rferl--2020-02-11--U.S. Agency Says Rebuilding Afghanistan Cost Thousands Of Lives

Reconstruction and stabilization activities in Afghanistan have left 5,135 people killed or injured during a period of 17 years following the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban , according to a new report by a U.S. government watchdog .
The report released late on February 11 by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction ( SIGAR ) found that 2,214 people have been killed in largely U.S.-led projects to rebuild the country .
SIGAR , which monitors the billions of dollars Washington spends in the war-ravaged country , said the deaths were the result of Taliban and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another 2,291 people were wounded in projects from infrastructure construction to building schools across Afghanistan .
The survey also identifies 1,182 individuals who were either kidnapped or went missing .
More than 70 percent of those killed or injured and about 86 percent of those kidnapped were Afghans , mostly civilians , according to the report titled The Human Cost Of Reconstruction .
The deaths included 284 Americans , both civilian and military .
The majority of casualties occurred during the height of the reconstruction efforts between 2008 and 2011 , the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP

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--2020-02-11--Rohani Urges Iranians To Vote As Country Marks Islamic Revolution

President Hassan Rohani has used a speech marking the 41th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution to encourage Iranian voters to participate in upcoming parliamentary elections .
Tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran and other cities and towns on February 11 for the annual celebrations amid rising public dissatisfaction over Iran 's faltering economy , which has been hard-hit by U.S. sanctions , and anger over the country 's military shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner last month .
Holding Iranian flags and portraits of the founder of the Islamic republic , the late Ayatollah Ruhollah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central Azadi ( Freedom ) Square , where Rohani delivered his speech .
State TV showed video footage of rallies in other cities including Mashhad , Ahvaz , and Kerman .
Rohani called on voters `` not to be passive '' in the February 21 vote despite `` possible complaints and criticism '' after the hard-line Guardians Council disqualified thousands of candidates from running , including 90 current lawmakers .
`` I beg you not to be passive , '' the president said .
Rohani also struck out at the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' that Iran 's clerical establishment remains in place more than four decades after Khomeini 's followers ousted the last government of U.S.-backed Shah Reza Pahlavi .
The United States `` has put so much pressure on our beloved people , on all of our trade , all of our exports , all of our imports , and all of the country 's needs , to exhaust the patience of our people , '' Rohani said .
But `` the Americans did not understand the greatness of the Iranian people , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as `` Death to America '' and `` We will resist until the end . ''
When officials announced gasoline rationing and price hikes in November , anti-government protests erupted in more than 100 Iranian cities and turned violent before security forces put them down amid an Internet blackout .
In 2018 , the United States withdrew from a nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers and has since reimposed tough sanctions on the Iranian economy .
Tehran has gradually stepped back from its own commitments under the 2015 deal and while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself bound by the pact , Rohani said on February 3 that his country was ready to `` return to its commitments '' under the deal when other parties uphold theirs .
Tensions between Tehran and Washington escalated in early January after the killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani , the leader of Iran 's elite Quds Force , in a U.S. air strike near Baghdad .
In response , Tehran launched missile strikes on two bases hosting U.S. troops in Iraq .
The Pentagon says 109 U.S. service members have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack on Ain al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq , though no one was killed .
With Iran 's air defenses on high alert following the missile attack , a Ukraine International Airlines flight was shot down after taking off from a Tehran airport , killing all 176 people aboard .
Iranian authorities initially denied any responsibility for the accident .
But three days after the tragedy the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps admitted the plane had been shot down `` unintentionally , '' leading to days of protests in Iranian cities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clerical leadership .
With reporting by AFP and AP

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--2020-02-11--U.S. Raises Brain-Injury Toll In Iran Attack For Fifth Time, Now Says 109 Hurt

The U.S. military has for the fifth time raised the number of U.S. service members who suffered traumatic brain injuries after an Iranian missile attack on an air base in Iraq last month .
The Defense Department said on February 10 that 109 U.S. service members had been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury , adding that 76 of them had returned to duty .
The Pentagon had previously reported that 64 had been injured .
President Donald Trump initially said that no Americans were harmed in the January 8 attack on Ain al-Asad Air Base , which came amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top Iranian general in Baghdad .
When asked about possible traumatic brain injuries , Trump said , `` I do n't consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries I have seen . ''
However , the number of reported cases has continued to grow in the weeks after the attack .
The Pentagon has said the rising number results from the mild form of injury , which means symptoms take time to manifest .
Tehran said the missile attack on Ain al-Asad and another air base hosting U.S. troops in Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Major General Qasem Soleimani , the leader of Iran 's elite Quds Force , in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad 's airport in early January .
William Schmitz , national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars , has said the group `` expects an apology from the president to our service men and women for his misguided remarks '' in downplaying the seriousness of the injuries .
Based on reporting by Stripes.com , the BBC , and Reuters


rferl--2020-02-11--Uzbek President's Son-In-Law To Head New Central Asian MMA Confederation

The younger son-in-law of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has been elected as the head of the newly created Mixed Martial @ @ @ @ @ Asian Confederation , which will be headquartered in Tashkent .
Otabek Umarov , who is @ @ @ @ @ younger daughter , was elected at a conference of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation @ @ @ @ @ .
The confederation unites the national MMA associations of Azerbaijan , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , @ @ @ @ @ Umarov already heads Uzbekistan 's fledgling MMA Assocation and is the deputy head of Mirziyoev @ @ @ @ @ as an informal ambassador at events with foreign dignitaries .
In March he was also @ @ @ @ @ Federation of Uzbekistan .
A brutal combat sport that continues to attract growing ranks of @ @ @ @ @ has catapulted many fighters from the former Soviet Union to international notoriety .
MMA , @ @ @ @ @ professionally within the Ultimate Fighting Championship , is extremely popular in the Russian North Caucasus @ @ @ @

The younger son-in-law of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has been elected as the head of the newly created Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Central Asian Confederation, which will be headquartered in Tashkent.
Otabek Umarov, who is married to the president's younger daughter, was elected at a conference of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation in Kazakhstan on February 6-8.
The confederation unites the national MMA associations of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Umarov already heads Uzbekistan's fledgling MMA Assocation and is the deputy head of Mirziyoev's personal security and serves as an informal ambassador at events with foreign dignitaries.
In March he was also chosen to chair the Triathlon Federation of Uzbekistan.
A brutal combat sport that continues to attract growing ranks of fighters from Uzbekistan, MMA has catapulted many fighters from the former Soviet Union to international notoriety.
MMA, which is most popularly contested professionally within the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is extremely popular in the Russian North Caucasus and Central Asia.


rferl--2020-02-11--At Least Five Killed In Suicide Blast Near Kabul Military Academy

KABUL -- A suicide bombing targeting a military academy in a southern neighborhood of Kabul has killed at least five people , in what was described as the first major assault in the Afghan capital in months .
The Defense Ministry told RFE/RL that the February 11 blast at a checkpoint near the entrance of the government-run Marshal Fahim Military Academy claimed five lives .
However , Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi put the death toll at six , saying those killed included four army personnel and two civilians .
Rahimi said 12 people were wounded , including five civilians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack , which happened around 7 a.m. local time as employees and cadets were entering the academy .
A security source was quoted as saying the attacker was on foot when he targeted a vehicle as it was entering the facility .
A witness said there was a big explosion followed by gunfire .
The academy has been the scene of several attacks in the past , including an assault in May last year that was claimed by the Islamic State ( IS ) extremist group .
The latest attack comes as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible peace deal to end the nearly two-decade war .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called the bombing `` a crime against humanity '' and reiterated his call for a nationwide cease-fire .
In Brussels , NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the attack `` shows the consequences of horrendous violence against innocent civilians '' and `` demonstrates the strong need to find a peaceful resolution '' to the Afghan conflict .
On February 10 , President Donald Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to pay respects to two U.S. soldiers killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. servicemen were killed and six others were wounded in Afghanistan 's eastern Nangarhar Province on February 8 when a soldier dressed in an Afghan National Army uniform opened fire with a machine gun .
A total of six U.S. service members have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of the year .
With reporting by Tolo News , AP , AFP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-02-11--Russian Police Shut Down Pussy Riot Video Shoot For Second Straight Day

Russian police in St. Petersburg have for the second consecutive day shut down the shooting of a music video by anti-Kremlin punk band Pussy Riot .
Thirteen people were detained , including band leader Nadezhda Tolokonnikova , during a photography session in a studio , Pyotr Verzilov , a band member and Tolokonnikova 's former spouse , said on February 10 in a social-media post .
The group has been trying to record a video of their song Besit , which roughly translates as being irked or vexed by something .
Later the same day , Verzilov posted a video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her saying the reason for the group 's detention was because of an alleged carbon-monoxide leak at the studio .
Police the previous day disrupted the band 's video shoot at the Lenfilm movie studio in St. Petersburg , Russia 's second-biggest city .
They cited the `` extremism and gay propaganda '' law for shutting down the video shot , according to Tolokonnikova .
She and another leading band member , Maria Alyokhina , achieved prominence in 2012 after they were convicted of `` hooliganism motivated by religious hatred '' for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow 's Christ the Savior Cathedral and sang a `` punk prayer '' against then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin , who was campaigning for his return to the presidency at the time .
Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were close to the end of their two-year prison sentences when they were freed in December 2013 , under an amnesty they dismissed as a propaganda stunt to improve Putin 's image ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics .

Russian police in St. Petersburg have for the second consecutive day shut down the shooting of a music video by anti-Kremlin punk band Pussy Riot.
Thirteen people were detained, including band leader Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, during a photography session in a studio, Pyotr Verzilov, a band member and Tolokonnikova's former spouse, said on February 10 in a social-media post.
The group has been trying to record a video of their song Besit, which roughly translates as being irked or vexed by something.
Later the same day, Verzilov posted a video of Tolokonnikova at the police station showing her saying the reason for the group's detention was because of an alleged carbon-monoxide leak at the studio.
Police the previous day disrupted the band's video shoot at the Lenfilm movie studio in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-biggest city.
They cited the "extremism and gay propaganda" law for shutting down the video shot, according to Tolokonnikova.
She and another leading band member, Maria Alyokhina, achieved prominence in 2012 after they were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for a stunt in which band members burst into Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral and sang a "punk prayer" against then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who was campaigning for his return to the presidency at the time.
Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were close to the end of their two-year prison sentences when they were freed in December 2013, under an amnesty they dismissed as a propaganda stunt to improve Putin's image ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.


rferl--2020-02-11--China Virus Deaths Top 1,000 As Ukraine Readies Evacuation Of Citizens

China 's National Health Commission has reported 108 new fatalities from a novel respiratory virus , bringing the total death toll in the country to 1,016 .
There are now a total of 42,638 confirmed coronavirus cases in mainland China as well as 319 cases in 24 other countries , including one death , according to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and Chinese health officials .
In Hubei Province , the epicenter of the epidemic , 103 people died and 2,097 new cases were reported , the health commission said early on February 11 .
The WHO has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who have not been to China could be `` the spark that becomes a bigger fire '' and the global community must not let the epidemic get out of control .
Ukraine 's embassy in China said on February 10 that a charter plane was scheduled to land in Wuhan , the provincial capital of Hubei where the virus first emerged in December , and airlift 50 citizens to Kyiv the following day .
Once in Ukraine , the evacuated Ukrainians will be quarantined for 14 days .
Meanwhile , the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 3,700 passengers and crew on board quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama has doubled to 135 .
Two Ukrainians , a 25-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman who worked in the kitchen of the Diamond Princess ship , have tested positive for the virus aboard the ship .
A total of 25 Ukrainians work on the ship .
While visiting a hospital treating infected patients in Beijing , Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 10 called the situation in Hubei `` still very grave '' and that `` more decisive measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus , state broadcaster CCTV reported .
A WHO-led international team of experts landed in Beijing the same day to investigate the epidemic .
It is headed by Bruce Aylward who oversaw the organization 's 2014-16 response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa There are 168 labs worldwide that have the technology to diagnose the virus , according to the WHO .
With reporting by DW , Reuters , AP , and Interfax

China has "removed" a number of senior officials over their handling of a novel respiratory virus, state media reported, as the death toll reached more than 1,000.
The National Health Commission reported 108 new fatalities from the coronavirus on February 11, bringing the total death toll in China to 1,016.
There are now a total of 42,638 confirmed coronavirus cases in mainland China as well as 319 cases in 24 other countries, including one death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese health officials.
In Hubei Province, the epicenter of the epidemic, 103 people died and 2,097 new cases were reported, the health commission said early on February 11.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the Communist Party secretary for the Health Commission of Hubei Province and the head of the health commission were among those who were "removed" following a decision by the province's party committee -- the most senior officials to be sanctioned.
The two will be replaced by the deputy director of China's National Health Commission, Wang Hesheng.
However, removal from a certain position does not necessarily mean the person will be fired, as it can also mean demotion.
China's most senior medical adviser on the outbreak, Zhong Nanshan, said numbers of new cases were falling and forecast the epidemic would peak this month.
"I hope this outbreak or this event may be over in something like April," added Zhong, 83, an epidemiologist who won fame for his role in combating an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which killed hundreds worldwide in 2002-2003.
However, the WHO has said the spread of the pathogen among people who have not been to China could be "the spark that becomes a bigger fire" and the global community must not let the epidemic get out of control.
Ukraine’s embassy in China said on February 10 that it was sending a chartered plane to Wuhan -- the provincial capital of Hubei -- to airlift 50 citizens to Kyiv.
Once in Ukraine, the evacuated Ukrainians will be quarantined for 14 days.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases on a cruise ship with 3,700 passengers and crew on board quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama has doubled to 135.
Two Ukrainians, a 25-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman who worked in the kitchen of the Diamond Princess ship, have tested positive for the virus aboard the ship. A total of 25 Ukrainians work on the ship.
While visiting a hospital treating infected patients in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 10 called the situation in Hubei "still very grave" and that "more decisive measures" were needed to contain the spread of the virus, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
A WHO-led international team of experts landed in Beijing the same day to investigate the epidemic. It is headed by Bruce Aylward who oversaw the organization's 2014-16 response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa
There are 168 labs worldwide that have the technology to diagnose the virus, according to the WHO.
With reporting by DW, Reuters, AP, and Interfax


rferl--2020-02-10--Crimean Tatar TV Channel In Ukraine Blames Lack Of State Funding For Imminent Closure

Ukraine 's first and currently only television channel in the Crimean Tatar language says it is on the brink of shutting down operations due to lack of government funding .
ATR has n't received $ 2 million that the government allocated for the channel in this year 's state budget , a statement by the channel said on February 10 .
The channel said it received $ 610,000 on its account on December 28 , but could n't access the money because banks were closed that day so it had to return the money , as required by law .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was allocated this year was transferred to ATR 's account , but the channel said the state treasury had blocked access to it .
In response , ATR has launched a fundraising campaign and is broadcasting from an empty studio without presenters and guests .
ATR is a part of a media holding that is majority-owned by Lenur Islyamov and initially stopped broadcasting in Crimea after the occupying Russian authorities refused to issue a broadcasting license after annexing the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014 .
It resumed broadcasting on June 17 , 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including in Crimea , supported mostly with government money .
Islyamov said in a statement that without the channel , Ukraine will never get back Crimea .
`` We know who our focus group is .
We know it is the people who support us , those people who know about us , and those who want to return to Crimea with us , '' he said .
`` Without us , we wo n't be able to return to Crimea .
We are the bridge that is being laid to Crimea .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ATR has slashed 90 percent of its own programming , dismissed 45 percent of its staff , reduced news broadcasts , and stopped broadcasting live , Islyamov said .
In addition to ATR , a children 's TV channel and a radio channel are part of the holding .
Separately in January , Ukraine 's public broadcaster shut down international broadcasting and closed its Crimean Tatar- , Arabic- , and English-language departments .

Ukraine's first and currently only television channel in the Crimean Tatar language says it is on the brink of shutting down operations due to lack of government funding.
ATR hasn't received $2 million that the government allocated for the channel in this year's state budget, a statement by the channel said on February 10.
The channel said it received $610,000 on its account on December 28, but couldn't access the money because banks were closed that day so it had to return the money, as required by law.
A portion of the $2 million that was allocated this year was transferred to ATR's account, but the channel said the state treasury had blocked access to it.
In response, ATR has launched a fundraising campaign and is broadcasting from an empty studio without presenters and guests.
ATR is a part of a media holding that is majority-owned by Lenur Islyamov and initially stopped broadcasting in Crimea after the occupying Russian authorities refused to issue a broadcasting license after annexing the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014.
It resumed broadcasting on June 17, 2015 in Kyiv via satellite throughout Ukraine, including in Crimea, supported mostly with government money.
Islyamov said in a statement that without the channel, Ukraine will never get back Crimea.
"We know who our focus group is. We know it is the people who support us, those people who know about us, and those who want to return to Crimea with us," he said. "Without us, we won't be able to return to Crimea. We are the bridge that is being laid to Crimea."
Due to the financial shortfall, ATR has slashed 90 percent of its own programming, dismissed 45 percent of its staff, reduced news broadcasts, and stopped broadcasting live, Islyamov said.
In addition to ATR, a children's TV channel and a radio channel are part of the holding.
Separately in January, Ukraine's public broadcaster shut down international broadcasting and closed its Crimean Tatar-, Arabic-, and English-language departments.


rferl--2020-02-10--U.S. Envoy Urges Kosovo To Drop Tariffs On Serbian Goods 'With No Reciprocity'

The U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo , Richard Grenell , has urged Kosovo to drop tariffs on Serbian goods without introducing measures of `` reciprocity '' in trade , politics , and economy , his press officer told RFE/RL .
`` The ambassador is pushing for them to drop the tariffs with no reciprocity .
So , Kosovo should drop the tariffs on Serbian goods , and not implement reciprocity .
So , no reciprocal measures .
Not just suspend the tariffs but drop them entirely , '' Dick Custin said in a February 10 statement .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as U.S. President Donald Trump 's ambassador to Germany , comes amid an international push for the two countries to establish diplomatic relations .
In reaction to Grenell 's call , Deputy Prime Minister Haki Abazi told RFE/RL that the government 's position was that Serbia must stop `` sabotaging '' Kosovo statehood .
`` Reciprocity is a set of measures applied in international relations and this is a pragmatic approach , while on the Serbian side a commitment and a statement of stopping the campaign against new recognitions [ of Kosovo 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are expected . ''
Kosovo , a former Serbian province , unilaterally declared independence in 2008 .
The move has been recognized by more than 110 countries but not by Serbia .
Both the European Union and United States have made reconciliation between the two countries a priority , saying it was key to economic development .
But dialogue is stalled in part over Pristina 's imposition of the 100 percent tariffs in 2018 .

The U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo, Richard Grenell, has urged Kosovo to drop tariffs on Serbian goods without introducing measures of "reciprocity" in trade, politics, and economy, his press officer told RFE/RL.
"The ambassador is pushing for them to drop the tariffs with no reciprocity. So, Kosovo should drop the tariffs on Serbian goods, and not implement reciprocity. So, no reciprocal measures. Not just suspend the tariffs but drop them entirely," Dick Custin said in a February 10 statement.
The call by Grenell, who also serves as U.S. President Donald Trump's ambassador to Germany, comes amid an international push for the two countries to establish diplomatic relations.
In reaction to Grenell's call, Deputy Prime Minister Haki Abazi told RFE/RL that the government's position was that Serbia must stop "sabotaging" Kosovo statehood.
"Reciprocity is a set of measures applied in international relations and this is a pragmatic approach, while on the Serbian side a commitment and a statement of stopping the campaign against new recognitions [of Kosovo's independence] and sabotaging Kosovo's statehood are expected."
Kosovo, a former Serbian province, unilaterally declared independence in 2008. The move has been recognized by more than 110 countries but not by Serbia.
Both the European Union and United States have made reconciliation between the two countries a priority, saying it was key to economic development. But dialogue is stalled in part over Pristina's imposition of the 100 percent tariffs in 2018.


rferl--2020-02-10--Seven Russian Activists Given 'Horrific' Sentences On Terror Charges

PENZA , Russia -- A court in the Russian city of Penza has sentenced seven activists from a group known as `` Set '' ( Network ) to prison terms of between six and 18 years on terrorism charges that opposition figures have denounced as fabricated and `` horrific . ''
On February 10 , the Privolzhsky district court found the men , aged between 23 and 30 years , guilty of being members of a terrorist group .
Some of the defendants were also found guilty of possessing illegal weapons and explosives , and attempted illegal drug sales .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 with the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) accusing them of creating a terrorist group with cells in Moscow , St. Petersburg , Penza , and Omsk , as well as In neighboring Belarus .
Investigators said the group planned to organize a series of explosions in Russia during the presidential election and the World Cup soccer tournament in 2018 `` to destabilize the situation '' in the country and to organize an armed mutiny .
Rights activists have said the case was fabricated .
Some of the activists claimed that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Investigative Committee rejected the claims .
Opposition leader Aleksei Navalny described the sentences as `` horrific '' in a post on Twitter , saying testimony about an `` imaginary terrorist organization '' was `` beaten out using torture . ''
`` Any minister in the Russian government is 10 times more of a criminal and a threat to society than these guys , '' he added .
The court called Dmitry Pchelintsev and Ilya Shaursky the group 's leaders and sentenced them to penalties of 18 years and 16 years in prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 14 years , Maksim Ivankin to 13 years , Mikhail Kulov to 10 years , and Vasily Kuksov to 9 years in prison .
Arman Sagynbaev received six years in prison .
Before the sentences , Amnesty International called the terror charges `` a figment of the Russian security services ' imagination that was fabricated in an attempt to silence these activists . ''
The London-based human rights watchdog called the case `` the latest politically motivated abuse of the justice system to target young people . ''
Two other activists initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Yegor Zorin , made deals with the investigators and testified against the others .
Shishkin received 3 1/2 years in prison in January 2019 , while the case against Zorin was closed in September 2018 .

PENZA, Russia -- A court in the Russian city of Penza has sentenced seven activists from a group known as "Set" (Network) to prison terms of between six and 18 years on terrorism charges that opposition figures have denounced as fabricated and "horrific."
On February 10, the Privolzhsky district court found the men, aged between 23 and 30 years, guilty of being members of a terrorist group.
Some of the defendants were also found guilty of possessing illegal weapons and explosives, and attempted illegal drug sales.
The group members were arrested in October 2017 with the Federal Security Service (FSB) accusing them of creating a terrorist group with cells in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Penza, and Omsk, as well as In neighboring Belarus.
Investigators said the group planned to organize a series of explosions in Russia during the presidential election and the World Cup soccer tournament in 2018 "to destabilize the situation" in the country and to organize an armed mutiny.
Rights activists have said the case was fabricated. Some of the activists claimed that they were tortured while in custody, but the Investigative Committee rejected the claims.
Opposition leader Aleksei Navalny described the sentences as "horrific" in a post on Twitter, saying testimony about an "imaginary terrorist organization" was "beaten out using torture."
"Any minister in the Russian government is 10 times more of a criminal and a threat to society than these guys," he added.
The court called Dmitry Pchelintsev and Ilya Shaursky the group's leaders and sentenced them to penalties of 18 years and 16 years in prison, respectively.
Andrei Chernov was sentenced to 14 years, Maksim Ivankin to 13 years, Mikhail Kulov to 10 years, and Vasily Kuksov to 9 years in prison.
Arman Sagynbaev received six years in prison.
Before the sentences, Amnesty International called the terror charges "a figment of the Russian security services' imagination that was fabricated in an attempt to silence these activists."
The London-based human rights watchdog called the case "the latest politically motivated abuse of the justice system to target young people."
Two other activists initially arrested in the case, Igor Shishkin and Yegor Zorin, made deals with the investigators and testified against the others.
Shishkin received 3 1/2 years in prison in January 2019, while the case against Zorin was closed in September 2018.


rferl--2020-02-11--Russia’s 'Heinous' Sentencing Of Seven Activists Sparks Social Media Outrage

A Russian regional court ’ s “ heinous ” sentencing of seven activists to long prison terms has ignited outrage on social media , with some critics drawing parallels to the show trials of the Stalinist era .
The case -- known as “ Set ” ( Network ) -- is the latest in a series of Russian court decisions over the past year against citizens sharing antigovernment views that have provoked a sharp response from segments of society .
A district court in Penza -- an industrial town of about half-a-million people some 625 kilometers southeast of Moscow -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prison terms of between six and 18 years , lengths normally given to violent criminals .
The judge found the men guilty of planning terrorist attacks to destabilize the country during the 2018 Russian presidential election and World Cup .
Authorities say they belong to a group called Set , but the men all claim such a group does not exist and that , although they share antifascist views , they mainly play outdoor war games together .
Human rights organizations and activists say the case was fabricated by the state to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who express political views that run counter to those of the government .
Several of the convicted men said members of the Russian Federal Security Service ( FSB ) , the successor to the Soviet KGB , and other officers tortured them to extract a confession .
The men said they were beaten and subjected to electric shock .
Aleksei Minyaylo , an opposition politician , said following the sentencing that “ 1937 is back , ” a reference to the year the Stalinst show trials began , a repressive period in Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If we will sit and be afraid , everything will get incomparably worse , ” Minyaylo said .
The men -- who are aged 23 to 30 -- include a cook , a former sailor , a musician , a shooting instructor , and a punk fan .
They were arrested in several swoops in late 2017 .
The FSB claimed they were anarchists who sought to overthrow the government and ran terrorist cells in other cities , including Moscow and St. Petersburg .
Anatoly Vakhterov , a lawyer for Ilya Shakursky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a competitive team shooting sport in which participants try to eliminate opposing players with replica guns that use plastic projectiles -- in the woods and gave each other fighter roles and nicknames .
The prosecutors said the men possessed real guns and grenades to carry out their planned terrorist attacks .
Defense lawyers and relatives said the real weapons were planted by the officers .
“ They will now go to prison , and we will carry on with our lives knowing that [ the authorities ] can put you in jail for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a punk fan .
Especially if your beliefs differ even just a bit , ” said former state TV journalist Yekaterina Gordeyeva .
Dmitry Pchelintsev , whom the FSB called the ringleader , said masked men in the detention center stuffed gauze pads in his mouth and applied electric shocks to his toes that caused a “ paralyzing pain ” in his legs .
Pchelintsev claimed the masked men then began pulling down his underwear to do the same to his genitals before he confessed to planning a terrorist attack .
Members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men said their bruises and bodily marks , including burns , were consistent with torture .
“ Before , they tortured you in a basement , but now they do it in front of the whole world , ” said Sergei Vilkov , a journalist who called the matter the “ primary political ” case in Russia .
Pchelintsev was given 18 years in prison .
“ We have to be absolutely clear here .
An 18-year jail term for a 27-year-old who has neither killed , shot , or beaten anybody , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heroic representatives of various elites — is pure Stalinism , ” said Andrei Kolesnikov , a political analyst .
Soviet courts did not even give such harsh sentences during the reigns of Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev , Kolesnikov said .
Maria Eismont , a defense attorney who represented jailed activist Konstantin Kotov in another case , called the long sentences “ heinous , ” but said it was meant to shock and awe those citizens who hold views opposed by the government .
“ In fact , this is largely why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that that segment of society that cares [ about human rights ] feels all this : horror , helplessness , and apathy , ” she said .
Some activists say cases such of this could force people will similar views to leave the country .
Hope Dies Last ?
Russia has backtracked over the past year on some cases and convictions seen as political amid widespread outrage .
A drug charge against independent journalist Ivan Golunov was dropped in June after a protest erupted over clear evidence the narcotics were planted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Moscow judge gave a suspended sentence to university student and popular YouTube blogger Yegor Zhukov , who was charged with “ extremism ” for his anti-Kremlin videos .
Then last month , Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Prosecutor-General 's Office to review the sentencing of Kotov , who was given four years in prison in September 2019 for participating in more than one unsanctioned protest within a 180-day period .
Written by Todd Prince in Washington , D.C. , based on reporting by RFE/RL 's Russian Service .
Additional reporting @ @ @ @ @ @

A Russian regional court’s "heinous" sentencing of seven activists to long prison terms has ignited outrage on social media, with some critics drawing parallels to the show trials of the Stalin era.
The verdicts in the case, known as "Set" (a Russian word for Network), are the latest in a series of Russian court decisions over the past year against citizens sharing anti-government views that have provoked a sharp response from segments of society.
A district court in Penza -- an industrial city of about half-a-million people some 625 kilometers southeast of Moscow -- sentenced the seven men on February 10 to prison terms ranging from six to 18 years, lengths normally given to violent criminals.
The judge found the men guilty of planning terrorist attacks to destabilize the country during the 2018 presidential election and the soccer World Cup, which Russia hosted the same year.
Authorities say they belong to a group called the Network, but the men all contend that such a group does not exist and that, although they share antifascist views, they mainly play outdoor war games together.
Human rights organizations and activists say the case was fabricated by the state to send a signal to members of society who express political views that run counter to those of the government.
Several of the convicted men said members of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the Soviet KGB, and other officers tortured them to extract a confession. The men said they were beaten and subjected to electric shock.
Torture Claims
Aleksei Minyaylo, an opposition politician, said following the sentencing that "1937 is back," a reference to the year the Stalinist show trials beganand the height of a repressive period known as the Great Terror.
"If we will sit and be afraid, everything will get incomparably worse," Minyaylo said.
The men -- who are aged 23 to 30 -- include a cook, a former sailor, a musician, a shooting instructor, and a punk-music enthusiast.
They were arrested in several swoops in late 2017. The FSB claimed they were anarchists who sought to overthrow the government and ran terrorist cells in other cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Anatoly Vakhterov, a lawyer for Ilya Shakursky, said the men played airsoft -- a competitive team shooting sport in which participants try to eliminate opposing players with replica guns that use plastic projectiles -- in the woods and gave each other fighter roles and nicknames.
The prosecutors said the men possessed real guns and grenades to carry out their planned terrorist attacks. Defense lawyers and relatives said the real weapons were planted by the officers.
"They will now go to prison, and we will carry on with our lives knowing that [the authorities] can put you in jail for anything, whether you are a cook or a punk fan. Especially if your beliefs differ even just a bit," said former state TV journalist Yekaterina Gordeyeva.
Dmitry Pchelintsev, whom the FSB called the ringleader, said masked men in the detention center stuffed gauze pads in his mouth and applied electric shocks to his toes that caused a "paralyzing pain" in his legs.
Pchelintsev claimed the masked men then began pulling down his underwear to do the same to his genitals before he confessed to planning a terrorist attack.
'Pure Stalinism'
Members of human rights organizations who visited the men said their bruises and bodily marks, including burns, were consistent with torture.
"Before, they tortured you in a basement, but now they do it in front of the whole world," said Sergei Vilkov, a journalist who called the matter the "primary political" case in Russia.
Pchelintsev was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
"We have to be absolutely clear here. An 18-year jail term for a 27-year-old who has neither killed, shot, or beaten anybody, nor stolen billions --unlike most of the heroic representatives of various elites — is pure Stalinism," said Andrei Kolesnikov, a political analyst.
Soviet courts, Kolesnikov said, did not even give such harsh sentences during the reigns of Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev, who headed the Soviet Union in the decades after Stalin's death.
Maria Eismont, a defense attorney who represented jailed activist Konstantin Kotov in another case, called the long sentences "heinous" and said they were meant to shock and awe those citizens who hold views opposed by the government.
"In fact, this is largely why such sentences were given to them: so that that segment of society that cares [about human rights] feels all this: horror, helplessness, and apathy," she said.
Some activists say cases such of this could force people with similar views to leave the country.
Hope Dies Last?
Russia has backtracked over the past year on some cases and convictions seen as political amid widespread outrage.
A drug charge against independent journalist Ivan Golunov was dropped in June after a protest erupted over clear evidence that the narcotics were planted on the reporter by officers.
In December, a Moscow judge gave a suspended sentence to university student and popular YouTube blogger Yegor Zhukov, who was charged with "extremism" for his anti-Kremlin videos.
Then last month, President Vladimir Putin ordered the Prosecutor-General's Office to review the sentencing of Kotov, who was given four years in prison in September 2019 for participating in more than one unsanctioned protest within a 180-day period. Prosecutors have asked a court to reduce Kotov's sentence to one year.
Written by Todd Prince in Washington, D.C., based on reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service. Additional reporting by Current Time and Mediazona.


rferl--2020-02-11--Police Detain More Than 20 Opposition Candidates At Election Protest In Baku

Azerbaijani police have detained more than 20 opposition and independent candidates who were protesting against results of early parliamentary polls @ @ @ @ @ international observers .
Protesters wrapped in blankets were staging a sit-in on the pavement outside @ @ @ @ @ ( CEC ) building on February 11 when riot police detained all participants and put @ @ @ @ @ Ministry spokesman Ehsan Zahidov said the action was illegal and that participants had not been @ @ @ @ @ According to the CEC the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan ( New Azerbaijan ) party won 70 @ @ @ @ @ the single-chamber legislature , while nearly all the remaining mandates went to small parties and @ @ @ @ @ Aliyev .
International monitors said they had identified widespread procedural violations in a vote count @ @ @ @ @ about the fairness of the election .
Aliyev called the vote nine months early to @ @ @ @ @ opposition said the election was marred by widespread violations which included ballot-box stuffing .

Azerbaijani police have detained more than 20 opposition and independent candidates who were protesting against results of early parliamentary polls that were also criticized by international observers.
Protesters wrapped in blankets were staging a sit-in on the pavement outside Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission (CEC) building on February 11 when riot police detained all participants and put them on buses.
Interior Ministry spokesman Ehsan Zahidov said the action was illegal and that participants had not been complying with the law.
According to the CEC the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) party won 70 out of 125 seats in the single-chamber legislature, while nearly all the remaining mandates went to small parties and independents loyal to President Ilham Aliyev.
International monitors said they had identified widespread procedural violations in a vote count that they said raised doubt about the fairness of the election.
Aliyev called the vote nine months early to consolidate his authority.
The opposition said the election was marred by widespread violations which included ballot-box stuffing.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-02-11--U.S. Accuses Iran Of Using Satellite Launches To Develop Ballistic Missiles

WASHINGTON -- The United States has accused Tehran of using satellite launches to develop ballistic missiles two days after Iranian officials reported a failed attempt to send an Iranian-made Zafar satellite into Earth orbit .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on February 11 that `` the technologies used to launch satellites into orbit are virtually identical and interchangeable with those used in longer-range systems , including intercontinental ballistic missiles . ''
`` Each launch , whether failed or not , further allows Iran to gain experience using such technologies that could benefit its missile programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program . ''
Pompeo said the `` the world 's leading state sponsor of terrorism should not be allowed to develop and test ballistic missiles .
This common-sense standard must be restored by the international community . ''
The top U.S. diplomat vowed that Washington will continue efforts to build support globally to confront Tehran ’ s `` reckless ballistic missile activity '' and that it will `` impose enormous pressure on the regime to change its behavior . ''
France also condemned the launch effort , urging Tehran on February 10 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missile program .
Iran denies accusations it is using the satellite program to develop ballistic missiles .
Ahmad Hosseini , a spokesman for the Iranian Defense Ministry 's space program , told state TV that on February 9 that `` the 'Zafar ' satellite did not reach orbit as planned '' because it did not reach the necessary speed , the third failed satellite launch by Iran since the start of 2019 .
Hosseini still sought to portray the attempted launch as a `` remarkable '' achievement for Iran 's space program .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` maximum pressure '' policy toward Iran since Washington exited a major nuclear deal in 2018 that exchanged curbs on Tehran 's nuclear program for sanctions relief , have asserted that the Middle Eastern country 's satellite program uses technology that could eventually be converted to deliver nuclear warheads -- accusations Tehran also denies .
On February 8 , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for further strengthening Iran 's defenses , saying that `` in order to impede war and put an end to the threats , one has to become strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV .
The supreme leader , who holds the final say on religious and political affairs , meets with senior members of the Iranian Air Force on February 8 every year to mark key military defections during the country 's 1979 revolution to overthrow the U.S.-backed Shah .
Iran reportedly hopes to construct five more satellites by March 2021 .
With reporting by Reuters , AFP , and Press TV


rferl--2020-02-11--NATO Iraq Plan Could Satisfy Trump, Says U.S. Envoy

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he is looking to NATO allies for more help in countering the Islamic State ( IS ) militant group in Iraq and in bolstering American defense efforts in the Middle East more broadly .
Talking to journalists while flying to Brussels to attend a NATO defense ministers meeting , Esper told reporters on February 11 that he wants the alliance to do more to help Iraq 's security forces .
`` As they put more forces in , that could allow us to decrease '' the U.S. military 's workload there , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet in Brussels this week to discuss a proposal to move some forces from the U.S.-led coalition fighting the IS to the alliance 's training mission in Iraq .
Earlier on February 11 , the U.S. envoy to the alliance said such a plan for NATO to expand its Iraq mission by reassigning troops from the anti-IS coalition could meet President Donald Trump 's call for more alliance action in the Middle East Kay Bailey Hutchison welcomed the move , adding that it would enable coalition forces to carry out more combat operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's part of burden-sharing -- our European allies coming in with us and doing more in counterterrorism , '' Hutchison told reporters .
`` The NATO operation is already ongoing in Iraq and I think it will definitely be an answer to what President Trump has requested . ''
Trump last month called on NATO to do more in the Middle East , days after a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian commander in Baghdad triggered a regional crisis .
A plan to transfer some coalition forces -- who number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kuwait -- to NATO 's structures has already won Baghdad 's backing , according to diplomatic sources .
With reporting by AFP and Reuters

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


rferl--2020-02-11--Montenegro, Turkey FMs Vow Heightened Economic, Security Ties

The foreign ministers of NATO members Montenegro and Turkey said relations between their two countries are good , but they vowed to further bolster economic and security ties as well as cooperation in areas such as education , culture , health care , and tourism .
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on February 11 during a visit to Podgorica that `` Turkey and Montenegro have excellent political relations , and we want to improve our relations in every field . ''
He said Ankara was pleased that major Turkish companies were increasingly looking to the Adriatic country to invest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Turkey 's top diplomat called Montenegro an important country for stability and peace in the Balkan region .
Both countries are NATO members -- Montenegro joined in 2017 , while Turkey did so in 1952 -- and both have aspirations of joining the European Union , although Podgorica 's EU effort is further along than Ankara ’ s .
`` We supported Montenegro in its NATO membership , and our cooperation in NATO and the defense sector will continue .
Montenegro deserves EU membership , and if there will be no political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be an EU member very soon , '' Cavusoglu said .
Last month , Cavusoglu urged the EU to remove `` the artificial division '' between the Western Balkans and Turkey in the bloc 's enlargement policy and slammed Brussels ' treatment of Ankara in a letter seen by RFE/RL .
`` All countries should be treated on an equal footing , '' he wrote in the letter to new EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell dated January 22 .
`` Aside from the fact that Turkey is a Balkan country by virtue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ geography , every candidate country should be judged on their own merits and under equal circumstances , '' Cavusoglu wrote .
Turkey started EU accession talks in 2005 .
In recent years , those negotiations have come to a standstill with the bloc critical of Turkey 's human rights and rule-of-law record .
Meanwhile , Montenegrin Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic thanked Turkey for agreeing to represent Montenegro in 23 countries where Podgorica had not yet established diplomatic missions , mainly in Africa and Asia .
Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , Ankara has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clout in the Balkans , where many of the countries have historical and religious links with Turkey from centuries of Ottoman rule .
About 20 percent of Montenegro ’ s population is Muslim .
Cavusoglu said that `` the comfort of our Muslim brothers in Montenegro is also our comfort .
Every Montenegrin Muslim has relatives in Turkey .
Muslims and our kin societies are one of our foreign policy priorities . ''
With reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Balkan Service , Anadolu , and Balkan Insight

The foreign ministers of NATO members Montenegro and Turkey said relations between their two countries are good, but they vowed to further bolster economic and security ties as well as cooperation in areas such as education, culture, health care, and tourism.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on February 11 during a visit to Podgorica that "Turkey and Montenegro have excellent political relations, and we want to improve our relations in every field."
He said Ankara was pleased that major Turkish companies were increasingly looking to the Adriatic country to invest and that "we support them."
Turkey's top diplomat called Montenegro an important country for stability and peace in the Balkan region.
Both countries are NATO members -- Montenegro joined in 2017, while Turkey did so in 1952 -- and both have aspirations of joining the European Union, although Podgorica's EU effort is further along than Ankara’s.
"We supported Montenegro in its NATO membership, and our cooperation in NATO and the defense sector will continue. Montenegro deserves EU membership, and if there will be no political barriers, we believe that Montenegro will be an EU member very soon," Cavusoglu said.
Last month, Cavusoglu urged the EU to remove "the artificial division" between the Western Balkans and Turkey in the bloc's enlargement policy and slammed Brussels' treatment of Ankara in a letter seen by RFE/RL.
"All countries should be treated on an equal footing," he wrote in the letter to new EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell dated January 22.
"Aside from the fact that Turkey is a Balkan country by virtue of its history, culture, and geography, every candidate country should be judged on their own merits and under equal circumstances," Cavusoglu wrote.
Turkey started EU accession talks in 2005. In recent years, those negotiations have come to a standstill with the bloc critical of Turkey's human rights and rule-of-law record.
Meanwhile, Montenegrin Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic thanked Turkey for agreeing to represent Montenegro in 23 countries where Podgorica had not yet established diplomatic missions, mainly in Africa and Asia .
Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara has stepped up its efforts to increase its clout in the Balkans, where many of the countries have historical and religious links with Turkey from centuries of Ottoman rule. About 20 percent of Montenegro’s population is Muslim.
Cavusoglu said that "the comfort of our Muslim brothers in Montenegro is also our comfort. Every Montenegrin Muslim has relatives in Turkey. Muslims and our kin societies are one of our foreign policy priorities."
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, Anadolu, and Balkan Insight


rferl--2020-02-11--Pussy Riot's Tolokonnikova Says Group's Disrupted Video Would Be About Her Imprisonment

ST. PETERSBURG -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova , a leading member of the Russian anti-Kremlin protest group Pussy Riot , has said a video clip whose production was shut down by police in St. Petersburg for two days in a row , was meant to describe her feelings when she and another group member were imprisoned in 2012 .
Tolokonnikova and twelve other people were detained for hours during a photography session in a studio on February 10 , band member Pyotr Verzilov and Tolokonnikova ’ s former spouse said in a social media post .
Police the previous day disrupted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lenfilm movie studio in St. Petersburg , Russia ’ s second-biggest city .
Tolokonnikova and another leading band member , Maria Alyokhina , achieved prominence in 2012 after they were convicted of `` hooliganism motivated by religious hatred '' for a stunt in which band members burst into Moscow 's Christ the Savior Cathedral and sang a `` punk prayer '' against then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin , who was campaigning for his return to the presidency at the time .
Tolokonnikova told RFE/RL on February 11 that the planned video clip was based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drives Me Mad ) which was written by her .
`` This is a song about resistance to the state and about how bitter it is to feel yourself an enemy of the state in your own homeland .
I sing about the feelings I had when we were incarcerated and so many people were running around demanding that we must be burned alive or crucified because we are enemies of the state .
Meanwhile , we were not given any chance to say something in our defense as we were caged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tolokonnikova also said that police cited an `` extremism and gay propaganda '' law for shutting down the video shoot .
`` We are very frustrated but we will not give up and will do everything to shoot the video , but we do not know where , at this point , '' Tolokonnikova said .
`` There is a list of people marked by the state as extremists and we are included in that list .
Therefore , whatever we do , even if we organize an event just to plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the anti-extremist unit . ''
Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were close to completing their two-year prison sentences when they were freed in December 2013 under an amnesty they dismissed as a propaganda stunt to improve Putin 's image ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics .

ST. PETERSBURG -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a leading member of the Russian anti-Kremlin protest group Pussy Riot, has said a video clip whose production was shut down by police in St. Petersburg for two days in a row, was meant to describe her feelings when she and another group member were imprisoned in 2012.
Tolokonnikova and twelve other people were detained for hours during a photography session in a studio on February 10, band member Pyotr Verzilov and Tolokonnikova’s former spouse said in a social media post.
Police the previous day disrupted the band’s video shoot at the Lenfilm movie studio in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-biggest city.
Tolokonnikova and another leading band member, Maria Alyokhina, achieved prominence in 2012 after they were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for a stunt in which band members burst into Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral and sang a "punk prayer" against then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who was campaigning for his return to the presidency at the time.
Tolokonnikova told RFE/RL on February 11 that the planned video clip was based on a song titled Besit (It Drives Me Mad) which was written by her .
"This is a song about resistance to the state and about how bitter it is to feel yourself an enemy of the state in your own homeland. I sing about the feelings I had when we were incarcerated and so many people were running around demanding that we must be burned alive or crucified because we are enemies of the state. Meanwhile, we were not given any chance to say something in our defense as we were caged. It was painful," Tolokonnikova said.
Tolokonnikova also said that police cited an "extremism and gay propaganda" law for shutting down the video shoot.
"We are very frustrated but we will not give up and will do everything to shoot the video, but we do not know where, at this point," Tolokonnikova said.
"There is a list of people marked by the state as extremists and we are included in that list. Therefore, whatever we do, even if we organize an event just to plant flowers, it will be interrupted by the anti-extremist unit."
Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were close to completing their two-year prison sentences when they were freed in December 2013 under an amnesty they dismissed as a propaganda stunt to improve Putin's image ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.


rferl--2020-02-11--North Macedonia Ratifies NATO Protocol, Raises Alliance Flag

The NATO flag has been raised in front of the parliament building in Skopje as North Macedonia celebrated its impending accession to the Western military alliance .
NATO representatives , diplomats , and officials from some neighboring countries joined in the small Balkan nation 's celebration of the moment on February 11 .
The ceremony took place after North Macedonia ’ s parliament earlier in the day unanimously ratified the NATO accession protocol -- which will come into effect after the 29th and final member of the alliance -- Spain -- does the same .
`` By joining this alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international organization , '' North Macedonia ’ s president , Stevo Pendarovski , told lawmakers before the vote .
`` Membership of the world 's most powerful military-political alliance is a privilege , but also a huge responsibility . ''
North Macedonia was granted a protocol on accession to NATO membership in February last year , after a 2018 agreement with Greece that changed the former Yugoslav republic 's name from Macedonia , resolving a decades-long dispute between Skopje and Athens .
The United States and European allies have backed Skopje 's efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to slow efforts by Russia and China to increase their influence in the Balkans .
Pendarovski said on February 4 that he expected Spain to ratify the protocol next month .
`` If everything goes according to plan concerning the political process , around March 10 that process should finish .
There will remain some technical details that our parliament in Skopje will have to deal with , '' Pendarovski told reporters during a visit to NATO member Poland .
Based on reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Balkan Service , AP , Reuters @ @ @

The NATO flag has been raised in front of the parliament building in Skopje as North Macedonia celebrated its impending accession to the Western military alliance.
NATO representatives, diplomats, and officials from some neighboring countries joined in the small Balkan nation's celebration of the moment on February 11.
The ceremony took place after North Macedonia’s parliament earlier in the day unanimously ratified the NATO accession protocol -- which will come into effect after the 29th and final member of the alliance -- Spain -- does the same.
"By joining this alliance, we are not simply joining an international organization," North Macedonia’s president, Stevo Pendarovski, told lawmakers before the vote. "Membership of the world's most powerful military-political alliance is a privilege, but also a huge responsibility."
North Macedonia was granted a protocol on accession to NATO membership in February last year, after a 2018 agreement with Greece that changed the former Yugoslav republic's name from Macedonia, resolving a decades-long dispute between Skopje and Athens.
The United States and European allies have backed Skopje's efforts to join the alliance as a means to slow efforts by Russia and China to increase their influence in the Balkans.
Pendarovski said on February 4 that he expected Spain to ratify the protocol next month.
"If everything goes according to plan concerning the political process, around March 10 that process should finish. There will remain some technical details that our parliament in Skopje will have to deal with," Pendarovski told reporters during a visit to NATO member Poland.
Based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, AP, Reuters, and dpa


rferl--2020-02-11--Kremlin Names Veteran Kozak As New Ukraine Negotiator

Veteran official Dmitry Kozak has been appointed as Russia 's chief negotiator in relations with Kyiv and Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine , the Kremlin has announced , amid efforts to de-escalate a five-year conflict that has claimed thousands of lives .
President Vladimir Putin 's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Kozak , deputy head of the Russian presidential administration , was now the most senior Kremlin official when it came to Ukraine .
Kozak , 61 , was born in what used to be Soviet Ukraine .
Kozak replaces Kremlin insider Vladislav Surkov , who had overseen Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries since 2013 .
Peskov did not say whether Surkov , 55 , would be leaving the Kremlin altogether but added that Kozak was now the Kremlin 's point man for Ukraine .
`` In his new role Kozak is in charge and will continue to be in charge of Ukrainian issues , '' Peskov told a news conference in Moscow on February 11 .
Kozak is a former deputy prime minister .
He was appointed deputy head of the Kremlin administration late last month .
Kozak supervised Putin 's first reelection campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi , and served as the Kremlin 's principal person for ties with Moldova .
Relations between Moscow and Kyiv were derailed after Russia annexed Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and fighting broke out between Ukrainian forces and Moscow-backed separatists in the east of the country .
Russia denies any role in the conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people .
Kozak is among Russian officials who were sanctioned by the West after Russia seized Crimea .
Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Paris in December aimed at agreeing measures to help end the conflict .
The meeting was followed by a large-scale prisoner swap .
Zelenskiy on February 11 appointed a former lawyer called Andriy Yermak as his chief of staff .
Yermak , who was involved in negotiating the prisoner swaps with Russia , told Ukrainian TV on February 10 that he had met Kozak and thought he was an improvement on Surkov .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Veteran official Dmitry Kozak has been appointed as Russia's chief negotiator in relations with Kyiv and Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin has announced, amid efforts to de-escalate a five-year conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Kozak, deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, was now the most senior Kremlin official when it came to Ukraine.
Kozak, 61, was born in what used to be Soviet Ukraine.
Kozak replaces Kremlin insider Vladislav Surkov, who had overseen Russia's ties with Ukraine and other ex-Soviet countries since 2013.
Peskov did not say whether Surkov, 55, would be leaving the Kremlin altogether but added that Kozak was now the Kremlin's point man for Ukraine.
"In his new role Kozak is in charge and will continue to be in charge of Ukrainian issues," Peskov told a news conference in Moscow on February 11.
Kozak is a former deputy prime minister. He was appointed deputy head of the Kremlin administration late last month.
Kozak supervised Putin's first reelection campaign in 2004, was responsible for preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, and served as the Kremlin's principal person for ties with Moldova.
Relations between Moscow and Kyiv were derailed after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and fighting broke out between Ukrainian forces and Moscow-backed separatists in the east of the country. Russia denies any role in the conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people.
Kozak is among Russian officials who were sanctioned by the West after Russia seized Crimea.
Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met for the first time at a summit in Paris in December aimed at agreeing measures to help end the conflict.
The meeting was followed by a large-scale prisoner swap.
Zelenskiy on February 11 appointed a former lawyer called Andriy Yermak as his chief of staff.
Yermak, who was involved in negotiating the prisoner swaps with Russia, told Ukrainian TV on February 10 that he had met Kozak and thought he was an improvement on Surkov.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP


rferl--2020-02-11--U.S. 'Disappointed' Over Conviction, Sentencing Of Georgian Opposition Leader

TBILISI -- The U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi says it is `` disappointed '' with the conviction and sentencing of Georgian opposition leader Gigi Ugulava in what the jailed politician has called a politically motivated case .
In a statement released on February 11 , the embassy said it supports political dialogue between the South Caucasus nation ’ s ruling Georgia Dream party and opposition figures aimed at resolving disputes over the electoral system and other issues .
However , it said it was `` disappointed that the timing and context of the conviction and sentencing of an opposition leader [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dialogue at risk . ''
`` An environment conducive to the successful continuation of the dialogue requires an independent , transparent judicial system free of political influence . ''
`` We call on all sides to remain committed to the political dialogue , as well as further refinements to the electoral code , as the best way to create the conditions for free and fair elections , '' it added .
The statement comes after U.S. lawmakers recently expressed frustration over what they called `` backsliding '' on Georgia ’ s commitments to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a development that could potentially result in the United States reducing support to the Caucasus nation .
Georgian opposition parties have complained that the country 's electoral system unfairly favors the ruling Georgian Dream party .
The country 's Supreme Court sentenced Ugulava , who helped organize the protests , to three years and two months in prison on charges of misusing public funds while he was mayor of the capital .
It was Ugulava 's second conviction on similar charges , in a case the opposition says is politically motivated .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against leaders of the opposition amid mass protests against tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili 's ruling Georgian Dream party and its government .
Dozens of former officials have been arrested on abuse-of-power and corruption charges since Georgian Dream came to power in 2012 after defeating then-President Mikheil Saakashvili 's party in an election .
Ugulava , mayor of the capital from 2005 to 2013 , was first sentenced to four-and-a-half-years in prison in September 2015 on similar offenses but was freed in January 2017 after a court reduced his sentence .
In 2018 , Ugulava @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prison , in the same case , but his sentence was considered to have been served .
The Supreme Court 's February 10 ruling regards a new case of alleged misspending of funds , and the time he has already served will not count against it .
`` This is a shameful decision made by the Ivanishvili regime , '' Tina Bokuchava , a leader the opposition United National Movement , told reporters .
Critics accuse Ivanishvili of running the country from behind the scenes .
Ugulava , one of the leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had pleaded not guilty and that the verdict was a `` legal farce . ''
`` The fact is that the path chosen by the opposition frightens Ivanishvili , '' he told reporters before going to prison .
The United States and the European Union have called on the Georgian government , political parties , and civil society to engage in a `` calm and respectful dialogue . ''
A group of 12 nongovernmental organizations in Georgia on February 11 called Ugulava 's case `` a continuation of political persecution against opponents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgian authorities , the ruling party , and the country 's informal ruler -- Bidzina Ivanishvili -- to stop exercising selective justice against their opponents and dissenters , to promote a constructive resolution of the political crisis , and instead of party interests , prioritize the interests of the population and the country 's development , '' a statement by the group said .

TBILISI -- The U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi says it is "disappointed" with the conviction and sentencing of Georgian opposition leader Gigi Ugulava in what the jailed politician has called a politically motivated case.
In a statement released on February 11, the embassy said it supports political dialogue between the South Caucasus nation’s ruling Georgia Dream party and opposition figures aimed at resolving disputes over the electoral system and other issues.
However, it said it was "disappointed that the timing and context of the conviction and sentencing of an opposition leader [on February 10] has put the dialogue at risk."
"An environment conducive to the successful continuation of the dialogue requires an independent, transparent judicial system free of political influence."
"We call on all sides to remain committed to the political dialogue, as well as further refinements to the electoral code, as the best way to create the conditions for free and fair elections," it added.
The statement comes after U.S. lawmakers recently expressed frustration over what they called "backsliding" on Georgia’s commitments to build democratic institutions in the country, a development that could potentially result in the United States reducing support to the Caucasus nation.
Georgian opposition parties have complained that the country's electoral system unfairly favors the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The country's Supreme Court sentenced Ugulava, who helped organize the protests, to three years and two months in prison on charges of misusing public funds while he was mayor of the capital.
It was Ugulava's second conviction on similar charges, in a case the opposition says is politically motivated.
A number of criminal cases have been opened against leaders of the opposition amid mass protests against tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili's ruling Georgian Dream party and its government.
Dozens of former officials have been arrested on abuse-of-power and corruption charges since Georgian Dream came to power in 2012 after defeating then-President Mikheil Saakashvili's party in an election.
Ugulava, mayor of the capital from 2005 to 2013, was first sentenced to four-and-a-half-years in prison in September 2015 on similar offenses but was freed in January 2017 after a court reduced his sentence.
In 2018, Ugulava was sentenced again, to 15 months in prison, in the same case, but his sentence was considered to have been served.
The Supreme Court's February 10 ruling regards a new case of alleged misspending of funds, and the time he has already served will not count against it.
"This is a shameful decision made by the Ivanishvili regime," Tina Bokuchava, a leader the opposition United National Movement, told reporters.
Critics accuse Ivanishvili of running the country from behind the scenes.
Ugulava, one of the leaders of the European Georgian Party, said he had pleaded not guilty and that the verdict was a "legal farce."
"The fact is that the path chosen by the opposition frightens Ivanishvili," he told reporters before going to prison.
The United States and the European Union have called on the Georgian government, political parties, and civil society to engage in a "calm and respectful dialogue."
A group of 12 nongovernmental organizations in Georgia on February 11 called Ugulava's case "a continuation of political persecution against opponents."
"We call on the Georgian authorities, the ruling party, and the country's informal ruler -- Bidzina Ivanishvili -- to stop exercising selective justice against their opponents and dissenters, to promote a constructive resolution of the political crisis, and instead of party interests, prioritize the interests of the population and the country's development," a statement by the group said.
With reporting by Reuters