rferl--2020-08-22--Lukashenka Orders 'Most Stringent Measures' To Protect Belarus's Western Borders

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has ordered his defense minister and westernmost military forces to adopt `` the most stringent measures '' to protect the country 's borders in the face of what he suggested was a foreign-backed plan for a `` color revolution '' in the post-Soviet country of around 9 million people .
His appearance on August 22 , in fatigues at a military training ground near Hrodno , was the latest public indication that the embattled five-term president intends to clasp firmly to power despite unprecedented street protests urging him to step down after a disputed presidential election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear , '' Lukashenka was quoted as saying to state-run Belta news agency .
`` As we expected , everything is going according to a plan for a color revolution with the agitation of the internal political situation in the country . ''
Demonstrations and strikes have erupted across Belarus to protest what critics call a rigged election in which Lukashenka claimed a landslide reelection victory that would give him a sixth term in office .
Thousands of people have been arrested and reports of torture and disappearances have increased , but exiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of demonstrators and have vowed they wo n't accept a continuation of Lukashenka 's 26-year rule .
Further protests are expected this weekend .
Lukashenka blamed foreign meddling for the unrest and cited an unconfirmed `` movement of NATO troops to the borders . ''
Lukashenka suggested the domestic political strains were orchestrated to distract attention from a mounting military threat from the west .
Belarus shares its western border with Latvia , Lithuania , Poland , and Ukraine .
The Belta report said he tasked Defense Minister Viktar Khrenin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the adoption of the most stringent measures to protect the territorial integrity of our country . ''
`` We see that NATO troops are seriously stirring in the immediate vicinity of our borders on the territory of Poland and Lithuania , '' Russian TASS quoted Lukashenka as saying .
He presented no evidence of NATO troop movements in the region .
Lukashenka is facing the most widespread public challenge to his hold on power , and the European Union has said it does not recognize the August 9 presidential vote because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just over 80 percent of the ballot .
Tsikhanouskaya said from Lithuania on August 21 that she had filed an official complaint against the announced results , saying her compatriots `` will never accept '' Lukashenka 's continued rule .
`` It should be clear to the president that there is a need for change , '' Tsikhanouskaya , a 37-year-old political novice who entered the race after her husband was jailed shortly after announcing his planned candidacy , said at her first press conference since fleeing to Lithuania last week amid fears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good sense prevails and the people will be heard and there will be new elections . ''
Official results gave Tsikhanouskaya about 10 percent of the vote , but she claims to have actually received between 60 and 70 percent .
Belarusian prosecutors said on August 20 that they had opened a criminal investigation into national-security-related charges against the founders of an opposition council set up to negotiate the transition of power amid the huge protests .
The council members have rejected the accusations and insisted that their actions have been in full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also blocked access to dozens of websites and proxy VPN services , and persecuted and in some cases expelled journalists .
Based on reporting by Belta , dpa , AP , TASS , and Reuters

Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya will meet on August 24 with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in a sign of deepening U.S. involvement in finding a peaceful resolution to a disputed presidential election in Belarus.
Tsikhanouskaya's team said on August 22 that the No. 2 U.S. diplomat would meet Tsikhanouskaya in Lithuania, where she fled following the contested August 9 vote in Belarus that has triggered two weeks of protests.
Biegun also will meet Lithuania's defense and foreign ministers to discuss the situation in Belarus and bilateral and defense matters, Lithuania's Foreign Ministry said. Biegun will travel on to Russia later in the week.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax on August 22 that talks in Moscow would go beyond the subject of Belarus.
"In addition, we're meaning to have an in-depth discussion with him of all things related to Russian-U.S. relations in various aspects," Ryabkov said.
Earlier on August 22, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka ordered his defense minister and westernmost military forces to adopt "the most stringent measures" to protect the country's borders in the face of what he suggested was a foreign-backed plan for a "color revolution" in the country.
His appearance, in fatigues at a military training ground at Hrodno near the border with Poland, was the latest public indication that the embattled five-term president intends to weather unprecedented street protests urging him to step down after the disputed presidential election.
"Everything is clear," Lukashenka was quoted as saying to state-run Belta news agency. "As we expected, everything is going according to a plan for a color revolution with the agitation of the internal political situation in the country."
Lukashenka cited an unconfirmed "movement of NATO troops to the borders."
Belarus shares its western border with NATO members Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
"We see that NATO troops are seriously stirring in the immediate vicinity of our borders on the territory of Poland and Lithuania," the Russian TASS news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying.
NATO said the claims were "baseless".
"As we have already made clear, NATO poses no threat to Belarus or any other country and has no military buildup in the region," it said in a statement.
Demonstrations and strikes have erupted across Belarus to protest what critics call a rigged election in which Lukashenka claimed a landslide victory.
In his latest threat, Lukashenka said he would close factories that have seen protests from workers who traditionally formed a base of political support.
"If a factory is not working then let's put a lock on its gate from Monday, let's stop it," Russian RIA-Novosti news agency cited Lukashenka as saying. "People will calm down and we will decide whom to invite (to work) next."
Lukashenka also expressed confidence that the Russia-led that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) would support him in any confrontation with the organizers of protests in the country.
He wanted to warn people "sitting abroad in the neighboring countries" that the border of Belarus is the border of the Russian-backed military alliance, and "a response will be adequate," he said, according to Interfax.
Tsikhanouskaya, who entered the race after her husband was jailed shortly after announcing his planned candidacy, told Reuters on August 22 that Lukashenka would have to leave sooner or later.
Tsikhanouskaya said she had received calls from international leaders, including Britain and Germany, and had asked only that they support the Belarusian public and respect Belarusian sovereignty.
Asked by Reuters about Belarus's powerful neighbor to the east, she said she had no reason to contact President Vladimir Putin but would similarly hope that Russia respects Belarusian sovereignty.
Tsikhanouskaya, who has offered to serve a transitional role and help de-escalate the situation, said she hoped to return to Belarus at some point but that she currently felt safer in Lithuania.
Thousands of people have been arrested and reports of torture and disappearances have increased in a brutal crackdown on protesters.
In Minsk on August 22, a demonstration by women wearing white clothing included the formation of a human chain against police brutality as they demand to release political prisoners, an end to the violence, and punishment for all guilty parties.
The European Union has said it does not recognize the August 9 presidential vote because of irregularities that ended up giving the strongman just over 80 percent of the ballot, and the United States has expressed support for an independent international examinations of “electoral irregularities.”
Tsikhanouskaya said on August 21 that she had filed an official complaint against the announced results, saying her compatriots "will never accept" Lukashenka's continued rule.
"It should be clear to the president that there is a need for change," Tsikhanouskaya said at her first press conference, on August 21, since fleeing to Lithuania last week amid fears of arrest. "I hope that good sense prevails and the people will be heard and there will be new elections."
Official results gave Tsikhanouskaya about 10 percent of the vote, but she claims to have actually received between 60 and 70 percent.
Belarusian prosecutors said on August 20 that they had opened a criminal investigation into national-security-related charges against the founders of an opposition council set up to negotiate the transition of power amid the huge protests.
The council members have rejected the accusations and insisted that their actions have been in full conformity with Belarusian law.
Belarusian authorities have also blocked access to dozens of websites and proxy VPN services, and persecuted and in some cases expelled journalists.
With reporting by Belta, dpa, AP, TASS, and Reuters


rferl--2020-08-22--IAEA Chief To Visit Iran This Week Seeking 'Concrete Progress' In Inspections Standoff

UN atomic-agency boss Rafael Grossi says he will travel to Iran on August 24 to seek `` concrete progress '' in a dispute between the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) and Tehran over nuclear `` safeguards '' and blocked inspections in Iran .
It will be Director-General Grossi 's first trip to Iran since taking over leadership of the agency eight months ago and comes amid a mounting standoff between the IAEA and Tehran over access to two sites where nuclear activities might have occurred and with the United States pressing for reimposing UN nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings in Tehran will lead to concrete progress in addressing the outstanding questions that the Agency has related to safeguards in Iran and , in particular , to resolve the issue of access , '' Grossi said of the trip .
He will meet with `` high-level Iranian authorities , '' he said .
The IAEA 's board of governors passed a rare resolution in June calling on Iran to provide access to two sites there where nuclear activities may have taken place in the past .
The resolution , the first of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran `` fully cooperate '' and `` satisfy the Agency 's requests without any further delay , '' including by providing `` prompt '' access to the two sites in order to clarify whether undeclared nuclear activity took place there during the early 2000s .
The agency recently cited `` extensive sanitization and leveling '' at a third site in 2003-04 .
`` We hope this visit will lead to reinforced mutual cooperation , '' Iran 's envoy to international institutions in Vienna , Kazem Gharib Abadi , reportedly tweeted of Grossi 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has accused Iran of denying access to the two locations for six months , and said that for almost a year `` it has not engaged in substantive discussions to clarify our questions related to possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities . ''
`` We need this cooperation , '' Grossi said at the time .
`` I regret that at this point we have this disagreement . ''
Iran maintains that the IAEA has no legal basis to inspect the sites in question .
The IAEA-Iran standoff comes with the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of a 5-year-old nuclear deal that Washington exited two years ago .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on August 20 formally launched the monthlong process of activating the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action ( JCPOA ) 's `` snapback '' mechanism aimed at reimposing UN sanctions on Iran , citing Iranian violations of the deal .
Pompeo said before a meeting earlier this month with Grossi that the United States will do everything in its power to extend the embargo , which is set to be progressively eased beginning on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its European allies have sparred over the U.S. approach .
Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 14 proposed an online summit for the five permanent members of the UN Security Council , Germany , and Iran , to discuss the Iran arms embargo .
He said the alternative was `` further growth of tensions and greater risks of a conflict . ''
A joint commission on the Iran nuclear agreement will meet in Vienna on September 1 , according to the European Union .
The meeting will be chaired by the European Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , France , Germany , Russia , and Iran , the EU said in a statement .
France , Germany and Britain said they can not support the U.S. move , saying the action is incompatible with efforts to support the Iran nuclear deal .

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--2020-08-22--RFE/RL Correspondents Detained In Minsk, Expelled From Belarus

Two Moscow correspondents for RFE/RL 's Russian Service have been expelled from Belarus after being detained by police in Minsk on August 21 .
The reporters , Yulia Vishnevetskaya and Andrei Kiselev , were taken to Smolensk , in western Russia , and told they were banned from entering Belarus for five years .
RFE/RL was not immediately provided with any explanation for the expulsions , which it described as part of `` a siege aimed at silencing our coverage . ''
They come with embattled President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's regime cracking down on political opponents , activists , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaration of victory following the country 's August 9 presidential election .
Vishnevetskaya and Kiselev are employed by RFE/RL 's Moscow bureau and work on the organization 's Russian-language documentary series Signs Of Life .
Both were initially held at an Interior Ministry office in the Belarusian capital for several hours on August 21 after being asked for their documents at the Minsk Tractor Works where many workers have rallied against Lukashenka .
Before their departure for Minsk , RFE/RL had requested official permission from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to accredit its employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Authorities in Minsk have steadfastly ignored accreditation requests by dozens of Russian , Ukrainian , and other foreign journalists seeking to travel to Belarus to cover these critically important events , '' RFE/RL said in a statement .
`` It 's a tactic that has provided authorities a cynical pretext for arresting and deporting any journalists who take the risk of traveling to Belarus without legal protection . ''
At least six RFE/RL or Current Time journalists have been expelled or deported recently by Belarusian authorities .
The situation has forced the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enter the country '' to report on events there , RFE/RL said .
The Minsk tractor factory has become one of many hubs of fierce opposition to Lukashenka 's quarter-century of rule since a large group of its workers first marched on the city center earlier this month to openly call for the president 's exit as security forces ' brutal suppression of dissent increased .
Dozens of other journalists have been detained or harassed during the election campaign and ensuing protests , including other RFE/RL staff .
Belarusian authorities on August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarus Service and dozens of other news and information websites in an apparent bid to control information as the protests continue .
The Ministry of Information 's order blocking Svaboda.org and 72 other websites and proxy VPN services came as massive protests were expected to continue over the weekend despite a crackdown and a series of threats from authorities against the opposition .
The outpouring of protest by hundreds of thousands of Belarusians in the past two weeks represents the greatest challenge so far to Lukashenka 's 26-year rule , which has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a massive security network to jail and otherwise thwart political opponents .
Exiled opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on August 21 that she had filed an official complaint against the results of the August 9 election , saying her compatriots `` will never accept '' the continued leadership of Lukashenka .
`` It should be clear to the president that there is a need for change .
I hope that good sense prevails and the people will be heard and there will be new elections , '' Tsikhanouskaya said on August 21 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lithuania last week .
Tsikhanouskaya , who left Belarus for Lithuania after the election amid reports that she and her family were threatened by authorities , told reporters in Vilnius that she plans to return home `` when I feel safe there . ''
The European Union , the United States , and others have challenged the fairness of the vote and condemned the Belarusian authorities ' violent crackdown .

Two Moscow correspondents for RFE/RL's Russian Service have been expelled from Belarus after being detained by police in Minsk on August 21.
The reporters, Yulia Vishnevetskaya and Andrei Kiselev, were taken to Smolensk, in western Russia, and told they were banned from entering Belarus for five years.
RFE/RL was not immediately provided with any explanation for the expulsions, which it described as part of "a siege aimed at silencing our coverage."
They come with embattled President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime cracking down on political opponents, activists, and media amid unprecedented street protests against his declaration of victory following the country's August 9 presidential election.
Vishnevetskaya and Kiselev are employed by RFE/RL's Moscow bureau and work on the organization's Russian-language documentary series Signs Of Life.
Both were initially held at an Interior Ministry office in the Belarusian capital for several hours on August 21 after being asked for their documents at the Minsk Tractor Works where many workers have rallied against Lukashenka.
Before their departure for Minsk, RFE/RL had requested official permission from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to accredit its employees to work in the country.
"Authorities in Minsk have steadfastly ignored accreditation requests by dozens of Russian, Ukrainian, and other foreign journalists seeking to travel to Belarus to cover these critically important events," RFE/RL said in a statement. "It's a tactic that has provided authorities a cynical pretext for arresting and deporting any journalists who take the risk of traveling to Belarus without legal protection."
At least six RFE/RL or Current Time journalists have been expelled or deported recently by Belarusian authorities.
The situation has forced the U.S. broadcaster "to curtail any further attempts to enter the country" to report on events there, RFE/RL said.
The Minsk tractor factory has become one of many hubs of fierce opposition to Lukashenka's quarter-century of rule since a large group of its workers first marched on the city center earlier this month to openly call for the president's exit as security forces' brutal suppression of dissent increased.
Dozens of other journalists have been detained or harassed during the election campaign and ensuing protests, including other RFE/RL staff.
Belarusian authorities on August 21 restricted access to RFE/RL’s Belarus Service and dozens of other news and information websites in an apparent bid to control information as the protests continue.
The Ministry of Information's order blocking Svaboda.org and 72 other websites and proxy VPN services came as massive protests were expected to continue over the weekend despite a crackdown and a series of threats from authorities against the opposition.
The outpouring of protest by hundreds of thousands of Belarusians in the past two weeks represents the greatest challenge so far to Lukashenka's 26-year rule, which has been marked by rigged elections and reliance on a massive security network to jail and otherwise thwart political opponents.
Exiled opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on August 21 that she had filed an official complaint against the results of the August 9 election, saying her compatriots "will never accept" the continued leadership of Lukashenka.
"It should be clear to the president that there is a need for change. I hope that good sense prevails and the people will be heard and there will be new elections," Tsikhanouskaya said on August 21 at her first press conference since fleeing to Lithuania last week.
Tsikhanouskaya, who left Belarus for Lithuania after the election amid reports that she and her family were threatened by authorities, told reporters in Vilnius that she plans to return home "when I feel safe there."
The European Union, the United States, and others have challenged the fairness of the vote and condemned the Belarusian authorities' violent crackdown.


rferl--2020-08-22--Former U.S. Green Beret Charged In Russian Espionage Conspiracy

U.S. federal prosecutors have charged a former U.S. Army Green Beret living in northern Virginia with spying for Russia from 1996 to 2011 .
Prosecutors said on August 21 that Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins , 45 , periodically visited Russia and met Russian intelligence agents .
In 1997 , Debbins was even allegedly assigned a code name by Russian intelligence operatives and signed a statement saying that he wanted to serve Russia , according to prosecutors .
`` When service members collude to provide classified information to our foreign adversaries , they betray the oaths they swore to their country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said G. Zachary Terwilliger , U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
, whose office is prosecuting the case .
`` As this indictment reflects , we will be steadfast and dogged in holding such individuals accountable . ''
The case against Debbins is the second U.S. Justice Department prosecution announced this week accusing a government or military official of transmitting U.S. secrets to a foreign adversary .
On August 17 , the Justice Department said a former CIA officer had been arrested in the United States and charged with spying for @ @

U.S. federal prosecutors have charged a former U.S. Army Green Beret living in northern Virginia with spying for Russia from 1996 to 2011.
Prosecutors said on August 21 that Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, periodically visited Russia and met Russian intelligence agents.
In 1997, Debbins was even allegedly assigned a code name by Russian intelligence operatives and signed a statement saying that he wanted to serve Russia, according to prosecutors.
"When service members collude to provide classified information to our foreign adversaries, they betray the oaths they swore to their country and their fellow service members," said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia., whose office is prosecuting the case.
"As this indictment reflects, we will be steadfast and dogged in holding such individuals accountable."
The case against Debbins is the second U.S. Justice Department prosecution announced this week accusing a government or military official of transmitting U.S. secrets to a foreign adversary.
On August 17, the Justice Department said a former CIA officer had been arrested in the United States and charged with spying for China.
Based on reporting by AP


rferl--2020-08-22--Stricken Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Said To Be 'Stable' Upon Arrival In Germany

A gravely ill Aleksei Navalny has been taken to a Berlin hospital after the Russian opposition leader was medically airlifted to Germany from the Siberian city of Omsk following his suspected poisoning .
The head of the NGO that sent the private plane to evacuate Navalny for treatment in Germany , Cinema For Peace founder Jaka Bizilj , said the Russian 's condition was `` stable '' during the flight and on arrival .
`` The condition of Navalny during the flight and after landing is stable , '' the Slovenian-born Bizilj reportedly told Germany 's Bild .
But Bizilj @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mostly barred politician 's health condition was `` very worrying . ''
`` We got a very clear message from the doctors that if there had not been an emergency landing in Omsk , he would have died , '' Bizilj said .
There was no initial word from German doctors at Charite -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin , one of Europe 's largest hospitals , on Navalny 's condition .
A Navalny spokeswoman , Kira Yarmysh , tweeted that `` the plane with Aleksei has landed in Berlin . ''
The flight followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and supporters to get the fierce political critic of President Vladimir Putin to the West for what they regard as more reliable , effective , and transparent treatment .
Yarmysh said his condition during the trip `` once again confirms : nothing prevented Navalny from being transported , and it was necessary to do it as quickly as possible . ''
Hours earlier , she tweeted on his departure from Russia that `` The struggle for Aleksei 's life and health is just beginning , and there is still a lot to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first step has been taken . ''
Yarmysh posted a picture of Navalny , encased in a protective stretcher , being taken aboard the charity plane in Omsk escorted by his wife .
Navalny has been in a coma at Omsk hospital since he became ill from suspected poisoning on August 20 during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow .
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk , which is also in Siberia .
Navalny 's family and allies had been fighting to transfer him to Germany for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him had refused for hours to allow him to leave the hospital in Omsk , arguing that he was not fit to travel .
But later on August 21 , a senior official at the Omsk hospital , Anatoly Kalinichenko , told the media that Navalny could be transported , as his condition has stabilized .
German doctors who arrived with an ambulance plane were earlier in the day allowed to examine Navalny in Omsk after being refused access to him because of what the hospital said was his grave condition .
Navalny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Vladimir Putin to allow her husband ’ s evacuation to Germany for urgent medical care .
`` I officially appeal to you [ Putin ] to demand you allow the transportation of ... Navalny to ... Germany , '' Yulia Navalnaya said in a letter published on social media on August 21 .
The Kremlin said that the initial decision to refuse the transfer to Germany of Navalny was based only on medical grounds .
But Navalny 's supporters denounced the medical verdict as a ploy to stall until any poison would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yarmysh , Navalny 's spokeswoman , had called the hospital 's decision `` an attempt on his life being carried out right now by doctors and the deceitful authorities that have authorized it . ''
After offering to have him flown to Germany for treatment , the German government said on August 21 that Navalny 's life must be saved .
`` The most important priority is of course that Mr. Navalny 's life can be saved and that he can recover , '' government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Navalny 's condition , but his team believes he was poisoned because of his activities .
Yarmysh said she believed the politician was poisoned when he drank tea he had bought at the Tomsk airport .
But Aleksandr Murakhovsky , the head doctor at Omsk Emergency Hospital No .
1 , told journalists the most likely cause of Navalny 's condition was a disorder pertaining to his metabolism of carbohydrates , according to comments carried by state news agency TASS .
`` Today we have some working diagnoses .
The main one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murakhovsky said , adding that Navalny 's condition `` may be caused by a sudden drop in blood-sugar levels . ''
Murakhovsky 's comments came after Yarmysh quoted Navalny ’ s associate , Ivan Zhdanov , as saying that `` a police officer at the hospital just said that a poison was found in Aleksei 's body , which was dangerous not only for him , but also for those around him . ''
The European Union has asked for a swift investigation into what caused Navalny to fall into a coma .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navalny 's health following his suspected poisoning yesterday , '' EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy Nabila Massrali said on August 21 .
`` We expect a swift , independent , and transparent investigation .
If confirmed , those responsible must be held to account , '' Massrali added , urging Russia to permit Navalny to be transferred abroad for treatment .
White House national-security adviser Robert O'Brien said on August 20 that the suspected poisoning was `` extraordinarily concerning '' and could have an impact on U.S.-Russia relations .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is a very courageous politician to have stood up to [ Russian President ] Putin inside Russia , and our thoughts and our prayers are with him and his family , '' O'Brien said in an interview on Fox News .
`` It 's extraordinarily concerning and if the Russians were behind this ... it 's something that we 're going to factor into how we deal with the Russians going forward , '' he said .
Navalny , who has exposed rampant corruption in Russia , has suffered physical attacks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one of his eyes in 2017 after he was assaulted with antiseptic dye .
In July 2019 , Navalny was given a 30-day jail term after calling for unauthorized protests .
During that jail sentence , he was taken to a hospital with severe swelling of the face and a rash , and later alleged he was poisoned .
He has been jailed several times in recent years , barred from running for president , and had a bid to run for Moscow mayor blocked .
The head of the legal department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vyacheslav Gimadi , wrote on Twitter , `` There is no doubt that Navalny was poisoned for his political position and activity . ''
With reporting by TASS , ngs55.ru , AP , dpa , Reuters , and AFP

The Berlin hospital where Aleksei Navalny is being treated said on August 22 that doctors had begun "extensive" diagnostic tests on the Russian opposition politician.
"After completing the examinations and after consulting the family, the physicians will comment on the disease and further treatment steps. The examinations will take some time," the hospital said on Twitter.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that finding out why the fierce political critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin had fallen into the coma is "critical."
"I hope that all those who can contribute to answering this question will actually do so," Steinmeier said while on a visit to Austria. He also expressed support for Navalny’s cause.
"I wish that Mr. Navalny recovers not only quickly, but fully, to regain his health so that he can continue working," he said.
Navalny arrived in Berlin from the Siberian city of Omsk following his suspected poisoning.
Jaka Bizilj, the head of the NGO that sent the private plane to evacuate Navalny, said the Russian's condition was "stable" during the flight and on arrival.
The founder of Cinema For Peace added that the anti-corruption campaigner was "very worrying."
"We got a very clear message from the doctors that if there had not been an emergency landing in Omsk, he would have died," Bizilj said.
The flight followed a daylong battle by Navalny's family and supporters to get the fierce political critic of President Vladimir Putin to the West for what they regard as more reliable, effective, and transparent treatment.
Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter that his condition during the trip "once again confirms: nothing prevented Navalny from being transported, and it was necessary to do it as quickly as possible."
Hours earlier, she tweeted on his departure from Russia that "The struggle for Aleksei's life and health is just beginning, and there is still a lot to go through, but now at least the first step has been taken."
Yarmysh posted a picture of Navalny, encased in a protective stretcher, being taken aboard the charity plane in Omsk escorted by his wife.
Navalny has been in a coma at Omsk hospital since he became ill from suspected poisoning on August 20 during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow. The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, which is also in Siberia.
Navalny's family and allies had been fighting to transfer him to Germany for urgent treatment, but Russian doctors treating him had refused for hours to allow him to leave the hospital in Omsk, arguing that he was not fit to travel.
But later on August 21, a senior official at the Omsk hospital, Anatoly Kalinichenko, told the media that Navalny could be transported, as his condition has stabilized.
German doctors who arrived with an ambulance plane were earlier in the day allowed to examine Navalny in Omsk after being refused access to him because of what the hospital said was his grave condition.
Navalny's wife had earlier appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow her husband’s evacuation to Germany for urgent medical care.
The Kremlin said that the initial decision to refuse the transfer to Germany of Navalny was based only on medical grounds.
But Navalny's supporters denounced the medical verdict as a ploy to stall until any poison would no longer be found in his body.
Infographic: A Timeline Of Russian Poisoning Cases
Yarmysh had called the hospital's decision "an attempt on his life being carried out right now by doctors and the deceitful authorities that have authorized it."
After offering to have him flown to Germany for treatment, the German government said on August 21 that Navalny's life must be saved.
"The most important priority is of course that Mr. Navalny's life can be saved and that he can recover," government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin.
EU Calls For Investigation
There has been no official diagnosis of Navalny's condition, but his team believes he was poisoned because of his activities.
Yarmysh said she believed the politician was poisoned when he drank tea he had bought at the Tomsk airport.
But Aleksandr Murakhovsky, the head doctor at Omsk Emergency Hospital No. 1, told journalists the most likely cause of Navalny's condition was a disorder pertaining to his metabolism of carbohydrates, according to comments carried by state news agency TASS.
"Today we have some working diagnoses. The main one is...a metabolic disorder," Murakhovsky said, adding that Navalny's condition "may be caused by a sudden drop in blood-sugar levels."
Murakhovsky's comments came after Yarmysh quoted Navalny’s associate, Ivan Zhdanov, as saying that "a police officer at the hospital just said that a poison was found in Aleksei's body, which was dangerous not only for him, but also for those around him."
The European Union has asked for a swift investigation into what caused Navalny to fall into a coma.
"We are very worried about Aleksei Navalny's health following his suspected poisoning yesterday," EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy Nabila Massrali said on August 21.
"We expect a swift, independent, and transparent investigation. If confirmed, those responsible must be held to account," Massrali added, urging Russia to permit Navalny to be transferred abroad for treatment.
'Very Courageous Man'
White House national-security adviser Robert O'Brien said on August 20 that the suspected poisoning was "extraordinarily concerning" and could have an impact on U.S.-Russia relations.
"He's a very courageous man. He is a very courageous politician to have stood up to [Russian President] Putin inside Russia, and our thoughts and our prayers are with him and his family," O'Brien said in an interview on Fox News.
"It's extraordinarily concerning and if the Russians were behind this...it's something that we're going to factor into how we deal with the Russians going forward," he said.
Navalny, who has exposed rampant corruption in Russia, has suffered physical attacks in the past.
He endured chemical burns to one of his eyes in 2017 after he was assaulted with antiseptic dye.
In July 2019, Navalny was given a 30-day jail term after calling for unauthorized protests. During that jail sentence, he was taken to a hospital with severe swelling of the face and a rash, and later alleged he was poisoned.
He has been jailed several times in recent years, barred from running for president, and had a bid to run for Moscow mayor blocked.
The head of the legal department of the Anti-Corruption Foundation Navalny founded, Vyacheslav Gimadi, wrote on Twitter, "There is no doubt that Navalny was poisoned for his political position and activity."
With reporting by TASS, ngs55.ru , AP, dpa, Reuters, and AFP


rferl--2020-08-22--Leaders Of Serbia And Kosovo To Meet At White House On September 4

The leaders of Kosovo and Serbia will meet at the White House on September 4 , after a similar meeting was canceled in June following the indictment of Kosovar President Hashim Thaci for war crimes .
White House national-security adviser Robert O ’ Brien will host the talks with U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo negotiations , Richard Grenell .
Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in August that they would meet at the White House on September 2 after Grenell announced the meeting .
The talks were then postponed by two days due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States looks forward to these important discussions with President Vucic and Prime Minister Hoti , ” U.S. National-Security Council spokesman John Ullyot told RFE/RL ’ s Balkan Service on August 22 .
“ We believe progress on economic issues , including job creation and accelerating economic growth , is the first step in advancing the peace process.
” Earlier on August 22 , Vucic told Serbian TV Prva that U.S. President Donald Trump may join the talks if there is some sort of agreement with the Kosovo side .
Kosovo declared independence from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Belgrade .
Both Kosovo and Serbia , which aspire to join the European Union , have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations .
Washington stepped up its involvement in Serbia-Kosovo negotiations last year in a process that runs parallel to nearly a decade of EU-mediated normalization efforts .
The EU-brokered talks have produced multiple agreements seeking to normalize relations in the region , although many of them have not been implemented .
In July , Vucic and Hoti held their first face-to-face negotiations in 20 months under a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the two sides focused on issues of missing and displaced persons as well as economic cooperation .
The EU is expected to host Hoti and Vucic again in September .
Washington had initially sought to bring the two former foes face-to-face at the White House on June 27 .
But those plans were canceled followed Thaci 's indictment at The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during or after the 1998-99 Kosovo war .
Thaci has denied involvement in any war crimes and has been cooperating with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Hague is currently reviewing the indictment to decide on whether to confirm the charges .

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


rferl--2020-08-22--Israel-U.A.E. Normalization On Agenda As Pompeo Visits Middle East

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Israel and the United Arab Emirates ( U.A.E . )
next week to discuss the normalization of diplomatic ties between Israel and the U.A.E .
Israel and the U.A.E .
announced on August 13 that they were establishing full diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered deal , whihc included an Israeli pledge to suspend its plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank .
The deal makes the U.A.E .
the first Gulf Arab state to establish full diplomatic ties and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic relations with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several Gulf states but slammed by Iran , Turkey , and the Palestinians .
Pompeo is expected to depart on April 23 for Israel , Bahrain , Oman , the U.A.E.
, Qatar , and Sudan , according to the Associated Press , quoting unidentified diplomats .
Pompeo 's agenda also will include security challenges posed by Iran and China in the region , said sources quoted by Reuters .
In Qatar , Pompeo plans to meet with members of the Taliban to discuss peace talks between the militant group and the Afghan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. forces from Afghanistan .
U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s senior adviser and son-in-law , Jared Kushner , plans a separate trip to the Middle East , the AP said , quoting diplomats .
Kushner plans to leave later in the week for Israel , Bahrain , Oman , Saudi Arabia , and Morocco .
The trips come after the United States formally launched the process of activating the Iran nuclear deal 's `` snapback '' mechanism aimed at reimposing UN sanctions on Iran , citing Iranian violations of the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter to the president of the UN Security Council notifying him of Iran 's `` significant '' noncompliance with the terms of the landmark accord .
The move followed the failure of a U.S.-sponsored resolution calling for an extension to an arms embargo on Iran in the Security Council .
The United States and its European allies have sparred over the U.S. approach .
Some members of the Security Council have questioned the U.S. right to trigger the snapback since Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal more than two years ago and reimposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Reuters

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--2020-08-22--Belarus Opposition Leader To Meet Leading U.S. Diplomat In Lithuania

Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya will meet on August 24 with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in a sign of deepening U.S. involvement in finding a peaceful resolution to a disputed presidential election in Belarus .
Tsikhanouskaya 's team said on August 22 that the No .
2 U.S. diplomat would meet Tsikhanouskaya in Lithuania , where she fled following the contested August 9 vote in Belarus that has triggered two weeks of protests .
Biegun also will meet Lithuania 's defense and foreign ministers to discuss the situation in Belarus and bilateral and defense matters , Lithuania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel on to Russia later in the week .
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax on August 22 that talks in Moscow would go beyond the subject of Belarus .
`` In addition , we 're meaning to have an in-depth discussion with him of all things related to Russian-U.S. relations in various aspects , '' Ryabkov said .
Earlier on August 22 , Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka ordered his defense minister and westernmost military forces to adopt `` the most stringent measures '' to protect the country 's borders in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a foreign-backed plan for a `` color revolution '' in the country .
His appearance , in fatigues at a military training ground at Hrodno near the border with Poland , was the latest public indication that the embattled five-term president intends to weather unprecedented street protests urging him to step down after the disputed presidential election .
`` Everything is clear , '' Lukashenka was quoted as saying to state-run Belta news agency .
`` As we expected , everything is going according to a plan for a color revolution with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country . ''
Lukashenka cited an unconfirmed `` movement of NATO troops to the borders . ''
Belarus shares its western border with NATO members Latvia , Lithuania , and Poland .
`` We see that NATO troops are seriously stirring in the immediate vicinity of our borders on the territory of Poland and Lithuania , '' Russian TASS news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying .
NATO said the claims were `` baseless '' .
`` As we have already made clear , NATO poses no threat to Belarus or any other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region , '' it said in a statement .
Demonstrations and strikes have erupted across Belarus to protest what critics call a rigged election in which Lukashenka claimed a landslide victory .
In his latest threat , Lukashenka said he would close factories that have seen protests from workers that traditionally formed a base of political support .
`` If a factory is not working then let 's put a lock on its gate from Monday , let 's stop it , '' Russian RIA-Novosti news agency cited Lukashenka as saying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will decide whom to invite ( to work ) next . ''
In a nod to Russia , he also expressed confidence that the Collective Security Treaty Organization ( CSTO ) would support him in any confrontation with the organizers of protests in the country .
He wanted to warn people `` sitting abroad in the neighboring countries '' that the border of Belarus is the border of the Russian-backed military alliance , and `` a response will be adequate , '' he said , according to Interfax .
Tsikhanouskaya , who entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly after announcing his planned candidacy , told Reuters on August 22 that Lukashenka would have to leave sooner or later .
Tsikhanouskaya said she had received calls from international leaders , including Britain and Germany , and had asked only that they support the Belarusian public and respect Belarusian sovereignty .
Asked by Reuters about Belarus 's powerful neighbor to the east , she said she had no reason to contact President Vladimir Putin but would similarly hope that Russia respects Belarusian sovereignty .
Tsikhanouskaya , who has offered to serve a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said she hoped to return to Belarus at some point but that she currently felt safer in Lithuania .
Thousands of people have been arrested and reports of torture and disappearances have increased in a brutal crackdown on protesters .
In Minsk on August 22 , a demonstration by women wearing white clothing included the formation of a human chain against police brutality as they demand to release political prisoners , an end to the violence , and punishment for all guilty parties .
The European Union has said it does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of irregularities that ended up giving the strongman just over 80 percent of the ballot , and the United States has expressed support for an independent international examinations of “ electoral irregularities.
” Tsikhanouskaya said on August 21 that she had filed an official complaint against the announced results , saying her compatriots `` will never accept '' Lukashenka 's continued rule .
`` It should be clear to the president that there is a need for change , '' Tsikhanouskaya said at her first press conference , on August 21 , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of arrest .
`` I hope that good sense prevails and the people will be heard and there will be new elections . ''
Official results gave Tsikhanouskaya about 10 percent of the vote , but she claims to have actually received between 60 and 70 percent .
Belarusian prosecutors said on August 20 that they had opened a criminal investigation into national-security-related charges against the founders of an opposition council set up to negotiate the transition of power amid the huge protests .
The council members have rejected the accusations and insisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conformity with Belarusian law .
Belarusian authorities have also blocked access to dozens of websites and proxy VPN services , and persecuted and in some cases expelled journalists .
With reporting by Belta , dpa , AP , TASS , and Reuters


rferl--2020-08-22--'Extensive' Tests Under Way On Putin Foe Navalny At Berlin Hospital

The Berlin hospital where Aleksei Navalny is being treated said on August 22 that doctors had begun `` extensive '' diagnostic tests on the Russian opposition politician .
`` After completing the examinations and after consulting the family , the physicians will comment on the disease and further treatment steps .
The examinations will take some time , '' the hospital said on Twitter .
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that finding out why the fierce political critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin had fallen into the coma is `` critical . ''
`` I hope that all those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually do so , '' Steinmeier said while on a visit to Austria .
He also expressed support for Navalny ’ s cause .
`` I wish that Mr. Navalny recovers not only quickly , but fully , to regain his health so that he can continue working , '' he said .
Navalny arrived in Berlin from the Siberian city of Omsk following his suspected poisoning .
Jaka Bizilj , the head of the NGO that sent the private plane to evacuate Navalny , said the Russian 's condition was `` stable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The founder of Cinema For Peace added that the anti-corruption campaigner was `` very worrying . ''
`` We got a very clear message from the doctors that if there had not been an emergency landing in Omsk , he would have died , '' Bizilj said .
The flight followed a daylong battle by Navalny 's family and supporters to get the fierce political critic of President Vladimir Putin to the West for what they regard as more reliable , effective , and transparent treatment .
Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trip `` once again confirms : nothing prevented Navalny from being transported , and it was necessary to do it as quickly as possible . ''
Hours earlier , she tweeted on his departure from Russia that `` The struggle for Aleksei 's life and health is just beginning , and there is still a lot to go through , but now at least the first step has been taken . ''
Yarmysh posted a picture of Navalny , encased in a protective stretcher , being taken aboard the charity plane in Omsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in a coma at Omsk hospital since he became ill from suspected poisoning on August 20 during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow .
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk , which is also in Siberia .
Navalny 's family and allies had been fighting to transfer him to Germany for urgent treatment , but Russian doctors treating him had refused for hours to allow him to leave the hospital in Omsk , arguing that he was not fit to travel .
But later on August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Omsk hospital , Anatoly Kalinichenko , told the media that Navalny could be transported , as his condition has stabilized .
German doctors who arrived with an ambulance plane were earlier in the day allowed to examine Navalny in Omsk after being refused access to him because of what the hospital said was his grave condition .
Navalny 's wife had earlier appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow her husband ’ s evacuation to Germany for urgent medical care .
The Kremlin said that the initial decision to refuse the transfer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on medical grounds .
But Navalny 's supporters denounced the medical verdict as a ploy to stall until any poison would no longer be found in his body .
Yarmysh had called the hospital 's decision `` an attempt on his life being carried out right now by doctors and the deceitful authorities that have authorized it . ''
After offering to have him flown to Germany for treatment , the German government said on August 21 that Navalny 's life must be saved .
`` The most important priority is of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saved and that he can recover , '' government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin .
There has been no official diagnosis of Navalny 's condition , but his team believes he was poisoned because of his activities .
Yarmysh said she believed the politician was poisoned when he drank tea he had bought at the Tomsk airport .
But Aleksandr Murakhovsky , the head doctor at Omsk Emergency Hospital No .
1 , told journalists the most likely cause of Navalny 's condition was a disorder pertaining to his metabolism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state news agency TASS .
`` Today we have some working diagnoses .
The main one is ... a metabolic disorder , '' Murakhovsky said , adding that Navalny 's condition `` may be caused by a sudden drop in blood-sugar levels . ''
Murakhovsky 's comments came after Yarmysh quoted Navalny ’ s associate , Ivan Zhdanov , as saying that `` a police officer at the hospital just said that a poison was found in Aleksei 's body , which was dangerous not only for him , but also for those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has asked for a swift investigation into what caused Navalny to fall into a coma .
`` We are very worried about Aleksei Navalny 's health following his suspected poisoning yesterday , '' EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy Nabila Massrali said on August 21 .
`` We expect a swift , independent , and transparent investigation .
If confirmed , those responsible must be held to account , '' Massrali added , urging Russia to permit Navalny to be transferred abroad for treatment .
White House national-security adviser Robert O'Brien @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poisoning was `` extraordinarily concerning '' and could have an impact on U.S.-Russia relations .
`` He 's a very courageous man .
He is a very courageous politician to have stood up to [ Russian President ] Putin inside Russia , and our thoughts and our prayers are with him and his family , '' O'Brien said in an interview on Fox News .
`` It 's extraordinarily concerning and if the Russians were behind this ... it 's something that we 're going to factor into how we deal with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Navalny , who has exposed rampant corruption in Russia , has suffered physical attacks in the past .
He endured chemical burns to one of his eyes in 2017 after he was assaulted with antiseptic dye .
In July 2019 , Navalny was given a 30-day jail term after calling for unauthorized protests .
During that jail sentence , he was taken to a hospital with severe swelling of the face and a rash , and later alleged he was poisoned .
He has been jailed several times in recent years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a bid to run for Moscow mayor blocked .
The head of the legal department of the Anti-Corruption Foundation Navalny founded , Vyacheslav Gimadi , wrote on Twitter , `` There is no doubt that Navalny was poisoned for his political position and activity . ''
With reporting by TASS , ngs55.ru , AP , dpa , Reuters , and AFP


rferl--2020-08-23--Iran Says Downed Ukrainian Passenger Plane Hit By Two Missiles 25 Seconds Apart

Iran says analysis from the black boxes of a downed Ukrainian passenger plane shows it was hit by two missiles 25 seconds apart and that those on board were still alive after the first strike .
The announcement by the head of Iran 's Civil Aviation Organization on August 23 marks the first official report on the contents of the cockpit voice and data recordings , which were sent to France for reading in July .
Tehran has said it accidentally shot down the Ukrainian airliner in January , at a time of tension with the United States .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Nineteen seconds after the first missile hit the plane , the voices of pilots inside the cockpit , indicated that the passengers were alive ... 25 seconds later the second missile hit the plane , '' Touraj Dehghani-Zanganeh was cited as saying by state television .
Iran has been in talks with Ukraine , Canada , and other nations that had citizens aboard the downed plane , and who have demanded a thorough investigation into the incident .
`` The data analysis from the black boxes should not be politicized , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guards Corps shot down the Ukraine International Airlines flight with ground-to-air missiles on January 8 , just after the plane took off from Tehran , in what Iran later acknowledged as a `` disastrous mistake '' by forces on high alert during heightened tensions with the United States .
Iranian and Ukrainian officials have held talks on compensation for families of the victims .
Another round of talks is set for October .
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-08-23--German Police Beef Up Security At Hospital Treating Kremlin Critic Navalny

German police have beefed up security at the hospital in Berlin where the gravely ill Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny is being treated .
Navalny was evacuated to Germany on August 22 for medical treatment , flown out of the Siberian city of Omsk in an ambulance aircraft amid fears he had been poisoned .
There was no word yet from the Charite hospital on his condition but the founder of the activist group that arranged the flight called Navalny 's health condition `` very worrying . ''
As Navalny was being treated inside , social-media posts showed police increasing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponent of President Vladimir Putin and campaigner against corruption , Navalny collapsed on a plane on August 20 after drinking tea that his allies believe was laced with poison .
The air ambulance , arranged by the Cinema for Peace Foundation , flew to Berlin early on August 22 and Navalny , 44 , was rushed to the Charite hospital complex .
The hospital said in a statement that it would provide an update about his condition and further treatment once tests have been completed and after consulting with his family .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's family and supporters to get Russian authorities to agree to allow him to go to the West for what they regard as more reliable , effective , and transparent treatment .
The Russian doctors treating him had refused for hours to allow him to leave , arguing that he was not fit to travel .
Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter that his condition during the trip `` once again confirms : nothing prevented Navalny from being transported , and it was necessary to do it as quickly as possible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coma since he fell ill on August 20 during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow .
The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Omsk .
Yarmysh said she believed the politician was poisoned when he drank tea purchased at the Tomsk airport .

The Charite hospital treating gravely ill Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny since he was medically airlifted to Germany two days earlier says that its tests indicate he was "poisoned."
Navalny "is in an intensive-care unit and is still in an induced coma," it said on August 24, adding that his health "is serious but there is currently no acute danger to his life."
The staunch anti-corruption campaigner and critic of President Vladimir Putin fell ill on August 20 during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow.
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, where doctors put him into an induced coma.
"The clinical findings indicate intoxication by a substance from the group of active substances called cholinesterase inhibitors," a statement by the Charite hospital said.
Cholinesterase inhibitors, also known as anti-cholinesterase, are a broad range of chemicals that are found in several drugs but also in some pesticides and nerve agents.
Russian doctors who treated Navalny contradicted the German colleagues' statement, saying on August 24 that they did not detect the toxin cited in the Charite hospital tests.
The Omsk regional Health Ministry said on August 22 that caffeine and alcohol were found in Navalny's urine, but "no convulsive or synthetic poisons were detected."
Interfax quoted Aleksandr Sabayev, the chief of toxicology at the Omsk hospital where Navany was treated, as saying after news of the German findings that "when Navalny was admitted for treatment, tests for an extensive range of narcotic and synthetic substances, psychedelics, and medicinal substances, including cholinesterase inhibitors, were conducted and the result was negative."
Sabayev said the Kremlin foe did not display "a clinical pattern characteristic of a poisoning by cholinesterase inhibitors."
The management of the Omsk hospital said it will look into why the results of their tests differed from the German test results.
Anatoly Kalinichenko, the hospital's deputy head, told Russian news agency TASS on August 24: "Of course, we will look into this. At the moment, I am not ready to answer this question [about the difference in the test results]. I am at a loss myself."
Colleagues and supporters of Navalny have said he might have been poisoned when he drank tea purchased at the Tomsk airport.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on August 24 called on Moscow to fully investigate the suspected poisoning and hold those responsible accountable.
"In view of the prominent role of Mr. Navalny in the political opposition in Russia, the authorities there are now urgently called upon to investigate this act down to the last detail -- and in full transparency," she said in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
Those responsible "must be identified and held accountable," the statement added.
EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell issued a similar statement, saying: "It is imperative that the Russian authorities initiate an independent and transparent investigation on the poisoning of Mr Navalny without delay."
"The European Union strongly condemns what seems to be an attempt on Mr Navalny’s life," he said, adding that "those responsible must be held to account."
Earlier, Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin that "protection is necessary" for Navalny because poisoning was suspected as "extensive" testing continued.
"The suspicion is...that somebody poisoned Mr. Navalny -- that somebody seriously poisoned Mr. Navalny -- which, unfortunately, there are some examples of in recent Russian history. So the world takes this suspicion very seriously," Seibert said.
Dirk Wiese, the German government's coordinator for Eastern European affairs, told public broadcaster ZDF that German police had been posted as guards outside of Navalny's hospital room as a precaution.
"The circumstances of what led to Aleksei Navalny's critical condition haven't yet been clarified," Wiese said.
Social-media posts on August 24 also showed police increasing their presence around the hospital.
Doctors at the hospital in Omsk initially refused to allow Navalny to be transferred to Germany, saying he was not in a fit state to be transported for treatment.
Navalny was flown via commercial air ambulance from Omsk to Berlin on August 22 after a day of insistence by Russian doctors that he was too ill to fly.
Navalny's wife had suggested medical treatment in Germany for her husband -- who had previously been attacked with a chemical that left permanent eye damage and had a bout of suspected poisoning in Russian custody in the past -- would be more reliable, effective, and transparent.
Earlier on August 24, the head doctor of the Omsk hospital denied that medical personnel there had come under outside pressure from authorities.
"We treated the patient and we saved him. There was no interference in the treatment of the patient and there could not be any," Aleksandr Murakhovsky, the head doctor at Omsk Emergency Hospital No. 1, said on August 24.
"The patient had a personal doctor, all decisions were made in a collegial manner, and every consultation involved up to 10 doctors from various institutions," Murakhovsky said.
When questioned about why law enforcement officers were present at the Omsk hospital, Murakhovsky said he could not say who it was and could not "say they were doing something."
Navalny's allies had accused doctors of holding up his medical evacuation to Germany.
Infographic: A Timeline Of Russian Poisoning Cases
According to a Russian newspaper report, Navalny had been under surveillance by Russian federal security agents during his recent trip to Siberia.
Officers with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) monitored Navalny's movements, the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets reported, citing information from sources in Russian security agencies. The surveillance involved plainclothes officers and CCTV cameras, the newspaper said.
The European Union has demanded "a swift, independent, and transparent investigation" and justice in the suspected poisoning.
Navalny, who has exposed rampant corruption at the highest levels in Russia, has suffered physical attacks in the past.
He endured chemical burns to one of his eyes in 2017 after he was assaulted with antiseptic dye.
In July 2019, Navalny was given a 30-day jail term after calling for unauthorized protests. During that jail sentence, he was taken to a hospital with severe swelling of the face and a rash, and later alleged he was poisoned.
He has been jailed several times in recent years, barred from running for president, and had a bid to run for Moscow mayor blocked.
With reporting by Current Time, Moskovsky Komsomolets, Reuters, dpa, and The Washington Post


rferl--2020-08-23--Belarusians Gather For Anti-Lukashenka Rally As Army Issues Warning

MINSK -- People have been gathering in the Belarusian capital , Minsk , for a rally against the disputed reelection of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and a postelection crackdown amid a heavy military presence in the city and a fresh warning from the army .
Crowds filed down streets of the city center for what is being billed as the March of New Belarus as protests entered a fifteen day in the Eastern European country of 9.5 million .
Thousands were gathered on Independence Square , waving the white and red-striped Belarusian flag and holding up a similar banner .
Ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced the army would take responsibility for protecting national memorials from protesters .
In a statement , the ministry said any unrest near such monuments and statues would no longer be responded to by police forces but by the army .
The statement came as army personnel were spotted being transported into Minsk in military transporters .
The opposition NEXTA Life Telegram channel said police checkpoints had been set up at road entrances to the Belarusian capital .
Meanwhile , the body of a 28-year-old man was found in a forest near Minsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beaten .
According to the Nasha Niva media site , Mikita Kryutsov had disappeared after attending a protest in Minsk on August 12 .
So far , two people have been confirmed killed in the postelection protests in Belarus .
Thousands have taken to the streets of Belarus since Lukashenka , in power since 1994 , was declared the winner of the August 9 poll .
More than 7,000 have been detained and hundreds beaten by police .
The EU and the United States have criticized the vote and condemned the postelection crackdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were planned for later on August 23 in 26 countries , including Lithuania , where the human line hopes to stretch to the border with Belarus .
Thirty-one years ago on August 23 , 1989 , an estimated 2 million people joined arms across the three Baltic states of Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania in a protest against Soviet rule that became known as the `` Baltic Way . ''
Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , the opposition candidate who fled to Lithania after the election and claimed to have won from 60 to 70 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 that Belarusians must `` struggle for their rights '' and not be distracted by Lukashenka ’ s claims that the country was under military threat .
`` We are people of Belarus and we are a majority and we will not step away .
We are not afraid of them any more , '' she told the AFP news agency .
Her comments came as Lukashenka again claimed NATO troops in Poland and Lithuania were `` seriously stirring '' near Belarus ’ s borders .
Dressed in military fatigues , Lukashenka told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's army must `` protect the territorial integrity of our country , '' adding `` military support is evident . ''
NATO said the claims were `` baseless . ''
`` As we have already made clear , NATO poses no threat to Belarus or any other country and has no military buildup in the region , '' it said in a statement .
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda denied the accusation on August 22 .
`` The regime is trying to divert attention from Belarus 's internal problems at any cost with totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Nauseda told AFP .
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry also announced on August 22 that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun will visit Lithuania and Russia next week for talks on the Belarusian postelection crisis .
Tsikhanouskaya 's team said on August 22 that the No .
2 U.S. diplomat would meet Tsikhanouskaya in Lithuania , where she fled following the disputed election .
No election in Belarus under Lukashenka has ever been deemed free or fair by the West .
Meanwhile , the Nasha Niva media site said the body of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near Minsk with signs of multiple beatings .
He was reported missing after taking part in protests in Minsk on August 12 .
So far , two people have been confirmed killed in the postelection protests in Belarus .
With reporting by Current Time , Belsat , AP , and AFP

MINSK -- A sea of protesters packed the streets of Minsk on August 23 for a massive rally against the disputed reelection of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and a postelection crackdown amid a heavy security presence in the Belarusian capital and fresh warnings from the army.
The crowd, estimated at more than 100,000 people, filled the city center for what was billed as the March of New Belarus as protests entered a 15th day in the Eastern European country of 9.5 million.
The mass of protesters gathered on Independence Square, waving white and red Belarusian flags and unfurling long banners with white and red stripes.
Protesters chanted "Leave!" and “Get out!” as they called for Lukashenka to step down after 26 years of authoritarian rule.
Large protests were also held in other cities including Brest and Hrodno, as well as outside the country in Lithuania, where a 30-kilometer human chain was formed from Vilnius to the border with Belarus.
Users of network operators had problems connecting to the internet, in another attempt by authorities to clamp down on information.
By evening, people began dispersing without clashes with riot police, in the latest instance of protesters trying to end their mobilization peacefully.
The Ministry of Interior said no one was detained.
After the protest largely ended, a video posted on Telegram showed Lukashenka in a helicopter flying over the city.
"They fled like rats," said the authoritarian leader, who was seen stepping off the helicopter at the presidential palace wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a rifle.
Lukashenka has ordered the military into full combat readiness, raising the prospect that the army may unleash a much-feared bloody crackdown to suppress unprecedented street protests.
Describing the protesters as "fascists," the Defense Ministry said in a statement that the memorials, specifically those dedicated to victims of World War II, must not be desecrated. The ministry warned against any violation of peace and order in such places, writing in all capital letters, "You will have the army to deal with now, not the police."
The statement came as army personnel were spotted being transported into Minsk in military transporters, just a day after Lukashenka ordered the military to take “stringent measures” against what he described as foreign-backed plans for a "color revolution" in the country.
Protests have been taking place on the streets of Belarus since Lukashenka, in power since 1994, was declared the winner of the August 9 poll by a landslide. More than 7,000 have been detained and hundreds beaten by police. The EU and the United States have criticized the vote and condemned the postelection crackdown.
Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition candidate who left for Lithuania after the election and claimed to have won from 60 to 70 percent of the vote, said on August 22 that Belarusians must "struggle for their rights" and not be distracted by Lukashenka’s claims that the country was under military threat.
"We are people of Belarus and we are a majority and we will not step away. We are not afraid of them any more," she told AFP news agency from Lithuania, where she fled following the election.
Tsikhanouskaya will meet on August 24 with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in Lithuania, as the United States and Europe deepen their diplomatic involvement to end the crisis.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on August 23 accused Belarusian opposition members who left Belarus of seeking "bloodshed," according to the RIA-Novosti news agency.
He added that Moscow was calling for the launch of a genuinely broad national dialogue in Belarus and said Russia would accept any decision of the Belarusian authorities with regard to dialogue with the opposition.
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
But he said the Belarusian people "will decide for themselves how to get out of this situation."
He also said there are "clear signs of a normalization" in Belarus, and a proposal on constitutional reform was "a quite promising path."
The opposition this week established a coordination council to negotiate the transition of power, in a move Belarusian authorities have described as an attempt to illegally seize power.
Meanwhile, the Nasha Niva media site said the body of Mikita Kryutsov was found in a forest near Minsk with signs of multiple beatings. He was reported missing after taking part in protests in Minsk on August 12.
So far, two people have been confirmed killed in the postelection protests.
With reporting by Current Time, Belsat, AP, Reuters, and AFP


rferl--2020-08-23--Kyrgyzstan Extradites Journalist  To Uzbekistan Despite Concerns Over Persecution

Kyrgyzstan has extradited Uzbek journalist Bobomurod Abdullaev to neighboring Uzbekistan , despite concern from the United States and rights groups that he could be tortured and persecuted .
Kyrgyzstan 's national security committee said in a statement on August 22 that Abdullaev was extradited to Uzbekistan `` in accordance with international law . ''
It said that the Uzbek government provided Kyrgyzstan with assurances that Abdullaev would not be ill-treated or tortured .
Upon arrival in Uzbekistan 's capital , Tashkent , Abdullaev was released after visiting the Security Committee , his lawyer told RFE/RL 's Uzbek Service .
Sergei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his sister ’ s house but will be barred from traveling inside or outside Uzbekistan pending a full investigation and further questioning .
Uzbekistan has not specified the exact nature of the charges against the 47-year-old independent journalist .
Media reports in Uzbekistan suggest Abdullaev is being sought in connection with social-media posts critical of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev that were written under the pen name Qora Mergan ( Black Shooter ) .
Abdullaev has denied that he has any connection to the writings .
Abdullaev 's treatment has previously been the focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other men were arrested in 2017 in Tashkent .
They were charged with calling for a change to Uzbekistan 's constitutional order by force .
Those charges stemmed from a series of articles under the byline Usman Haqnazarov , which was apparently used by more than one person .
Abdullaev also denied guilt then , saying he was doing his job as a journalist .
In May 2018 , Abdullaev was convicted on charges of producing `` anti-government propaganda . ''
But he was cleared of the more serious charge of conspiracy against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kyrgyz authorities detained Abdullaev in Bishkek on August 9 and held him in a detention center pending a decision on Uzbekistan 's extradition request .
Abdullaev studied for four months at Bishkek 's American University of Central Asia and has been stuck in Kyrgyzstan due to coronavirus travel restrictions .
Prior to that , the journalist had lived in Germany for several months at the invitation of the media rights group Reporters Without Borders .
Seven foreign-based human rights groups , including Reporters Without Borders , Amnesty International , and Human Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities to release Abdullayev out of concern he could face ill-treatment and persecution in Uzbekistan .
The U.S. State Department also called on Kyrgyzstan to release the journalist and let him depart to a country of his choice .


rferl--2020-08-23--Lithuanians Form 'Freedom Way' Human Chain In Solidarity With Belarus Opposition

Lithuanians stood in a human chain stretching more than 30 kilometers from Vilnius to the border with Belarus on August 23 in a show of support for protesters in their neighboring country who are calling for the end of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka ’ s rule .
Organizers estimated that up to 50,000 people participated , many of them dressed in white and wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda , who participated along with former leaders of the Baltic country , said he was pleased to join so many people in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We are with you , free Belarus , and we extend our hand to you , '' Nauseda said after linking hands at the border in the “ Freedom Way ” human chain .
`` The nations who had lost their freedom cherish it the most .
That is why Lithuania did not hesitate to declare its full support to the Belarusian people who seek to shed the shackles of captivity , '' he said .
U.S .
Ambassador to Lithuania Robert Gilchrist was also in the chain , joining many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag .
In Vilnius , a hot-air balloon lifted the flag above Cathedral Square , and planes flew over releasing flowers into the crowd .
Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who has left Belarus for Lithuania , did not attend because of security concerns , according to her team .
But she issued a video acknowledging the gesture in the country where she has been staying since the election .
`` More than anyone else , you can understand Belarusians , because not so long ago you went through the same as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tsikhanouskaya was the main opposition candidate in the August 9 presidential election that officials say Lukashenka won by a landslide .
The opposition has disputed the results and said the election was rigged .
Since the election there have been protests daily calling for new elections and Lukashenka ’ s ouster .
The streets of the capital , Minsk , were packed with protesters again on August 23 .
The Lithuanian human chain marked the anniversary of a mass protest on August 23 , 1989 , when 2 million people joined arms across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latvia , and Lithuania .
Known as the Baltic Way , it was a peaceful protest against authoritarian Soviet rule .
Hundreds of people also marched on August 23 in Latvia along the border with Belarus and then formed a human chain in the village of Piedruja as Belarusian border guards looked on from the other side of the Daugava River .
Solidarity rallies and human chains were also held in other European countries , including Estonia and the Czech Republic .
Hundreds of people turned out in Washington to form a human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 meters apart in keeping with measures to control the spread of the coronavirus .
They expressed support for Belarus as they commemorated the 31st anniversary of the Baltic Way .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , and dpa

Lithuanians stood in a human chain stretching more than 30 kilometers from Vilnius to the border with Belarus on August 23 in a show of support for protesters in their neighboring country who are calling for the end of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s rule.
Organizers estimated that up to 50,000 people participated, many of them dressed in white and wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, who participated along with former leaders of the Baltic country, said he was pleased to join so many people in a demonstration of unity with people of Belarus.
"We are with you, free Belarus, and we extend our hand to you," Nauseda said after linking hands at the border in the “Freedom Way” human chain.
"The nations who had lost their freedom cherish it the most. That is why Lithuania did not hesitate to declare its full support to the Belarusian people who seek to shed the shackles of captivity," he said.
U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Robert Gilchrist was also in the chain, joining many who held the Belarus opposition's red-and-white flag.
In Vilnius, a hot-air balloon lifted the flag above Cathedral Square, and planes flew over releasing flowers into the crowd.
Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has left Belarus for Lithuania, did not attend because of security concerns, according to her team. But she issued a video acknowledging the gesture in the country where she has been staying since the election.
"More than anyone else, you can understand Belarusians, because not so long ago you went through the same as we do now," Tsikhanouskaya said.
Tsikhanouskaya was the main opposition candidate in the August 9 presidential election that officials say Lukashenka won by a landslide. The opposition has disputed the results and said the election was rigged.
Since the election there have been protests daily calling for new elections and Lukashenka’s ouster. The streets of the capital, Minsk, were packed with protesters again on August 23.
The Lithuanian human chain marked the anniversary of a mass protest on August 23, 1989, when 2 million people joined arms across the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Known as the Baltic Way, it was a peaceful protest against authoritarian Soviet rule.
Hundreds of people also marched on August 23 in Latvia along the border with Belarus and then formed a human chain in the village of Piedruja as Belarusian border guards looked on from the other side of the Daugava River.
Solidarity rallies and human chains were also held in other European countries, including Estonia and the Czech Republic.
Hundreds of people turned out in Washington to form a human chain, wearing masks and standing about 2 meters apart in keeping with measures to control the spread of the coronavirus. They expressed support for Belarus as they commemorated the 31st anniversary of the Baltic Way.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa