rferl--2020-07-10--Serbian, Kosovar Leaders To Restart Dialogue With Video Summit

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti are set to hold online talks ahead of a European Union-supervised weekend summit in Brussels aimed at restarting the two countries ' stalled dialogue on normalizing relations .
The video conference on July 10 is to be joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel , as well as EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borell and Miroslav Lajcak , the EU 's special envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina .
The discussions are to be followed by further discussions on July 12 between Hoti and Vucic at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kosovo , a former province of Serbia , declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade .
EU-mediated negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade broke down in late 2018 over reports of a proposed land swap and after Kosovo imposed a 100 percent tax on Serbian imports .
Both Kosovo and Serbia , which aspire to join the EU , have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations .
European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on July 6 that the Brussels meeting will resume `` the work on reaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the normalization '' of bilateral relations .
Ahead of the talks , Vucic , who is facing protests at home over the government 's response to the coronavirus , has warned that the discussions are `` not going to be easy . ''
`` No one is going to cuddle us or give us a present .
On the contrary , we will be pressured to give in , '' he said .
The new push comes after prosecutors in The Hague charged Kosovar President Hashim Thaci with war crimes , leading to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House summit between Thaci and his Serbian counterpart .


rferl--2020-07-10--Pompeo Calls UN Expert's Conclusions On Soleimani Killing 'Spurious'

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has defended a U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq early this year , after a UN expert deemed it as `` unlawful . ''
In a statement on July 9 , Pompeo rejected the conclusions of Agnes Callamard , the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial , summary , or arbitrary executions , as `` spurious . ''
He said the United States had been `` transparent '' regarding the international law basis for the strike , citing a letter it sent to the UN Security Council explaining that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercise of the United States ' inherent right of self-defense . ''
Callamard presented her findings earlier on July 9 to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva , in which she said the January 3 drone strike near Baghdad 's airport that killed Soleimani constituted an `` arbitrary killing '' for which the United States is responsible under international human rights law .
She said the United States had provided no specific evidence that showed Soleimani was planning an imminent attack against U.S. interests , particularly in Iraq , for which immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justified .
But Pompeo said the strike that killed Soleimani `` was in response to an escalating series of armed attacks in the preceding months '' by Iran .
He also said it was conducted to deter Iran from launching or supporting further attacks against the United States or U.S. interests and was carried out to degrade the capabilities of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) .
According to the United States , Soleimani was responsible for orchestrating attacks on U.S. forces for years and in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and U.S. allies in the region .
In retaliation for the assassination of Soleimani , who headed the Quds Force , an Iranian ballistic-missile strike on January 8 targeted U.S. bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces , leaving some 110 U.S. troops suffering from traumatic brain injuries .
According to Callamard , Iran 's retaliatory strikes also were unlawful .
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , the leader of the Iran-backed Kataib Hizbullah militia and deputy head of Iraq 's state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Units , was also killed in the January strike that targeted Soleimani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been linked to multiple rocket attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq , including one in late December that killed a U.S. defense contractor and wounded several U.S. and Iraqi soldiers at a military base in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk .
As the head of the Quds Force , Soleimani was a key figure in supplying weapons and explosive devices to Iraqi insurgents that killed or wounded U.S. soldiers in Iraq following the ouster of Saddam Hussein .
He was also the main figure running Iran 's policy in Syria and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With reporting by AFP and the BBC

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--2020-07-10--U.S. Revokes Pakistan Airlines' Permission Citing Concern Over Pilot Certifications

The U.S. Department of Transportation has revoked permission for Pakistan International Airlines ( PIA ) to conduct special direct flights to the United States because of concerns over Pakistani pilot certifications .
The permission was revoked `` due to recent events identified by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority that are of serious concerns to aviation safety , specifically matters pertaining to the proper certification of certain Pakistani pilots , '' according to an e-mail sent to the airline from a law firm that Dawn said it had seen .
PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan confirmed that the airline had been notified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dawn reported .
According to Reuters , the information is contained in a revocation of special authorization dated July 1 provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation .
Pakistan last month grounded almost a third of its pilots after discovering they may have falsified their qualifications .
The licenses of 262 Pakistani airline pilots , including a third of PIA pilots , were termed `` dubious '' by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan .
Khan said during a June 24 parliamentary session that an inquiry had found that the 262 pilots had obtained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take exams for them .
More than half the pilots in question worked for PIA , but the airline said some had either retired or left their jobs .
The scandal emerged after a PIA Airbus A320 crashed in Karachi on May 22 , killing 97 people , following a resumption of domestic operations that had been paused during the coronavirus pandemic .
Investigators blamed the plane 's two pilots and air-traffic controllers .
PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez said in a statement quoted by Dawn that the decision by the U.S. authorities was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Transportation in April granted PIA permission to operate 12 direct flights to repatriate people stranded by the coronavirus pandemic .
It was the first time that Pakistan 's national flag carrier operated direct flights to the United States .
The airline is coordinating with the department , Hafeez said , adding that `` we sincerely hope that with the reformative process already under way , they will review their decision to revoke the permissions of special flights operating from Pakistan directly to the U.S. and back . ''
The European Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already suspended the authorization for PIA to fly in Europe for six months .
The EASA said in a statement on June 30 it had suspended PIA and a smaller private Pakistani airline in view of the investigation reported on in the parliament .
The development comes as Pakistan 's government has tried to assuage concerns about Pakistani pilots , stating that an inquiry into the issuance of `` illegal '' licenses to 236 pilots between 2012 and 2018 was in progress , according to Dawn .
With reporting by Dawn and Reuters

The U.S. Department of Transportation has revoked permission for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to conduct special direct flights to the United States because of concerns over Pakistani pilot certifications.
The permission was revoked "due to recent events identified by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority that are of serious concerns to aviation safety, specifically matters pertaining to the proper certification of certain Pakistani pilots," according to an e-mail sent to the airline from a law firm that Dawn said it had seen.
PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan confirmed that the airline had been notified of the decision in an e-mail, Dawn reported.
According to Reuters, the information is contained in a revocation of special authorization dated July 1 provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Pakistan last month grounded almost a third of its pilots after discovering they may have falsified their qualifications.
The licenses of 262 Pakistani airline pilots, including a third of PIA pilots, were termed "dubious" by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
Khan said during a June 24 parliamentary session that an inquiry had found that the 262 pilots had obtained their licenses by cheating and having others take exams for them.
More than half the pilots in question worked for PIA, but the airline said some had either retired or left their jobs.
The scandal emerged after a PIA Airbus A320 crashed in Karachi on May 22, killing 97 people, following a resumption of domestic operations that had been paused during the coronavirus pandemic. Investigators blamed the plane's two pilots and air-traffic controllers.
PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez said in a statement quoted by Dawn that the decision by the U.S. authorities was "a setback."
The U.S. Department of Transportation in April granted PIA permission to operate 12 direct flights to repatriate people stranded by the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first time that Pakistan's national flag carrier operated direct flights to the United States.
The airline is coordinating with the department, Hafeez said, adding that "we sincerely hope that with the reformative process already under way, they will review their decision to revoke the permissions of special flights operating from Pakistan directly to the U.S. and back."
The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has already suspended the authorization for PIA to fly in Europe for six months.
The EASA said in a statement on June 30 it had suspended PIA and a smaller private Pakistani airline in view of the investigation reported on in the parliament.
The development comes as Pakistan's government has tried to assuage concerns about Pakistani pilots, stating that an inquiry into the issuance of "illegal" licenses to 236 pilots between 2012 and 2018 was in progress, according to Dawn.
With reporting by Dawn and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-10--U.S. Military Leaders Vow Response If Proof Of Russian Bounties Paid To Taliban Uncovered

Top Pentagon officials have said that the United States will respond if the U.S. military is able to corroborate reports that Russia paid militants linked to the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan .
General Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said the information thus far had not been corroborated by defense intelligence agencies , but vowed that the Pentagon will find out if it 's true .
`` And if it is true , we will take action , '' he said , without specifying what action might be taken .
Milley and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a congressional hearing on media reports claiming Russia had offered Taliban militants bounties for killing Americans in Afghanistan .
Esper said his military commanders heard initial reports on the bounty issue in January and he first saw an intelligence paper about it in February .
While the threats were taken seriously , he said they had not yet been found credible .
The New York Times first reported on the intelligence last month and said President Donald Trump was briefed on the intelligence but did nothing in response .
The White House has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence because it was unverified .
As the reports of the alleged bounties were becoming public at the end of June , Trump approved plans to withdraw nearly 10,000 U.S. military personnel from Germany , a move that General John Nicholson , the former commander of U.S .
Forces in Afghanistan , said sent the wrong signal to Russia .
`` These troop withdrawals play into Russia 's desire to undermine and weaken NATO .
If carried out despite these bounties , this will be viewed as a sign of American weakness in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nicholson told a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on July 9 dedicated to possible responses to Moscow 's alleged actions .
Ian Brzezinski , who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO during the administration of George W. Bush , recommended the United States transition a temporary armored brigade in Poland into a permanent presence as a response .
A permanent contingent of special forces could also be deployed in the Baltics , he said .
The Kremlin has strongly opposed permanent troop deployment to Poland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Brzezinski told the hearing that the allegations of bounty payments fit into the pattern of Russia 's `` steady escalation '' of interference and aggression on the world stage and that the incremental U.S. response to date had not only `` failed to convince [ Russian President Vladimir ] Putin to reverse course , '' but may have even emboldened him .
`` If we are more forceful , if we are more firm , we do have very good prospects of actually restraining Putin 's actions and ambitions , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States could impose more sanctions on Russia , including on the GRU , the military intelligence agency that supposedly organized the bounty payments .
Washington has known for years that Russia has been supporting the Afghan insurgents , including through arms shipments , Milley said during the hearing in the House Armed Services Committee .
But the Pentagon did not have `` concrete corroborating evidence '' or intelligence to show it had been `` directing '' the Taliban and , he said , `` that 's a big difference . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter , he said , and , if it 's confirmed that the Russians have paid the Taliban bounties , it would be a `` big deal . ''
On July 7 , the head of U.S. Central Command said in an interview he was `` not convinced '' that any Russian bounties paid to Taliban militants resulted in the deaths of U.S. troops in Afghanistan .
Marine General Frank McKenzie said he was familiar with the information and he found it `` very worrisome , '' but added that he did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deaths of any U.S. soldiers .
Russia and the Taliban have denied the claims .
The United States has been gradually withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan , a key demand of the Taliban and a term of a deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February .
With reporting by AFP , AP and Reuters

Top Pentagon officials have said that the United States will respond if the U.S. military is able to corroborate reports that Russia paid militants linked to the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the information thus far had not been corroborated by defense intelligence agencies, but vowed that the Pentagon will find out if it's true.
"And if it is true, we will take action," he said, without specifying what action might be taken.
Milley and Defense Secretary Mark Esper were questioned during a congressional hearing on media reports claiming Russia had offered Taliban militants bounties for killing Americans in Afghanistan.
Esper said his military commanders heard initial reports on the bounty issue in January and he first saw an intelligence paper about it in February. While the threats were taken seriously, he said they had not yet been found credible.
The New York Times first reported on the intelligence last month and said President Donald Trump was briefed on the intelligence but did nothing in response. The White House has said Trump was not briefed on the intelligence because it was unverified.
Possible Measures
As the reports of the alleged bounties were becoming public at the end of June, Trump approved plans to withdraw nearly 10,000 U.S. military personnel from Germany, a move that General John Nicholson, the former commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, said sent the wrong signal to Russia.
"These troop withdrawals play into Russia's desire to undermine and weaken NATO. If carried out despite these bounties, this will be viewed as a sign of American weakness in the face of Russian threats," Nicholson told a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on July 9 dedicated to possible responses to Moscow's alleged actions.
Ian Brzezinski, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO during the administration of George W. Bush, recommended the United States transition a temporary armored brigade in Poland into a permanent presence as a response. A permanent contingent of special forces could also be deployed in the Baltics, he said.
The Kremlin has strongly opposed permanent troop deployment to Poland and the Baltics, which border Russian territory.
Brzezinski told the hearing that the allegations of bounty payments fit into the pattern of Russia's "steady escalation" of interference and aggression on the world stage and that the incremental U.S. response to date had not only "failed to convince [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to reverse course," but may have even emboldened him.
"If we are more forceful, if we are more firm, we do have very good prospects of actually restraining Putin's actions and ambitions," he said.
The experts also said the United States could impose more sanctions on Russia, including on the GRU, the military intelligence agency that supposedly organized the bounty payments.
Russian Support
Washington has known for years that Russia has been supporting the Afghan insurgents, including through arms shipments, Milley said during the hearing in the House Armed Services Committee.
But the Pentagon did not have "concrete corroborating evidence" or intelligence to show it had been "directing" the Taliban and, he said, "that's a big difference."
The United States is still looking into the matter, he said, and, if it's confirmed that the Russians have paid the Taliban bounties, it would be a "big deal."
On July 7, the head of U.S. Central Command said in an interview he was "not convinced" that any Russian bounties paid to Taliban militants resulted in the deaths of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Marine General Frank McKenzie said he was familiar with the information and he found it "very worrisome," but added that he didn't find a "causative link" to the deaths of any U.S. soldiers.
Russia and the Taliban have denied the claims.
The United States has been gradually withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, a key demand of the Taliban and a term of a deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February.
With reporting by AFP, AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-11--Riot Police Break Up Anti-Government Protests In Belgrade

BELGRADE - Police fired tear gas multiple times to break up a demonstration in Serbia 's capital on a fourth night of anti-government protests sparked over the country ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Angry protesters threw firecrackers and stones at riot police guarding the parliament in Belgrade on July 10 , breaking through a barrier to reach the building .
Police used their shields to push back the demonstrators and then chased people through the streets to break up the demonstration. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the `` thugs '' who sparked incidents in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious damage and he told Serbs not to worry .
`` The perpetrators will be defeated , the majority of them will be arrested , and they will have to answer for all the crimes they committed , '' Vucic told Pink television in a live broadcast from Paris , where is he participating in normalization talks with Kosovo hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
Vucic said arrests were made in Belgrade , including the son of an adviser to Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his activity might not have had anything to do with Dacic .
Vucic also said that the police did not react until the protesters reached the door of the parliament building , only then starting to make arrests .
`` Of course , there were normal people who wanted to protest and they are victims of bullies as well , '' he said .
Vucic noted that July 10 was the most difficult day for Serbia since the beginning of the pandemic , calling it a consequence of the previous five days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 18 people died in the previous 24 hours in Serbia .
The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 17,000 people in Serbia and killed 370 , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
Protests also continued in Serbia 's second-largest city , Novi Sad , where demonstrators temporarily blocked a highway leading to Belgrade .
Vucic called the effort `` pure terrorism . ''
`` Do you think it is possible to harass the whole country ?
No one will come to power by violence , only through elections , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people not to go out to protest because , he said , those who do will soon have to ask for help from a doctor , and hospitals are full .
Frustration has been mounting at the government 's latest response against a resurgent coronavirus outbreak and the perceived politicization of the team that is leading efforts to stem the danger to public health in the Balkan state .
The rising discontent was sparked after Vucic on July 7 said a curfew would be imposed to stem an outbreak in the capital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to a crescendo of criticism from people in the streets .
During an initial protest on July 7 , a group of protesters broke into the parliament building while others threw stones , bottles , and other projectiles at police , prompting officers to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd .
The protests have now morphed into larger anti-government protests caused by anger over mismanagement of COVID-19 crisis , and they have attracted leftist groups and right-wing organizations , each with numerous grievances against the government .
The protests come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Progressive Party swept parliamentary elections in a June 21 vote that was tarnished by an opposition boycott and accusations he pushed for the elections despite health risks posed by the coronavirus .
The global coronavirus pandemic and the pathogen 's arrival in Serbia in March prompted a strict lockdown that interrupted over a year of weekly anti-government demonstrations .
Those protests targeted Vucic 's tightening grip on media and the levers of power amid a spate of attacks on journalists and other government critics in the Balkan country of around 7 million people @

BELGRADE -- Police fired tear gas multiple times to break up a demonstration in Serbia's capital on a fourth night of anti-government protests sparked by the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Angry protesters threw firecrackers and stones at riot police guarding the parliament in Belgrade on July 10, breaking through a barrier to reach the building. Police used their shields to push back the demonstrators and then chased people through the streets to break up the demonstration.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the "thugs" who sparked incidents in front of the parliament building didn't cause any serious damage and he told Serbs not to worry.
"The perpetrators will be defeated, the majority of them will be arrested, and they will have to answer for all the crimes they committed," Vucic told Pink television in a live broadcast from Paris, where he is participating in normalization talks with Kosovo hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Vucic said arrests were made in Belgrade, including the son of an adviser to Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, but he did not name him and said his activity might not have had anything to do with Dacic.
Vucic also said that the police did not react until the protesters reached the door of the parliament building, only then starting to make arrests.
"Of course, there were normal people who wanted to protest and they are victims of bullies as well," he said.
Vucic noted that July 10 was the most difficult day for Serbia since the beginning of the pandemic, calling it a consequence of the previous five days.
According to data published on July 10, 18 people died in the previous 24 hours in Serbia. The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 17,000 people in Serbia and killed 370, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Protests also continued in Serbia's second-largest city, Novi Sad, where demonstrators temporarily blocked a highway leading to Belgrade. Vucic called the effort "pure terrorism."
"Do you think it is possible to harass the whole country? No one will come to power by violence, only through elections," he said.
Vucic appealed to people not to go out to protest because, he said, those who do will soon have to ask for help from a doctor, and hospitals are full.
Frustration has been mounting at the government's latest response against a resurgent coronavirus outbreak and the perceived politicization of the team that is leading efforts to stem the danger to public health in the Balkan state.
The rising discontent was sparked after Vucic on July 7 said a curfew would be imposed to stem an outbreak in the capital. The government later backtracked on any lockdown in response to a crescendo of criticism from people in the streets.
During an initial protest on July 7, a group of protesters broke into the parliament building while others threw stones, bottles, and other projectiles at police, prompting officers to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The protests have now morphed into larger anti-government protests caused by anger over mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis, and they have attracted leftist groups and right-wing organizations, each with numerous grievances against the government.
The protests come just weeks after Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party swept parliamentary elections in a June 21 vote that was tarnished by an opposition boycott and accusations he pushed for the elections despite health risks posed by the coronavirus.
The global coronavirus pandemic and the pathogen's arrival in Serbia in March prompted a strict lockdown that interrupted over a year of weekly anti-government demonstrations.
Those protests targeted Vucic's tightening grip on media and the levers of power amid a spate of attacks on journalists and other government critics in the Balkan country of around 7 million people.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-07-10--Bulgaria, Croatia Join Eurozone's 'Waiting Room'

Bulgaria and Croatia have been accepted into the eurozone ’ s obligatory two-year `` waiting room , ” the European Exchange Rate Mechanism 2 ( ERM-2 ) .
The European Central Bank ( ECB ) said July 10 that the two countries will also join the EU ’ s banking union , with the ECB directly supervising their largest banks from October 1 .
The green light from eurozone finance ministers and ECB paves the way for the first enlargement of the eurozone since Lithuania joined the 19-member common currency zone in 2015 .
Countries typically remain in the ERM-2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the practical procedures to join the eurozone , a process that takes roughly another year .
To join the eurozone , Croatia and Bulgaria will need to fulfil their commitments to pursue “ sound economic policies ” aimed at economic and financial stability , the ECB said .
As part of the ERM-2 , the ECB set the base rate for the conversion of the Bulgarian lev at 1.956 against the euro while the Croatian kuna 's rate was set at 7.535 .
If the two currencies hold within a band of plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are allowed to formally join the euro .
With reporting by Reuters and Bloomberg

Bulgaria and Croatia have been accepted into the eurozone’s obligatory two-year "waiting room,” the European Exchange Rate Mechanism 2 (ERM-2).
The European Central Bank (ECB) said July 10 that the two countries will also join the EU’s banking union, with the ECB directly supervising their largest banks from October 1.
The green light from eurozone finance ministers and ECB paves the way for the first enlargement of the eurozone since Lithuania joined the 19-member common currency zone in 2015.
Countries typically remain in the ERM-2 mechanism for about two years before starting the practical procedures to join the eurozone, a process that takes roughly another year.
To join the eurozone, Croatia and Bulgaria will need to fulfil their commitments to pursue “sound economic policies” aimed at economic and financial stability, the ECB said.
As part of the ERM-2, the ECB set the base rate for the conversion of the Bulgarian lev at 1.956 against the euro while the Croatian kuna's rate was set at 7.535.
If the two currencies hold within a band of plus or minus the set rate then they are allowed to formally join the euro.
With reporting by Reuters and Bloomberg


rferl--2020-07-10--Additional Criminal Cases Launched Against Former Ukrainian President Poroshenko

KYIV -- The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General 's Office has launched four additional criminal cases against former President Petro Poroshenko , his lawyer Ihor Holovan said on June 10 .
According to Holovan , the probes were launched at the request of tycoon Ihor Kolomoyskiy , who accuses Poroshenko of interference with the activities of PrivatBank -- once owned by Kolomoyskiy -- revealing sensitive information regarding PrivatBank 's activities , abuse of office , and money laundering .
Holovan called all the accusations against Poroshenko `` politically motivated . ''
Kolomoyskiy , Poroshenko 's long-time foe , lost control over PrivatBank in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over after it failed stress tests and was deemed to be undercapitalized .
Poroshenko was president at that time .
Kolomoyskiy lived in self-imposed exile for nearly two years and returned after Volodymyr Zelenskiy 's election as president in April 2019 .
Kolomoyskiy 's ties to Zelenskiy , who rose to fame as an actor on a TV channel owned by Kolomoisky , had raised concerns over the president ’ s independence from the oligarch .
On July 1 , Poroshenko said that , in all , there are 24 probes launched against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is behind all of them . ''
Ukraine 's Prosecutor-General Iryna Venedyktova rejected Poroshenko 's claims , saying that the probes have nothing to do with politics .
On July 8 , Venedyktova withdrew its request to place Poroshenko under pretrial arrest in one of the cases against him .
The case is related to his alleged illegal appointment of a deputy chief of the country 's foreign intelligence service .
Venedyktova said that the investigations in that case had been completed .
A billionaire confectioner , Poroshenko currently serves as a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pro-European , anti-Russian ticket in July parliamentary elections , winning 25 seats .

KYIV -- The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office has launched four additional criminal cases against former President Petro Poroshenko, his lawyer Ihor Holovan said on June 10.
According to Holovan, the probes were launched at the request of tycoon Ihor Kolomoyskiy, who accuses Poroshenko of interference with the activities of PrivatBank -- once owned by Kolomoyskiy -- revealing sensitive information regarding PrivatBank's activities, abuse of office, and money laundering.
Holovan called all the accusations against Poroshenko "politically motivated."
Kolomoyskiy, Poroshenko's long-time foe, lost control over PrivatBank in 2016 when the central bank took it over after it failed stress tests and was deemed to be undercapitalized. Poroshenko was president at that time.
Kolomoyskiy lived in self-imposed exile for nearly two years and returned after Volodymyr Zelenskiy's election as president in April 2019.
Kolomoyskiy's ties to Zelenskiy, who rose to fame as an actor on a TV channel owned by Kolomoisky, had raised concerns over the president’s independence from the oligarch.
On July 1, Poroshenko said that, in all, there are 24 probes launched against him, claiming that his successor "is behind all of them."
Ukraine's Prosecutor-General Iryna Venedyktova rejected Poroshenko's claims, saying that the probes have nothing to do with politics.
On July 8, Venedyktova withdrew its request to place Poroshenko under pretrial arrest in one of the cases against him. The case is related to his alleged illegal appointment of a deputy chief of the country's foreign intelligence service. Venedyktova said that the investigations in that case had been completed.
A billionaire confectioner, Poroshenko currently serves as a member of parliament.
His party ran on a pro-European, anti-Russian ticket in July parliamentary elections, winning 25 seats.


rferl--2020-07-10--Netherlands Takes Russia To European Rights Court Over MH17 Downing

The Dutch government is taking Russia to the European Court of Human Rights for its alleged role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines passenger flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 .
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said July 10 that the move is designed to support individual cases filed by relatives of some of the victims at the Strasbourg-based court .
“ By taking this course of action the government is offering maximum support to these individual cases , ” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement .
MH17 was shot down on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fired from territory controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in the east of Ukraine .
Nearly two-thirds of the 298 victims were Dutch nationals .
By launching an inter-state case against Russia , the Dutch government will share “ all available and relevant information about the downing of Flight MH17 ” with the European court to support individual cases filed against Russia , the Foreign Ministry said .
The relatives of at least 65 Dutch victims in 2018 filed a complaint at the Strasbourg-based court .
“ As a government , we have information , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusion of the involvement of the Russian Federation , ” Blok told the AP news agency .
“ Of course , the relatives themselves do not have all this information so we can help them by starting this procedure.
” Moscow has denied any involvement in the conflict in parts of eastern Ukraine and has offered several possible theories about how MH17 was blown out of the sky , including that it was shot down by a Ukrainian Air Force jet or by Ukrainian ground forces using a Buk system .
Separately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also hearing a case against four suspects in the 2014 downing of the aircraft .
Following a six-year international investigation , prosecutors have argued that the aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made Buk antiaircraft system fired by Russia-backed separatist fighters who had acquired it from a Russian military base on the border between the two countries .
The four suspects -- Russians Sergei Dubinsky , Oleg Pulatov , and Igor Girkin , and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko -- are being tried in absentia for involvement in the tragedy .
With reporting by AFP @ @ @ @ @

The Dutch government is taking Russia to the European Court of Human Rights for its alleged role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines passenger flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said July 10 that the move is designed to support individual cases filed by relatives of some of the victims at the Strasbourg-based court.
“By taking this course of action the government is offering maximum support to these individual cases,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
MH17 was shot down on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile fired from territory controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in the east of Ukraine. Nearly two-thirds of the 298 victims were Dutch nationals.
By launching an inter-state case against Russia, the Dutch government will share “all available and relevant information about the downing of Flight MH17” with the European court to support individual cases filed against Russia, the Foreign Ministry said.
The relatives of at least 65 Dutch victims in 2018 filed a complaint at the Strasbourg-based court.
“As a government, we have information, evidence, that leads us to the conclusion of the involvement of the Russian Federation,” Blok told the AP news agency. “Of course, the relatives themselves do not have all this information so we can help them by starting this procedure.”
Moscow has denied any involvement in the conflict in parts of eastern Ukraine and has offered several possible theories about how MH17 was blown out of the sky, including that it was shot down by a Ukrainian Air Force jet or by Ukrainian ground forces using a Buk system.
Separately, a Dutch court in The Hague is also hearing a case against four suspects in the 2014 downing of the aircraft.
Following a six-year international investigation, prosecutors have argued that the aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made Buk antiaircraft system fired by Russia-backed separatist fighters who had acquired it from a Russian military base on the border between the two countries.
The four suspects -- Russians Sergei Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov, and Igor Girkin, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko -- are being tried in absentia for involvement in the tragedy.
With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-10--Russian Activist Again Fined For Gay 'Propaganda'

A well-known Russian LGBT activist has been fined for a second time under a controversial law banning gay “ propaganda.
” Yulia Tsvetkova , a noted activist in the Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur , wrote on Facebook on June 10 that she was found guilty of “ propaganda in favor of nontraditional sexual relations among minors ” -- an administrative offense -- and fined 75,000 rubles ( $ 1,050 ) .
In December 2019 , Tsvetkova was fined 50,000 rubles ( $ 704 ) for being the administrator of two LGBT-themed groups on social media .
The activist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mid-March , was also officially charged with “ production and dissemination of pornographic materials '' -- a criminal charge punishable by up to six years in prison .
On July 7 , investigators filed a similar case against Tsvetkova for placing a drawn picture of a gay family with a child to an online campaign supporting gay families with children .
Several Russian celebrities , journalists and actors , issued a statement in March , calling authorities to drop charges against Tsvetkova .
Amnesty International in its December 2019 statement called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homophobic '' and demanded from the Russian authorities to drop all charges against the activist , who `` has done nothing else than standing up for human rights .
”

A well-known Russian LGBT activist has been fined for a second time under a controversial law banning gay “propaganda.”
Yulia Tsvetkova, a noted activist in the Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, wrote on Facebook on June 10 that she was found guilty of “propaganda in favor of nontraditional sexual relations among minors” -- an administrative offense -- and fined 75,000 rubles ($1,050).
In December 2019, Tsvetkova was fined 50,000 rubles ($704) for being the administrator of two LGBT-themed groups on social media.
The activist, who was under house arrest between late-November and mid-March, was also officially charged with “production and dissemination of pornographic materials" -- a criminal charge punishable by up to six years in prison.
On July 7, investigators filed a similar case against Tsvetkova for placing a drawn picture of a gay family with a child to an online campaign supporting gay families with children.
Several Russian celebrities, journalists and actors, issued a statement in March, calling authorities to drop charges against Tsvetkova.
Amnesty International in its December 2019 statement called the legislation under which Tsvetkova was charged "homophobic" and demanded from the Russian authorities to drop all charges against the activist, who "has done nothing else than standing up for human rights.”
With reporting by Meduza


rferl--2020-07-10--Former Head Of Turkmen Capital's District Reportedly Jailed Days After His Dismissal

ASHGABAT -- The former head of a district in the Turkmen capital , Ashgabat , has been reportedly sent to @ @ @ @ @ days after leaving his post .
A source close to government structures told RFE/RL on @ @ @ @ @ was sentenced to 22 years in prison just a day after a probe was launched @ @ @ @ @ .
Bashekov 's imprisonment has not been officially reported and Turkmen law enforcement officials have @ @ @ @ @ .
Bashekov was appointed to the post of the head of Ashgabat 's Berkakarlyk district @ @ @ @ @ authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov amid another series of administrative moves .
A presidential order about @ @ @ @ @ 27 cited `` mistakes committed when carrying out his service duties . ''
Berdymukhammedov has @ @ @ @ @ republic with an iron fist since the death of his autocratic predecessor , Saparmurat Niyazov @ @ @ @ @ Rights groups and government critics say the principles of human rights and democracy are routinely @ @ @ @ @ .

ASHGABAT -- The former head of a district in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, has been reportedly sent to prison on embezzlement charges two days after leaving his post.
A source close to government structures told RFE/RL on July 9 that Bakhtiyar Bashekov was sentenced to 22 years in prison just a day after a probe was launched against him following his dismissal.
Bashekov's imprisonment has not been officially reported and Turkmen law enforcement officials have not commented on the case.
Bashekov was appointed to the post of the head of Ashgabat's Berkakarlyk district in January 2018 by the authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov amid another series of administrative moves.
A presidential order about Bashekov's dismissal on June 27 cited "mistakes committed when carrying out his service duties."
Berdymukhammedov has ruled the gas-rich former Soviet republic with an iron fist since the death of his autocratic predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov, in December 2006.
Rights groups and government critics say the principles of human rights and democracy are routinely abused by Berdymukhammedov's government.


rferl--2020-07-10--EU Approves Disbursement Of Nearly $34 Million In Moldova Aid

The European Commission has approved the disbursement of a further 30 million euros ( $ 33.8 million ) in macro-financial assistance to Moldova aimed at helping the country cover its external financing needs .
Paolo Gentiloni , the European commissioner for the economy , said in a statement on July 10 that the second instalment will “ help Moldova cope with the economic shock caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
” Gentiloni also commended Moldova for “ the reform efforts being pursued , for instance in improving the justice system and fighting corruption.
” It follows a first instalment of 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tranche is composed of 10 million euros ( $ 11.3 million ) in grants and 20 million euros ( $ 22.6 million ) in low-interest , long-term loans .
The commission 's press release said the second installment was agreed after Moldova enacted “ important measures in the fields of financial sector governance , public-sector governance , the fight against corruption , and money laundering , energy , and business climate and the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area ( DCFTA ) .
” However , the commission canceled a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 45 million ) due to outstanding issues , including the lack of substantial progress in the recovery of more than $ 1 billion that disappeared from the country 's biggest banks between 2012 and 2014 , as well as failure to adopt a customs code in line with EU directives and to reform the Superior Council of Magistracy .
Separately , the European Commission noted that the EU is also making loans of 100 million euros ( $ 113 million ) available to Moldova to help it limit the economic fallout of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 billion euro ( $ 3.25 billion ) macro-financial assistance program for 10 mainly Eastern European countries .

The European Commission has approved the disbursement of a further 30 million euros ($33.8 million) in macro-financial assistance to Moldova aimed at helping the country cover its external financing needs.
Paolo Gentiloni, the European commissioner for the economy, said in a statement on July 10 that the second instalment will “help Moldova cope with the economic shock caused by the coronavirus pandemic.”
Gentiloni also commended Moldova for “the reform efforts being pursued, for instance in improving the justice system and fighting corruption.”
It follows a first instalment of 30 million euros in October 2019. Each tranche is composed of 10 million euros ($11.3 million) in grants and 20 million euros ($22.6 million) in low-interest, long-term loans.
The commission's press release said the second installment was agreed after Moldova enacted “important measures in the fields of financial sector governance, public-sector governance, the fight against corruption, and money laundering, energy, and business climate and the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).”
However, the commission canceled a third installment worth 40 million euro ($45 million) due to outstanding issues, including the lack of substantial progress in the recovery of more than $1 billion that disappeared from the country's biggest banks between 2012 and 2014, as well as failure to adopt a customs code in line with EU directives and to reform the Superior Council of Magistracy.
Separately, the European Commission noted that the EU is also making loans of 100 million euros ($113 million) available to Moldova to help it limit the economic fallout of the coronavirus epidemic as part of a 3 billion euro ($3.25 billion) macro-financial assistance program for 10 mainly Eastern European countries.


rferl--2020-07-10--Austria's Supreme Court Invalidates Extradition Of Tajik Activist

The Supreme Court of Austria has invalidated an extradition order for Tajik opposition activist Hizbullo Shovalizoda , who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on extremism charges his supporters reject after his arrival to Dushanbe from Vienna earlier this year .
Shovalizoda 's lawyer in Vienna , Gregor Klammer , told RFE/RL that the court ruled that a decision by Austrian authorities to reject Shovalizoda ’ s request for asylum and extradite him to Tajikistan was illegal .
According to the court ’ s ruling , Austria failed to secure the Tajik national 's right to freely leave the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his extradition was based on outdated information about the current situation in the former Soviet republic in Central Asia .
Klammer added that the Supreme Court obliged Austria to bring his client back to Vienna .
The 29-year-old Shovalizoda , who was extradited to Tajikistan in March , was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 10 after a court in Dushanbe found him guilty on charges that included participating in the activities of an extremist organization and high treason .
Shovalizoda is currently being held in a Tajik prison and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court decision .
Tajik authorities said last month that Shovalizoda was suspected of being a member of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan ( IRPT ) and participating in an attempt to overthrow the government by force .
The IRPT , long an influential party with representatives in the government and parliament , was labeled a terrorist group and banned in 2015 .
Dozens of IRPT officials and supporters have been prosecuted and many of them imprisoned , drawing criticism from human rights groups .
Shovalizoda arrived in Austria in early 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was placed under arrest in January .
Exiled Tajik opposition activists told RFE/RL that they had urged Austrian authorities not to extradite Shovalizoda , as he was not a member of any political opposition group or party .
The IRPT said at the time that Shovalizoda had never been one of its members .
`` Shovalizoda is most likely to be subjected to torture , ill-treatment , and unfair trial .
He , as in previous similar situations , may be forced to testify against himself and other people under torture , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time .
Tajik authorities have been criticized for cracking down on dissent for years .
In 2014 , the opposition movement Group 24 was labeled as terrorist and extremist and banned .
In March 2015 , the movement 's founder , Umarali Quvatov , was assassinated in Istanbul , Turkey .

The Supreme Court of Austria has invalidated an extradition order for Tajik opposition activist Hizbullo Shovalizoda, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on extremism charges his supporters reject after his arrival to Dushanbe from Vienna earlier this year.
Shovalizoda's lawyer in Vienna, Gregor Klammer, told RFE/RL that the court ruled that a decision by Austrian authorities to reject Shovalizoda’s request for asylum and extradite him to Tajikistan was illegal.
According to the court’s ruling, Austria failed to secure the Tajik national's right to freely leave the country. It added that the decision on his extradition was based on outdated information about the current situation in the former Soviet republic in Central Asia.
Klammer added that the Supreme Court obliged Austria to bring his client back to Vienna.
The 29-year-old Shovalizoda, who was extradited to Tajikistan in March, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 10 after a court in Dushanbe found him guilty on charges that included participating in the activities of an extremist organization and high treason.
Shovalizoda is currently being held in a Tajik prison and authorities have not commented on the Austrian court decision.
Tajik authorities said last month that Shovalizoda was suspected of being a member of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) and participating in an attempt to overthrow the government by force.
The IRPT, long an influential party with representatives in the government and parliament, was labeled a terrorist group and banned in 2015.
Dozens of IRPT officials and supporters have been prosecuted and many of them imprisoned, drawing criticism from human rights groups.
Shovalizoda arrived in Austria in early 2019 and asked for asylum, but instead was placed under arrest in January.
Exiled Tajik opposition activists told RFE/RL that they had urged Austrian authorities not to extradite Shovalizoda, as he was not a member of any political opposition group or party.
The IRPT said at the time that Shovalizoda had never been one of its members.
"Shovalizoda is most likely to be subjected to torture, ill-treatment, and unfair trial. He, as in previous similar situations, may be forced to testify against himself and other people under torture," the party said in a statement at the time.
Tajik authorities have been criticized for cracking down on dissent for years.
In 2014, the opposition movement Group 24 was labeled as terrorist and extremist and banned. In March 2015, the movement's founder, Umarali Quvatov, was assassinated in Istanbul, Turkey.


rferl--2020-07-10--Lavrov 'Not Optimistic' About New START Treaty Talks With U.S.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he is `` not particularly optimistic '' about a possible extension of the New START nuclear arms-control treaty with the United States .
Lavrov said in Moscow on July 10 that the insistence by the United States that China join the treaty , a move that was quickly rejected by Beijing , suggests Washington has already decided not to prolong the pact once it expires in February next year .
`` It seems that the U.S. has already decided not to prolong this treaty .
Their vigor in focusing on the lack of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been decided , ” Lavrov said , according to the Interfax news agency .
Last month , U.S. and Russian envoys held talks in Vienna to discuss a replacement for the pact , but Washington wants Beijing to be included in any future agreements on nuclear weapons .
China has repeatedly rejected trilateral talks on nuclear weapons , arguing that it has a much smaller nuclear arsenal than the United States and Russia .
The New START treaty limits the number of U.S.- and Russian-deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 each , .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ such U.S.-Russian talks in more than a year -- ended with both sides expressing hope for a second round of talks .
The U.S. envoy for arms control , Marshall Billingslea , said that he and his Russian counterpart , Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov , agreed to set up `` multiple '' technical working groups and that a second meeting would ultimately depend on their progress .
Lavrov said on July 10 that three Russian-U.S. working groups will hold consultations in Vienna in late July on `` space , transparency in nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Big day for strategic security diplomacy with Russia , '' the U.S. State Department Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation ( ISN ) tweeted earlier .
U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Chris Ford and the Russian ambassador to Washington , Anatoly Antonov , have `` finalized planning for a Space Security Exchange at end of July , '' it said .
Ford also invited Ryabkov to a `` new round of the Strategic Security Dialogue '' that the two last held in January .
With reporting by Reuters , @ @ @ @ @

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he is "not particularly optimistic" about a possible extension of the New START nuclear arms-control treaty with the United States.
Lavrov said in Moscow on July 10 that the insistence by the United States that China join the treaty, a move that was quickly rejected by Beijing, suggests Washington has already decided not to prolong the pact once it expires in February next year.
"It seems that the U.S. has already decided not to prolong this treaty. Their vigor in focusing on the lack of an alternative to trilateral talks shows that this has been decided,” Lavrov said, according to the Interfax news agency.
Last month, U.S. and Russian envoys held talks in Vienna to discuss a replacement for the pact, but Washington wants Beijing to be included in any future agreements on nuclear weapons.
China has repeatedly rejected trilateral talks on nuclear weapons, arguing that it has a much smaller nuclear arsenal than the United States and Russia.
The New START treaty limits the number of U.S.- and Russian-deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 each, .
The meeting in Austria -- the first such U.S.-Russian talks in more than a year -- ended with both sides expressing hope for a second round of talks.
The U.S. envoy for arms control, Marshall Billingslea, said that he and his Russian counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, agreed to set up "multiple" technical working groups and that a second meeting would ultimately depend on their progress.
Lavrov said on July 10 that three Russian-U.S. working groups will hold consultations in Vienna in late July on "space, transparency in nuclear weapons, and nuclear doctrines."
"Big day for strategic security diplomacy with Russia," the U.S. State Department Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) tweeted earlier.
U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Chris Ford and the Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, have "finalized planning for a Space Security Exchange at end of July," it said.
Ford also invited Ryabkov to a "new round of the Strategic Security Dialogue" that the two last held in January.
With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and RIA Novosti


rferl--2020-07-10--Russian Governor Charged With Ordering Murders Sent To Pretrial Detention

MOSCOW -- Sergei Furgal , the detained governor of Russia 's Far Eastern Khabarovsk region , has been sent to pretrial detention on charges of attempted murder and ordering the killing of two local businessmen .
The Basmanny district court in Moscow on July 10 ruled that the 50-year-old , who has pleaded not guilty , must be held under pretrial arrest until September 9 .
His lawyers , who asked the court to choose a more lenient pretrial restriction for their client , said they will appeal the ruling .
Furgal , a member of Vladimir Zhirinovsky 's nationalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) won a surprise victory over the Kremlin favorite in a vote two years ago .
He was arrested on July 9 .
A court in Moscow is expected to decide on Furgal 's possible pretrial detention later on July 10 .
Meanwhile , police in Khabarovsk on July 10 detained two regional lawmakers , also members of LDPR , party faction leader Sergei Zyubr said .
According to Zyubr , Sergei Kuznetsov and Dmitry Kozlov , deputy chairman of the regional parliament , were detained after their homes , garages , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the properties of three other LDPR members in Khabarovsk , Zyubr added .
The TASS news agency quoted a source as saying that the detention of Kuznetsov and Kozlov was not , `` at this point , '' related to Furgal 's case .
The two lawmakers used to run the Amurstal steel plant .
The daily Kommersant reported that the two are suspected of large-scale fraud .
Zhirinovsky said in the lower chamber of the Russian parliament , the State Duma , that Furgal 's detention might be politically motivated .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If need be , the LDPR faction will give up its mandates and leave this place .
Let the whole world learn what a mess this country is , '' Zhirinovsky said .
Without naming President Vladimir Putin , Zhirinovsky mentioned that his party supported recently adopted constitutional amendments that , among other changes , allow the president to seek two more terms after his current term ends in 2024 .
`` You wanted a constitution ?
We gave you a constitution .
And you put cuffs on our hands !
Shameless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and start acting like [ Soviet dictator Josef ] Stalin ! ''
Zhirinovsky said .
Media reports said that Furgal 's arrest was part of a wider investigation into an organized criminal group operating in the region .
The charges relate to events in 2004-05 , RIA Novosti reported .
Furgal beat incumbent Vyacheslav Shport in the 2018 election in a major upset of the ruling United Russia party .
With reporting by RBK , Kommersant , TASS , and RIA Novosti

MOSCOW -- Sergei Furgal, the detained governor of Russia's Far Eastern Khabarovsk region, has been sent to pretrial detention on charges of attempted murder and ordering the killing of two local businessmen.
The Basmanny district court in Moscow on July 10 ruled that the 50-year-old, who has pleaded not guilty, must be held under pretrial arrest until September 9.
His lawyers, who asked the court to choose a more lenient pretrial restriction for their client, said they will appeal the ruling.
Furgal, a member of Vladimir Zhirinovsky's nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) won a surprise victory over the Kremlin favorite in a vote two years ago. He was arrested on July 9.
A court in Moscow is expected to decide on Furgal's possible pretrial detention later on July 10.
Meanwhile, police in Khabarovsk on July 10 detained two regional lawmakers, also members of LDPR, party faction leader Sergei Zyubr said.
According to Zyubr, Sergei Kuznetsov and Dmitry Kozlov, deputy chairman of the regional parliament, were detained after their homes, garages, and vehicles were searched.
Police also searched the properties of three other LDPR members in Khabarovsk, Zyubr added.
The TASS news agency quoted a source as saying that the detention of Kuznetsov and Kozlov was not, "at this point," related to Furgal's case.
The two lawmakers used to run the Amurstal steel plant.
The daily Kommersant reported that the two are suspected of large-scale fraud.
Zhirinovsky said in the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, that Furgal's detention might be politically motivated.
"We are ready to resign in protest. If need be, the LDPR faction will give up its mandates and leave this place. Let the whole world learn what a mess this country is," Zhirinovsky said.
Without naming President Vladimir Putin, Zhirinovsky mentioned that his party supported recently adopted constitutional amendments that, among other changes, allow the president to seek two more terms after his current term ends in 2024.
"You wanted a constitution? We gave you a constitution. And you put cuffs on our hands! Shameless! You are sitting in high office and start acting like [Soviet dictator Josef] Stalin!" Zhirinovsky said.
Media reports said that Furgal's arrest was part of a wider investigation into an organized criminal group operating in the region.
The charges relate to events in 2004-05, RIA Novosti reported.
Furgal beat incumbent Vyacheslav Shport in the 2018 election in a major upset of the ruling United Russia party.
With reporting by RBK, Kommersant, TASS, and RIA Novosti


rferl--2020-07-10--Kosovo, Serbia To Restart Talks After Video Summit With Merkel, Macron

Kosovo and Serbia have agreed to resume EU-backed normalization talks at a video summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
However , statements from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti after the video summit made it clear that the two sides remain far apart .
The talks will resume on July 12 with a video conference hosted by the European Union , the German government said in a statement on July 10 .
`` President Macron and Chancellor Merkel encourage President Vucic and Prime Minister Hoti to make substantial progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement read .
The July 10 video summit was attended by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell and Miroslav Lajcak , the EU 's special envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina .
Kosovo , a former province of Serbia , declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade .
EU-mediated negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade broke down in late 2018 over reports of a proposed land swap and after Kosovo imposed a 100 percent tax on Serbian imports .
Both Kosovo and Serbia , which aspire to join the EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West to reboot negotiations .
Speaking after the meeting , Vucic said “ we had really tough negotiations , ” and that he told Macron and Merkel that if Kosovo 's independence `` is what they want to talk about , then these talks are completely meaningless.
” “ We will not have an easy time in the future .
I think we will be exposed to great , great , let me not say pressure , but expectations from our European partners , Vucic said .
`` At the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach from Kosovo Albanians who want it all , leaving Serbia without anything , '' he said .
`` No one is going to cuddle us or give us a present .
On the contrary , we will be pressured to give in , ” he said .
European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said focusing on moving things forward and not getting bogged down in the thorny issues involved in the talks is the most important thing now .
“ This is not a one-off event .
Dialogue is a process , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important at this stage is to get things moving.
” The new push comes after prosecutors in The Hague charged Kosovar President Hashim Thaci with war crimes , leading to the postponement of a planned June 27 White House summit between Thaci and his Serbian counterpart .

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


rferl--2020-07-11--U.S. Convicts Russian Hacker Nikulin Over Massive Data Breach

A jury in San Francisco has convicted Russian citizen Yevgeny Nikulin over a series of hacks and cyberthefts eight years ago that targeted major U.S. social-media companies such as LinkedIn and Dropbox .
The District Court for the Northern District of California said on July 10 that Nikulin ’ s sentence would be pronounced on September 29 .
The 32-year-old defendant , who was examined by court-ordered psychologists last year amid concerns about his mental health , pleaded not guilty to the charges .
His lawyer vowed to appeal the verdict , which he called a “ huge injustice.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , Arkady Bukh said , adding that `` some changes are possible '' due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Nikulin faces up to 10 years in prison for each count of selling stolen usernames and passwords , installing malware on protected computers , as well as up to five years for each count of conspiracy and computer hacking .
According to U.S. prosecutors , Nikulin in 2012 stole the usernames and passwords used by tens of millions of social-media users to access their accounts .
Some of that data was put up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forum .
Nikulin was detained in the Czech Republic in October 2016 , and his extradition to the United States 17 months later angered Russia .
Moscow had asked the Czech authorities to extradite Nikulin to his home country , citing him as a suspect in a $ 2,000 online theft in 2009 .
His trial started in California in early March but was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic a week later , when nearly all in-person court hearings were postponed across the United States .
Nikulin was targeted by U.S. law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest some of the most notorious Russian hackers and suspected cybercriminals .
More than a dozen have been arrested in various countries , with Moscow accusing Washington of “ hunting ” Russian citizens .
With reporting by Bloomberg and TASS

A jury in San Francisco has convicted Russian citizen Yevgeny Nikulin over a series of hacks and cyberthefts eight years ago that targeted major U.S. social-media companies such as LinkedIn and Dropbox.
The District Court for the Northern District of California said on July 10 that Nikulin’s sentence would be pronounced on September 29.
The 32-year-old defendant, who was examined by court-ordered psychologists last year amid concerns about his mental health, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His lawyer vowed to appeal the verdict, which he called a “huge injustice.”
The appeal must be filed within 60 days, Arkady Bukh said, adding that "some changes are possible" due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nikulin faces up to 10 years in prison for each count of selling stolen usernames and passwords, installing malware on protected computers, as well as up to five years for each count of conspiracy and computer hacking.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Nikulin in 2012 stole the usernames and passwords used by tens of millions of social-media users to access their accounts. Some of that data was put up for sale on a notorious Russian hacker forum.
Nikulin was detained in the Czech Republic in October 2016, and his extradition to the United States 17 months later angered Russia.
Moscow had asked the Czech authorities to extradite Nikulin to his home country, citing him as a suspect in a $2,000 online theft in 2009.
His trial started in California in early March but was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic a week later, when nearly all in-person court hearings were postponed across the United States.
Nikulin was targeted by U.S. law enforcement as part of a multiyear campaign to arrest some of the most notorious Russian hackers and suspected cybercriminals.
More than a dozen have been arrested in various countries, with Moscow accusing Washington of “hunting” Russian citizens.
With reporting by Bloomberg and TASS


rferl--2020-07-11--Angry Khabarovsk Residents Rally In Support Of Arrested Governor

KHABAROVSK , Russia -- Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Russia ’ s Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk to protest against the arrest of their regional governor on murder charges , chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin .
Supporters of Sergei Furgal on July 11 gathered on the central Lenin Square for a spontaneous demonstration before marching toward Komsomolskaya Square , carrying posters with slogans such as `` I Am Sergei Furgal '' and `` Free Furgal . ''
Participants shouted , `` Shame on Moscow !
`` , `` Putin 's a thief !
`` , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” -- references to President Vladimir Putin .
“ We need to defend our choice , the choice of the people , and we are not afraid of the consequences , '' a protester told RFE/RL , calling Furgal 's arrest politically motivated .
A member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia ( LDPR ) , Furgal was elected in 2018 in a major upset of the ruling United Russia party .
Estimates by local media and opposition put the number of demonstrators at between 5,000 and 35,000 , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ historic event ” for the city of about 600,000 inhabitants .
Smaller rallies were also held in Komsomolsk-on-Amur , Elban , Solnechny , and other cities in the region .
The demonstrations come a day after a Moscow court ordered the 50-year-old Furgal held in pretrial detention for two months .
Furgal has pleaded not guilty to ordering the murders and attempted murders of several businessmen in 2004 and 2005 .
He was detained by the Investigative Committee on July 9 , sparking outrage from his party .
LDPR leader Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 that the LDPR faction in parliament was “ ready to resign in protest ” against the arrest .
`` Let the whole world learn what a mess this country is , '' Zhirinovsky told the parliament ’ s lower chamber earlier this week .
Also on July 10 , two lawmakers in the Khabarovsk region , also members of LDPR , were arrested on fraud charges and will be held in custody until September , a district court representative was quoted as saying .
The two lawmakers , Sergei Kuznetsov and Dmitry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliament , used to run the Amurstal steel plant .

KHABAROVSK, Russia -- Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Russia’s Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk to protest against the arrest of their regional governor on murder charges, chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin.
Supporters of Sergei Furgal on July 11 gathered on the central Lenin Square for a spontaneous demonstration before marching toward Komsomolskaya Square, carrying posters with slogans such as "I Am Sergei Furgal" and "Free Furgal."
Participants shouted, "Shame on Moscow!", "Putin's a thief!", and "Down with the tsar!” -- references to President Vladimir Putin.
“We need to defend our choice, the choice of the people, and we are not afraid of the consequences," a protester told RFE/RL, calling Furgal's arrest politically motivated.
A member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), Furgal was elected in 2018 in a major upset of the ruling United Russia party.
Estimates by local media and opposition put the number of demonstrators at between 5,000 and 35,000, with the news website DVHab.ru describing the rally as a “historic event” for the city of about 600,000 inhabitants.
Smaller rallies were also held in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Elban, Solnechny, and other cities in the region.
The Khabarovsk government announced later in the day that it would extend coronavirus restrictions, which include the banning of mass gatherings, throughout the region until at least July 26.
The demonstrations come a day after a Moscow court ordered the 50-year-old Furgal held in pretrial detention for two months.
Furgal has pleaded not guilty to ordering the murders and attempted murders of several businessmen in 2004 and 2005.
Protesters questioned why prosecutors decided to arrest Furgal now, 15 years after the alleged crimes, and demanded his trial be held in Khabarovsk and in a transparent manner.
He was detained by the Investigative Committee on July 9, sparking outrage from his party.
LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky told the State Duma on July 9 that the LDPR faction in parliament was “ready to resign in protest” against the arrest.
"Let the whole world learn what a mess this country is," Zhirinovsky told the parliament’s lower chamber earlier this week.
Also on July 10, two lawmakers in the Khabarovsk region, also members of LDPR, were arrested on fraud charges and will be held in custody until September, a district court representative was quoted as saying.
The two lawmakers, Sergei Kuznetsov and Dmitry Kozlov, deputy chairman of the regional parliament, used to run the Amurstal steel plant.


rferl--2020-07-11--Coronavirus Curtails Commemorations Of 25th Anniversary Of Srebrenica Genocide

The 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia-Herzegovina is being marked on July 11 in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic , which forced the main memorial ceremony to be scaled back .
In July 1995 , more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were rounded up and killed by Bosnian Serb forces in the eastern town of Srebrenica -- the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II .
The massacre was labeled as genocide by international courts , but Serbian and Bosnian Serb officials refuse to accept that wording .
The episode came at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Serbs against Bosniaks and Croats that claimed some 100,000 lives .
The anniversary on July 11 will be commemorated in a series of events , including the reburial of the remains of nine recently identified victims in the Potocari memorial cemetery , the final resting place for more than 6,640 victims .
About 1,000 are still missing .
Ahmo Ibisevic , the father of a man whose body is to be burried , told RFE/RL : `` My wife and I decided to bury the incomplete body , to know where to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 23 when he was killed , and parts of his body were found in a mass grave in Liplje , near the town of Zvornik .
His family has tried to find the rest of his body , without success .
The family is also searching for the remains of Salko 's younger brother .
Normally , thousands attend the main ceremony in Potocari , but the coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible this year .
Many who planned to attend as part of a big international presence , including Britain 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antonio Guterres will speak via a video message .
The participants of the annual Peace March arrived in Potocari on the evening of July 10 following a four-day journey .
Thousands of people usually participate in the march to remember those killed and displaced in Srebrenica , but the event was this year limited to around 100 participants due to the pandemic .
Srebrenica , a Muslim enclave on Serb territory , fell to Bosnian Serb forces on July 11 , 1995 .
Its Muslim population fled the town , which had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for civilians .
They rushed to the UN compound in hopes that the peacekeepers would protect them .
When forces led by Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic arrived at the UN compound , the Dutch peacekeepers handed over the base .
The Bosnian Serb forces then separated out men and boys for execution and sent the women and girls elsewhere in territory under their control .
Thousands of men and boys were executed in less than two weeks , and those who tried to flee through the woods were hunted down and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the victims were tossed into mass graves .
The United Nations ' war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague established that the killings constituted genocide , and convicted Mladic and his political mentor Radovan Karadzic of genocide and other war crimes in Srebrenica .
EU leaders called the 25th anniversary of the genocide `` a painful reminder '' that Europe failed in its promise to avoid such tragedy on the continent .
`` We must confront the past with honesty and look to the future with determination to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joint statement by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , European Council President Charles Michel , and the bloc 's foreign policy chief , Josep Borrell .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas noted that the killings took place `` at the end of the 20th century in the middle of Europe , almost under the eyes of the global public , '' adding : `` We must oppose nationalist tendencies wherever we encounter them . ''
With reporting by dpa , Reuters , dpa , and AP

A quarter of a century after the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the remains of nine more victims were laid to rest at the Potocari memorial cemetery.
The 25th anniversary was marked on July 11 in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the main memorial ceremony to be scaled back.
In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were rounded up and killed by Bosnian Serb forces in the eastern town of Srebrenica -- the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II.
The massacre was labeled as genocide by international courts, but Serbian and Bosnian Serb officials refuse to accept that wording.
The episode came at the end of the 1992-95 Bosnian War pitting the Serbs against Bosniaks and Croats that claimed some 100,000 lives.
The remains of the nine recently identified victims were reburied at the Potocari memorial center, the final resting place for more than 6,640 people killed in the massacre. About 1,000 are still missing
Ahmo Ibisevic, whose son was buried on July 11, told RFE/RL: "My wife and I decided to bury the incomplete body, to know where to come.”
His son, Salko, was 23 when he was killed, and parts of his body were found in a mass grave in Liplje, near the town of Zvornik. His family has tried to find the rest of his body, without success. The family is also searching for the remains of Salko's younger brother.
Normally, thousands attend the main ceremony in Potocari, but the coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible this year.
Many who planned to attend as part of a big international presence, including Britain's Prince Charles, canceled.
Srebrenica, a Muslim enclave on Serb territory, fell to Bosnian Serb forces on July 11, 1995.
Its Muslim population fled the town, which had been declared a UN "safe haven" for civilians. They rushed to the UN compound in hopes that the peacekeepers would protect them.
When forces led by Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic arrived at the UN compound, the Dutch peacekeepers handed over the base. The Bosnian Serb forces then separated out men and boys for execution and sent the women and girls elsewhere in territory under their control.
Thousands of men and boys were executed in less than two weeks, and those who tried to flee through the woods were hunted down and killed by Bosnian Serb forces. The bodies of the victims were tossed into mass graves.
The United Nations' war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague established that the killings constituted genocide, and convicted Mladic and his political mentor Radovan Karadzic of genocide and other war crimes in Srebrenica.
But many Serbs deny the extent of the killings, adding to the suffering of the survivors. Last year, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik called the genocide “a fabricated myth.”
"The message to our politicians in the country and the region is: Build peace, respect, and trust…. Without truth and justice, there is no peace," Munira Subasic, president of the Association of Mothers of the Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves, told the ceremony in Potocari.
The chairman of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, Sefik Dzaferovic, called on the Serb political, religious, and intellectual elite to “face the truth without reservation [and] distance themselves from the ideology” that led to the genocide in Srebrenica.
In a video message marking the 25th anniversary of the massacre, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "genuine reconciliation," saying that peace in Bosnia "is still fragile."
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States “pledges never to forget that tragedy,” while EU leaders called the anniversary "a painful reminder" that Europe failed in its promise to avoid such tragedy on the continent.
"We must confront the past with honesty and look to the future with determination to support the next generations," said a joint statement by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, and the bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas noted that the killings took place "at the end of the 20th century in the middle of Europe, almost under the eyes of the global public," adding: "We must oppose nationalist tendencies wherever we encounter them."