rferl--2020-03-30--Hungary's Orban Gets Sweeping New Powers Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Hungary 's parliament has approved legislation giving right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban sweeping new powers under -- and possibly beyond -- the country 's state of emergency to fight the COVID-19 pandemic .
Critics , including from the European Union and United Nations , have warned that the bill 's open-ended powers to rule by decree could be a major setback to democratic gains in the former communist country .
One expert on international law called it a `` constitutional lockdown '' on Hungary and its 10 million citizens , and suggested that the avenues to help from the EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member , were limited .
Orban 's nationalist-populist Fidesz party has dominated Hungarian politics for a decade and holds a two-thirds majority in the current legislature .
The bill , passed on March 30 with 137 votes in favor and 53 votes against , allows the government to extend indefinitely the state of emergency declared on March 11 and its associated powers of rule by decree , doing away with the current requirement for lawmakers to approve any extension .
`` My biggest problem is that this is a potential constitutional lockdown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of this structure in which the government may end the state of emergency but the legal effects adopted during the state of emergency are going to stay in effect as long as the parliament does not end them -- and the parliament is under no legal obligation to end them anyway , '' Tamas Lattmann , an international lawyer specializing in extraordinary legal regimes who teaches at the University of New York in Prague , told RFE/RL after the March 30 vote .
He said Hungarian law already gave the government broad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't conflict with the constitution , including allowing it to set aside existing legislation .
On March 29 , four Hungarian civil-society organizations , including the Helsinki Committee rights group , called on the government to amend the bill and introduce a so-called `` sunset clause '' that provides for the law to cease having effect after a specific date unless lawmakers extend it .
Otherwise , Orban will `` have a completely unrestricted mandate for the government ... the current draft ... basically gives an open-ended carte-blanche mandate , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Helsinki Committee .
If the Fidesz-dominated parliament never decided to curb Orban 's powers , Lattmann warned , `` even the Constitutional Court can not do anything , because the Constitutional Court can not analyze something which is not being done by the parliament . ''
`` So this is a constitutional stalemate in the end , and it 's extremely dangerous , '' said Lattmann , who was an associate professor at the National University of Public Service in Budapest for nearly two decades .
Since 2010 , the 56-year-old Orban has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hungary 's courts and media .
He has also restricted the activities of nongovernmental organizations , among other actions for which the NATO and EU member country has been criticized at home and in Brussels .
Defenders of the bill have said the powers are necessary to keep the country safe from the mounting toll of the COVID-19 epidemic that has infected more than 750,000 people worldwide and 447 people in Hungary .
Fifteen people in Hungary had been killed by the coronavirus as of March 30 .
`` The extraordinary measures are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevention , its elimination and the damaging economic consequences , '' AP quoted Csaba Domotor , a deputy minister in Orban 's cabinet office , as saying .
`` A time limit can not be declared in this situation because there is no one ... who can say how many months of struggle we have to prepare for . ''
Among the law 's other provisions is allowing a criminal punishment of up to five years for anyone spreading `` fake news '' about the coronavirus pandemic .
Justice Minister Judit Varga has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers the legislation extends to Orban , telling journalists on March 27 that critics opposing the bill were `` fighting imaginary demons and not dealing with reality . ''
Members of the European Parliament ( MEPs ) in Brussels have called for an inquiry by the European Commission into Orban 's new law .
“ Viktor Orban must not be given a carte blanche to further empower himself and strip away Hungarian citizens ' democratic rights under the auspices of tackling the coronavirus , '' Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield , a French MEP , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Lattmann warned that any EU route to try to thwart what some have described as a `` power grab '' by Orban under the current situation could prove a dead end .
`` The question is really problematic because the European Commission may practice and exercise its inquiry and control functions in questions which are related to EU competencies or the application of EU law , '' Lattmann said .
`` And the Hungarian government is going to surely argue that the coronavirus situation , pandemic situation , is not something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in ] . ''
UN rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a news conference last week that the bill `` appears to give the government practically unlimited powers to rule by decree and bypass parliamentary scrutiny with no clear cut-off date . ''
Colville said that international law only allows emergency legislation that is limited to the crisis at hand , adding that the bill could `` have a potentially chilling effect on freedom of expression in Hungary . ''
The secretary-general of the Council of Europe , Marija Pejcinovic Buric , sent Orban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned against an `` indefinite and uncontrolled state of emergency . ''
With reporting by AFP , dpa , and The Guardian

Two members of the U.S. Congress have condemned new legislation in Hungary giving right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban sweeping powers under the country's state of emergency to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representative Eliot Engel (Democrat-New York), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Senator Jim Risch (Republican-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was particularly disturbing that a NATO ally and EU member would implement what Engel called a "blatant power grab" that allows Orban "to rule by decree like a dictator."
Referring to new powers, the Hungarian prime minister received amid an indefinite state of emergency, Engel added in a statement on March 30 that it was "particularly egregious that...Orban attempts to capitalize on the suffering of his own citizens for personal gain."
"Such a serious affront to democracy anywhere is outrageous, and particularly within a NATO ally and EU member," he said. "I call on Prime Minister Orban to abandon this effort and focus on counter-COVID measures that actually prioritize keeping the Hungarian people safe."
Both Engel and Risch noted that the legislation has no so-called "sunset clause" specifying a date when Orban’s additional powers would expire.
Risch said emergencies “should never be used as an excuse to weaken democratic institutions” and added that the Central European country ”should carefully consider its actions in this crisis and maintain the democratic core we all share.”
Engel and Risch join a chorus of criticism of the legislation warning that the bill's open-ended powers to rule by decree could be a major setback to democratic gains in the former communist country.
One expert on international law called it a "constitutional lockdown" on Hungary and its 10 million citizens and suggested that the avenues to help from the European Union were limited.
Orban's nationalist-populist Fidesz party has dominated Hungarian politics for a decade and holds a two-thirds majority in the current legislature.
'Constitutional Lockdown'
The bill, passed on March 30 with 137 votes in favor and 53 votes against, allows the government to extend indefinitely the state of emergency declared on March 11 and its associated powers of rule by decree, doing away with the current requirement for lawmakers to approve any extension.
"My biggest problem is that this is a potential constitutional lockdown, that we are going to be stuck because of this structure in which the government may end the state of emergency but the legal effects adopted during the state of emergency are going to stay in effect as long as the parliament does not end them -- and the parliament is under no legal obligation to end them anyway," Tamas Lattmann, an international lawyer specializing in extraordinary legal regimes who teaches at the University of New York in Prague, told RFE/RL after the March 30 vote.
He said Hungarian law already gave the government broad powers under the state of emergency that don't conflict with the constitution, including allowing it to set aside existing legislation.
On March 29, four Hungarian civil society organizations, including the Helsinki Committee rights group, called on the government to introduce a sunset clause.
Otherwise, Orban will "have a completely unrestricted mandate for the government...the current draft...basically gives an open-ended carte-blanche mandate,” said Marta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee.
If the Fidesz-dominated parliament never decided to curb Orban's powers, Lattmann warned, "even the Constitutional Court cannot do anything, because the Constitutional Court cannot analyze something which is not being done by the parliament."
"So this is a constitutional stalemate in the end, and it's extremely dangerous," said Lattmann, who was an associate professor at the National University of Public Service in Budapest for nearly two decades.
Since 2010, the 56-year-old Orban has consolidated his power by diminishing the independence of Hungary’s courts and media.
He has also restricted the activities of nongovernmental organizations, among other actions for which the country has been criticized at home and in Brussels.
Defenders of the bill have said the powers are necessary to keep the country safe from the mounting toll of the COVID-19 epidemic, which has infected more than 780,000 people worldwide and 447 people in Hungary. Fifteen people in Hungary had been killed by the coronavirus as of March 30, according to data published by Johns Hopkins University.
"The extraordinary measures are related to the pandemic, to its prevention, its elimination, and the damaging economic consequences," AP quoted Csaba Domotor, a deputy minister in Orban's cabinet office, as saying.
"A time limit cannot be declared in this situation because there is no one...who can say how many months of struggle we have to prepare for."
'Fake News' Provision
Among the law’s other provisions is allowing a criminal punishment of up to five years for anyone spreading "fake news" about the coronavirus pandemic.
Justice Minister Judit Varga has sought to quell fears about the unprecedented powers the legislation extends to Orban, telling journalists on March 27 that critics opposing the bill were "fighting imaginary demons and not dealing with reality."
Members of the European Parliament in Brussels have called for an inquiry by the European Commission.
“Viktor Orban must not be given a carte blanche to further empower himself and strip away Hungarian citizens’ democratic rights under the auspices of tackling the coronavirus,” Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, a French member of the European Parliament told The Guardian daily before the vote.
But Lattmann warned that any EU route to try to thwart what some have described as a "power grab" by Orban under the current situation could prove a dead end.
"The question is really problematic because the European Commission may practice and exercise its inquiry and control functions in questions which are related to EU competencies or the application of EU law," Lattmann said. "And the Hungarian government is going to surely argue that the coronavirus situation, pandemic situation, is not something that the European Union would have competence [in]."
With reporting by AFP, dpa, and The Guardian


rferl--2020-03-30--COVID-19: Russia Closes Borders; Serbia Plans $5.5 Billion Aid Package

The global death toll has surpassed 34,000 with over 725,000 infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Russia is considering extending a nationwide lockdown after Moscow all but confined its 12 million residents to their homes and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church called on worshipers to avoid churches and pray at home instead to stem the coronavirus outbreak .
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin asked regional governors during an emergency meeting on March 30 to mirror Moscow 's move and consider introducing a partial lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its biggest one-day rise in coronavirus cases for a sixth day running .
The government also closed all of the country 's borders as of March 30 , allowing only Russian diplomats , freight , and other necessary vehicles and people to enter .
`` This may now seem to some of you like some kind of game , a kind of Hollywood thriller .
This is no game ... , '' Dmitry Medvedev , deputy chairman of the Security Council , said in a video address on March 30 .
`` Unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real threat to all of us and to all of human civilization , '' he said .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia has exceeded 1,800 , according to a global database maintained by Johns Hopkins University on March 30 , with nine fatalities .
Russian officials initially touted quick measures taken , such at strict quarantines for people entering the country and the closure of its border with China , as having blunted a rapid outbreak of the virus .
Indeed , the country appears so far to be less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics and even ordinary Russians have voiced skepticism about the accuracy of official figures and raised questions about the state 's testing for the virus .
According to a survey by the Levada Center , only 16 percent of Russians fully trust official information about the coronavirus , while 24 percent said they did not trust it at all .
In a sign of public indifference to the situation , Moscow authorities issued rules on March 30 that state residents will only be allowed to go out to buy food or medicines at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment , walk their dogs , or take out the trash .
Those needing to go to work will also be allowed to leave their homes , and authorities will introduce a system of passes in the coming days .
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on March 30 that city control measures had revealed that some 20 percent of Moscow residents had failed to follow previous quarantine regulations , requiring the tighter restrictions .
According to Sobyanin , a special information system will be developed soon to increase control over the movement of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will enable us to practically fully control citizens ' movements and prevent violations that may occur , '' Sobyanin said .
Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 30 hailed Moscow 's lockdown as `` necessary and justified . ''
St. Petersburg , Russia 's second-largest city , and more than a dozen other regions from the westernmost exclave of Kaliningrad to the Arctic region of Murmansk and Tatarstan on the Volga River have followed Moscow 's example and introduced compulsory self-isolation regimes .
Russia 's coronavirus crisis center said on March 30 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmmed in the western region of Pskov .
According to the center , the coronavirus cases were registered in 71 of the country 's regions .
The virus has also touched the country 's power center .
The Kremlin said that a member of President Vladimir Putin 's administration has been infected with the coronavirus , but the person had not been in direct contact with Russia 's leader .
Putin also called for the week between March 28 to April 5 to be a non-working week -- essentially a weeklong holiday for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the quick spread of the illness . ''
The government also ordered all vacation and health resorts closed until June .
Other restrictions ordered by the government included the cancelation of all international flights .
Iran 's death toll from the coronavirus has reached 2,757 with 117 new fatalities over the past 24 hours , Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV on March 30 , adding that the official number of confirmed cases has climbed to 41,495 .
`` In the past 24 hours , we had 117 new deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected with the coronavirus , '' Jahanpur said , calling on Iranians to stay at home .
Iran is one of the countries worst hit by the virus , and experts have been skeptical about the veracity of official figures released by the Islamic regime that keeps a tight lid on local and foreign media .
State media reported on March 30 that inmates in southern Iran broke cameras and caused other damage during a riot , the latest in a series of violent prison disturbances in the country .
Enayatollah Rahimi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was quoted by the state-run IRNA news agency as saying a riot broke out at Adel Abad Prison in the city of Shiraz .
Rahimi said no one was wounded and no one escaped .
Iran had temporarily released around 100,000 prisoners as part of measures taken to contain the pandemic , leaving an estimated 50,000 people behind bars , including violent offenders and what authorities call `` security cases '' -- often people with dual citizenship and Western ties .
On March 29 , the government announced the extension of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after several prison riots in recent days and mass escapes from prisons .
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says his government plans to give about 5 billion euros ( $ 5.54 billion ) in loans and subsidies to businesses to help them deal with the economic pressure of the coronavirus pandemic .
The government will also make a one-off payment of 100 euros ( $ 111 ) to every Serbian citizen older than 18 , or around 5 million people , Vucic said on March 29 .
So far , 13 people in Serbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have died from the coronavirus and 741 have been infected .
Serbia has introduced a state of emergency and an overnight lockdown for all .
Vucic said the economic plan would prompt an increase in the deficit this year that would be covered from financial reserves and borrowing .
The deficit was originally forecast at 0.3 percent of economic output .
Under the plan , agreed with the International Monetary Fund , Serbia 's public debt should not exceed 60 percent of GDP , from 52.4 percent at the end of last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month had 13.4 billion euros ( $ 14.9 billion ) in currency reserves , down from 13.7 billion euros ( $ 15.2 billion ) in January .
Vucic said the state would use 700 million euros ( $ 780 million ) to pay minimum wages of 30,367 dinars ( $ 288.58 ) and allow tax delays for micro and small enterprises for the three months after the end of the state of emergency to avoid job losses .
Romania has reported six more coronavirus deaths , bringing the total inside the country to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections reached 1,952 , with 192 more cases registered over the past 24 hours .
A total of 16 Romanians have died from the coronavirus abroad , most of of them in Italy .
An estimated 4 million Romanians work in Italy and Spain , two of the world 's worst-affected countries .
Romania 's government crisis group dealing with the pandemic also said 180 people had recovered from the COVID-19 illness caused by the coronavirus .
As of March 30 , a total of 23,103 Romanians have been tested for COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has been under a state of emergency since March 16 .
On March 22 , authorities imposed a `` total quarantine , '' stepping up restrictions .
Armenia 's parliament has passed in the first reading a government-drafted bill allowing the remote monitoring of coronavirus patients placed in self-isolation , a move that has been criticized by the opposition as a violation of privacy .
Armenia has been under a one-month state of emergency since March 16 .
The 132-member National Assembly dominated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 's My Step alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bill .
There was one abstention .
The text is expected to pass in its second and last reading with minor changes on March 31 .
The Ministry of Health said the number of coronavirus cases in Armenia had increased by 58 over the past 24 hours , raising the total figure to 482 .
Three people are reported to have died of the disease in the South Caucasus country of around 3 million .
Under the bill , the authorities will be allowed to use telecommunication technologies to monitor the location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The patients ' phone records and other personal data could also be used to identify their possible contacts .
Justice Minister Rustam Badasian , who presented the bill in parliament , said the measure would apply only to periods of national emergencies caused by epidemics and would not include snooping into telephone conversations .
The measure would help authorities enforce the self-isolation regime for coronavirus patients , including through a smartphone application , and help locate their contacts with the use of personal data provided by telecom companies , according to Badasian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all customers would be made available in one database , but authorities would focus only on confirmed coronavirus patients and their contacts .
Opposition factions that voted against the bill said the measure was a threat to the protection of personal data .
`` We are against yielding our freedom and we will vote against it , '' Edmon Marukian , the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia faction , said before the vote .
Naira Zohrabian , a representative of the opposition Prosperous Armenia party , described the proposed measure as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tremendous resources that you are going to waste on trying to [ geo ] locate us on purchasing [ coronavirus ] testing kits in order to test people entering the country , '' she said before the vote .
According to legal amendments passed on March 23 , violators of self-isolation orders can face fines of up to $ 2,000 .
Up to five years ' imprisonment is envisaged for cases where a breach of quarantine or self-isolation leads to fatal infections of other individuals .
The Georgian government has decided to impose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new quarantine rules aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus in the South Caucasus country .
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced the new measures at a news conference on March 30 , saying that `` the dynamics of the growth in new cases [ of coronavirus ] is alarming . ''
The country of some 3.7 million people has so far reported 100 cases , with no fatalities .
Gakharia said that starting on March 31 , a curfew will be imposed nationwide from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. , during which pharmacies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open .
The government is also declaring a `` general quarantine , '' during which people will only be permitted to leave homes for essential shopping .
Other new measures include a ban on public gatherings of more than three people and a suspension of public transport , except for taxis , the prime minister said .
Uzbekistan has suspended operations of all airports in Central Asia ’ s most-populous nation of 32 million to try to help slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak .
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on March 30 and remain closed until April 20 .
A special government commission had already restricted all vehicle traffic between Uzbekistan 's towns and cities to those with a special permit .
The restriction runs for the same period as the airport closure .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Uzbekistan reached 145 as of March 30 , including two deaths , according to local health officials .
In Kyrgyzstan , the Interior Ministry said on March 30 that police detained 1,087 individuals across the country for violating a curfew that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .
According to the curfew , the movement of individuals or vehicles is banned between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. each day .
Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov said on March 30 that the total number of registered coronavirus cases in the country had reached 94 after 10 more people tested positive in the southern Jalal-Abad region .
In Kazakhstan , more than 70 women rallied in the southern city of Shymkent to demand the distribution of free food promised by the local government last week as part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak restrictions .
A representative of the Shymkent city administration , Sundet Seitov , told RFE/RL that city authorities have been unable to provide all of the food assistance due to financial shortages .
Last week , a similar rally took place in another southern city , Qyzylorda , where more than 100 people rallied in front of the city food depot demanding food distribution .
The Health Ministry said that as of March 30 , the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan was 294 , including one death .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kazakh , Kyrgyz , Romanian , Russian , Tatar-Bashkir , and Uzbek services , Reuters , AP , TASS , Interfax , dpa , AFP , Digi24.ro , Hotnews.ro , and Prva TV

The global death toll has surpassed 34,000 with over 725,000 infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Russia
Russia is considering extending a nationwide lockdown after Moscow all but confined its 12 million residents to their homes and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church called on worshipers to avoid churches and pray at home instead to stem the coronavirus outbreak.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin asked regional governors during an emergency meeting on March 30 to mirror Moscow's move and consider introducing a partial lockdown in their areas, after Russia recorded its biggest one-day rise in coronavirus cases for a sixth day running.
The government also closed all of the country's borders as of March 30, allowing only Russian diplomats, freight, and other necessary vehicles and people to enter.
"This may now seem to some of you like some kind of game, a kind of Hollywood thriller. This is no game...," Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council, said in a video address on March 30.
"Unfortunately, what is happening now is a real threat to all of us and to all of human civilization," he said.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia has exceeded 1,800, according to a global database maintained by Johns Hopkins University on March 30, with nine fatalities.
Russian officials initially touted quick measures taken, such at strict quarantines for people entering the country and the closure of its border with China, as having blunted a rapid outbreak of the virus.
Indeed, the country appears so far to be less affected than many European countries, but critics and even ordinary Russians have voiced skepticism about the accuracy of official figures and raised questions about the state's testing for the virus.
According to a survey by the Levada Center, only 16 percent of Russians fully trust official information about the coronavirus, while 24 percent said they did not trust it at all.
In a sign of public indifference to the situation, Moscow authorities issued rules on March 30 that state residents will only be allowed to go out to buy food or medicines at their nearest shop, get urgent medical treatment, walk their dogs, or take out the trash. Those needing to go to work will also be allowed to leave their homes, and authorities will introduce a system of passes in the coming days.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on March 30 that city control measures had revealed that some 20 percent of Moscow residents had failed to follow previous quarantine regulations, requiring the tighter restrictions.
According to Sobyanin, a special information system will be developed soon to increase control over the movement of the Russian capital's residents.
"It will enable us to practically fully control citizens' movements and prevent violations that may occur," Sobyanin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 30 hailed Moscow's lockdown as "necessary and justified."
St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, and more than a dozen other regions from the westernmost exclave of Kaliningrad to the Arctic region of Murmansk and Tatarstan on the Volga River have followed Moscow's example and introduced compulsory self-isolation regimes.
Russia's coronavirus crisis center said on March 30 that the latest fatality from the coronavirus was confirmmed in the western region of Pskov. According to the center, the coronavirus cases were registered in 71 of the country's regions.
The virus has also touched the country's power center.
The Kremlin said that a member of President Vladimir Putin's administration has been infected with the coronavirus, but the person had not been in direct contact with Russia's leader.
Putin also called for the week between March 28 to April 5 to be a non-working week -- essentially a weeklong holiday for the country to "prevent the threat of the quick spread of the illness."
The government also ordered all vacation and health resorts closed until June.
Other restrictions ordered by the government included the cancelation of all international flights.
Iran
Iran's death toll from the coronavirus has reached 2,757 with 117 new fatalities over the past 24 hours, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV on March 30, adding that the official number of confirmed cases has climbed to 41,495.
"In the past 24 hours, we had 117 new deaths and 3,186 new confirmed cases of people infected with the coronavirus," Jahanpur said, calling on Iranians to stay at home.
Iran is one of the countries worst hit by the virus, and experts have been skeptical about the veracity of official figures released by the Islamic regime that keeps a tight lid on local and foreign media.
State media reported on March 30 that inmates in southern Iran broke cameras and caused other damage during a riot, the latest in a series of violent prison disturbances in the country.
Enayatollah Rahimi, the governor of the southern Fars Province, was quoted by the state-run IRNA news agency as saying a riot broke out at Adel Abad Prison in the city of Shiraz. Rahimi said no one was wounded and no one escaped.
Iran had temporarily released around 100,000 prisoners as part of measures taken to contain the pandemic, leaving an estimated 50,000 people behind bars, including violent offenders and what authorities call "security cases" -- often people with dual citizenship and Western ties.
On March 29, the government announced the extension of the temporary releases of thousands of prisoners, after several prison riots in recent days and mass escapes from prisons.
Serbia
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says his government plans to give about 5 billion euros ($5.54 billion) in loans and subsidies to businesses to help them deal with the economic pressure of the coronavirus pandemic.
The government will also make a one-off payment of 100 euros ($111) to every Serbian citizen older than 18, or around 5 million people, Vucic said on March 29.
So far, 13 people in Serbia, a Balkan country of 7 million, have died from the coronavirus and 741 have been infected.
Serbia has introduced a state of emergency and an overnight lockdown for all.
Vucic said the economic plan would prompt an increase in the deficit this year that would be covered from financial reserves and borrowing. The deficit was originally forecast at 0.3 percent of economic output.
Under the plan, agreed with the International Monetary Fund, Serbia's public debt should not exceed 60 percent of GDP, from 52.4 percent at the end of last year, Vucic said.
Serbia last month had 13.4 billion euros ($14.9 billion) in currency reserves, down from 13.7 billion euros ($15.2 billion) in January.
Vucic said the state would use 700 million euros ($780 million) to pay minimum wages of 30,367 dinars ($288.58) and allow tax delays for micro and small enterprises for the three months after the end of the state of emergency to avoid job losses.
Romania
Romania has reported six more coronavirus deaths, bringing the total inside the country to 46, as the number of confirmed infections reached 1,952, with 192 more cases registered over the past 24 hours.
A total of 16 Romanians have died from the coronavirus abroad, most of of them in Italy. An estimated 4 million Romanians work in Italy and Spain, two of the world's worst-affected countries.
Romania's government crisis group dealing with the pandemic also said 180 people had recovered from the COVID-19 illness caused by the coronavirus.
As of March 30, a total of 23,103 Romanians have been tested for COVID-19.
Romania, a country of 19.5 million, has been under a state of emergency since March 16. On March 22, authorities imposed a "total quarantine," stepping up restrictions.
Armenia
Armenia's parliament has passed in the first reading a government-drafted bill allowing the remote monitoring of coronavirus patients placed in self-isolation, a move that has been criticized by the opposition as a violation of privacy.
Armenia has been under a one-month state of emergency since March 16.
The 132-member National Assembly dominated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's My Step alliance on March 30 voted 57-24 to approve the bill. There was one abstention.
The text is expected to pass in its second and last reading with minor changes on March 31.
The Ministry of Health said the number of coronavirus cases in Armenia had increased by 58 over the past 24 hours, raising the total figure to 482.
Three people are reported to have died of the disease in the South Caucasus country of around 3 million.
Under the bill, the authorities will be allowed to use telecommunication technologies to monitor the location of coronavirus patients placed in mandatory self-isolation.
The patients' phone records and other personal data could also be used to identify their possible contacts.
Justice Minister Rustam Badasian, who presented the bill in parliament, said the measure would apply only to periods of national emergencies caused by epidemics and would not include snooping into telephone conversations.
The measure would help authorities enforce the self-isolation regime for coronavirus patients, including through a smartphone application, and help locate their contacts with the use of personal data provided by telecom companies, according to Badasian.
The minister said that metadata for all customers would be made available in one database, but authorities would focus only on confirmed coronavirus patients and their contacts.
Opposition factions that voted against the bill said the measure was a threat to the protection of personal data. "We are against yielding our freedom and we will vote against it," Edmon Marukian, the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia faction, said before the vote.
Naira Zohrabian, a representative of the opposition Prosperous Armenia party, described the proposed measure as a waste of money.
"Use the tremendous resources that you are going to waste on trying to [geo]locate us on purchasing [coronavirus] testing kits in order to test people entering the country," she said before the vote.
According to legal amendments passed on March 23, violators of self-isolation orders can face fines of up to $2,000. Up to five years' imprisonment is envisaged for cases where a breach of quarantine or self-isolation leads to fatal infections of other individuals.
Georgia
The Georgian government has decided to impose a night curfew, as part of new quarantine rules aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus in the South Caucasus country.
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced the new measures at a news conference on March 30, saying that "the dynamics of the growth in new cases [of coronavirus] is alarming."
The country of some 3.7 million people has so far reported 100 cases, with no fatalities.
Gakharia said that starting on March 31, a curfew will be imposed nationwide from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m., during which pharmacies will be the only shops allowed to open.
The government is also declaring a "general quarantine," during which people will only be permitted to leave homes for essential shopping.
Other new measures include a ban on public gatherings of more than three people and a suspension of public transport, except for taxis, the prime minister said.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has suspended operations of all airports in Central Asia’s most-populous nation of 32 million to try to help slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that all airports were to cease operations on March 30 and remain closed until April 20.
A special government commission had already restricted all vehicle traffic between Uzbekistan's towns and cities to those with a special permit. The restriction runs for the same period as the airport closure.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Uzbekistan reached 145 as of March 30, including two deaths, according to local health officials.
Kyrgyzstan
In Kyrgyzstan, the Interior Ministry said on March 30 that police detained 1,087 individuals across the country for violating a curfew that was introduced five days earlier over the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the curfew, the movement of individuals or vehicles is banned between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. each day.
Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov said on March 30 that the total number of registered coronavirus cases in the country had reached 94 after 10 more people tested positive in the southern Jalal-Abad region.
Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan, more than 70 women rallied in the southern city of Shymkent to demand the distribution of free food promised by the local government last week as part of the assistance being given to low-income families amid the outbreak restrictions.
A representative of the Shymkent city administration, Sundet Seitov, told RFE/RL that city authorities have been unable to provide all of the food assistance due to financial shortages.
Last week, a similar rally took place in another southern city, Qyzylorda, where more than 100 people rallied in front of the city food depot demanding food distribution.
The Health Ministry said that as of March 30, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan was 294, including one death.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Georgian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Romanian, Russian, Tatar-Bashkir, and Uzbek services, Reuters, AP, TASS, Interfax, dpa, AFP, Digi24.ro, Hotnews.ro, and Prva TV


rferl--2020-03-29--Ukraine’s Parliament To Hold Special Session On IMF Bills Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Ukraine ’ s parliament , the Verkhovna Rada , has scheduled an extraordinary session for the afternoon of March 30 to adopt legislation that would protect the Eastern European country during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Bills will be considered required by the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) to unlock a lending program worth up to $ 8 billion , which would further lead to millions of dollars more in support from the European Union , World Bank , European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ( EBRD ) , and other foreign backers .
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told parliament that failure to pass the legislation risked “ the threat of default ” and additional economic hardship as the number of COVID-19 infections approached 500 and 10 attributable fatalities , with cases being registered in every region and the capital , Kyiv .
“ Tomorrow , the people of Ukraine will see clearly whether you are ready to defend their interests .
And though tomorrow you all will be wearing [ medical ] masks , it will be clear to the people who is who -- the public will understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or servants of vested interests , ” Zelenskiy said .
The IMF is seeking a law on banking regulations that would prevent the former owners of banks that were nationalized or liquidated in recent years during a widespread clean-up from regaining ownership rights to them or receiving monetary compensation .
The Washington-based lender also would like for Kyiv to sanction the sale of farmland by lifting a sale-purchase moratorium in order for a robust land market to exist .
IMF Managing Director Georgieva Kristalina indicated last week that Kyiv could expect more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was seeking if the two crucial bills were passed .
`` This last week , very good progress has been made in the discussions with the Ukrainian authorities on the new Extended Fund Facility arrangement , '' she said on March 26 .
`` Adoption of legislation to improve the bank resolution framework and on land reform would allow moving forward quickly with finalizing the parameters of the new arrangement , with large access than previously envisaged . ''
The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine urged parliament last week to meet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Parliament must take bold , decisive , and rapid action this week to vote on necessary legislation to conclude the deal with the IMF that will enable disbursements to start in the near term , ” the country ’ s oldest business association said in a statement .
On the eve of parliament ’ s special session , a lawmaker in the ruling presidential party released video recordings that allegedly incriminate the brother of presidential office head Andriy Yermak in trading government positions for kickbacks .
In a Facebook post the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked authorities to verify the authenticity of the recordings .
Ukraine as of 10 p.m. local time on March 29 had 475 confirmed cases of the respiratory illness that originated in China late last year and which has spread to nearly every country of the world .
Meanwhile , a second transport of medical equipment arrived in Kyiv from China on March 29 .
The plane carrying 300,000 respirators , 35,000 protection suits , and 1.8 million surgical masks landed at Boryspil airport , said Kiryll Tymoshenko , deputy head of the Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also will receive $ 1.2 million from the U.S. government to counteract the spread of coronavirus , the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States said on Facebook .
The assistance will be spent on “ the preparation of laboratory systems , the detection of disease , the provision of technical assistance in responding to and raising awareness about the risks of the spread of COVID-19.
” With additional reporting by Interfax , Hromadske , Financial Times , Bloomberg , Ukrinform , and Ukrayinska Pravda

Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has scheduled an extraordinary session for the afternoon of March 30 to adopt legislation that would protect the Eastern European country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bills will be considered required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unlock a lending program worth up to $8 billion, which would further lead to millions of dollars more in support from the European Union, World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and other foreign backers.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a 10-minute televised address late on March 29, told parliament that failure to pass the legislation risked “the threat of default” and additional economic hardship as the number of COVID-19 infections approached 500 and 10 attributable fatalities, with cases being registered in every region and the capital, Kyiv.
“Tomorrow, the people of Ukraine will see clearly whether you are ready to defend their interests. And though tomorrow you all will be wearing [medical] masks, it will be clear to the people who is who -- the public will understand whether you are servants of the people or servants of vested interests,” Zelenskiy said.
The IMF is seeking a law on banking regulations that would prevent the former owners of banks that were nationalized or liquidated in recent years during a widespread clean-up from regaining ownership rights to them or receiving monetary compensation.
The Washington-based lender also would like for Kyiv to sanction the sale of farmland by lifting a sale-purchase moratorium in order for a robust land market to exist.
IMF Managing Director Georgieva Kristalina indicated last week that Kyiv could expect more than the originally discussed $5.5 billion it was seeking if the two crucial bills were passed.
"This last week, very good progress has been made in the discussions with the Ukrainian authorities on the new Extended Fund Facility arrangement," she said on March 26. "Adoption of legislation to improve the bank resolution framework and on land reform would allow moving forward quickly with finalizing the parameters of the new arrangement, with large access than previously envisaged."
The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine urged parliament last week to meet the IMF's requirements.
“Ukraine’s Parliament must take bold, decisive, and rapid action this week to vote on necessary legislation to conclude the deal with the IMF that will enable disbursements to start in the near term,” the country’s oldest business association said in a statement.
On the eve of parliament’s special session, a lawmaker in the ruling presidential party released video recordings that allegedly incriminate the brother of presidential office head Andriy Yermak in trading government positions for kickbacks.
In a Facebook post the same day, Yermak denied the accusations and asked authorities to verify the authenticity of the recordings.
Ukraine as of 10 p.m. local time on March 29 had 475 confirmed cases of the respiratory illness that originated in China late last year and which has spread to nearly every country of the world.
Meanwhile, a second transport of medical equipment arrived in Kyiv from China on March 29.
The plane carrying 300,000 respirators, 35,000 protection suits, and 1.8 million surgical masks landed at Boryspil airport, said Kiryll Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Ukraine also will receive $1.2 million from the U.S. government to counteract the spread of coronavirus, the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States said on Facebook.
The assistance will be spent on “the preparation of laboratory systems, the detection of disease, the provision of technical assistance in responding to and raising awareness about the risks of the spread of COVID-19.”
With additional reporting by Interfax, Hromadske, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Ukrinform, and Ukrayinska Pravda


rferl--2020-03-29--Kabul Slams Taliban After Militants Reject Government Negotiating Team For Peace Talks

The Afghan government has slammed the Taliban after the militant group rejected Kabul 's negotiating team for upcoming intra-Afghan peace talks aimed at ending the nearly 19-year war .
Waheed Omar , President Ashraf Ghani 's adviser , told reporters in Kabul on March 29 that the Taliban `` should not make excuses any more '' to start the long-delayed negotiations .
The talks were scheduled to begin on March 10 , but were delayed due to political bickering in Kabul over the composition of the negotiating team .
After weeks of delays , the government on March 27 announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- to take part in the talks , a key step in the U.S.-facilitated peace process .
But the Taliban on March 28 rejected the negotiation team , saying the government had failed to put forward an `` inclusive '' team .
`` In order to reach true and lasting peace , the aforementioned team must be agreed upon by all effective Afghan sides so that it can represent all sides , '' said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on March 28 .
Omar rejected the Taliban ’ s claim , saying the negotiating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peace Ministry spokeswoman Najia Anwari said the Taliban 's stance was unjustified as the negotiating team was made after wide consultations among Afghan society .
Ghani 's political rival Abdullah Abdullah has not confirmed whether he will support the delegation .
Ghani and Abdullah are locked in a political standoff , with the latter rejecting the outcome of the disputed September 2019 presidential election and threatening to form a parallel government .
Abdullah 's spokesman Fraidoon Khwazoon said that although the announced list was not final and there were `` considerations that needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be rejected outright .
U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had congratulated Afghan political and civil-society leaders for forming what he called an “ inclusive negotiating team.
” Under a deal signed by the United States and the Taliban in Doha on February 29 , Taliban representatives agreed to commit to direct talks with the Afghan government .
In return for the start of talks and a series of security commitments from the Taliban , all U.S. troops and other foreign coalition forces are meant to withdraw from Afghanistan by July 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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--2020-03-29--COVID-19: Uzbekistan Remains Under Lockdown; Iran Frees Prisoners Amid Pandemic

The global death toll has surpassed 33,800 with over 718,000 infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Authorities in Moscow will impose on March 30 tighter restrictions on residents in an attempt to contain the spread of the new coronavirus , Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said .
Residents of the Russian capital will only be allowed to go out to buy food or medicines at their nearest shop , get urgent medical treatment , walk the dog , or take out the trash .
Those needing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave their homes , and authorities will introduce a system of passes in the coming days .
`` Gradually but steadily , we will keep tightening control as needed in this situation , '' Sobyanin said on his website on March 29 .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia has exceeded 1,500 , with 270 new cases in the past 24 hours , health authorities reported .
Eight fatalities have been recorded so far , Russia 's anti-coronavirus crisis center said on March 29 .
Most of the news cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which accounts for more than 1,000 infections , according to Sobyanin .
Earlier on March 29 , Sobyanin said the “ situation with the coronavirus spread has entered a new phase .
More than 1,000 coronavirus cases have been recorded in Moscow . ''
Russian health officials have warned that a sharp increase in the number of cases in the country is expected in the coming days due to expanded testing in Moscow .
Authorities in Moscow also closed shopping centers , restaurants , and larger parks from March 28 for at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged people to stay home , and begun restricting public transit .
Meanwhile , the Russian government has announced it will “ temporarily ” close the borders starting on March 30 to curb the spread of the outbreak .
The measure will not apply to Russian diplomats and the drivers of freight trucks , among others , the government said on March 28 .
Earlier , the Kremlin said that a member of President Vladimir Putin 's administration has been infected with the coronavirus , but the person had not been in direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 25 , Putin postponed next month 's referendum on sweeping constitutional changes that could allow him to remain in power until 2036 because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak .
Putin also called for the week between March 28 to April 5 to be a nonworking week -- essentially a weeklong holiday for the country to `` prevent the threat of the quick spread of the illness . ''
The government also ordered all vacation and health resorts closed until June .
Other restrictions ordered by the government included the cancelation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after Uzbekistan detected its first coronavirus infection , the government in Tashkent reported 11 new cases on March 29 , bringing the nationwide total to 144 .
`` Another 11 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the country , the total number of infections is 144 , '' the press service of the Health Ministry said in a statement .
The Central Asian country reported its first case of the respiratory illness on March 15 and on the same day authorities imposed a quarantine in all preschools and educational facilities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , commercial stores , and eateries were also shuttered .
Uzbekistan , a country of 32 million people , has since March 24 been closed off for entry and exit for all modes of transportation .
Interregional transportation connections were suspended on March 27 .
An order is in place for the wearing of protective masks in all public areas .
Iranian authorities said they have extended the temporary releases of thousands of prisoners in an attempt to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in the country ’ s overcrowded jails .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ another 15,000 prisoners , bringing the total number released to 100,000 .
Iran is one of the countries worst hit by the virus , with a declared death toll of 2,640 as of March 29 , although experts estimate the total to be much higher .
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told state TV on March 29 that the release of 15,000 more inmates on temporary releases `` had already started . ''
He said all 100,000 prisoners would be temporarily released until April 19 .
On March 17 , Iran said it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including political prisoners .
Iran said it had 189,500 people in prison , according to a report submitted by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran to the Human Rights Council in January .
In recent days there have been several prison riots and mass escapes from prisons , as inmates try to avoid the coronavirus amid substandard prison conditions .
Meanwhile , President Hassan Rohani said `` the new way of life '' in Iran was likely to be prolonged by the coronavirus outbreak .
Rohani told a cabinet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must prepare to live with this virus until a treatment or vaccine is discovered , which has not yet happened to date . ''
`` The new way of life we have adopted '' is to everyone 's benefit , he said , adding that `` these changes will likely have to stay in place for some time . ''
Tehran on March 25 decided to ban all intercity travel until at least April 8 .
Without an official lockdown in place , the government has repeatedly urged Iranians to stay home `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and universities in some provinces were closed in late February and the closure was later extended to the whole country .
The reopening of schools following this year 's Persian New Year holidays of March 19 to April 3 appears unlikely after Rohani 's warning .
Iran has refused the United States ' offer of humanitarian assistance , saying that Washington should lift sanctions if it wants to help Tehran fight the epidemic .
Iran has been under crippling U.S. sanctions in connection with its nuclear and missile program .
Kazakhstan has locked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus and will tap into its emergency fund to help alleviate the economic effects of the outbreak , authorities said on March 29 .
Karaganda and several of its satellite towns were added to the list after seven cases of the disease were diagnosed in the city on March 29 .
The Central Asian nation has confirmed 265 coronavirus cases and has already locked down its capital , Nur-Sultan , its biggest city , Almaty , as well as Shymkent , a large city in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caspian Sea port .
Among the satellites under lockdown is Temirtau , home to Kazakhstan 's biggest steel mill owned by steel giant Arcelor Mittal .
Energy-rich Kazakhstan will tap its $ 60 billion National Fund for an additional 1.825 trillion tenge ( $ 4.1 billion ) this year , Information Minister Dauren Abayev said on March 29 .
The money will help finance Kazakhstan 's $ 10 billion stimulus package aimed at softening the blow from the coronavirus outbreak and the plunge in the price of oil , the Central Asian nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two more deaths of patients who had been infected by the coronavirus , raising the Caucasus nation ’ s total to three fatalities .
Armenia 's Health Ministry on March 29 said the total number of confirmed cases has reached 424 .
On March 28 , in a Facebook post , Health Minister Arsen Torosian wrote : “ I regret to inform you that two deaths have occurred in [ Yerevan ’ s ] Nork infectious diseases hospital during the past hour.
” “ The victims are a 55-year-old woman and a 73-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combination with other chronic diseases , ” he added .
On March 26 , Armenia reported its first fatality among patients diagnosed with COVID-19 -- a 72-year-old woman who Armenia ’ s health authorities said had suffered from multiple medical conditions , including heart disease .
According to official data , 30 patients with COVID-19 have recovered in Armenia .
A state of emergency was declared on March 16 , set to run until at least April 14 .
On March 25 , to further slow the spread of the highly contagious and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government introduced a one-week self-isolation regime throughout the country , restricting the movement of citizens .
Under the order , citizens can leave their homes only for permitted work and for a number of vital reasons , such as the purchase of food and medicine , or to exercise .
Torosian , the health minister , said on March 28 that he did not exclude that the self-isolation period could be extended beyond April 1 .
Ukraine 's Health Ministry on March 29 said that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases reached 475 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have recovered , Deputy Health Minister and Chief Medical Officer Viktor Lyashko told journalists on March 29 .
Ukraine ’ s parliament , the Verkhovna Rada , has scheduled an extraordinary session for the afternoon of March 30 to adopt legislation that would protect the Eastern European country during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Meanwhile , a second transport of medical equipment arrived in Kyiv from China on March 29 .
The plane carrying 300,000 respirators , 35,000 protection suits , and 1.8 million surgical masks landed at Boryspil airport , said Kirill Tymoshenko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the President of Ukraine .
Romania on March 29 reported 308 more confirmed cases of infection with the new coronavirus and two more deaths , bringing the total number of infections to 1,760 and the fatalities to 40 .
Romania 's crisis group dealing with the outbreak said one of the two victims was a 27-year-old woman who was suffering from diabetes -- the youngest victim so far -- and the other was a 71-year-old man .
Both fatalities were from northeastern Romania , where most cases have been identified .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21,460 Romanians have been tested .
Some 8,666 people are in quarantine , and 132,641 are in isolation at home under medical supervision .
A total of 12 Romanians died from the coronavirus abroad , eight of them in Italy .
An estimated 4 million Romanians work in Italy and Spain , two of the world 's worst-affected countries .
Romania declared a state of emergency on March 16 over the pandemic and went into a `` total quarantine '' on March 25 , with army troops deployed to help enforce the order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus cases were recorded in the country over the past 24 hours , bringing the total to 1,526 cases , including 13 deaths .
Health Minister Zafar Mirza said on March 29 that 71 percent of coronavirus cases in Pakistan were imported , mainly pilgrims who returned from neighboring Iran , which has seen the Mideast 's worst outbreak .
Cases in Pakistan have been gradually increasing despite the imposition of a lockdown in the country of 220 million .
Lawmakers and experts have voiced fears of an exponential increase in the coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more testing .
“ The data coming in of patients across the country is not indicative of the true picture .
The real number of patients is much higher , ” Attaur Rehman , the head of Prime Minister Imran Khan ’ s task force on science and technology , told reporters .
The Health Ministry said that there were 13,324 suspected cases of the new coronavirus .
More than 8,000 were in quarantine across the country .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , TASS , Interfax , dpa , AFP , @ @ @ @

The global death toll has surpassed 33,800 with over 718,000 infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Russia
Authorities in Moscow will impose on March 30 tighter restrictions on residents in an attempt to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
Residents of the Russian capital will only be allowed to go out to buy food or medicines at their nearest shop, get urgent medical treatment, walk the dog, or take out the trash.
Those needing to go to work will also be allowed to leave their homes, and authorities will introduce a system of passes in the coming days.
"Gradually but steadily, we will keep tightening control as needed in this situation," Sobyanin said on his website on March 29.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia has exceeded 1,500, with 270 new cases in the past 24 hours, health authorities reported.
Eight fatalities have been recorded so far, Russia's anti-coronavirus crisis center said on March 29.
Most of the news cases -- 197 -- were reported in Moscow, which accounts for more than 1,000 infections, according to Sobyanin.
Earlier on March 29, Sobyanin said the “situation with the coronavirus spread has entered a new phase. More than 1,000 coronavirus cases have been recorded in Moscow."
Russian health officials have warned that a sharp increase in the number of cases in the country is expected in the coming days due to expanded testing in Moscow.
Authorities in Moscow also closed shopping centers, restaurants, and larger parks from March 28 for at least a week. Moscow authorities have encouraged people to stay home, and begun restricting public transit.
Meanwhile, the Russian government has announced it will “temporarily” close the borders starting on March 30 to curb the spread of the outbreak.
The measure will not apply to Russian diplomats and the drivers of freight trucks, among others, the government said on March 28.
Earlier, the Kremlin said that a member of President Vladimir Putin's administration has been infected with the coronavirus, but the person had not been in direct contact with Russia's leader.
On March 25, Putin postponed next month's referendum on sweeping constitutional changes that could allow him to remain in power until 2036 because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
Putin also called for the week between March 28 to April 5 to be a nonworking week -- essentially a weeklong holiday for the country to "prevent the threat of the quick spread of the illness."
The government also ordered all vacation and health resorts closed until June.
Other restrictions ordered by the government included the cancelation of all international flights.
Uzbekistan
Less than 15 days after Uzbekistan detected its first coronavirus infection, the government in Tashkent reported 11 new cases on March 29, bringing the nationwide total to 144.
"Another 11 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the country, the total number of infections is 144," the press service of the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The Central Asian country reported its first case of the respiratory illness on March 15 and on the same day authorities imposed a quarantine in all preschools and educational facilities and canceled all mass gatherings.
Outdoor markets, commercial stores, and eateries were also shuttered.
Uzbekistan, a country of 32 million people, has since March 24 been closed off for entry and exit for all modes of transportation.
Interregional transportation connections were suspended on March 27.
An order is in place for the wearing of protective masks in all public areas.
Iran
Iranian authorities said they have extended the temporary releases of thousands of prisoners in an attempt to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in the country’s overcrowded jails.
Authorities said they would also temporarily free another 15,000 prisoners, bringing the total number released to 100,000.
Iran is one of the countries worst hit by the virus, with a declared death toll of 2,640 as of March 29, although experts estimate the total to be much higher.
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told state TV on March 29 that the release of 15,000 more inmates on temporary releases "had already started."
He said all 100,000 prisoners would be temporarily released until April 19.
On March 17, Iran said it had freed about 85,000 people from jail temporarily, including political prisoners.
Iran said it had 189,500 people in prison, according to a report submitted by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran to the Human Rights Council in January.
In recent days there have been several prison riots and mass escapes from prisons, as inmates try to avoid the coronavirus amid substandard prison conditions.
Meanwhile, President Hassan Rohani said "the new way of life" in Iran was likely to be prolonged by the coronavirus outbreak.
Rohani told a cabinet meeting on March 29, "We must prepare to live with this virus until a treatment or vaccine is discovered, which has not yet happened to date."
"The new way of life we have adopted" is to everyone's benefit, he said, adding that "these changes will likely have to stay in place for some time."
Tehran on March 25 decided to ban all intercity travel until at least April 8.
Without an official lockdown in place, the government has repeatedly urged Iranians to stay home "as much as possible."
Schools and universities in some provinces were closed in late February and the closure was later extended to the whole country.
The reopening of schools following this year's Persian New Year holidays of March 19 to April 3 appears unlikely after Rohani's warning.
Iran has refused the United States' offer of humanitarian assistance, saying that Washington should lift sanctions if it wants to help Tehran fight the epidemic.
Iran has been under crippling U.S. sanctions in connection with its nuclear and missile program.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan has locked down its fifth major city as part of measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus and will tap into its emergency fund to help alleviate the economic effects of the outbreak, authorities said on March 29.
Karaganda and several of its satellite towns were added to the list after seven cases of the disease were diagnosed in the city on March 29.
The Central Asian nation has confirmed 265 coronavirus cases and has already locked down its capital, Nur-Sultan, its biggest city, Almaty, as well as Shymkent, a large city in the south, and Aktau, a Caspian Sea port.
Among the satellites under lockdown is Temirtau, home to Kazakhstan's biggest steel mill owned by steel giant Arcelor Mittal.
Energy-rich Kazakhstan will tap its $60 billion National Fund for an additional 1.825 trillion tenge ($4.1 billion) this year, Information Minister Dauren Abayev said on March 29.
The money will help finance Kazakhstan's $10 billion stimulus package aimed at softening the blow from the coronavirus outbreak and the plunge in the price of oil, the Central Asian nation's main export.
Armenia
Armenia has reported two more deaths of patients who had been infected by the coronavirus, raising the Caucasus nation’s total to three fatalities.
Armenia's Health Ministry on March 29 said the total number of confirmed cases has reached 424.
On March 28, in a Facebook post, Health Minister Arsen Torosian wrote: “I regret to inform you that two deaths have occurred in [Yerevan’s] Nork infectious diseases hospital during the past hour.”
“The victims are a 55-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man who had the new coronavirus in combination with other chronic diseases,” he added.
On March 26, Armenia reported its first fatality among patients diagnosed with COVID-19 -- a 72-year-old woman who Armenia’s health authorities said had suffered from multiple medical conditions, including heart disease.
According to official data, 30 patients with COVID-19 have recovered in Armenia.
A state of emergency was declared on March 16, set to run until at least April 14.
On March 25, to further slow the spread of the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus, Armenia’s government introduced a one-week self-isolation regime throughout the country, restricting the movement of citizens.
Under the order, citizens can leave their homes only for permitted work and for a number of vital reasons, such as the purchase of food and medicine, or to exercise.
Torosian, the health minister, said on March 28 that he did not exclude that the self-isolation period could be extended beyond April 1.
Ukraine
Ukraine's Health Ministry on March 29 said that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases reached 475, including 10 deaths.
Five people have recovered, Deputy Health Minister and Chief Medical Officer Viktor Lyashko told journalists on March 29.
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has scheduled an extraordinary session for the afternoon of March 30 to adopt legislation that would protect the Eastern European country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, a second transport of medical equipment arrived in Kyiv from China on March 29.
The plane carrying 300,000 respirators, 35,000 protection suits, and 1.8 million surgical masks landed at Boryspil airport, said Kirill Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Romania
Romania on March 29 reported 308 more confirmed cases of infection with the new coronavirus and two more deaths, bringing the total number of infections to 1,760 and the fatalities to 40.
Romania's crisis group dealing with the outbreak said one of the two victims was a 27-year-old woman who was suffering from diabetes -- the youngest victim so far -- and the other was a 71-year-old man. Both fatalities were from northeastern Romania, where most cases have been identified.
As of March 29, a total of 21,460 Romanians have been tested.
Some 8,666 people are in quarantine, and 132,641 are in isolation at home under medical supervision.
A total of 12 Romanians died from the coronavirus abroad, eight of them in Italy. An estimated 4 million Romanians work in Italy and Spain, two of the world's worst-affected countries.
Romania declared a state of emergency on March 16 over the pandemic and went into a "total quarantine" on March 25, with army troops deployed to help enforce the order.
Pakistan
Pakistani authorities said that 121 more coronavirus cases were recorded in the country over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,526 cases, including 13 deaths.
Health Minister Zafar Mirza said on March 29 that 71 percent of coronavirus cases in Pakistan were imported, mainly pilgrims who returned from neighboring Iran, which has seen the Mideast's worst outbreak.
Cases in Pakistan have been gradually increasing despite the imposition of a lockdown in the country of 220 million.
Lawmakers and experts have voiced fears of an exponential increase in the coming days and urged the government to conduct more testing.
“The data coming in of patients across the country is not indicative of the true picture. The real number of patients is much higher,” Attaur Rehman, the head of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s task force on science and technology, told reporters.
The Health Ministry said that there were 13,324 suspected cases of the new coronavirus. More than 8,000 were in quarantine across the country.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, TASS, Interfax, dpa, AFP, hotnews.ro, and g4media.ro


rferl--2020-03-29--Husband Of Jailed U.K.-Iranian Woman Says Temporary Release Extended In Tehran

The husband of the jailed British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe says his wife has had her temporary release extended for another two weeks by the Iranian government .
“ Nazanin 's father got told today that it has been extended until Saturday , April 18 , an extra two weeks , '' husband Richard Ratcliffe told AFP in an e-mail on March 28 .
He added that the news had brought `` a lot of relief in our house . ''
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe , 41 , currently on leave from Evin Prison at her parents ' house in the Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to custody on April 4 .
Her husband had previously said she was required to wear an ankle bracelet and to remain within 300 meters of her parents ' home .
Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been detained in Iran since April 2016 .
In September 2016 , she was sentenced to 5 years in prison for allegedly `` plotting to topple the Iranian government . ''
She denied the charges , as did her employer and the British government .
On March 17 , her husband said Zaghari-Ratcliffe was among up to 80,000 prisoners temporarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure that authorities said was meant to help curb the COVID-19 outbreak in the country .
Iranian President Hassan Rohani on March 24 said that the `` government 's coronavirus crisis team has decided to extend [ the overall prisoner ] parole from April 3 to April 19 , '' adding that it could be extended again if the situation requires .
Iran is the hardest-hit country in the Middle East by the coronavirus pandemic .
As of March 28 , it has reported more than 25,000 cases of infections and 2,517 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an accurate number of cases anywhere in the world is impossible because of the lack of testing .
Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 after visiting relatives in Iran with her young daughter .
She worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation at the time .
Britain has demanded her release and that of other dual nationals imprisoned in Iran .
Tehran does not recognize dual citizenship .
Former British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt wrote in a tweet that the latest development was `` a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this remarkable family are reunited soon , '' he added .
With reporting by AFP , the BBC , and dpa

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--2020-03-28--Rosneft Sells Assets In Venezuela To Russian State Company

Russia ’ s largest oil producer , Rosneft , has announced that it is halting operations in Venezuela and selling @ @ @ @ @ company fully owned by the Russian government .
Rosneft said in a statement on March @ @ @ @ @ an agreement with the company 100 percent owned by the government of the Russian Federation @ @ @ @ @ its interest and cease participation in its Venezuelan businesses , '' including multiple joint ventures @ @ @ @ @ and other activities .
The move appeared to be aimed at protecting Rosneft from U.S. @ @ @ @ @ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro .
The United States has imposed sanctions on two Rosneft subsidiaries @ @ @ @ @ in Geneva that sells crude oil to European customers .
Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontyev was @ @ @ @ @ as saying that the company expects the United States to now waive sanctions against its @ @ @ @ @ decision was aimed at `` protecting the interests of our shareholders . ''
Based on @ @ @ @ @ , and AFP

Russia’s largest oil producer, Rosneft, has announced that it is halting operations in Venezuela and selling its assets there to a company fully owned by the Russian government.
Rosneft said in a statement on March 28 that it “concluded an agreement with the company 100 percent owned by the government of the Russian Federation, to sell all of its interest and cease participation in its Venezuelan businesses," including multiple joint ventures, oil-field services companies, and other activities.
The move appeared to be aimed at protecting Rosneft from U.S. sanctions while Russia continues supporting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The United States has imposed sanctions on two Rosneft subsidiaries, including a company based in Geneva that sells crude oil to European customers.
Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontyev was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that the company expects the United States to now waive sanctions against its subsidiaries.
He said the decision was aimed at "protecting the interests of our shareholders."
Rosneft is led by Russian President Vladimir Putin's longtime associate Igor Sechin.
Based on reporting by Tass, AP, and AFP


rferl--2020-03-28--Taliban Takes District Headquarters, Says It Will Not Negotiate With Afghan Government Team

Taliban forces have taken control of a district headquarters in Afghanistan 's northeastern province of Badakhshan , an overnight development that was followed on March 28 by an announcement that the militant group will not negotiate with a team recently unveiled by the Afghan government .
The district headquarters in Yumgan was overrun by Taliban fighters after heavy fighting , resulting in an undetermined number of casualties , provincial councilors told the German dpa news agency .
Four villages in neighboring Jurm district were also taken by the Taliban , according to the councilors .
The militant group followed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is refusing to deal with the 21-member team approved on March 26 by the Afghan government in an effort to end the country 's 18-year-old war .
The team is led by Masoom Stanekzai , the former head of head of Afghanistan ’ s National Directorate of Security ( NDS ) , and includes politicians , former officials , and representatives of civil society .
Five members are women .
Under a deal signed by the United States and the Taliban in Doha on February 29 , Taliban representatives agreed to commit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In return for the start of talks and a series of security commitments from the Taliban , all U.S. troops and other foreign coalition forces are meant to withdraw from Afghanistan within 14 months .
U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had congratulated Afghan political and civil society leaders for forming what he called an “ inclusive negotiating team.
” The Taliban long controlled the Yumgan and Jurm districts of Badakhshan Province until government forces retook them late in 2019 .
Yumgan is close to the district of Kuran wan Munjan , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of clashes with Afghan forces .
Based on reporting by Reuters , dpa , and AFP