
Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have to hold its referendum on constitutional reforms , originally planned for April 5 , after the state of emergency ends .
`` Under Armenian legislation , a referendum can not take place during a state of emergency .
The referendum will take place no sooner than 50 and no later than 65 days after the end of the state of emergency , '' he said .
Armenia reported 17 new coronavirus cases on March 16 , bringing the total number of cases to 45 .
One patient is said to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain in quarantine .
There have been no recorded deaths from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , in the country .
Armenia and Russia have agreed to suspend passenger flights between the two countries for two weeks in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus , the Armenian government press service said on March 16 .
The decision was made during a phone conversation between Pashinian and his Russian counterpart , Mikhail Mishustin .
All Armenian educational institutions in the country are shut , while the borders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardest hit by the outbreak – and Georgia are closed .
Georgia will close its borders to foreign nationals for two weeks , starting on March 18 .
Irakli Chikovani , the spokesman of the prime minister , said Georgian citizens who wish to return to the country will be able to do so , using Georgian Airways flights .
Georgia has registered 33 cases of the new coronavirus .
Afghanistan reported five new cases on March 15 , bringing the total number of registered cases in the country to 16 .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected are Afghans who have recently returned from neighboring Iran .
The officials said up to 15,000 Afghan migrants workers and refugees are returning from Iran on a daily basis .
Pakistani President Arif Alvi is on an official visit to China on March 16-17 to hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart , Xi Jinping , and other top officials , Alvi ’ s office said in a statement on March 15 .
The statement said the visit aims at “ further solidifying historic bonds '' between the two countries and described China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staunch partners.
” It also pointed out that the visit comes as China is “ engaged in efforts to contain ” the spread of the new coronavirus , which has affected 157 countries and territories since it was first recorded in Wuhan , a city in central China .
It ’ s Alv ' ’ s first official visit to China , a strategic partner and major investor to Pakistan ’ s economy .
Pakistan on March 16 announced 41 additional cases of infection with the coronavirus after 41 more cases were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total tally to 94 .
Dozens of people quarantined at the Pakistan-Iran border protested what they called the poor hygiene in the camps .
The quarantined include religious pilgrims who are now returning from Iran .
President Klaus Iohannis has declared a state of emergency for 30 days to fight the spread of the disease .
During the state of emergency , schools will be closed ; prices for medicine , fuel , and utilities are frozen ; road and air traffic could be banned ; and borders may be closed if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman in her 80s -- died last week in Italy from COVID-19 , the illness sparked by the virus .
Bulgaria banned entry on its territory of citizens from 15 countries with large coronavirus outbreaks , including five EU member states , as of March 18 , the Health Ministry said .
Exceptions will be made for citizens with permanent or long-term permits to stay in Bulgaria and their family members .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan , Armenian , Uzbek , and Kazakh services , Radio Mashaal , and AP , @ @ @ @


rferl--2020-03-17--Ukrainian Lawmakers Approve Country's First Female Prosecutor-General

KYIV -- Ukrainian lawmakers have approved Iryna Venedyktova as the country 's first female prosecutor-general .
On March 17 , @ @ @ @ @ the Verkhovna Rada , approved Venedyktova for the post after she was nominated by President @ @ @ @ @ a former deputy who is currently the acting director of the State Bureau of Investigation @ @ @ @ @ promised to beef-up reforms at what she called a `` powerful institution . ''
Venedyktova @ @ @ @ @ of Zelenskiy 's ruling Servant of the People party , was elected to the Verkhovna @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary elections .
Venedyktova is said to have clashed with her predecessor , Ruslan Ryaboshapka @ @ @ @ @ SBI was investigating against a Zelenskiy foe , ex-President Petro Poroshenko .
She has also @ @ @ @ @ media .
Last week she filed a lawsuit against Ukrayinska Pravda for republishing an article @ @ @ @ @ that alleged her husband was influencing personnel policy at the SBI .
Ryaboshapka left the @ @ @ @ @ no-confidence vote in him on March 5 .

KYIV -- Lawmakers have approved Iryna Venedyktova, a top investigative official who has clashed with reporters and civil society activists, as Ukraine’s new prosecutor-general.
The March 17 vote by the Verkhovna Rada was the latest in a series of top-level government personnel changes by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Some of Zelenskiy's moves have worried civil-society activists, who fear he is backsliding on reforms and reverting to policies that have hobbled Ukraine for years.
Venedyktova, 41, is the first woman to head Ukraine’s top prosecutorial office.
She's currently the acting director of the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR), a corruption-fighting agency that lawmakers voted to revamp in December after the bureau's then-director was forced out amid questions of conflict of interest.
Earlier this month, Venedyktova sued the newspaper Ukrayinska pravda for republishing an article by the Anti-Corruption Action Center, that alleged her husband was influencing personnel policy at the DBR.
Venedyktova also sued the action center, a nongovernmental organization that has been at the heart of efforts to root out the country's notorious graft problem.
As prosecutor-general, Venedyktova replaces Ruslan Ryaboshapka, who was nominated to the position by Zelenskiy.
Ryaboshapka was well-regarded by anti-corruption activists for his efforts to streamline and professionalize the scandal-ridden prosecutor-general’s office. He was forced out in a no-confidence vote on March 5.
Venedyktova reportedly clashed with Ryaboshapka over an investigation the DBR was conducting into Zelenskiy’s predecessor, Petro Poroshenko.
Olena Halushka, director of international relations with the Anti-Corruption Action Center, said Venedyktova's new position raised doubts about the reform efforts that Ryaboshapka had undertaken.
Halushka said Venedyktova did not have a background in criminal law, and had made several controversial appointments during her brief tenure as head of the DBR.
"Given her background and previous activities, as well as the context in which Ryaboshapka was dismissed and she [was] appointed, there are doubts she will be an independent and efficient prosecutor-general,” she told RFE/RL.
Zelenskiy's shake-up of the government, which included firing his prime minister, worried not only civil society activists, but also Western financial backers.
Kyiv has been negotiating a long-delayed $5.5 billion loan program with the International Monetary Fund, which is seen as crucial to economic stability and investor confidence.
Public trust in Zelenskiy has slid sharply since his landslide election in April 2019. His trust ratings dropped to around 50 percent last month from 80 percent in September, according to the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center.


rferl--2020-03-17--Putin Gives 'Hero Of Labor' Award To Close Associate For Crimean Bridge

Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded his former judo instructor the title of “ Hero of Labor ” for building a controversial bridge from the nation ’ s southern provinces to the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula .
Arkady Rotenberg , a friend of Putin ’ s going back decades when they practiced martial arts in their youth , received the award on March 16 , the sixth anniversary of a widely denounced referendum that was organized by Russia to annex Crimea .
Rotenberg ’ s Stroygazmontazh was the general contractor for the $ 3.7 billion bridge , which stretches 19 kilometers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Russia .
The bridge was opened to automobile traffic in 2018 and rail traffic last year .
The United States and the European Union have condemned Russia ’ s construction of the bridge , calling it a violation of Ukraine ’ s sovereignty and have imposed sanctions on firms associated with its construction , including Stroygazmontazh .
Rotenberg sold the company late last year for 75 billion rubles ( $ 1 billion ) reportedly to companies affiliated with the state-owned gas giant Gazprom .
In 2013 , Putin signed an order establishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Russia to `` raise the prestige of selfless and conscientious labor . ''
The award had also existed in Soviet times .

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--2020-03-17--Russia Plans To Send First Spacecraft To Moon In 45 Years

Russia plans to land a spacecraft on the moon 's surface next year for the first time in more than @ @ @ @ @ will launch Luna-25 on October 1 , 2021 , Igor Mitrofanov , the head of @ @ @ @ @ the Space Research Institute , said at a meeting of scientists on March 17 .
@ @ @ @ @ to the surface of the moon in 1976 as the Soviet Union 's space race @ @ @ @ @ to an end .
Luna-25 will carry out scientific research in the polar region of @ @ @ @ @ the properties of the soil .
According to Russia 's space program agenda , the @ @ @ @ @ to the moon by 2028 .
With reporting by Vedomosti and Ria Novosti

Russia plans to land a spacecraft on the moon's surface next year for the first time in more than four decades.
The country will launch Luna-25 on October 1, 2021, Igor Mitrofanov, the head of the nuclear planetology department at the Space Research Institute, said at a meeting of scientists on March 17.
Moscow last launched a spacecraft to the surface of the moon in 1976 as the Soviet Union's space race with the United States came to an end.
Luna-25 will carry out scientific research in the polar region of the moon, including studying the properties of the soil.
According to Russia's space program agenda, the country plans four more launches to the moon by 2028.
With reporting by Vedomosti and Ria Novosti


rferl--2020-03-17--COVID-19: Iran Frees Prisoners To Stem Spread Of Virus, Armenia Limits Gatherings

Iran has temporarily released some 85,000 prisoners to help curb the coronavirus outbreak in the country .
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said on March 17 that those freed include political prisoners .
`` Some 50 percent of those released are security-related prisoners ... Also in the jails we have taken precautionary measures to confront the outbreak , '' Esmaili said , giving no further details .
Iran ’ s overall death toll from the virus is 853 fatalities since February 19 among nearly 15,000 confirmed cases , making it the second-hardest hit country outside of China , where the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public events involving more than two dozen people after the number of coronavirus cases nearly doubled in a day , pushing authorities to declare a national emergency .
Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian , who was appointed chief coordinator of the 30-day state of emergency , said the temporary measure applies to concerts , exhibitions , theatrical performances , sports as well as cultural , educational , and entertainment events .
The government has also placed a temporary limit of 20 people for private events , including , but not limited to , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memorial services and funerals .
`` As regards funerals and memorial services , we will try to provide a slightly wider opportunity for participation while keeping an eye out for crowding during ceremonies , '' Avinian said .
Under the state-of-emergency decree , Armenia has also prohibited entry to foreigners coming from countries most hit by the new coronavirus .
Interactive Coronavirus Map : The Spread Of The Infection The strict measures come after Armenia ’ s Health Ministry reported an additional 22 cases on March 16 , bringing the total number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a live broadcast , Health Minister Arsen Torosian said that a vast majority of patients identified in Armenia do not even have noticeable symptoms .
He said some of the new patients had only been tested because they had been in close contact with infected people .
“ Only two of the patients have developed pneumonia , but they have it in a mild form , ” the minister said .
Following the declaration of a state of emergency in Armenia , the Armenian Apostolic Church said it would conduct all liturgies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular open hours for believers to make individual visits .
The church also announced it would suspend marriage ceremonies and limit its services during funerals to graveyard ceremonies .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian also called on people to take basic protective measures to reduce the risk of contracting the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus .
He also assured the public that Armenia has no shortage of food supply and urged people not to buy more than they needed .
NUR-SULTAN , TASHKENT -- The number of people infected with coronavirus in Kazakhstan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 27 .
Kazakh Health Minister Elzhan Birtanov said on March 17 that another 14 people had been diagnosed with the deadly virus in Nur-Sultan , the capital , and three in the Central Asian nation 's largest city , Almaty .
On March 16 , Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev announced a state of emergency in the country until April 15 .
In neighboring Uzbekistan , the Health Ministry said on March 17 that the total number of confirmed cases in the country was 10 .
The Uzbek Justice Ministry has said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishable by large fines between $ 4,600 and $ 9,300 , or by up to eight years in prison .
With reporting by IRNA and Reuters

Kazakh authorities have imposed a quarantine on the capital, Nur-Sultan, and largest city, Almaty, after the number of people infected with coronavirus in the country more than doubled overnight to 33.
The Health Ministry said in three different announcements on March 17 that 18 people had been diagnosed with the deadly virus in Nur-Sultan and 15 in Almaty.
After the announcement, Prime Minister Asqar Mamin held a gathering of the presidential commission on the implementation of the state emergency -- which runs until April 15 -- introduced by Presidnet Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev the day before
It was decided at the gathering to impose the quarantine at midnight on March 19 to prevent the further spread of the deadly virus.
The measures include dividing the two cities into sectors and creating checkpoints to control access, limiting the population's movement by foot and by vehicles in the two cities, regulating the operations of medical institutions in which patients infected or suspected of coming into contact with the coronavirus are being treated.
Also, all stores and shopping malls in the two major cities will be closed and only grocery and drug stores will be allowed to operate during the quarantine.
According to the website, special points to distribute food, medicine, and other items will be defined in Nur-Sultan and Almaty.
Last week, Toqaev canceled Norouz holiday celebrations scheduled for March 21-23 and a military parade devoted to the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany scheduled for May 9, due to the coronavirus.
Iran
Iran's state television has warned, with the official coronavirus death toll at nearly 1,000 people, that the outbreak could kill "millions" in the Islamic republic if the public kept ignoring health measures.
The warning was broadcast at midday on March 17, after the Health Ministry said 135 more people had died over the past day, a 13 percent spike that pushed the death toll to 988.
Iran has the third-most registered cases after China and Italy.
"Reports by more than 56 laboratories indicated that we have had 1,178 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in the past 24 hours," Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said.
"This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 16,169 as of today noon," he added.
The rise in deaths came amid the temporary release of some 85,000 inmates earlier on March 17 -- a measure that authorities said was meant to help curb the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
The husband of the jailed British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said his wife was among those temporarily released.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been detained in Iran since April 3, 2016. In September 2016 she was sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly "plotting to topple the Iranian government."
The prosecutor-general of Tehran said in October 2017 that she was being held for running "a BBC Persian online journalism course that was aimed at recruiting and training people to spread propaganda against Iran."
The charges have been rejected by Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the BBC, and international rights groups as politically motivated.
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili confirmed that those who were temporarily freed on March 17 included political prisoners, which Iranian authorities describe as "security-related prisoners."
"Some 50 percent of those released are security-related prisoners.... Also in the jails we have taken precautionary measures to confront the outbreak," Esmaili said, giving no further details.
There are suspicions that the outbreak in the Islamic republic -- whose government is known for its opaqueness and censorship -- is far worse than authorities are admitting.
President Hassan Rohani on March 16 urged Iranians to stay home for the Norouz holiday celebrations on March 20 and to avoid traveling over the festive period, while state TV announced the temporary closure of Shi'ite shrines to limit exposure to the corunavirus.
The announcement prompted angry crowds of hard-line Shi'ite faithful to storm into the courtyards of two major shrines -- Mashhad's Imam Reza shrine and Qom's Fatima Masumeh shrine -- late on March 16.
Crowds typically pray there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, touching and kissing the shrine. That's worried health officials, who for weeks have ordered Iran's Shi'ite clergy to close them.
Pakistan
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan has more than doubled for a second straight day, reaching 195 -- mainly due to what authorities said were mistakes in testing and the quarantine of travelers who recently returned from Iran.
Thousands of Pakistanis, mostly pilgrims, have been placed into quarantine in recent weeks at the Taftan border crossing in the southwestern province of Balochistan after returning from Iran, one of the world's worst-affected countries.
However, at least 119 of those people who were released have since tested positive after entering other regions of the country, officials said.
The chief minister of Balochistan said the area had housed some 5,000 people who had reentered Pakistan in recent weeks.
Amid the steep rise in known cases, Pakistani authorities have moved to discourage crowds and gatherings.
Islamabad on March 17 announced that all gyms, swimming pools, religious shrines, and children's parks will remain closed for three weeks.
Health officials in Punjab, Pakistan's largest province, on March 17 urged the public to avoid unnecessary social contacts or traveling and to stay indoors.
Pakistan also postponed its Super League cricket tournament.
Serbia
Serbia has declared a nighttime curfew and ordered that all elderly people remain at home as the Balkan country steps up measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
President Aleksandar Vucic on March 17 said the new, stricter regulations were necessary because many people had not followed earlier, less-restrictive recommendations in the country of some 7 million people.
Serbia has 72 confirmed infections of the coronavirus, which has affected every country in Europe as well as most countries worldwide since the outbreak began in China.
Under the new measures, people will not be able to move about in the evening hours as of March 18, Vucic said.
"There is a ban on the movement of all persons of any age from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. No one can be on the street, except the appropriate authorities who are on duty and those employed to work on the third shift," the president said.
He added that as of 10 a.m. on March 18, "it is absolutely forbidden for people over 65 to move about in urban areas and for those over 70 to go out in smaller towns and rural regions."
Most people who contract the highly contagious virus suffer only light to moderate effects, but it has proven to be fatal to many older people and those with underlying medical conditions.
Vucic said the penalties for those who do not respect the measures "will be very, very harsh."
Public transport will be suspended, except for special buses designated for workers in essential industries, the president said.
Vucic added that all border crossings, migrant centers, and hospitals will be under the control of Serbia’s military.
"Several doctors have been assaulted during this crisis. Medical staff will feel much safer with armed soldiers outside," Vucic said.
Serbia had already delayed general elections scheduled for April 26 until after the abolishment of a state of emergency previously imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
It also closed its borders to most foreigners and imposed quarantines on Serbian citizens returning from abroad.
Ukraine
KYIV -- Ukraine's government has suspended the operation of subways in three major cities, Kyiv -- the capital, and the eastern cities of Dnipro and Kharkiv -- as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Transport officials in Kyiv said on March 17 that the underground transportation operations will be stopped later in the day, but did not give an exact time.
Kharkiv Mayor Hennadiy Kernes said that subway operations in the city will be suspended as of 8 p.m. on that day until April 3.
In Dnipro, an official with the Transportation Department at the city council said that all public transportation units are working and that any changes in operations will be announced later.
The government announced on March 16 that subway operations would be suspended as of March 17, while all rail, air, and bus transportation between towns and cities, as well as interregional passenger links will be stopped on March 18.
To date, 14 coronavirus cases have been registered in Ukraine, up from seven the previous day. Two deaths have been reported.
Armenia
Armenia has banned all public events involving more than two dozen people after the number of coronavirus cases nearly doubled in a day, pushing authorities to declare a national emergency.
Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian, who was appointed chief coordinator of the 30-day state of emergency, said the temporary measure applies to concerts, exhibitions, theatrical performances, sports as well as cultural, educational, and entertainment events.
The government has also placed a temporary limit of 20 people for private events, including, but not limited to, birthday, wedding and engagement parties, memorial services and funerals.
"As regards funerals and memorial services, we will try to provide a slightly wider opportunity for participation while keeping an eye out for crowding during ceremonies," Avinian said.
Under the state-of-emergency decree, Armenia has also prohibited entry to foreigners coming from countries most hit by the new coronavirus.
The strict measures come after Armenia's Health Ministry reported an additional 22 cases on March 16, bringing the total number of patients in the country to 52.
In a live broadcast, Health Minister Arsen Torosian said that a vast majority of patients identified in Armenia do not even have noticeable symptoms.
He said some of the new patients had only been tested because they had been in close contact with infected people.
“Only two of the patients have developed pneumonia, but they have it in a mild form,” the minister said.
Following the declaration of a state of emergency in Armenia, the Armenian Apostolic Church said it would conduct all liturgies behind closed doors, but will schedule regular open hours for believers to make individual visits.
The church also announced it would suspend marriage ceremonies and limit its services during funerals to graveyard ceremonies.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian also called on people to take basic protective measures to reduce the risk of contracting the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus.
He also assured the public that Armenia has no shortage of food supply and urged people not to buy more than they needed.
Romania
Some 6,000 Romanians have been blocked at the border between Austria and Hungary after Budapest closed its border crossings to slow the spread of coronavirus, Romania's government says.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government imposed the sweeping restrictions just after at midnight on March 17, closing land crossings to foreigners as well as border crossings at airports.
Most of the delayed Romanians are returning from Italy and Spain, the world's second- and fourth-most affected countries.
There was a 20-kilometer-long traffic jam at the Nickelsdorf-Hegyeshalom border crossing on the Austrian side on March 17, with cars and trucks waiting to enter Hungary.
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said that some 6,000 Romanians -- including young children and elderly people -- had been prevented from crossing into Hungary since midnight.
Aurescu asked Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto for Budapest to take urgent measures to allow the Romanian citizens to pass through Hungary, his ministry said in a statement.
Aurescu "called for support for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to allow the uninterrupted access through Hungary for all Romanian citizens currently waiting at the Austrian border with Hungary," the ministry said.
It said the blockage was caused by the lack of prior official notice from Hungary about its intention to close the borders.
The statement from Bucharest quoted Szijjarto as saying that Hungary would allow, "as an exceptional, onetime measure," the repatriation of Romanian citizens as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Szijjarto confirmed on Facebook that Hungary will permit the one-off transit of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens who are stuck in Austria.
Szijjarto said the step was being taken at the request of the Bulgarian and Romanian foreign ministers. He said they will have to take a designated transit route.
"We expect Austrian authorities to maintain order on the Austrian side of the border and allow Hungarian citizens and freight traffic to use the border crossing," Szijjarto said.
Hungary reported having 50 confirmed coronavirus infections on March 17, up from 39 on March 16.
Moldova
Moldova has declared a 60-day state of emergency in a bid to slow the coronavirus outbreak.
Lawmakers on March 17 voted unanimously in favor of the measure presented to parliament by Prime Minister Ion Chicu.
Moldova, a country of 3.5 million sandwiched between EU member Romania and Ukraine, has reported 29 confirmed coronavirus cases, with no deaths recorded.
The country, one of the poorest in Europe, has already temporarily shut its borders and suspended all international flights from March 17.
Separately, Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester declared a state of emergency until April 5 in the wake of the outbreak.
Transdniester declared independence in 1990 and fought a bloody war with Moldova two years later. It is unrecognized by the international community but is unofficially backed by Russia, which stations hundreds of troops in the region.
Montenegro
Montenegro’s government has confirmed the first two cases of the coronavirus in the Western Balkan country, becoming the final European country to report infections to the potentially deadly disease.
The government made the announcement in a brief Twitter statement late on March 17.
Prime Minister Dusko Markovic identified the patients as two females who had arrived from the United States and Spain 12 days ago.
Both have been hospitalized, he said.
Montenegro, a former Yugoslav republic on the Adriatic coast with around 620,000 people, had previously sealed its borders, halted public transport, and closed schools and restaurants in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Although the cases reported on March 17 were the first registered in the country, Montenegro has placed nearly 400 people in quarantine after they were potentially exposed to others with the virus.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia's main political parties have agreed to delay snap general elections scheduled for April 12 because of fears over the spread of the coronavirus.
Leaders from the parties met with President Stevo Pendarovski on March 17 to discuss the move. No new date for the vote was given.
"If the elections are postponed for a month or two, it will not be a collapse of the world," Pendarovski told a recent news conference.
The snap poll was called after former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev failed to get the go-ahead from the European Union to start accession talks in October 2019.
North Macedonia has confirmed 26 cases of the coronavirus, with no fatalities, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Uzbekistan
Uzbek authorities have warned against spreading "wrong" information to incite "panic" and fear among the public about the new coronavirus outbreak, saying offenders could face heavy fines and up to eight years in prison.
The country’s Justice Ministry said that, according to Uzbek laws, those involved in preparing material with the intention of inciting panic among the public -- and those saving such material for the purpose of distribution -- will face up to $9,400 in fines or up to three years in prison.
Those who spread such information through media and the Internet would face up to eight years in prison, the ministry said on March 16.
The statement came a day after the Central Asian nation announced its first confirmed coronavirus infection, which prompted the government to introduce sweeping measures to contain the outbreak.
The country has closed its borders, suspended international flights, shuttered schools, and banned public gatherings.
The number of infections rose to 10 as of the morning of March 17, the Health Ministry said.
The Health Ministry provides regular updates on its social-media accounts on the coronavirus situation in the country, frequently using the hashtag “quarantine without panic” in the Uzbek and Russian languages.
It also posts measures that the government has been taking to contain the spread of the virus and to protect the population.
The ministry said some of the precautionary measures have led to "misinterpretations and false rumors" on social media.
For example, the ministry said the number of passengers on intercity trains and buses rose considerably as students began going home following the closure of universities on March 16.
“This situation was misinterpreted by some residents, and incorrect information circulated on social media that all transport links to and from Tashkent will be suspended soon, and that people who come from provinces will be forcibly sent back to their home regions,” the ministry said.
The ministry said that this was “entirely groundless information” and that flights and train and bus services between the capital and provinces will continue “uninterrupted.”
The coronavirus outbreak also led to panic buying and food price hikes in grocery shops and bazaars across the country, while there was an immediate shortage of face masks and hand sanitizers in pharmacies.
The state-backed food agency, Uzbek-oziq-ovqat-holding, sought to reassure people that there “won’t be food shortages in Uzbekistan” despite the temporary border closure.
The agency said 98 percent of the food products Uzbeks consume is produced domestically and that only nonstaples, “such as cocoa and coffee grains and citrus fruits," are imported from abroad.
The Health Ministry said on March 17 that more than 640 people who were believed to have been exposed to the virus had been placed in quarantine in hospitals, while some 5,660 others were under quarantine at home.
Uzbek authorities say that the 10 individuals who tested positive for the coronavirus are all Uzbek citizens returning from Europe and Turkey.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Armenian, Kazakh, Romanian, Ukrainian, Uzbek services and Radio Mashaal, AP, dpa, IRNA, Reuters, UNIAN, Ukrayinska pravda, Nashe misto, Obozrevatel, Interfax, TASS, Hotnews.ro, Digi24.ro, and G4media.ro