rferl--2020-07-02--COVID-19: Kazakh Ex- President Reportedly Cured Days Before 80th Birthday As Restrictions Reimposed

The global death toll from the coronavirus is over 510,000 , with more than 10.7 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev , who continues to play a major role in ruling the country even after his sudden resignation last year , has reportedly recovered after contracting the coronavirus .
Spokesman Aidos Ukibai wrote on Twitter that Nazarbaev 's latest coronavirus test came back negative on July 2 , just four days before his 80th birthday .
`` In accordance with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to with a self-isolation regime , working remotely , and frequently walking in fresh air , '' Ukibai wrote .
Nazarbaev will turn 80 on July 6 , a day marked in the Central Asian country as the Day of the Capital , which many consider a way to celebrate Nazarbaev 's birthday on a national level .
The day after his sudden resignation in March 2019 , Astana was renamed Nur-Sultan after the former leader .
However , this year , starting on July 5 , all mass gatherings and celebrations have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to a spike in the number of coronavirus cases across the country .
Nazarbaev was first reported as infected with the coronavirus on June 18 .
His resignation more than a year ago after ruling the oil-rich former Soviet republic for almost 30 years came as surprise .
But he continues to lead the ruling Nur-Otan party and the country 's powerful Security Council .
He also enjoys the broad benefits of the title of `` elbasy , '' the leader of the nation .
Nazarbaev 's opponents say he de facto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million by supervising actions of incumbent President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev .
Meanwhile , the reimposed restrictions include a ban on public events , entertainment , sports events , and mass celebrations of family events or commemorations .
Limitations on the movement of people will also be implemented .
Outdoor gatherings of more than three people will be prohibited .
`` The banned activities will include operations of beauty salons , hairdressers , fitness centers , gyms , indoor and outdoor markets , beaches , aquaparks , all cultural [ places of interest ] , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mosques and churches , preschool institutions , cinemas , children 's summer camps , etc.
, '' the government said in a statement , adding that at least 80 percent of employees of state organizations and companies will work remotely .
Prime Minister Asqar Mamin said at the government 's July 2 session that the two-week quarantine may be extended for another 14-day period or tightened further if need be .
The spread of the virus intensified in Kazakhstan after a state of emergency declared on March 16 was lifted on May 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kazakhstan as a country experiencing a `` rapid '' spread of the coronavirus .
Kazakh health authorities said on July 2 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country reached 42,574 , of which 14,059 people recovered and 188 died .
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators have called on Central Asian leaders to release activists being detained because of the risk of contracting the coronavirus in prison .
The call came in letters addressed to four Central Asian leaders , Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev of Kazakhstan , Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan , Gurbanguly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Uzbekistan , and signed by a dozen senators .
“ Individuals should never be imprisoned for exercising their rights of freedom of assembly , association , and speech , ” the senators wrote in the July 1 letter .
“ We call for releasing these individuals on the merits of their cases , but today , we also urge you to act quickly on health and humanitarian grounds .
While all nations and citizens have been affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic , the risks to the detainee population are particularly acute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they added .
Although , no separate letter was addressed to the Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov , the senators in a joint statement called on him to release Azimjan Askarov , an ethnic Uzbek human rights activist sentenced in 2010 to life in prison on `` unfounded charges of participating in mass disturbances , inciting ethnic hatred , and abetting the murder of a police officer . ''
UN Human Rights Committee experts found in April 2016 that Askarov “ had been arbitrarily detained , held in inhumane conditions , tortured and mistreated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial defense . ''


rferl--2020-07-02--U.S. Intelligence Officials Hold Briefing On Allegations Russia Offered Bounties To Taliban

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has been briefed by senior intelligence officials following reports alleging Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan .
Lawmakers from the Democratic and Republican parties have demanded more information about the alleged bounty scheme and whether any bounties were paid for the death of U.S. troops .
Many have called for sanctions against Russia , if the allegations are true .
The top intelligence officials who spoke with the lawmakers in a classified briefing on Capitol Hill included CIA Director Gina Haspel and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who participated in the gathering , told reporters that U.S. sanctions on Russia should be beefed up to include the country 's intelligence and defense sectors .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that `` independent of the briefing , I do n't think the president is close to tough enough on Vladimir Putin . ''
U.S. President Donald Trump on July 1 reiterated that he was not told about the reported Russian effort to get the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers because many U.S. intelligence officials doubted it was true .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence never found it to be of that level , '' he told Fox Business Network .
`` The intelligence people…many of them did n't believe it happened at all . ''
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( Republican-Kentucky ) , who was among the lawmakers briefed on July 2 , said he didn ' ’ t think Trump should be `` subjected to every rumor . ''
Democrats , however , have been upping the pressure on Trump over the report , which first appeared last week in The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the matter .
They have questioned how the president could not have known about the intelligence and why he has not issued a stronger response .
Senator Chuck Grassley ( Republican-Iowa ) , speaking on the Senate floor on July 1 , said the matter `` demands a strong response , and I do n't mean a diplomatic response , '' if the reports are true .
'We Took This Seriously' White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien told reporters that if the allegations are verified , “ I can guarantee you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' He added that Washington may never know the truth of the matter because of leaks to the media .
O'Brien provided a few specifics , saying Trump was not verbally briefed by his CIA briefer , and he defended that decision as `` the right call . ''
The briefer , a senior career civil servant , `` did n't have confidence in the intelligence , '' O'Brien said .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the situation was handled “ incredibly well ” to ensure the safety of U.S. troops .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ handled it appropriately , ” Pompeo said at a briefing .
He said the administration receives intelligence about threats to Americans every day and each is addressed .
Pompeo added that Russian activity in Afghanistan is nothing new and when there is credible information suggesting Russians are putting American lives at risk , the United States responds `` in a way that is serious . ''
Russia and the Taliban have denied the existence of any offer of bounties to kill U.S. troops .
But according to The New York Times and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources familiar with intelligence reporting say bounties were offered .
They said that in recent weeks the United States had acquired fresh information backing up the allegations that Russia had encouraged Taliban-affiliated militants to kill U.S. and allied soldiers in Afghanistan , according to the news reports .
At least two sources have said the U.S. intelligence community is confident Russia encouraged the Taliban to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan but there was internal debate over whether Moscow had actually paid bounties .
Another person familiar with the matter said the CIA was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in May in its daily publication , and its inclusion there undermines the administration ’ s claim that it was not verified , the source said .
A withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan is a top agenda item for the president , who is up for reelection in November .
The United States and the Taliban signed an agreement in February intended to pave the way for peace talks between the militant group and the U.S.-backed government in Kabul and bring an end to the long-running conflict .
With reporting by @ @ @

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has been briefed by senior intelligence officials following reports alleging Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Lawmakers from the Democratic and Republican parties have demanded more information about the alleged bounty scheme and whether any bounties were paid for the death of U.S. troops. Many have called for sanctions against Russia, if the allegations are true.
The top intelligence officials who spoke with the lawmakers in a classified briefing on Capitol Hill included CIA Director Gina Haspel and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democrat-California), who participated in the gathering, told reporters that U.S. sanctions on Russia should be beefed up to include the country's intelligence and defense sectors.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that "independent of the briefing, I don't think the president is close to tough enough on Vladimir Putin."
U.S. President Donald Trump on July 1 reiterated that he was not told about the reported Russian effort to get the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers because many U.S. intelligence officials doubted it was true.
"We never heard about it because intelligence never found it to be of that level," he told Fox Business Network. "The intelligence people…many of them didn't believe it happened at all."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican-Kentucky), who was among the lawmakers briefed on July 2, said he didn'’t think Trump should be "subjected to every rumor."
Democrats, however, have been upping the pressure on Trump over the report, which first appeared last week in The New York Times based on multiple unidentified sources with knowledge of the matter. They have questioned how the president could not have known about the intelligence and why he has not issued a stronger response.
Senator Chuck Grassley (Republican-Iowa), speaking on the Senate floor on July 1, said the matter "demands a strong response, and I don't mean a diplomatic response," if the reports are true.
'We Took This Seriously'
White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien told reporters that if the allegations are verified, “I can guarantee you the president will take strong action." He added that Washington may never know the truth of the matter because of leaks to the media.
O'Brien provided a few specifics, saying Trump was not verbally briefed by his CIA briefer, and he defended that decision as "the right call." The briefer, a senior career civil servant, "didn't have confidence in the intelligence," O'Brien said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the situation was handled “incredibly well” to ensure the safety of U.S. troops.
“We took this seriously, we handled it appropriately,” Pompeo said at a briefing. He said the administration receives intelligence about threats to Americans every day and each is addressed.
Pompeo added that Russian activity in Afghanistan is nothing new and when there is credible information suggesting Russians are putting American lives at risk, the United States responds "in a way that is serious."
Russia and the Taliban have denied the existence of any offer of bounties to kill U.S. troops.
But according to The New York Times and other media outlets unidentified U.S. and European government sources familiar with intelligence reporting say bounties were offered.
They said that in recent weeks the United States had acquired fresh information backing up the allegations that Russia had encouraged Taliban-affiliated militants to kill U.S. and allied soldiers in Afghanistan, according to the news reports.
At least two sources have said the U.S. intelligence community is confident Russia encouraged the Taliban to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan but there was internal debate over whether Moscow had actually paid bounties.
Another person familiar with the matter said the CIA was sufficiently confident of the intelligence to include it in May in its daily publication, and its inclusion there undermines the administration’s claim that it was not verified, the source said.
A withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan is a top agenda item for the president, who is up for reelection in November. The United States and the Taliban signed an agreement in February intended to pave the way for peace talks between the militant group and the U.S.-backed government in Kabul and bring an end to the long-running conflict.
With reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-03--North Korean Gets Four Years In Prison For Attacking Russian Border Guards

NAKHODKA , Russia -- A court in Russia 's far eastern city of Nakhodka on July 3 sentenced a North @ @ @ @ @ in prison for attacking Russian border guards .
Dozens of other North Korean nationals in @ @ @ @ @ tried later in September .
More than 160 North Koreans were detained in September last @ @ @ @ @ after Russian border guards encountered two North Korean schooners and 11 motorboats in Russian territorial @ @ @ @ @ Japan .
Russian authorities said then that one of the boat 's crew attacked the @ @ @ @ @ .
Three officers were wounded in the incident .
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned North @ @ @ @ @ Hep over the incident at the time , expressing `` serious concern . ''
Russian @ @ @ @ @ Korean fishermen in the Far East , and some of them are handed prison terms @ @ @ @ @ Korea released a Russian fishing boat with a Russian-South Korean crew after it was detained @ @ @ @ @ its territorial waters .

NAKHODKA, Russia -- A court in Russia's far eastern city of Nakhodka on July 3 sentenced a North Korean citizen to four years in prison for attacking Russian border guards.
Dozens of other North Korean nationals in the high-profile case will be tried later in September.
More than 160 North Koreans were detained in September last year in a two-day operation after Russian border guards encountered two North Korean schooners and 11 motorboats in Russian territorial waters off the Sea of Japan.
Russian authorities said then that one of the boat's crew attacked the guards who boarded the vessel. Three officers were wounded in the incident.
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned North Korean Charge d'Affaires Zin Jong Hep over the incident at the time, expressing "serious concern."
Russian coast guards frequently detain North Korean fishermen in the Far East, and some of them are handed prison terms.
Last July, North Korea released a Russian fishing boat with a Russian-South Korean crew after it was detained after Pyongyang claimed it violated its territorial waters.


rferl--2020-07-03--COVID-19: Serbia Declares State Of Emergency In Belgrade After Rise In Infections

The global death toll from the coronavirus is almost 522,000 , with more than 10.9 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Serbia has declared a state of emergency in the capital , Belgrade , and is reimposing a series of restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus after a spike in infections .
The government on July 3 said it was making the wearing of masks compulsory in indoor public spaces or on public transport , and shortened the opening hours of clubs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. -- while limiting gatherings to 100 people indoors or 500 outdoors .
Those not wearing masks in closed spaces face hefty fines .
President Aleksandar Vucic announced the measures on television overnight .
The state of emergency comes into effect immediately , City Hall said in a statement on July 3 , adding that the rules will be reviewed in two weeks .
Serbia reported 359 new cases for July 2 , 80 percent of which were in Belgrade and its surroundings , which is home to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million inhabitants .
In Belgrade , an outbreak traced back to student dormitories prompted Vucic to closed the facilities , a move that brought angry students into the streets on July 3 to protest the measure .
The Ministry of Education later rescinded the measure , saying all students with exam deadlines will be allowed to stay in their dormitories until July 20 , as originally planned .
Meanwhile , local authorities in central and western Serbia have already declared emergencies in several other municipalities where a rise in infections since May has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strict countrywide lockdown imposed in March was lifted .
Critics have accused Vucic of causing the spike because he eased restrictions to allow for parliamentary elections on June 21 , where he was looking for his populist government to tighten its grip on power .
Last week , several high-ranking officials from the ruling coalition , including the outgoing parliament speaker and the defense minister , tested positive for the virus after attending events late last month celebrating their election victory .
In total , Serbia has confirmed 15,195 coronavirus cases with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by the virus .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service , Reuters , and AP

The global death toll from the coronavirus is almost 522,000, with more than 10.9 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Serbia
Serbia has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Belgrade, and is reimposing a series of restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus after a spike in infections.
The government on July 3 said it was making the wearing of masks compulsory in indoor public spaces or on public transport, and shortened the opening hours of clubs and cafes -- which will now be closed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. -- while limiting gatherings to 100 people indoors or 500 outdoors.
Those not wearing masks in closed spaces face hefty fines.
President Aleksandar Vucic announced the measures on television overnight. The state of emergency comes into effect immediately, City Hall said in a statement on July 3, adding that the rules will be reviewed in two weeks.
Serbia reported 359 new cases for July 2, 80 percent of which were in Belgrade and its surroundings, which is home to about one-third of the country's 7 million inhabitants.
In Belgrade, an outbreak traced back to student dormitories prompted Vucic to closed the facilities, a move that brought angry students into the streets on July 3 to protest the measure.
The Ministry of Education later rescinded the measure, saying all students with exam deadlines will be allowed to stay in their dormitories until July 20, as originally planned.
Meanwhile, local authorities in central and western Serbia have already declared emergencies in several other municipalities where a rise in infections since May has been recorded.
The increase came as a strict countrywide lockdown imposed in March was lifted.
Critics have accused Vucic of causing the spike because he eased restrictions to allow for parliamentary elections on June 21, where he was looking for his populist government to tighten its grip on power.
Last week, several high-ranking officials from the ruling coalition, including the outgoing parliament speaker and the defense minister, tested positive for the virus after attending events late last month celebrating their election victory.
In total, Serbia has confirmed 15,195 coronavirus cases with 287 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Reuters, and AP


rferl--2020-07-03--Independent Experts Prevented From Evaluating Mental Health Of Shaman Seeking To Drive Putin Out

YAKUTSK , Russia -- The Supreme Court of the Siberian region of Yakutia has excluded independent experts from taking part in evaluation of the mental health of a local shaman , who gained notoriety for claiming to have a plan to remove Russian President Vladimir Putin from power .
Olga Timofeyeva , a lawyer for Aleksandr Gabyshev , told RFE/RL that the court 's July 3 ruling annulled its own decision made just the day before to allow independent psychiatrists to evaluate her client .
Timofeyeva said that the court also rejected a motion from Gabyshev 's lawyers to release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcibly placed in May .
`` We are getting ready to appeal the ruling , because it does not make sense .
The psychiatric clinic 's medical personnel will check their own decision , according to which , Gabyshev needs psychiatric treatment in the facility , '' Timofeyeva said , adding that the ruling violates the principle of independent examination of her client .
After Gabyshev was forcibly placed in a psychiatric clinic against his will on May 12 , his lawyers filed a complaint with the European Court for Human Rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was illegal .
Gabyshev was briefly released on May 29 , a day after Timofeyeva filed a complaint with the Yakutsk city court , questioning the legality of the forced placement in the clinic .
But a court in Yakutsk subsequently ruled on June 2 that Gabyshev must be confined in a psychiatric clinic .
Several local and federal politicians and officials have challenged Gabyshev 's forced stay in the clinic in Yakutsk , Yakutia 's capital , equating it with a Soviet-era practice to muzzle dissent .
Amnesty International said Gabyshev `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state solely for voicing his dislike of Putin . ''
`` By co-opting first the police and now the psychiatric system to do their bidding , the Russian authorities have revealed the astonishing lengths they will go to repress critics , '' the London-based human-rights watchdog said .
In early May , Gabyshev posted a video on YouTube that showed him performing a traditional Yakut shaman 's dance while chanting , `` Very soon you all will break free . ''
Gabyshev first made headlines last year when he called Putin `` evil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to drive the Russian president out of the Kremlin .
He set off for Moscow in March 2019 and walked more than 2,000 kilometers , speaking with hundreds of Russians along the way .
As his notoriety rose , videos of his conversations with people were posted on social media and attracted millions of views .
In July , when Gabyshev reached the city of Chita , he led a 700-strong rally under the slogan `` Russia without Putin ! ''
At the time , Gabyshev said , `` God told me that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and has ordered me to drive him out . ''
His march was halted when he was detained in the region of Buryatia in September .
He was transferred to Yakutia , where he was confined to a psychiatric clinic .
Gabyshev was released in October , after independent experts hired by his lawyers challenged the local psychiatrists ' diagnosis of mental instability , concluding that Gabyshev is sane , does not need treatment in a psychiatric clinic , and is not a danger to society .
In December , Gabyshev and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward Moscow , ignoring Yakutia 's sub-zero temperatures .
But they were stopped again by police and forced to return .
Shamans have served as healers and diviners in Siberia for centuries .
During the Soviet era , the mystics were harshly repressed .
But in isolated parts of Siberia , they are now regaining prominence .

YAKUTSK, Russia -- The Supreme Court of the Siberian region of Yakutia has excluded independent experts from taking part in evaluation of the mental health of a local shaman, who gained notoriety for claiming to have a plan to remove Russian President Vladimir Putin from power.
Olga Timofeyeva, a lawyer for Aleksandr Gabyshev, told RFE/RL that the court's July 3 ruling annulled its own decision made just the day before to allow independent psychiatrists to evaluate her client.
Timofeyeva said that the court also rejected a motion from Gabyshev's lawyers to release him from the clinic where he was forcibly placed in May.
"We are getting ready to appeal the ruling, because it does not make sense. The psychiatric clinic's medical personnel will check their own decision, according to which, Gabyshev needs psychiatric treatment in the facility," Timofeyeva said, adding that the ruling violates the principle of independent examination of her client.
After Gabyshev was forcibly placed in a psychiatric clinic against his will on May 12, his lawyers filed a complaint with the European Court for Human Rights, challenging the move, which they said was illegal.
Gabyshev was briefly released on May 29, a day after Timofeyeva filed a complaint with the Yakutsk city court, questioning the legality of the forced placement in the clinic.
But a court in Yakutsk subsequently ruled on June 2 that Gabyshev must be confined in a psychiatric clinic.
Several local and federal politicians and officials have challenged Gabyshev's forced stay in the clinic in Yakutsk, Yakutia's capital, equating it with a Soviet-era practice to muzzle dissent.
Amnesty International said Gabyshev "has been made an enemy of the state solely for voicing his dislike of Putin."
"By co-opting first the police and now the psychiatric system to do their bidding, the Russian authorities have revealed the astonishing lengths they will go to repress critics," the London-based human-rights watchdog said.
In early May, Gabyshev posted a video on YouTube that showed him performing a traditional Yakut shaman's dance while chanting, "Very soon you all will break free."
Gabyshev first made headlines last year when he called Putin "evil" and announced a march to Moscow to drive the Russian president out of the Kremlin.
He set off for Moscow in March 2019 and walked more than 2,000 kilometers, speaking with hundreds of Russians along the way.
As his notoriety rose, videos of his conversations with people were posted on social media and attracted millions of views.
In July, when Gabyshev reached the city of Chita, he led a 700-strong rally under the slogan "Russia without Putin!"
At the time, Gabyshev said, "God told me that Putin is not human but a demon, and has ordered me to drive him out."
His march was halted when he was detained in the region of Buryatia in September.
He was transferred to Yakutia, where he was confined to a psychiatric clinic.
Gabyshev was released in October, after independent experts hired by his lawyers challenged the local psychiatrists' diagnosis of mental instability, concluding that Gabyshev is sane, does not need treatment in a psychiatric clinic, and is not a danger to society.
In December, Gabyshev and two supporters attempted to resume the march toward Moscow, ignoring Yakutia's sub-zero temperatures.
But they were stopped again by police and forced to return.
Shamans have served as healers and diviners in Siberia for centuries. During the Soviet era, the mystics were harshly repressed. But in isolated parts of Siberia, they are now regaining prominence.


rferl--2020-07-03--Prosecutor Seeks Stiff Sentence For Russian Journalist For 'Justifying Terrorism'

PSKOV , Russia -- The prosecutor in the western Russian city of Pskov has asked a court to sentence journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva to six years in prison for `` justifying terrorism '' in a commentary she wrote that linked a suicide bombing with the country 's political climate .
The prosecutor also asked the Second Western District Military Court on July 3 to bar Prokopyeva from journalistic activities for four years .
The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to seven years in prison .
Prokopyeva , a freelance contributor to RFE/RL 's Russian Service , has maintained her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case as an attempt to `` assassinate freedom of speech '' in Russia .
Prokopyeva was charged in connection with a commentary she wrote in November 2018 , published by the Pskov affiliate of Ekho Moskvy radio .
In the text , she discussed a bombing outside the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) offices in the northern city of Arkhangelsk .
Russian media have reported that the suspected bomber , who died in the explosion , had posted statements on social media accusing the FSB of tampering with criminal cases .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's statements to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin .
She suggested that political activism in the country was severely restricted , leading people to despair .
`` We are dismayed that Russia would choose to move so ruthlessly against a highly recognized independent journalist who was doing the opposite of what prosecutors allege , '' RFE/RL acting President Daisy Sindelar said in a statement on July 3 .
`` Svetlana ’ s commentary was an effort to explain a tragedy ; the portrayal of her words as 'promoting terrorism ' is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at silencing her critical voice , and recalls the worst show trials of one of Russia 's darkest periods , '' she added .
Human Rights Watch called Prokopyeva 's prosecution a violation of freedom of expression , `` but not just hers . ''
`` It sends yet another chilling message that in Russia , raising uncomfortable questions can have severe repercussions -- a lesson the authorities have been giving the media for years , '' the New York-based rights group said .
The case has also drawn criticism from the Organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and media-rights groups like Reporters Without Borders , the Committee to Protect Journalists , and the European Federation of Journalists .
The Clooney Foundation for Justice a human rights watchdog founded by Hollywood star George Clooney and his wife , Lebanese-British lawyer Amal Clooney , said last month that it will be monitoring Prokopyeva 's trial for its legality .

PSKOV, Russia -- The prosecutor in the western Russian city of Pskov has asked a court to sentence journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva to six years in prison for "justifying terrorism" in a commentary she wrote that linked a suicide bombing with the country's political climate.
The prosecutor also asked the Second Western District Military Court on July 3 to bar Prokopyeva from journalistic activities for four years. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to seven years in prison.
Prokopyeva, a freelance contributor to RFE/RL's Russian Service, has maintained her innocence throughout the trial and described the case as an attempt to "assassinate freedom of speech" in Russia.
"I am not afraid to criticize the government," Prokopyeva said in her final statement to the court. "I am not afraid to criticize law enforcement or tell the security organs that they are wrong. Because I know how really horrific it will become if I don’t speak out -- if no one speaks out."
She asked the court to take into consideration "the most basic principles that our society is built upon" when deciding her fate.
"I mean freedom of speech, the status of a journalist, and the mission of the press," she concluded. "I did my work. I did not do anything that was beyond the framework of my professional duty. And that is not a crime."
Later in the day, police detained picketers who had gathered outside the Moscow headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in support of Prokopyeva.
Journalist Ilya Azar wrote on the Telegram messaging service that he was in a police van with 15 others detained at the protest, most of them journalists.
Prokopyeva was charged in connection with a commentary she wrote in November 2018, published by the Pskov affiliate of Ekho Moskvy radio. In the text, she discussed a bombing outside the Federal Security Service (FSB) offices in the northern city of Arkhangelsk.
Russian media have reported that the suspected bomber, who died in the explosion, had posted statements on social media accusing the FSB of tampering with criminal cases.
'Yet Another Chilling Method'
In her commentary, Prokopyeva linked the teenager's statements to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin. She suggested that political activism in the country was severely restricted, leading people to despair.
"We are dismayed that Russia would choose to move so ruthlessly against a highly recognized independent journalist who was doing the opposite of what prosecutors allege," RFE/RL acting President Daisy Sindelar said in a statement on July 3.
"Svetlana’s commentary was an effort to explain a tragedy; the portrayal of her words as 'justifying terrorism' is a deliberate and politically motivated distortion aimed at silencing her critical voice, and recalls the worst show trials of one of Russia's darkest periods," she added.
In a July 3 statement, European Union spokesman Peter Stano called for the case against Prokopyeva to be dropped, saying it was an indication of "the ever-shrinking space for independent journalists and civil society" in Russia.
“We expect the Russian Federation to uphold its international and domestic obligations and to guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms and ensure that journalists are able to work in a safe environment without fear of reprisal,” he said.
Human Rights Watch called Prokopyeva's prosecution a violation of freedom of expression, "but not just hers."
"It sends yet another chilling message that in Russia, raising uncomfortable questions can have severe repercussions -- a lesson the authorities have been giving the media for years," the New York-based rights group said.
The case has also drawn criticism from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and media-rights groups like Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the European Federation of Journalists.
The Clooney Foundation for Justice, a human rights watchdog founded by Hollywood star George Clooney and his wife, Lebanese-British lawyer Amal Clooney, said last month that it will be monitoring Prokopyeva's trial for its legality.


rferl--2020-07-03--U.S. Citizen Whelan Begins 16-Year Sentence For Espionage In Russia

A lawyer for former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan , who was convicted of espionage in Russia last month , says her client 's 16-year prison sentence has begun .
Olga Karlova said on July 3 that Whelan remained in the Lefortovo detention center in Moscow and it was not clear when he will be transferred to a penal colony , which usually happens after a convict 's sentence takes effect .
Whelan 's other lawyer , Vladimir Zherebenkov , said on June 23 that his client will not appeal his sentence , despite denying the charges , and therefore it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He added that Whelan hopes Washington and Moscow will agree on an exchange of prisoners .
Reports in June said that Russian and U.S. officials were in talks on a possible swap of Whelan for two Russians -- Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko -- who are serving lengthy sentences in U.S. prisons .
The Moscow City Court convicted and sentenced Whelan to 16 years on June 15 after a trial that was held behind closed doors because the evidence included classified materials , as well as due to measures to slow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States has called the proceedings a `` mockery of justice '' and demanded Whelan 's immediate release .
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said he was deeply disappointed by the verdict and sentence against Whelan , who also holds British , Canadian , and Irish citizenship , and expressed `` serious reservations about the legal process . ''
Russia 's Foreign Ministry has rejected `` claims about the unfairness and excessive harshness '' of the sentence .
President Vladimir Putin 's spokesman , Dmitry Peskov , said on June 23 that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appeal his conviction but declined to comment further .
The 50-year-old Whelan was arrested in Moscow in December 2018 .
Russian prosecutors claimed that a flash memory stick found in his possession contained classified information .
Whelan says he was framed when he took the memory stick from an acquaintance , thinking it contained holiday photos .
He also accused his prison guards of mistreatment .
Whelan was head of global security at a U.S. auto-parts supplier at the time of his arrest .
He and his relatives insist he visited Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verdict , U.S. officials had urged Moscow to release Whelan following their criticism of Russian authorities for their `` shameful treatment '' of him .
With reporting by Interfax , RBK , and TASS

A lawyer for former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was convicted of espionage in Russia last month, says her client's 16-year prison sentence has begun.
Olga Karlova said on July 3 that Whelan remained in the Lefortovo detention center in Moscow and it was not clear when he will be transferred to a penal colony, which usually happens after a convict's sentence takes effect.
Whelan's other lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said on June 23 that his client will not appeal his sentence, despite denying the charges, and therefore it will come into force without any delay.
He added that Whelan hopes Washington and Moscow will agree on an exchange of prisoners.
Reports in June said that Russian and U.S. officials were in talks on a possible swap of Whelan for two Russians -- Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko -- who are serving lengthy sentences in U.S. prisons.
The Moscow City Court convicted and sentenced Whelan to 16 years on June 15 after a trial that was held behind closed doors because the evidence included classified materials, as well as due to measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The United States has called the proceedings a "mockery of justice" and demanded Whelan's immediate release.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said he was deeply disappointed by the verdict and sentence against Whelan, who also holds British, Canadian, and Irish citizenship, and expressed "serious reservations about the legal process."
Russia's Foreign Ministry has rejected "claims about the unfairness and excessive harshness" of the sentence. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said on June 23 that the Kremlin had noted Whelan's decision not to appeal his conviction but declined to comment further.
The 50-year-old Whelan was arrested in Moscow in December 2018.
Russian prosecutors claimed that a flash memory stick found in his possession contained classified information.
Whelan says he was framed when he took the memory stick from an acquaintance, thinking it contained holiday photos. He also accused his prison guards of mistreatment.
Whelan was head of global security at a U.S. auto-parts supplier at the time of his arrest. He and his relatives insist he visited Russia to attend a wedding.
Before the verdict, U.S. officials had urged Moscow to release Whelan following their criticism of Russian authorities for their "shameful treatment" of him.
With reporting by Interfax, RBK, and TASS


rferl--2020-07-03--Moscow Election Official With Coronavirus Reportedly Worked On Voting Day

MOSCOW -- A member of a district election commission in Moscow says the chairwoman of the district worked when Russians voted for constitutional amendments even though she had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The unidentified commission member for Moscow 's Severnoye Tushino district told the Dozhd television channel on July 2 that when the positive test results came in on July 1 , the voting station was not closed and continued working for the whole day .
According to the person , all members of the election commission went through coronavirus tests on June 27-28 , although the preliminary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On July 1 , the commission 's chairwoman received her test results , which were positive , but she worked until the voting station was closed and was in contact with other members of the commission and voters .
According to the final protocol , 1,310 people voted at the station , of which more than 300 did so on July 1 .
It is not clear how many of them voted remotely .
Russia 's opposition and many health experts have warned that it was dangerous to hold the vote as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hundreds of election commission officials across Russia refused to work during the voting , fearing for their safety and that of voters .
The leader of the Physicians ' Alliance movement in Russia , Anastasia Vasilyeva , told Current Time on July 2 that holding the vote amid the outbreak had added to the increase of the spread of the virus across the country .
She pointed out that medical personnel who worked with coronavirus patients had been forced to vote as well , which is against health and sanitary recommendations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than three-quarters of those who voted , number more than 200 .
The most notable change is a reset of Russian President Vladimir Putin 's term count , opening an avenue for him to run for two more terms , which could mean Putin , who has ruled the country as president or prime minister since 1999 , remains in power until 2036 .
The latest official data in Russia show that 667,883 coronavirus cases have been registered in the country , including 9,859 deaths .

MOSCOW -- A member of a district election commission in Moscow says the chairwoman of the district worked when Russians voted for constitutional amendments even though she had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The unidentified commission member for Moscow's Severnoye Tushino district told the Dozhd television channel on July 2 that when the positive test results came in on July 1, the voting station was not closed and continued working for the whole day.
According to the person, all members of the election commission went through coronavirus tests on June 27-28, although the preliminary voting kicked off on June 25.
On July 1, the commission's chairwoman received her test results, which were positive, but she worked until the voting station was closed and was in contact with other members of the commission and voters.
According to the final protocol, 1,310 people voted at the station, of which more than 300 did so on July 1. It is not clear how many of them voted remotely.
Russia's opposition and many health experts have warned that it was dangerous to hold the vote as the country continues to deal with the pandemic.
Hundreds of election commission officials across Russia refused to work during the voting, fearing for their safety and that of voters.
The leader of the Physicians' Alliance movement in Russia, Anastasia Vasilyeva, told Current Time on July 2 that holding the vote amid the outbreak had added to the increase of the spread of the virus across the country.
She pointed out that medical personnel who worked with coronavirus patients had been forced to vote as well, which is against health and sanitary recommendations.
The amendments, which were approved by more than three-quarters of those who voted, number more than 200. The most notable change is a reset of Russian President Vladimir Putin's term count, opening an avenue for him to run for two more terms, which could mean Putin, who has ruled the country as president or prime minister since 1999, remains in power until 2036.
The latest official data in Russia show that 667,883 coronavirus cases have been registered in the country, including 9,859 deaths.


rferl--2020-07-02--U.S. Congress Urges Ukraine To Negotiate With Renewable Energy Producers In Price Dispute

Members of the U.S. Congressional Ukraine Caucus have asked President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to find a compromise with renewable energy producers over prices as a months-long dispute threatens foreign investment .
Ukraine 's parliament will hold the first of two readings on July 3 of a new bill that would cut prices for solar and wind energy producers by 15 percent and 7.5 percent , respectively , the latest government proposal to unnerve the business community .
Wind producers have agreed to the government 's proposal while solar producers have asked for a two-year extension to the time frame for favorable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would otherwise crush their profitability and discourage new investment .
In a July 2 letter addressed to Zelenskiy , House of Representatives members Marcy Kaptur ( Democrat-Ohio ) and Mike Quigley ( Democrat-Illinois ) called on the Ukrainian president to proceed with a `` consensual approach '' in talks with wind- and solar-energy producers .
`` Maintaining the integrity of this approach would be recognized as a substantial achievement and would bolster Ukraine 's credibility in attracting further foreign direct investment in its energy sector and other sectors of Ukraine 's economy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a co-chair of the Ukraine Caucus , held a webinar last month with alternative energy producers operating in Ukraine to discuss the impact of the new bill on their businesses .
Foreign investors , including American businesses , have poured more than $ 2 billion into Ukraine 's renewable industry since 2015 , when the country passed legislation that offered favorable pricing over a 10-year period in order to attract needed investment .
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation , a state agency , has committed $ 400 million in financing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Zelenskiy , who won in a landslide last year in part on a promise to attract more foreign investment to Ukraine , is now revisiting that earlier agreement , raising questions about his government 's respect for investor rights .
Solar producers have said they would bow to the government 's price cut if it would extend the period of favorable pricing from 10 years to 12 years .
However , the bill submitted to parliament contains no extension .
Solar investors in Ukraine warned in a June 23 letter to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having the industry 's success tumble “ `` nto a web of acrimony and litigation '' if it does n't extend the time frame .
Parliament could choose to amend the bill , which must pass two readings before being sent to the government .
In the meantime , the Ukrainian government has stopped fully paying alternative energy producers for their output .
With the onset of the coronavirus in March , the state has paid as little as 5 percent for the energy it has received from producers .
The government 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement is just the latest `` big blow '' for private investors in Ukraine who were initially emboldened by Zelenskiy 's promises to reform the economy and boost growth , Morgan Williams , the president of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council ( USUBC ) , a Washington-based lobby group , told RFE/RL .
The 42-year-old Zelenskiy in March unexpectedly fired his pro-reform government after just six months .
Then , on July 1 , Yakiv Smoliy , the respected governor of the National Bank of Ukraine , abruptly quit , saying he faced political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The USUBC joined the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine , the European Business Association , and other business groups in publishing a statement on July 2 saying the business community was `` deeply concerned '' about Smoliy 's resignation and the independence of the central bank .

Members of the U.S. Congressional Ukraine Caucus have asked President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to find a compromise with renewable energy producers over prices as a months-long dispute threatens foreign investment.
Ukraine's parliament will hold the first of two readings on July 3 of a new bill that would cut prices for solar and wind energy producers by 15 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively, the latest government proposal to unnerve the business community.
Wind producers have agreed to the government's proposal while solar producers have asked for a two-year extension to the time frame for favorable pricing, saying the new price formula would otherwise crush their profitability and discourage new investment.
In a July 2 letter addressed to Zelenskiy, House of Representatives members Marcy Kaptur (Democrat-Ohio) and Mike Quigley (Democrat-Illinois) called on the Ukrainian president to proceed with a "consensual approach" in talks with wind- and solar-energy producers.
"Maintaining the integrity of this approach would be recognized as a substantial achievement and would bolster Ukraine's credibility in attracting further foreign direct investment in its energy sector and other sectors of Ukraine's economy," they wrote.
Kaptur, who is a co-chair of the Ukraine Caucus, held a webinar last month with alternative energy producers operating in Ukraine to discuss the impact of the new bill on their businesses.
Foreign investors, including American businesses, have poured more than $2 billion into Ukraine's renewable industry since 2015, when the country passed legislation that offered favorable pricing over a 10-year period in order to attract needed investment.
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, a state agency, has committed $400 million in financing and political-risk insurance for Ukrainian alternative energy projects.
Zelenskiy, who won in a landslide last year in part on a promise to attract more foreign investment to Ukraine, is now revisiting that earlier agreement, raising questions about his government's respect for investor rights.
Solar producers have said they would bow to the government's price cut if it would extend the period of favorable pricing from 10 years to 12 years. However, the bill submitted to parliament contains no extension.
Solar investors in Ukraine warned in a June 23 letter to the government that it faces the prospect of having the industry's success tumble “"nto a web of acrimony and litigation" if it doesn't extend the time frame.
Parliament could choose to amend the bill, which must pass two readings before being sent to the government.
In the meantime, the Ukrainian government has stopped fully paying alternative energy producers for their output. With the onset of the coronavirus in March, the state has paid as little as 5 percent for the energy it has received from producers.
The government's decision to renege on an earlier power agreement is just the latest "big blow" for private investors in Ukraine who were initially emboldened by Zelenskiy's promises to reform the economy and boost growth, Morgan Williams, the president of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), a Washington-based lobby group, told RFE/RL.
The 42-year-old Zelenskiy in March unexpectedly fired his pro-reform government after just six months. Then, on July 1, Yakiv Smoliy, the respected governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, abruptly quit, saying he faced political pressure in carrying out his duties.
The USUBC joined the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, the European Business Association, and other business groups in publishing a statement on July 2 saying the business community was "deeply concerned" about Smoliy's resignation and the independence of the central bank.


rferl--2020-07-02--India Agrees To Multibillion-Dollar Russian Jet Deal Amid Standoff With China

India has green-lighted the purchase of 33 Russian fighter jets and upgrades to 59 others worth $ 2.4 billion at a time of rising border tensions with China .
The Defense Ministry on July 2 announced the purchase from Russia of 21 MiG-29s as well as upgrades to 59 existing MiG-29 aircraft .
The government also approved the procurement of 12 Russian Su-30 MKI aircraft to be built under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited .
The purchase , along with indigenously produced missile systems in line with the government ’ s `` Make in India '' initiative , were made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the defense of our borders , '' the Defense Ministry said in a statement .
The announcement followed a telephone conversation between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin .
Among other things , Modi congratulated Putin for the `` successful completion '' of a national vote on constitutional amendments that could allow the Russian leader to rule until 2036 .
The two leaders also discussed plans for a bilateral summit later this year in India .
New Delhi and Moscow were partners during the Cold War and much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ origin .
In 2019 , India was the third-largest military spender in the world at $ 71.1 billion , according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ( SIPRI ) .
Modi has sought to boost the domestic defense industry by focusing on indigenous design , production , and development , as well as technology transfer agreements with other countries .
Most of India 's arms imports still come from Russia .
The United States and Israel are also major providers of high-tech military hardware .
India ’ s military buildup comes as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent weeks following a clash on June 15 along a disputed stretch of border in the Himalayas in which India lost 20 soldiers .
With reporting by AFP and Reuters

India has green-lighted the purchase of 33 Russian fighter jets and upgrades to 59 others worth $2.4 billion at a time of rising border tensions with China.
The Defense Ministry on July 2 announced the purchase from Russia of 21 MiG-29s as well as upgrades to 59 existing MiG-29 aircraft.
The government also approved the procurement of 12 Russian Su-30 MKI aircraft to be built under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The purchase, along with indigenously produced missile systems in line with the government’s "Make in India" initiative, were made "to strengthen the armed forces for the defense of our borders," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The announcement followed a telephone conversation between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Among other things, Modi congratulated Putin for the "successful completion" of a national vote on constitutional amendments that could allow the Russian leader to rule until 2036.
The two leaders also discussed plans for a bilateral summit later this year in India.
New Delhi and Moscow were partners during the Cold War and much of India's military hardware is of Russian origin.
In 2019, India was the third-largest military spender in the world at $71.1 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Modi has sought to boost the domestic defense industry by focusing on indigenous design, production, and development, as well as technology transfer agreements with other countries.
Most of India's arms imports still come from Russia. The United States and Israel are also major providers of high-tech military hardware.
India’s military buildup comes as its relationship with China has worsened in recent weeks following a clash on June 15 along a disputed stretch of border in the Himalayas in which India lost 20 soldiers.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-03--Afghan Presidential Envoy Dies In Turkey From COVID-19

KABUL -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani 's special envoy on economic and trade development has died from COVID19 , one @ @ @ @ @ Mohammad Yousef Ghazanfar is the most senior Afghan official known to have died from the @ @ @ @ @ .
The aide , Fraidoon Elham , told RFE/RL that Ghazanfar passed away in a @ @ @ @ @ , an ethnic Uzbek , was a well-known businessman .
As of July 3 , @ @ @ @ @ than 32,324 confirmed coronavirus cases in the country , with 819 deaths .

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--2020-07-03--'Rainbow' Ice Cream In Spotlight As Putin Calls For Monitoring Of 'Gay Propaganda'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for `` non-aggressive '' public monitoring of what he described as efforts to promote `` non-traditional lifestyles . ''
`` If there is reason to assume that something is propaganda of values not traditional for us , then public organizations that share the official stance of Russia ’ s authorities…should build up public control accordingly , but not aggressively , '' Putin said during a July 3 videoconference with a `` working group '' he had set up to draft amendments to the constitution .
One of the more than 200 amendments that Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage as a union between a man and a woman to enshrine the country 's ban on same-sex marriage in the constitution .
In 2013 , Russia adopted a law outlawing “ gay propaganda ” to minors , which bans any content that presents `` distorted ideas about the equal social value of traditional and non-traditional sexual relations . ''
During the conference , the head of the Women ’ s Union of Russia drew Putin 's attention to an ice cream with the brand name `` Rainbow , '' which uses multicolored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rainbow flag .
`` Even indirectly , such things make our children accustomed to that…flag , '' Yekaterina Lakhova said .
`` It would be very good to have a commission to make sure that those values that we enshrined in our constitution were upheld . ''
In an interview with Ekho Moskvy , the vice president of the company that produces `` Rainbow '' ice cream , rejected any association between the product and the LGBT banner .
`` It is a delightfully delicious and high-quality ice cream with various colors based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , adding : `` For us , the rainbow represents the sunshine after a rain , the most beautiful natural phenomenon .
We don ’ t see any comparison with the LGBT movement or its symbols . ''
At the same July 3 meeting , Putin also mocked the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for flying a rainbow flag to mark LGBT Pride Month , saying the move `` revealed something about the people that work there . ''
`` Yes , '' the president said .
“ We pass a law banning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So what ?
Let people grow up , become adults , and then decide their own destinies.
” Human rights activists say that homophobic hate crimes have increased in Russia since the 2013 law was passed .
Last year , prominent LGBT activist Yelena Grigoryeva was killed in St. Petersburg after appearing on a hit list published by the homophobic group Saw Against LGBT .
With reporting by RIA Novosti , Ekho Moskvy , and Interfax

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for "nonaggressive" public monitoring of what he described as efforts to promote "nontraditional lifestyles."
"If there is reason to assume that something is propaganda of values not traditional for us, then public organizations that share the official stance of Russia’s authorities…should build up public control accordingly, but not aggressively," Putin said during a July 3 videoconference with a "working group" he had set up to draft amendments to the constitution.
One of the more than 200 amendments that Putin signed into law the same day defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman to enshrine the country's ban on same-sex marriage in the constitution.
In 2013, Russia adopted a law outlawing “gay propaganda” to minors, which bans any content that presents "distorted ideas about the equal social value of traditional and nontraditional sexual relations."
During the conference, the head of the Women’s Union of Russia drew Putin's attention to an ice cream with the brand-name Rainbow, which uses multicolored advertising vaguely reminiscent of the LGBT Pride rainbow flag.
"Even indirectly, such things make our children accustomed to that…flag," Yekaterina Lakhova said. "It would be very good to have a commission to make sure that those values that we enshrined in our constitution were upheld."
In an interview with Ekho Moskvy, the vice president of Chistaya Liniya, the company that produces Rainbow ice cream, rejected any association between the product and the LGBT banner.
"It is a delightfully delicious and high-quality ice cream with various colors based on natural dyes," Armen Beniaminov said, adding: "For us, the rainbow represents the sunshine after rain, the most beautiful natural phenomenon. We don’t see any comparison with the LGBT movement or its symbols."
At the same July 3 meeting, Putin also mocked the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for flying a rainbow flag to mark LGBT Pride Month, saying the move "revealed something about the people that work there."
"Yes," the president said. “We pass a law banning the propaganda of homosexuality among minors. So what? Let people grow up, become adults, and then decide their own destinies.”
Human rights activists say that homophobic hate crimes have increased in Russia since the 2013 law was passed.
Last year, prominent LGBT activist Yelena Grigoryeva was killed in St. Petersburg after appearing on a hit list published by the homophobic group Saw Against LGBT.
With reporting by RIA Novosti, Ekho Moskvy, and Interfax


rferl--2020-07-03--Iran Says It Identified Cause Of Natanz 'Incident' But Won’t Disclose It

Iran 's top security body said the cause of an incident at one of the country ’ s nuclear facilities has been determined , but it declined to release details , citing security reasons .
A building at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant was damaged in what appeared to be an explosion or fire in the early hours of June 2 , fueling speculation of a possible act of sabotage as Iranian officials struggled to explain what happened .
A spokesperson from Iran ’ s Supreme National Security Council said on July 3 that investigators determined the cause of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Due to some security considerations , the cause and manner of this incident will be announced at a proper time , '' Keyvan Khosravi said , according to state-run Press TV .
Iran 's Atomic Energy Organization on June 2 described the damaged building as an “ industrial shed '' under construction above ground at Natanz .
The affected building was not part of the underground enrichment facility itself , which is protected against air strikes by 7.6 meters of concrete .
U.S. experts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satellite footage to determine the damaged building was a new centrifuge assembly workshop .
Centrifuges are used to produce enriched uranium , which can be used for nuclear fuel at lower levels but also to produce nuclear weapons-grade uranium .
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) have been visiting Natanz to monitor uranium enrichment activities since Tehran and world powers signed a nuclear agreement in 2015 .
The UN nuclear watchdog said it has been informed about a fire at Natanz and that there was no nuclear or radioactive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Natanz is under IAEA safeguards , including verification and monitoring .
The United States withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018 , prompting Tehran to progressively break restrictions laid down in the accord .
Under the deal , Iran is allowed to have just over 5,000 of the oldest and least efficient centrifuges at Natanz .
But in response to U.S. sanctions , Iran in November said it had installed new cascades of advanced centrifuges at Natanz and restarted injecting gas into centrifuges at the underground Fordo facility in violation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran enriches uranium to about 4.5 percent purity — above the 3.67 percent allowed under the terms of the nuclear deal but far below weapons-grade levels of 90 percent .
Mystery surrounding the incident has been heightened by an online video claiming responsibility for the damage to the building at Natanz from a previously unknown group calling itself “ Cheetahs of the Homeland.
” Hours before the attack , the group sent a video to BBC Persian journalists which said they were a group of “ soldiers from the heart of regime ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons .
While Iranian officials have sought to downplay the fire , they also appear to be open to the possibility of sabotage backed by foreign powers .
Reuters cited three unidentified Iranian officials as saying they believed the fire was the result of a cyberattack , without citing any evidence .
State news agency IRNA published an editorial on July 2 addressing what it called the possibility of sabotage by `` hostile countries , '' especially Israel and the United States .
Natanz was the target of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is widely believed to have been engineered by the U.S. and Israel to sabotage Iran ’ s nuclear program .
The incident at Natanz comes a week after the Defense Ministry said there was an explosion at a gas-storage facility in near the Parchin military base east of Tehran .
Parchin is suspected of having hosted conventional explosion tests with nuclear applications more than a decade ago , which the Islamic republic denies .
The U.S.-based private intelligence firm Stratfor said either incident could `` have been the result of a domestic group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the result of a U.S. or Israeli cyberattack.
” “ If there is a campaign by the United States , Israel and/or local groups in Iran underway , then Iran is likely to eventually respond in kind , potentially against Western targets in the Persian Gulf , ” Stratfor warned .
With reporting by AFP , AP , Reuters , Press TV , and dpa With reporting by AFP , AP , Reuters , dpa , and RFE/RL ’ s Radio Farda

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--2020-07-03--Uzbek, Tajik Migrant Workers Stranded In Kazakhstan

SARYAGHASH , Kazakhstan -- Almost 2,000 Tajik and Uzbek citizens are stranded in Kazakhstan ’ s southern region of Turkistan because they are unable to travel back home due to restrictions imposed to combat the coronavirus pandemic .
The majority of those stranded at the Zhibek Zholy ( Silk Road ) checkpoint are male labor migrants who lost their jobs in Kazakhstan after many businesses shut down following lockdown measures .
Some of them told RFE/RL that they have been waiting for Uzbekistan to open the border crossing for more than a week .
They complained that they have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very hot during the daytime and cold at night .
A representative of Tajikistan ’ s embassy in Kazakhstan , who was standing near four large tents that had been set up at the site to accommodate Tajik nationals , refused to comment on the matter .
An Uzbek Embassy official , Bahtiyor Kamalov , was also at the site .
He said the authorities were not opening the border because many individuals who had entered Uzbekistan from Kazakhstan remained in quarantine inside the country .
Kamalov added that some 1,500 Uzbek citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Uzbekistan `` soon . ''
Kazakh border guard officials said they would allow Uzbek and Tajik citizens to cross the border when their Uzbek colleagues allow it .
On June 19 , the International Organization for Migration ( IOM ) told RFE/RL it had organized transportation by bus to repatriate 635 Tajik citizens stranded at the Zhibek Zholy checkpoint .

SARYAGHASH, Kazakhstan -- Almost 2,000 Tajik and Uzbek citizens are stranded in Kazakhstan’s southern region of Turkistan because they are unable to travel back home due to restrictions imposed to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The majority of those stranded at the Zhibek Zholy (Silk Road) checkpoint are male labor migrants who lost their jobs in Kazakhstan after many businesses shut down following lockdown measures.
Some of them told RFE/RL that they have been waiting for Uzbekistan to open the border crossing for more than a week.
They complained that they have to stay outdoors and that the weather is very hot during the daytime and cold at night.
A representative of Tajikistan’s embassy in Kazakhstan, who was standing near four large tents that had been set up at the site to accommodate Tajik nationals, refused to comment on the matter.
An Uzbek Embassy official, Bahtiyor Kamalov, was also at the site. He said the authorities were not opening the border because many individuals who had entered Uzbekistan from Kazakhstan remained in quarantine inside the country.
Kamalov added that some 1,500 Uzbek citizens stranded at the border will be transferred to Uzbekistan "soon."
Kazakh border guard officials said they would allow Uzbek and Tajik citizens to cross the border when their Uzbek colleagues allow it.
On June 19, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) told RFE/RL it had organized transportation by bus to repatriate 635 Tajik citizens stranded at the Zhibek Zholy checkpoint.


rferl--2020-07-03--Court In MH17 Trial Grants Defense Request For Additional Investigations

Judges hearing the case against four suspects in the 2014 downing of a passenger airliner over eastern Ukraine have granted a defense request to investigate alternative theories about the incident .
On July 3 , the court in The Hague in the Netherlands ordered that defense lawyers and experts be granted access to the partial wreckage of the plane , which is being held at a Dutch military base .
The suspects -- Russians Sergei Dubinsky , Oleg Pulatov , and Igor Girkin , and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko -- are being tried in absentia for involvement in the downing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kuala Lumpur , which killed all 298 people on board .
Following a six-year international investigation , prosecutors have argued that the aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made Buk antiaircraft system fired by Russia-backed separatist fighters who had acquired it from a Russian military base on the border between the two countries .
Pulatov is the only defendant who has sent defense lawyers , while the other three men are being tried without representation .
Moscow has denied any involvement in the conflict in parts of eastern Ukraine and has offered several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , including that it was shot down by a Ukrainian Air Force jet or by Ukrainian ground forces using a Buk system .
The international investigative team considered and rejected these explanations .
Nonetheless , the court granted a defense request to investigate other scenarios , including the possibility that the airliner was being used as a shield for a military aircraft .
`` The defense has an interest in being able to test the scenario chosen by the Public Prosecution Service in the indictment that MH17 was shot down by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Steenhuis said the defense experts would be allowed to submit a report on their findings .
The court also adjourned the trial until August 31 to give Pulatov ’ s lawyers a chance to meet with him .
His lawyers say they have been unable to travel to Russia , where Pulatov resides , because of restrictions prompted by the coronavirus pandemic .
With reporting by AFP , Reuters , and AP

Judges hearing the case against four suspects in the 2014 downing of a passenger airliner over eastern Ukraine have granted a defense request to investigate alternative theories about the incident.
On July 3, the court in The Hague in the Netherlands ordered that defense lawyers and experts be granted access to the partial wreckage of the plane, which is being held at a Dutch military base.
The suspects -- Russians Sergei Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov, and Igor Girkin, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko -- are being tried in absentia for involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, which killed all 298 people on board.
Following a six-year international investigation, prosecutors have argued that the aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made Buk antiaircraft system fired by Russia-backed separatist fighters who had acquired it from a Russian military base on the border between the two countries.
Pulatov is the only defendant who has sent defense lawyers, while the other three men are being tried without representation.
Moscow has denied any involvement in the conflict in parts of eastern Ukraine and has offered several possible theories about how MH17 was shot down, including that it was shot down by a Ukrainian Air Force jet or by Ukrainian ground forces using a Buk system. The international investigative team considered and rejected these explanations.
Nonetheless, the court granted a defense request to investigate other scenarios, including the possibility that the airliner was being used as a shield for a military aircraft.
"The defense has an interest in being able to test the scenario chosen by the Public Prosecution Service in the indictment that MH17 was shot down by a BUK," Judge Henrik Steenhuis said.
Steenhuis said the defense experts would be allowed to submit a report on their findings.
The court also adjourned the trial until August 31 to give Pulatov’s lawyers a chance to meet with him.
His lawyers say they have been unable to travel to Russia, where Pulatov resides, because of restrictions prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP


rferl--2020-07-03--Ukraine Parliament Confirms Central Bank Head's Resignation Over Smears, 'Political Pressure'

The Ukrainian parliament has voted to confirm the departure of central bank Governor Yakiv Smoliy , who says he resigned because of `` systematic political pressure '' to take decisions that were not based on economics .
Addressing lawmakers before the vote on July 3 , Smoliy described his abrupt resignation two days earlier `` a protest , a signal , a red line . ''
He said that `` for a long time the National Bank [ of Ukraine , or NBU ] has been under systematic political pressure , pressure to make decisions that are not economically justified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dear . ''
Smoliy said that the NBU was pressured to lower interest rates , let inflation rise , and keep the national currency , the hryvnia , weak .
He also mentioned smear campaigns against him and other central bank employees and paid rallies outside the institution .
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 's office has denied that Smoliy has been put under pressure and sought to reassure investors that the NBU would remain independent under his successor .
Smoliy had headed the NBU since 2018 .
His deputy , Kateryna Rozhkova , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintaining its independence would remain a `` red line . ''
Smoliy announced his resignation late on July 1 , fueling concerns among Ukraine 's foreign backers and investors about the government ’ s commitment to its reform agenda under Zelenskiy , who has pledged to combat corruption .
The resignation could endanger a pending $ 5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) aimed at helping Ukraine cope with the fallout from the global coronavirus pandemic .
The IMF praised Smoliy 's leadership of the NBU and warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be maintained under his successor . ''
The EU said Smoliy 's resignation `` against the backdrop of alleged political pressure sends a worrying signal . ''
With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL ’ s Ukrainian Service

The Ukrainian parliament has voted to confirm the departure of central bank Governor Yakiv Smoliy, who says he resigned because of "systematic political pressure" to take decisions that were not based on economics.
Addressing lawmakers before the vote on July 3, Smoliy described his abrupt resignation two days earlier "a protest, a signal, a red line."
He said that "for a long time the National Bank [of Ukraine, or NBU] has been under systematic political pressure, pressure to make decisions that are not economically justified...and can cost the Ukrainian economy dear."
Smoliy said that the NBU was pressured to lower interest rates, let inflation rise, and keep the national currency, the hryvnia, weak.
He also mentioned smear campaigns against him and other central bank employees and paid rallies outside the institution.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office has denied that Smoliy has been put under pressure and sought to reassure investors that the NBU would remain independent under his successor.
Smoliy had headed the NBU since 2018.
His deputy, Kateryna Rozhkova, was named NBU acting chief and said that maintaining its independence would remain a "red line."
Smoliy announced his resignation late on July 1, fueling concerns among Ukraine's foreign backers and investors about the government’s commitment to its reform agenda under Zelenskiy, who has pledged to combat corruption.
The resignation could endanger a pending $5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) aimed at helping Ukraine cope with the fallout from the global coronavirus pandemic.
The IMF praised Smoliy's leadership of the NBU and warned that the bank’s independence "must be maintained under his successor."
The EU said Smoliy's resignation "against the backdrop of alleged political pressure sends a worrying signal."
With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service


rferl--2020-07-03--Watchdog Urges Bulgaria To Protect Anti-Corruption Reporter After Death Threats

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) is calling on Bulgarian authorities to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into death threats received by an investigative reporter who specializes in covering corruption cases .
In a statement on July 3 , the Paris-based media freedom watchdog also demanded that Nikolay Staykov be granted immediate police protection .
It said Staykov received dozens of anonymous calls asking about funeral services after he released a documentary concerning a corruption affair allegedly involving state institutions .
Staykov has filed a report with the police , who have not taken action yet , RSF said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the part of the authorities `` would just encourage more of this kind of pressure on investigative reporters , '' said Pavol Szalai , the head of RSF ’ s European Union and Balkans Desk .
According to RSF , the threats are apparently linked to the first part of his documentary The Eight Dwarfs , which alleged that the Prosecutor ’ s Office and other official entities were involved in the financial swindling of businessman Iliya Zlatanov .
They began on June 18 after Staykov tried to contact one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , former head of investigations at the Sofia City Prosecutor-General 's Office .
The threats ended after they were made public .
After the first part of the documentary was released , prosecutors filed a complaint on June 26 and began an initial investigation into Staykov ’ s allegations , and the journalist was questioned by a special unit at the Sofia City Prosecutor ’ s Office whose former chief is Petrov 's brother .
The second part of Staykov 's documentary was released this week .
RSF says reporters who investigate corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is ranked 111th in the watchdog ’ s 2020 Press Freedom Index -- far below any other European Union member .

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is calling on Bulgarian authorities to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into death threats received by an investigative reporter who specializes in covering corruption cases.
In a statement on July 3, the Paris-based media freedom watchdog also demanded that Nikolay Staykov be granted immediate police protection.
It said Staykov received dozens of anonymous calls asking about funeral services after he released a documentary concerning a corruption affair allegedly involving state institutions.
Staykov has filed a report with the police, who have not taken action yet, RSF said.
The lack of a rapid reaction on the part of the authorities "would just encourage more of this kind of pressure on investigative reporters," said Pavol Szalai, the head of RSF’s European Union and Balkans Desk.
According to RSF, the threats are apparently linked to the first part of his documentary The Eight Dwarfs, which alleged that the Prosecutor’s Office and other official entities were involved in the financial swindling of businessman Iliya Zlatanov.
They began on June 18 after Staykov tried to contact one of the protagonists in the affair, Petyo Petrov, former head of investigations at the Sofia City Prosecutor-General's Office. The threats ended after they were made public.
After the first part of the documentary was released, prosecutors filed a complaint on June 26 and began an initial investigation into Staykov’s allegations, and the journalist was questioned by a special unit at the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office whose former chief is Petrov's brother.
The second part of Staykov's documentary was released this week.
RSF says reporters who investigate corruption are often victims of pressure in Bulgaria, which is ranked 111th in the watchdog’s 2020 Press Freedom Index -- far below any other European Union member.