rferl--2020-07-24--Russian Patriarch Approves Decision To Strip Rogue Priest Of Rank

MOSCOW -- The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church , Patriarch Kirill , has approved a religious court 's decision to strip an ultraconservative , coronavirus-denying Russian priest who took control of a convent in the Urals with help from Cossack guards of his religious rank .
The Russian Orthodox Church 's official website announced Patriarch Kirill ’ s decision on July 24 , three weeks after the Diocesan Court in the Sverdlovsk region ruled that Schema-Hegumen Sergiy ( Nikolai Romanov ) had shown disobedience toward church authorities and therefore must be stripped off his religious rank .
Father Sergiy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monastery in the Sverdlovsk region , made headlines in June after he took over the Sredneuralsk Women 's Monastery by force with the help of Cossack guards .
He is known for his public praising of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin , and for denying the coronavirus , which he calls a Western plot .
Father Sergiy also publicly condemned the church 's order in April to stop church services to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus .
Weeks later , the Yekaterinburg diocese barred him from preaching and launched a probe into his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus and his interference with church policy during the pandemic .
Still , he refused to follow the diocese 's ruling and continued to preach .
After forcibly taking over the convent in June , Father Sergiy issued several political statements , saying that constitutional amendments offered by President Vladimir Putin `` would legalize a slave-owning system . ''
`` That means we will voluntarily legalize the power of the future Antichrist and his slaves .
I call on all peoples of Russia -- do not go to voting stations ! ''
he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian voters overwhelmingly approved the amendments in a vote that ended on July 1 .
Among other things , the constitutional amendments allow Putin , a 67-year-old former KGB officer who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister for more than 20 years , to stay in power until 2036 if he chooses to run again after his current term ends in 2024 .

MOSCOW -- The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has approved a religious court's decision to strip an ultraconservative, coronavirus-denying Russian priest who took control of a convent in the Urals with help from Cossack guards of his religious rank.
The Russian Orthodox Church's official website announced Patriarch Kirill’s decision on July 24, three weeks after the Diocesan Court in the Sverdlovsk region ruled that Schema-Hegumen Sergiy (Nikolai Romanov) had shown disobedience toward church authorities and therefore must be stripped off his religious rank.
Father Sergiy, the abbot of a men's monastery in the Sverdlovsk region, made headlines in June after he took over the Sredneuralsk Women's Monastery by force with the help of Cossack guards.
He is known for his public praising of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, and for denying the coronavirus, which he calls a Western plot.
Father Sergiy also publicly condemned the church's order in April to stop church services to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus. Weeks later, the Yekaterinburg diocese barred him from preaching and launched a probe into his conduct, citing his stance on the coronavirus and his interference with church policy during the pandemic.
Still, he refused to follow the diocese's ruling and continued to preach.
After forcibly taking over the convent in June, Father Sergiy issued several political statements, saying that constitutional amendments offered by President Vladimir Putin "would legalize a slave-owning system."
"That means we will voluntarily legalize the power of the future Antichrist and his slaves. I call on all peoples of Russia -- do not go to voting stations!" he said in one statement in June.
Russian voters overwhelmingly approved the amendments in a vote that ended on July 1.
Among other things, the constitutional amendments allow Putin, a 67-year-old former KGB officer who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister for more than 20 years, to stay in power until 2036 if he chooses to run again after his current term ends in 2024.


rferl--2020-07-24--Iranian Lawmaker Says Blast At Nuclear Site Caused By 'Security Breach'

A member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran ’ s parliament says a blast at the Natanz nuclear complex was caused by a “ security breach.
” Speaking on July 22 , lawmaker Javad Karimi Qodusi ruled out “ a strike on the complex by an external object ” as the cause of the July 3 blast , appearing to deny that the site had been targeted in an air strike .
`` If it was from the outside , we should have seen shrapnel , but there are absolutely no remnants left on the site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the parliament ’ s news site ICANA following his visit to Natanz .
“ A breach in security is our definitive conclusion , “ he said , without elaborating .
Iran 's top security body said on July 3 that the cause of the incident had been determined , but it declined to release details , citing security reasons .
Some Iranian officials said it could have been a cyberattack .
Natanz is the Islamic republic 's main uranium enrichment center , located some 250 kilometers south of Tehran , and includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concrete to offer protection from air strikes .
The site is one of several Iranian facilities monitored by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) , the UN 's nuclear watchdog .
The incident at Natanz came amid reports of several fires or explosions at Iranian military and industrial sites , which has led to speculation about sabotage acts by foreign governments , including Israel .
Speaking on July 22 , Iran ’ s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi appeared to play down the incidents .
`` There are thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a daily basis -- which is nothing new -- most of which are repelled by our defense systems , '' Iranian media quoted Musavi as telling reporters .
In recent months , there have been several cyberattacks that were wider in scope , and technical and forensic analyses have identified `` governments or groups '' who were behind the attacks , he said , without naming them .
Musavi also said fires in forests , refineries and other locations were common in summer .
In an article in early July , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the possibility of sabotage by enemies such as Israel and the United States , although it stopped short of accusing either directly .
Israel 's defense minister said on July 5 that his country was not `` necessarily '' behind every mysterious incident in Iran .

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


rferl--2020-07-24--Austrian Court Sentences Chechen Man On Terrorism Charges

A court in Vienna has sentenced a 32-year old man from Russia 's North Caucasus region of Chechnya to 10 years in prison for fighting along with militants of the now-defunct group Caucasus Emirate ( Imarat Kavkaz ) against Russian federal troops .
The Vienna Criminal Court on July 23 found the man , identified as Adam S. , guilty of being a member of a terrorist group between 2008 and 2013 and taking part in preparing an attack against Russian troops .
Adam S. testified that he had joined forces fighting against Russia after he witnessed `` atrocities '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whom the man called `` the occupiers . ''
While fighting in 2013 , the man lost fingers on his left hand and his eyesight was severely damaged .
He has been residing in Austria since 2017 .
Russia accuses him of involvement in an attack in 2014 that killed four Russian soldiers .
Since criminal proceedings against Adam S. were initiated when he was already in Austria , the country 's judiciary handled the case .
After two wars in Chechnya between separatists and Russia 's federal troops in the mid-1990s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned into an Islamic militancy that spilled over into Russia 's other North Caucasus republics -- such as Kabardino-Balkaria , Daghestan , and Ingushetia , which in 2007 Imarat Kavkaz leaders proclaimed as its subjects .
Imarat Kavkaz has been labeled as a terrorist organization by Russia , the United States , the United Nations , Britain , Canada , Bahrain , and the United Arab Emirates .
Since 2017 , there have been no officially reported operations by the group on Russian territory , while some reports say that small groups fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated themselves with the Imarat Kavkaz .
Based on reporting by Die Presse and Austria Presse Agentur

A court in Vienna has sentenced a 32-year old man from Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya to 10 years in prison for fighting along with militants of the now-defunct group Caucasus Emirate (Imarat Kavkaz) against Russian federal troops.
The Vienna Criminal Court on July 23 found the man, identified as Adam S., guilty of being a member of a terrorist group between 2008 and 2013 and taking part in preparing an attack against Russian troops.
Adam S. testified that he had joined forces fighting against Russia after he witnessed "atrocities" committed by Russian federal troops in Chechnya, whom the man called "the occupiers."
While fighting in 2013, the man lost fingers on his left hand and his eyesight was severely damaged. He has been residing in Austria since 2017.
Russia accuses him of involvement in an attack in 2014 that killed four Russian soldiers.
Since criminal proceedings against Adam S. were initiated when he was already in Austria, the country's judiciary handled the case.
After two wars in Chechnya between separatists and Russia's federal troops in the mid-1990s and early 2000s, the separatist forces turned into an Islamic militancy that spilled over into Russia's other North Caucasus republics -- such as Kabardino-Balkaria, Daghestan, and Ingushetia, which in 2007 Imarat Kavkaz leaders proclaimed as its subjects.
Imarat Kavkaz has been labeled as a terrorist organization by Russia, the United States, the United Nations, Britain, Canada, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
Since 2017, there have been no officially reported operations by the group on Russian territory, while some reports say that small groups fighting in Syria along with Islamic State militants associated themselves with the Imarat Kavkaz.
Based on reporting by Die Presse and Austria Presse Agentur


rferl--2020-07-24--Despite Negative COVID-19 Tests, Bulgarian PM Quarantined During Parliamentary Debate

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov was placed in quarantine late on July 23 after a test showed that his chief of staff , Denitsa Jeleva , had contracted a coronavirus infection .
Borisov ’ s press service told RFE/RL on July 24 that a second test on Jeleva , as well as two tests on Borisov and other officials close to him , had all turned up negative .
Borisov 's press service said the prime minister would remain under quarantine at least until July 25 when the results of a third test on him are available .
If those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave quarantine on July 25 , the press service said .
As a result of his quarantine , Borisov was not attending debates in parliament on July 24 and a vote over a cabinet reshuffle that he announced the previous day .
Jeleva had been in close proximity to Borisov during recent European Council meetings they both attended on the distribution of COVID-19 economic recovery funds from the European Union .
Those meetings took place in Brussels from July 17-21 .
Bulgaria ’ s government headquarters building was closed for a day of @ @ @ @ @

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov was placed in quarantine late on July 23 after a test showed that his chief of staff, Denitsa Jeleva, had contracted a coronavirus infection.
Borisov’s press service told RFE/RL on July 24 that a second test on Jeleva, as well as two tests on Borisov and other officials close to him, had all turned up negative.
Borisov's press service said the prime minister would remain under quarantine at least until July 25 when the results of a third test on him are available.
If those test results are negative, he would leave quarantine on July 25, the press service said.
As a result of his quarantine, Borisov was not attending debates in parliament on July 24 and a vote over a cabinet reshuffle that he announced the previous day.
Jeleva had been in close proximity to Borisov during recent European Council meetings they both attended on the distribution of COVID-19 economic recovery funds from the European Union.
Those meetings took place in Brussels from July 17-21.
Bulgaria’s government headquarters building was closed for a day of disinfection on July 22.


rferl--2020-07-24--Chechen Leader Kadyrov Announces 'Sanctions' On U.S. Secretary Of State

GROZNY , Russia -- Ramzan Kadyrov , the authoritarian leader of Russia 's North Caucasus region of Chechnya , has declared `` sanctions '' against U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo .
Kadyrov said at a government meeting that was broadcast late on July 23 by Chechnya 's major state television channel that he was rescinding an invitation to Pompeo to visit Chechnya , which he had previously announced online .
`` I announce that [ Pompeo ] will be included in all the sanctions that we have in the republic , to the extent of blocking all his accounts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Kadyrov said at a government meeting that was broadcast late on July 23 by Chechnya 's major state television channel .
The announcement comes three days after the United States levied additional targeted sanctions against Kadyrov , his wife , and his two daughters because of `` his involvement in gross violations of human rights . ''
Washington had already imposed multiple layers of sanctions against Kadyrov and some of his associates in Chechnya .
A former Chechen militant who fought against Russian forces in the first Chechen war , Kadyrov has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists of numerous human rights violations , including torture , kidnapping , disappearances , extrajudicial executions , and the assassination of personal and political enemies both in Russia and abroad .
On July 23 , Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Kadyrov the rank of military major general .
Kremlin critics say Putin has turned a blind eye to the alleged abuses and violations of the country 's constitution by Kadyrov because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya , the site of two devastating post-Soviet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus .

GROZNY, Russia -- Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, has declared "sanctions" against U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo.
Kadyrov said at a government meeting that was broadcast late on July 23 by Chechnya's major state television channel that he was rescinding an invitation to Pompeo to visit Chechnya, which he had previously announced online.
"I announce that [Pompeo] will be included in all the sanctions that we have in the republic, to the extent of blocking all his accounts. They did the same against me," Kadyrov said at a government meeting that was broadcast late on July 23 by Chechnya's major state television channel.
The announcement comes three days after the United States levied additional targeted sanctions against Kadyrov, his wife, and his two daughters because of "his involvement in gross violations of human rights."
Washington had already imposed multiple layers of sanctions against Kadyrov and some of his associates in Chechnya.
A former Chechen militant who fought against Russian forces in the first Chechen war, Kadyrov has been accused by Russian and international rights activists of numerous human rights violations, including torture, kidnapping, disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and the assassination of personal and political enemies both in Russia and abroad.
On July 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Kadyrov the rank of military major general.
Kremlin critics say Putin has turned a blind eye to the alleged abuses and violations of the country's constitution by Kadyrov because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya, the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus.


rferl--2020-07-24--Date Confirmed For Mostar's First Local Elections In 12 Years

Bosnia-Herzegovina 's ethnically divided southern city of Mostar plans to hold its first local elections in 12 years on December 20 , the election authority has announced .
Election commission chief Zeljko Balakar said on July 23 that 35 city councilors would be elected under the city 's new election rules .
Those city councilors would then vote to determine Mostar 's next mayor .
Local elections are due to be held on November 15 across the rest of the country , provided the national parliament in Sarajevo passes a 2020 budget that funds the vote .
The date for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bosnia-Herzegovina ’ s main Bosniak and Croat parties on June 17 reached a last -minute agreement on a new statute for the city .
The deal was signed by Bakir Izetbegovic and Dragan Covic , the leaders of the Party of Democratic Action ( SDA ) and the Croatian Democratic Union ( HDZ ) , following lengthy negotiations on the issue .
Mostar has not held municipal polls since 2008 because of the authorities ' failure to enforce a 2010 ruling by Bosnia 's Constitutional Court that said the city 's power-sharing structure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beslic , of the HDZ , has served as mayor of Mostar without a mandate since his term expired in 2013 .
Last October , the European Court of Human Rights condemned Bosnia for its failure to change its election law and enable municipal elections in Mostar .
Mostar has a population of more than 100,000 .
It is divided by mostly Catholic Bosnian Croats in its west and mainly Muslim Bosniaks in its east .
Bosnia 's Croats and Bosniaks were allied against ethnic Serbs during much of the 1992-95 Bosnian war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fierce battles over Mostar and other areas .
The city has reflected the tense situation throughout the country after the Dayton peace accords of 1995 , which left Bosnia divided into two autonomous regions -- the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the mainly ethnic Serb Republika Srpska -- united under a weak central government in Sarajevo .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service and Reuters

Bosnia-Herzegovina's ethnically divided southern city of Mostar plans to hold its first local elections in 12 years on December 20, the election authority has announced.
Election commission chief Zeljko Balakar said on July 23 that 35 city councilors would be elected under the city's new election rules. Those city councilors would then vote to determine Mostar's next mayor.
Local elections are due to be held on November 15 across the rest of the country, provided the national parliament in Sarajevo passes a 2020 budget that funds the vote.
The date for a long-delayed vote in Mostar comes after Bosnia-Herzegovina’s main Bosniak and Croat parties on June 17 reached a last -minute agreement on a new statute for the city.
The deal was signed by Bakir Izetbegovic and Dragan Covic, the leaders of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), following lengthy negotiations on the issue.
Mostar has not held municipal polls since 2008 because of the authorities' failure to enforce a 2010 ruling by Bosnia's Constitutional Court that said the city's power-sharing structure was unconstitutional and needed reform.
Ljubo Beslic, of the HDZ, has served as mayor of Mostar without a mandate since his term expired in 2013.
Last October, the European Court of Human Rights condemned Bosnia for its failure to change its election law and enable municipal elections in Mostar.
Mostar has a population of more than 100,000. It is divided by mostly Catholic Bosnian Croats in its west and mainly Muslim Bosniaks in its east.
Bosnia's Croats and Bosniaks were allied against ethnic Serbs during much of the 1992-95 Bosnian war. But the two communities also fought fierce battles over Mostar and other areas.
The city has reflected the tense situation throughout the country after the Dayton peace accords of 1995, which left Bosnia divided into two autonomous regions -- the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the mainly ethnic Serb Republika Srpska -- united under a weak central government in Sarajevo.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-24--U.S. Says Russia Tested Anti-Satellite Weapon In Space

The United States has accused Russia of conducting the test of an anti-satellite weapon in space that Washington fears could be used to threaten critical U.S. and allied satellites .
The Russian Defense Ministry said that a small space vehicle on July 15 inspected one of its satellites up close “ using special equipment.
” However , the United States said on July 23 that the craft actually had a different mission .
“ The Russian satellite system used to conduct this on-orbit weapons test is the same satellite system that we raised concerns about earlier this year , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said General John W. Raymond , commander of Space Command and the head of the U.S. Space Force .
He said it was consistent with Russia ’ s stated military doctrine to deploy weapons that could potentially neutralize U.S. and allied space assets .
The United States has accused Russia and China of trying to weaponize space .
President Donald Trump in December formerly created the Space Force to focus U.S. efforts on defending itself from space-based weapons .
Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the July 15 event .
Air Vice Marshal Harvey Smyth , the head of the British government ’ s space directorate , supported the U.S. conclusion .
He wrote on Twitter that the Russians had launched a projectile “ with the characteristics of a weapon . ''
Space Command said that on July 15 a Russian satellite , designated Cosmos 2543 , “ operated in abnormally close proximity to a U.S. government satellite ” before moving on to another Russian satellite , where it released an object at high speed .
Space Command @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the space mission described by Russia .
The actions of Cosmos 2543 were similar to those of another Russian satellite launched in 2017 that raised concerns in Washington about Moscow ’ s behavior in space .
With reporting by AP and Reuters

The United States has accused Russia of conducting the test of an anti-satellite weapon in space that Washington fears could be used to threaten critical U.S. and allied satellites.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that a small space vehicle on July 15 inspected one of its satellites up close “using special equipment.” However, the United States said on July 23 that the craft actually had a different mission.
“The Russian satellite system used to conduct this on-orbit weapons test is the same satellite system that we raised concerns about earlier this year, when Russia maneuvered near a U.S. government satellite,” said General John W. Raymond, commander of Space Command and the head of the U.S. Space Force.
He said it was consistent with Russia’s stated military doctrine to deploy weapons that could potentially neutralize U.S. and allied space assets.
The United States has accused Russia and China of trying to weaponize space.
President Donald Trump in December formerly created the Space Force to focus U.S. efforts on defending itself from space-based weapons.
Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day, but it is unclear if they discussed the July 15 event.
Air Vice Marshal Harvey Smyth, the head of the British government’s space directorate, supported the U.S. conclusion.
He wrote on Twitter that the Russians had launched a projectile “with the characteristics of a weapon."
Space Command said that on July 15 a Russian satellite, designated Cosmos 2543, “operated in abnormally close proximity to a U.S. government satellite” before moving on to another Russian satellite, where it released an object at high speed.
Space Command said the test “is inconsistent” with the space mission described by Russia.
The actions of Cosmos 2543 were similar to those of another Russian satellite launched in 2017 that raised concerns in Washington about Moscow’s behavior in space.
With reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-24--Injuries Reported After U.S. Intercepts Iranian Passenger Plane Over Syria

The U.S. military said it intercepted an Iranian civilian airliner over Syria , after Iranian media reported passengers were injured when the pilot was forced to maneuver to avoid a collision .
U.S. Central Command , which oversees U.S. operations in the Middle East , said on July 23 that an F-15 fighter jet “ conducted a standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air passenger airliner at a safe distance of approximately 1,000 meters ” while on a routine air mission near At Tanf -- also known as Al-Tanf -- in Syria .
The U.S. military has a small desert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Jordan and Iraq .
“ The visual inspection occurred to ensure the safety of coalition personnel at At Tanf garrison , ” U.S. Central Command spokesman Bill Urban said .
“ Once the F-15 pilot identified the aircraft as a Mahan Air passenger plane , the F-15 safely opened distance from the aircraft.
” “ The professional intercept was conducted in accordance with international standards , ” he added .
The statement came after Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that the Tehran-to-Beirut bound flight had been intercepted by two Israeli fighter jets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amateur footage of passengers on board screaming as the pilot reduced the altitude of the flight .
It reported some passengers were injured .
Syria ’ s state-run SANA news agency quoted civil aviation sources as saying that an aircraft believed to be affiliated with the U.S.-led coalition intercepted the Iranian civilian plane .
The head of Beirut airport , Fadi al-Hassan , told local Lebanese broadcaster New Television that the Iranian plane landed in the Lebanese capital in the evening .
`` All the passengers are well , but some suffered from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fear , '' Hassan said .
Israel and the United States have long accused Mahan Air of shipping weapons and fighters to the Lebanese militant group Hizballah and Iran-linked groups in Syria and the region .
The United States imposed sanctions on Mahan Air in 2011 .
With reporting by SANA , AFP , dpa , and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-24--Kurdish-Iranian Writer Behrouz Boochani Granted Refugee Status In New Zealand

Kurdish-Iranian writer Behrouz Boochani , who had been held in an Australian detention center for asylum seekers for six years , has been granted refugee status in New Zealand .
Immigration authorities confirmed the award-winning author has received refugee status , which will allow him to stay in the country , The New Zealand Herald reported on July 24 .
Boochani , a journalist who fled Iran in 2013 under fear of persecution , has been in New Zealand since November when he applied for refugee status after attending a literary festival .
Boochani gained fame in 2019 when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia ’ s most prestigious literature prize , for his autobiography No Friend But The Mountains : Writing From Manus Prison .
In the book , Boochani details his journey after fleeing Iran , arriving from Indonesia to Australia 's Christmas Island on a boat , and being detained by Australian authorities on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea .
He wrote the 374-page book using WhatsApp on his phone and sent hundreds of messages to translators and editors in Australia .
Following the closure of the Manus detention center in 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Papua New Guinea ’ s capital , Port Moresby .
New Zealand ’ s Green Party , a coalition partner in Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern 's government , welcomed the news .
“ Today we celebrate New Zealand as a place where fairness and compassion prevails , ” said Green Party human rights spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman , who herself came to New Zealand as a child asylum seeker from Iran .
“ He has faced persecution and torture at the hands of Iran ’ s Islamic regime and whilst imprisoned on Manus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had a place where he is safe to put down roots , ” she said .
Australia has a controversial policy of intercepting asylum seekers at sea and putting them in offshore detention centers , where they are permanently barred from settling in Australia .
With reporting by AFP , AP , Reuters , and The New Zealand Herald


rferl--2020-07-23--Home Of Prominent Ukrainian Activist Burned Down In Suspected Arson Attack

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on law enforcement to find those responsible for a suspected arson attack on the home of a prominent anti-corruption activist that has caused deep concern among Western countries .
Vitaliy Shabunin , who serves as the head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center ’ s executive board , showed reporters on July 23 the remains of his home in the capital , Kyiv , which burned down overnight .
`` The culprits must be found and punished , '' Zelenskiy said in a statement , adding that such attacks `` cast a shadow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on our institutions of power , and especially on our law enforcement agencies . ''
No one was injured in the fire , which the anti-corruption organization described as an `` assassination attempt '' on Shabunin .
Shabunin said his parents , who were in the house at the time , were able to escape unharmed .
A neighbor told Shabunin that he saw an explosion before the home was engulfed in flames .
The activist said workers had inspected the gas meter and pipes just two weeks ago .
The police suspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , the Anti-Corruption Action Center called on Zelenskiy to personally take control of all investigations into attacks on anti-corruption activists , saying that they did not trust the police or Interior Minister Arsen Avakov .
Activists , journalists , and other individuals that expose corruption often face assaults and threats .
An investigative journalist in Cherkasy in central Ukraine was killed last June , while the nation ’ s former central banker who had taken on oligarchs had her home burned down in September .
If the fire at Shabunin 's home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not be the first time that he has been targeted .
In 2018 , he suffered chemical burns when attackers threw a green antiseptic in his face as he took part in a demonstration outside a prosecutor 's office in Kyiv .
Shabunin said such attacks against activists continue under Zelenskiy , who won last year in a landslide on a promise to fight corruption , because the new head of state hasn ’ t taken any serious steps to thwart them .
“ These are the consequences of his silence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his destroyed home .
Shabunin has lobbied for anti-corruption legislation and the recovery of assets stolen by officials .
He said an arson attack would only make him work `` even harder ” to fight corruption .
The suspected arson attack caused concern among Western diplomats , who have pressured Ukraine to fight corruption and clean up its justice system .
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said it was concerned about suspected attacks targeting political and civil society leaders .
“ In thriving democracies , citizens must be able to voice opinions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” it wrote on Twitter .
Matti Maasikas , the EU ’ s ambassador to Ukraine , wrote on Twitter that he was “ very disturbed ” by the suspected attack on Shabunin ’ s home .
“ I call on the authorities to investigate this case and if a deliberate act -- to bring the perpetrators to justice .
Civil activists must feel safe to carry on their mission , ” Maasikas wrote .
With reporting by the Kyiv Post and Reuters

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on law enforcement to find those responsible for a suspected arson attack on the home of a prominent anti-corruption activist that has caused deep concern among Western countries.
Vitaliy Shabunin, who serves as the head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center’s executive board, showed reporters on July 23 the remains of his home in the capital, Kyiv, which burned down overnight.
"The culprits must be found and punished," Zelenskiy said in a statement, adding that such attacks "cast a shadow on the reputation of our state, on our institutions of power, and especially on our law enforcement agencies."
No one was injured in the fire, which the anti-corruption organization described as an "assassination attempt" on Shabunin.
Shabunin said his parents, who were in the house at the time, were able to escape unharmed.
A neighbor told Shabunin that he saw an explosion before the home was engulfed in flames. The activist said workers had inspected the gas meter and pipes just two weeks ago.
The police suspect arson and are investigating.
In a statement, the Anti-Corruption Action Center called on Zelenskiy to personally take control of all investigations into attacks on anti-corruption activists, saying that they did not trust the police or Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.
Activists, journalists, and other individuals that expose corruption often face assaults and threats.
An investigative journalist in Cherkasy in central Ukraine was killed last June, while the nation’s former central banker who had taken on oligarchs had her home burned down in September.
If the fire at Shabunin's home was the result of arson, it would not be the first time that he has been targeted. In 2018, he suffered chemical burns when attackers threw a green antiseptic in his face as he took part in a demonstration outside a prosecutor's office in Kyiv.
Shabunin said such attacks against activists continue under Zelenskiy, who won last year in a landslide on a promise to fight corruption, because the new head of state hasn’t taken any serious steps to thwart them.
“These are the consequences of his silence and inaction,” said Shabunin, referring to his destroyed home.
Shabunin has lobbied for anti-corruption legislation and the recovery of assets stolen by officials.
He said an arson attack would only make him work "even harder” to fight corruption.
The suspected arson attack caused concern among Western diplomats, who have pressured Ukraine to fight corruption and clean up its justice system.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said it was concerned about suspected attacks targeting political and civil society leaders.
“In thriving democracies, citizens must be able to voice opinions without fear for their physical security,” it wrote on Twitter.
Matti Maasikas, the EU’s ambassador to Ukraine, wrote on Twitter that he was “very disturbed” by the suspected attack on Shabunin’s home.
“I call on the authorities to investigate this case and if a deliberate act -- to bring the perpetrators to justice. Civil activists must feel safe to carry on their mission,” Maasikas wrote.
With reporting by the Kyiv Post and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-23--Russia's Media Regulator Seeks To Tighten Restrictions On 'Foreign Agent' Outlets

The Russian state media regulator has posted a draft instruction on how media outlets who have been registered as `` foreign agents '' must identify that fact in published or broadcast materials .
The draft order was posted on a government website on July 16 and is open for comment until July 30 .
The instruction would supplement a 2017 law on designating foreign-funded media as `` foreign agents . ''
After that law was adopted , the Justice Ministry listed Voice of America ( VOA ) , several services of RFE/RL , and Current Time as “ foreign agents.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA .
Under the law , listed entities must register with the Justice Ministry and create a legal entity within the Russian Federation to carry out all its financial transactions .
The new draft order would obligate such media entities to announce their status as `` foreign agents '' at the beginning of every published or broadcast report .
The text details that the announcement must be twice as large as the font size used for the headline of the article .
For video materials , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the screen and be shown for at least 15 seconds .
It specifies that Roskomnadzor may impose punishments for violations of the order .
For `` gross violations , '' individuals could face a fine up to 100,000 rubles ( $ 1,400 ) or 15 days in custody .
Organizations could be fined up to 5 million rubles ( $ 70,000 ) .
Acting RFE/RL President Daisy Sindelar said on July 23 that the proposed order was intended to further restrict the media in Russia and to instill fear in their audiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive uncensored news from Radio Liberty and Current Time about events in the life of their country , '' Sindelar said .
`` The intent of these draft normative acts is to frighten those who seek reliable information and to compel our viewers and readers to feel like criminals or to believe they are in danger if they watch or read our materials . ''
`` These draft measures are a clear attempt to increase censorship in Russia , '' she added .

The Russian state media regulator has posted a draft instruction on how media outlets who have been registered as "foreign agents" must identify that fact in published or broadcast materials.
The draft order was posted on a government website on July 16 and is open for comment until July 30.
The instruction would supplement a 2017 law on designating foreign-funded media as "foreign agents." After that law was adopted, the Justice Ministry listed Voice of America (VOA), several services of RFE/RL, and Current Time as “foreign agents.” Current Time is the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.
Under the law, media listed by the Justice Ministry as foreign agents must create a legal entity within the Russian Federation to carry out all their financial transactions and quarterly submit financial reports to the ministry to be published on their websites.
The new draft order would obligate such media entities to announce their status as "foreign agents" at the beginning of every published or broadcast report.
The text details that the announcement must be twice as large as the font size used for the headline of the article. For video materials, the text must occupy at least 20 percent of the screen and be shown for at least 15 seconds.
It specifies that Roskomnadzor may impose punishments for violations of the order. For "gross violations," individuals could face a fine up to 100,000 rubles ($1,400) or 15 days in custody. Organizations could be fined up to 5 million rubles ($70,000).
Acting RFE/RL President Daisy Sindelar said on July 23 that the proposed order was intended to further restrict the media in Russia and to instill fear in their audiences.
"Every day millions of Russians receive uncensored news from Radio Liberty and Current Time about events in the life of their country," Sindelar said. "The intent of these draft normative acts is to frighten those who seek reliable information and to compel our viewers and readers to feel like criminals or to believe they are in danger if they watch or read our materials."
"These draft measures are a clear attempt to increase censorship in Russia," she added.


rferl--2020-07-23--Trump, Putin Discuss Arms Control, Coronavirus In First Call Since Afghan Bounty Claims

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke with his Russian counterpart , Vladimir Putin , about an arms agreement and fighting the coronavirus in their first call since explosive allegations emerged last month that Moscow had put bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan .
Neither the White House nor Kremlin readouts of the July 23 call mentioned the Afghanistan bounties , which have not been confirmed .
The two leaders discussed the expiring New START nuclear agreement and combating the coronavirus pandemic , according to both readouts .
Trump and Putin also discussed Iran 's nuclear program , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ START treaty , which expires in February , limits the number of U.S. and Russian deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 each .
Trump wants China to be part of the treaty , a move that Beijing has rejected , raising concerns that the deal -- the last bilateral nuclear-arms agreement between Washington and Moscow -- could fall apart .
U.S. and Russian envoys held talks in Vienna last month to discuss a replacement for the pact and are scheduled to meet again to continue discussions .
Trump `` reiterated his hope of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , Russia , and the United States , '' adding that he `` looked forward to progress on upcoming arms control negotiations in Vienna , '' the White House statement said .
The Kremlin readout did not give any details about their discussion regarding Iran 's nuclear program .
The Trump administration in 2018 pulled out of an international nuclear agreement with Iran , claiming it paved the way for Tehran to develop weapons-grade uranium in a few years and that it did not stop Iran 's missile program .
Russia is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and Putin have held at least seven calls since March 30 amid the coronavirus pandemic , which has ravaged the global economy and sent the price of oil , Russia 's main export commodity , tumbling .
Trump and Putin spoke several times in April to negotiate a global oil production cut to shore up prices .
The White House readout of the call said Trump and Putin `` discussed efforts to defeat the coronavirus pandemic while continuing to reopen global economies . ''
The July 23 call comes a week after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada accused a Russian military intelligence unit of trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research and as Washington announced it would sanction any company helping build the Kremlin 's natural gas pipeline to Germany .
The New York Times reported at the end of June that U.S. intelligence officials concluded months ago that Russian military intelligence offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill American soldiers .
The paper went on to claim that Trump was briefed on the matter , but did nothing in response .
The White House has said neither Trump nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the alleged intelligence .
The House of Representatives has held several hearings on the topic about how the U.S. should respond if the allegations are substantiated .

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, about an arms agreement and fighting the coronavirus in their first call since explosive allegations emerged last month that Moscow had put bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
Neither the White House nor Kremlin readouts of the July 23 call mentioned the Afghanistan bounties, which have not been confirmed.
The two leaders discussed the expiring New START nuclear agreement and combating the coronavirus pandemic, according to both readouts. Trump and Putin also discussed Iran's nuclear program, the Kremlin statement said.
The New START treaty, which expires in February, limits the number of U.S. and Russian deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 each.
Trump wants China to be part of the treaty, a move that Beijing has rejected, raising concerns that the deal -- the last bilateral nuclear-arms agreement between Washington and Moscow -- could fall apart.
U.S. and Russian envoys held talks in Vienna last month to discuss a replacement for the pact and are scheduled to meet again to continue discussions.
Trump "reiterated his hope of avoiding an expensive three-way arms race between China, Russia, and the United States," adding that he "looked forward to progress on upcoming arms control negotiations in Vienna," the White House statement said.
Iran Nuclear Deal
The Kremlin readout did not give any details about their discussion regarding Iran's nuclear program.
The Trump administration in 2018 pulled out of an international nuclear agreement with Iran, claiming it paved the way for Tehran to develop weapons-grade uranium in a few years and that it did not stop Iran's missile program. Russia is among the parties to the pact.
Trump and Putin have held at least seven calls since March 30 amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has ravaged the global economy and sent the price of oil, Russia's main export commodity, tumbling. Trump and Putin spoke several times in April to negotiate a global oil production cut to shore up prices.
The White House readout of the call said Trump and Putin "discussed efforts to defeat the coronavirus pandemic while continuing to reopen global economies."
The July 23 call comes a week after the United States, Britain, and Canada accused a Russian military intelligence unit of trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research and as Washington announced it would sanction any company helping build the Kremlin's natural gas pipeline to Germany.
The New York Times reported at the end of June that U.S. intelligence officials concluded months ago that Russian military intelligence offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill American soldiers. The paper went on to claim that Trump was briefed on the matter, but did nothing in response.
The White House has said neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence had been briefed on the alleged intelligence. The House of Representatives has held several hearings on the topic about how the U.S. should respond if the allegations are substantiated.


rferl--2020-07-25--U.S. Says Russian Military Supplying More Weapons And Vagner Group Fighters To Libya

The U.S. military has accused Russia of supplying more offensive weapons and fighters to Libya in an attempt gain a foothold in the North African country .
U.S. Africa Command ’ s ( AFRICOM ) latest accusation against Russia on July 24 comes as Libya ’ s rival camps face off in a potentially bloody battle over the strategic central coastal city of Sirte .
The Pentagon released photos it said show Russia continues to provide supplies and equipment to the Vagner group , a Russian private military company .
It said Russian military cargo aircraft are supplying Vagner fighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , trucks , armored vehicles , and fighter jets .
`` The type and volume of equipment demonstrates an intent toward sustained offensive combat action capabilities , not humanitarian relief , and indicates the Russian Ministry of Defense is supporting these operations , '' General Gregory Hadfield , AFRICOM deputy director of intelligence , said in a statement .
The U.S. military has previously accused Moscow of deploying fighter jets to Libya and earlier this month said the Vagner Group had laid land mines and improvised explosive devices in and around the capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vagner group `` as a proxy in Libya to establish a long-term presence on the Mediterranean Sea , '' AFRICOM said .
Russia , mostly through the Vagner Group , has been helping Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar 's self-styled Libyan National Army ( LNA ) in the east of the country in their fight against the UN-recognized Government of National Accord ( GNA ) based in Tripoli .
France , Egypt , and the United Arab Emirates also back Haftar ’ s forces .
Turkey , which has deployed troops , drones , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supports the government in Tripoli , alongside Qatar and Italy .
Ankara 's intervention in Libya in January turned the tide of the war by rolling back Haftar 's offensive against Tripoli .
Turkey and Russia , the main external power brokers in Libya , have been seeking an elusive cease-fire .
In an escalation , Egypt ’ s parliament this week approved a direct troop intervention in Libya if Turkey-backed forces from Tripoli advance on Sirte .
A battle over Sirte threatens to unleash direct conflict between Turkey , a NATO member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The United States supports a cease-fire paving the way for a political solution in the country .
Libya has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the North African country 's longtime dictator , Colonel Muammar Qaddafi , in 2011 .

The U.S. military has accused Russia of supplying more offensive weapons and fighters to Libya in an attempt gain a foothold in the North African country.
U.S. Africa Command's (AFRICOM) latest accusation against Russia on July 24 comes as Libya's rival camps face off in a potentially bloody battle over the strategic central coastal city of Sirte.
The Pentagon released photos it said showed Russia continues to provide supplies and equipment to the Vagner group, a Russian private military company.
It said Russian military cargo aircraft are supplying Vagner fighters and their proxies with air-defense equipment, trucks, armored vehicles, and fighter jets.
"The type and volume of equipment demonstrates an intent toward sustained offensive combat action capabilities, not humanitarian relief, and indicates the Russian Ministry of Defense is supporting these operations," General Gregory Hadfield, AFRICOM deputy director of intelligence, said in a statement.
The U.S. military has previously accused Moscow of deploying fighter jets to Libya and earlier this month said the Vagner Group had laid land mines and improvised explosive devices in and around the capital, Tripoli.
Russia is using the Vagner group "as a proxy in Libya to establish a long-term presence on the Mediterranean Sea," AFRICOM said.
Russia, mostly through the Vagner Group, has been helping Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east of the country in their fight against the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli. France, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates also back Haftar’s forces.
Turkey, which has deployed troops, drones, and Syrian rebel mercenaries to Libya, supports the government in Tripoli, alongside Qatar and Italy. Ankara's intervention in Libya in January turned the tide of the war by rolling back Haftar's offensive against Tripoli.
Turkey and Russia, the main external power brokers in Libya, have been seeking an elusive cease-fire.
In an escalation, Egypt's parliament this week approved a direct troop intervention in Libya if Turkey-backed forces from Tripoli advance on Sirte.
A battle over Sirte threatens to unleash direct conflict between Turkey, a NATO member, and U.S. allies in the region.
The United States supports a cease-fire, paving the way for a political solution in the country.
Libya has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the country's longtime dictator, Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, in 2011.


rferl--2020-07-24--U.S., Russia To Hold Space Security Meeting Amid Alarm Over Anti-Satellite Weapons

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. delegation will meet with Russian officials on July 27 to discuss security in space for the first time in seven years amid alarm in Washington over Moscow ’ s latest test of an anti-satellite weapon .
The meeting is scheduled to take place in Vienna during the next round of U.S.-Russia talks on nuclear arms control , the State Department said in a statement on July 24 .
The last bilateral meeting between Russia and the United States on space security took place in 2013 .
“ Our hope is that this meeting will allow us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stability in outer space as well as to advance the cause of developing norms of responsible behavior , ” Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford told a press conference .
Ford likened the purpose of the U.S.-Russia space dialogue to attempts to create acceptable rules of behavior in cyberspace .
Just a day earlier the United States and Britain accused Russia of having tested an anti-satellite weapon in space on July 15 .
Moscow denied the accusation , describing the event as an inspection of one satellite by another and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Russia rhetoric .
The United States and Britain , however , said a Russian satellite fired a projectile which Ford described as the space equivalent of “ a bullet.
” Russia has now carried out such a test for the second time , Ford said .
The first test took place in 2017 .
He accused Russia and China of fielding new anti-satellite weapons “ to hold U.S. and allies ’ space services at risk ” and said Moscow is developing such weapons “ at a very fast pace.
” Russia , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developing its own space weapons program .
Objects in space are moving at fast speeds , meaning any collusion between a small projectile and satellite will cause major damage , Ford said .
“ There is no such thing as a fender bender up there , ” he added .
Satellites are critical not only for defense but many aspects of everyday life and their destruction could cause major disruptions .
Ford said it is necessary to develop accepted rules of conduct or risk having things `` get out of hand . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bilateral meetings on space security with China , Ford said .
He said space security meetings in the future could be trilateral or include even more countries .

A U.S. delegation will meet with Russian officials on July 27 to discuss security in space for the first time in seven years amid alarm in Washington over Moscow's latest test of an anti-satellite weapon.
The meeting is scheduled to take place in Vienna during the next round of U.S.-Russia talks on nuclear arms control, the State Department said in a statement on July 24. The last bilateral meeting between Russia and the United States on space security took place in 2013.
"Our hope is that this meeting will allow us to explore ways to increase security and stability in outer space as well as to advance the cause of developing norms of responsible behavior," Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford told a press conference.
Ford likened the purpose of the U.S.-Russia space dialogue to attempts to create acceptable rules of behavior in cyberspace.
Just the day before, the United States and Britain accused Russia of having tested an anti-satellite weapon in space on July 15.
Moscow denied the accusation, describing the event as an inspection of one satellite by another and said Washington and London were engaging in anti-Russia rhetoric.
The United States and Britain, however, said a Russian satellite fired a projectile that Ford described as the space equivalent of "a bullet."
Russia has now carried out such a test for the second time, Ford said. The first test took place in 2017.
He accused Russia and China of fielding new anti-satellite weapons "to hold U.S. and allies' space services at risk" and said Moscow was developing such weapons "at a very fast pace."
Russia, in return, accused the United States of developing its own space-weapons program.
Objects in space are moving at fast speeds, meaning any collision between a small projectile and satellite will cause major damage, Ford said. "There is no such thing as a fender bender up there," he added.
Satellites are critical not only for defense but many aspects of everyday life and their destruction could cause major disruptions. Ford said it was necessary to develop accepted rules of conduct or risk having things "get out of hand."
The United States has also been holding bilateral meetings on space security with China, Ford said. He said space-security meetings in the future could be trilateral or include even more countries.


rferl--2020-07-24--Privatbank, In Amended Complaint, Claims Kolomoyskiy, Partner Laundered Nearly $800 Million

Privatbank , the Ukrainian lender nationalized by the state in 2016 , now claims its former owners laundered nearly $ 800 million in the United States .
After analyzing additional bank records , Privatbank filed an amended complaint in a Delaware court on July 21 against tycoons Ihor Kolomoyskiy and Hennadiy Boholyubov , claiming the men laundered $ 660 million through a group of U.S. companies called Optima and an additional $ 100 million through other U.S. entities .
The Kyiv-based lender is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation from the tycoons .
Privatbank filed its original Delaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , accusing them of laundering about $ 623 million in the United States .
The case is ongoing .
The majority of the increase relates to $ 86 million that Privatbank claims was laundered by the men between 2008 and 2010 into two offshore accounts held by an arm of Renaissance Capital , a Moscow-based investment bank .
Privatbank is at the center of a fight between the National Bank of Ukraine and Kolomoyskiy , who is one of Ukraine 's most powerful tycoons .
The outcome of the fight will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kolomoyskiy 's media holding backed the campaign of comic-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelenskiy , who won the April 2019 presidential election in a landslide , raising concerns the tycoon has enhanced his influence in Kyiv .
Kolomoyskiy and Boholyubov owned and controlled Privatbank until December 2016 , when the state nationalized it amid fears it would soon collapse due to a capital shortfall of $ 5.5 billion .
The National Bank accused the tycoons of using Privatbank as their personal piggy bank , claiming that more than 90 percent of its loan book went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tycoons acquired hundreds of millions of dollars worth of assets in the United States , including real estate and steel companies , through fraudulent loans issued by Privatbank to various companies controlled by the two men .
The money was then laundered into the United States through a dizzying array of transactions , the lawsuit claims .
Kolomoyskiy and Boholyubov deny the accusations and claim the takeover was politically motivated .
They have sued to regain control of their bank .
Western officials and lending institutions want Ukraine to recoup some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state that they claim were caused by the tycoons ' actions .

Privatbank, the Ukrainian lender nationalized by the state in 2016, now claims its former owners laundered nearly $800 million through the United States.
After analyzing additional bank records, Privatbank filed an amended complaint in a Delaware court on July 21 against tycoons Ihor Kolomoyskiy and Hennadiy Boholyubov, claiming the men laundered $660 million through a group of U.S. companies called Optima and an additional $100 million through other U.S. entities.
The Kyiv-based lender is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation from the tycoons.
Privatbank filed its original Delaware lawsuit against the two men in May 2019, accusing them of laundering about $623 million in the United States. The case is ongoing.
The majority of the increase relates to $86 million that Privatbank claims was laundered by the men between 2008 and 2010 into two offshore accounts held by an arm of Renaissance Capital, a Moscow-based investment bank.
Privatbank has been at the center of a fight between the National Bank of Ukraine and Kolomoyskiy, who is one of Ukraine's most powerful tycoons. The fight had held up international lending to Ukraine.
Kolomoyskiy's media holding backed the campaign of comic-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who won the April 2019 presidential election in a landslide, raising concerns the tycoon has enhanced his influence in Kyiv.
Kolomoyskiy and Boholyubov owned and controlled Privatbank until December 2016, when the state nationalized it amid fears it would soon collapse due to a capital shortfall of $5.5 billion.
The National Bank accused the tycoons of using Privatbank as their personal piggy bank, claiming that more than 90 percent of its loan book went to related parties.
The Delaware lawsuit claims the tycoons acquired hundreds of millions of dollars worth of assets in the United States, including real estate and steel companies, through fraudulent loans issued by Privatbank to various companies controlled by the two men.
The money was then laundered in the United States through a dizzying array of transactions, the lawsuit claims.
PrivatBank said in the complaint it had received "no consideration in exchange for these transfers, and the loans associated with the transfers were never actually repaid."
Kolomoyskiy and Boholyubov deny the accusations and claim the takeover was politically motivated.
They have sued in various courts to regain control of the bank and for compensation.
Ukraine in May cut off the first option, passing a law that blocks former owners from acquiring banks that were bailed out by the state.
The law, sometimes referred to as the "anti-Kolomoyskiy bill," was a requirement to receive funding from the International Monetary Fund.
Western officials and lending institutions want Ukraine to recoup some of the billions in losses borne by the state that they claim were caused by the tycoons' actions.
The two men, so far, have not faced any criminal charges.


rferl--2020-07-24--Widow Of Chechen Killed Near Vienna Confirms He Was Police Informant

The widow of a Chechen man who was gunned down earlier this month in a Vienna suburb says her husband was an informant for Austrian security agencies and that police were examining his cell phone , which she said had recordings and other possible evidence .
Zarema Umarova spoke to RFE/RL on July 24 , a day after relatives of her slain husband , Mamikhan Umarov , issued an unusual video appeal in which they claimed responsibility for his killing and appeared to absolve Chechnya 's notorious strongman leader , Ramzan Kadyrov , of blame .
Umarova 's comments add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing -- the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted Chechen refugees who fled Russia for various European countries .
The killings have spooked Chechnya 's diaspora and renewed focus on Kadyrov , who has run the Russian region for more than a decade and been accused of human rights abuses and ordering hit squads to target expatriate Chechens .
Austrian police have arrested two Chechen asylum seekers as part of their investigation into the July 4 killing in the Vienna suburb of Gerasdorf .
Austrian officials have said a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the killing .
Umarov , who went by the name Anzor as well as the alias Martin Beck , was a former Chechen separatist and critic of Kadyrov .
He settled in Austria in 2005 and received asylum two years later .
Umarov frequently accused Russian security forces of carrying out the assassinations of former Chechen separatists .
In February , he created his own YouTube channel , posting 30 videos , with the last one uploaded on July 2 .
Some of the videos included audio recordings of what Umarov said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his videos , which are in the Chechen language , end with insulting remarks about Kadyrov , his family , and his associates .
In the interview with RFE/RL , Umarova confirmed Austrian news reports that Umarov had been an informant for Austrian security agencies for some years .
And she hoped that the phone in police investigators ' custody would help focus the investigation .
`` It contains a lot of information , evidence , '' she said .
`` Thanks to this , very soon , many people will find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that in 2009 , four years after Umarov first arrived in Austria , and two years after he received political asylum , he was shaken by a series of killings , including the shooting of one of Kadyrov 's former bodyguards , Umar Israilov , in Austria .
A brother of Umarov and two of his in-laws were killed during this time in Chechnya .
That prompted him to begin cooperating with Austrian law enforcement , Umarova said , a move that ostracized him from the wider Chechen expatriate community , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the Austrian authorities had offered her husband police protection , but he declined .
That same year , the couple 's six children were taken into protective custody by Austrian social-welfare workers , who feared they were in danger , she said .
Three of the children have since been reunited with her .
In 2017 , Umarov was among 22 Chechens who were arrested on weapons charges in Vienna .
Austrian media also reported he was suspected in an extortion and insurance-fraud case involving a blown-up pizzeria .
He served two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when he was conditionally released .
Umarova said she and her family have been under police protection since the murder , and that she , like Umarov , blamed the Austrian authorities for not doing more to protect Chechen refugees like Israilov .
`` He could not understand why they allowed Israilov 's murder .
They knew the killers were inside the country , knew about the looming danger , but did nothing to prevent it , '' she told RFE/RL .
`` I also have a big complaint to the authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband ? ''
Umarova said .
`` They are no less guilty of killing him . ''
The day before Umarova spoke to RFE/RL , a group of men who identified themselves as members of Umarov 's extended family posted a video on YouTube saying they `` had to stop '' Umarov from making `` unforgivable insults , '' which they suggested violated Chechen social norms .
The relatives apologized to Kadyrov and `` repented before all Chechens for the unforgivable insults he had inflicted on the whole people . ''
The attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past year involving men who were known critics of Kadyrov or had fought against Russian forces during the Chechen wars of the 1990s and 2000s .
Last August , Zelimkhan Khangoshvili , a former Chechen separatist fighter who had fled from Georgia to Germany , was shot dead in Berlin .
German prosecutors have filed murder charges against a Russian national in that case and accused the Russian government of ordering the killing .
In January , a blogger named Imran Aliyev was found in the French city of Lille with scores of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian-born man who returned to Chechnya following the killing as the prime suspect in that case .
In February , a blogger named Tumso Abdurakhmanov was attacked in Sweden , but he said he overpowered his alleged attacker and turned him over to the authorities .
That case remains under investigation .
The previous March , the head of the Chechen parliament had declared a blood feud against Abdurakhmanov .
Kadyrov has ruled Chechnya since 2007 .
A former Chechen militant who fought against Russian forces in the first Chechen war , Kadyrov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights activists of numerous human rights violations , including torture , kidnapping , disappearances , extrajudicial executions , and the assassination of personal and political enemies both in Russia and abroad .

The widow of a Chechen man who was gunned down earlier this month in a Vienna suburb says her husband was an informant for Austrian security agencies and that police were examining his cell phone, which she said had recordings and other possible evidence.
Zarema Umarova spoke to RFE/RL on July 24, a day after relatives of her slain husband, Mamikhan Umarov, issued an unusual video appeal in which they claimed responsibility for his killing and appeared to absolve Chechnya's notorious strongman leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, of blame.
Umarova's comments add further details about the circumstances of the killing -- the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted Chechen refugees who fled Russia for various European countries.
The killings have spooked Chechnya's diaspora and renewed focus on Kadyrov, who has run the Russian region for more than a decade and been accused of human rights abuses and ordering hit squads to target expatriate Chechens.
Austrian police have arrested two Chechen asylum seekers as part of their investigation into the July 4 killing in the Vienna suburb of Gerasdorf. Austrian officials have said a political motive or a personal argument could be behind the killing.
Umarov, who went by the name Anzor as well as the alias Martin Beck, was a former Chechen separatist and critic of Kadyrov. He settled in Austria in 2005 and received asylum two years later.
Umarov frequently accused Russian security forces of carrying out the assassinations of former Chechen separatists.
In February, he created his own YouTube channel, posting 30 videos, with the last one uploaded on July 2. Some of the videos included audio recordings of what Umarov said were officials discussing assassination plots.
Most of his videos, which are in the Chechen language, end with insulting remarks about Kadyrov, his family, and his associates.
In the interview with RFE/RL, Umarova confirmed Austrian news reports that Umarov had been an informant for Austrian security agencies for some years. And she hoped that the phone in police investigators' custody would help focus the investigation.
"It contains a lot of information, evidence," she said. "Thanks to this, very soon, many people will find themselves in the dock."
She said that in 2009, four years after Umarov first arrived in Austria, and two years after he received political asylum, he was shaken by a series of killings, including the shooting of one of Kadyrov's former bodyguards, Umar Israilov, in Austria. A brother of Umarov and two of his in-laws were killed during this time in Chechnya.
That prompted him to begin cooperating with Austrian law enforcement, Umarova said, a move that ostracized him from the wider Chechen expatriate community, where many considered him a traitor.
Umarova said the Austrian authorities had offered her husband police protection, but he declined.
That same year, the couple's six children were taken into protective custody by Austrian social-welfare workers, who feared they were in danger, she said. Three of the children have since been reunited with her.
In 2017, Umarov was among 22 Chechens who were arrested on weapons charges in Vienna. Austrian media also reported he was suspected in an extortion and insurance-fraud case involving a blown-up pizzeria. He served two years in prison until late summer 2019, when he was conditionally released.
Umarova said she and her family have been under police protection since the murder, and that she, like Umarov, blamed the Austrian authorities for not doing more to protect Chechen refugees like Israilov.
"He could not understand why they allowed Israilov's murder. They knew the killers were inside the country, knew about the looming danger, but did nothing to prevent it," she told RFE/RL.
"I also have a big complaint to the authorities: why didn't they save my husband?" Umarova said. "They are no less guilty of killing him."
The day before Umarova spoke to RFE/RL, a group of men who identified themselves as members of Umarov's extended family posted a video on YouTube saying they "had to stop" Umarov from making "unforgivable insults," which they suggested violated Chechen social norms.
The relatives apologized to Kadyrov and "repented before all Chechens for the unforgivable insults he had inflicted on the whole people."
The circumstances of the video's appearance were not immediately clear. In the past, people who have criticized Chechnya's leadership, or relatives of those accused of crimes in Chechnya, have been forced to make public apologies.
In 2016, a social worker who accused Kadyrov of overseeing endemic corruption was publicly upbraided by the Chechen leader on state TV. And relatives of people accused of crimes are often pressured to take responsibility, or apologize or even denounce other relatives, as a way to protect family honor under Chechen traditions.
Collective punishment, where an entire family is punished for alleged crimes of one member is also common, according to human rights groups.
Attacks Across Europe
The attack on Umarov was the fourth in the past year involving men who were known critics of Kadyrov or had fought against Russian forces during the Chechen wars of the 1990s and 2000s.
Last August, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist fighter who had fled from Georgia to Germany, was shot dead in Berlin. German prosecutors have filed murder charges against a Russian national in that case and accused the Russian government of ordering the killing.
In January, a blogger named Imran Aliyev was found in the French city of Lille with scores of stab wounds. Prosecutors have identified a Russian-born man who returned to Chechnya following the killing as the prime suspect in that case.
In February, a blogger named Tumso Abdurakhmanov was attacked in Sweden, but he said he overpowered his alleged attacker and turned him over to the authorities. That case remains under investigation.
The previous March, the head of the Chechen parliament had declared a blood feud against Abdurakhmanov.
Kadyrov has ruled Chechnya since 2007. A former Chechen militant who fought against Russian forces in the first Chechen war, Kadyrov has been accused by Russian and international rights activists of numerous human rights violations, including torture, kidnapping, disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and the assassination of personal and political enemies both in Russia and abroad.
With reporting by RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service


rferl--2020-07-24--Jailed Rights Activist Askarov Transferred To Different Kyrgyz Prison Amid Reports Of Poor Health

BISHKEK -- Azimjan Askarov , a well-known ethnic Uzbek human rights activist sentenced to life in prison on charges rights groups describe as trumped-up , has been transferred to a different Kyrgyz penitentiary amid reports about an abrupt worsening of his health .
The chairwoman of Kyrgyzstan 's One World-Kyrgyzstan human rights organization , Tolekan Ismailova , told RFE/RL on July 24 that an ambulance brought Askarov to a detention center in the Central Asian state 's capital , Bishkek , that is better equipped to administer medical services .
According to Ismailova , Askarov will be examined by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be made if he is to stay at the detention center for further treatment or returned back to his cell in the detention center where he has served several years of his life sentence .
In recent days , Askarov 's lawyer , Valeryan Vakhitov , and the human rights organization Front Line Defenders have raised concerns over Askarov 's health , saying the 69-year-old activist is in very poor condition amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Kyrgyzstan .
Askarov , who also contributed to independent news websites , has been behind bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court sentenced him to life in prison after finding him guilty of creating a mass disturbance and involvement in the murder of a police officer during deadly ethnic clashes between local Uzbeks and Kyrgyz .
In May , Human Rights Watch said Askarov `` suffers from cardiac and respiratory conditions and has not received appropriate medical attention in prison . ''
It also warned that he was at high risk of contracting COVID-19 , a disease that disproportionately affects older people and individuals with underlying illnesses .
Ismailova said at the time that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- at high risk due to his declining health and having endured torture -- losing hope for a fair trial and release . ''
More than 450 people , mainly ethnic Uzbeks , were killed and tens of thousands more were displaced during the violence .
The UN Human Rights Committee has found that Askarov was arbitrarily detained , denied a fair trial , and tortured , and ruled the activist should be released immediately and his conviction quashed .
However , Askarov 's conviction was upheld after several appeals .

BISHKEK -- Azimjan Askarov, a well-known ethnic Uzbek human rights activist sentenced to life in prison on charges rights groups describe as trumped-up, has been transferred to a different Kyrgyz penitentiary amid reports about an abrupt worsening of his health.
The chairwoman of Kyrgyzstan's One World-Kyrgyzstan human rights organization, Tolekan Ismailova, told RFE/RL on July 24 that an ambulance brought Askarov to a detention center in the Central Asian state's capital, Bishkek, that is better equipped to administer medical services.
According to Ismailova, Askarov will be examined by the facility's medical personnel and a decision will be made if he is to stay at the detention center for further treatment or returned back to his cell in the detention center where he has served several years of his life sentence.
In recent days, Askarov's lawyer, Valeryan Vakhitov, and the human rights organization Front Line Defenders have raised concerns over Askarov's health, saying the 69-year-old activist is in very poor condition amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Kyrgyzstan.
Askarov, who also contributed to independent news websites, has been behind bars for almost a decade after a Kyrgyz court sentenced him to life in prison after finding him guilty of creating a mass disturbance and involvement in the murder of a police officer during deadly ethnic clashes between local Uzbeks and Kyrgyz.
In May, Human Rights Watch said Askarov "suffers from cardiac and respiratory conditions and has not received appropriate medical attention in prison." It also warned that he was at high risk of contracting COVID-19, a disease that disproportionately affects older people and individuals with underlying illnesses.
Ismailova said at the time that it was "heartbreaking to see him -- at high risk due to his declining health and having endured torture -- losing hope for a fair trial and release."
More than 450 people, mainly ethnic Uzbeks, were killed and tens of thousands more were displaced during the violence.
The UN Human Rights Committee has found that Askarov was arbitrarily detained, denied a fair trial, and tortured, and ruled the activist should be released immediately and his conviction quashed.
However, Askarov's conviction was upheld after several appeals.


rferl--2020-07-24--Russian Far East Rallies Continue As Protesters Denounce Putin, New Governor

KHABAROVSK , Russia -- Hundreds of supporters of the arrested former governor of Russia 's Far Eastern Khabarovsk region , Sergei Furgal , have rallied for the 14th straight day , demanding the resignation of President Vladimir Putin and denouncing the Putin-appointed acting governor of the restive region .
The demonstrators gathered on the central square in the regional capital , Khabarovsk , on July 24 , chanting `` Putin must resign '' and `` Bring Furgal back . ''
The protesters said they plan a much bigger protest on July 25 .
Police were present at the rally but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their way across the city chanting slogans denouncing the newly appointed acting governor of the region , Mikhail Degtyaryov .
Degtyaryov , who was appointed by Putin on July 20 , wrote on Instagram on July 24 that he was following the protests via surveillance cameras .
Degtyaryov on his Instagram account asked Khabarovsk residents to keep social distancing during the rallies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and warned that authorities might tighten coronavirus restrictions .
He called on the people not to rally on the weekend and to spend time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and with relatives .
The day before , Degtyaryov said the ongoing rallies were organized by unspecified `` foreigners . ''
He said earlier that he would not meet with the protesters .
Putin fired Furgal on July 20 before appointing Degtyaryov to the post .
Both are members of Vladimir Zhirinovsky 's nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia ( LDPR ) .
On July 21 , two local lawmakers , Pyotr Yemelyanov and Aleksandr Kayan , quit the LDPR to protest Furgal 's dismissal .
Furgal , who was arrested in Khabarovsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has been charged with attempted murder and with ordering two murders in 2004-05 .
He denies the allegations .
Furgal was elected governor of the Khabarovsk region , which borders China , almost two years ago in an upset over the longtime incumbent , who represented the ruling United Russia party .
The Khabarovsk rallies have attracted thousands of people on the weekends and are the largest protests in the city since the fall of the Soviet Union .

KHABAROVSK, Russia -- Hundreds of supporters of the arrested former governor of Russia's Far Eastern Khabarovsk region, Sergei Furgal, have rallied for the 14th straight day, demanding the resignation of President Vladimir Putin and denouncing the Putin-appointed acting governor of the restive region.
The demonstrators gathered on the central square in the regional capital, Khabarovsk, on July 24, chanting "Putin must resign" and "Bring Furgal back."
The protesters said they plan a much bigger protest on July 25.
Police were present at the rally but did not interfere as the protesters made their way across the city chanting slogans denouncing the newly appointed acting governor of the region, Mikhail Degtyaryov.
Degtyaryov, who was appointed by Putin on July 20, wrote on Instagram on July 24 that he was following the protests via surveillance cameras.
Degtyaryov on his Instagram account asked Khabarovsk residents to keep social distancing during the rallies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and warned that authorities might tighten coronavirus restrictions.
He called on the people not to rally on the weekend and to spend time "properly" at their summer houses and with relatives.
The day before, Degtyaryov said the ongoing rallies were organized by unspecified "foreigners."
He said earlier that he would not meet with the protesters.
Putin fired Furgal on July 20 before appointing Degtyaryov to the post. Both are members of Vladimir Zhirinovsky's nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR).
On July 21, two local lawmakers, Pyotr Yemelyanov and Aleksandr Kayan, quit the LDPR to protest Furgal's dismissal.
Furgal, who was arrested in Khabarovsk on July 9 and transferred to Moscow, has been charged with attempted murder and with ordering two murders in 2004-05. He denies the allegations.
Furgal was elected governor of the Khabarovsk region, which borders China, almost two years ago in an upset over the longtime incumbent, who represented the ruling United Russia party.
The Khabarovsk rallies have attracted thousands of people on the weekends and are the largest protests in the city since the fall of the Soviet Union.


rferl--2020-07-24--Former Kyrgyz Diplomat Implicated In Customs-Fraud Case Freed From Custody

BISHKEK -- A former Kyrgyz diplomat mentioned in investigations into the high-profile killing in Istanbul of a Chinese citizen of Uyghur origin , whose statements to reporters led to a corruption scandal that shook the country in November , has been fined and released from custody .
A spokeswoman for Bishkek 's Birinchi Mai district court , Aizada Momunova , told RFE/RL on July 24 that the former consul-general in Istanbul , Erkin Sopokov , was ordered to pay 300,000 soms ( $ 3,920 ) but given no jail time when the verdict and sentence were announced on July 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sopokov 's verdict and sentence at the time .
The court 's website said on July 24 that Sopokov made a deal with investigators and pleaded guilty to abuse of office and illegal enrichment .
No more details were provided .
Sopokov was fired from his post in Istanbul and arrested following the assassination of Aierken Saimaiti , a Chinese national of Uyghur ethnicity , who was shot dead at an Istanbul cafe in November .
Investigators revealed that Saimaiti used a vehicle with diplomatic license plates that belonged to Sopokov .
Sopokov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rover to Saimaiti and other individuals , illegally earning $ 200,000 and misusing government-provided benefits .
Kyrgyzstan 's State Committee for National Security ( UKMK ) has said that Sopokov may have been involved in wider corruption activities revealed by Saimaiti to RFE/RL 's Kyrgyz Service and the Kyrgyz news site Kloop , who used the data in an investigation titled Plunder And Patronage In The Heart Of Central Asia .
The investigation implicated former State Customs Agency Deputy Chairman Raimbek Matraimov in a corruption scheme involving hundreds of millions of dollars transferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , the UKMK claimed reporters with RFE/RL had received money from Saimaiti , who served as the journalists ' source in the joint investigation .
RFE/RL strongly rejected the allegation , calling them `` the latest attempt in a long-standing campaign of retaliation against journalists by corrupt individuals seeking to protect their wealth and power . ''
Matraimov and his family have denied any links to Saimaiti or corruption in the customs service , and filed a libel suit over the investigation .
RFE/RL staff have received death threats in connection with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kyrgyzstan following its publication in November .
Last month , lawmakers approved the findings of a parliamentary commission that concluded Kyrgyzstan was not involved in the alleged money laundering uncovered in the joint journalistic investigation .

BISHKEK -- A former Kyrgyz diplomat mentioned in investigations into the high-profile killing in Istanbul of a Chinese citizen of Uyghur origin, whose statements to reporters led to a corruption scandal that shook the country in November, has been fined and released from custody.
A spokeswoman for Bishkek's Birinchi Mai district court, Aizada Momunova, told RFE/RL on July 24 that the former consul-general in Istanbul, Erkin Sopokov, was ordered to pay 300,000 soms ($3,920) but given no jail time when the verdict and sentence were announced on July 10.
There was no official announcement about Sopokov's verdict and sentence at the time.
The court's website said on July 24 that Sopokov made a deal with investigators and pleaded guilty to abuse of office and illegal enrichment. No more details were provided.
Sopokov was fired from his post in Istanbul and arrested following the assassination of Aierken Saimaiti, a Chinese national of Uyghur ethnicity, who was shot dead at an Istanbul cafe in November.
Investigators revealed that Saimaiti used a vehicle with diplomatic license plates that belonged to Sopokov.
Sopokov was accused of illegally lending his Range Rover to Saimaiti and other individuals, illegally earning $200,000 and misusing government-provided benefits.
Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) has said that Sopokov may have been involved in wider corruption activities revealed by Saimaiti to RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service and the Kyrgyz news site Kloop, who used the data in an investigation titled Plunder And Patronage In The Heart Of Central Asia.
The investigation implicated former State Customs Agency Deputy Chairman Raimbek Matraimov in a corruption scheme involving hundreds of millions of dollars transferred out of the country.
Earlier in June, the UKMK claimed reporters with RFE/RL had received money from Saimaiti, who served as the journalists' source in the joint investigation.
RFE/RL strongly rejected the allegation, calling them "the latest attempt in a long-standing campaign of retaliation against journalists by corrupt individuals seeking to protect their wealth and power."
Matraimov and his family have denied any links to Saimaiti or corruption in the customs service, and filed a libel suit over the investigation.
RFE/RL staff have received death threats in connection with the publication, which triggered street protests in Kyrgyzstan following its publication in November.
Last month, lawmakers approved the findings of a parliamentary commission that concluded Kyrgyzstan was not involved in the alleged money laundering uncovered in the joint journalistic investigation.