rferl--2020-07-31--Russia Jails Popular Blogger Who Covered Khabarovsk Protests

KHABAROVSK , Russia – A Russian court sentenced a well-known blogger who has covered ongoing daily protests in the Far Eastern city to seven days in jail after finding him guilty of violating the law on public gatherings .
Aleksei Romanov 's lawyer , Vitaly Tykhta , told RFE/RL that his client was detained in the morning of July 31 while leaving his appartment and tried in the afternoon .
Romanov fled Russia with his family in 2016 , saying that he feared for his safety amid a campaign of harassment by the local authorities .
He returned to Khabarovsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 316,000 subscribers .
Over the past three weeks , protesters have taken to the streets of Khabarovsk and other towns and cities in Khabarovsk Krai in support of the arrested former governor of the region , Sergei Furgal .
Furgal , who was arrested in Khabarovsk on July 9 and transferred to Moscow , was charged with attempted murder and ordering two murders in 2004-2005 .
He denies the allegations and his supporters say the charges are politically motivated .
Police in Khabarovsk and elsewhere have detained several protesters in recent days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentenced to detention for several days .
The demonstrators nitially demanded Furgal 's release , but their anger has grown to include calls for the resignation of Russian President Vladimir Putin .
Khabarovsk region residents overwhelmingly voted for Furgal in the 2018 gubernatorial elections .
His surprise victory was a blow to the ruling United Russia party .

KHABAROVSK, Russia – A Russian court sentenced a well-known blogger who has covered ongoing daily protests in the Far Eastern city to seven days in jail after finding him guilty of violating the law on public gatherings.
Aleksei Romanov's lawyer, Vitaly Tykhta, told RFE/RL that his client was detained in the morning of July 31 while leaving his appartment and tried in the afternoon.
Romanov fled Russia with his family in 2016, saying that he feared for his safety amid a campaign of harassment by the local authorities. He returned to Khabarovsk last year.
His YouTube channel has 316,000 subscribers.
Over the past three weeks, protesters have taken to the streets of Khabarovsk and other towns and cities in Khabarovsk Krai in support of the arrested former governor of the region, Sergei Furgal.
Furgal, who was arrested in Khabarovsk on July 9 and transferred to Moscow, was charged with attempted murder and ordering two murders in 2004-2005.
He denies the allegations and his supporters say the charges are politically motivated.
Police in Khabarovsk and elsewhere have detained several protesters in recent days. Some of them have been fined or sentenced to detention for several days.
The demonstrators nitially demanded Furgal's release, but their anger has grown to include calls for the resignation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Khabarovsk region residents overwhelmingly voted for Furgal in the 2018 gubernatorial elections. His surprise victory was a blow to the ruling United Russia party.


rferl--2020-07-31--U.S. Slaps Sanctions On Chinese Entity, Individuals Over Rights Abuses In Xinjiang

The United States says it has imposed sanctions on a Chinese government entity and two current or former officials for their alleged involvement in `` serious rights abuses '' against Uyghurs and other mainly Muslim ethnic groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang .
These designations include the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps ( XPCC ) , the Treasury Department said on July 31 , describing the entity as `` a paramilitary organization…that is subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party '' and `` enhances internal control over the region by advancing China ’ s vision of economic development . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jiarui , the deputy party secretary and commander of the XPCC , and Sun Jinlong , a former political commissar of the XPCC .
The action freezes any U.S. assets of the company and officials , and prohibits Americans from doing business with them .
`` As previously stated , the United States is committed to using the full breadth of its financial powers to hold human rights abusers accountable in Xinjiang and across the world , '' Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement .
The move comes amid a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and China , and an intensifying U.S. effort to pressure Beijing over gross human rights abuses reported in the Xinjiang region .
Beijing is accused of placing more than 1 million Uyghurs and members of other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in internment camps and prisons where , since early 2017 , they have been physically abused , subjected to ideological discipline , and forced to denounce their religion and language .
China says the camps are reeducation and training centers needed to combat separatist terrorism and extremism .
Peter Harrell , a sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Security , said that , from an economic perspective , the sanctions announced on July 31 are a `` substantial escalation '' of U.S. pressure and sends a warning to companies engaged in activity in China .
The administration of President Donald Trump `` finally took a meaningful sanctions ... action on Xinjiang , as opposed to ones that were primarily symbolic , '' Harrell told the Reuters news agency .
Founded in the 1950s , the XPCC initially settled demobilized soldiers on work farms in Xinjiang , and gradually came to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as businesses in areas including real estate , insurance , and cement .
Experts say the organization , which is said to number more than 3 million people , has administrative authority over several cities and is almost entirely made up of Han Chinese .
Chen Quanguo , the current first political commissar of the XPCC and Communist Party secretary of Xinjiang , was sanctioned by Washington earlier this month .
With reporting by AFP and Reuters

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


rferl--2020-07-31--Moscow Court To Decide Next Week On Trial Of Sisters Charged With Killing Their Father

A court in Moscow says it will make public next week its decision regarding how to proceed with the trial of two sisters , who along with their younger sister are accused of killing their father in 2018 .
After holding a preliminary hearing , the Moscow City Court said on July 31 that the court 's decision on the extremely high-profile case will be made public on August 3 .
Lawyers for Krestina and Angelina Khachaturyan have asked the court to send the case back to prosecutors , saying that the two sisters must be tried together with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was 17 when the alleged crime took place , is set to be tried separately .
A medical evaluation following the killing found her mentally unsound at the time of the crime , and she was recommended for psychological treatment .
Prosecutors on July 31 asked a Moscow court to extend by an additional six months pretrial restrictions for Krestina and Angelina Khachaturyan .
The restrictions include a ban on Internet use , communication with each other and other participants in the case , and speaking to media .
The prosecutors asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from taking part in public events .
The sisters ' lawyers asked the court to change the restrictions to just not being able to leave the city .
Investigators say that in July 2018 Krestina , Angelina , and Maria Khachaturyan -- then 19 , 18 , and 17 years old , respectively -- killed their father , Mikhail Khachaturyan , at their home in Moscow 's outskirts .
Materials gathered by investigators included substantial evidence of regular sexual and physical abuse by Khachaturyan against his daughters .
The case has attracted widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has pitted defenders of conservative values , backed by the Russian Orthodox Church , with women 's rights activists who have been calling for the introduction of legislation on domestic violence as a way of bringing alleged perpetrators like Khachaturyan to justice and enabling their victims to plead self-defense .
In early December , investigators finalized their indictment against the three sisters and sent it to the prosecutor ’ s office to prepare for trial .
Krestina , Angelina , and Maria had acted with premeditation , it concluded , governed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father '' due to continued physical and sexual abuse .
Later in December , Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktor Grin cited flaws in the investigation and asked officials to reclassify the sisters ' actions as self-defense , which would have paved the way for the women to be let free .
But earlier in July , according to the defense team , Grin confirmed the original murder charges in an apparent volte-face , meaning the case will almost certainly go to trial .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax

A court in Moscow says it will make public next week its decision regarding how to proceed with the trial of two sisters, who along with their younger sister are accused of killing their father in 2018.
After holding a preliminary hearing, the Moscow City Court said on July 31 that the court's decision on the extremely high-profile case will be made public on August 3.
Lawyers for Krestina and Angelina Khachaturyan have asked the court to send the case back to prosecutors, saying that the two sisters must be tried together with their younger sister Maria.
Maria Khachaturyan, who was 17 when the alleged crime took place, is set to be tried separately. A medical evaluation following the killing found her mentally unsound at the time of the crime, and she was recommended for psychological treatment.
Prosecutors on July 31 asked a Moscow court to extend by an additional six months pretrial restrictions for Krestina and Angelina Khachaturyan. The restrictions include a ban on Internet use, communication with each other and other participants in the case, and speaking to media.
The prosecutors asked the court to also ban the sisters from taking part in public events.
The sisters' lawyers asked the court to change the restrictions to just not being able to leave the city.
Investigators say that in July 2018 Krestina, Angelina, and Maria Khachaturyan -- then 19, 18, and 17 years old, respectively -- killed their father, Mikhail Khachaturyan, at their home in Moscow's outskirts.
Evidence Of Abuse
Materials gathered by investigators included substantial evidence of regular sexual and physical abuse by Khachaturyan against his daughters.
The case has attracted widespread attention from Russian media and civil society and has pitted defenders of conservative values, backed by the Russian Orthodox Church, with women's rights activists who have been calling for the introduction of legislation on domestic violence as a way of bringing alleged perpetrators like Khachaturyan to justice and enabling their victims to plead self-defense.
In early December, investigators finalized their indictment against the three sisters and sent it to the prosecutor’s office to prepare for trial. Krestina, Angelina, and Maria had acted with premeditation, it concluded, governed by "a strong personal enmity toward their father" due to continued physical and sexual abuse.
Later in December, Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktor Grin cited flaws in the investigation and asked officials to reclassify the sisters' actions as self-defense, which would have paved the way for the women to be let free.
But earlier in July, according to the defense team, Grin confirmed the original murder charges in an apparent volte-face, meaning the case will almost certainly go to trial.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-07-31--Putin Signs Into Law Bill On Multiday Voting In Elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a controversial bill that allows voting over as many as three days during elections .
The law was signed by the president on July 31 and published on the federal website on legislation .
The bill was approved by both chambers of Russia 's parliament , the State Duma and the Federation Council , earlier in July .
Right after the bill was approved by the Federation Council a week ago , Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova announced that the new voting system would be used during elections in September in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regions .
According to Pamfilova , voting will start on September 11 and last for three days , with September 13 as the main election day .
The bill says that the decision on whether to hold a multiday voting procedure will be made by election officials .
Human rights organizations in Russia have harshly criticized the law saying it could give powerholders more control over elections and more of a chance to rig their results .
Multiday voting was used for the first time between June 25 and July 1 in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among other things , allowed President Vladimir Putin the possibility of seeking further presidential terms after his current one expires in 2024 .

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a controversial bill that allows voting over as many as three days during elections.
The law was signed by the president on July 31 and published on the federal website on legislation.
The bill was approved by both chambers of Russia's parliament, the State Duma and the Federation Council, earlier in July.
Right after the bill was approved by the Federation Council a week ago, Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova announced that the new voting system would be used during elections in September in 41 of the Russian Federation's 83 regions.
According to Pamfilova, voting will start on September 11 and last for three days, with September 13 as the main election day.
The bill says that the decision on whether to hold a multiday voting procedure will be made by election officials.
Human rights organizations in Russia have harshly criticized the law saying it could give powerholders more control over elections and more of a chance to rig their results.
Multiday voting was used for the first time between June 25 and July 1 in a national vote on constitutional amendments that, among other things, allowed President Vladimir Putin the possibility of seeking further presidential terms after his current one expires in 2024.


rferl--2020-07-31--Ukraine To Seek Extradition Of Alleged Russian Mercenaries Detained In Belarus, Moscow Calls For The

Ukraine To Seek Extradition Of Alleged Russian Mercenaries Detained In Belarus, Moscow Calls For Their Release

Kyiv says it will seek the extradition of alleged contractors from the Russian private military company Vagner being held in Belarus as Moscow demanded their release , saying they were in transit and headed to Turkey .
Belarusian authorities have launched an investigation against 33 Russian contractors from Vagner who were detained earlier this week .
Authorities allege they wanted to destabilize the country ahead of the August 9 presidential election .
Moscow has vehemently rejected Minsk ’ s claims , with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying on July 31 that the 33 men were in transit to Istanbul before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` Their stay is connected neither to Belarus itself nor its internal affairs , '' Peskov told reporters , calling for their release .
However , Alyaksandr Agafonov , who leads the team of Belarusian investigators , later said on national TV that the men ’ s plans for onward travel were just `` an alibi . ''
He also said that their `` evidence about the reasons for their stay in Belarus was incoherent and contradictory . ''
Meanwhile , the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General 's Office said Kyiv would ask Belarus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges of fighting alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine .
Nine Ukrainian citizens are among the 28 , it said .
Fighting between Ukraine 's armed forces and the separatists in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk has killed some 13,200 people since April 2014 .
The Vagner Group is a Russian paramilitary organization believed to be run by Yevgeny Prigozhin , an influential Russian businessman close to President Vladimir Putin .
Its fighters have turned up in conflicts in Ukraine , Syria , Libya , and Africa .
The chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raukou , said on July 30 that `` upwards of up to 200 militants '' remain at large in Belarus and efforts to locate them continue .
The August 9 presidential vote is shaping up to be a tough race for incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka , an authoritarian leader who has been in power since 1994 .
Lukashenka has cracked down on the opposition during the campaign , with the arrest of hundreds of people , including journalists , bloggers , and political activists .
Charges were pressed against two potential candidates .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights Watch ( HRW ) said that from May through July , Belarusian police arrested `` at least 1,100 people for gathering peacefully on issues related to the election . ''
Nearly 200 people were sentenced to detention for up to 15 days and more than 300 others were fined , the New York-based human rights group said , urging the international community not to `` ignore such serious flouting of human rights obligations . ''
With reporting by TASS , dpa , AFP , and UNIAN

Kyiv says it will seek the extradition of alleged contractors from the Russian private military company Vagner being held in Belarus as Moscow demanded their release, saying they were in transit and headed to Turkey.
Belarusian authorities have launched an investigation against 33 Russian contractors from Vagner who were detained earlier this week. Authorities allege they wanted to destabilize the country ahead of the August 9 presidential election.
Moscow has vehemently rejected Minsk’s claims, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying on July 31 that the 33 men were in transit to Istanbul before flying to "a third country."
"Their stay is connected neither to Belarus itself nor its internal affairs," Peskov told reporters, calling for their release.
However, Alyaksandr Agafonov, who leads the team of Belarusian investigators, later said on national TV that the men’s plans for onward travel were just "an alibi."
He also said that their "evidence about the reasons for their stay in Belarus was incoherent and contradictory."
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office said Kyiv would ask Belarus to hand over 28 of the detainees on charges of fighting alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Nine Ukrainian citizens are among the 28, it said.
Fighting between Ukraine's armed forces and the separatists in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk has killed some 13,200 people since April 2014.
The Vagner Group is a Russian paramilitary organization believed to be run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, an influential Russian businessman close to President Vladimir Putin. Its fighters have turned up in conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and Africa.
The chief of the Belarusian Security Council, Andrey Raukou, said on July 30 that "upwards of up to 200 militants" remain at large in Belarus and efforts to locate them continue.
The August 9 presidential vote is shaping up to be a tough race for incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka, an authoritarian leader who has been in power since 1994.
Lukashenka has cracked down on the opposition during the campaign, with the arrest of hundreds of people, including journalists, bloggers, and political activists. Charges were pressed against two potential candidates.
In a statement on July 30, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that from May through July, Belarusian police arrested "at least 1,100 people for gathering peacefully on issues related to the election."
Nearly 200 people were sentenced to detention for up to 15 days and more than 300 others were fined, the New York-based human rights group said, urging the international community not to "ignore such serious flouting of human rights obligations."
With reporting by TASS, dpa, AFP, and UNIAN


rferl--2020-08-01--Iran Says It Has Detained A Leader Of U.S.-Based Opposition Group

Authorities in Iran say they have arrested a leader of a U.S.-based opposition group for alleged involvement in a 2008 @ @ @ @ @ killed 14 people and injured more than 200 .
The Intelligence Ministry said on August @ @ @ @ @ Jamshid Sharmahd of the little-known , California-based Kingdom Assembly of Iran group .
Sharmahd allegedly @ @ @ @ @ militant wing , which is called Tondar .
Officials said the group is suspected of @ @ @ @ @ as well .
The Iranian state television report did not say when or where Sharmahd @ @ @ @ @ Kingdom Assembly of Iran is a monarchist group that seeks to overthrow Iran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ reporting by AP and AFP

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--2020-08-01--Several Thousand Demonstrators Continue Protests In Russia's Khabarovsk

Several thousand people braved rainy weather to protest in the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk on August 1 to show their support for the region ’ s jailed former governor , Sergei Furgal .
It was the fourth consecutive weekend of large demonstrations in the city following Furgal ’ s arrest on July 9 on suspicion of involvement in several murders in the mid-2000s .
Police estimated the crowd at about 3,500 people .
Protesters carried regional flags and chanted “ Freedom ” as they marched to the offices of the regional government .
The police did not intervene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Far Eastern cities , including Komsomolsk-na-Amur , Vladivostok , and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk .
Furgal , a popular governor who was elected by a wide margin in 2018 over the incumbent from the ruling United Russia party , is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia .
He and his supporters say the charges against him are politically motivated , perhaps instigated in part by the region ’ s weak support in a national plebiscite for a controversial package of constitutional amendments that , among other things , could enable President Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

KHABAROVSK, Russia -- Dozens of people were reportedly detained at demonstrations across Russia on August 1 as a wave of anti-Kremlin protests continued following the unseating and arrest of a jailed former governor in Russia's Far East.
Thousands of people braved rainy weather in the eastern city of Khabarovsk to attend a fourth weekend of the mass demonstrations to express anger since central authorities arrested Governor Sergei Furgal and transferred him to custody in Moscow.
There were no detentions reported at the Khabarovsk event.
But the OVD-Info group that tracks political arrests said 70 people were detained at similar events in 14 other cities, including 23 in St. Petersburg, 14 in Moscow, and others in Vladivostok, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
A member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), Furgal was elected by a wide margin in 2018 over the incumbent candidate from Putin's ruling United Russia party.
But on July 9, Furgal was arrested and transferred to a jail in Moscow for what authorities said was suspicion of involvement in several murders in 2004 and 2005.
Furgal was then fired by Putin, who appointed LDPR member Mikhail Degtyaryov as the Khabarovsk region's acting governor.
Furgal's supporters say the charges against him are politically motivated retribution for his 2018 election defeat of Putin's ally.
The Kremlin says Furgal has serious charges to answer.
The protests highlight growing discontent in the Far East over what demonstrators see as Moscow-dominated policies that often neglect their views and interests.
"The government [in Moscow] doesn't think of us as people," one woman demonstrator told journalists on August 1. "We're scum to them."
Putin's popularity has been declining as the Kremlin tries to deal with an economy suffering from the coronavirus pandemic and years of ongoing international sanctions.
Sheltering from sporadic rain beneath umbrellas on August 1, protesters could be heard chanting, "Freedom!" and "Putin resign!" outside a government building.
One banner at the demonstration read: "Russia without Putin."
Others chanted: “We need the entire country’s support," and mocked Russia's state media for failing to report on their demonstrations and grievances.
“Shame on the Russian media,” protesters chanted.
Municipal officials said they estimated the crowd at about 3,500 people.
Some local media put the number above 10,000 protesters but said the crowds were smaller than in previous weeks.
Sustained demonstrations against the government in Moscow are unusual for Russia's regions, as is a lack of response from authorities to break them up.
With reporting from Current Time and Reuters


rferl--2020-08-01--COVID-19: Russian Health Minister Predicts 'Extensive' Vaccine Program In October

The global death toll from the coronavirus is around 680,000 , with more than 17.6 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Russia plans to implement “ extensive vaccinations ” against the coronavirus in October , the country ’ s health minister said on August 1 .
Speaking to journalists in Nizhny Novgorod , Minister Mikhail Murashko added that teachers and medical workers would be given priority for the vaccination program .
Murashko did not provide any other details about the vaccine or the vaccination program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported that an unnamed source had said Russia ’ s first COVID-19 vaccine candidate should secure government approval in August .
Russia reportedly has two vaccines – one developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute in cooperation with the Defense Ministry and one by the Vektor state research laboratory in Novosibirsk – undergoing approval .
In testimony before the U.S. Congress on July 31 , Anthony Fauci , the top infectious diseases official in the United States , expressed concern about reported COVID-19 vaccines being developed in Russia and China .
“ I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone , ” Fauci said .
Serbia ’ s government has been urged to collect and share data on COVID-19 infections and deaths inside institutions for people with disabilities .
Six organizations representing people with disabilities and human rights groups wrote to Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on July 31 , saying that understanding the impact of COVID-19 on people in institutions is impossible without transparent and complete data .
“ It is not known how many people with disabilities living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected with COVID-19 , ” said Milan Sverepa , director of Inclusion Europe .
The government said in April that 574 people living in institutions had been infected .
Sverepa said it is “ deeply worrisome ” that how many of them may have died remains unknown .
Based on government figures for 2019 , more than 14,512 adults and children , including people with disabilities , live in state-run institutions in Serbia .
The groups that sent the letter to Brnabic are Inclusion Europe , the European Network on Independent Living , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mental Disability Rights Initiative Serbia ( MDRI-S ) , and Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) .
Since April , Human Rights Watch and MDRI-S have sought information on what steps the government has taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in residential institutions , HRW said in a news release .
The government has not provided the information sought , HRW said .
“ An important part of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic is understanding the scale and circumstances of infections and deaths , ” said Emina Cerimovic , senior disability rights researcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is necessary to inform government policy , decision-making , and response .
Publishing this data helps the wider public understand the impact of the outbreak on social care institutions.
” With reporting by TASS , Reuters , and AFP

The global death toll from the coronavirus is around 680,000, with more than 17.6 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Russia
Russia plans to implement “extensive vaccinations” against the coronavirus in October, the country’s health minister said on August 1.
Speaking to journalists in Nizhny Novgorod, Minister Mikhail Murashko added that teachers and medical workers would be given priority for the vaccination program.
Murashko did not provide any other details about the vaccine or the vaccination program.
Earlier in the week, Reuters reported that an unnamed source had said Russia’s first COVID-19 vaccine candidate should secure government approval in August.
Russia reportedly has two vaccines – one developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute in cooperation with the Defense Ministry and one by the Vektor state research laboratory in Novosibirsk – undergoing approval.
In testimony before the U.S. Congress on July 31, Anthony Fauci, the top infectious diseases official in the United States, expressed concern about reported COVID-19 vaccines being developed in Russia and China.
“I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone,” Fauci said.
Serbia
Serbia’s government has been urged to collect and share data on COVID-19 infections and deaths inside institutions for people with disabilities.
Six organizations representing people with disabilities and human rights groups wrote to Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on July 31, saying that understanding the impact of COVID-19 on people in institutions is impossible without transparent and complete data.
“It is not known how many people with disabilities living in institutions across Serbia have died or been infected with COVID-19,” said Milan Sverepa, director of Inclusion Europe.
The government said in April that 574 people living in institutions had been infected. Sverepa said it is “deeply worrisome” that how many of them may have died remains unknown.
Based on government figures for 2019, more than 14,512 adults and children, including people with disabilities, live in state-run institutions in Serbia.
The groups that sent the letter to Brnabic are Inclusion Europe, the European Network on Independent Living, Validity Foundation, Disability Rights International, Mental Disability Rights Initiative Serbia (MDRI-S), and Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Since April, Human Rights Watch and MDRI-S have sought information on what steps the government has taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in residential institutions, HRW said in a news release.
The government has not provided the information sought, HRW said.
“An important part of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic is understanding the scale and circumstances of infections and deaths,” said Emina Cerimovic, senior disability rights researcher at HRW.
“Collecting this data is necessary to inform government policy, decision-making, and response. Publishing this data helps the wider public understand the impact of the outbreak on social care institutions.”
With reporting by TASS, Reuters, and AFP


rferl--2020-08-01--Surging Belarusian Presidential Candidate Plans Three Rallies Amid Security Concerns

MINSK -- Belarusian presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , whose recent campaign events have drawn large crowds , is scheduled to hold three rallies on August 1 .
Tsikhanouskaya , who announced her candidacy only after her husband was arrested last month after he expressed his intention to run for the presidency , will appear at rallies in Hrodna , Vaukavysk , and Slonim .
Tsikhanouskaya has said that all events planned for her campaign would proceed despite a warning from the Belarusian Security Council about the need for additional security measures at public events .
The warning came after Belarusian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 33 Russian mercenaries who authorities allege wanted to destabilize the country ahead of the election .
Moscow has rejected the claims , saying the men were only transiting through Belarus on their way to Turkey .
Meanwhile , the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General 's Office said Kyiv would ask Belarus to hand over 28 of the detainees on charges of fighting alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine .
At least 63,000 supporters turned out for Tsikhanouskaya 's rally in Minsk on July 30 , according to the Vyasna human rights center , making it one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country since the start of the campaign for the August 9 presidential election .
Tsikhanouskaya and several other candidates are running to unseat President Alyaksandr Lukashenka , who is facing mounting public opposition after 26 years in power .
The campaign has become contentious since the arrest of hundreds of people , including activists and bloggers , as the government has cracked down on rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates .
Tsikhanouskaya spoke on July 31 in Lida , promising peace and an increase in pensions .
She asked civil servants not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to falsify election results , even if threatened with dismissal .
Only about 300 people turned out for the event , but participants told RFE/RL ’ s Belarus Service that rain was a factor and they said more people would have come if the rally had been held more centrally or at a location easy to reach on public transportation .
The 37-year-old former teacher also mentioned her husband , popular vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski , who remains in jail .
The Investigative Committee of Belarus said Tsikhanouski has been charged with `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the assault of law enforcement officers . ''
A statement from the committee on June 30 said Tsikhanouski , along with veteran opposition politician Mikalay Statkevich , who was also jailed in the run-up to the polls , and several unnamed individuals were charged with preparing mass disorder , a crime that may be punished by up to eight years in prison .
Tsikhanouskaya has rejected the new accusations against her husband .

MINSK -- Belarusian presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, whose recent campaign events have drawn large crowds, staged three rallies on August 1 ahead of the country's August 9 election.
Tsikhanouskaya was appearing on August 1 at rallies in the Belarusian towns of Hrodno, Vaukavysk, and Slonim.
Thousands of people were attended the rallies, with aerial footage of the event in Hrodno showing a large crowd gathered near a stage from where she spoke.
Tsikhanouskaya announced her candidacy after her husband, vlogger and activist Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was arrested and banned from the election after he had expressed his intention to run for the presidency.
"He was detained and thrown into jail. But it just so happens that he had a wife who also wants changes!" Tsikhanouskaya told the cheering crowd in Hrodno.
Tsikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former teacher, has said that all events planned for her campaign would proceed despite a warning from the Belarusian Security Council about the need for additional security measures at public events.
The warning came after Belarusian authorities earlier this week detained 33 contractors from the Russian private military group Vagner on allegations that they were trying to destabilize the country ahead of the election.
Moscow has rejected the claims, saying the contractors were only transiting through Belarus on their way to Turkey and "a third country."
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office said Kyiv would ask Belarus to hand over 28 of the detainees on charges of fighting alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
At least 63,000 supporters turned out for Tsikhanouskaya's rally in Minsk on July 30, according to the Vyasna human rights center, making it one of the largest opposition rallies in the country since the start of the campaign for the August 9 presidential election.
Tsikhanouskaya and several other candidates are running to unseat President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who is facing mounting public opposition after 26 years in power.
The campaign has become contentious since the arrest of hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers, as the government has cracked down on rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates.
Tsikhanouskaya spoke on July 31 in Lida, promising peace and an increase in pensions. She asked civil servants not to be afraid to express their opinion and not to falsify election results, even if threatened with dismissal.
Only about 300 people turned out for the event, but participants told RFE/RL’s Belarus Service that rain was a factor and they said more people would have come if the rally had been held more centrally or at a location easy to reach on public transportation.
The Investigative Committee of Belarus says Tsikhanouskaya's husband has been charged with "committing actions to incite social hatred and the assault of law enforcement officers."
A statement from the committee on June 30 said Tsikhanouski was charged with preparing mass disorder -- along with veteran opposition politician Mikalay Statkevich, who was also jailed in the run-up to the polls, and several unnamed individuals.
If convicted, they could be sentenced to eight years in prison.
Tsikhanouskaya has rejected the charges against her husband.
With reporting by Current Time and Reuters


rferl--2020-08-01--Moldovan Man Tied To Internet Theft Of More Than $500 Million Pleads Guilty In U.S.

A Moldovan man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and other charges in connection with a cybercrime organization that the U.S. Justice Department said was responsible for the theft of $ 568 million worldwide .
Valerian Chiochiu , 30 , pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Nevada as part of an investigation into the Infraud Organization , the Justice Department said on July 31 in a statement .
Chiochiu ’ s plea comes a month after Infraud Organization co-founder and administrator , Sergei Medvedev of Russia , pleaded guilty to similar charges .
Chiochiu , who is expected to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software for the organization , the department said .
The Infraud Organization victimized people , merchants , and banks across the United States and in other countries , the department said .
Over its seven-year history , the organization ’ s nearly 11,000 members are believed to have targeted more than 4.3 million credit cards , debit cards , and bank accounts around the world .
The crime ring was dismantled in 2018 , but by then it had racked up thefts totaling more than $ 500 million .
According to the indictment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2010 by Medvedev and Svyatoslav Bondarenko , 34 , of Ukraine , with a special focus on buying items with counterfeit or stolen credit-card information .
Bondarenko remains a fugitive .
Operating under the slogan `` In Fraud We Trust , '' members of the Infraud Organization used an online forum to purchase , sell , and disseminate stolen identities , compromised debit and credit cards , and banking information .
The Justice Department announced in February 2018 that 36 people had been charged for their alleged involvement in running the Infraud Organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international law enforcement authorities had arrested 13 defendants from the United States , Australia , Britain , France , Italy , Kosovo , and Serbia .

A Moldovan man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and other charges in connection with a cybercrime organization that the U.S. Justice Department said was responsible for the theft of $568 million worldwide.
Valerian Chiochiu, 30, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Nevada as part of an investigation into the Infraud Organization, the Justice Department said on July 31 in a statement.
Chiochiu’s plea comes a month after Infraud Organization co-founder and administrator, Sergei Medvedev of Russia, pleaded guilty to similar charges. Chiochiu, who is expected to be sentenced in December, wrote malicious computer software for the organization, the department said.
The Infraud Organization victimized people, merchants, and banks across the United States and in other countries, the department said. Over its seven-year history, the organization’s nearly 11,000 members are believed to have targeted more than 4.3 million credit cards, debit cards, and bank accounts around the world.
The crime ring was dismantled in 2018, but by then it had racked up thefts totaling more than $500 million.
According to the indictment, the Infraud Organization was created in 2010 by Medvedev and Svyatoslav Bondarenko, 34, of Ukraine, with a special focus on buying items with counterfeit or stolen credit-card information. Bondarenko remains a fugitive.
Operating under the slogan "In Fraud We Trust," members of the Infraud Organization used an online forum to purchase, sell, and disseminate stolen identities, compromised debit and credit cards, and banking information.
The Justice Department announced in February 2018 that 36 people had been charged for their alleged involvement in running the Infraud Organization. In that announcement, it said international law enforcement authorities had arrested 13 defendants from the United States, Australia, Britain, France, Italy, Kosovo, and Serbia.


rferl--2020-08-01--Belarusian President Accuses Russia Of Trying To Cover Up Vagner Group Election Plot

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has accused Russia of trying to cover up an attempt to send 200 fighters from a private Russian military firm into Belarus on a mission to destabilize the country ahead of its August 9 presidential election .
Lukashenka made the remarks on August 1 after he said he 'd read an initial report by Belarusian investigators into the alleged plot by members of the Vagner Group -- a private Russian military company thought to be controlled by an influential political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin , Yevgeny Prigozhin .
Its fighters have turned up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libya .
Earlier on August 1 , the Russian Embassy in Minsk announced that its diplomats had met with a group of 33 jailed Vagner Group contractors who 've been detained by Belarusian authorities .
`` As far as I understand , this is just the first group of 180 or 200 people that had been planned for redeployment to Belarus , '' Lukashenka was quoted by the BelTA state news agency as saying on August 1 .
`` Russia 's attempt to hide the 'tail ' now and claim that the arrival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us -- this is total nonsense , '' Lukashenka said .
The Kremlin has demanded their release , saying their arrests were `` unreasonable . ''
Earlier this week , 32 contractors from Vagner were detained near Minsk while another was detained in southern Belarus .
The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General 's Office said on July 31 that Kyiv would ask Belarus to hand over 28 of the detainees on charges of fighting alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine .
It said nine Ukrainian citizens are among the 28 .
However , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considers all of the detainees to be Russian citizens .
Peskov also has rejected Minsk 's claims that the group planned to interfere in Belarus 's presidential election .
He says the 33 men were detained while they were in transit to Istanbul before flying to `` a third country . ''
`` Their stay is connected neither to Belarus itself nor its internal affairs , '' Peskov told reporters on July 31 .
However , Alyaksandr Agafonov , who leads the Belarusian investigation , says the men ’ s plans for onward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Agafonov also said that the “ evidence about the reasons for their stay in Belarus is incoherent and contradictory.
” The head of the Belarusian Security Council , Andrey Raukou , said on July 30 that `` upwards of up to 200 militants '' remain at large in Belarus and efforts to locate them continue .
The August 9 presidential vote in Belarus is shaping up to be a tough race for incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka , an authoritarian leader who has been in power since 1994 .
Lukashenka has cracked down on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arrest of hundreds of people , including journalists , bloggers , and political activists .
Charges were pressed against two potential candidates .
With reporting by Reuters , TASS , dpa , AFP , Interfax , AFP , and UNIAN

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has accused Russia of trying to cover up an attempt to send 200 fighters from a private Russian military firm into Belarus on a mission to destabilize the country ahead of its August 9 presidential election.
Lukashenka made the remarks on August 1 after he said he'd read an initial report by Belarusian investigators into the alleged plot by members of the Vagner Group -- a private Russian military company thought to be controlled by an influential political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Its fighters have turned up in conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, and Libya.
Earlier on August 1, the Russian Embassy in Minsk announced that its diplomats had met with a group of 33 jailed Vagner Group contractors who've been detained by Belarusian authorities.
"As far as I understand, this is just the first group of 180 or 200 people that had been planned for redeployment to Belarus," Lukashenka was quoted by the BelTA state news agency as saying on August 1.
"Russia's attempt to hide the 'tail' now and claim that the arrival of this group was agreed on with us -- this is total nonsense," Lukashenka said.
The Kremlin has demanded their release, saying their arrests were "unreasonable."
Earlier this week, 32 contractors from Vagner were detained near Minsk while another was detained in southern Belarus.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office said on July 31 that Kyiv would ask Belarus to hand over 28 of the detainees on charges of fighting alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. It said nine Ukrainian citizens are among the 28.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on August 1 that Moscow considers all of the detainees to be Russian citizens.
Peskov also has rejected Minsk's claims that the group planned to interfere in Belarus's presidential election. He says the 33 men were detained while they were in transit to Istanbul before flying to "a third country."
"Their stay is connected neither to Belarus itself nor its internal affairs," Peskov told reporters on July 31.
However, Alyaksandr Agafonov, who leads the Belarusian investigation, says the men’s plans for onward travel were just "an alibi."
Agafonov also said that the “evidence about the reasons for their stay in Belarus is incoherent and contradictory.”
The head of the Belarusian Security Council, Andrey Raukou, said on July 30 that "upwards of up to 200 militants" remain at large in Belarus and efforts to locate them continue.
The August 9 presidential vote in Belarus is shaping up to be a tough race for incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka, an authoritarian leader who has been in power since 1994.
Lukashenka has cracked down on the opposition during the campaign, with the arrest of hundreds of people, including journalists, bloggers, and political activists. Charges were pressed against two potential candidates.
With reporting by Reuters, TASS, dpa, AFP, Interfax, AFP, and UNIAN


rferl--2020-08-01--Protesters Brave Drenching Rain To Demonstrate In Khabarovsk For 22nd Day

KHABAROVSK , Russia -- Thousands of people braved rainy weather in Russia 's Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk on August 1 to attend a fourth weekend of mass demonstrations against President Vladimir Putin 's role in a regional political crisis .
There also were similar , but smaller , protests on August 1 in other Far Eastern cities , including Komsomolsk-na-Amur , Vladivostok , and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk .
The demonstrators in Khabarovsk have been showing their support for the Khabarovsk region 's jailed former governor , Sergei Furgal .
A member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia ( LDPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wide margin in 2018 over the incumbent candidate from Putin 's ruling United Russia party .
But on July 9 , Furgal was arrested and transferred to a jail in Moscow for what authorities said was suspicion of involvement in several murders in 2004 and 2005 .
Furgal was then sacked by Putin , who appointed LDPR member Mikhail Degtyaryov as the Khabarovsk region 's acting governor .
Furgal 's supporters say the charges against him are politically motivated retribution for his 2018 election defeat of Putin 's ally .
The Kremlin says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The protests highlight growing discontent in the Far East over what demonstrators see as Moscow-dominated policies that often neglect their views and interests .
`` The government [ in Moscow ] does n't think of us as people , '' one woman demonstrator told journalists on August 1 .
`` We 're scum to them . ''
Putin 's popularity has been declining as the Kremlin tries to deal with an economy suffering from the coronavirus pandemic and years of ongoing international sanctions .
Sheltering from sporadic rain beneath umbrellas on August 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Freedom ! ''
and `` Putin resign ! ''
outside a government building .
One banner at the demonstration read : `` Russia without Putin . ''
Others chanted : “ We need the entire country ’ s support , '' and mocked Russia 's state media for failing to report on their demonstrations and grievances .
Municipal officials said they estimated the crowd at about 3,500 people .
Some local media put the number above 10,000 protesters but said the crowds were smaller than in previous weeks .
Sustained demonstrations against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia 's regions , as is a lack of response from authorities to break them up .
With additional reporting from Current Time and Reuters


rferl--2020-08-01--Thousands Attend Three Rallies Organized By Belarusian Opposition Presidential Candidate

MINSK -- Belarusian presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , whose recent campaign events have drawn large crowds , staged three rallies on August 1 ahead of the country 's August 9 election .
Tsikhanouskaya was appearing on August 1 at rallies in the Belarusian towns of Hrodno , Vaukavysk , and Slonim .
Thousands of people were attended the rallies , with aerial footage of the event in Hrodno showing a large crowd gathered near a stage from where she spoke .
Tsikhanouskaya announced her candidacy after her husband , vlogger and activist Syarhey Tsikhanouski , was arrested and banned from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intention to run for the presidency .
`` He was detained and thrown into jail .
But it just so happens that he had a wife who also wants changes ! ''
Tsikhanouskaya told the cheering crowd in Hrodno .
Tsikhanouskaya , a 37-year-old former teacher , has said that all events planned for her campaign would proceed despite a warning from the Belarusian Security Council about the need for additional security measures at public events .
The warning came after Belarusian authorities earlier this week detained 33 contractors from the Russian private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were trying to destabilize the country ahead of the election .
Moscow has rejected the claims , saying the contractors were only transiting through Belarus on their way to Turkey and `` a third country . ''
Meanwhile , the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General 's Office said Kyiv would ask Belarus to hand over 28 of the detainees on charges of fighting alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine .
At least 63,000 supporters turned out for Tsikhanouskaya 's rally in Minsk on July 30 , according to the Vyasna human rights center , making it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country since the start of the campaign for the August 9 presidential election .
Tsikhanouskaya and several other candidates are running to unseat President Alyaksandr Lukashenka , who is facing mounting public opposition after 26 years in power .
The campaign has become contentious since the arrest of hundreds of people , including activists and bloggers , as the government has cracked down on rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates .
Tsikhanouskaya spoke on July 31 in Lida , promising peace and an increase in pensions .
She asked civil servants not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not to falsify election results , even if threatened with dismissal .
Only about 300 people turned out for the event , but participants told RFE/RL ’ s Belarus Service that rain was a factor and they said more people would have come if the rally had been held more centrally or at a location easy to reach on public transportation .
The Investigative Committee of Belarus says Tsikhanouskaya 's husband has been charged with `` committing actions to incite social hatred and the assault of law enforcement officers . ''
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Tsikhanouski was charged with preparing mass disorder -- along with veteran opposition politician Mikalay Statkevich , who was also jailed in the run-up to the polls , and several unnamed individuals .
If convicted , they could be sentenced to eight years in prison .
Tsikhanouskaya has rejected the charges against her husband .
With reporting by Current Time and Reuters


rferl--2020-08-02--Russian Vaccine Developer Further Tempers Official's Claim Of October Rollout

Researchers behind one of two Russian candidate vaccines against the coronavirus undergoing the approval process in that country say they plan to launch production in November , raising further questions about official Russian pledges to have a vaccination campaign well under way before then .
The director-general of the Vektor State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology , Rinat Maksyutov , predicted on August 2 that his institution would start manufacturing a vaccine in November .
`` We expect to start production already in November this year , '' Maksyutov told Rossiya-1 TV 's Vesti program , according to TASS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this year and the start of next year we can talk about switching to vaccination at least for [ people ] from risk groups with a further switch to massive vaccination . ''
Russian officials have consistently touted an aggressive schedule for a vaccine against the pathogen that has infected at least 849,000 and killed more than 14,000 people in Russia , the fourth- and 11th-worst figures in the world , respectively .
Many outside experts have expressed skepticism at some of the Russian claims , and few specifics have emerged amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many aspects of the outbreak and officials ' handling of it .
President Vladimir Putin and many other officials have appeared especially keen to portray any progress as a testament to Russia 's place as a major global player in the fields of science and medicine .
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko further surprised many when he vowed on August 1 that Russia would implement “ extensive vaccination ” in October .
Speaking to journalists in Nizhny Novgorod , Murashko added that teachers and medical workers would be given priority for the vaccination program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details about the vaccine or the vaccination program .
Earlier in the week , Reuters reported that an unnamed source had said Russia ’ s first COVID-19 vaccine candidate should secure government approval in August .
Russia reportedly has two candidate vaccines being considered for approval : Vektor 's and another developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute in cooperation with the Defense Ministry .
Few confirmable details have been released on either effort .
Well over 100 major candidate vaccine efforts are continuing around the world in an unprecedented dedication of scientific and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines and treatments against the deadly coronavirus that emerged in central China late last year to kill at least 685,000 people , throw billions of people into lockdowns to prevent its spread , and ravage economies around the world .
Many of the most optimistic researchers around the world have suggested the development of a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the heart of the six-month pandemic that has infected at least 17.8 million people around the world will take until the end of the year at least -- still a remarkable pace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most vaccines take .
The head of Russia 's sovereign wealth fund that is financing vaccine research , Kiril Dmitriyev , has called it `` a Sputnik moment , '' in reference to the successful launch by the Soviet Union in 1957 of the world 's first satellite .
`` Americans were surprised when they heard Sputnik 's beeping , '' Dmitriyev told CNN .
`` It 's the same with this vaccine .
Russia will have got there first . ''
In testimony before the U.S. Congress on July 31 , Anthony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious-diseases official , expressed concern about reported COVID-19 vaccines being developed in Russia and China .
“ I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone , ” Fauci said .
With reporting by TASS , Reuters , and AFP

Researchers behind one of two Russian candidate vaccines against the coronavirus undergoing the approval process in that country say they plan to launch production in November, raising further questions about official Russian pledges to have a vaccination campaign well under way before then.
The director-general of the Vektor State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, Rinat Maksyutov, predicted on August 2 that his institution would start manufacturing a vaccine in November.
"We expect to start production already in November this year," Maksyutov told Rossiya-1 TV's Vesti program, according to TASS. "So closer to the end of this year and the start of next year we can talk about switching to vaccination at least for [people] from risk groups with a further switch to massive vaccination."
Russian officials have consistently touted an aggressive schedule for a vaccine against the pathogen that has infected at least 849,000 and killed more than 14,000 people in Russia, the fourth- and 11th-worst figures in the world, respectively.
Many outside experts have expressed skepticism at some of the Russian claims, and few specifics have emerged amid widespread accusations that Moscow has lied about many aspects of the outbreak and officials' handling of it.
President Vladimir Putin and many other officials have appeared especially keen to portray any progress as a testament to Russia's place as a major global player in the fields of science and medicine.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko further surprised many when he vowed on August 1 that Russia would implement “extensive vaccination” in October.
Speaking to journalists in Nizhny Novgorod, Murashko added that teachers and medical workers would be given priority for the vaccination program.
Murashko did not provide any other details about the vaccine or the vaccination program.
Earlier in the week, Reuters reported that an unnamed source had said Russia’s first COVID-19 vaccine candidate should secure government approval in August.
Russia reportedly has two candidate vaccines being considered for approval: Vektor's and another developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute in cooperation with the Defense Ministry.
Few confirmable details have been released on either effort.
Well over 100 major candidate vaccine efforts are continuing around the world in an unprecedented dedication of scientific and medical resources to finding safe and effective vaccines and treatments against the deadly coronavirus that emerged in central China late last year to kill at least 685,000 people, throw billions of people into lockdowns to prevent its spread, and ravage economies around the world.
Many of the most optimistic researchers around the world have suggested the development of a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the heart of the six-month pandemic that has infected at least 17.8 million people around the world will take until the end of the year at least -- still a remarkable pace compared to the years or decades that most vaccines take.
The head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund that is financing vaccine research, Kiril Dmitriyev, has called it "a Sputnik moment," in reference to the successful launch by the Soviet Union in 1957 of the world's first satellite.
"Americans were surprised when they heard Sputnik's beeping," Dmitriyev told CNN. "It's the same with this vaccine. Russia will have got there first."
In testimony before the U.S. Congress on July 31, Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious-diseases official, expressed concern about reported COVID-19 vaccines being developed in Russia and China.
“I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone,” Fauci said.
With reporting by TASS, Reuters, and AFP


rferl--2020-08-02--Afghan Intelligence Says High-Ranking Islamic State Leader Killed

Afghanistan 's intelligence service announced late on August 1 that Afghan special forces had killed a senior intelligence leader for the militant group Islamic State ( IS ) .
The Afghan National Directorate of Security said Assadullah Orakzai -- who was suspected of involvement in numerous deadly attacks against Afghan military and civilian targets -- was killed in an operation near the eastern city of Jalalabad .
It did not give a date .
The UN warned in a recent report that IS remains capable of high-profile attacks and hopes to recruit more fighters from among opponents of a 5-month-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long battled against Kabul 's authority , and the United States .
News of Orakzai 's killing came against a general decline in attacks by the radical IS group , which has a considerably smaller presence in Afghanistan .
Meanwhile , a 2-day-old cease-fire between the government and Taliban militants to coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha reportedly was holding across much of the country on August 1 , fueling hopes that highly anticipated peace talks might soon begin .
The two sides have been unable to make progress since an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban in February that was seen as a first step toward an intra-Afghan deal , in part over prisoner releases .
That U.S.-Taliban agreement included a Taliban pledge to prevent Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups from using Afghanistan to stage attacks against the United States or its partners .
The United Nations said recently that more than 100,000 people had fled conflict inside Afghanistan ’ s borders so far this year .
The UN also said IS attacks that resulted in civilian deaths in the first half of 2020 were down by around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ago .
The same report said that , overall , the number of civilian casualties in militant attacks fell by a more modest 13 percent .
ISIS-K , an offshoot of IS in Iraq and Syria , “ remains a threat to Afghanistan , the U.S. , NATO allies , and our partners ” despite being flushed out of Afghanistan 's Nangarhar and Kunar provinces , the U.S. military command in Afghanistan said in late July .
The IS claimed responsibility for one of this year 's deadliest militant attacks in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and wounded eight more in a rifle-and-grenade attack on a Sikh religious venue in March .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on July 28 that more than 10,000 government troops had been killed or wounded since the U.S.-Taliban deal was signed .
The current Afghan-Taliban cease-fire is slated to last for the duration of the Eid festival , which marks the end of Islam 's annual hajj pilgrimage .
Under the U.S.-Taliban deal , Kabul was to release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the militants freeing 1,000 government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council said via Twitter on August 2 that authorities had released 317 Taliban prisoners since the beginning of Eid al-Adha on July 31 , bringing the total number to 4,917 .
The 317 were among an additional 500 Taliban prisoners that Ghani had ordered freed as a goodwill gesture .
With reporting by AP , AFP , dpa , and Stars And Stripes

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--2020-08-01--Iran Says It Detained Leader Of U.S.-Based Opposition Group In 'Complicated' Operation

Authorities in Iran say they have detained the leader of a U.S.-based opposition group it accuses of involvement in a 2008 bombing and of plotting other attacks .
The Intelligence Ministry said on August 1 that it had detained Jamshid Sharmahd of the little-known Kingdom Assembly of Iran , or Tondar .
It said in a statement that security forces arrested Sharmahd in a “ complicated operation , ” but did not specify how , where , or when the detention took place .
Iranian television showed a video of a man identifying himself as Sharmahd giving a confession .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ force confessions from prisoners .
A U.S. State Department spokeswoman told Reuters that the U.S. government was `` aware of reports ” of Sharmahd ’ s detention .
“ The Iranian regime has a long history of detaining Iranians and foreign nationals on spurious charges .
We urge Iran to be fully transparent and abide by all international legal standards , ” the spokeswoman said .
Tondar did not immediately respond to e-mails from RFE/RL .
Two telephone numbers on its website no longer work .
In a statement on its website , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Sharmahd without explicitly confirming `` stories of various networks.
” Based in Los Angeles , Tondar says it aims to overthrow the Islamic republic and reestablish a monarchy similar to that of Cyrus the Great .
It runs pro-Iranian opposition radio and television stations abroad , as well as social media channels .
According to the group 's website , Sharmahd is an Iranian-German electronics engineer born in Tehran in 1955 who had lived in Germany before moving to Los Angeles in 2003 .
The Intelligence Ministry said the group “ directed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America.
” It alleged that Sharmahd planned and directed an explosion at a religious center in the southern city of Shiraz in 2008 that killed 14 people and wounded 215 .
It also claimed Iranian intelligence had foiled several other attacks over the years , including on a dam in Shiraz , at the Imam Khomeini Mausoleum , and the Tehran Book Fair .
According to some media reports , Sharmahd claimed responsibility for the Shiraz blast .
Tondar ’ s website says Iranian authorities blamed the group for the Shiraz attack after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2009 , Iran executed three men convicted of involvement in the 2008 bombing .
Tondar says the three men were members of the group .
Tondar has claimed responsibility for some attacks , including the bombing of a seminary used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) in Shiraz in June 2019 .
It also claimed credit for an explosion at a refinery in 2016 .
In 2007 , Tondar ’ s founder , Frood Fouladvand , and two other members of the group disappeared in what Amnesty International described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hakkari Province on the border with Turkey .
`` Despite our complaint to Interpol , Sharmahd would travel everywhere under his own name .
This shows how empty anti-terror slogans by Americans and their Europeans allies are , '' he told state TV .
The detention under unknown circumstances comes as tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated since the United States withdrew from the international Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed crushing sanctions .
The United States has also accused Iran of destabilizing the Middle East and supporting militias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While overshadowed by other exiled opposition groups , Iran reportedly brought up Tondar multiple times while negotiating the terms of the 2015 deal .
“ The west must cease financing and harboring terrorists , ” he said on Twitter .
Iran is known to have assassinated and abducted multiple exiled opposition figures in the past .
With reporting by Radio Farda , AFP , AP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-08-01--Dozens Detained In Fourth Weekend Of Protests Over Arrest Of Russian Far East Governor

KHABAROVSK , Russia -- Dozens of people were reportedly detained at demonstrations across Russia on August 1 as a wave of anti-Kremlin protests continued following the unseating and arrest of a jailed former governor in Russia 's Far East .
Thousands of people braved rainy weather in the eastern city of Khabarovsk to attend a fourth weekend of the mass demonstrations to express anger since central authorities arrested Governor Sergei Furgal and transferred him to custody in Moscow .
There were no detentions reported at the Khabarovsk event .
But the OVD-Info group that tracks political arrests said 70 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other cities , including 23 in St. Petersburg , 14 in Moscow , and others in Vladivostok , Komsomolsk-on-Amur , and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk .
A member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia ( LDPR ) , Furgal was elected by a wide margin in 2018 over the incumbent candidate from Putin 's ruling United Russia party .
But on July 9 , Furgal was arrested and transferred to a jail in Moscow for what authorities said was suspicion of involvement in several murders in 2004 and 2005 .
Furgal was then sacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mikhail Degtyaryov as the Khabarovsk region 's acting governor .
Furgal 's supporters say the charges against him are politically motivated retribution for his 2018 election defeat of Putin 's ally .
The Kremlin says Furgal has serious charges to answer .
The protests highlight growing discontent in the Far East over what demonstrators see as Moscow-dominated policies that often neglect their views and interests .
`` The government [ in Moscow ] does n't think of us as people , '' one woman demonstrator told journalists on August 1 .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's popularity has been declining as the Kremlin tries to deal with an economy suffering from the coronavirus pandemic and years of ongoing international sanctions .
Sheltering from sporadic rain beneath umbrellas on August 1 , protesters could be heard chanting , `` Freedom ! ''
and `` Putin resign ! ''
outside a government building .
One banner at the demonstration read : `` Russia without Putin . ''
Others chanted : “ We need the entire country ’ s support , '' and mocked Russia 's state media for failing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Municipal officials said they estimated the crowd at about 3,500 people .
Some local media put the number above 10,000 protesters but said the crowds were smaller than in previous weeks .
Sustained demonstrations against the government in Moscow are unusual for Russia 's regions , as is a lack of response from authorities to break them up .
With additional reporting from Current Time and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-31--Ukraine To Seek Extradition Of Alleged Russian Mercenaries Detained In Belarus; Moscow Calls For The

Ukraine To Seek Extradition Of Alleged Russian Mercenaries Detained In Belarus; Moscow Calls For Their Release


rferl--2020-08-02--Belarusian Presidential Candidate Tsikhanouskaya Says She Is Against Integration With Russia

Belarusian presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said she is against forming a union state with Russia but called for maintaining good relations with Moscow .
Tsikhanouskaya , an English translator who joined the presidential race after her husband , Syarhey Tsikhanouski , a popular vlogger , was arrested , made the comments in a lengthy interview published by the Russian news agency Lenta.Ru .
“ Personally , I am against deeper integration with Russia because Belarus is a sovereign nation .
We want to be independent .
We want to find friends and not enemies among other countries , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country should instead seek to join the European Union or move closer to the West , she said it was a false choice .
“ Is it really necessary to choose ?
” she said , adding that Belarus should develop economic and political relations with all countries .
Belarus is wedged between Russia and the European Union nations of Poland , Lithuania , and Latvia .
The nation 's economy is heavily dependent on cheap Russian oil and gas but has been growing its trade with the EU .
Tsikhanouskaya , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said that the Belarusian language should be promoted as part of the nation ’ s cultural heritage but that citizens should not be forced to speak it if they feel more comfortable conversing in Russian .
Tsikhanouskaya has attracted tens of thousands of people to her rallies over the last few weeks as more citizens grow tired of Alyaksandr Lukashenka , who has ruled Belarus since 1994 .

Belarusian presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said she is against forming a union state with Russia but called for maintaining good relations with Moscow.
Tsikhanouskaya, an English translator who joined the presidential race after her husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, a popular vlogger, was arrested, made the comments in a lengthy interview published by the Russian news agency Lenta.Ru.
“Personally, I am against deeper integration with Russia because Belarus is a sovereign nation. We want to be independent. We want to find friends and not enemies among other countries,” she said.
However, when asked if the country should instead seek to join the European Union or move closer to the West, she said it was a false choice.
“Is it really necessary to choose?” she said, adding that Belarus should develop economic and political relations with all countries.
Belarus is wedged between Russia and the European Union nations of Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. The nation's economy is heavily dependent on cheap Russian oil and gas but has been growing its trade with the EU.
Tsikhanouskaya, who speaks in Russian at her rallies, said that the Belarusian language should be promoted as part of the nation’s cultural heritage but that citizens should not be forced to speak it if they feel more comfortable conversing in Russian.
Tsikhanouskaya has attracted tens of thousands of people to her rallies over the last few weeks as more citizens grow tired of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus since 1994.
Belarus holds a presidential election on August 9.


rferl--2020-08-02--Islamic State Militants Stage Deadly Attack On Afghan Prison

Several people have been killed and dozens wounded in an Islamic State terrorist attack on a prison in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar .
Militants on August 2 detonated a car bomb outside a prison in the provincial capital of Jalalabad and engaged in a gun battle with security forces as they stormed the building from a nearby market .
At least three civilians were killed and 24 people wounded , provincial governor spokesman Ataullah Khogyani said .
The exact number of casualties remains unknown and is likely to rise .
Officials said between 50 and 100 inmates escaped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ houses about 1,700 Taliban , Islamic State , and criminal prisoners .
On its Amaq news agency , the Islamic State terrorist group claimed credit for the attack .
The attack occurred one day after Afghan special forces announced they had killed the intelligence chief of the Islamic State 's Afghan headquarters in Jalalabad .
The Taliban denied responsibility for any attacks .
The assault comes on the third and final day of a cease-fire between the Taliban and the Afghan government to mark the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha .
President Ashraf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that intra-Afghan talks could begin immediately after festival , as the United States presses for the start of long-awaited negotiations following the signing of a February agreement with the militants .
A major hurdle in launching intra-Afghan talks is the completion of prisoner exchanges .
Over the three-day cease-fire weekend , Ghani said he had released an additional 500 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture , bringing the total number of militants released to 4,600 out of the 5,000 pledged in the landmark agreement .
The Taliban says it has freed all 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Washington , and insists on its demand for the release of the remaining 400 prisoners on the list .
With reporting by AFP , AP , Reuters , and RFE/RL 's Afghanistan Service