rferl--2020-05-04--COVID-19: Two Georgian Cities To End Lockdown; Serbia Sets New Election Date

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 247,000 with more than 3.5 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Two major cities in Georgia , Batumi and Kutaisi , will lift the lockdowns imposed on them in mid-April to slow down the spread of the coronavirus .
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said on May 4 that the restrictions will be lifted the next day , adding that two other major cities in the South Caucasus country , Tbilisi , the capital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifted by the end of the week .
Gakharia explained that lifting the restrictions meant that vehicles will be allowed to enter and exit the cities , though the nationwide curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. will remain until further notice .
Earlier on May 4 , health authorities in Georgia said that four more individuals had tested positively for the coronavirus , bringing the total number of cases in the country to 593 , including nine deaths .
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says general elections delayed by the coronavirus pandemic will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary and local elections were originally scheduled for April 26 but were put on hold after a nationwide state of emergency was declared in mid-March .
Vucic made the announcement after meeting with leaders of political parties on May 4 .
Vucic has said his government will lift the state of emergency later this week after a decrease in the number of new coronavirus cases in the country .
He said on TV Pink on May 3 that parliament would vote on May 6 to end the state of emergency .
The Balkan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the strictest lockdown measures in Europe as part of the state of emergency , including border closures and nightly and weekend curfews .
Vucic said that two conditions for restrictions to end had been met : Infections declining to under 5 percent of tests for seven days in a row , and there were significantly fewer people on respirators .
Serbia has recorded over 9,500 coronavirus cases and 197 deaths as of May 4 , according to official figures .
From May 4 , bus and rail services are allowed but passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no air conditioning is allowed .
Shopping malls , cafes , and restaurants will also reopen with social-distancing and hygiene measures in place .
Small shops were allowed to reopen in late April .
Opposition parties have indicated they will boycott the elections over accusations that there will not be a level playing field for the campaign .
Serbian independent media have repeatedly complained of being pressured by officials and have accused the government of fueling an atmosphere of intolerance toward journalists .
Vucic , who has vowed to lead Serbia toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with China and traditional ally Russia , has been accused of curbing media freedoms and democracy .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan and Georgian services , AP , and AFP

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 247,000 with more than 3.5 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Georgia
Two major cities in Georgia, Batumi and Kutaisi, will lift the lockdowns imposed on them in mid-April to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said on May 4 that the restrictions will be lifted the next day, adding that two other major cities in the South Caucasus country, Tbilisi, the capital, and Rustavi, may have their restrictions lifted by the end of the week.
Gakharia explained that lifting the restrictions meant that vehicles will be allowed to enter and exit the cities, though the nationwide curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. will remain until further notice.
Earlier on May 4, health authorities in Georgia said that four more individuals had tested positively for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 593, including nine deaths.
Serbia
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says general elections delayed by the coronavirus pandemic will be held on June 21.
The parliamentary and local elections were originally scheduled for April 26 but were put on hold after a nationwide state of emergency was declared in mid-March.
Vucic made the announcement after meeting with leaders of political parties on May 4.
Vucic has said his government will lift the state of emergency later this week after a decrease in the number of new coronavirus cases in the country.
He said on TV Pink on May 3 that parliament would vote on May 6 to end the state of emergency.
The Balkan country has enforced since March 15 some of the strictest lockdown measures in Europe as part of the state of emergency, including border closures and nightly and weekend curfews.
Vucic said that two conditions for restrictions to end had been met: Infections declining to under 5 percent of tests for seven days in a row, and there were significantly fewer people on respirators.
Serbia has recorded over 9,500 coronavirus cases and 197 deaths as of May 4, according to official figures.
From May 4, bus and rail services are allowed but passengers will be required to wear face masks and no air conditioning is allowed.
Shopping malls, cafes, and restaurants will also reopen with social-distancing and hygiene measures in place.
Small shops were allowed to reopen in late April.
Opposition parties have indicated they will boycott the elections over accusations that there will not be a level playing field for the campaign.
Serbian independent media have repeatedly complained of being pressured by officials and have accused the government of fueling an atmosphere of intolerance toward journalists.
Vucic, who has vowed to lead Serbia toward European Union membership while also developing ties with China and traditional ally Russia, has been accused of curbing media freedoms and democracy.
Vucic has denied the accusations.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan and Georgian services, AP, and AFP


rferl--2020-05-04--Taliban Truck Bombing Kills At Least Five At Afghan Military Center

A truck-bomb attack at a military center in Afghanistan 's southern Helmand Province has killed at least five people and wounded several others .
The May 4 attack came as U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said attacks by the Taliban were increasing , despite the United States and the militant group having signed a peace deal in February .
The Taliban , claiming responsibility for the bombing in Helmand , said it attacked a center where at least 150 members of the Afghan army and intelligence wing were stationed .
`` Five members of the Afghan security forces and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were wounded in a truck-bomb explosion in Grishk district , '' Omar Zwak , a spokesman for the regional governor , told RFE/RL .
The Taliban claimed the toll was much higher , saying that `` dozens '' of Afghan soldiers had been killed and wounded in the attack , which occurred late on May 3 .
`` Dozens of members belonging to the enemy forces have been killed and wounded in the attack , '' Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmedi said in a statement .
The Afghan Defense Ministry had earlier said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounded .
In a separate incident , at least 20 people were injured when suspected Taliban militants threw a hand grenade into a mosque in the Khayerkot district of the southeastern Paktika Province late on May 3 , police said .
Afghan security forces have suffered heavy losses across the country over the past two months .
The violence threatens to unravel a February peace deal between the United States and the Taliban , as the Afghan army is forced to fight the militants with less U.S. backup .
Esper did not mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledged an increase in violence by the Taliban , although he noted that the militant group had not attacked U.S. forces .
Speaking during an online question-and-answer session hosted by a Washington think tank , Esper said a tentative power-sharing agreement announced last week between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and rival Abdullah Abdullah was encouraging .
The Afghan government needed to organize itself , and then the peace process needed to get back on track , he said .
He said the peace deal remained `` the best path forward . ''
With @ @ @ @ @ @

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


rferl--2020-05-05--Hungary's Orban Rejects Accusations Of Authoritarianism As 'Fake News'

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused his political opponents and Hungary 's allies alike of `` spreading fake news '' about the EU member 's coronavirus law that allows his government to rule by decree for an unlimited period .
Hungary 's parliament , where Orban 's right-wing Fidesz party holds a comfortable majority , approved legislation on March 30 giving him sweeping new powers under -- and possibly beyond -- the country 's state of emergency to fight the COVID-19 pandemic .
The move triggered a wave of criticism from both EU politicians and the United States .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unprecedented attack and disinformation campaign against Hungary , ” Orban wrote in a letter sent on May 5 to the center-right European People ’ s Party ( EPP ) , the European Parliament ’ s biggest grouping .
“ It ’ s the most cynical one I ever experienced because it deliberately disregarded that the government , which was targeted , was desperately fighting for saving human lives , ” Orban wrote .
The EPP suspended Fidesz from its ranks in March 2019 over concerns over the rule of law backsliding in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Commission .
The suspension was extended indefinitely in February , before the Hungarian lawmakers ' move to grant Orban sweeping powers .
Orban argued in his letter that the parliament has been in session ever since the law was passed , adding that “ the competence to terminate the state of danger ( emergency ) or any decree taken by the government was handed over to the parliament.
” However , rights groups say such an argument overlooks one critical point : While the parliament can annul the extra prerogatives handed over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives the government the power to lift the state of danger -- the Hungarian equivalent to a state of emergency , according to the Hungarian Helsinki Committee , a civil rights watchdog that analyzed the law .
Orban also lashed out at his critics , writing that “ our formal political opponents , but more worryingly , some EPP politicians , too , have been actively involved in spreading fake news.
” Last month , several of Europe ’ s center-right political leaders sent a joint letter to Donald Tusk , the EPP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The letter was signed by politicians from Belgium , the Czech Republic , Denmark , Finland , Greece , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Netherlands , Norway , Slovakia , and Sweden .
Although it warned in a statement on March 31 against the use of the pandemic as an excuse to undercut democracy , the European Commission has so far refrained from directly criticizing Orban .
But members of the U.S. Congress were quick to blast Orban 's move at the time .
Representative Eliot Engel ( Democrat-New York ) , chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Senator Jim Risch ( Republican-Idaho ) , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , on March 31 said it was particularly disturbing that a NATO ally and EU member would implement what Engel called a “ blatant power grab ” that allows Orban “ to rule by decree like a dictator.
” Engel also added that it is `` particularly egregious that ... Orban attempts to capitalize on the suffering of his own citizens for personal gain . ''

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused his political opponents and Hungary's allies alike of "spreading fake news" about the EU member's coronavirus law that allows his government to rule by decree for an unlimited period.
Hungary's parliament, where Orban's right-wing Fidesz party holds a comfortable majority, approved legislation on March 30 giving him sweeping new powers under -- and possibly beyond -- the country's state of emergency to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move triggered a wave of criticism from both EU politicians and the United States.
“In recent weeks, we have witnessed an unprecedented attack and disinformation campaign against Hungary,” Orban wrote in a letter sent on May 5 to the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), the European Parliament’s biggest grouping.
“It’s the most cynical one I ever experienced because it deliberately disregarded that the government, which was targeted, was desperately fighting for saving human lives,” Orban wrote.
The EPP suspended Fidesz from its ranks in March 2019 over concerns over the rule of law backsliding in Hungary as well as attacks against the European Commission. The suspension was extended indefinitely in February, before the Hungarian lawmakers' move to grant Orban sweeping powers.
Orban argued in his letter that the parliament has been in session ever since the law was passed, adding that “the competence to terminate the state of danger (emergency) or any decree taken by the government was handed over to the parliament.”
However, rights groups say such an argument overlooks one critical point: While the parliament can annul the extra prerogatives handed over to the government, Hungary's constitution gives the government the power to lift the state of danger -- the Hungarian equivalent to a state of emergency, according to the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a civil rights watchdog that analyzed the law.
Orban also lashed out at his critics, writing that “our formal political opponents, but more worryingly, some EPP politicians, too, have been actively involved in spreading fake news.”
Last month, several of Europe’s center-right political leaders sent a joint letter to Donald Tusk, the EPP president, calling for the Fidesz expulsion. The letter was signed by politicians from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, and Sweden.
Although it warned in a statement on March 31 against the use of the pandemic as an excuse to undercut democracy, the European Commission has so far refrained from directly criticizing Orban.
But members of the U.S. Congress were quick to blast Orban's move at the time.
Representative Eliot Engel (Democrat-New York), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Senator Jim Risch (Republican-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on March 31 said it was particularly disturbing that a NATO ally and EU member would implement what Engel called a “blatant power grab” that allows Orban “to rule by decree like a dictator.”
Engel also added that it is "particularly egregious that...Orban attempts to capitalize on the suffering of his own citizens for personal gain."
With reporting by euractiv.com


rferl--2020-05-05--Russian Ombudswoman Says Domestic Violence On Rise Amid Coronavirus Restrictions

Russian Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova says the number of domestic violence complaints in the country has jumped markedly since early April , when coronavirus restrictions in the country were tightened .
Moskalkova told RIA Novosti news agency on May 5 that data , based on information provided by nongovernmental organizations , showed domestic violence had more than doubled from before the outbreak .
`` According to the provided data , there were 6,054 [ domestic violence ] complaints , while in April the number of such complaints passed over 13,000 , '' Moskalkova said , adding the numbers are likely higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call hotlines and report domestic violence fearing retaliation from abusive spouses .
`` I assume that communication is a problem here ... .
Using electronic devices to report domestic violence might be dangerous for the violence victims .
We also monitor media reports about the issue and the situation is not optimistic , '' Moskalkova added .
Experts had warned that the combination of economic and social stresses brought on by the pandemic , as well as restrictions on movement to slow the spread of the coronavirus , could lead to an increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the United Nations called the situation a “ growing crisis within a crisis , ” estimating that six months of lockdown could result in an additional 31 million domestic violence cases worldwide .
First-time abuse offenses were decriminalized in 2017 and some Russian lawmakers , including those who are trying to push for a new domestic violence law , asked the government in April to take emergency steps to protect victims during the coronavirus lockdown .
Valentina Matviyenko , the chairwoman of parliament 's upper chamber , the Federation Council , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation to recriminalize domestic violence as soon as “ the circumstances permit .
”

Russian Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova says the number of domestic violence complaints in the country has jumped markedly since early April, when coronavirus restrictions in the country were tightened.
Moskalkova told RIA Novosti news agency on May 5 that data, based on information provided by nongovernmental organizations, showed domestic violence had more than doubled from before the outbreak.
"According to the provided data, there were 6,054 [domestic violence] complaints, while in April the number of such complaints passed over 13,000," Moskalkova said, adding the numbers are likely higher since many Russian women are reluctant to call hotlines and report domestic violence fearing retaliation from abusive spouses.
"I assume that communication is a problem here.... Using electronic devices to report domestic violence might be dangerous for the violence victims. We also monitor media reports about the issue and the situation is not optimistic," Moskalkova added.
Experts had warned that the combination of economic and social stresses brought on by the pandemic, as well as restrictions on movement to slow the spread of the coronavirus, could lead to an increase in domestic violence.
In early April, the United Nations called the situation a “growing crisis within a crisis,” estimating that six months of lockdown could result in an additional 31 million domestic violence cases worldwide.
First-time abuse offenses were decriminalized in 2017 and some Russian lawmakers, including those who are trying to push for a new domestic violence law, asked the government in April to take emergency steps to protect victims during the coronavirus lockdown.
Valentina Matviyenko, the chairwoman of parliament's upper chamber, the Federation Council, said last month that lawmakers might consider the legislation to recriminalize domestic violence as soon as “the circumstances permit.”
With reporting by RIA Novosti


rferl--2020-05-05--Taliban Urges Afghan Government To Speed Up Prisoner Release

The Taliban has called on the Afghan government to speed up the release of prisoners in order to pave the way for negotiations with the militant movement .
A landmark deal signed by the United States and the Taliban on February 29 calls for the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban fighters as a confidence-building measure ahead of formal peace talks aimed at ending the 18-year conflict .
The agreement also provides for the militants to release 1,000 Afghan security force members .
`` In the last 3 days , our 300 prisoners were released from the Kbl Adm. ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen tweeted late on May 4 .
`` However , it is not enough -- the process should be expedited so the prisoners be saved from the Coronavirus and the way be paved for an earliest inception of intra-Afghan negotiations , '' Shaheen wrote .
The Afghan government so far has released about 750 Taliban inmates from jails , according to the Office of National Security Council ( ONSC ) .
The Taliban has released 112 members of Afghan security forces , the ONSC says .
Kabul has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners , especially with Afghan forces suffering heavy casualties in recent weeks from Taliban attacks across the country .
The violence poses an immediate threat to a fragile peace deal between the United States and the Taliban , as the Afghan military is forced to fight an emboldened Taliban with less U.S. support .
Adding to concerns over the situation was a recent report from the U.S. Special Inspector-General for Afghanistan Reconstruction that warned the spread of COVID-19 could derail the stalled peace efforts .
But there is widespread concern that the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation of nearly 37 million could be much higher as only about 12,000 tests have been performed to date .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and TOLOnews.com


rferl--2020-05-05--Relatives Of Inmates In Siberia Demand Information After Violent Prison Riot

ANGARSK , Russia -- Relatives of inmates in Russia 's Irkutsk region have picketed a penitentiary and a detention center , demanding detailed information about their family members following a violent prison riot .
Dozens of protesters in the Siberian town of Angarsk on May 4 held single-person protests -- which do not require preapproval from the authorities -- in front of Correctional Colony No .
15 and Detention Center No .
6 .
On April 9 , the colony 's administration said guards quelled a riot , blaming the incident on a prisoner who allegedly assaulted a guard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off by the beating of a prisoner by a guard .
Pavel Glushchenko , the chairman of the group For Human Rights , told RFE/RL that the inmates ' relatives demanded detailed information about the current whereabouts of the prisoners and that lawyers be allowed to visit them .
Glushchenko added that after the riot , the exact whereabouts of 54 inmates remained unknown and that human rights organizations and the inmates ' relatives had demanded an explanation from the Federal Penitentiary Service ( FSIN ) .
`` In one particular case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health of an inmate , who after the riot was transferred from the colony to Detention Center No .
6 .
The authorities said the inmate did not want the information about his health to be made public .
However , before the riot , such information would be provided to relatives immediately .
There are many similar cases .
It looks like [ the authorities ] are buying time , waiting for when the injuries inmates suffered to their bodies have healed , '' Glushchenko said .
The relatives said they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center until their demands are met .
Inmates in Russia and many other former Soviet republics riot regularly , often maiming themselves to draw attention to poor conditions , the abuse of their rights , and cruelty inflicted upon them by guards and prison staff .

ANGARSK, Russia -- Relatives of inmates in Russia's Irkutsk region have picketed a penitentiary and a detention center, demanding detailed information about their family members following a violent prison riot.
Dozens of protesters in the Siberian town of Angarsk on May 4 held single-person protests -- which do not require preapproval from the authorities -- in front of Correctional Colony No. 15 and Detention Center No. 6.
On April 9, the colony's administration said guards quelled a riot, blaming the incident on a prisoner who allegedly assaulted a guard, while prisoners claimed the incident was touched off by the beating of a prisoner by a guard.
Pavel Glushchenko, the chairman of the group For Human Rights, told RFE/RL that the inmates' relatives demanded detailed information about the current whereabouts of the prisoners and that lawyers be allowed to visit them.
Glushchenko added that after the riot, the exact whereabouts of 54 inmates remained unknown and that human rights organizations and the inmates' relatives had demanded an explanation from the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN).
"In one particular case, officials refused to provide information about the health of an inmate, who after the riot was transferred from the colony to Detention Center No. 6. The authorities said the inmate did not want the information about his health to be made public. However, before the riot, such information would be provided to relatives immediately. There are many similar cases. It looks like [the authorities] are buying time, waiting for when the injuries inmates suffered to their bodies have healed," Glushchenko said.
The relatives said they will keep picketing the colony and the detention center until their demands are met.
Inmates in Russia and many other former Soviet republics riot regularly, often maiming themselves to draw attention to poor conditions, the abuse of their rights, and cruelty inflicted upon them by guards and prison staff.


rferl--2020-05-05--New York Times Wins Pulitzer For Putin Coverage That Moscow Calls 'Fabrications'

The New York Times has won a Pulitzer Prize in the international reporting category for what the judges called a series of “ enthralling stories , reported at great risk , ” about Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s government .
The initial Pulitzer ceremony , which was scheduled for April 20 , was postponed to give Pulitzer Board members who were busy covering the coronavirus pandemic more time to evaluate the finalists .
Prize board administrator Dana Canedy declared the winners on May 4 from her living room via a livestream on YouTube rather than at a ceremony at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pulitzer Prizes in journalism were first awarded in 1917 and are considered the field ’ s most prestigious honor in the United States .
The Russian Embassy in Washington criticized the prize board 's decision , writing on its Facebook page on May 5 that the articles were `` Russophobic fabrications '' damaging the newspaper ’ s reputation .
`` If there is some 'great risk ' as they allege , this only concerns reputation , '' it wrote .
`` We consider this series of articles by The New York Times on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russophobic fabrications , which can be studied as a guideline on creating false facts . ''
The New York Times has won a record 130 Pulitzer Prizes and citations .
With reporting by AP , Reuters , and TASS

The New York Times has won a Pulitzer Prize in the international reporting category for what the judges called a series of “enthralling stories, reported at great risk,” about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government.
The initial Pulitzer ceremony, which was scheduled for April 20, was postponed to give Pulitzer Board members who were busy covering the coronavirus pandemic more time to evaluate the finalists.
Prize board administrator Dana Canedy declared the winners on May 4 from her living room via a livestream on YouTube rather than at a ceremony at New York's Columbia University.
The Pulitzer Prizes in journalism were first awarded in 1917 and are considered the field’s most prestigious honor in the United States.
The Russian Embassy in Washington criticized the prize board's decision, writing on its Facebook page on May 5 that the articles were "Russophobic fabrications" damaging the newspaper’s reputation.
"If there is some 'great risk' as they allege, this only concerns reputation," it wrote.
"We consider this series of articles by The New York Times on Russia as a wonderful collection of undiluted Russophobic fabrications, which can be studied as a guideline on creating false facts."
The New York Times has won a record 130 Pulitzer Prizes and citations.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and TASS


rferl--2020-05-05--Israeli Missile Strikes Hit Suspected Iranian Targets In Syria

Israeli missile strikes targeted a research center and military base in the northern province of Aleppo , Syrian state media said on May 4 , in the fifth such strike in two weeks on suspected Iranian positions .
The Syrian Army said Israel struck a military barracks in Al-Safirah in the eastern Aleppo countryside .
Earlier , state media said a research center had been targeted .
Army air defenses “ confronted the hostile missiles ” and a damage assessment was being carried out , SANA state media reported .
Separately , the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warplanes hit Iranian forces and allied militia in eastern Syria near Albu Kamal on the border with Iraq .
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria in recent years targeting Iranian forces , Syrian government positions , and allied militias .
It generally doesn ’ t comment on specific operations .
Western and Israeli intelligence say Iranian forces and allied militias use the eastern Syrian desert bordering Iraq to transfer fighters and advanced weapons systems to support the Syrian government and the Lebanese militant group Hizballah .
In Aleppo Province , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad during the country ’ s nearly nine-year civil war .
Russia , a key backer of Damascus that has close security ties with Israel , has largely looked the other way as Israel carries out a shadow war with Iran in Syria to prevent its archenemy from entrenching itself in the country .
With reporting by AFP , dpa , and Reuters

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


rferl--2020-05-04--U.S. Navy Operates Ships In Barents Sea For First Time In Decades As Russia Increases Arctic Capabil

U.S. Navy Operates Ships In Barents Sea For First Time In Decades As Russia Increases Arctic Capabilities

Four U.S. Navy ships and a British Royal Navy frigate entered the Barents Sea north of Russia on May 4 to conduct Arctic security operations , the Pentagon said .
The move is the first time U.S. Navy surface vessels have entered the Barents Sea since the mid-1980s .
It comes as Russia in recent years has expanded its military capabilities in the Arctic , an area it views as geostrategic for its energy reserves , defense importance , and potentially lucrative northern shipping routes opening due to climate change .
China is also staking out an interest by claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” as it eyes shorter northern shipping routes to Europe .
“ Allied and partner navies must remain proficient in all operating environments to ensure the continued security and access to the seas , ” the U.S. Navy ’ s 6th Fleet said .
“ This is especially critical in the Arctic , where the austere weather environment demands constant vigilance and practice.
” The Russian Defense Ministry was notified ahead of the operation to “ avoid misperceptions , reduce risk , and prevent inadvertent escalation , ” the U.S. Navy said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ new icebreakers and nuclear-powered ships and submarines , is tracking the naval vessels , the Russian Defense Ministry said .
The U.S. Navy vessels include three Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers and a support ship .
The destroyers are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and the sea-based Aegis system , which is part of the U.S.-led NATO ballistic-missile defense system designed to protect Europe from a limited attack from the likes of Iran .
NATO ’ s ballistic-missile defense system has long antagonized Russia , which claims it is designed to alter the strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The United States and arms experts say the ballistic-missile defense system does not alter the strategic balance .
Last week , two of the U.S. Navy 's destroyers , the support ship , a U.S. submarine , a Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft , and the British Royal Navy frigate conducted an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Norwegian Sea above the Arctic Circle .
With reporting by AFP and Interfax

Four U.S. Navy ships and a British Royal Navy frigate entered the Barents Sea north of Russia on May 4 to conduct Arctic security operations, the Pentagon said.
The move is the first time U.S. Navy surface vessels have entered the Barents Sea since the mid-1980s.
It comes as Russia in recent years has expanded its military capabilities in the Arctic, an area it views as geostrategic for its energy reserves, defense importance, and potentially lucrative northern shipping routes opening due to climate change.
China is also staking out an interest by claiming to be a “near Arctic state” as it eyes shorter northern shipping routes to Europe.
“Allied and partner navies must remain proficient in all operating environments to ensure the continued security and access to the seas,” the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet said. “This is especially critical in the Arctic, where the austere weather environment demands constant vigilance and practice.”
The Russian Defense Ministry was notified ahead of the operation to “avoid misperceptions, reduce risk, and prevent inadvertent escalation,” the U.S. Navy said.
Russia's Northern Fleet, which includes new icebreakers and nuclear-powered ships and submarines, is tracking the naval vessels, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The U.S. Navy vessels include three Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers and a support ship.
The destroyers are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and the sea-based Aegis system, which is part of the U.S.-led NATO ballistic-missile defense system designed to protect Europe from a limited attack from the likes of Iran.
NATO’s ballistic-missile defense system has long antagonized Russia, which claims it is designed to alter the strategic balance against Moscow’s nuclear forces.
The United States and arms experts say the ballistic-missile defense system does not alter the strategic balance.
Last week, two of the U.S. Navy's destroyers, the support ship, a U.S. submarine, a Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, and the British Royal Navy frigate conducted an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Norwegian Sea above the Arctic Circle.
With reporting by AFP and Interfax


rferl--2020-05-05--Facebook Removes Hundreds Of Disinformation Accounts Linked To Russia, Iran, And Georgia

Facebook has removed hundreds of social media accounts -- more than half of them based in Russia , Iran , and Georgia -- after finding they belonged to networks that were running influence campaigns .
Facebook announced the move on May 5 , saying it took them down in April as part of its ongoing efforts to purge its platforms of misleading information and fake accounts set up to disrupt elections and society in general .
The suspended accounts were active on both Facebook and Instagram , which Facebook owns , and were linked to eight networks , the California-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in Russia and Iran focused their content internationally , while two networks in the Caucasian nation of Georgia , along with two in the United States and one each in Mauritania and Myanmar , operated with domestic audiences in mind .
All the networks were created before the coronavirus pandemic , but the company said it found people behind the campaigns had “ opportunistically ” used coronavirus-related posts to build an audience and drive people to their content .
“ We know that people looking to mislead others -- whether through phishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to leverage crises to advance their goals , and the coronavirus pandemic is no different , ” Facebook said in a statement .
Facebook said its investigation linked activity on the Iran-based network to the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Corporation ( IRIB ) .
The activity originated in Iran and focused on a wide range of countries , including the United States , the United Kingdom , and a host of African countries .
The Russian network ’ s activity was linked to individuals in Russia , the Donbas region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Crimea – NewsFront and SouthFront .
It posted in multiple languages beyond Russian , including Hungarian , Serbian , Georgian , and Persian .
Facebook said the activity of one of the two Georgia networks was linked to Espersona , a media firm in Georgia that Facebook has now banned .
The other was linked to people associated with the United National Movement , a political party .
The U.S.-based accounts were linked to QAnon , a far-right conspiracy theory circulated among supporters of President Donald Trump .
It was the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has crept into mainstream U.S. politics .
It is centered on the baseless belief that Trump is waging a secret campaign against enemies entrenched in the U.S. government known as the “ deep state ” that aim to overthrow him .
It has been helped along by Trump ’ s retweeting of QAnon-promoting accounts and followers attending his rallies .
In addition to the QAnon accounts , Facebook also removed accounts linked to VDARE , a U.S. website known for posting anti-immigration content .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , @ @

Facebook has removed hundreds of social-media accounts -- more than half of them based in Russia, Iran, and Georgia -- after finding they belonged to networks that were running influence campaigns.
Facebook announced the move on May 5, saying it took them down in April as part of its ongoing efforts to purge its platforms of misleading information and fake accounts set up to disrupt elections and society in general.
The suspended accounts were active on both Facebook and Instagram, which Facebook owns, and were linked to eight networks, the California-based social-media giant said.
The networks based in Russia and Iran focused their content internationally, while two networks in the South Caucasus nation of Georgia, along with two in the United States and one each in Mauritania and Burma (also known as Myanmar), operated with domestic audiences in mind.
All the networks were created before the coronavirus pandemic, but the company said it found people behind the campaigns had "opportunistically" used coronavirus-related posts to build an audience and drive people to their content.
"We know that people looking to mislead others -- whether through phishing, scams, or influence operations -- try to leverage crises to advance their goals, and the coronavirus pandemic is no different," Facebook said in a statement.
Facebook said its investigation linked activity on the Iran-based network to the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Corporation (IRIB). The activity originated in Iran and focused on a wide range of countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and a host of African nations.
The Russian network’s activity was linked to individuals in Russia, the Donbas region in Ukraine, and two media organizations in Russia-annexed Crimea -- NewsFront and SouthFront. It posted in multiple languages beyond Russian, including Hungarian, Serbian, Georgian, and Persian.
Facebook said the activity of one of the two Georgia networks was linked to Espersona, a media firm in Georgia that Facebook has now banned. The other was linked to people associated with the United National Movement, a political party.
The U.S.-based accounts were linked to QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory circulated among supporters of President Donald Trump.
It was the first time Facebook has taken action against QAnon, which has crept into mainstream U.S. politics. It is centered on the baseless belief that Trump is fighting a secret battle against enemies entrenched in the U.S. government, known as the "deep state," who aim to overthrow him.
It has been helped along by Trump’s retweeting of QAnon-promoting accounts and followers attending his rallies.
In addition to the QAnon accounts, Facebook also removed accounts linked to VDARE, a U.S. website known for posting anti-immigration content.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP


rferl--2020-05-05--Three Revolutionary Guards Reported Killed In Western Iran

Gunmen have killed three members of Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) in a shoot-out near the @ @ @ @ @ Iraq , Iranian media report .
The Tasnim news agency , which is affiliated with @ @ @ @ @ May 5 that the killed included a colonel .
It said “ several counterrevolutionaries ” @ @ @ @ @ fighting near the Kurdish town of Divandarreh , about 60 kilometers from the Iraqi border @ @ @ @ @ on the affiliation of the gunmen .
The area has seen occasional fighting between Iranian @ @ @ @ @ as well as militants linked to the Islamic State extremist group .
Based on reporting @ @ @ @ @ s Radio Farda


rferl--2020-05-05--Lukashenka Wants World Leaders To Mark Victory Day In Minsk Amid Coronavirus

MINSK -- Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has called on leaders of other countries to attend this week ’ s military parade in Minsk marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany 's defeat in World War II .
The Belarusian capital is preparing for its annual Victory Day parade on May 9 , despite the World Health Organization ’ s ( WHO ) call on the country ’ s authorities to impose social-distancing measures and avoid large public gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
`` I am publicly calling on leaders of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former [ Soviet ] Union , to gather in Minsk , which is the right thing to do , '' Lukashenka said on May 5 , rejecting Russian media reports criticizing the Belarusian leader over his handling of the coronavirus outbreak as “ lies.
” Belarus currently has more than 18,350 registered coronavirus cases , including 107 deaths , but Lukashenka has publicly dismissed concerns about the dangers of the disease several times .
Victory Day commemorates the Soviet Union ’ s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 and is the most important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soviet states .
Belarus and Turkmenistan are the only two former Soviet republics that have not canceled their traditional Victory Day parade this year .
Also on May 5 , Belarusian lawmakers approved a bill on a mass amnesty marking the 75th anniversary .
Interior Minister Yury Karayeu told parliament that the bill envisioned the early release of 5,372 inmates .
Prison terms of almost 6,500 convicts will be cut by one year , he said .
The May 9 parade in Minsk is expected to include more than 3,000 military personnel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thousands of citizens are expected to line up to watch the hour-long parade , which is often followed by picnics and other activities at public locations such as parks .
Belarus lost about a quarter of its population during World War II .

MINSK -- Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has called on leaders of other countries to attend this week’s military parade in Minsk marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II.
The Belarusian capital is preparing for its annual Victory Day parade on May 9, despite the World Health Organization’s (WHO) call on the country’s authorities to impose social-distancing measures and avoid large public gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19.
"I am publicly calling on leaders of other countries, at least countries of the former [Soviet] Union, to gather in Minsk, which is the right thing to do," Lukashenka said on May 5, rejecting Russian media reports criticizing the Belarusian leader over his handling of the coronavirus outbreak as “lies.”
Belarus currently has more than 18,350 registered coronavirus cases, including 107 deaths, but Lukashenka has publicly dismissed concerns about the dangers of the disease several times.
Victory Day commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 and is the most important national holiday in Belarus and other former Soviet states.
Belarus and Turkmenistan are the only two former Soviet republics that have not canceled their traditional Victory Day parade this year.
Also on May 5, Belarusian lawmakers approved a bill on a mass amnesty marking the 75th anniversary.
Interior Minister Yury Karayeu told parliament that the bill envisioned the early release of 5,372 inmates.
Prison terms of almost 6,500 convicts will be cut by one year, he said.
The May 9 parade in Minsk is expected to include more than 3,000 military personnel and more than 180 pieces of military hardware.
Thousands of citizens are expected to line up to watch the hour-long parade, which is often followed by picnics and other activities at public locations such as parks.
Belarus lost about a quarter of its population during World War II.
With reporting by BelTA


rferl--2020-05-05--Turkmen Detained For Filming Storms Aftermath, Rights Groups Say

Human rights groups say authorities in Turkmenistan 's eastern region of Lebap have detained several local residents for filming damage to buildings and infrastructure inflicted by deadly wind and rain storms that hit the area last week .
Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) in a statement on May 4 cited the Prague-based Rights and Freedoms of Turkmen Citizens group as saying that it spoke with a woman in Lebap , who said security service held her for two days , together with 29 others , accusing them of sending videos “ abroad.
” '' The same group also received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women for the same reason in [ Turkmenabat ] , Lebap ’ s capital , releasing them May 3 , '' HRW said .
Another rights group , The Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights , said police are watching for people in cars filming on their mobile phones the damage caused by the storms that hit the area on April 27 .
`` Turkmen authorities ’ censorship and efforts to prevent information on the harms sustained from becoming public makes it difficult to accurately assess the damage and casualties , '' HRW statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 30 people , including many children , killed by the storms in the Lebap region .
The Independent Turkmen News website quoted a medical official in Turkmenabat as saying that in the regional capital alone , the storms killed 300 people .
Videos that circulated on the Internet showed roofless buildings and private homes that had been destroyed inside .
Meanwhile , many residents of Lebap and the adjacent region , Mary , have said that the government has left them without assistance .
`` Turkmenistan ’ s priorities should never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their region , but particularly now in the wake of a disaster , the priority should be making effective and comprehensive efforts to bring aid to all who need it , '' HRW urged Turkmen authorities .

Human rights groups say authorities in Turkmenistan's eastern region of Lebap have detained several local residents for filming damage to buildings and infrastructure inflicted by deadly wind and rain storms that hit the area last week.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a statement on May 4 cited the Prague-based Rights and Freedoms of Turkmen Citizens group as saying that it spoke with a woman in Lebap, who said security service held her for two days, together with 29 others, accusing them of sending videos “abroad.”
"The same group also received reports that security services held another 19 women for the same reason in [Turkmenabat], Lebap’s capital, releasing them May 3," HRW said.
Another rights group, The Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights, said police are watching for people in cars filming on their mobile phones the damage caused by the storms that hit the area on April 27.
"Turkmen authorities’ censorship and efforts to prevent information on the harms sustained from becoming public makes it difficult to accurately assess the damage and casualties," HRW statement said.
RFE/RL correspondents said they counted at least 30 people, including many children, killed by the storms in the Lebap region.
The Independent Turkmen News website quoted a medical official in Turkmenabat as saying that in the regional capital alone, the storms killed 300 people.
Videos that circulated on the Internet showed roofless buildings and private homes that had been destroyed inside.
Meanwhile, many residents of Lebap and the adjacent region, Mary, have said that the government has left them without assistance.
"Turkmenistan’s priorities should never include hunting down people filming news in their region, but particularly now in the wake of a disaster, the priority should be making effective and comprehensive efforts to bring aid to all who need it," HRW urged Turkmen authorities.


rferl--2020-05-05--Kyrgyz Border Guard Service Says Renewed Clashes Prevented Near Uzbek Exclave

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz border authorities say they have prevented a renewed outbreak of clashes near an Uzbek exclave inside Kyrgyz territory .
Zamir Miizaev , the chief of the Border Guard Directorate in Kyrgyzstan ’ s southern Batken region , told RFE/RL on May 5 that tensions near the border have been rising due to a dispute around irrigation water usage .
Kyrgyz border guards fired warning gunshots on May 1 to prevent possible violence , he said .
Many border areas in Central Asian former Soviet republics have been disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the numerous exclaves in the volatile Ferghana Valley , where the borders of Tajikistan , Uzbekistan , and Kyrgyzstan meet .
One such exclave is Sokh , an ethnic Tajik-populated Uzbek territory within Kyrgyzstan 's Batken region , where shootings have been common for years .
In 2013 , border crossings through Sokh were closed for several weeks after Sokh residents clashed with Kyrgyz border guards over the installation of electric power lines to a new Kyrgyz border post .
Five Sokh residents were reportedly wounded by Kyrgyz border guards and at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then .
In July 2019 , Tajik officials said one Tajik man was killed and seven more wounded after Kyrgyz villagers used hunting guns in violence that erupted over the move by Tajik residents to install Tajik national flags on the Isfara-Vorukh road near Tajikistan 's Vorukh exclave inside Kyrgyzstan .
Officials in the Batken region temporarily moved more than 650 residents from the village of Ak-Sai from the area for safety and security reasons in the days following the clashes .

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz border authorities say they have prevented a renewed outbreak of clashes near an Uzbek exclave inside Kyrgyz territory.
Zamir Miizaev, the chief of the Border Guard Directorate in Kyrgyzstan’s southern Batken region, told RFE/RL on May 5 that tensions near the border have been rising due to a dispute around irrigation water usage.
Kyrgyz border guards fired warning gunshots on May 1 to prevent possible violence, he said.
Many border areas in Central Asian former Soviet republics have been disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The situation is particularly complicated near the numerous exclaves in the volatile Ferghana Valley, where the borders of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan meet.
One such exclave is Sokh, an ethnic Tajik-populated Uzbek territory within Kyrgyzstan's Batken region, where shootings have been common for years.
In 2013, border crossings through Sokh were closed for several weeks after Sokh residents clashed with Kyrgyz border guards over the installation of electric power lines to a new Kyrgyz border post.
Five Sokh residents were reportedly wounded by Kyrgyz border guards and at least 30 Kyrgyz citizens were subsequently taken hostage then.
In July 2019, Tajik officials said one Tajik man was killed and seven more wounded after Kyrgyz villagers used hunting guns in violence that erupted over the move by Tajik residents to install Tajik national flags on the Isfara-Vorukh road near Tajikistan's Vorukh exclave inside Kyrgyzstan.
Officials in the Batken region temporarily moved more than 650 residents from the village of Ak-Sai from the area for safety and security reasons in the days following the clashes.


rferl--2020-05-05--European Court Condemns Romania For Dismissing Top Anti-Graft Prosecutor

Romania 's former top anti-corruption official has won a landmark victory at the European Court of Human Rights ( ECHR ) , which ruled that her dismissal in 2018 violated her human rights .
Laura Codruta Koevesi 's removal from the DNA anti-corruption agency at the behest of the ruling leftist PSD party was widely seen as a blow to efforts to tackle corruption in Romania , and drew a warning from the European Commission .
The ECHR -- which is part of the Council of Europe , a human rights body -- said on May 5 that her sacking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial and to freedom of expression .
“ Her premature removal defeated the very purpose of maintaining judicial independence and must have had a chilling effect on her and other prosecutors and judges in taking part in public debate on legislative reforms affecting the judiciary and judicial independence , ” the ECHR said in a statement .
The court found that Koevesi had been fired primarily because of her public comments , including criticism of proposed legislation that she feared would undermine the anti-graft fight in one of the European Union 's most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magistrates from political interference , ” said Koevesi , adding , “ I hope that this decision will give all Romanian magistrates courage.
” President Klaus Iohannis , who was forced by Romania 's Constitutional Court to fire Koevesi in July 2018 , said the ECHR decision “ shows us that this institution needs to be reformed at the constitutional level.
” “ The credibility of the Constitutional Court , already affected by some controversial decisions over the past few years , is now even more seriously shaken , ” Iohannis said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iohannis to fire Koevesi in July 2018 , dealing a severe blow to the fight against corruption in the country .
The center-right Iohannis initially refused to dismiss Koevesi as urged by the leftist Social Democratic-led government , which had accused her of undermining the ruling coalition and exceeding her authority by making unfounded claims in interviews given to foreign news media .
But the court , which critics say is under the control of the notoriously corrupt social democrats ( PSD ) , ruled in favor of Koevesi 's dismissal .
Koevesi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ECHR , arguing that the decision had denied her access to a court to challenge her dismissal .
Koevesi also argued that she had been fired for publicly expressing her views in her professional capacity on legislative changes pushed by the PSD to exonerate its leader , Liviu Dragnea , who was being tried for corruption and is currently in prison .
In September , Koevesi was appointed to the newly created position of top European Union anti-fraud prosecutor .
With reporting by Digi24HD , g4media.ro , RFE/RL 's Romanian Service , @ @ @ @ @ @

Romania's former top anti-corruption official has won a landmark victory at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which ruled that her dismissal in 2018 violated her human rights.
Laura Codruta Koevesi's removal from the DNA anti-corruption agency at the behest of the ruling leftist PSD party was widely seen as a blow to efforts to tackle corruption in Romania, and drew a warning from the European Commission.
The ECHR -- which is part of the Council of Europe, a human rights body -- said on May 5 that her sacking had violated her rights to a fair trial and to freedom of expression.
“Her premature removal defeated the very purpose of maintaining judicial independence and must have had a chilling effect on her and other prosecutors and judges in taking part in public debate on legislative reforms affecting the judiciary and judicial independence,” the ECHR said in a statement.
The court found that Koevesi had been fired primarily because of her public comments, including criticism of proposed legislation that she feared would undermine the anti-graft fight in one of the European Union's most corrupt countries.
“This ruling defends magistrates from political interference,” said Koevesi, adding, “I hope that this decision will give all Romanian magistrates courage.”
President Klaus Iohannis, who was forced by Romania's Constitutional Court to fire Koevesi in July 2018, said the ECHR decision “shows us that this institution needs to be reformed at the constitutional level.”
“The credibility of the Constitutional Court, already affected by some controversial decisions over the past few years, is now even more seriously shaken,” Iohannis said.
Romania's Constitutional Court forced President Klaus Iohannis to fire Koevesi in July 2018, dealing a severe blow to the fight against corruption in the country.
The center-right Iohannis initially refused to dismiss Koevesi as urged by the leftist Social Democratic-led government, which had accused her of undermining the ruling coalition and exceeding her authority by making unfounded claims in interviews given to foreign news media.
But the court, which critics say is under the control of the notoriously corrupt social democrats (PSD), ruled in favor of Koevesi's dismissal.
Koevesi in December 2018 filed a complaint with the ECHR, arguing that the decision had denied her access to a court to challenge her dismissal.
Koevesi also argued that she had been fired for publicly expressing her views in her professional capacity on legislative changes pushed by the PSD to exonerate its leader, Liviu Dragnea, who was being tried for corruption and is currently in prison.
In September, Koevesi was appointed to the newly created position of top European Union anti-fraud prosecutor.
With reporting by Digi24HD, g4media.ro, RFE/RL's Romanian Service, dpa, emerging-europe.com, and AP


rferl--2020-05-05--COVID-19: WHO Mission To 'Coronavirus-Free' Turkmenistan Reportedly Canceled

The global death toll from the coronavirus has risen above 250,000 with more than 3.6 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has reportedly canceled its expected visit to Turkmenistan , the only country in Central Asia that officially has not reported coronavirus cases within its borders , after failing to receive an invitation .
The independent Gundogar news website cited a representative of the UN agency on May 5 as saying that the mission visit , currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ashgabat later this week , could not take place since the prerequisite for a mission is an invitation from the host government interested in WHO assistance .
Turkmenistan has not reported any registered COVID-19 cases yet , but experts are skeptical , given the lack of transparency and independent media in the country .
Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus , face masks are banned , and citizens are punished for talking about the global pandemic .
Meanwhile , the authorities have set up three quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent the spread of what officials called `` infectious diseases . ''
People with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus , and COVID-19 test results are unknown , even if they are performed .
In Tajikistan , where authorities confirmed for the first time coronavirus cases on April 30 , the latest number of coronavirus cases in the country is 230 , including three deaths .
In neighboring Uzbekistan , as of May 5 the number of coronavirus cases was reported at 2,189 , including 10 deaths .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases with 11 deaths .
The largest number of coronavirus cases in the region has been officially registered in Kazakhstan , where the latest figures on May 5 were 4,160 cases with 29 deaths Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has replaced his health minister just five days after the Central Asian nation registered its first official coronavirus cases .
Rahmon said on May 5 that he had signed presidential decrees transferring Nasim Olimzoda `` to another job '' and appointing Jamoliddin Abdullozoda as the new health minister .
The decrees have been sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was unclear why Olimzoda , who had been serving as health minister since January 2017 , had been dismissed .
Abdullozoda is a 54-year-old career doctor who had been heading Dushanbe ’ s Istiqlol medical center since March 2017 .
The Health Ministry said on May 5 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country is 293 , including five deaths .
Those totals came on the eve of a visit by the World Health Organization and just six days after the country admitted its first 15 cases following months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tajikistan .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Tajik Service and Gundogar

The global death toll from the coronavirus has risen above 250,000 with more than 3.6 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Central Asia
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reportedly canceled its expected visit to Turkmenistan, the only country in Central Asia that officially has not reported coronavirus cases within its borders, after failing to receive an invitation.
The independent Gundogar news website cited a representative of the UN agency on May 5 as saying that the mission visit, currently in neighboring Tajikistan and scheduled to arrive in Ashgabat later this week, could not take place since the prerequisite for a mission is an invitation from the host government interested in WHO assistance.
Turkmenistan has not reported any registered COVID-19 cases yet, but experts are skeptical, given the lack of transparency and independent media in the country.
Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus, face masks are banned, and citizens are punished for talking about the global pandemic.
Meanwhile, the authorities have set up three quarantine zones around the country in a bid to prevent the spread of what officials called "infectious diseases."
People with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus, and COVID-19 test results are unknown, even if they are performed.
In Tajikistan, where authorities confirmed for the first time coronavirus cases on April 30, the latest number of coronavirus cases in the country is 230, including three deaths.
In neighboring Uzbekistan, as of May 5 the number of coronavirus cases was reported at 2,189, including 10 deaths.
In Kyrgyzstan, the latest figures are 843 cases with 11 deaths.
The largest number of coronavirus cases in the region has been officially registered in Kazakhstan, where the latest figures on May 5 were 4,160 cases with 29 deaths
Tajikistan
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has replaced his health minister just five days after the Central Asian nation registered its first official coronavirus cases.
Rahmon said on May 5 that he had signed presidential decrees transferring Nasim Olimzoda "to another job" and appointing Jamoliddin Abdullozoda as the new health minister.
The decrees have been sent to lawmakers for approval, he added.
It was unclear why Olimzoda, who had been serving as health minister since January 2017, had been dismissed.
Abdullozoda is a 54-year-old career doctor who had been heading Dushanbe’s Istiqlol medical center since March 2017.
The Health Ministry said on May 5 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country is 293, including five deaths.
Those totals came on the eve of a visit by the World Health Organization and just six days after the country admitted its first 15 cases following months of reporting no cases of the virus in Tajikistan.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Tajik Service and Gundogar


rferl--2020-05-05--Russian Ombudswoman Says Domestic Violence Surges Amid Coronavirus Restrictions


rferl--2020-05-05--Iranian, Iraqi Fighters Reported Killed In Israeli Air Strikes In Syria

Israeli air strikes in eastern Syria have killed 14 Iranian and Iraqi fighters , a group monitoring the Syrian war says .
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes in a desert region of Deir al-Zor Province late on May 4 targeted positions of Iranian and Iran-backed militias .
The watchdog said there were also wounded .
Syrian state media reported late on May 4 that Israeli missile strikes targeted a research center and military depots in the northern province of Aleppo .
They did not mention the attack on Deir el-Zor Province , which borders Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel .
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria in recent years targeting Iranian forces , Syrian government positions , and allied militias .
It generally doesn ’ t comment on specific operations .
Western and Israeli intelligence say Iranian forces and allied militias use the eastern Syrian desert bordering Iraq to transfer fighters and advanced weapons systems to support the Syrian government and the Lebanese militant group Hizballah .
In Aleppo Province , Iranian forces and allied militia have given crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad during the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , a key backer of Damascus that has close security ties with Israel , has largely looked the other way as Israel carries out a shadow war with Iran in Syria to prevent its archenemy from entrenching itself in the country .
With reporting by AFP , AP , dpa , and Reuters


rferl--2020-05-06--COVID-19: WHO Still Working On Possible Visit To 'Virus-Free' Turkmenistan

The global death toll from the coronavirus is nearing 260,000 with more than 3.6 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) says it is still working on a possible visit to Turkmenistan as the country continues to claim it is has yet to record a positive test for the coronavirus even as the outbreak engulfs its Central Asian neighbors .
Stephanie Brickman of the WHO 's Europe Press Office told RFE/RL that a mission is currently in Tajikistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second leg of that trip to Turkmenistan , but could not amid reports that the government in Ashgabat has yet to issue an official invitaiton .
`` In the initial planning phases , it was hoped that the mission could travel on to Turkmenistan after finishing in Tajikistan .
We are still in the process of facilitating logistics , which proves to be challenging in current times , '' Brickman wrote in an email to RFE/RL .
Media reports this week cited a representative of the UN agency as saying that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the prerequisite for any mission is an invitation from the host government interested in WHO assistance .
Turkmenistan has not reported any registered COVID-19 cases yet , but experts are skeptical of the claim given the lack of transparency and an independent media in the country .
Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus , face masks are banned , and citizens are punished for publicly discussing the global pandemic .
Despite the claim of no cases , authorities have set up three quarantine zones around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of what they call `` infectious diseases . ''
People with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus , and COVID-19 test results are unknown , even if they are performed .
In Tajikistan , where authorities confirmed coronavirus cases for the first time on April 30 , authorities in the capital , Dushanbe , said on May 6 that that several makeshift hospitals to accommodate as many as 3,000 patients will be built in the city in just one month to treat the surging number of COVID-19 infections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other towns and cities in the country already face a shortage of medical personnel and equipment to treat coronavirus patients in current existing hospitals and temporary treatment sites housed in kindergartens , schools , and university dormitories .
A day earlier Tajik President Emomali Rahmon relieved Health Minister Nasim Olimzoda of his duties and appointed Jamoliddin Abdullozoda to the post .
According to official data , 293 coronavirus cases , including five deaths , have been registered in Tajikistan .
In neighboring Uzbekistan , the number of coronavirus cases was reported as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of May 6 .
In Kyrgyzstan , the latest figures are 871 cases with 12 deaths .
The largest number of coronavirus cases in the region has been officially registered in Kazakhstan , with 4,298 cases with 29 deaths With reporting by RFE/RL 's Turkmen , Tajik , Uzbek , Kyrgyz , and Kazakh services

The global death toll from the coronavirus is nearing 260,000 with more than 3.6 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Russia
Industrial facilities and construction companies in the Russian capital will resume operations after May 12, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said amid reports that the number of coronavirus cases across the country increased by more than 10,000 over the previous 24 hours.
Sobyanin also said on May 6 during an online meeting of the government with President Vladimir Putin that it was too early for service-sector outlets in Moscow to reopen, even though the number of officially registered cases in the capital has decreased for the last few days.
Economy Minister Maksim Reshetnikov said at the session that economic activity in the country in general had fallen by one-third in comparison with what it was before the coronavirus lockdown was imposed at the end of March.
Also on May 6, health authorities said the number of coronavirus cases in Russia increased by more than 10,000 and reached 165,929, including 1,537 deaths. It was the fourth straight day with at least 10,000 new registered cases.
Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova's press service said on May 6 that she was among the newly infected, adding that the minister did not require hospitalization and the disease was proceeding in "a light form."
Lyubimova is the third top official in Russia to test positive for the coronavirus, after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Construction Minister Vladimir Yakushev.
During the online session, Putin ordered regional governors to develop plans for the gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions after May 11.
Russia has imposed a partial lockdown on many regions, including Moscow, in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Putin initially announced a nonworking week from March 28 to April 5, extended it until April 30, and later prolonged it again until May 11.
Central Asia
The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is still working on a possible visit to Turkmenistan as the country continues to claim it is has yet to record a positive test for the coronavirus even as the outbreak engulfs its Central Asian neighbors.
Stephanie Brickman of the WHO's Europe Press Office told RFE/RL that a mission is currently in Tajikistan and had looked to continue on in a second leg of that trip to Turkmenistan, but could not amid reports that the government in Ashgabat has yet to issue an official invitaiton.
"In the initial planning phases, it was hoped that the mission could travel on to Turkmenistan after finishing in Tajikistan. We are still in the process of facilitating logistics, which proves to be challenging in current times," Brickman wrote in an email to RFE/RL.
Media reports this week cited a representative of the UN agency as saying that the visit to Turkmenistan could not take place since the prerequisite for any mission is an invitation from the host government interested in WHO assistance.
Turkmenistan has not reported any registered COVID-19 cases yet, but experts are skeptical of the claim given the lack of transparency and an independent media in the country.
Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus, face masks are banned, and citizens are punished for publicly discussing the global pandemic.
Despite the claim of no cases, authorities have set up three quarantine zones around the country in a bid to prevent the spread of what they call "infectious diseases."
People with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus, and COVID-19 test results are unknown, even if they are performed.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
In Tajikistan, where authorities confirmed coronavirus cases for the first time on April 30, authorities in the capital, Dushanbe, said on May 6 that that several makeshift hospitals to accommodate as many as 3,000 patients will be built in the city in just one month to treat the surging number of COVID-19 infections.
However, experts told RFE/RL that Dushanbe and other towns and cities in the country already face a shortage of medical personnel and equipment to treat coronavirus patients in current existing hospitals and temporary treatment sites housed in kindergartens, schools, and university dormitories.
A day earlier Tajik President Emomali Rahmon relieved Health Minister Nasim Olimzoda of his duties and appointed Jamoliddin Abdullozoda to the post.
According to official data, 293 coronavirus cases, including five deaths, have been registered in Tajikistan.
In neighboring Uzbekistan, the number of coronavirus cases was reported as 2,217, including 10 deaths, as of May 6.
In Kyrgyzstan, the latest figures are 871 cases with 12 deaths.
The largest number of coronavirus cases in the region has been officially registered in Kazakhstan, with 4,298 cases with 29 deaths
With reporting by RFE/RL's Turkmen, Tajik, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Kazakh services, RIA Novosti, and Dozhd TV


rferl--2020-05-06--Wife Of Azerbaijani Opposition Activist Held In Psychiatric Clinic Says She Cannot Meet Him

BAKU -- The wife of a member of the opposition Popular Front Of Azerbaijan ( AXCP ) says she has not been able to meet her spouse for more than a month after he was forcibly placed in a psychiatric clinic following his criticism of the country 's leadership .
Aygun Humbatova told RFE/RL that she and her children tried to meet her husband , Aqil Humbatov , on May 5 but the administration of the clinic in Baku refused the request .
`` Last time we talked by phone , I felt there was something wrong with him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was very confused and unwell .
I am very much concerned about the medicine they force him to get there .
He is an absolutely healthy person and now they do not allow me to see him , '' Humbatova said .
Humbatova said that she was informed `` just recently '' that the term of her husband 's forced treatment in the psychiatric clinic was six months .
Humbatov was first detained on March 30 , a day after he placed a post on Facebook that criticized the government and President Ilham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , many of whom need medical treatment .
He was sent to a psychiatric clinic the same day with a diagnosis of `` paranoidal personality disorder . ''
However , on April 1 , a court ruled that Humbatov could not be placed in a clinic against his will and the activist was released .
Humbatov then published new posts on Facebook describing the conditions in the psychiatric clinic as `` inhuman '' and `` horrible . ''
On April 2 , police detained Humbatov again and a court of appeals in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a psychiatric clinic for treatment .
`` It is not fair to punish someone just for saying the truth ... Our [ eldest ] daughter was so hopeful to see her father , but they did not allow her , and she is so desperate to see him .
Her father is being ruined there , and his children are here , '' Humbatova told RFE/RL , adding that she is now taking care of three children alone , the youngest of whom is a toddler .
Critics of Aliyev 's government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation frequently seek to silence dissent by jailing opposition activists , reporters , human rights defenders , and civil society advocates without grounds .
Dozens of AXCP members have been arrested , and some imprisoned , in recent years on what their supporters have called trumped-up charges .
Humbatov 's lawyer Nemat Karimli told RFE/RL last month that his client was unable to appeal the court 's decision to place him in the psychiatric clinic as the ruling had not been officially delivered to him as of April 22 , 20 days after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having received the documents from the court , Karimli was not able to file an appeal .
Humbatov , his wife , and his lawyer insist that he is healthy , both physically and mentally , and that there is no need to keep him in the clinic .
Aliyev denies any rights abuses .
He took power in 2003 shortly before the death of his father , Heydar Aliyev , a former KGB officer and communist-era leader who had ruled Azerbaijan since 1993 .

BAKU -- The wife of a member of the opposition Popular Front Of Azerbaijan (AXCP) says she has not been able to meet her spouse for more than a month after he was forcibly placed in a psychiatric clinic following his criticism of the country's leadership.
Aygun Humbatova told RFE/RL that she and her children tried to meet her husband, Aqil Humbatov, on May 5 but the administration of the clinic in Baku refused the request.
"Last time we talked by phone, I felt there was something wrong with him. His voice was strange as if he was very confused and unwell. I am very much concerned about the medicine they force him to get there. He is an absolutely healthy person and now they do not allow me to see him," Humbatova said.
Humbatova said that she was informed "just recently" that the term of her husband's forced treatment in the psychiatric clinic was six months.
Humbatov was first detained on March 30, a day after he placed a post on Facebook that criticized the government and President Ilham Aliyev for ignoring the rights of poor children, many of whom need medical treatment.
He was sent to a psychiatric clinic the same day with a diagnosis of "paranoidal personality disorder."
However, on April 1, a court ruled that Humbatov could not be placed in a clinic against his will and the activist was released.
Humbatov then published new posts on Facebook describing the conditions in the psychiatric clinic as "inhuman" and "horrible."
On April 2, police detained Humbatov again and a court of appeals in Baku ruled that he must be placed in a psychiatric clinic for treatment.
"It is not fair to punish someone just for saying the truth... Our [eldest] daughter was so hopeful to see her father, but they did not allow her, and she is so desperate to see him. Her father is being ruined there, and his children are here," Humbatova told RFE/RL, adding that she is now taking care of three children alone, the youngest of whom is a toddler.
Critics of Aliyev's government say authorities of the oil-rich South Caucasus nation frequently seek to silence dissent by jailing opposition activists, reporters, human rights defenders, and civil society advocates without grounds.
Dozens of AXCP members have been arrested, and some imprisoned, in recent years on what their supporters have called trumped-up charges.
Humbatov's lawyer Nemat Karimli told RFE/RL last month that his client was unable to appeal the court's decision to place him in the psychiatric clinic as the ruling had not been officially delivered to him as of April 22, 20 days after the decision had been announced. Without having received the documents from the court, Karimli was not able to file an appeal.
Humbatov, his wife, and his lawyer insist that he is healthy, both physically and mentally, and that there is no need to keep him in the clinic.
Aliyev denies any rights abuses. He took power in 2003 shortly before the death of his father, Heydar Aliyev, a former KGB officer and communist-era leader who had ruled Azerbaijan since 1993.