rferl--2020-08-24--Police Round Up Opposition Coordinators In Belarus

MINSK -- Authorities in Belarus have stepped up detentions of prominent protest organizers and summoned others ahead of efforts to punish high-profile opposition leaders and dull weeks of unprecedented unrest .
The latest crackdown follows a weekend that saw signs that five-term President Alyaksandr Lukashenka was increasingly determined to stay in power despite public anger that drew at least 100,000 antigovernment demonstrators in Minsk on August 23 .
Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich , 72 , became the latest member of a council for an exiled presidential challenger who insists this month 's election was rigged to be targeted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the August 9 vote that `` the authorities have declared war on their people . ''
She has now been summoned to appear before Belarus 's Investigative Committee on August 26 as a witness in a criminal case on the establishment of Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya 's seven-member Coordination Council , a spokesman for the council said .
An aide for a disqualified presidential hopeful , Viktar Babaryka , who was jailed before the election , told RFE/RL that Alexievich 's health had prevented her from taking part in the council 's work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contact with the group .
The authorities detained two members of Tsikhanouskaya 's Coordination Council outside of a tractor factory in Minsk earlier on August 24 .
The Coordination Council says Volha Kovalkova , a top aide of Tsikhanouskaya , and strike organizer Syarhey Dyleuski were detained early on August 24 and accused of attempting to organize an unauthorized protest rally at the Minsk Tractor Works ( MTZ ) .
The 30-year-old Dyleuski is a worker at the tractor factory , whose outspoken criticism of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has attracted international media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
Kovalkova 's associate , Dzyanis Sadouski , told RFE/RL that police informed the Coordination Council that the two were detained as part of an `` administrative '' case against them , and that they would most likely be fined .
Another member of the opposition Coordination Council , attorney Lilia Vlasova , was summoned to Investigative Committee headquarters on August 24 for questioning .
Their detentions come a day after more than 100,000 demonstrators packed the streets of the Belarusian capital on August 23 in a mass rally against Lukashenka -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protests against an official presidential election tally that showed Lukashenka winning reelection by a landslide .
The protests have been growing in size amid a brutal postelection crackdown by Belarusian authorities and a heavy security presence in Minsk , with fresh warnings being issued to protesters during the weekend by the Belarusian army .
Dyleuski has said he started going through the giant MTZ factory 's workshops to call for a strike after he witnessed injuries sustained by demonstrators who say they were tortured in police custody .
Hundreds of workers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the release of political prisoners -- turning Dyleuski into the leader of a strike movement that has become a major challenge to Lukashenka ’ s grip on power .
On August 21 , Dyleuski and Tsikhanouskaya 's lawyer Maksim Znak had been summoned to the headquarters of the Belarusian Investigative Committee as part of a criminal case in which the opposition Coordination Council is accused of attempting to illegally seize power .
That move came after Znak on August 21 filed a complaint with the Belarusian Supreme Court calling for the election results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote count was fraudulent .
Lukashenka has ordered the military into full combat readiness , raising the prospect that the army may unleash a much-feared bloody crackdown to suppress the unprecedented wave of street protests across the country .
During the weekend , Lukashenka also said he would start closing factories on August 24 where there have been protests from workers who had previously formed his base of political support .
`` If a factory is not working then let 's put a lock on its gate from Monday , let 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Novosti news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying on August 22 .
`` People will calm down and we will decide whom to invite [ to work ] next . ''
Lukashenka also expressed confidence that the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization would support him in any confrontation that he has with protest organizers in Belarus .
In neighboring Lithuania , where Tsikhanouskaya fled after the presidential election , the opposition leader met on August 24 with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun .
`` She is a very impressive person and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her country , '' Biegun said after the talks in Vilnius .
`` The purpose of the meeting was to listen , to hear what the thinking is of the Belarusian people , and to see what they are doing to obtain the right to self-determination , '' he added .
Biegun insisted that the United States `` can not and will not decide the course of events in Belarus , '' saying this was `` the right of the Belarusian people . ''
The United States and the European Union have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor fair and urged the authorities to engage in dialogue with the opposition .
Also on August 24 , German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Lukashenka `` must , after this further weekend full of protests that we have seen , recognize the reality on the streets of his country but also the reality in the heads of the people in this country . ''
`` So once again , our urgent call is not to use force and to uphold the rights of demonstrators , '' Maas said at a joint news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kyiv .
With reporting by Current Time , Reuters , AP , TASS , Interfax , The New York Times , and AFP


rferl--2020-08-23--German Tests Indicate Kremlin Critic Navalny 'Poisoned'

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

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


rferl--2020-08-25--Kremlin Says German Doctors 'Rushing' To Say Navalny Was Poisoned

The Kremlin has said that there was no immediate need to open a probe into how Aleksei Navalny fell gravely ill -- adding that it was unclear to Moscow why German doctors treating the Russian opposition leader were `` rushing '' to use the word poisoning .
The Charite hospital treating Navalny since he was medically airlifted to Germany at the weekend said on August 24 that its tests indicate he was `` poisoned . ''
The Berlin hospital said the anti-corruption campaigner and staunch opponent of President Vladimir Putin is in an intensive-care unit and is still in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is serious but there is currently no acute danger to his life , '' the hospital said .
Following the German doctors ' announcement , Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Russia to investigate Navalny 's suspected poisoning and hold the perpetrators accountable .
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on August 24 that the German clinic had not conclusively identified the substance behind Navalny 's illness .
Peskov said it was unclear why the German doctors were `` rushing '' to use the word poisoning .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues are in such a hurry to use the word 'poisoning , ' '' he said .
`` If the substance is identified and if it is determined that it is poisoning , then , of course , this will be a reason for investigation , '' Peskov said .
Navalny 's supporters have blamed the Kremlin and Putin personally for the incident .
But Peskov said that there was `` no way such accusations can be true , '' calling them `` idle talk '' and adding , `` We have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navalny , 44 , fell ill on August 20 during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow .
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk , where doctors put him into an induced coma .
Navalny was flown via commercial air ambulance from Omsk to Berlin on August 22 after a day of insistence by Russian doctors that he was too ill to fly .
Navalny 's wife had suggested medical treatment in Germany for her husband -- who had previously been attacked with a chemical that left permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspected poisoning in Russian custody in the past -- would be more reliable , effective , and transparent .
On August 24 , the Charite hospital issued a statement saying that `` clinical findings indicate intoxication by a substance from the group of active substances called cholinesterase inhibitors . ''
Cholinesterase inhibitors , also known as anti-cholinesterase , are a broad range of chemicals that are found in several drugs but also in some pesticides and nerve agents .
The head of Moscow 's Bureau of Forensic Medicine , Sergei Shigeyev , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear to have enough evidence to claim that Navalny had been poisoned .
Shigeyev said it was `` premature '' to come to that conclusion without identifying a specific poison , according to comments carried by Russian state news agency TASS .
`` Cholinesterase activity varies significantly among different people , particularly due to certain chronic diseases , '' Shigeyev said .
The management of the Omsk hospital said it will look into why the results of their tests differ from German test results , while denying that medical personnel there had come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We treated the patient and we saved him .
There was no interference in the treatment of the patient and there could not be any , '' Aleksandr Murakhovsky , the head doctor at Omsk Emergency Hospital No .
1 , said on August 24 .
According to a Russian newspaper report , Navalny had been under surveillance by Russian federal security agents during his recent trip to Siberia that preceding his illness .
Colleagues and supporters have said Navalny might have been poisoned when he drank tea purchased at the Tomsk airport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swift , independent , and transparent investigation '' and justice in the suspected poisoning .
Navalny , who has exposed rampant corruption at the highest levels in Russia , has suffered physical attacks in the past .
He endured chemical burns to one of his eyes in 2017 after he was assaulted with antiseptic dye .
In July 2019 , Navalny was given a 30-day jail term after calling for unauthorized protests .
During that jail sentence , he was taken to a hospital with severe swelling of the face and a rash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has been jailed several times in recent years , barred from running for president , and had a bid to run for Moscow mayor blocked .
Navalny has been put under police guard in Berlin , with Merkel 's spokesman Steffen Seibert saying that `` protection is necessary '' for the Russian dissident since poisoning was suspected .
With reporting by dpa , Interfax , Reuters , TASS , Interfax , and AFP

MOSCOW -- The Kremlin has said that there was no immediate need to open a probe into how Aleksei Navalny fell gravely ill -- claiming that German doctors treating the Russian opposition leader were "rushing" to use the word poisoning.
The Charite hospital treating Navalny since he was medically airlifted to Germany at the weekend said on August 24 that its tests indicate he was "poisoned."
The Berlin hospital said the anti-corruption campaigner and staunch opponent of President Vladimir Putin is in an intensive-care unit and is still in an induced coma. His health situation "is serious but there is currently no acute danger to his life," the hospital said.
Following the German doctors' announcement, Western countries and the European Union called on Russia to investigate Navalny's suspected poisoning and hold the perpetrators accountable.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on August 24 that the German clinic had not conclusively identified the substance behind Navalny's illness.
Peskov said it was unclear to the Kremlin why the German doctors were, in his words, "rushing" to use the word poisoning.
"We don’t understand why our German colleagues are in such a hurry to use the word 'poisoning,'" he said.
"If the substance is identified and if it is determined that it is poisoning, then, of course, this will be a reason for investigation," Peskov said.
Navalny's supporters have blamed the Kremlin and Putin personally for the incident. But Peskov said that there was "no way such accusations can be true," calling them "idle talk" and adding, "We have no intention of taking them seriously."
Navalny, 44, fell ill on August 20 during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow.
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, where doctors put him into an induced coma.
Navalny was flown via commercial air ambulance from Omsk to Berlin on August 22 after a day of insistence by Russian doctors that he was too ill to fly.
Navalny's wife had suggested medical treatment in Germany for her husband -- who had previously been attacked with a chemical that left permanent eye damage and had a bout of suspected poisoning in Russian custody in the past -- would be more reliable, effective, and transparent.
On August 24, the Charite hospital issued a statement saying that "clinical findings indicate intoxication by a substance from the group of active substances called cholinesterase inhibitors."
Cholinesterase inhibitors, also known as anti-cholinesterase, are a broad range of chemicals that are found in several drugs but also in some pesticides and nerve agents.
Russian doctors who treated Navalny contradicted the German colleagues' statement.
The head of Moscow's Bureau of Forensic Medicine, Sergei Shigeyev, said on August 25 that Germany did not appear to have enough evidence to claim that Navalny had been poisoned.
Shigeyev said it was "premature" to come to that conclusion without identifying a specific poison, according to comments carried by Russian state news agency TASS.
"Cholinesterase activity varies significantly among different people, particularly due to certain chronic diseases," Shigeyev said.
The management of the Omsk hospital said it will look into why the results of their tests differ from German test results, while denying that medical personnel there had come under outside pressure from authorities.
"We treated the patient and we saved him. There was no interference in the treatment of the patient and there could not be any," Aleksandr Murakhovsky, the head doctor at Omsk Emergency Hospital No. 1, said on August 24.
According to a Russian newspaper report, Navalny had been under surveillance by Russian federal security agents during his recent trip to Siberia that preceding his illness.
Colleagues and supporters have said Navalny might have been poisoned when he drank tea purchased at the Tomsk airport.
The United States and France on August 25 joined international calls on Russia to conduct a swift investigation into the suspected poisoning.
The U.S. ambassador to Moscow, John Sullivan, said the authorities should launch “an immediate, comprehensive, and transparent investigation...that holds the parties behind this act responsible.”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later said that the United States is "deeply concerned" about preliminary findings that Navalny was poisoned.
"If the reports prove accurate, the United States supports the EU’s call for a comprehensive investigation and stands ready to assist in that effort," he said in a statement.
The French Foreign Ministry said that those responsible for “this criminal act” must be identified and brought to justice."
Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell have issued similar pleas.
Meanwhile, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, announced that one of its committees will probe whether "foreign states" were behind the alleged poisoning.
"The State Duma security committee will be instructed to analyze what happened in order to understand whether this was an attempt on the part of foreign states to harm the health of a Russian citizen to fuel tensions inside Russia, as well as to formulate fresh accusations against our country," Vyacheslav Volodin said in a statement.
Navalny, who has exposed rampant corruption at the highest levels in Russia, has suffered physical attacks in the past.
He endured chemical burns to one of his eyes in 2017 after he was assaulted with antiseptic dye.
In July 2019, Navalny was given a 30-day jail term after calling for unauthorized protests. During that jail sentence, he was taken to a hospital with severe swelling of the face and a rash, and later alleged he was poisoned.
He has been jailed several times in recent years, barred from running for president, and had a bid to run for Moscow mayor blocked.
Navalny has been put under police guard in Berlin, with Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert saying that "protection is necessary" for the Russian dissident since poisoning was suspected.
With reporting by dpa, Interfax, Reuters, TASS, Interfax, and AFP


rferl--2020-08-25--Iran, IAEA Chief Say Tehran Talks 'Constructive'

Talks with the UN atomic watchdog 's chief were `` constructive , '' Iran 's top nuclear official Ali Akbar Salehi has said after a meeting with Rafael Grossi , who is in Iran to seek access for the International Atomic Energy Agency 's ( IAEA ) inspectors to two suspected former atomic sites .
Grossi 's trip comes after the United States last week pressed the UN Security Council to reimpose sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under Iran 's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers , from which Washington has withdrawn .
Iranian authorities said the visit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. moves to reimpose sanctions .
`` Our conversation today was very constructive .
It was agreed that the agency will carry out its independent and professional responsibilities and Iran will fulfil its legal commitments , '' said Salehi , head of the Atomic Energy Organization , as quoted by the semiofficial ISNA news agency on August 25 .
`` A new chapter of cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will start . ''
The IAEA board of governors passed a resolution in June putting pressure on Iran to let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still host undeclared nuclear material , or traces of it .
`` There is no political approach towards Iran ... .
There are issues that need to be addressed ... this does not mean a political approach towards Iran , '' Grossi said after meeting with Salehi .
`` The IAEA will not let third countries impact its relations with any other country , '' Grossi said , according to Iranian media .
Grossi had said before leaving for Iran that he would address `` the outstanding questions , in particular , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is scheduled to also meet with President Hassan Rohani , Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif , and other senior officials during his visit .

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


rferl--2020-08-25--Dozen Killed In Taliban Truck Bomb, Other Attacks Across Afghanistan

At least 12 people have been killed and scores wounded in attacks across Afghanistan , including in a Taliban truck bombing that targeted a military base used by Afghan commandos , officials said .
The suicide truck bomber in the northern province of Balkh killed three people , including two Afghan commandos and a civilian , according to the provincial governor 's spokesman , Munir Ahmad Farhad .
Hanif Rezaie , a spokesman for Afghan forces in the north of the country , said on August 25 that initial military reports suggested at least six commandos and about 35 civilians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the blast also destroyed or damaged dozens of nearby civilians houses .
`` Most of the wounded civilians are women and children , '' Rezaie said .
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the Balkh attack in a tweet , claiming that `` tens '' of military personnel were killed .
The Taliban often exaggerate their battlefield claims .
Meanwhile , an August 25 attack on a checkpoint of pro-government forces in Ghor Province killed eight soldiers and wounded five , the provincial governor 's spokesman , Arif Aber , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Shahrak district triggered a five-hour gunbattle .
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for that attack .
But authorities blamed the Taliban , who have claimed numerous previous attacks on security checkpoints in Ghor Province .
Meanwhile in Kabul , a roadside bomb killed a police officer and a policewoman and her driver were wounded when unknown attackers opened fire on them , Kabul police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz said .
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in Kabul .
Both the Taliban and extremists from the so-called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are active in Kabul .
IS militants have claimed most of the attacks in the Afghan capital in recent months .
Despite efforts to launch peace talks between the government and the Taliban , Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of the war .
The start of the talks envisaged under a U.S.-Taliban peace agreement signed in February has been hampered by multiple delays that have frustrated Washington .
There had been expectations that the negotiations would begin earlier in August .
A United Nations report released in July said 1,282 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first six months of 2020 .
With reporting by AP and dpa

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


rferl--2020-08-25--Head Of Russia's Tyva Was 'Reinfected' With COVID-19

The head of Russia 's Tyva region in southern Siberia says he has been infected with coronavirus for a second time -- three months after he was first hospitalized with a confirmed case of COVID-19 .
Sholban Kara-Ool announced what he described as a COVID-19 reinfection in a video statement that he posted to social media on August 24 .
`` Yes , my compatriots , it turns out this infection may strike even twice , '' Kara-Ool said .
`` I 'm back here at the hospital for infectious diseases .
It 's COVID-19 again .
I have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kara-Ool said the disease was different for him the second time .
He said it was not affecting his lungs as it had in May , but rather , the blood vessels in his head .
`` Very strong headaches .
But it 's no problem .
I must survive , '' he said .
His announcement comes after scientists in Hong Kong this week reported the first confirmed case of a coronavirus reinfection -- saying a man there became ill with COVID-19 for a second time more than four months after doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease .
Meanwhile , European virologists said on August 25 that two cases of coronavirus reinfections had also been confirmed in the Netherlands and Belgium .
Virologist Marion Koopmans , an adviser to the Dutch government , said there had been previous cases in which COVID-19 has flared up for a second time in people who 've been sick with the virus a long time .
But Koopmans said a true reinfection -- as in the Dutch , Belgian , and Hong Kong cases -- requires genetic testing of the virus in both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the two cases differ slightly .
Based on reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , NOS.nl , Interfax , and TASS

The head of Russia's Tyva region in southern Siberia says he has been infected with coronavirus for a second time -- three months after he was first hospitalized with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Sholban Kara-Ool announced what he described as a COVID-19 reinfection in a video statement that he posted to social media on August 24.
"Yes, my compatriots, it turns out this infection may strike even twice," Kara-Ool said. "I'm back here at the hospital for infectious diseases. It's COVID-19 again. I have been infected for a second time."
Kara-Ool said the disease was different for him the second time. He said it was not affecting his lungs as it had in May, but rather, the blood vessels in his head.
"Very strong headaches. But it's no problem. I must survive," he said.
His announcement comes after scientists in Hong Kong this week reported the first confirmed case of a coronavirus reinfection -- saying a man there became ill with COVID-19 for a second time more than four months after doctors had declared he'd recovered from the disease.
Meanwhile, European virologists said on August 25 that two cases of coronavirus reinfections had also been confirmed in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Virologist Marion Koopmans, an adviser to the Dutch government, said there had been previous cases in which COVID-19 has flared up for a second time in people who've been sick with the virus a long time.
But Koopmans said a true reinfection -- as in the Dutch, Belgian, and Hong Kong cases -- requires genetic testing of the virus in both the first and second infection to determine whether the two cases differ slightly.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, NOS.nl, Interfax, and TASS


rferl--2020-08-25--Bosnian Serb Commander Mladic Unfit For Genocide Appeal, Lawyer Says

A lawyer for Ratko Mladic has told a UN court that the former Bosnian Serb military chief was at risk of a `` miscarriage of justice '' because he was mentally unfit to take part in an appeal hearing against his genocide conviction .
Mladic has challenged his 2017 conviction and life sentence for genocide , crimes against humanity , and war crimes in the civil war in the former Yugoslavia , including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre .
`` I am unable to meaningfully gain instruction from Mr. Mladic , nor be assured that he is able to meaningfully participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dragan Ivetic told the hearing that was held partially by video conference because of coronavirus measures .
He said the two-day hearing that started on August 25 should n't proceed without an analysis of the 77-year-old Mladic 's fitness to participate .
At a hearing last month , Mladic 's legal team warned that the former general could be suffering from early-stage dementia .
`` It is a denial of due process to sentence or proceed criminally against someone who is incompetent to stand trial , '' Ivetic said .
The hearing proceeded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking frail , was in court and initially wore a face mask because of coronavirus regulations , before pushing it below his chin and then removing it completely .
Lawyers for Mladic have repeatedly complained about his ill-health , but in a written ruling before the August 25 hearing , judges said that the lawyers had n't `` substantiated that Mladic is unable to communicate , consult with his counsel , and/or understand the essentials of proceedings . ''
The two-day appeal hearing is being held at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over from now disbanded courts for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda .
Mladic was captured in 2011 after years on the run and sentenced to life behind bars three years ago for his role in the 1992-95 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina .
Dubbed the Butcher of Bosnia , he was sentenced to life behind bars in 2017 for war crimes , crimes against humanity , and genocide for his role in the Bosnian civil war in the 1990s .
This included genocide committed by his Bosnian Serb forces in the small eastern Bosnian town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst mass murder since World War II , where some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered .
Mladic will be allowed to address the court for 10 minutes on August 26 .
Mladic had to be removed from the court in 2017 after an outburst in which he accused the judges of lying .
With reporting by AFP , AP , and dpa

A lawyer for former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic told a UN court on August 25 that he was at risk of a "miscarriage of justice" because he was mentally unfit to take part in an appeal hearing on his life sentence for genocide.
Mladic has challenged his 2017 conviction and life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in the civil war in the former Yugoslavia, including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
"I am unable to meaningfully gain instruction from Mr. Mladic, nor be assured that he is able to meaningfully participate and follow" the proceedings, lawyer Dragan Ivetic told the hearing that was held partially by video conference because of coronavirus measures.
He said the two-day hearing that started on August 25 shouldn't proceed without an analysis of the 77-year-old Mladic's fitness to participate. At a hearing last month, Mladic's legal team warned that the former general could be suffering from early-stage dementia.
"It is a denial of due process to sentence or proceed criminally against someone who is incompetent to stand trial," Ivetic said.
The hearing proceeded despite Ivetic's objections. Mladic, looking frail, was in court and initially wore a face mask because of coronavirus regulations, before pushing it below his chin and then removing it completely.
Lawyers for Mladic have repeatedly complained about his ill-health, but in a written ruling before the August 25 hearing, judges said that the lawyers hadn't "substantiated that Mladic is unable to communicate, consult with his counsel, and/or understand the essentials of proceedings."
The two-day appeal hearing is being held at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which deals with cases left over from now disbanded international war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
Mladic was captured in 2011 after years on the run. Dubbed the Butcher of Bosnia, he received a life sentence in 2017 for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.
Dubbed the Butcher of Bosnia, he was sentenced to life behind bars in 2017 for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide for his role in the Bosnian civil war in the 1990s.
This included genocide committed by his Bosnian Serb forces in and around the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in mid-1995, Europe's worst mass murder since World War II, where some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered.
Mladic will be allowed to address the court for 10 minutes on August 26.
Mladic had to be removed from the court in 2017 after an outburst in which he accused the judges of lying.
With reporting by AFP, AP, and dpa


rferl--2020-08-25--Calling For Dialogue, Tsikhanouskaya Says 'Belarus Has Woken Up'

MINSK -- Belarusian presidential challenger Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has told European lawmakers that the will of the Belarusian people for democracy `` will not be broken '' by a brutal crackdown by the authorities in Minsk .
`` Belarusians have shown over the past two weeks that they will not give up '' despite repression , intimidation by physical force , and threats of imprisonment , Tsikhanouskaya told the European Parliament ’ s Foreign Affairs Committee on August 25 by video link from Lithuania , where she fled after the election amid reports that she and her family were threatened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been killed in the crackdown and that dozens have gone missing in police custody , Tsikhanouskaya demanded `` respect of our political rights , '' the freeing of `` all political prisoners '' in Belarus , and an end to `` violence and intimidation '' by Belarusian authorities .
`` Belarus has woken up .
We are not the opposition anymore .
We are the majority now , '' Tsikhanouskaya said , declaring that more than 200,000 people took to the streets of Minsk on August 23 for the largest protest there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her movement to enter into dialogue with authorities in Minsk to resolve the political crisis over the country 's disputed August 9 presidential election results .
Tsikhanouskaya also called on `` all of the countries of the world '' to support the quest of the Belarusian people to achieve a `` free and fair '' election result , while also respecting `` Belarusian sovereignty '' and `` territorial integrity . ''
`` The will of the people will not be broken , '' she said .
`` I declare our intention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Tsikhanouskaya also rejected claims by the Belarusian authorities that protesters had been violent during more than two weeks of demonstrations against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's officially declared reelection .
`` A peaceful revolution has taken place , '' she said , stressing that demonstrations across the country were neither anti-Russian nor anti-European Union .
`` It is a democratic revolution -- the striving of the people to freely and fairly elect '' their own leaders for their own destiny , she told European lawmakers .
Tsikhanouskaya 's speech came as authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutions of prominent members of her Coordination Council and other protest organizers .
Volha Kovalkova , Tsikhanouskaya 's main representative in Belarus , and strike organizer Syarhey Dyleuski appeared in court on August 25 after spending a night in jail on charges of attempting to organize an unauthorized protest rally at the Minsk Tractor Works ( MTZ ) .
The two are leaders of Tsikhanouskaya 's Coordination Council , which was set up last week with the stated aim of opening negotiations with the government .
Lukashenka has called the council an illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched a criminal case against it .
The crackdown on the Coordination Council follows a weekend in which Lukashenka showed he is increasingly determined to stay in power -- despite public anger and growing crowds of anti-government demonstrators .
It also comes ahead of a rally called for August 25 in Minsk to celebrate the anniversary of the country 's 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union -- a former Belarusian holiday that was abolished by Lukashenka after he came to power in 1994 .
Lukashenka has ordered the Belarusian military into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the army may unleash a much-feared bloody crackdown to suppress the unprecedented wave of street protests across the country .
Meanwhile , the 72-year-old Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich is the latest member of the Coordination Council to be targeted by the authorities after she insisted the presidential election results were rigged in Lukashenka 's favor .
The ailing Alexievich had said after the August 9 vote that `` the authorities have declared war on their people . ''
She has been summoned to appear before Belarus 's Investigative Committee on August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case on the establishment of Tsikhanouskaya 's seven-member Coordination Council presidium , a spokesman for the council said .
For his part , Lukashenka has expressed confidence that the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization would support him in any confrontation that he has with protest organizers in Belarus .
The United States and the European Union have dismissed the Belarusian election as neither free nor fair and urged the country ’ s authorities to engage in dialogue with Tsikhanouskaya 's team .
Meanwhile , in a sign of widening international support for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has opened a 400,000-euro ( $ 470,000 ) solidarity fund .
The money is intended to benefit people who have been victims of violence or torture or who have lost their jobs because they participated in the protests .
With reporting by Current Time , Reuters , AP , TASS , Interfax , dpa , and AFP

MINSK -- Authorities in Belarus handed down jail sentences against opposition leaders and tightened their clampdown against weeks of unprecedented protests on August 25, but demonstrations continued and the exiled challenger in this month's disputed election vowed that the country's pro-democracy movement "will not be broken."
Around 5,000 people gathered on Independence Square in Minsk for an evening rally in the capital to mark the country's 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union -- a former Belarusian holiday that was abolished by five-term President Alyaksandr Lukashenka after he came to power 26 years ago.
Many shouted "Freedom for political prisoners!" and "Lukashenka, resign!" while others waved banned red-and-white flags that have long been a symbol of opposition to his regime. After the protest dispersed, police in paddy wagons detained several people off the streets, apparently for showing red-and-white symbols.
Presidential challenger Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya told European lawmakers via video link earlier on August 25 that Belarusians will continue their pursuit of democracy.
"Belarusians have shown over the past two weeks that they will not give up" despite repression, intimidation by physical force, and threats of imprisonment, Tsikhanouskaya told the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
She was speaking from Lithuania, where she fled following the August 9 presidential election amid reports that she and her family were threatened.
Later on August 25, Belarus's Supreme Court rejected Tsikhanouskaya's challenge against the official results of the vote, which showed 80 percent support for a sixth term for Lukashenka.
The 65-year-old Belarusian leader, who has ruled the country since 1994, has shown his determination to stay in power despite more than two weeks of demonstrations against his officially declared reelection and increasing international condemnation.
Two members of Tsikhanouskaya's Coordination Council presidium were sentenced to 10-day jail terms on August 25 after their arrests the previous day for organizing unsanctioned protests.
Syarhey Dyleuski, a strike organizer and a member of the council’s presidium, was sentenced for organizing an unauthorized protest rally at the Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ).
Volha Kovalkova, Tsikhanouskaya's main representative in Belarus, was later sentenced on a similar charge.
Lukashenka has said the Coordination Council, set up last week with the stated aim of opening negotiations with the government, is an illegal attempt to seize power.
Authorities have stepped up detentions and prosecutions of prominent members of the council since a criminal case was launched against it on August 21.
Another council member, theater director and former Culture Minister Paval Latushka, was questioned by the Investigative Committee on August 25 but not detained. He vowed to continue his work for the opposition council, which he said was doing nothing illegal.
"They are sending [a message of] demotivation," Latushka told reporters. "They don't want us to be active in our line to have dialogue between society and the government and authorities. It's demotivation."
A small crowd of opposition supporters gathered outside the Investigative Committee offices.
"Many of our rights and freedoms are violated," said Tamara Svetogor, one of those in the crowd. "If we disagree with something in our opinions, criminal cases are opened against us. We have also violence in our country. That's why I believe that the Coordination Council is totally legitimate. The criminal case that was opened has no foundations."
Seventy-two-year-old ailing Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich, who was said to be participating in the council's activities remotely, has been summoned for questioning on August 26.
Hundreds of people also gathered outside the Education Ministry earlier on August 25 in a picket in support of schoolteachers threatened with dismissal over their criticism of the government. The peaceful protest occurred as lines of military vehicles drove in front of the teachers in an apparent bid to intimidate them.
Proclaiming that at least six Belarusian protesters have been killed in the crackdown and that dozens have gone missing in police custody, Tsikhanouskaya in her comments to European lawmakers demanded "respect of our political rights," the freeing of "all political prisoners" in Belarus, and an end to "violence and intimidation" by Belarusian authorities.
"Belarus has woken up. We are not the opposition anymore. We are the majority now," Tsikhanouskaya said, declaring that more than 200,000 people took to the streets of Minsk on August 23 for the largest protest there yet.
She also reiterated the readiness of her movement to enter into dialogue with authorities in Minsk to resolve the political crisis over the country's disputed August 9 presidential election results.
Tsikhanouskaya also called on "all of the countries of the world" to support the quest of the Belarusian people to achieve a "free and fair" election result, while also respecting "Belarusian sovereignty" and "territorial integrity."
"The will of the people will not be broken," she said. "I declare our intention to achieve free and fair elections through dialogue."
Tsikhanouskaya also rejected claims by the Belarusian authorities that anti-government protesters had been violent.
"A peaceful revolution has taken place," she said, stressing that demonstrations across the country were not a "geopolitical revolution."
"It is neither a pro-Russian nor an anti-Russian revolution. It is neither an anti-European Union nor a pro-European Union revolution. It is a democratic revolution -- the striving of the people to freely and fairly elect" their own leaders for their own destiny, she said.
Lukashenka has ordered the Belarusian military into full combat readiness, raising the prospect that the army may unleash a much-feared bloody crackdown to suppress the unprecedented wave of street protests across the country.
He has also expressed confidence that the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization would support him in any confrontation that he has with protest organizers in Belarus.
The chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces General Staff, Alyaksandr Volfovich, said on August 25 that the country's military was prepared to ensure the security of "the state, society, and every citizen who wants to live and work peacefully in Belarus."
The United States and the European Union have dismissed the Belarusian election as neither free nor fair and urged the country’s authorities to engage in dialogue with Tsikhanouskaya's team.
An unnamed senior EU official told AFP that the bloc's foreign ministers will look to target "between 15 and 20" individuals with asset freezes and travel bans over the Belarusian crackdown when they meet in Berlin for informal talks on August 26.
Neighboring Russia, a historical ally that wields some influence over Minsk through financial and political levers, on August 25 warned the European Union and the United States against imposing sanctions on Belarus or interfering in Belarusian affairs.
In Moscow, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Washington condemns "the use of violence against the Belarusian people."
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow says Biegun "expressed support for Belarus’ sovereignty and the people’s right to self-determination” during his talks with Lavrov.
With reporting by Current Time, Reuters, AP, TASS, Interfax, dpa, and AFP


rferl--2020-08-27--Kazakh Activist Detained For Taking Part In Unsanctioned Rally Commemorating Campaigner's Death

A Kazakh activist has been sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention for taking part in an unsanctioned rally commemorating prominent civil right campaigner Dulat Aghadil , who died in custody in February .
Aitbai Aliev ’ s family said that the activist was detained by police in the southern province of Qyzylorda on August 26 and sentenced about 30 minutes later by a court in another province .
`` They detained my father at around 5:35 p.m…Half-an-hour later , at 6:00 p.m. , a district court in Aqmola Province held a trial via a video link , '' his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on August 26 after `` pleading guilty , '' a document from an Aqmola court reads .
In July , Aliev was found guilty of `` involvement in the activities of a banned extremist group '' and was sentenced to restricted freedom -- a form of non-custodial sentence -- for six months .
That sentencing came after Aliev expressed support for the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement led by fugitive opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov .
On August 8 , Aliev joined dozens of other Kazakh activists in Aghadil ’ s home village @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walked from Aghadil ’ s family home to the village cemetery where he was buried to commemorate the civil rights campaigner .
Aghadil , 43 , died in mysterious circumstances while being held in pretrial detention in the capital , Nur-Sultan , in late February , just one day after being arrested for failing to comply with a court order to report to local police .
Authorities said Aghadil died from a heart attack , but his family and fellow rights defenders say he had no history of heart issues .
Rallies were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February and March to demand a thorough investigation into his death .

A Kazakh activist has been sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention for taking part in an unsanctioned rally commemorating prominent civil right campaigner Dulat Aghadil, who died in custody in February.
Aitbai Aliev’s family said that the activist was detained by police in the southern province of Qyzylorda on August 26 and sentenced about 30 minutes later by a court in another province.
"They detained my father at around 5:35 p.m…Half-an-hour later, at 6:00 p.m., a district court in Aqmola Province held a trial via a video link," his son told RFE/RL.
Aliev was sentenced on August 26 after "pleading guilty," a document from an Aqmola court reads.
In July, Aliev was found guilty of "involvement in the activities of a banned extremist group" and was sentenced to restricted freedom -- a form of non-custodial sentence -- for six months.
That sentencing came after Aliev expressed support for the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement led by fugitive opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov.
On August 8, Aliev joined dozens of other Kazakh activists in Aghadil’s home village of Talapker in Aqmola Province.
They walked from Aghadil’s family home to the village cemetery where he was buried to commemorate the civil rights campaigner.
Aghadil, 43, died in mysterious circumstances while being held in pretrial detention in the capital, Nur-Sultan, in late February, just one day after being arrested for failing to comply with a court order to report to local police.
Authorities said Aghadil died from a heart attack, but his family and fellow rights defenders say he had no history of heart issues.
Rallies were held in Nur-Sultan and other cities in February and March to demand a thorough investigation into his death.


rferl--2020-08-27--Uzbek Charity Group Accused Of Embezzling Anti-Coronavirus Funds

TASHKENT – Uzbekistan has charged the head and other staff at the local charity foundation Mercy and Heath with embezzling @ @ @ @ @ been donated to fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the Central Asian country .
The @ @ @ @ @ on August 26 that Asrol Mirzahmedov and several other staff members are accused of colluding @ @ @ @ @ drugs at inflated prices .
It was not immediately clear whether the suspects had been @ @ @ @ @ medicines and equipment .
The suspects have been formally charged with involvement in large-scale embezzlement @ @ @ @ @ five years in prison if found guilty .
In recent months , the Mercy and @ @ @ @ @ millions of dollars in donations meant for various projects to fight against COVID-19 .
According @ @ @ @ @ Uzbek-born Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov has contributed $ 20 million to purchase modern equipment for @ @ @ @ @ s Zangiota district .
As of August 27 , Uzbekistan had reported 40,338 coronavirus infection @ @ @ @ @ .

TASHKENT – Uzbekistan has charged the head and other staff at the local charity foundation Mercy and Heath with embezzling about $273,000 that had been donated to fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the Central Asian country.
The Prosecutor-General’s Office said on August 26 that Asrol Mirzahmedov and several other staff members are accused of colluding to buy medical equipment and drugs at inflated prices.
It was not immediately clear whether the suspects had been arrested and who supplied the medicines and equipment.
The suspects have been formally charged with involvement in large-scale embezzlement. They face up to five years in prison if found guilty.
In recent months, the Mercy and Health public foundation has received millions of dollars in donations meant for various projects to fight against COVID-19.
According to local media reports, Uzbek-born Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov has contributed $20 million to purchase modern equipment for a hospital in Tashkent’s Zangiota district.
As of August 27, Uzbekistan had reported 40,338 coronavirus infection cases, with 297 deaths.
With reporting by Gazeta.uz


rferl--2020-08-27--Russian Prosecutors Claim There's No Sign Of Crime In Navalny Case

Russian prosecutors said on August 27 that they have no indication so far that a criminal act has been committed against Aleksei Navalny , and requested that German medics treating the opposition leader share his medical records .
The 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner and staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin is currently in an induced coma in a German hospital after collapsing a week ago on a Russian commercial flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk , where he had been conducting his latest corruption investigation .
Earlier this week , doctors at the Berlin hospital where Navalny is being treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poisoning .
Russian doctors who had treated Navalny in a Siberian hospital have contradicted that diagnosis , while the Kremlin has claimed that German medics were `` rushing '' to use the word `` poisoning . ''
Amid mounting Western calls for a transparent investigation into the case , the Russian Prosecutor-General 's Office said that a preliminary inquiry launched last week had found `` no evidence '' of `` deliberate criminal acts committed '' against Navalny , and that it saw no basis to launch a criminal investigation .
German authorities have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , the office said , asking Germany to hand over `` the evidence for the initial diagnoses they gave , '' including test results .
Meanwhile , the Siberian branch of the Interior Ministry 's transportation unit said that it has been conducting a preliminary inquiry to `` establish all the circumstances '' surrounding Navalny ’ s illness and determine whether a criminal investigation should be launched .
Police said in a statement that they inspected locations that Navalny visited , his hotel room , and the routes he had taken in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They said no potent or narcotic substances were found .
In Moscow , Putin ’ s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said preliminary checks were always carried out in such situations and that there was no need for a formal investigation .
`` Nothing has changed , we still do n't have any understanding of what caused the state the sick man is now in , '' Peskov told journalists .
Navalny fell ill on a plane from Tomsk to Moscow on August 20 .
He spent two days in a clinic in Omsk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the renowned Charite hospital in Berlin .
Doctors there said on August 24 that `` clinical findings indicate intoxication by a substance from the group of active substances called cholinesterase inhibitors , '' adding that they do not yet know the specific substance involved .
Cholinesterase inhibitors are a broad range of chemicals that are found in several drugs as well as in some pesticides and nerve agents .
Russian doctors said their tests did not find any trace of poison while they treated Navalny .
His supporters say they think he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Tomsk airport before boarding his flight , and accuse the Kremlin of being behind what they see as a deliberate poisoning .
Navalny ’ s team filed a request with Russia 's Investigative Committee demanding that authorities launch a criminal investigation on charges of an attempt on the life of a public figure , but said they received no response .
Putin rejected `` rushed and groundless accusations '' when he discussed the case with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on August 26 , according to the Kremlin .
The Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a thorough and objective investigation of all the circumstances of the incident . ''
On August 27 , French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he did not understand why Russia did not opt for transparency , which would be `` to their credit . ''
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas once again urged Moscow to investigate Navalny 's condition , saying : “ If there is no investigation it will be not possible for Moscow to dismiss the accusations.
” With reporting by Reuters , AFP , and Rikard Jozwiak in Berlin

Russian prosecutors said on August 27 that they have no indication so far that a criminal act has been committed against Aleksei Navalny, and requested that German medics treating the opposition leader share his medical records.
The 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner and staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin is currently in an induced coma in a German hospital after collapsing a week ago on a Russian commercial flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk, where he had been conducting his latest corruption investigation.
Earlier this week, doctors at the Berlin hospital where Navalny is being treated said their initial medical examination pointed to poisoning.
Russian doctors who had treated Navalny in a Siberian hospital have contradicted that diagnosis, while the Kremlin has claimed that German medics were "rushing" to use the word "poisoning."
Amid mounting Western calls for a transparent investigation into the case, the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office said that a preliminary inquiry launched last week had found "no evidence" of "deliberate criminal acts committed" against Navalny, and that it saw no basis to launch a criminal investigation.
German authorities have agreed to cooperate with Russia on the case, the office said, asking Germany to hand over "the evidence for the initial diagnoses they gave," including test results.
Meanwhile, the Siberian branch of the Interior Ministry's transportation unit said that it has been conducting a preliminary inquiry to "establish all the circumstances" surrounding Navalny’s illness and determine whether a criminal investigation should be launched.
Police said in a statement that they inspected locations that Navalny visited, his hotel room, and the routes he had taken in Tomsk, and examined security-camera footage.
They said no potent or narcotic substances were found.
In Moscow, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said preliminary checks were always carried out in such situations and that there was no need for a formal investigation.
"Nothing has changed, we still don't have any understanding of what caused the state the sick man is now in," Peskov told journalists.
Navalny fell ill on a plane from Tomsk to Moscow on August 20. He spent two days in a clinic in Omsk, also in Siberia, before being transferred to the renowned Charite hospital in Berlin.
Doctors there said on August 24 that "clinical findings indicate intoxication by a substance from the group of active substances called cholinesterase inhibitors," adding that they do not yet know the specific substance involved.
Cholinesterase inhibitors are a broad range of chemicals that are found in several drugs as well as in some pesticides and nerve agents.
Russian doctors said their tests did not find any trace of poison while they treated Navalny.
His supporters say they think he was poisoned when he drank tea purchased at the Tomsk airport before boarding his flight, and accuse the Kremlin of being behind what they see as a deliberate poisoning.
Navalny’s team filed a request with Russia's Investigative Committee demanding that authorities launch a criminal investigation on charges of an attempt on the life of a public figure, but said they received no response.
Putin rejected "rushed and groundless accusations" when he discussed the case with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on August 26, according to the Kremlin.
The Russian leader underscored Russia's "interest in a thorough and objective investigation of all the circumstances of the incident."
On August 27, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he did not understand why Russia did not opt for transparency, which would be "to their credit."
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas once again urged Moscow to investigate Navalny's condition, saying: “If there is no investigation it will be not possible for Moscow to dismiss the accusations.”
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and Rikard Jozwiak in Berlin


rferl--2020-08-27--Taliban Chief Negotiator Denies Intra-Afghan Talks Are Set To Start Next Week

KABUL -- Abdullah Abdullah , the chairman of Afghanistan 's High Council for National Reconciliation , said on August 27 that intra-Afghan talks will begin next week , bringing together representatives of both the Taliban and the Afghan government .
However , the militant group 's chief negotiator , Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai , said in a statement sent to the Reuters news agency later in the day that no peace talks were planned with Afghan officials for early September .
Abdullah , the former chief executive officer of Afghanistan 's unity government , said at an event he was attending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fully prepared for the negotiations with the Taliban .
On August 26 , the Taliban said it had formed a new 20-member department responsible for Taliban representation at both the intra-Afghan talks and further negotiations with the United States .
Stanikzai told RFE/RL that he will head the new department , which he said would be tasked with selecting the location and agenda for the planned intra-Afghan peace talks .
The peace talks are part of an earlier agreement reached between the Taliban and U.S. envoys in an effort to end the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban 's newly formed department is separate from the Doha-based Taliban political office and would be in direct contact with the Taliban leadership .
He also said he thinks the intra-Afghan talks would take place in several different countries .


rferl--2020-08-27--Putin Backs Minsk's Response To Protesters, Says Russian Troops Prepared To Deploy

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Minsk 's response to postelection protests -- claiming after he announced Moscow 's preparations to bolster President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's regime with Russian security forces that the Kremlin is more `` neutral '' on the Belarusian crisis than the United States or the European Union .
`` In my opinion , our behavior in relation to events in Belarus is much more reserved and neutral that of other countries , Europeans and Americans , '' Putin said during an interview with the state TV channel Rossia-24 on August 27 .
`` However , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on there , '' Putin said , listing close ethnic and linguistic ties and economic cooperation between the two states .
Putin also called on both the Belarusian authorities and the opposition to find a political solution to the crisis over Lukashenka 's disputed reelection and the brutal crackdown by Belarusian police against protesters since the August 9 vote .
Despite international condemnation of the crackdown , Putin said that `` Belarusian law enforcement agencies are demonstrating fairly reserved behavior , no matter what . ''
Putin said a contingent of Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared to deploy to Belarus in the event of `` looting '' by demonstrators who claim the official vote tally was rigged in Lukashenka 's favor .
“ Russian forces won ’ t be used unless extremist elements in Belarus cross the line and begin acts of looting , ” Putin said .
Putin and Lukashenka have discussed the situation in Belarus several times .
Shortly after mass protests broke out across Belarus over the official election results , Russia offered military assistance to Lukashenka under the terms of the Collective Security Treaty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walked back on that pledge .
Putin also claimed that the detention by Belarus of 33 Russian mercenaries ahead of the contentious vote had been set up by Ukrainian and U.S. intelligence agencies .
The discovery of members of the private mercenary group Vagner on Belarusian soil in July had led Lukashenka to claim that Russia was seeking to `` destabilize the situation during the election campaign . ''
Putin , however , said their detention was `` a joint operation of Ukrainian and American intelligence agencies . ''
He did not offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say `` well-informed people do not even hide this at this point . ''
Putin also touched on a variety of other topics during his interview , including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia 's ailing economy .
He urged Russians to comply with coronavirus restrictions , reminding them that `` the virus is still here , no matter how inconvenient that might be . ''
The Russian president also repeated his claim that Russia 's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective .
The Russian vaccine has been touted by Putin and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns among medical experts because it was registered by Moscow before undergoing sufficient testing on humans .
`` We passed pre-clinical and clinical trials on animals and volunteers , '' Putin said .
`` It is clear today to our specialists that this vaccine gives a sustainable immunity , antibodies emerge , just like they did in my daughter ’ s case , and is harmless . ''
`` Thank God , my daughter is feeling well , '' Putin said , following up on his earlier announcement that his daughter was among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken part in the vaccine 's initial test trial on humans .
Turning to the economy , Putin said Russia 's inflation rate would remain stable at about 3.4 percent through 2020 .
`` It would be better if [ the price of oil ] is slightly higher , '' Putin said .
`` Nevertheless , our reserves are growing . ''
With reporting by Reuters , AP , TASS , and Interfax

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Minsk's response to postelection protests -- claiming after he announced Moscow's preparations to bolster President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime with Russian security forces that the Kremlin is more "neutral" on the Belarusian crisis than the United States or the European Union.
"In my opinion, our behavior in relation to events in Belarus is much more reserved and neutral that of other countries, Europeans and Americans," Putin said during an interview with the state TV channel Rossia-24 on August 27.
"However, we are certainly not indifferent to what is going on there," Putin said, listing close ethnic and linguistic ties and economic cooperation between the two states.
Putin also called on both the Belarusian authorities and the opposition to find a political solution to the crisis over Lukashenka's disputed reelection and the brutal crackdown by Belarusian police against protesters since the August 9 vote.
Despite international condemnation of the crackdown, Putin said that "Belarusian law enforcement agencies are demonstrating fairly reserved behavior, no matter what."
Putin said a contingent of Russian security forces has been assembled and is prepared to deploy to Belarus in the event of "looting" by demonstrators who claim the official vote tally was rigged in Lukashenka's favor.
“Russian forces won’t be used unless extremist elements in Belarus cross the line and begin acts of looting,” Putin said.
Putin and Lukashenka have discussed the situation in Belarus several times.
Shortly after mass protests broke out across Belarus over the official election results, Russia offered military assistance to Lukashenka under the terms of the Collective Security Treaty Organization alliance -- although the Kremlin later walked back on that pledge.
Putin also claimed that the detention by Belarus of 33 Russian mercenaries ahead of the contentious vote had been set up by Ukrainian and U.S. intelligence agencies.
The discovery of members of the private mercenary group Vagner on Belarusian soil in July had led Lukashenka to claim that Russia was seeking to "destabilize the situation during the election campaign."
Putin, however, said their detention was "a joint operation of Ukrainian and American intelligence agencies."
He did not offer evidence to support the claim other than to say "well-informed people do not even hide this at this point."
Vaccine Concerns
Putin also touched on a variety of other topics during his interview, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's ailing economy.
He urged Russians to comply with coronavirus restrictions, reminding them that "the virus is still here, no matter how inconvenient that might be."
The Russian president also repeated his claim that Russia's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective.
The Russian vaccine has been touted by Putin and other Russian authorities. But is has prompted concerns among medical experts because it was registered by Moscow before undergoing sufficient testing on humans.
"We passed pre-clinical and clinical trials on animals and volunteers," Putin said. "It is clear today to our specialists that this vaccine gives a sustainable immunity, antibodies emerge, just like they did in my daughter’s case, and is harmless."
"Thank God, my daughter is feeling well," Putin said, following up on his earlier announcement that his daughter was among the handful of people who had voluntarily taken part in the vaccine's initial test trial on humans.
Turning to the economy, Putin said Russia's inflation rate would remain stable at about 3.4 percent through 2020.
"It would be better if [the price of oil] is slightly higher," Putin said. "Nevertheless, our reserves are growing."
With reporting by Reuters, AP, TASS, and Interfax