rferl--2020-09-03--Azerbaijani Opposition Politician Sentenced To Over Four Years In Prison On 'Hooliganism' Charge

BAKU -- An opposition politician in Azerbaijan has been sentenced to more than four years in prison on a hooliganism charge which he and his supporters call `` bogus . ''
A court in Baku on September 3 found Tofiq Yaqublu , deputy chairman of the opposition Musavat Party and a senior politician in the National Council of Democratic Forces , guilty and sentenced him to 4 years and three months in prison .
A day earlier , Yaqublu started a hunger strike after Judge Nariman Mehdiyev deprived the politician of his last statement in court .
In the statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being halted by the judge , he questioned the legality of the case against him , calling it politically motivated .
Yaqublu was arrested in March after a car hit his vehicle in Baku and the driver of this car started heated debates with the politician .
Investigators accused Yaqublu of `` using a wrench to conduct an act of hooliganism '' against the driver , which the politician has denied .
Yaqublu and human rights groups say the car accident most likely was staged to be used for the `` bogus '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev .
Critics of Aliyev 's government say authorities in the oil-rich Caspian Sea state frequently seek to silence dissent by jailing opposition activists , journalists , and civil-society advocates on trumped-up charges .
Aliyev has ruled Azerbaijan since 2003 , taking over from his father , Heydar Aliyev , who served as president for a decade .

BAKU -- An opposition politician in Azerbaijan has been sentenced to more than four years in prison on a hooliganism charge which he and his supporters call "bogus."
A court in Baku on September 3 found Tofiq Yaqublu, deputy chairman of the opposition Musavat Party and a senior politician in the National Council of Democratic Forces, guilty and sentenced him to 4 years and three months in prison.
A day earlier, Yaqublu started a hunger strike after Judge Nariman Mehdiyev deprived the politician of his last statement in court. In the statement, which Yaqublu began to read before being halted by the judge, he questioned the legality of the case against him, calling it politically motivated.
Yaqublu was arrested in March after a car hit his vehicle in Baku and the driver of this car started heated debates with the politician.
Investigators accused Yaqublu of "using a wrench to conduct an act of hooliganism" against the driver, which the politician has denied.
Yaqublu and human rights groups say the car accident most likely was staged to be used for the "bogus" case.
Yaqublu frequently criticizes the government and authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev.
Critics of Aliyev's government say authorities in the oil-rich Caspian Sea state frequently seek to silence dissent by jailing opposition activists, journalists, and civil-society advocates on trumped-up charges.
Aliyev has ruled Azerbaijan since 2003, taking over from his father, Heydar Aliyev, who served as president for a decade.


rferl--2020-09-03--Tajikistan's Ruling Party Officially Nominates President Rahmon To Run For Sixth Term

DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan 's ruling People 's Democratic Party has officially nominated President Emomali Rahmon , already the longest-serving leader in the former Soviet Union , to run for another term .
Rahmon was not present at the party 's September 3 congress when the decision to nominate the 67-yar-old incumbent for the October 11 election was made .
According to government officials , Rahmon was not present because he was taking part in ceremonies devoted to the 25th anniversary of the National Guard .
Independent journalists were not allowed to attend the congress .
The Federation of Independent Trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Youth nominated Rahmon to run for the presidency .
There has been speculation that Rahmon , who has been president since 1992 , would bow out to clear the way for his son , Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali , to run for the presidency .
Once his candidacy is formally registered , Rahmon will join five other candidates who have entered the race .
Many in the tightly-controlled former Soviet republic expect that Rahmon will be announced the winner again .
In Tajikistan 's last presidential election , in 2013 , Rahmon was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of the vote .
None of Tajikistan 's five presidential elections won by Rahmon has been deemed free and fair by Western election observers .

DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan's ruling People's Democratic Party has officially nominated President Emomali Rahmon, already the longest-serving leader in the former Soviet Union, to run for another term.
Rahmon was not present at the party's September 3 congress when the decision to nominate the 67-yar-old incumbent for the October 11 election was made.
According to government officials, Rahmon was not present because he was taking part in ceremonies devoted to the 25th anniversary of the National Guard.
Independent journalists were not allowed to attend the congress.
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions and the Union of Tajikistan's Youth nominated Rahmon to run for the presidency.
There has been speculation that Rahmon, who has been president since 1992, would bow out to clear the way for his son, Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali, to run for the presidency.
Once his candidacy is formally registered, Rahmon will join five other candidates who have entered the race.
Many in the tightly-controlled former Soviet republic expect that Rahmon will be announced the winner again.
In Tajikistan's last presidential election, in 2013, Rahmon was reelected by a landslide, with 84 percent of the vote.
None of Tajikistan's five presidential elections won by Rahmon has been deemed free and fair by Western election observers.


rferl--2020-09-03--Roadside Bombing In Northwestern Pakistan Kills Three Soldiers

A Pakistani official says a roadside explosion in the northwestern South Waziristan tribal district has left three soldiers dead and another wounded .
District police officer Shaukat Ali told RFE/RL that the soldiers were on a routine patrol on September 2 when the explosion hit the vehicle they were traveling in .
Ali said four soldiers were initially injured but three of the them later died in hospital , including a lieutenant .
The fourth wounded soldier was in critical condition , according to the police officer .
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the blast .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and another four wounded in an ambush in the Ladha area of South Waziristan .
That attack was claimed by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan ( TTP ) , also known as the Pakistani Taliban .
On August 31 , the militant group claimed an ambush in the Ladha area of South Waziristan in which four soldiers were killed and another four wounded .
South Waziristan , located near the Afghan border , had served as a militant base until recent years until Pakistan said operations there had cleared the area of the Taliban and other @ @ @

A Pakistani official says a roadside explosion in the northwestern South Waziristan tribal district has left three soldiers dead and another wounded.
District police officer Shaukat Ali told RFE/RL that the soldiers were on a routine patrol on September 2 when the explosion hit the vehicle they were traveling in.
Ali said four soldiers were initially injured but three of the them later died in hospital, including a lieutenant.
The fourth wounded soldier was in critical condition, according to the police officer.
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the blast.
On August 31, four soldiers were killed and another four wounded in an ambush in the Ladha area of South Waziristan.
That attack was claimed by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.
On August 31, the militant group claimed an ambush in the Ladha area of South Waziristan in which four soldiers were killed and another four wounded.
South Waziristan, located near the Afghan border, had served as a militant base until recent years until Pakistan said operations there had cleared the area of the Taliban and other militant groups.


rferl--2020-09-03--Prosecutor Seeks 11 Years For Russian Actor And Kremlin Critic For Deadly Accident

The prosecutor in the high-profile trial of Russian actor Mikhail Yefremov , an outspoken Kremlin critic who is charged with killing a person while driving under the influence of alcohol , has asked the court to sentence him to 11 years in prison .
Prosecutor Diana Galiullina made the request at Moscow ’ s Presnensky district court on September 3 after Yefremov admitted he was guilty .
`` I have a statement to make .
Your honor , I plead guilty , '' Yefremov said .
Since the trial started on August 5 , Yefremov had pleaded not guilty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that took place in the evening of June 8 .
The prosecutor at the trial stated on September 3 that Yefremov 's guilt had been proven by testimony from police and witnesses .
Three witnesses testified that Yefremov was not alone in his car when it hit another vehicle in June , one of whom said Yefremov was not driving his SUV , while one testified that Yefremov came out of the car from the passenger side after the collision .
If convicted , Yefremov , who in recent years has criticized the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 12 years in prison .
Police say Yefremov was inebriated when he drove his car at high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow on the evening of June 8 , hitting another car .
Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident , but the driver of the other vehicle , identified as 57-year-old Sergei Zakharov , was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later .
After Zakharov was pronounced dead , Yefremov was charged with `` causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house arrest .
Authorities later said that medical tests confirmed that Yefremov had traces of drugs , including cocaine , in his blood at the moment of the accident .
Performances by the 56-year-old Yefremov satirizing President Vladimir Putin and his policies have been very popular in recent years .
With reporting by TASS and RIA Novosti

The prosecutor in the high-profile trial of Russian actor Mikhail Yefremov, an outspoken Kremlin critic who is charged with killing a person while driving under the influence of alcohol, has asked the court to sentence him to 11 years in prison.
Prosecutor Diana Galiullina made the request at Moscow’s Presnensky district court on September 3 after Yefremov admitted he was guilty.
"I have a statement to make. Your honor, I plead guilty," Yefremov said.
Since the trial started on August 5, Yefremov had pleaded not guilty, insisting that he couldn't remember anything that took place in the evening of June 8.
The prosecutor at the trial stated on September 3 that Yefremov's guilt had been proven by testimony from police and witnesses.
Three witnesses testified that Yefremov was not alone in his car when it hit another vehicle in June, one of whom said Yefremov was not driving his SUV, while one testified that Yefremov came out of the car from the passenger side after the collision.
If convicted, Yefremov, who in recent years has criticized the Kremlin in his one-man performances, faces up to 12 years in prison.
Police say Yefremov was inebriated when he drove his car at high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow on the evening of June 8, hitting another car.
Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident, but the driver of the other vehicle, identified as 57-year-old Sergei Zakharov, was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later.
After Zakharov was pronounced dead, Yefremov was charged with "causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence" and later placed under house arrest.
Authorities later said that medical tests confirmed that Yefremov had traces of drugs, including cocaine, in his blood at the moment of the accident.
Performances by the 56-year-old Yefremov satirizing President Vladimir Putin and his policies have been very popular in recent years.
With reporting by TASS and RIA Novosti


rferl--2020-09-03--Belarus Looks To Deepen Ties With Russian Ally As Protest Pressure Mounts

MINSK -- Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin held talks in Belarus on September 3 as authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka pivots to Moscow to overcome weeks of protests and international isolation over an election widely viewed as rigged .
Unprecedented daily protests against Lukashenka since the August 9 vote are being closely watched in Russia , which for years has pushed for closer economic and political integration between the two ex-Soviet countries despite finding an often difficult and resistant partner in the Belarusian leader .
The protests and associated crackdown have also upended Lukashenka ’ s nascent rapprochement with the West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to balance ties with its much larger eastern neighbor .
Mishustin 's one-day visit to Minsk focused on economic and energy issues , the two sides said .
During a meeting with Lukashenka , Mishustin noted progress in strengthening the two countries ' union agreement envisaging close political , economic , and military ties .
The visit paves the way for a planned meeting between Lukashenka and Russian President Vladimir Putin within the next two weeks , officials have said .
Separately , Belarus 's Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin will visit Russia on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest the `` rigged '' results that gave Lukashenka more than 80 percent of the vote .
The protesters are calling on Lukashenka to step down after 26 years in power , release all political prisoners , and hold free and fair elections .
In response , Lukashenka has intensified a crackdown on protesters and mobilized the army , claiming NATO members are plotting a `` color revolution '' to topple him and planning to use Belarus as a geopolitical launching pad to undermine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although many , especially our neighbors , would like us to collapse , '' Lukashenka said after meeting with the Russian prime minister , referring to the European Union states bordering Belarus and ongoing protests .
`` This lesson should incentivize the two brotherly countries , Belarus and Russia , to draw relevant conclusions , '' he said .
`` And to reach agreements on many issues on which we previously could not agree.
” Analysts say Putin is struggling with the difficult balancing act of calculating whether Russia can extract demands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest in not isolating a Belarusian public and opposition that is so far not hostile to Russia .
Putin last week raised the possibility of sending military support if Belarus `` starts to get out of control ” and “ extremist elements in Belarus cross the line and begin acts of looting.
” George Kent , U.S. deputy assistant secretary overseeing policy toward Belarus at the State Department , said at a conference in Washington on September 2 that the United States and its allies would have a tough response if Russia intervenes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow thinks relations with the West the last few years have been bad , `` it can get worse . ''
Lukashenka 's government has `` lost all legitimacy in the eyes '' of the Belarusian people and it would be `` catastrophic '' for Russia 's image in Belarus to intervene militarily on his behalf , he said .
In response to Mishustin ’ s visit , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , the self-exiled presidential candidate who has become an unlikely leader of the Belarusian opposition , suggested any agreements between Lukashenka and Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be the subject of negotiations or bargaining .
I doubt that any decisions and agreements that can be signed by Lukashenka will be recognized by the new government .
The reason for this is known : the people have refused to trust Lukashenka , ” she said via her Telegram channel .
Tsikhanouskaya , who claims to have won 60 to 70 percent of the vote , has previously told RFE/RL that the Belarusian opposition has no issues with Russia and would like every country to respect its sovereignty and the will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 , the official BelTa news agency reported that Lukashenka has appointed new heads for the country ’ s KGB security service , the Security Council , and the State Control Committee .
Retaining the loyalty of the security forces , who have helped him crack down hard on dissent , is vital to Lukashenka maintaining control of the situation .
Thousands of people have been detained during protests after the election .
UN human rights investigators said on they had received reports of hundreds of cases of torture , beatings , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were detained at peaceful protests on September 3 , the Vyasna human right center said .
As authorities try to stifle the spread of information , they have revoked the accreditation of many Belarusian journalists and deported some foreign journalists .
Several Belarusian journalists were detained earlier this week and charged with taking part in unsanctioned protests .
Two popular TV anchors who resigned from state TV in solidarity with the protesters have also been detained .
One , BT TV presenter Dzmitry Kakhno , was sentenced on September 3 to 10 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unauthorized rally .
On the evening of September 3 , about 70 journalists demonstrated outside the Interior Ministry 's headquarters in Minsk , calling for the detained journalists to be released .
News also emerged that two members of the opposition Coordinating Council ’ s presidium will be tried again for allegedly violating the law on organizing mass events .
Volha Kovalkova and Syarhey Dyleuski , who is also a strike organizer , were to be released from detention on September 3 after serving 10 days in jail on a similar charge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its presidium , Lilia Vlasova , had been charged with tax evasion , according to Interfax .
The authorities also have launched a case against Viktar Kuvshinau , a manager of software company PandaDoc in Minsk , for alleged financial crimes , his wife said .
Kuvshinau had helped teachers who were members of the election commission and witnessed instances of fraud to file complaints to law enforcement agencies .
He also assisted those who had lost their job with finding a new post .
PandaDoc CEO Mikita Mikado has launched an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will leave the service .
With reporting by AFP , TASS , Interfax , AP , Reuters , and dpa

MINSK -- Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin held talks in Belarus on September 3 as authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka pivots to Moscow to overcome weeks of protests and international isolation over an election widely viewed as rigged.
Unprecedented daily protests against Lukashenka since the August 9 vote are being closely watched in Russia, which for years has pushed for closer economic and political integration between the two ex-Soviet countries despite finding an often difficult and resistant partner in the Belarusian leader.
The protests and associated crackdown have also upended Lukashenka’s nascent rapprochement with the West, which the Belarusian president had used to balance ties with its much larger eastern neighbor.
Mishustin's one-day visit to Minsk focused on economic and energy issues, the two sides said. During a meeting with Lukashenka, Mishustin noted progress in strengthening the two countries' union agreement envisaging close political, economic, and military ties.
The visit paves the way for a planned meeting between Lukashenka and Russian President Vladimir Putin within the next two weeks, officials have said. Separately, Belarus's Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin will visit Russia on September 4.
Hundreds of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest the "rigged" results that gave Lukashenka more than 80 percent of the vote. The protesters are calling on Lukashenka to step down after 26 years in power, release all political prisoners, and hold free and fair elections.
In response, Lukashenka has intensified a crackdown on protesters and mobilized the army, claiming NATO members are plotting a "color revolution" to topple him and planning to use Belarus as a geopolitical launching pad to undermine Russia.
"The country is working, although many, especially our neighbors, would like us to collapse," Lukashenka said after meeting with the Russian prime minister, referring to the European Union states bordering Belarus and ongoing protests.
"This lesson should incentivize the two brotherly countries, Belarus and Russia, to draw relevant conclusions," he said. "And to reach agreements on many issues on which we previously could not agree.”
Analysts say Putin is struggling with the difficult balancing act of calculating whether Russia can extract demands from an increasingly weak Lukashenka with its interest in not isolating a Belarusian public and opposition that is so far not hostile to Russia.
Putin last week raised the possibility of sending military support if Belarus "starts to get out of control” and “extremist elements in Belarus cross the line and begin acts of looting.”
George Kent, U.S. deputy assistant secretary overseeing policy toward Belarus at the State Department, said at a conference in Washington on September 2 that the United States and its allies would have a tough response if Russia intervenes in Belarus.
He said that if Moscow thinks relations with the West the last few years have been bad, "it can get worse."
Lukashenka's government has "lost all legitimacy in the eyes" of the Belarusian people and it would be "catastrophic" for Russia's image in Belarus to intervene militarily on his behalf, he said.
In response to Mishustin’s visit, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the self-exiled presidential candidate who has become an unlikely leader of the Belarusian opposition, suggested any agreements between Lukashenka and Russia would be void.
“Sovereignty cannot be the subject of negotiations or bargaining. I doubt that any decisions and agreements that can be signed by Lukashenka will be recognized by the new government. The reason for this is known: the people have refused to trust Lukashenka,” she said via her Telegram channel.
Tsikhanouskaya, who claims to have won 60 to 70 percent of the vote, has previously told RFE/RL that the Belarusian opposition has no issues with Russia and would like every country to respect its sovereignty and the will of the people.
Earlier on September 3, the official BelTa news agency reported that Lukashenka has appointed new heads for the country’s KGB security service, the Security Council, and the State Control Committee. Retaining the loyalty of the security forces, who have helped him crack down hard on dissent, is vital to Lukashenka maintaining control of the situation.
Thousands of people have been detained during protests after the election. UN human rights investigators said on they had received reports of hundreds of cases of torture, beatings, and mistreatment.
Meanwhile, another 10 people were detained at peaceful protests on September 3, the Vyasna human right center said.
As authorities try to stifle the spread of information, they have revoked the accreditation of many Belarusian journalists and deported some foreign journalists. Several Belarusian journalists were detained earlier this week and charged with taking part in unsanctioned protests.
Two popular TV anchors who resigned from state TV in solidarity with the protesters have also been detained. One, BT TV presenter Dzmitry Kakhno, was sentenced on September 3 to 10 days of administrative arrest for participating in an unauthorized rally.
On the evening of September 3, about 70 journalists demonstrated outside the Interior Ministry's headquarters in Minsk, calling for the detained journalists to be released.
News also emerged that two members of the opposition Coordinating Council’s presidium will be tried again for allegedly violating the law on organizing mass events. Volha Kovalkova and Syarhey Dyleuski, who is also a strike organizer, were to be released from detention on September 3 after serving 10 days in jail on a similar charge.
The Coordination Council said another detained member of its presidium, Lilia Vlasova, had been charged with tax evasion, according to Interfax.
The authorities also have launched a case against Viktar Kuvshinau, a manager of software company PandaDoc in Minsk, for alleged financial crimes, his wife said.
Kuvshinau had helped teachers who were members of the election commission and witnessed instances of fraud to file complaints to law enforcement agencies. He also assisted those who had lost their job with finding a new post.
PandaDoc CEO Mikita Mikado has launched an initiative to help law enforcement officers who will leave the service.
With reporting by AFP, TASS, Interfax, AP, Reuters, and dpa


rferl--2020-09-03--Pressure Grows For Merkel To Reconsider Germany-Russia Pipeline After Navalny Poisoning

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing growing pressure to toughen her stance toward Russia after her government announced that it had `` unequivocal evidence '' showing gravely ill Kremlin-critic Aleksei Navalny had been poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent .
German politicians and media are urging Merkel , in particular , to abandon the Nord Stream 2 project , an underwater Baltic Sea pipeline nearing completion that would bring gas from Russia to Germany .
`` Diplomatic rituals are no longer enough , '' Norbert Roettgen , the head of the German parliament 's foreign affairs committee , tweeted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Navalny we need a strong European answer which Putin understands : The EU should jointly decide to stop Nord Stream 2 , '' said Roettgen , a candidate to be the next leader of Merkel 's Christian Democratic Union party .
Meanwhile , the top-selling Bild daily issued an appeal to abandon the pipeline , saying that pursuing it was `` tantamount to us financing Putin 's next Novichok attack . ''
`` The apparent attempted murder by the mafia-like structures of the Kremlin can no longer just give us cause for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Green parliamentary group leader Katrin Goering-Eckardt said .
Russia faces a chorus of condemnation and calls to conduct a transparent investigation after a team of German specialists said they had found that a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group was used against Navalny , who is in intensive care in a Berlin ' hospital .
The Soviet-style poison is suspected of being used in other attempts to silence outspoken Kremlin opponents .
The latest condemnation came on September 3 from the European Council , which said in a statement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' on Navalny `` in the strongest possible terms '' and called for a joint international response .
Meanwhile , NATO 's press service said that the North Atlantic Council will hold a special meeting on September 4 to discuss the Navalny case .
Following the discussions in Brussels , Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will make a statement to the media , it said on September 3 .
The Kremlin on September 3 reiterated its stance that Russia should not be blamed for Navalny 's condition .
`` We would not want our partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rush to some sort of judgement , '' Dmitry Peskov , President Vladimir Putin 's spokesman , told reporters .
“ There is no reason to accuse the Russian state . ''
Merkel said that Germany has notified its EU and NATO partners about Navalny ’ s “ attempted murder by poisoning ” in order to decide on `` an appropriate , joint reaction . ''
She said there are now `` some very serious questions that only Russia can , and must , answer . ''
Merkel added that any German or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Russia helps clear up the case .
Last week , the German chancellor rejected the idea that the Navalny case should be linked to Nord Stream 2 , a project that has drawn the ire of the United States and some European partners .
NATO , Britain , France , Italy , Canada , the United States , and other countries have called for an investigation and threatened a joint response .
European Commission spokesman Peter Stano urged Russia to carry out an independent probe to bring any perpetrators to justice and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow 's next steps .
`` We want to see a credible , through investigation that brings clear answers to all questions , '' Stano said , adding : `` It 's difficult to speak about punishment if you do n't have [ those ] responsible at this stage . ''
In The Hague , the head of the world chemical weapons watchdog expressed `` grave concern '' over Navalny ’ s case and said it was ready to help any member country that asked for its assistance .
`` States party to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances as reprehensible and wholly contrary to the legal norms established by the international community , '' said Fernando Arias , the director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) .
The European Council statement called on Russia to cooperate with the OPCW to ensure an impartial international investigation .
It also said the use of chemical weapons was `` completely unacceptable under any circumstances '' and violates international law and international human rights standards .
The U.S. National Security Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said Washington would work with allies `` to hold those in Russia accountable , wherever the evidence leads , and restrict funds for their malign activities . ''
In Congress , lawmakers called on the Trump administration to impose congressionally mandated sanctions on Russia .
`` The president of the United States must coordinate a strong international response to this latest aggression along with our partners and allies , '' said Democratic Senator Bob Menendez , the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee .
Peskov said on September 3 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cause of what happened '' to the Kremlin foe , and reiterated that Germany should officially present its findings to Russia .
`` So far we have received no information , '' he said .
Navalny ’ s poisoning has echoes with the case of former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the British city of Salisbury .
A British investigation determined that the Skripals had been poisoned with Novichok and alleged that the attack was carried out by Russian state agents .
The British government expelled 23 Russian diplomats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation into the Skripal poisoning .
The United States and other European states expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in a coordinated response .
Navalny , 44 , fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20 , forcing the plane he was traveling on to make an emergency landing in Omsk , where he spent two days in hospital before being evacuated to Germany .
He is in a medically induced coma in an intensive-care unit at Charite Hospital in Berlin and is on a respirator .
Navalny , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past , was visiting the Siberian cities of Novosibirsk and Tomsk for his latest investigation into government corruption before he fell ill. Navalny 's team published the results of their Siberian investigation on August 31 , claiming that 18 out of 50 lawmakers in Novosibirsk were owners or represent owners of construction companies .
From the beginning , allies of Navalny have said that the Russian state was behind the poisoning .
Russia has previously refused to conduct a criminal investigation into the allegation that Navalny was poisoned , saying that no hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Omsk initially said they did not find any evidence of poisoning in Navalny .
The doctors updated their findings on September 2 , saying the activist had carbohydrate metabolism complications and pancreatitis .
With reporting by AFP , dpa , AP , and Reuters

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing growing pressure to toughen her stance toward Russia after her government announced that it had "unequivocal evidence" showing gravely ill Kremlin-critic Aleksei Navalny had been poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent.
German politicians and media are urging Merkel, in particular, to abandon the Nord Stream 2 project, an underwater Baltic Sea pipeline nearing completion that would bring gas from Russia to Germany.
"Diplomatic rituals are no longer enough," Norbert Roettgen, the head of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee, tweeted on September 2.
"After the poisoning of Navalny we need a strong European answer which Putin understands: The EU should jointly decide to stop Nord Stream 2," said Roettgen, a candidate to be the next leader of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party.
Meanwhile, the top-selling Bild daily issued an appeal to abandon the pipeline, saying that pursuing it was "tantamount to us financing Putin's next Novichok attack."
"The apparent attempted murder by the mafia-like structures of the Kremlin can no longer just give us cause for concern, it must have real consequences,” Green parliamentary group leader Katrin Goering-Eckardt said.
Chorus Of Condemnation
Russia faces a chorus of condemnation and calls to conduct a transparent investigation after a team of German specialists said they had found that a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group was used against Navalny, who is in intensive care in a Berlin' hospital. The Soviet-style poison is suspected of being used in other attempts to silence outspoken Kremlin opponents.
The latest condemnation came on September 3 from the European Council, which said in a statement that the EU condemns the "assassination attempt" on Navalny "in the strongest possible terms" and called for a joint international response.
Meanwhile, NATO's press service said that the North Atlantic Council will hold a special meeting on September 4 to discuss the Navalny case. Following the discussions in Brussels, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will make a statement to the media, it said on September 3.
The Kremlin on September 3 reiterated its stance that Russia should not be blamed for Navalny's condition.
"We would not want our partners in Germany and other European countries to rush to some sort of judgement," Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, told reporters.
“There is no reason to accuse the Russian state."
Merkel said that Germany has notified its EU and NATO partners about Navalny’s “attempted murder by poisoning” in order to decide on "an appropriate, joint reaction."
She said there are now "some very serious questions that only Russia can, and must, answer."
Merkel added that any German or European response to the poisoning depends on whether Russia helps clear up the case.
Last week, the German chancellor rejected the idea that the Navalny case should be linked to Nord Stream 2, a project that has drawn the ire of the United States and some European partners.
NATO, Britain, France, Italy, Canada, the United States, and other countries have called for an investigation and threatened a joint response.
European Commission spokesman Peter Stano urged Russia to carry out an independent probe to bring any perpetrators to justice and that the bloc would react based on Moscow's next steps.
"We want to see a credible, through investigation that brings clear answers to all questions," Stano said, adding: "It's difficult to speak about punishment if you don't have [those] responsible at this stage."
In The Hague, the head of the world chemical weapons watchdog expressed "grave concern" over Navalny’s case and said it was ready to help any member country that asked for its assistance.
"States party to the Chemical Weapons Convention deem the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances as reprehensible and wholly contrary to the legal norms established by the international community," said Fernando Arias, the director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The European Council statement called on Russia to cooperate with the OPCW to ensure an impartial international investigation. It also said the use of chemical weapons was "completely unacceptable under any circumstances" and violates international law and international human rights standards.
The U.S. National Security Council called the poisoning "completely reprehensible" and said Washington would work with allies "to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and restrict funds for their malign activities."
In Congress, lawmakers called on the Trump administration to impose congressionally mandated sanctions on Russia.
"The president of the United States must coordinate a strong international response to this latest aggression along with our partners and allies," said Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Peskov said on September 3 that Moscow was "undoubtedly interested in determining the cause of what happened" to the Kremlin foe, and reiterated that Germany should officially present its findings to Russia.
"So far we have received no information," he said.
Navalny’s poisoning has echoes with the case of former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the British city of Salisbury. A British investigation determined that the Skripals had been poisoned with Novichok and alleged that the attack was carried out by Russian state agents.
The British government expelled 23 Russian diplomats after Moscow refused to cooperate with an investigation into the Skripal poisoning. The United States and other European states expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in a coordinated response.
Infographic: A Timeline Of Russian Poisoning Cases
Navalny, 44, fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20, forcing the plane he was traveling on to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where he spent two days in hospital before being evacuated to Germany. He is in a medically induced coma in an intensive-care unit at Charite Hospital in Berlin and is on a respirator.
Navalny, who has been attacked several times in the past, was visiting the Siberian cities of Novosibirsk and Tomsk for his latest investigation into government corruption before he fell ill.
Navalny's team published the results of their Siberian investigation on August 31, claiming that 18 out of 50 lawmakers in Novosibirsk were owners or represent owners of construction companies.
From the beginning, allies of Navalny have said that the Russian state was behind the poisoning.
Russia has previously refused to conduct a criminal investigation into the allegation that Navalny was poisoned, saying that no hard evidence had been found.
Russian doctors in Omsk initially said they did not find any evidence of poisoning in Navalny. The doctors updated their findings on September 2, saying the activist had carbohydrate metabolism complications and pancreatitis.
With reporting by AFP, dpa, AP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-09-04--Belarusian Diplomat Who Resigned After Backing Protests Says People Tired Of Being Ignored

A Belarusian diplomat who resigned after he openly supported ongoing protests against official results of the August 9 presidential poll that handed victory to incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka says the uprising occurred for the simple reason that people are tired of having their votes `` ignored . ''
Ihar Lyashchenya resigned as the ambassador to Slovakia on August 18 , two days after he publicly supported the anti-Lukashenka rallies across Belarus .
Lyashchenya , who is currently back in Minsk , told Current Time on September 4 that the situation in Belarus was `` specific , '' as the Belarusian `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they were ready to vote for any '' candidates opposing Lukashenka .
Protesters in Belarus insist that the official results -- which gave Lukashenka just over 80 percent of the vote -- were rigged and that Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who is currently in Lithuania , in fact won the election .
`` People were voting for candidates without knowing their programs .
Tsikhanouskaya 's program was ' I will organize a new election . '
That was it .
And , of course , there were no clear leaders , '' Lyashchenya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheating , against the fact that their votes were ignored .
People were angry with lawlessness , '' he added .
`` We are talking about people 's demands for basic political freedoms . ''
Lyashchenya also expressed hope that Lukashenka , who has garnered the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid domestic and international pressure over the crackdown on protests , `` will not sign some far-reaching '' deals with the Kremlin .
Lukashenka , who has run the country since 1994 , for many years managed to skillfully maneuver between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese influence and investment in recent years as a buffer to Russian influence .
The postelection protests came amid a period of heightened tensions between Minsk and Moscow over Russian loans , subsidized energy , and Kremlin efforts to further integrate Belarus through a union-state treaty signed in the 1990s .
While Putin did congratulate Lukashenka on a `` victory '' at the polls , his statement implied conditions for Russian support , and Moscow is looking for ways to gain leverage over a weakened Lukashenka who is desperate for help .
Lyashchenya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agenda of the Lukashenka-Putin deal most likely includes nothing more than `` political support , some sort of economic support , maybe , some preferences in the current circumstances . ''
Lyashchenya added that he decided to return to Belarus , although Slovakia 's government was open to offering him political asylum .
`` My children , my parents are in Belarus and I must be in Belarus .
That is why I returned , '' Lyashchenya said from his summer house near Minsk via Skype .

A Belarusian diplomat who resigned after he openly supported ongoing protests against official results of the August 9 presidential poll that handed victory to incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka says the uprising occurred for the simple reason that people are tired of having their votes "ignored."
Ihar Lyashchenya resigned as the ambassador to Slovakia on August 18, two days after he publicly supported the anti-Lukashenka rallies across Belarus.
Lyashchenya, who is currently back in Minsk, told Current Time on September 4 that the situation in Belarus was "specific," as the Belarusian "people have been brought to a state where they were ready to vote for any" candidates opposing Lukashenka.
Protesters in Belarus insist that the official results -- which gave Lukashenka just over 80 percent of the vote -- were rigged and that Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is currently in Lithuania, in fact won the election.
"People were voting for candidates without knowing their programs. Tsikhanouskaya's program was 'I will organize a new election.' That was it. And, of course, there were no clear leaders," Lyashchenya said.
"People were against the cheating, against the fact that their votes were ignored. People were angry with lawlessness," he added. "We are talking about people's demands for basic political freedoms."
Lyashchenya also expressed hope that Lukashenka, who has garnered the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid domestic and international pressure over the crackdown on protests, "will not sign some far-reaching" deals with the Kremlin.
Lukashenka, who has run the country since 1994, for many years managed to skillfully maneuver between Moscow and the West, also welcoming Chinese influence and investment in recent years as a buffer to Russian influence.
The postelection protests came amid a period of heightened tensions between Minsk and Moscow over Russian loans, subsidized energy, and Kremlin efforts to further integrate Belarus through a union-state treaty signed in the 1990s.
While Putin did congratulate Lukashenka on a "victory" at the polls, his statement implied conditions for Russian support, and Moscow is looking for ways to gain leverage over a weakened Lukashenka who is desperate for help.
Lyashchenya told Current Time that he thinks that the agenda of the Lukashenka-Putin deal most likely includes nothing more than "political support, some sort of economic support, maybe, some preferences in the current circumstances."
Lyashchenya added that he decided to return to Belarus, although Slovakia's government was open to offering him political asylum.
"My children, my parents are in Belarus and I must be in Belarus. That is why I returned," Lyashchenya said from his summer house near Minsk via Skype.


rferl--2020-09-04--Hospitals Overwhelmed In 'Coronavirus-Free' Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT -- Hospitals are being inundated with patients showing acute COVID-19 symptoms in Turkmenistan , the only country in Central Asia where no coronavirus cases have been officially registered .
RFE/RL correspondents in the tightly controlled country said medical personnel at hospitals in the Turkmen capital , Ashgabat , said on September 3 that the situation had been worsening over the past three weeks and that the number of fatalities had been on the rise as well .
In a sign of the deteriorating situation , medical personnel complained that they were being forced against their will to work in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay from their own pockets for personal protection equipment .
In some cases , experienced nurses said they were barred from leaving quarantine zones for more than two months .
Turkmenistan 's government still clings to its narrative that the country has no cases of coronavirus -- even though practically no one believes the claim .
Many people say they prefer to stay home for treatment , fearing that they may be infected with the coronavirus while staying at hospitals that are overwhelmed with patients with COVID-19 symptoms .
The bodies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diseases are being delivered to their relatives in special plastic bags and the number of fresh graves across the country is increasing exponentially .
The World Health Organization on August 7 expressed concerns over the increase of atypical pneumonia cases in Turkmenistan and called on Ashgabat to allow it to organize independent coronavirus tests in the country .

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 879,000, with more than 26 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Turkmenistan
Hospitals are being inundated with patients showing acute COVID-19 symptoms in Turkmenistan, the only country in Central Asia where no coronavirus cases have been officially registered.
RFE/RL correspondents in the tightly controlled country said medical personnel at hospitals in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, said on September 3 that the situation had been worsening over the past three weeks and that the number of fatalities had been on the rise as well.
In a sign of the deteriorating situation, medical personnel complained that they were being forced against their will to work in quarantine zones for two-week stints while having to pay from their own pockets for personal protection equipment.
In some cases, experienced nurses said they were barred from leaving quarantine zones for more than two months.
Turkmenistan's government still clings to its narrative that the country has no cases of coronavirus -- even though practically no one believes the claim.
Many people say they prefer to stay home for treatment, fearing that they may be infected with the coronavirus while staying at hospitals that are overwhelmed with patients with COVID-19 symptoms.
The bodies of those who have died of COVID-19-like lung diseases are being delivered to their relatives in special plastic bags and the number of fresh graves across the country is increasing exponentially.
The World Health Organization on August 7 expressed concerns over the increase of atypical pneumonia cases in Turkmenistan and called on Ashgabat to allow it to organize independent coronavirus tests in the country.
Armenia
Armenia’s parliament has approved a bill allowing the government to continue to enforce coronavirus-related restrictions and rules after lifting a state of emergency declared in March.
The bill -- passed in the first reading on September 4 -- involves amendments to several Armenian laws.
They will allow authorities to impose nationwide or local lockdowns, seal off communities hit by COVID-19 outbreaks, close the country’s borders, and isolate people infected with the virus. The authorities can also ban or restrict public gatherings.
The government drafted the bill to avoid extending the state of emergency again on September 11.
Deputies from two parliamentary opposition parties, Prosperous Armenia and Bright Armenia, voted against the bill, saying the government was hastily pushing it through parliament without a proper debate.
The two parties had for months criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government for repeatedly prolonging the emergency rule.
Some senior opposition figures had said the government wasn’t lifting the emergency rule in order to keep in place a coronavirus-related ban on street protests.
The government lifted the ban last month but set strict physical distancing requirements for organizers and participants of rallies.
The daily number of new coronavirus cases in Armenia has shrunk by more than half since a peak in mid-July.
Authorities said in the morning on September 4 that 190 more people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
It brings the total tally to 44,461 in the country of about 3 million.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Turkmen and Armenian services


rferl--2020-09-04--Belarusian Journalists Face Trial Amid Crackdown On Postelection Protests

MINSK -- Six Belarusian journalists who were detained earlier this week while covering an anti-government protest are set to go on trial in Minsk as the authorities continue their crackdown on dissent following a disputed election that gave President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth-straight term .
The trials come as Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , the self-exiled presidential candidate who has become a leader of the Belarusian opposition , is set to addresses the UN Security Council later on September 4 .
The journalists were covering a student rally demanding the resignation of Lukashenka on September 1 when they were detained by police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have since remained in pretrial detention in the capital .
If convicted of participating in an illegal rally , the journalists could face a fine or up to 15 days of administrative arrest .
The reporters are working for the Belarusian independent news website Tut.by ; the local Komosomolskaya pravda v Belarusi daily , and the independent news agency BelaPAN .
Hundreds of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest the `` rigged '' results of the August 9 vote .
The protesters are calling on the 66-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in power , release all political prisoners , and hold free and fair elections .
The authorities have tried to halt the protest movement with threats and the prosecution of protesters , political activists , and journalists covering the demonstrations .
The crackdown has drawn condemnation from human rights groups , media freedom watchdogs , and the international community .
The Committee to Protect Journalists ( CPJ ) on September 2 urged the Belarusian authorities to `` stop this pattern of detaining and harassing journalists covering peaceful protests . ''
The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a joint statement to the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) that they were `` extremely concerned '' by the treatment of journalists and independent media in Belarus .
The statement cited `` numerous credible reports '' of the `` excessive use of violence '' by Belarusian authorities against journalists , as well as peaceful protesters , and human rights defenders , and political opponents since the disputed presidential vote .
`` Though the strain faced by independent media has been made evident before , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the past week Belarusian authorities have made greater moves to hinder the free press , '' the statement said , adding that more than 70 independent news websites had been blocked .
About 50 journalists were detained on August 27-28 for accreditation checks and some foreign reporters were subsequently deported and banned from Belarus for five years , it also noted .
At least 17 journalists , including four from RFE/RL ’ s Belarus Service , had their accreditations revoked .
The Interior Ministry said that 26 people were detained during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violating the law on public events , adding that seven of them will remain in pretrial detention .
A photographer working for news outlet Tut.by.
, Zmitser Brushko , was detained for a few hours and charged with petty hooliganism for allegedly pushing a police officer .

MINSK -- Six Belarusian journalists detained earlier this week while covering an anti-government protest in Minsk were sentenced to three days in jail, as authorities continued their crackdown on dissent and media freedom following a disputed election that gave President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth-straight term.
The verdicts came just ahead of a scheduled address by Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the self-exiled presidential candidate who has become a leader of the Belarusian opposition, to the UN Security Council later on September 4.
The journalists were covering a student rally demanding the resignation of Lukashenka on September 1 when they were detained by police near the Dinamo district stadium.
A district court in the capital sentenced the journalists to three days' administrative arrest after finding them guilty of participating in an illegal rally, an accusation they denied.
They were later released having already served their terms while in pretrial detention.
The reporters work for the Belarusian independent news website Tut.by; the local Komosomolskaya pravda v Belarusi daily; and the independent news agency BelaPAN.
Hundreds of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest the "rigged" results of the August 9 vote.
The protesters are calling on the 66-year-old Belarusian leader to step down after 26 years in power, release all political prisoners, and hold free and fair elections.
The authorities have tried to halt the protest movement with threats and the prosecution of protesters, political activists, and journalists covering the demonstrations.
On September 4, police detained several student protesters gathered inside the Minsk State Linguistic Institute. A witness said the students started singing the French national anthem La Marseillaise, which contains words about the fight against tyranny, when riot police entered the building and dragged the students away.
Officials at the institute had warned students it would call in the police unless they halted their protests.
Those detained were later released from police custody after reportedly being charged with taking part in illegal rallies.
The Interior Ministry earlier said that a total of 26 people were detained during protests in Minsk on September 3 for violating the law on public events, adding that seven of them will remain in pretrial detention.
A photographer working for the news outlet Tut.by., Zmitser Brushko, was detained for a few hours and charged with petty hooliganism for allegedly pushing a police officer.
The crackdown on protests, strikes, and the media has drawn condemnation from human rights groups, media freedom watchdogs, and the international community.
On September 3, Britain and Canada said in a joint statement to the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that they were "extremely concerned" by the treatment of journalists and independent media in Belarus.
The statement cited "numerous credible reports" of the "excessive use of violence" by Belarusian authorities against journalists, as well as peaceful protesters, and human rights defenders, and political opponents since the disputed presidential vote.
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
"Though the strain faced by independent media has been made evident before, during, and after the presidential elections, in the past week Belarusian authorities have made greater moves to hinder the free press," the statement said, adding that more than 70 independent news websites had been blocked.
About 50 journalists were detained on August 27-28 for accreditation checks and some foreign reporters were subsequently deported and banned from Belarus for five years, it also noted.
At least 17 journalists, including four from RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, had their accreditations revoked.


rferl--2020-09-04--Trump Urges Iran Not To Execute Iranian Wrestler

U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Iran to reverse an execution sentence against a wrestler convicted of murder during anti-government protests in 2018 .
“ Hearing that Iran is looking to execute a great and popular wrestling star , 27-year-old Navid Afkarai , whose sole act was an anti-government demonstration on the streets .
They were protesting the 'country ’ s worsening economic situation and inflation , ' '' Trump wrote in a September 3 Twitter post .
“ To the leaders of Iran , I would greatly appreciate if you would spare this young man ’ s life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you !
” Trump continued .
Trump , who has a longtime relationship with professional wrestling , is the latest and most high-profile person to call for Iran not to execute Afkari .
Dozens of Iranian athletes and international wrestlers have joined a campaign against the death sentence .
Afkari received two death sentences for allegedly killing a security agent during the 2018 anti-government protests in Shiraz .
Iranian state-linked news agency Mizan Online reported on August 31 that the Iranian Supreme Court upheld the wrestler ’ s death sentence in an August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and abroad have denied he committed the crime and say that his confession was obtained under torture .
His two brothers also received sentences of 54 and 27 years , as well as 74 lashes each .
Relations between the United States and Iran have been tense since Trump in 2018 withdrew from an international nuclear deal with Tehran and reinstated crushing sanctions .

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--2020-09-04--NATO Demands Russia Cooperates On International Probe Into Navalny Poisoning

NATO has called on Russia to `` fully cooperate '' with an `` impartial international '' probe to be led by the global Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) into the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny .
The 30-member Western military alliance agreed that Russia `` now has serious questions it must answer , '' Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels on September 4 following a special session of the organization 's ambassadors .
`` Any use of chemical weapons shows a total disrespect for human lives , and is an unacceptable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Stoltenberg said .
Germany on September 2 said that toxicology tests provided `` unequivocal evidence '' that the gravely ill Kremlin-critic had been poisoned with a Novichok , a Soviet-style military-grade nerve agent .
Stoltenberg said the NATO allies demanded Moscow reveal its Novichok program to the OPCW .
Navalny , 44 , fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20 , forcing the plane he was traveling on to make an emergency landing in Omsk , where he spent two days in hospital before being evacuated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respirator and under medically induced coma in an intensive-care unit at Charite Hospital in Berlin .
Germany is seeking to forge a joint reaction against Russia from its EU and NATO partners , after Chancellor Angela Merkel describe Navalny ’ s case as an `` attempted murder by poisoning . ''
In an open letter to EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell published on September 4 , more than 100 members of the European Parliament called for sanctions against those responsible for attacks against opposition figures and journalists in Russia .
The lawmakers from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full and transparent investigation '' into Navalny 's case , but they said they were `` extremely skeptical that Russian authorities are fit and willing to investigate the real background of this crime . ''
Borrell issued a statement on behalf of all EU members on September 3 condemning the `` assassination attempt '' and demanding Moscow fully investigate the crime .
`` The European Union calls for a joint international response and reserves the right to take appropriate actions , including through restrictive measures , '' Borrell said .
`` Impunity must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Borrell demanded Russia `` fully cooperate '' with the OPCW chemical-weapons watchdog to ensure a full international investigation .
So far , Russian authorities have resorted to obfuscation and denial in their response to Navalny 's case and refused to open a criminal investigation into the allegation that Navalny was poisoned , saying that no hard evidence had been found .
President Vladimir Putin 's spokesman said on September 4 that Moscow wanted to find out through dialogue with Germany what exact substance caused Navalny to fall ill. Dmitry Peskov also claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were much more transparent that the German doctors , and that Russian specialists were looking into the case .
Earlier in the day , news emerged that Russia 's Investigative Committee had asked one of its regional branches in Siberia to probe the possibility that someone tried to murder Navalny , Russian media reported on September 4 .
Pressure is also mounting on Merkel at home to abandon the Nord Stream 2 project , an underwater Baltic Sea pipeline nearing completion that would bring gas from Russia to Germany .
`` Diplomatic rituals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roettgen , the head of the German parliament 's foreign affairs committee , tweeted on September 2 .
`` After the poisoning of Navalny we need a strong European answer which Putin understands : The EU should jointly decide to stop Nord Stream 2 , '' said Roettgen , a candidate to be the next leader of Merkel 's Christian Democratic Union party .
Last week , the German chancellor rejected the idea that the Navalny case should be linked to Nord Stream 2 , a project that has drawn the ire of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Washington , the U.S. National Security Council said the United States would work with allies `` to hold those in Russia accountable , wherever the evidence leads , and restrict funds for their malign activities . ''
In Congress , lawmakers called on the Trump administration to impose congressionally mandated sanctions on Russia .
Navalny 's poisoning has echoes with the case of former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the British city of Salisbury .
A British investigation determined that the Skripals had been poisoned with Novichok and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Russian state agents .
The British government expelled 23 Russian diplomats after Moscow refused to cooperate with an investigation into the Skripal poisoning .
The United States and other European states expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in a coordinated response .
From the beginning , allies of Navalny have said that the Russian state was behind the poisoning , and the legal department of his Anti-Corruption Foundation has filed a complaint over what it called the Russian Investigative Committee 's inaction in the case .
A Moscow court has dismissed the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be appealed .
Navalny , who has been attacked and arrested several times in the past , is a leading politician , anti-corruption campaigner , and protest leader .
He had been in Siberia for his latest investigation into corruption and to support opposition candidates in September ’ s local elections before he fell ill .
In a gesture of political support for Russia , Belarus 's embattled President Alyaksandr Lukashenka , who is himself facing international condemnation over last month 's presidential election and the ensuing crackdown on protesters , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eavesdropped on a phone call allegedly indicating that Navalny 's poisoning was a `` falsification . ''
Lukashenka alleged that the conversation involved people in Warsaw and Berlin whom he did n't name .
`` There was no poisoning of Navalny , '' he said .
`` Naturally , the claim made by Mr. Lukashenko is untrue , '' German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on September 4 .
With reporting by dpa , AP , and the Siberia Desk of RFE/RL 's Russian Service

NATO has called on a defiant Russia to "fully cooperate" with an "impartial international" probe to be led by the global Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.
The 30-member Western military alliance agreed that Russia "now has serious questions it must answer," Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels on September 4 following a special session of the organization's ambassadors.
"Any use of chemical weapons shows a total disrespect for human lives, and is an unacceptable breach of international norms and rules," Stoltenberg said.
Germany on September 2 said that toxicology tests provided "unequivocal evidence" that the gravely ill Kremlin-critic had been poisoned with a Novichok, a Soviet-style military-grade nerve agent.
Stoltenberg said the NATO allies demanded Moscow reveal its Novichok program to the OPCW.
Calling the Navalny case "an attack on fundamental democratic rights," he said NATO allies would continue to consult on the incident and "consider the implications."
So far, Russian authorities have resorted to obfuscation and denial in their response to Navalny’s case and have refused to open a criminal investigation into the allegation that the opposition politician was poisoned, saying that no hard evidence has been found.
Navalny, 44, fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20, forcing the plane he was traveling on to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where he spent two days in hospital before being evacuated to Germany.
He is now on a respirator and under medically induced coma in an intensive-care unit at Charite Hospital in Berlin.
Germany is seeking to forge a joint reaction against Russia from its EU and NATO partners, after Chancellor Angela Merkel describe Navalny’s case as an "attempted murder by poisoning."
In an open letter to EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell published on September 4, more than 100 members of the European Parliament called for sanctions against those responsible for attacks against opposition figures and journalists in Russia.
The lawmakers from various political groups called for a "full and transparent investigation" into Navalny's case, but they said they were "extremely skeptical that Russian authorities are fit and willing to investigate the real background of this crime."
Borrell issued a statement on behalf of all EU members on September 3 condemning the "assassination attempt" and demanding Moscow fully investigate the crime.
"The European Union calls for a joint international response and reserves the right to take appropriate actions, including through restrictive measures," Borrell said. "Impunity must not and will not be tolerated."
Borrell demanded Russia "fully cooperate" with the OPCW chemical-weapons watchdog to ensure a full international investigation.
In response to Borrell’s comments, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko told the EU’s Ambassador to Russia Marcus Ederer on September 4 it was “inadmissible to politicize the given issue and to bring up unsubstantiated accusations,” according to the Foreign Ministry.
Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev told Interfax he currently saw “absolutely no grounds” to suspect a crime was committed in the Navalny case.
Earlier in the day, Russian media reported that Russia's Investigative Committee had asked one of its regional branches in Siberia to probe the possibility that someone had tried to murder Navalny.
In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said that the Russian authorities want to find out through dialogue with Germany what exact substance caused Navalny to fall ill.
Dmitry Peskov also claimed that Russian doctors who treated him initially were much more transparent than the German doctors, and said Russian specialists were looking into the case.
Meanwhile, the chief toxicologist for the Omsk region in Siberia told Russian journalists that Navalny’s health could have deteriorated due to dieting, stress, or fatigue, and he insisted that no poison had been found in his blood samples taken in the city of Omsk, where the anti-corruption campaigner was treated for the first two days after falling ill.
"The patient used diets to lose weight," the chief toxicologist for the Omsk region, Aleksandr Sabayev, said. "Any external factors could have triggered a sudden deterioration. Even a simple lack of breakfast."
Navalny's top aide, Leonid Volkov, told Current Time on September 4 that the opposition figure was targeted because of his Smart Voting campaign that promotes independent or opposition candidates for upcoming local elections.
"[Navalny's] Smart Voting [campaign] is so dangerous [for Russian authorities] that they are ready to kill for it, because Smart Voting showed and proved that it is an absolutely effective strategy against [the ruling] United Russia," Volkov said, adding that the only way to deal with Navalny's campaign was for the authorities to poison him. Current Time is the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.
According to Volkov, Russian authorities have tried to stop Navalny's Smart Voting campaign by all possible means as nationwide local elections scheduled for September 13 are getting closer.
He pointed to the campaign's success last year, when United Russia lost about 200 mandates because of Navalny's campaign in regional parliaments during elections.
Pressure is also mounting on Merkel at home to abandon the Nord Stream 2 project, an underwater Baltic Sea pipeline nearing completion that would bring gas from Russia to Germany.
"Diplomatic rituals are no longer enough," Norbert Roettgen, the head of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee, tweeted on September 2.
"After the poisoning of Navalny we need a strong European answer which Putin understands: The EU should jointly decide to stop Nord Stream 2," said Roettgen, a candidate to be the next leader of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party.
Last week, the German chancellor rejected the idea that the Navalny case should be linked to Nord Stream 2, a project that has drawn the ire of the United States and some European partners.
In Washington, the U.S. National Security Council said the United States would work with allies "to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and restrict funds for their malign activities."
In Congress, lawmakers called on the Trump administration to impose congressionally mandated sanctions on Russia.
Navalny's poisoning has echoes with the case of former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the British city of Salisbury. A British investigation determined that the Skripals had been poisoned with Novichok and alleged that the attack was carried out by Russian state agents.
The British government expelled 23 Russian diplomats after Moscow refused to cooperate with an investigation into the Skripal poisoning. The United States and other European states expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in a coordinated response.
From the beginning, allies of Navalny have said that the Russian state was behind the poisoning, and the legal department of his Anti-Corruption Foundation has filed a complaint over what it called the Russian Investigative Committee's inaction in the case.
A Moscow court has dismissed the complaint, a decision lawyer Vyacheslav Gimadi said would be appealed.
Navalny, who has been attacked and arrested several times in the past, is a leading politician, anti-corruption campaigner, and protest leader.
He had been in Siberia for his latest investigation into corruption and to support opposition candidates in September’s local elections before he fell ill.
In a gesture of political support for Russia, Belarus's embattled President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who is himself facing international condemnation over last month's presidential election and the ensuing crackdown on protesters, said on September 3 that Belarusian intelligence had eavesdropped on a phone call allegedly indicating that Navalny's poisoning was a "falsification."
Lukashenka alleged that the conversation involved people in Warsaw and Berlin whom he didn't name.
"There was no poisoning of Navalny," he said.
"Naturally, the claim made by Mr. Lukashenko is untrue," German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on September 4.
With reporting by dpa, AP, TASS, and the Siberia Desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service


rferl--2020-09-05--Trump Says No Reason To Doubt German Assessment Russian Opposition Leader Poisoned

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has seen “ no proof ” of Russian state involvement in the poisoning of gravely ill Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny but he has no reason to doubt a German assessment that he was poisoned .
Speaking to reporters at the White House on September 4 , Trump made his first public comments on the issue since Germany on September 2 said toxicology tests provided `` unequivocal evidence '' that the Russian opposition leader had been poisoned with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok .
`` Based on what Germany is saying that seems to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I would be very angry if that 's the case . ''
`` I do n't know exactly what happened .
I think it 's tragic , it 's terrible , it should n't happen , '' Trump said , adding that he hasn ’ t received “ any proof yet ” but that “ we ’ ll be sent a lot of documents ” about the poisoning .
Earlier on September 4 , the State Department expressed grave concern about the finding that Navalny was poisoned .
Deputy Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Moscow 's use the Soviet-style nerve agent would be a clear violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention .
`` The Deputy Secretary urged Russia to cooperate fully with the international community ’ s investigation into this attack , '' State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement .
U.S. officials have previously said Washington is working with allies to investigate the poisoning and hold those responsible accountable .
So far , Russian authorities have resorted to obfuscation and denial in their response to Navalny ’ s case and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the allegation that the opposition politician was poisoned , saying that no hard evidence has been found .
Navalny , 44 , fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20 , forcing the plane he was traveling on to make an emergency landing in Omsk , where he spent two days in hospital before being evacuated to Germany .
He is now on a respirator and under medically induced coma in an intensive-care unit at Charite Hospital in Berlin .
Germany is seeking to forge a joint reaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , after Chancellor Angela Merkel described Navalny ’ s case as an `` attempted murder by poisoning . ''
The EU has announced it is considering sanctions on Russia and NATO called a defiant Russia to `` fully cooperate '' with an `` impartial international '' probe to be led by the global Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons .
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels on September 4 following a special session of the military alliance ’ s ambassadors that Russia `` now has serious questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is proof beyond doubt that Mr. Navalny was poisoned using a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok group , ” Stoltenberg said .
“ Any use of chemical weapons shows a total disrespect for human lives and is an unacceptable breach of international norms and rules . ''
Trump said he understood there may be a European desire to respond to Russia , but noted he had a good relationship with President Vladimir Putin and “ the most important thing ” is to reach an agreement with Russia on nuclear nonproliferation .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Russia than anybody else by far . ''
Trump also reiterated his long-standing disagreement with Germany over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline , an underwater Baltic Sea pipeline nearing completion that would bring gas from Russia to Germany .
The United States has already imposed sanctions on the gas project , drawing criticism from Berlin and European allies .
Pressure is also mounting on Merkel at home to abandon the Nord Stream 2 project .
Navalny 's poisoning has echoes with the case of former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A British investigation determined that the Skripals had been poisoned with Novichok and alleged that the attack was carried out by Russian state agents .
The British government expelled 23 Russian diplomats after Moscow refused to cooperate with an investigation into the Skripal poisoning .
The United States and other European states expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in a coordinated response .
From the beginning , allies of Navalny have said that the Russian state was behind the poisoning .
Navalny , who has been attacked and arrested several times in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigner , and protest leader .
With reporting by AFP and dpa

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has seen “no proof” of Russian state involvement in the poisoning of gravely ill Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny but he has no reason to doubt a German assessment that he was poisoned.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on September 4, Trump made his first public comments on the issue since Germany on September 2 said toxicology tests provided "unequivocal evidence" that the Russian opposition leader had been poisoned with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok.
"Based on what Germany is saying that seems to be the case," Trump said. "I would be very angry if that's the case."
"I don't know exactly what happened. I think it's tragic, it's terrible, it shouldn't happen," Trump said, adding that he hasn’t received “any proof yet” but that “we’ll be sent a lot of documents” about the poisoning.
Earlier on September 4, the U.S. State Department expressed grave concern about the finding that Navalny was poisoned.
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov that Moscow's use of the Soviet-style nerve agent would be a clear violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
"The deputy secretary urged Russia to cooperate fully with the international community’s investigation into this attack," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
U.S. officials have previously said Washington is working with allies to investigate the poisoning and hold those responsible accountable.
So far, Russian authorities have resorted to obfuscation and denial in their response to Navalny’s case and have refused to open a criminal investigation into the allegation that the opposition politician was poisoned, saying that no hard evidence has been found.
Navalny, 44, fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20, forcing the plane he was traveling on to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where he spent two days in hospital before being evacuated to Germany. He is now on a respirator and under a medically induced coma in an intensive-care unit at Charite Hospital in Berlin.
Germany is seeking to forge a joint reaction with its EU and NATO partners against Russia, after Chancellor Angela Merkel described Navalny’s case as an "attempted murder by poisoning."
Possible Sanctions
The EU has announced it is considering sanctions on Russia and NATO called a defiant Russia to "fully cooperate" with an "impartial international" probe to be led by the global Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels on September 4 following a special session of the military alliance’s ambassadors that Russia "now has serious questions it must answer."
“There is proof beyond doubt that Mr. Navalny was poisoned using a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok group,” Stoltenberg said. “Any use of chemical weapons shows a total disrespect for human lives and is an unacceptable breach of international norms and rules."
Trump said he understood there may be a European desire to respond to Russia, but noted he had a good relationship with President Vladimir Putin and “the most important thing” is to reach an agreement with Russia on nuclear nonproliferation.
But he said he has been "tougher on Russia than anybody else by far."
WATCH: Less Than A Raindrop: How Much Is A 'Fatal Dose' Of Novichok?
Trump also reiterated his long-standing disagreement with Germany over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, an underwater Baltic Sea pipeline nearing completion that would bring gas from Russia to Germany.
The United States has already imposed sanctions on the gas project, drawing criticism from Berlin and European allies.
Pressure is also mounting on Merkel at home to abandon the Nord Stream 2 project.
Navalny's poisoning has echoes with the case of former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the British city of Salisbury. A British investigation determined that the Skripals had been poisoned with Novichok and alleged that the attack was carried out by Russian state agents.
The British government expelled 23 Russian diplomats after Moscow refused to cooperate with an investigation into the Skripal poisoning. The United States and other European states expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in a coordinated response.
From the beginning, allies of Navalny have said that the Russian state was behind the poisoning.
Navalny, who has been attacked and arrested several times in the past, is a leading politician, anti-corruption campaigner, and protest leader.
With reporting by AFP and dpa


rferl--2020-09-04--Tajik Lawyer Questioned By Security Agents After Announcing Bid For President

A 30-year-old Tajik lawyer has been questioned by security officers after he announced his intention to run for president in the October 11 election .
Several officers from the regional office of the State Committee for National Security visited Faromuz Irgashev at his home in the eastern city of Khorugh on September 4 , his family said .
Current Time , the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA , reported that his family said security officers took him `` to have a long walk '' and talk .
On September 3 , Irgashev , a member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video on social media , announcing his intention to run for president to fight corruption and injustices in the Central Asian country .
Irgashev said he had “ many supporters ” among the voters .
Tajikistan ’ s ruling People 's Democratic Party officially nominated President Emomali Rahmon , already the longest-serving leader in the former Soviet Union , to run for another term .
Many in the tightly-controlled former Soviet republic expect that Rahmon will be announced the winner again .
None of Tajikistan 's five presidential elections won by Rahmon has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election observers .
Rahmon has been in power since 1992 .
The opposition Social Democrat Party has recently announced that it will boycott the upcoming vote .
The Islamic Renaissance Party , the country ’ s largest opposition group , was banned as an “ terrorist organization ” in 2015 .
Editor 's note : This story has been corrected to reflect Irgashev was questioned by security services and not detained .

A 30-year-old Tajik lawyer has been questioned by security officers after he announced his intention to run for president in the October 11 election.
Several officers from the regional office of the State Committee for National Security visited Faromuz Irgashev at his home in the eastern city of Khorugh on September 4, his family said.
Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, reported that his family said security officers took him "to have a long walk" and talk.
On September 3, Irgashev, a member of the Gorno-Badakhshan provincial council, posted a video on social media, announcing his intention to run for president to fight corruption and injustices in the Central Asian country.
Irgashev said he had “many supporters” among the voters.
Tajikistan’s ruling People's Democratic Party officially nominated President Emomali Rahmon, already the longest-serving leader in the former Soviet Union, to run for another term.
Many in the tightly-controlled former Soviet republic expect that Rahmon will be announced the winner again.
None of Tajikistan's five presidential elections won by Rahmon has been deemed free and fair by Western election observers. Rahmon has been in power since 1992.
The opposition Social Democrat Party has recently announced that it will boycott the upcoming vote. The Islamic Renaissance Party, the country’s largest opposition group, was banned as an “terrorist organization” in 2015.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect Irgashev was questioned by security services and not detained.
With reporting by Akhbor.com