rferl--2020-10-01--COVID-19: Russian Research Center Says Early Trials Of Its Coronavirus Vaccine Successful

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 1 million , with more than 34 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Russia 's Vektor , a secret state virology research center in Siberia , says early clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine have proven successful .
`` The first two phases of clinical trials demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of the EpiVacCorona vaccine , '' Vektor 's press department was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency on October 1 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumer safety watchdog , Rospotrebnadzor , said that EpiVacCorona 's early clinical human trials had been completed and that all the volunteers taking part in clinical trials are feeling fine .
EpiVacCorona is expected to be registered by October 15 , Rospotrebnadzor officials said on September 30 .
According to the chief of the Russian Sciences Academy , Vladimir Chekhonin , the report means the country 's scientists are at an advanced stage of development with three different COVID-19 vaccines .
Russian authorities have said that the first batch of Sputnik V was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that a countrywide COVID-19 vaccination campaign will begin in October following post-registration tests .
Vektor has indicated the EpiVacCorona vaccine will be available for use later next year .
Chekhonin said that complete information concerning a third COVID-19 vaccine , which is being developed by the Chumakov Institute in Moscow , is expected to be available by May 2021 .
He gave no further details .
The EpiVacCorona vaccine is a two-component vaccine .
The interval between the administration of the first and second components is 21 days .
Russia plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vektor said , with production expected to begin in November .
Uzbekistan has lifted a ban on international travel imposed in mid-March to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
According to a government commission decision , all international flights , railways lines , and automobile transportation to and from the Central Asian nation were allowed to resume on October 1 .
In accordance with the new regulations , individuals entering Uzbekistan by vehicles from neighboring Afghanistan , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , and Turkmenistan will have to provide a medical document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus and are obliged to observe a 14-day quarantine period upon entering the country .
Individuals who arrived from Uzbekistan after having stayed for at least 14 days in China , Thailand , Malaysia , South Korea , Georgia , Hungary , Finland , Latvia , Austria , and Japan are now allowed to enter the country without any restrictions .
Those who arrived in Uzbekistan from countries labelled as so-called `` red zones '' and `` yellow zones , '' except Azerbaijan , Belarus , the United Arab Emirates , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter Uzbekistan only if they have a documented negative test result no older than 72 hours .
Uzbekistan shut its borders and suspended transport links with other countries in mid-March because of the outbreak .
Only charter flights and special trains used for repatriating foreigners who were stuck in Uzbekistan were allowed .
As of October 1 , the number of registered coronavirus cases in Uzbekistan was 56,997 , including 471 deaths , while 53,457 people had recovered .
With reporting by Rossiya 24 , RIA Novosti , AFP , Interfax , and @ @ @ @

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 1 million, with more than 34 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions
Russia
Russia's Vektor, a secret state virology research center in Siberia, says early clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine have proven successful.
"The first two phases of clinical trials demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of the EpiVacCorona vaccine," Vektor's press department was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency on October 1.
The statement comes a day after the Russian consumer safety watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said that EpiVacCorona's early clinical human trials had been completed and that all the volunteers taking part in clinical trials are feeling fine.
EpiVacCorona is expected to be registered by October 15, Rospotrebnadzor officials said on September 30.
According to the chief of the Russian Sciences Academy, Vladimir Chekhonin, the report means the country's scientists are at an advanced stage of development with three different COVID-19 vaccines.
Russian authorities have said that the first batch of Sputnik V was released for civil distribution on September 8, adding that a countrywide COVID-19 vaccination campaign will begin in October following post-registration tests.
Vektor has indicated the EpiVacCorona vaccine will be available for use later next year.
Chekhonin said that complete information concerning a third COVID-19 vaccine, which is being developed by the Chumakov Institute in Moscow, is expected to be available by May 2021. He gave no further details.
The EpiVacCorona vaccine is a two-component vaccine. The interval between the administration of the first and second components is 21 days.
Russia plans to manufacture an initial 10,000 doses, Vektor said, with production expected to begin in November.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has lifted a ban on international travel imposed in mid-March to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
According to a government commission decision, all international flights, railways lines, and automobile transportation to and from the Central Asian nation were allowed to resume on October 1.
In accordance with the new regulations, individuals entering Uzbekistan by vehicles from neighboring Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan will have to provide a medical document confirming that they are not infected with the coronavirus and are obliged to observe a 14-day quarantine period upon entering the country.
Individuals who arrived from Uzbekistan after having stayed for at least 14 days in China, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Georgia, Hungary, Finland, Latvia, Austria, and Japan are now allowed to enter the country without any restrictions.
Those who arrived in Uzbekistan from countries labelled as so-called "red zones" and "yellow zones," except Azerbaijan, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, are allowed to enter Uzbekistan only if they have a documented negative test result no older than 72 hours.
Uzbekistan shut its borders and suspended transport links with other countries in mid-March because of the outbreak.
Only charter flights and special trains used for repatriating foreigners who were stuck in Uzbekistan were allowed.
As of October 1, the number of registered coronavirus cases in Uzbekistan was 56,997, including 471 deaths, while 53,457 people had recovered.
With reporting by Rossiya 24, RIA Novosti, AFP, Interfax, and RFE/RL's Uzbek Service


rferl--2020-10-01--Belarusian Rights Activist, Jailed Iranian Lawyer Among 'Alternative Nobel' Awardees

A Belarusian pro-democracy campaigner and an imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer have been awarded the Right Livelihood Award , a prize sometimes called the `` alternative Nobel , '' along with activists from the United States and Nicaragua .
The Stockholm-based Right Livelihood Foundation on October 1 cited human rights activist Ales Byalyatski and his Vyasna ( Spring ) nongovernmental organization `` for their resolute struggle for the realization of democracy and human rights in Belarus . ''
Nasrin Sotoudeh , who has defended Iranian activists , opposition politicians , and women prosecuted for removing their head scarves in public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her fearless activism , at great personal risk , to promote political freedoms and human rights in Iran . ''
Byalyatski , 58 , was convicted of tax evasion in 2011 and sentenced to 4 ½ years in prison following a trial criticized by Western governments and human rights groups as politically motivated .
He was released ahead of schedule in 2014 .
Vyasna , which Byalyatski founded in 1996 to assist political prisoners , has provided legal assistance to thousands of Belarusian detained or imprisoned for challenging Alyaksandr Lukashenka ’ s rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West and the opposition say was rigged .
Byalyatski called the award `` a sign of moral support for all Belarusians who are striving for democratic change . ''
The activist was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 and received a number of international awards while imprisoned .
The 57-year-old Sotoudeh was arrested in 2018 and later sentenced to a total of 38 ½ years in prison and 148 lashes over her defense of political prisoners , including women protesting the compulsory hijab law .
Earlier this month , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hospital north of Tehran following a hunger strike for better prison conditions and the release of political prisoners .
Days later , she was taken back to Tehran ’ s Evin prison and ended her hunger strike due to deteriorating health , according to her husband .
The 2020 Right Livelihood Award was also given to U.S. civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson `` for his inspiring endeavor to reform the U.S. criminal justice system and advance racial reconciliation in the face of historic trauma . ''
Rights and environmental activist Lottie Cunningham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her ceaseless dedication to the protection of indigenous lands and communities from exploitation and plunder . ''
The award winners will each receive prize money of 1 million kronor ( $ 110,100 ) and will be honored during a virtual award ceremony on December 3 .
The annual Right Livelihood Award , which was created in 1980 , honors efforts that the prize founder , Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull , felt were being ignored by the Nobel Prizes .
With reporting by dpa , AP , and AFP

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that there can be no advancement in the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unless there is an improvement in the treatment of women in the country.
Speaking to reporters on August 15, the two-year anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of power in Kabul, Blinken said the United States continues to work to hold the Taliban accountable for the commitments that it's made, particularly when it comes to the rights of women and girls.
"We've been very clear with the Taliban -- and dozens of countries around the world have been very clear -- that the path to any more normal relationship between the Taliban and other countries will be blocked unless and until the rights of women and girls among other things are actually supported," Blinken said.
No country has recognized the Taliban-led government, and the United States has avoided direct economic engagement in part over the treatment of women and girls, who have seen their rights drastically curbed by the hard-line Islamists. This includes a ban on women working in local and international nongovernmental organizations and a ban on education beyond the sixth grade.
The Taliban stormed back to power in August 2021 after President Joe Biden withdrew U.S. troops under the terms of an agreement reached in February 2020 between the Taliban and the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
Blinken defended the pullout and said the United States was not focused on other priorities.
"The decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was an incredibly difficult one, but also the right one," Blinken said. "We ended America's longest war. For the first time in 20 years, we don't have another generation of young Americans going to fight and die."
A number of international human rights organizations earlier on August 15 called the Taliban's two years of rule shameful and worrying.
Amnesty International and several other international human rights organizations demanded in a statement an effective response to the situation, noting the Taliban's strict decrees against human rights in Afghanistan, especially against women and girls.
The organizations said in a statement that in the past two years, the Taliban has increasingly imposed harmful policies against women and girls and religious and ethnic minorities that clearly violate Afghanistan's obligations under international human rights law.
The Taliban has previously rejected reports on the treatment of women as propaganda of international organizations. The militant group's leaders have said they have strengthened all the rights of women in Afghanistan in light of Islamic principles.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban, said in an interview with the AP marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country that the Taliban views its rule of Afghanistan as open-ended and as drawing legitimacy from Islamic law. He also suggested a ban on female education will remain in place.
Female activist Soheila Yousefi calls the situation alarming and wants the world to pay attention.
"The international community should take serious action in this regard because the world chose to be silent in these two years and did not take any practical steps. Our request is that they should look at the current situation in Afghanistan, then take a serious and comprehensive review."
The Taliban did not respond to Radio Azadi's questions before the release of the report, but the rulers have spoken of strengthening human rights in Afghanistan, especially the rights of women and girls, according to Islamic principles.
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-10-01--EU Leaders Gather To Discuss Eastern Mediterranean Dispute, Belarus, Karabakh Crises

European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit amid internal disputes that threaten the bloc ’ s coronavirus recovery package and weaken its ability to respond to crises involving neighboring Turkey and Belarus .
The first evening of the extraordinary summit that started on October 1 centered on tensions between Turkey and EU members Greece and Cyprus over maritime borders and energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean .
Relations with Ankara deteriorated in July when Turkey sent a research ship with a naval escort to work in contested waters , with Athens responding with war games backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since agreed to resume long-stalled talks , and European Council President Charles Michel warned in his summit invitation that `` all options remain on the table '' if Ankara does not engage constructively in talks .
This could include tough economic sanctions against Turkey , but EU officials insist that the focus for now is on trying to find a diplomatic solution .
In a statement ahead of the summit on October 1 , NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said alliance members Greece and Turkey have agreed to set up a hot line to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from boiling over into military conflict .
`` This safety mechanism can help to create the space for diplomatic efforts to address the underlying dispute , '' Stoltenberg said .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated her insistence on a diplomatic solution to the dispute .
`` I will point out that our relation to Turkey is , of course , very complex , '' Merkel said , highlighting that the country is a NATO member and hosts a large number of refugees .
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz , however , called for ending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposing sanctions on the country .
`` The European Union has to finally show [ Turkish ] President [ Recep Tayyip ] Erdogan clear red lines , '' he said upon arrival at the summit .
Erdogan nonetheless lashed out at the EU as the talks began , claiming the bloc had been taken `` hostage ” by “ spoiled ” Greece and Cyprus .
Meanwhile , EU leaders confronted Cyprus , which has been blocking sanctions over the political crisis in Belarus , insisting the bloc must also agree to impose sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas exploration activities .
Reuters quoted a Cypriot diplomat as saying on October 1 that his country will stand firm at the meeting .
`` To release the Belarus file , we have to have an agreement on our proposals as well , '' the diplomat said , adding that Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades met Charles Michel , who will chair the two-day summit , to lay out Nicosia 's position .
`` I imagine there will be a long discussion in the European Council .
I 'm not excluding that something might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of now , I would n't put money on having a happy outcome . ''
EU officials have drawn up a blacklist of 40 Belarus officials seen as responsible for a crackdown in the country following an election in August that the West and the opposition say was rigged .
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he expected EU leaders to find a `` principled solution '' on Belarus at the summit .
The recent flare-up of fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces over Azerbaijan ’ s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh are also set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Ankara of `` reckless and dangerous '' statements backing Baku , drawing a sharp response from Turkish officials .
European Union leaders are also expected to address an internal argument about tying access to EU funds to a member state 's respect for the rule of law -- a proposal opposed by Hungary and Poland .
The leaders have already agreed in principle to build a 750 billion euro ( $ 881 billion ) economic recovery package , to be backed by a long-term EU budget totaling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
In a September 30 report , which could have repercussions for negotiations on the distribution mechanism , the European Commission criticized judiciary reforms by the Hungarian and Polish governments as a `` major source of controversy '' and `` serious concern . ''
The report about failings in the rule of law across the bloc also said that , in Hungary , the prosecution of high-level corruption `` remains very limited , '' while the absence of legislation and transparency in the distribution of state advertising has opened the door for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence over the media . ''
Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga dismissed the report as `` flawed '' and `` unfounded . ''
Warsaw and Budapest have repeatedly clashed with EU leaders over their moves to increase state control of the judiciary , media , nongovernmental organizations , and academia .
With reporting by AFP , dpa , and Reuters

European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit amid internal disputes that threaten the bloc’s coronavirus recovery package and weaken its ability to respond to crises involving neighboring Turkey and Belarus.
The first evening of the extraordinary summit that started on October 1 centered on tensions between Turkey and EU members Greece and Cyprus over maritime borders and energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean.
Relations with Ankara deteriorated in July when Turkey sent a research ship with a naval escort to work in contested waters, with Athens responding with war games backed by France.
Turkey and Greece have since agreed to resume long-stalled talks, and European Council President Charles Michel warned in his summit invitation that "all options remain on the table" if Ankara does not engage constructively in talks.
This could include tough economic sanctions against Turkey, but EU officials insist that the focus for now is on trying to find a diplomatic solution.
In a statement ahead of the summit on October 1, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said alliance members Greece and Turkey have agreed to set up a hot line to help stop tensions in the eastern Mediterranean from boiling over into military conflict.
"This safety mechanism can help to create the space for diplomatic efforts to address the underlying dispute," Stoltenberg said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated her insistence on a diplomatic solution to the dispute.
"I will point out that our relation to Turkey is, of course, very complex," Merkel said, highlighting that the country is a NATO member and hosts a large number of refugees.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, however, called for ending EU accession talks with Turkey and for imposing sanctions on the country.
"The European Union has to finally show [Turkish] President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan clear red lines," he said upon arrival at the summit.
Erdogan nonetheless lashed out at the EU as the talks began, claiming the bloc had been taken "hostage” by “spoiled” Greece and Cyprus.
Meanwhile, EU leaders confronted Cyprus, which has been blocking sanctions over the political crisis in Belarus, insisting the bloc must also agree to impose sanctions on Turkey over its controversial oil and gas exploration activities.
Reuters quoted a Cypriot diplomat as saying on October 1 that his country will stand firm at the meeting.
"To release the Belarus file, we have to have an agreement on our proposals as well," the diplomat said, adding that Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades met Charles Michel, who will chair the two-day summit, to lay out Nicosia's position.
"I imagine there will be a long discussion in the European Council. I'm not excluding that something might come out of it but, as of now, I wouldn't put money on having a happy outcome."
EU officials have drawn up a blacklist of 40 Belarus officials seen as responsible for a crackdown in the country following an election in August that the West and the opposition say was rigged.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he expected EU leaders to find a "principled solution" on Belarus at the summit.
The recent flare-up of fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces over Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh are also set to color the talks on Turkey.
French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Ankara of "reckless and dangerous" statements backing Baku, drawing a sharp response from Turkish officials.
European Union leaders are also expected to address an internal argument about tying access to EU funds to a member state's respect for the rule of law -- a proposal opposed by Hungary and Poland.
The leaders have already agreed in principle to build a 750 billion euro ($881 billion) economic recovery package, to be backed by a long-term EU budget totaling 1.8 trillion euros ($2.1 trillion).
In a September 30 report, which could have repercussions for negotiations on the distribution mechanism, the European Commission criticized judiciary reforms by the Hungarian and Polish governments as a "major source of controversy" and "serious concern."
The report about failings in the rule of law across the bloc also said that, in Hungary, the prosecution of high-level corruption "remains very limited," while the absence of legislation and transparency in the distribution of state advertising has opened the door for the government to "exert indirect political influence over the media."
Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga dismissed the report as "flawed" and "unfounded."
Warsaw and Budapest have repeatedly clashed with EU leaders over their moves to increase state control of the judiciary, media, nongovernmental organizations, and academia.
With reporting by AFP, dpa, and Reuters


rferl--2020-10-01--Kyiv Police Investigate Deadly Attack On U.S. Embassy Worker

KYIV -- Police in the Ukrainian capital , Kyiv , have launched an investigation into a deadly attack on a U.S. Embassy worker .
Police said in a statement on October 1 that a woman was found unconscious the previous day with a head wound in a park near a railway line in Kyiv 's Shevchenko district .
The woman , whose identity was not disclosed , was rushed to hospital , were she died hours later , the statement says , adding that documents found in the woman 's purse revealed that she was a worker for the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describing a possible assailant .
`` [ The attacker ] may be a man of 30-40 years of age , 1.9-2.0 meters high , in black shorts , dark-blue sports shoes and a T-shirt , with dark hair , '' the statement said .
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on Twitter on September 30 that the victim of the attack was an American citizen .
`` We are heartbroken to report the death of an American member of the U.S. Embassy Kyiv community .
Officials from U.S. Embassy Kyiv are currently working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death , '' the statement said .

KYIV -- Police in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, have launched an investigation into a deadly attack on a U.S. Embassy worker.
Police said in a statement on October 1 that a woman was found unconscious the previous day with a head wound in a park near a railway line in Kyiv's Shevchenko district.
The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was rushed to hospital, were she died hours later, the statement says, adding that documents found in the woman's purse revealed that she was a worker for the U.S. Embassy.
The statement also provided details describing a possible assailant.
"[The attacker] may be a man of 30-40 years of age, 1.9-2.0 meters high, in black shorts, dark-blue sports shoes and a T-shirt, with dark hair," the statement said.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on Twitter on September 30 that the victim of the attack was an American citizen.
"We are heartbroken to report the death of an American member of the U.S. Embassy Kyiv community. Officials from U.S. Embassy Kyiv are currently working with authorities to determine the circumstances of the death," the statement said.


rferl--2020-10-01--Georgia Urged To Guarantee Journalists' Safety After Attacks On TV Crews

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) is calling on Georgian authorities to guarantee the safety of journalists covering the parliamentary election campaign in the country after TV crews were attacked during clashes between pro-government and pro-opposition activists .
`` We call on the leaders of the two parties to condemn these attacks and we urge the authorities to conduct an exhaustive and transparent investigation in order to identify those responsible , '' the Paris-based watchdog said in a statement on October 1 , warning that the environment for journalists has `` worsened '' in the run-up to the October 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists covering the campaign were physically attacked in the southern town of Marneuli on September 29 during clashes between members of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition United National Movement .
Jeyhun Muhamedali , one of four journalists with the opposition TV channel Mtavari Arkhi , was hospitalized with a head injury sustained during the violence , in which a camera and microphone were damaged , according to the group .
A camera operator with Georgia 's public broadcaster GPB was also attacked and his camera smashed .
Georgian police have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the obstruction of journalists ' work .
`` The state has an obligation to guarantee journalists ' safety .
With four weeks to go to a high-stakes election , impunity for those responsible for violence must be combatted , '' said Jeanne Cavelier , the head of RSF 's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk .
The South Caucasus country is ranked 60th out of 180 countries in RSF 's 2020 World Press Freedom Index .

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is calling on Georgian authorities to guarantee the safety of journalists covering the parliamentary election campaign in the country after TV crews were attacked during clashes between pro-government and pro-opposition activists.
"We call on the leaders of the two parties to condemn these attacks and we urge the authorities to conduct an exhaustive and transparent investigation in order to identify those responsible," the Paris-based watchdog said in a statement on October 1, warning that the environment for journalists has "worsened" in the run-up to the October 31 vote.
RSF said at least five journalists covering the campaign were physically attacked in the southern town of Marneuli on September 29 during clashes between members of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition United National Movement.
Jeyhun Muhamedali, one of four journalists with the opposition TV channel Mtavari Arkhi, was hospitalized with a head injury sustained during the violence, in which a camera and microphone were damaged, according to the group.
A camera operator with Georgia's public broadcaster GPB was also attacked and his camera smashed.
Georgian police have launched an investigation into the violence and into the obstruction of journalists' work.
"The state has an obligation to guarantee journalists' safety. With four weeks to go to a high-stakes election, impunity for those responsible for violence must be combatted," said Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.
The South Caucasus country is ranked 60th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2020 World Press Freedom Index.


rferl--2020-10-01--At Least Nine Killed After Suicide Bomber Strikes Afghan Checkpoint

An Afghan official says at least nine people were killed when a suicide car bomber attacked a military checkpoint in @ @ @ @ @ .
Four civilians , including two women , were among those who died in the @ @ @ @ @ the Nahri Sarah district , according to Omer Zwak , a spokesman for the provincial @ @ @ @ @ three security personnel were also wounded .
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack @ @ @ @ @ in control of most of Helmand Province .
The suicide bombing comes as Taliban and @ @ @ @ @ in Qatar to try to find a way to put an end to 19 years @ @ @ @ @ .
Violence has continued across the country despite the peace talks in Doha , which @ @ @ @ @ , as the Taliban are refusing a nationwide cease-fire .
The UN Assistance Mission in @ @ @ @ @ 1,280 Afghan civilian deaths during the first half of 2020 -- mainly as a result @ @ @ @ @ forces and Taliban militants .

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--2020-10-01--At Least Five People Killed As Forest Fires Rage In Ukraine's East

KYIV -- Ukrainian officials say massive forest fires in Ukraine 's eastern region of Luhansk have killed at least five people .
Ten people were also hospitalized and 120 others were evacuated as a series of forest fires hit the Novoaydar , Starobilsk , and Stanychno-Luhansk districts , the State Service for Emergency Situations ( DSNS ) said in a statement on October 1 .
According to the DSNS , more than 1,000 firefighters have been dispatched to try to put out the fires , which it said spread across areas totaling about 18,000 hectares .
The fires are threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists in the Luhansk region , it said .
The conflict between Ukrainian armed forces and the separatists in Luhansk and the neighboring region of Donetsk has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014 .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 's office called on law enforcement officials to find the cause of the fire .
The statement cited `` information about provocative shelling that could have been carried out from the temporarily occupied territory ... and could have caused at least some of these fires in such @ @ @ @

KYIV -- Ukrainian officials say massive forest fires in Ukraine's eastern region of Luhansk have killed at least five people.
Ten people were also hospitalized and 120 others were evacuated as a series of forest fires hit the Novoaydar, Starobilsk, and Stanychno-Luhansk districts, the State Service for Emergency Situations (DSNS) said in a statement on October 1.
According to the DSNS, more than 1,000 firefighters have been dispatched to try to put out the fires, which it said spread across areas totaling about 18,000 hectares.
The fires are threatening 22 settlements around the line of contact between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists in the Luhansk region, it said.
The conflict between Ukrainian armed forces and the separatists in Luhansk and the neighboring region of Donetsk has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office called on law enforcement officials to find the cause of the fire.
The statement cited "information about provocative shelling that could have been carried out from the temporarily occupied territory...and could have caused at least some of these fires in such weather conditions."
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-10-01--France, U.S., Russia Issue Joint Call For Peace As Fighting Rages In Nagorno-Karabakh

BAKU/YEREVAN -- Heavy shelling between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces persisted for a fifth day as the two sides continued to ignore repeated calls from international leaders to halt fighting over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region .
As the death toll rose in the heaviest clashes since the 1990s around the region -- part of Azerbaijan but run by its mostly ethnic Armenian inhabitants -- France , Russia , and the United States called on October 1 for `` an immediate cessation of hostilities between the relevant military forces . ''
In their joint statement , Presidents Emmanuel Macron , Vladimir Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity as co-chairs of the so-called Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , which mediates in the conflict .
The trio also called on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to `` commit without delay to resuming substantive negotiations , in good faith and without preconditions , under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs . ''
But addressing parliament , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would continue to provide “ all types of support ” to Azerbaijan as he criticized the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolve the long-running dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh .
“ Given that the United States , France , and Russia as OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have neglected the problem for nearly 30 years , it is not acceptable for them to call for a cease-fire in the face of negative developments today , ” Erdogan said .
He demanded Armenian “ occupiers ” first leave the disputed territory .
As international powers struggled with diplomacy , Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry said October 1 that its forces had carried out `` crushing artillery strikes against Armenian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' overnight .
Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh said both sides exchanged artillery fire , describing the situation along the front line as `` tense.
” More than 100 people , including many civilians , have been killed since fighting erupted on September 27 -- the worst flare-up in years over region , whose status has been disputed for decades .
Heavy clashes -- including the use of armed drones , tanks , helicopters , and multiple-rocket systems -- have been reported along much of the Line of Contact that separates the ethnic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's troops .
The upsurge of violence has threatened to draw in Russia , a member of a security alliance with Armenia , and NATO member Turkey .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts to inform them that his country was willing to host negotiations .
Putin and Macron also held a phone call to discuss the situation , with both leaders calling on the sides to `` implement an immediate and full cease-fire , de-escalate tensions and show maximum restraint , '' according to the Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey is dispatching fighters from northern Syria to bolster Azerbaijani forces , Macron 's office said he and Putin `` also shared their concern regarding the sending of Syrian mercenaries by Turkey to Nagorno-Karabakh . ''
It did not provide further information .
But later on October 1 , Macron said France has `` information today that indicates with certainty that Syrian fighters from jihadist groups have transited through Gaziantep [ in southern Turkey ] to reach the theater of operations in Nagorno-Karabakh . ''
Macron , who was speaking as he arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brussels , added , `` This is a very serious new fact , which changes the situation . ''
Separately , Russia 's Foreign Ministry on October 1 was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying that Moscow has knowledge about Syrian mercenaries in the Nagorno-Karabakh region independently of media reports , after two Syrian rebel sources told Reuters that Turkey is sending Syrian rebel fighters to support Azerbaijan .
Earlier in the day , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “ any participation of third countries in this standoff may have extremely negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied the reports .
Answering a question regarding the allegations , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that `` any participation of third countries in this standoff may have extremely negative consequences . ''
The potential for robust Turkish involvement in the conflict is being watched closely by Russia , which is already on opposing sides with the NATO member in conflicts in Libya and Syria .
Russia is among the largest suppliers of weaponry to both Azerbaijan and Armenia .
It also has a military base in Armenia .
Turkey ’ s involvement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Macron accusing Ankara of `` reckless and dangerous '' statements backing Azerbaijan .
The fighting , as well as Turkey ’ s involvement , is likely to come up during a summit of EU leaders starting on the evening of October 1 .
Reports said two French nationals working for the Le Monde newspaper were wounded on October 1 during shelling of the town of Martuni in Nagorno-Karabakh and taken to a hospital .
Reuters quoted Le Monde Chief Editor Luc Bronner as confirming that two of its journalists , including one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the French Foreign Ministry was working to organize the journalists ’ repatriation “ as quickly as possible.
” Armenia ’ s Foreign Ministry said that the two reporters were badly wounded in shelling by Azerbaijan forces in the town of Martuni .
The ministry said that two Armenian journalists were also hit in the shelling .
The Azerbaijani side neither confirmed nor rejected the report .
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a conflict over the mountainous region since the waning years of the Soviet Union .
They fought a war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cease-fire and an estimated 30,000 killed .
Since then , Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces .
With reporting by AFP , AP , Reuters , TASS , and Interfax

BAKU/YEREVAN -- Heavy shelling between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces persisted for a fifth day as the two sides continued to ignore repeated calls from international leaders to halt fighting over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
As the death toll rose in the heaviest clashes since the 1990s around the region -- part of Azerbaijan but run by its mostly ethnic Armenian inhabitants -- France, Russia, and the United States called on October 1 for "an immediate cessation of hostilities between the relevant military forces."
In their joint statement, Presidents Emmanuel Macron, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump acted in their capacity as co-chairs of the so-called Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which mediates in the conflict.
The trio also called on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to "commit without delay to resuming substantive negotiations, in good faith and without preconditions, under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs."
But addressing parliament, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would continue to provide “all types of support” to Azerbaijan as he criticized the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs for failing to resolve the long-running dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Given that the United States, France, and Russia as OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have neglected the problem for nearly 30 years, it is not acceptable for them to call for a cease-fire in the face of negative developments today,” Erdogan said.
He demanded Armenian “occupiers” first leave the breakaway territory.
As international powers struggled with diplomacy, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said October 1 that its forces had carried out "crushing artillery strikes against Armenian forces' positions in the occupied territories" overnight.
Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh said both sides exchanged artillery fire, describing the situation along the front line as "tense.”
More than 100 people, including many civilians, have been killed since fighting erupted on September 27 -- the worst flare-up in years over region, whose status has been disputed for decades.
Heavy clashes -- including the use of armed drones, tanks, helicopters, and multiple-rocket systems -- have been reported along much of the Line of Contact that separates the ethnic Armenian forces who control Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan's troops.
The upsurge of violence has threatened to draw in Russia, a member of a security alliance with Armenia, and NATO member Turkey.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts to inform them that his country was willing to host negotiations.
Putin and Macron also held a phone call to discuss the situation, with both leaders calling on the sides to "implement an immediate and full cease-fire, de-escalate tensions and show maximum restraint," according to the Kremlin.
Referring to Yerevan's accusation that Turkey is dispatching fighters from northern Syria to bolster Azerbaijani forces, Macron's office said he and Putin "also shared their concern regarding the sending of Syrian mercenaries by Turkey to Nagorno-Karabakh." It did not provide further information.
But later on October 1, Macron said France has "information today that indicates with certainty that Syrian fighters from jihadist groups have transited through Gaziantep [in southern Turkey] to reach the theater of operations in Nagorno-Karabakh."
Macron, who was speaking as he arrived for a summit with EU leaders in Brussels, added, "This is a very serious new fact, which changes the situation."
Separately, Russia's Foreign Ministry on October 1 was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying that Moscow has knowledge about Syrian mercenaries in the Nagorno-Karabakh region independently of media reports, after two Syrian rebel sources told Reuters that Turkey is sending Syrian rebel fighters to support Azerbaijan.
Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “any participation of third countries in this standoff may have extremely negative consequences."
Turkey and Azerbaijan have denied the reports.
Answering a question regarding the allegations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "any participation of third countries in this standoff may have extremely negative consequences."
The potential for robust Turkish involvement in the conflict is being watched closely by Russia, which is already on opposing sides with the NATO member in conflicts in Libya and Syria.
Russia is among the largest suppliers of weaponry to both Azerbaijan and Armenia. It also has a military base in Armenia.
Infographic: Where Armenia, Azerbaijan Get Their Weapons
Turkey’s involvement is also raising attention in Europe, with Macron accusing Ankara of "reckless and dangerous" statements backing Azerbaijan.
The fighting, as well as Turkey’s involvement, is likely to come up during a summit of EU leaders starting on the evening of October 1.
Reports said two French nationals working for the Le Monde newspaper were wounded on October 1 during shelling of the town of Martuni in Nagorno-Karabakh and taken to a hospital.
Reuters quoted Le Monde Chief Editor Luc Bronner as confirming that two of its journalists, including one photographer, had been injured.
Macron said the French Foreign Ministry was working to organize the journalists’ repatriation “as quickly as possible.”
Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said that the two reporters were badly wounded in shelling by Azerbaijan forces in the town of Martuni. The ministry said that two Armenian journalists were also hit in the shelling.
The Azerbaijani side neither confirmed nor rejected the report.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a conflict over the mountainous region since the waning years of the Soviet Union. They fought a war that ended in 1994 with an uneasy cease-fire and an estimated 30,000 killed.
Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces.
With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-09-30--U.S. Says It 'Can't Tolerate' Attacks By Iranian-Backed Militias In Iraq

Washington has warned that it will not tolerate attacks on U.S. interests in Iraq by Iran-backed militias , as Baghdad voiced concern about a possible American withdrawal .
`` We ca n't tolerate the threats to our people , our men and women serving abroad , '' David Schenker , assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs , told reporters at a briefing in Washington on October 1 .
Schenker did not confirm or deny a reported U.S. threat to withdraw its troops and close its embassy in Baghdad unless the attacks against them stop .
`` We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuing to work , with our Iraqi partners to keep our personnel and our facility safe , '' he said .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued an ultimatum last week that all American personnel would leave Iraq unless the Iraqi government puts a stop to a spate of attacks against them .
On September 28 , a rocket targeting American troops killed seven civilians near Baghdad -- one of around 40 attacks targeting U.S. interests since early August .
A U.S. withdrawal could lead to further pullouts by members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be `` dangerous , because the Islamic State group threatens not only Iraq but the whole region , '' Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said .
On September 30 , several rockets fell in Iraq 's autonomous Kurdish region in the environs of a base used by the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan , a commander for that group said .
Iraqi Kurdistan 's counterterrorism service blamed the September 30 attack on the Popular Mobilization Forces ( PMF ) , an Iraqi state paramilitary organization dominated by Iran-backed groups .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian-backed militias that are undermining stability there , and attacking the United States , '' Schenker said .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP

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


rferl--2020-10-02--Uzbek Woman Sets Herself On Fire, Dies Protesting Eviction

A single Uzbek mother of two has died after setting herself on fire to protest being evicted from her house in the eastern Uzbek city of Namangan .
Gulandom Dedabaeva 's relatives told RFE/RL on October 1 that the incident had taken place on September 29 when local authorities came to evict her from the house she bought in 2018 .
The 35-year-old Dedabaeva poured gasoline on herself and made a 13-minute statement accusing local authorities and a court of illegally taking her house from her before igniting the fire .
Although the flames were extinguished , Dedabaeva sustained severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local hospital .
Earlier in June , a court in Namangan ruled that Dedabaeva paid money for the house to a person who in fact was not the owner of the property but a relative of the real owner .
The court also said that the person who `` sold '' the property to Dedabaeva had used forged documents saying that he was the owner .
The court then ruled that Dedabaeva must pay $ 12,700 to the real owner in three months and placed her under house arrest for four years and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the property .
After Dedabaeva refused to pay the sum , saying she had already paid $ 13,000 for it , the authorities arrived on September 29 to evict her .
In recent years , there have been several self-immolation acts performed by Uzbek men and women to protest evictions in different parts of the country .
Many of the acts have resulted in the deaths of the protesters .

A single Uzbek mother of two has died after setting herself on fire to protest being evicted from her house in the eastern Uzbek city of Namangan.
Gulandom Dedabaeva's relatives told RFE/RL on October 1 that the incident had taken place on September 29 when local authorities came to evict her from the house she bought in 2018.
The 35-year-old Dedabaeva poured gasoline on herself and made a 13-minute statement accusing local authorities and a court of illegally taking her house from her before igniting the fire.
Although the flames were extinguished, Dedabaeva sustained severe burns and died hours later in a local hospital.
Earlier in June, a court in Namangan ruled that Dedabaeva paid money for the house to a person who in fact was not the owner of the property but a relative of the real owner.
The court also said that the person who "sold" the property to Dedabaeva had used forged documents saying that he was the owner.
The court then ruled that Dedabaeva must pay $12,700 to the real owner in three months and placed her under house arrest for four years and two months for "illegally" purchasing the property.
After Dedabaeva refused to pay the sum, saying she had already paid $13,000 for it, the authorities arrived on September 29 to evict her.
In recent years, there have been several self-immolation acts performed by Uzbek men and women to protest evictions in different parts of the country. Many of the acts have resulted in the deaths of the protesters.


rferl--2020-10-02--Well-Known Kazakh Blogger Arrested For 'Planning To Overthrow Constitutional Order'

ALMATY , Kazakhstan -- Kazakh blogger Marghulan Boranbaev , widely known for his nationalist and anti-Russian views , has been arrested less than a week after another Kazakh blogger , known for his pro-Russian posts , was placed in a detention center .
Boranbaev 's lawyer , Anuar Baidar , told RFE/RL on October 2 that his client was placed in a detention center in the Central Asian state 's largest city , Almaty , the day before .
According to Baidar , the charges against Boranbaev are groundless , while some of Boranbaev 's supporters say that his arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities to balance the pro-Russian blogger 's arrest in order not to irritate Moscow .
`` The case against him was launched last year but due to a lack of evidence it was suspended then .
On October 1 , we learned all of a sudden that the case had been relaunched and Boranbaev was immediately arrested , '' Baidar said , adding that his client may face up to seven years in prison if found guilty .
Boranbaev 's arrest comes after another Kazakh blogger , Ermek Taishybekov , known for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 26 and charged with inciting ethnic hatred .
Taishybekov 's lawyer , Ghalym Nurpeisov , told RFE/RL last week that his client 's arrest was linked to his interview with a Russian state media outlet in May in which he said that the policies of Kazakh authorities were `` Russophobic . ''
Taishybekov was convicted on similar charges in 2015 and sentenced to five years in prison .
He was granted an early release in 2017 .
Moscow 's seizure of Crimea in 2014 and support for separatists fighting government forces in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's neighbors , including Kazakhstan , that the Kremlin may have designs on parts of their territory -- particularly those which , like Crimea , are home to many ethnic Russians .
After Russia illegally annexed Crimea , several Kazakh citizens were sentenced to prison terms or received suspended sentences for taking part in military operations in eastern Ukraine or publicly calling for Kazakhstan to join Russia .

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Kazakh blogger Marghulan Boranbaev, widely known for his nationalist and anti-Russian views, has been arrested less than a week after another Kazakh blogger, known for his pro-Russian posts, was placed in a detention center.
Boranbaev's lawyer, Anuar Baidar, told RFE/RL on October 2 that his client was placed in a detention center in the Central Asian state's largest city, Almaty, the day before.
According to Baidar, the charges against Boranbaev are groundless, while some of Boranbaev's supporters say that his arrest is a political move by the Kazakh authorities to balance the pro-Russian blogger's arrest in order not to irritate Moscow.
"The case against him was launched last year but due to a lack of evidence it was suspended then. On October 1, we learned all of a sudden that the case had been relaunched and Boranbaev was immediately arrested," Baidar said, adding that his client may face up to seven years in prison if found guilty.
Boranbaev's arrest comes after another Kazakh blogger, Ermek Taishybekov, known for his open pro-Russian views, was arrested on September 26 and charged with inciting ethnic hatred.
Taishybekov's lawyer, Ghalym Nurpeisov, told RFE/RL last week that his client's arrest was linked to his interview with a Russian state media outlet in May in which he said that the policies of Kazakh authorities were "Russophobic."
Taishybekov was convicted on similar charges in 2015 and sentenced to five years in prison. He was granted an early release in 2017.
Moscow's seizure of Crimea in 2014 and support for separatists fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine have raised concerns among Russia's neighbors, including Kazakhstan, that the Kremlin may have designs on parts of their territory -- particularly those which, like Crimea, are home to many ethnic Russians.
Kazakhstan's northern regions have large ethnic Russian minorities.
After Russia illegally annexed Crimea, several Kazakh citizens were sentenced to prison terms or received suspended sentences for taking part in military operations in eastern Ukraine or publicly calling for Kazakhstan to join Russia.


rferl--2020-10-02--Pro-Kyrgyz Government Party Aide Detained For Vote Buying Before Election

OSH , Kyrgyzstan -- Police in the southern Kyrgyz region of Osh say they have detained a person affiliated with a pro-government party for `` distributing cash '' among potential voters just two days before parliamentary elections .
Osh regional police spokesman Jenish Ashirbaev told RFE/RL on October 2 that the suspect , who was detained in the village of Nariman in the Kara-Suu district , was part of the election campaign team of the Mekenim Kyrgyzstan ( My Homeland Kyrgyzstan ) party .
Mekenim Kyrgyzstan spokeswoman Elnura Alkanova rejected the accusation , saying that the detained man had nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ashirbaev said that the suspect had 313,000 soms ( $ 1,650 ) in cash in separate five envelopes addressed with the names of individuals to whom the cash was planned to be given .
`` At this moment , a pretrial investigation has been launched into what Article 192 of the Criminal Code describes as the illegal buying of votes , '' Ashirbaev said .
Mekenim Kyrgyzstan , along with two other pro-government parties , Birimdik ( Unity ) and Kyrgyzstan , as well as the opposition Ata-Meken ( Fatherland ) party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the October 4 elections .
In all , 16 political parties have been registered for the vote .
No party is allowed to hold more than 65 seats in the Supreme Council .

OSH, Kyrgyzstan -- Police in the southern Kyrgyz region of Osh say they have detained a person affiliated with a pro-government party for "distributing cash" among potential voters just two days before parliamentary elections.
Osh regional police spokesman Jenish Ashirbaev told RFE/RL on October 2 that the suspect, who was detained in the village of Nariman in the Kara-Suu district, was part of the election campaign team of the Mekenim Kyrgyzstan (My Homeland Kyrgyzstan) party.
Mekenim Kyrgyzstan spokeswoman Elnura Alkanova rejected the accusation, saying that the detained man had nothing to do with the party's campaign.
Ashirbaev said that the suspect had 313,000 soms ($1,650) in cash in separate five envelopes addressed with the names of individuals to whom the cash was planned to be given.
"At this moment, a pretrial investigation has been launched into what Article 192 of the Criminal Code describes as the illegal buying of votes," Ashirbaev said.
Mekenim Kyrgyzstan, along with two other pro-government parties, Birimdik (Unity) and Kyrgyzstan, as well as the opposition Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party, are expected to gain seats in the October 4 elections.
In all, 16 political parties have been registered for the vote.
Kyrgyzstan's unicameral parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh (Supreme Council), consists of 120 seats.
No party is allowed to hold more than 65 seats in the Supreme Council.


rferl--2020-10-02--Forest Fires In Eastern Ukraine Kill At Least Nine People

KYIV – Ukrainian officials say massive forest fires in the eastern region of Luhansk have killed at least nine people .
A total of 17 people have been hospitalized while dozens of others have been evacuated as a series of blazes swept across several districts in the region , endangering 32 settlements , the State Service for Emergency Situations ( DSNS ) said in a statement on October 2 .
According to the DSNS , more than 2,500 people and 264 technical units , including aircraft , have been dispatched to put out the fires , which it said had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hectares .
The fires started on September 30 and hit an area close to the front line between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in the Luhansk region .
The conflict between Ukrainian armed forces and the separatists in Luhansk and the neighboring region of Donetsk has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014 .
Police have launched seven probes into the fires .
The Prosecutor-General 's Office said on October 2 that it was looking into four possible causes of the deadly fires -- the shelling of Kyiv-controlled districts by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and winds , and the irresponsible usage of fire .
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told reporters on October 2 that the government will pay compensation of 20,000-300,000 hryvnyas ( $ 250- $ 3,800 ) to families who have lost relatives and/or suffered property damage as a result of the fires .

KYIV – Ukrainian officials say massive forest fires in the eastern region of Luhansk have killed at least nine people.
A total of 17 people have been hospitalized while dozens of others have been evacuated as a series of blazes swept across several districts in the region, endangering 32 settlements, the State Service for Emergency Situations (DSNS) said in a statement on October 2.
According to the DSNS, more than 2,500 people and 264 technical units, including aircraft, have been dispatched to put out the fires, which it said had spread across an area totaling about 13,000 hectares.
The fires started on September 30 and hit an area close to the front line between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in the Luhansk region.
The conflict between Ukrainian armed forces and the separatists in Luhansk and the neighboring region of Donetsk has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014.
Police have launched seven probes into the fires.
The Prosecutor-General's Office said on October 2 that it was looking into four possible causes of the deadly fires -- the shelling of Kyiv-controlled districts by the separatists, arson, extremely hot weather and winds, and the irresponsible usage of fire.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told reporters on October 2 that the government will pay compensation of 20,000-300,000 hryvnyas ($250-$3,800) to families who have lost relatives and/or suffered property damage as a result of the fires.


rferl--2020-10-02--Deadly Forest Fires Hit Ukraine's East Region

Massive forest fires have killed at least 10 people and ravaged several villages in Ukraine 's eastern region of Luhansk @ @ @ @ @ September 30 and hit the area close to the line of contact between Ukrainian government @ @ @ @ @ the Luhansk region .

Massive forest fires have killed at least 10 people and ravaged several villages in Ukraine's eastern region of Luhansk. The fires started on September 30 and hit the area close to the line of contact between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists in the Luhansk region.


rferl--2020-10-02--Protests Erupt In Iran Backing Azerbaijan In  Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities , including the capital , Tehran , and and the northwestern city of Tabriz , in support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh .
Videos posted online appear to show dozens demonstrating in the streets while chanting slogans in Azeri , including `` Karabakh is ours .
It will remain ours . ''
Ethnic Azeris constitute a large minority of the Iranian population .
RFE/RL could not verify the authenticity of the videos .
Security forces were reported to have dispersed the protesters using tear gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters and riot police .
The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that at least 38 people had been detained in the protests .
More than 100 people , including many civilians , have been killed since heavy clashes erupted on September 27 along much of the Line of Contact that separates the ethnic Armenian forces who control Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan 's troops .
The clashes are considered the worst bout of violence since a 1994 cease-fire ended a war over the disputed territory .
On October 1 , four representatives of Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country 's provinces with a large ethnic Azeri population released a joint statement in support of Azerbaijan .
The statement by Khamenei 's representatives in the provinces of West and East Azerbaijan , Ardebil , and Zanjan said that `` there is no doubt '' that the breakaway region belongs to Azerbaijan .
Iran , which shares a border with both Azerbaijan and Armenia , has called for an immediate end to hostilities between the two countries while urging a dialogue between the two sides .
Tehran has expressed its readiness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , President Hassan Rohani 's chief of staff told Azerbaijan that Tehran recognized its territorial integrity .
`` The stance of the Islamic republic on Azerbaijan has always been clear and transparent as it has always recognized the neighboring country 's territorial integrity and respected it , '' Mahmud Vaezi told Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev in a phone call on September 30 .
Vaezi also denied reports that Tehran was assisting Armenia in the conflict with Azerbaijan as `` baseless rumors '' aimed at disrupting Tehran-Baku ties .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Nikol Pashinian that his country had to work toward ending the conflict .
`` It is important for us to stop these conflicts , and we expect the two countries to take a step in this direction with tact and restraint , '' Rohani said .
`` Our region can no longer take instability and new wars , '' he added .
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter on September 27 that `` Our region needs peace now . ''
With reporting by IRNA and Reuters


rferl--2020-10-02--HRW Warns Of Privacy Concerns As Russia Expands Facial-Recognition Systems

Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) has criticized Russia 's plans to expand the use of `` invasive '' facial-recognition systems because of the group 's `` serious concern '' over the project 's potential threat to privacy .
The Kommersant newspaper reported last week that CCTV cameras with facial-recognition software will be installed in public spaces and at the entryway of apartment buildings in 10 pilot cities across Russia , with the purported aim of protecting public safety .
The technology is already used in Moscow , where the authorities are planning to expand its use in trams and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record of rights violations means that the authorities should be prepared to answer tough questions to prove they are not are undermining people 's rights by pretending to protect public safety , '' Hugh Williamson , Europe and Central Asia director at HRW , said in a statement on October 2 .
The expected deployment of facial-recognition technology across the country has also been criticized by international human rights group Amnesty International , which has warned it would `` inevitably have a chilling effect '' on protesters , as well as by privacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian national security laws and surveillance practices `` enable law enforcement agencies to access practically any data in the name of protecting public safety , '' according to HRW , which cited reports highlighting `` a pattern of data breaches '' in connection with the integration of the facial-recognition software into Moscow 's video surveillance .
The legal-aid nongovernmental organization Agora is challenging Moscow 's use of the technology at the European Court of Human Rights , saying there is no judicial or public oversight over surveillance methods in Russia , including facial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Roskomsvoboda , an NGO that monitors censorship , filed a lawsuit against the Moscow Information Technology Department , claiming that she easily gained access to the data gathered by dozens of cameras across the Russian capital .
Kuznetsova said the data was made available for sale on the `` dark web '' and included detailed information about her whereabouts over the period of one month .
Meanwhile , Roskomsvoboda has documented at least seven cases of Moscow residents whose personal data was made available for sale on the Internet this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the alleged sale of facial-recognition data by two law enforcement officials , but HRW said the authorities `` do not seem to recognize the need for developing appropriate limits on collecting , processing , and storing personal data , which would help prevent such security breaches . ''
HRW said the Russian authorities should suspend the use of facial-recognition technology nationwide and `` invite civil-society experts and policymakers to engage in a debate regarding the necessity , proportionality , and legality of the use of facial-recognition surveillance . ''

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized Russia's plans to expand the use of "invasive" facial-recognition systems because of the group's "serious concern" over the project's potential threat to privacy.
The Kommersant newspaper reported last week that CCTV cameras with facial-recognition software will be installed in public spaces and at the entryway of apartment buildings in 10 pilot cities across Russia, with the purported aim of protecting public safety.
The technology is already used in Moscow, where the authorities are planning to expand its use in trams and underground trains.
"Russia's track record of rights violations means that the authorities should be prepared to answer tough questions to prove they are not are undermining people's rights by pretending to protect public safety," Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW, said in a statement on October 2.
The expected deployment of facial-recognition technology across the country has also been criticized by international human rights group Amnesty International, which has warned it would "inevitably have a chilling effect" on protesters, as well as by privacy groups and digital-rights lawyers in Russia.
Russian national security laws and surveillance practices "enable law enforcement agencies to access practically any data in the name of protecting public safety," according to HRW, which cited reports highlighting "a pattern of data breaches" in connection with the integration of the facial-recognition software into Moscow's video surveillance.
The legal-aid nongovernmental organization Agora is challenging Moscow's use of the technology at the European Court of Human Rights, saying there is no judicial or public oversight over surveillance methods in Russia, including facial recognition.
Last month, Anna Kuznetsova of Roskomsvoboda, an NGO that monitors censorship, filed a lawsuit against the Moscow Information Technology Department, claiming that she easily gained access to the data gathered by dozens of cameras across the Russian capital.
Kuznetsova said the data was made available for sale on the "dark web" and included detailed information about her whereabouts over the period of one month.
Meanwhile, Roskomsvoboda has documented at least seven cases of Moscow residents whose personal data was made available for sale on the Internet this year.
Moscow investigators have opened a criminal case into the alleged sale of facial-recognition data by two law enforcement officials, but HRW said the authorities "do not seem to recognize the need for developing appropriate limits on collecting, processing, and storing personal data, which would help prevent such security breaches."
HRW said the Russian authorities should suspend the use of facial-recognition technology nationwide and "invite civil-society experts and policymakers to engage in a debate regarding the necessity, proportionality, and legality of the use of facial-recognition surveillance."


rferl--2020-10-02--Freedom House: Pandemic Deepens Crisis For Democracy Globally

The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened a crisis for democracy across the world , providing for governments to disrupt elections , clamp down on critics and the press , and undermine the accountability needed to protect human rights as well as public health , Freedom House said on October 2 .
Since the pandemic began , the state of democracy and human rights has worsened in 80 countries , according to Democracy Under Lockdown , a new report produced by the U.S.-based democracy monitor in partnership with survey firm GQR .
Experts surveyed in the report said that a particularly sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly repressive states .
In Azerbaijan , “ the government has used the pretext of breaking quarantine to crack down on opposition political activists , ” it noted .
In Kazakhstan , “ there is an increase in the persecution of civic activists and political opposition for expressing their critical opinions on social media or disseminating information about human rights violations , including through the initiation of criminal cases.
” The report said that abuses of power during the pandemic have had a disproportionate impact on communities that were already marginalized .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harsher movement restrictions than areas where Roma did not constitute a majority .
In Serbia , one respondent said , “ migrants were portrayed as possible carriers of the virus.
” In a gloomy prediction , more than 60 percent of the respondents said they expect that the pandemic ’ s impact on political rights and civil liberties in their countries of focus would be mostly negative for the next three to five years .
The experts identified four acute problems during the COVID-19 pandemic : lack of government transparency and information on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for vulnerable populations , and abuse of power by governments .
The report noted that activists , journalists , and citizens have been working aggressively to overcome the obstacles .
They are trying to push back against government abuses in new ways , often using online platforms to engage with audiences and form new partnerships .
Unprecedented mass protests in Belarus represent a powerful example of pushback in a country where freedom of assembly has long been severely restricted .
Large nationwide rallies against Alyaksandr Lukashenka erupted in August following his claim of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repression of opposition figures and allegations of widespread fraud .
Resistance against Lukashenka , the report said , was sparked at least in part by his denial of the pandemic , which contributed to a deadly outbreak of the virus .
Thousands of protesters have been detained , and many have been subjected to brutality by security forces , including torture .
With Russian President Vladimir Putin helping to prop up Lukashenka , Freedom House said that the international community should support protesters ’ demands for government accountability and democratic change .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an impact on elections as well .
In the United States , election officials across the country appear ill-prepared for the November 3 election , given increased demand for mail voting , possible staffing shortfalls , and last-minute changes to electoral rules .
`` The Trump administration has created a fog of misinformation around the pandemic , regularly making false or misleading statements that put lives at risk and undercut the broader government response , '' the report said .
In Hong Kong , the government used the pandemic as an excuse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a move `` widely seen as part of a broader effort by Beijing to cement its elimination of Hong Kong ’ s remaining freedom and autonomy , '' it said .
The report highlighted that although protests were restricted by the pandemic , they could not be stopped .
`` Though 158 countries have had new restrictions placed on protests , a significant protest has taken place in at least 90 countries since the outbreak began , '' it said .
Freedom House conducted its research from January to September 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ GQR , conducted from July 29 to August 15 , in which 398 experts reported on the state of democracy in 105 countries and territories .
In addition , Freedom House consulted its global network of analysts , bringing the total number of countries examined to 192 .

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