rferl--2020-01-07--Iranian-Americans Say They Were Stopped, Held For Hours At U.S.-Canada Border

Civil rights groups , public officials , and lawmakers have made inquiries over reports that dozens of Iranians and Iranian-Americans were held up and questioned for hours over the past weekend as they returned to the United States from Canada .
The Washington state branch of the nonprofit Council on American-Islamic Relations said more than 60 Iranians and Iranian-Americans of all ages were detained for up to 10 hours or more , questioned about their political views , and had their personal belongings confiscated , such as passports , car keys , and smartphones , at Washington state 's border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a concert across the border , while others were visiting family members over the holidays , and some had gone skiing or were on business trips .
Another advocacy group , the National Iranian American Council ( NIAC ) has stated it is monitoring the situation and has filed a formal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security about the incidents .
The reports come amid tensions between the United States and Iran following the high-profile killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani last week by a U.S. air strike .
Speaking at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal ( Democrat-Washington ) on January 6 , 38-year-old Negah Hekmati said she and her husband were detained along with their 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter for five hours starting at midnight on January 5 .
They are all U.S. citizens and are part of the NEXUS program , which provides expedited border-crossing services for low-risk travelers .
Officials at the Customs and Border Patrol ( CBP ) denied discriminating against travelers based on religion , race , or ethnicity .
`` Social-media posts that CBP is detaining Iranian-Americans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their country of origin are false , '' CBP spokesman Michael Friel told AFP .
However , `` based on the current threat environment , CBP is operating with an enhanced posture '' at its border crossing to safeguard national security and protect the American people `` while simultaneously protecting the civil rights and liberties of everyone , '' he said .
Meanwhile , the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) is monitoring the reports of increased screenings .
`` The common thread here is that a large number of U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to very disturbing treatment based apparently on their Iranian heritage , '' Hina Shamsi , director of the ACLU 's national security project , told NBC News .
Washington Governor Jay Inslee ( Democrat ) has asked federal government officials for additional information and has sought firsthand accounts from people who have experienced problems , according to his January 5 tweet .
Jorge Baron , executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project , told AP he went to the border crossing on January 5 to see for himself what was happening .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was detained for 11 hours overnight along with 40 other people who had been born in Iran .
`` Bottom-line : despite CBP denials , this was definitely happening , '' Baron wrote on Twitter .
With reporting by AFP , NBC News , and AP


rferl--2020-01-07--U.S. Blames Russia, China For Blocking UN Statement On Baghdad Embassy Attack

The Russian and Chinese envoys at the UN say they oppose the New Year 's Eve attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad but insist that a statement by the international body 's Security Council condemning it should address the subsequent U.S. killing of Iran 's top military commander .
Their stance prompted the United States on January 6 to accuse the two permanent members of the Security Council of blocking a statement that emphasizes the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises after Iran-backed Shi'ite militias attacked the U.S. Embassy compound in Iraq .
Statements by the 15-member Security Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. diplomatic mission at the UN said 27 countries had censured the attack on the Baghdad Embassy `` in stark contrast to the United Nations Security Council 's silence due to two permanent members -- Russian and China -- not allowing a statement to proceed . ''
President Donald Trump on January 3 authorized an air strike in Iraq that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani .
The drone strike sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran to a boiling point and carried both into uncharted waters .
As head of the Quds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) , the 62-year-old Soleimani helped orchestrate Tehran 's overseas clandestine and military operations .
Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said that although he agreed with the proposed U.S. statement condemning the embassy attack , it would 've been `` impossible '' not to mention the U.S. killing of Soleimani .
Similarly , Chinese UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said that `` if the [ Security ] Council is supposed to do something , we should have complete coverage of the whole thing . ''
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolsonaro , spoke out in support of Trump on January 6 amid widespread criticism of the killing of Soleimani .
`` We do n't accept terrorism , '' Bolsonaro told journalists in Brasilia as quoted by AFP .
He added that `` if we have a terrorist in Brazil , we would deliver him '' to justice .
The same day , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimer Makey and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , saying he `` appreciated '' their `` support in condemning the attack on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters

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--2020-01-06--Serbian, Montenegrin Orthodox Churches Hold Dueling Christmas Ceremonies Amid Tensions Over New Law

Serbian, Montenegrin Orthodox Churches Hold Dueling Christmas Ceremonies Amid Tensions Over New Law On Religion

CETINJE , Montenegro -- Christmas Eve celebrations were held by Montenegro 's two dueling Orthodox denominations in the Balkan country 's historical capital on January 6 without incident .
Thousands of members of the Serbian and the Montenegrin Orthodox churches -- separated by hundreds of police -- attended the two ceremonies held just a few hundred meters apart in the small town of Cetinje .
The events -- held annually since 1994 -- took place this year amid high tension between the two churches after the passage of controversial legislation that could force the predominant Serbian Orthodox Church to turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities .
The ceremonial burning of the Christmas tree involves a bonfire , blessings , and caroling in celebration of Jesus 's birth .
Similar events will also be held in the Montenegrin capital , Podgorica , and in the country 's second city , Niksic .
Montenegro 's parliament passed a law on December 27 under which religious communities must prove property ownership from before 1918 .
That 's the year when predominantly Orthodox Christian Montenegro joined the Kingdom of Serbs , Croats , and Slovenes -- and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , losing all of its property in the process .
The law takes effect on January 7 .
The Serbian Orthodox Church says the law is aimed at retaking its property and has held a series of protests since the law 's passage , which was preceded by raucous scenes in parliament and the physical removal of members of the opposition .
Serbia and Montenegro were part of a federation until 2006 , when Montenegro declared its independence .
The passage of the law has also led to protests in Serbia -- including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- and led to the cancellation of a planned visit to Montenegro by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic .
Apart from announcing weekly protests on Thursdays and Sundays , the Serbian Orthodox Church hopes the Montenegrin Constitutional Court will rule in its favor and declare the new law on religious property unconstitutional .
Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic said the new law should be viewed as a new beginning of `` coexistence and trust and not of separation . ''

CETINJE, Montenegro -- Christmas Eve celebrations were held by Montenegro's two dueling Orthodox denominations in the Balkan country's historical capital on January 6 without incident.
Thousands of members of the Serbian and the Montenegrin Orthodox churches -- separated by hundreds of police -- attended the two ceremonies held just a few hundred meters apart in the small town of Cetinje.
The events -- held annually since 1994 -- took place this year amid high tension between the two churches after the passage of controversial legislation that could force the predominant Serbian Orthodox Church to turn over churches and other property to Montenegrin authorities.
The ceremonial burning of the Christmas tree involves a bonfire, blessings, and caroling in celebration of Jesus's birth.
Similar events will also be held in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica, and in the country's second city, Niksic.
Montenegro's parliament passed a law on December 27 under which religious communities must prove property ownership from before 1918.
That's the year when predominantly Orthodox Christian Montenegro joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes -- and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church was subsumed by the Serbian Orthodox Church, losing all of its property in the process.
The law takes effect on January 7.
The Serbian Orthodox Church says the law is aimed at retaking its property and has held a series of protests since the law's passage, which was preceded by raucous scenes in parliament and the physical removal of members of the opposition.
Serbia and Montenegro were part of a federation until 2006, when Montenegro declared its independence.
The passage of the law has also led to protests in Serbia -- including in parliament and at the Montenegrin Embassy -- and led to the cancellation of a planned visit to Montenegro by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Apart from announcing weekly protests on Thursdays and Sundays, the Serbian Orthodox Church hopes the Montenegrin Constitutional Court will rule in its favor and declare the new law on religious property unconstitutional.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic said the new law should be viewed as a new beginning of "coexistence and trust and not of separation."


rferl--2020-01-06--Pentagon Says Will Not Violate Law Of War Amid Alarm Over Trump's Threat

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has strongly indicated that the U.S. military will not fire on Iranian cultural sites , targets that President Donald Trump had threatened to strike .
`` We will follow the laws of armed conflict , '' Esper said during a briefing at the Pentagon .
When asked if that ruled out targeting cultural sites , Esper said pointedly , `` That 's the laws of armed conflict . ''
Trump 's suggestion that the United States could target Iranian cultural sites has sparked alarm in Iran and beyond , with Human Rights Watch ( HRW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war crime .
A UN Security Council resolution supported by the Trump administration in 2017 considers targeting cultural sites a war crime .
The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property also considers such actions a war crime .
Amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington following a U.S. air strike that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani last week , Trump tweeted on January 4 that the United States had included sites `` important to Iran & Iranian culture '' in its list of 52 targets for attack should Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism from U.S. politicians and others , Trump on January 5 stood by his remarks , saying : `` They 're allowed to kill our people .
They 're allowed to torture and maim our people .
They 're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people .
And we 're not allowed to touch their cultural sites ?
It does n't work that way . ''
In a statement , HRW said that the laws of war `` prohibit deliberate attacks on civilian objects not being used for military purposes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watchdog cited Article 53 of Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions as specifically prohibiting any acts of hostility against cultural objects .
Andrea Prasow , acting Washington director at HRW , urged Trump to `` publicly reverse his threats against Iran '' s cultural property and make clear that he will not authorize nor order war crimes . ''
In Paris , the head of the UN 's cultural agency noted that both the United States and Iran had ratified treaties protecting cultural sites during war .
Meeting with the Iranian ambassador to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressed `` the universality of cultural and natural heritage as vectors of peace and dialogue between peoples , which the international community has a duty to protect and preserve for future generations . ''
Iran is home to 22 cultural sites inscribed on UNESCO 's World Heritage List , including Persepolis , with its ancient ruins that date back to 518 BC , the 17th-century grand mosque of Isfahan , and the Golestan Palace in Tehran .
With reporting by AFP , AP , Reuters , and Bloomberg


rferl--2020-01-06--Russian Fans Duped By Rerun, Cheer Decade-Old Hockey Victory

A Russian television network 's decision to air a nearly decade-old ice-hockey game scored with viewers who celebrated a Russian @ @ @ @ @ World Junior Ice Hockey Championships .
Unfortunately for fans who hailed the win on social @ @ @ @ @ was aired by Match TV on January 6 was a rerun from 2011 .
The @ @ @ @ @ two countries broadcast by another network was , in fact , won by Canada by @ @ @ @ @ Many viewers had watched much of the 2020 tournament on Match TV , which had @ @ @ @ @ until the broadcast was moved to Russia 's First Channel .
The last-minute change apparently @ @ @ @ @ the number of social-media posts celebrating the 5-3 victory by the Russian Juniors that took @ @ @ @ @ .
Based on reporting by Meduza and Sports.ru

A Russian television network's decision to air a nearly decade-old ice-hockey game scored with viewers who celebrated a Russian victory over Canada in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Unfortunately for fans who hailed the win on social media, the game that was aired by Match TV on January 6 was a rerun from 2011.
The 2020 championship game between the two countries broadcast by another network was, in fact, won by Canada by a score of 4-3.
Many viewers had watched much of the 2020 tournament on Match TV, which had planned on airing the final until the broadcast was moved to Russia's First Channel.
The last-minute change apparently duped many, based on the number of social-media posts celebrating the 5-3 victory by the Russian Juniors that took place nearly a decade ago.
Based on reporting by Meduza and Sports.ru


rferl--2020-01-06--U.S. Ambassador Leaves Kabul After Two-Year Tenure Ends

The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan , John Bass , left Kabul on January 6 as his two-year tenure at the post ended .
The U.S. State Department says Washington is appointing a charge d ’ affaires to serve as a temporary replacement for Bass until a new ambassador is agreed upon .
In a statement , the State Department said Bass `` skillfully advanced the Trump Administration ’ s goal of reaching a political settlement in Afghanistan that ensures terrorists can never again threaten the United States from Afghan soil while leading a large diplomatic mission in the face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off-again talks between the United States and the Taliban currently appear to have stalled .
The latest problem in the talks appears to be the issue of what a cease-fire or reduction of violence might look like if Taliban fighters agree on a truce .
In a tweet bidding Afghanistan farewell , Bass said he hoped `` leaders and citizens '' across Afghanistan will `` find strength in unity , put aside their differences , and work together to negotiate a political settlement with the Taliban . ''
`` Afghans and this beautiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The departure of Bass from Afghanistan comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States since a U.S. air strike in Baghdad on January 3 killed Iran 's top military general , Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani .
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters

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--2020-01-06--Russian PM Approves National Action Plan On Climate Change

Russian Prime Minister Russian Dmitry Medvedev has approved a national action plan for the first phase of adapting to climate change .
Medvedev 's order , dated December 25 , was published on the government 's website on January 4 .
It outlines `` economic and social measures taken by federal and regional executive entities to reduce the vulnerability of Russia 's population , economy and national objects to the results of climate change , as well as to use possible favorable opportunities coming out of such change . ''
It says Russia 's federal government must adopt measures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of September 2021 .
Regional authorities were told to do so by May 10 , 2022 .
According to the document , dangers posed by climate change to Russian regions include an increased frequency of droughts , floods , and wildfires , deteriorating permafrost in the northern regions , and the spread of infectious and parasitic diseases . ''
It says potential `` positive '' short-term outcomes of climate change include reduced energy consumption for heating , improved cargo transportation in the Arctic due to melting ice , easier access to the continental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the expansion of crop cultivation and livestock production in some areas .

Russian Prime Minister Russian Dmitry Medvedev has approved a national action plan for the first phase of adapting to climate change.
Medvedev's order, dated December 25, was published on the government's website on January 4.
It outlines "economic and social measures taken by federal and regional executive entities to reduce the vulnerability of Russia's population, economy and national objects to the results of climate change, as well as to use possible favorable opportunities coming out of such change."
It says Russia's federal government must adopt measures to cope with climate change by the end of September 2021. Regional authorities were told to do so by May 10, 2022.
According to the document, dangers posed by climate change to Russian regions include an increased frequency of droughts, floods, and wildfires, deteriorating permafrost in the northern regions, and the spread of infectious and parasitic diseases."
It says potential "positive" short-term outcomes of climate change include reduced energy consumption for heating, improved cargo transportation in the Arctic due to melting ice, easier access to the continental shelf of Russia in the Arctic Ocean, and the expansion of crop cultivation and livestock production in some areas.
With reporting by Interfax


rferl--2020-01-06--Armenian Arrested For Facebook Claim That Pashinian Congratulated Trump

Armenian authorities have arrested a man over a Facebook post that claimed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump for assassinating Iran 's top military commander .
The National Security Service ( SNB ) on January 5 posted a video of the man being detained , saying the authorities had identified social-media users who had spread false information and harmed Armenia 's national-security interests .
The claim was made on a Facebook page set up by a man who used the false identity of Diana Arutyunian , the SNB said .
The false claim about Pashinian congratulating Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force commander Qasem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3 .
The SNB said the claim was `` aimed at inciting national , racial , and religious hostility . ''
It also said that the claim had been quoted by media in Azerbaijan and Iran .
The SNB said a criminal case had been launched .
But the identity of the man arrested and held responsible for hosting the page was not revealed .
In the video released by the SNB , the man being detained admits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was responsible for the false claim about Pashinian .
Pashinian denied the claim in his own Facebook post , calling it `` fake news . ''
The Armenian leader also called on both the United States and Iran to exercise restraint amid rising tensions following Soleimani 's assassination .
Armenia maintains close ties with both Iran and the United States .
On January 3 , Armenia 's Foreign Ministry said recent incidents between Iran and the United States risked `` further undermining regional security and destabilizing the situation in the Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides to de-escalate tensions `` exclusively through peaceful means . ''

Armenian authorities have placed under custody a man over a Facebook post that claimed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump for assassinating Iran's top military commander.
The National Security Service (SNB) on January 5 posted a video of the man being detained, saying the authorities had identified social-media users who had spread false information and harmed Armenia's national-security interests.
The claim was made on a Facebook page set up by a man who used the false identity of Diana Arutyunian, the SNB said.
The false claim about Pashinian congratulating Trump was posted after the assassination of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3.
The SNB said the claim was "aimed at inciting national, racial, and religious hostility." It also said that the claim had been quoted by media in Azerbaijan and Iran.
The SNB said a criminal case had been launched. But the identity of the man arrested and held responsible for hosting the page was not revealed.
In the video released by the SNB, the man being detained admits that he created the page in 2018 and was responsible for the false claim about Pashinian.
Pashinian denied the claim in his own Facebook post, calling it "fake news." The Armenian leader also called on both the United States and Iran to exercise restraint amid rising tensions following Soleimani's assassination.
Armenia maintains close ties with both Iran and the United States.
On January 3, Armenia's Foreign Ministry said recent incidents between Iran and the United States risked "further undermining regional security and destabilizing the situation in the Middle East and beyond."
It called on both sides to de-escalate tensions "exclusively through peaceful means."


rferl--2020-01-06--German Chancellor To Meet With Putin In Moscow On January 11

The Kremlin has announced that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has accepted an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Russia on January 11 .
Putin 's press service said on January 6 that Putin and Merkel would discuss the crisis in Middle East that has been growing since a U.S. drone attack on January 3 killed the leader of Iran 's Quds Force , Qasem Soleimani .
The Kremlin said the two leaders also plan to discuss the situations in Syria , Libya , and Ukraine .
A statement from Merkel 's office confirmed that the German chancellor planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet with Putin in Moscow .
Merkel 's spokesman , Steffen Seibert , said Merkel will discuss `` current international questions '' with Putin .
Those will include Syria , Libya , Iran , Iraq , Ukraine and bilateral issues .
Seibert said Russia was `` an important player on the world stage and , as a permanent member of the [ United Nations ] Security Council , it 's indispensable when it comes to solving conflicts in the world . ''
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will accompany Merkel to Moscow , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council .
Germany and Russia are among world powers that have been trying to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran after the U.S. withdrew from the agreement unilaterally in 2018 .
Based on reporting by Reuters , AP , dpa , TASS , and Interfax

The Kremlin has announced that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has accepted an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Russia on January 11.
Putin's press service said on January 6 that Putin and Merkel would discuss the crisis in Middle East that has been growing since a U.S. drone attack on January 3 killed the leader of Iran's Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani.
The Kremlin said the two leaders also plan to discuss the situations in Syria, Libya, and Ukraine.
A statement from Merkel's office confirmed that the German chancellor planned to visit Russia on January 11 to meet with Putin in Moscow.
Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said Merkel will discuss "current international questions" with Putin. Those will include Syria, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Ukraine and bilateral issues.
Seibert said Russia was "an important player on the world stage and, as a permanent member of the [United Nations] Security Council, it's indispensable when it comes to solving conflicts in the world."
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will accompany Merkel to Moscow, Seibert said.
Germany is currently a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council.
Germany and Russia are among world powers that have been trying to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran after the U.S. withdrew from the agreement unilaterally in 2018.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-01-06--Russian Anti-Doping Agency Head Sees Little Chance In Appeal Of Ban

MOSCOW -- The head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency ( RUSADA ) says his country has little chance to win its appeal against a ban that prevents Russia from participating in major sporting events during the next four years .
The World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA ) imposed the ban on December 9 over Russia 's repeated doping violations .
Yury Ganus told RFE/RL on January 3 that Russian athletes might be banned from participating in international sports events even under a neutral flag .
`` Not everyone in our country fully understands that the [ appeal ] hearings will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the CAS [ Court of Arbitration for Sport ] the world will learn about ... the real goals of Russia 's sports officials , '' Ganus said .
`` And when the world learns about it , it will be a blast , everybody will stand dumbfounded ... And therefore , the hearings will be a huge blow to the reputation '' of Russia , he added .
WADA has determined that the copy of a database it received from Russia 's national drug-testing laboratory was intentionally altered .
That led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to impose the four-year ban against Russian sports teams .
The ban means Russia 's flag and anthem will not be allowed at events such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and soccer 's 2022 World Cup in Qatar .
Ganus saID the ban will , in fact , have a longer impact .
`` It is a four-year ban , but also during those four years Russia will not be allowed to nominate itself to host further competitions , '' Ganus said .
`` That means there will be no international tournaments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years . ''
`` That is inconceivable , '' he said .
`` We have a large and excellent sport infrastructure .
In the last several years it was renovated , large amounts were invested .
And now , for eight or nine years , it will stay suspended , '' President Vladimir Putin , commenting on WADA 's decision , said Russia was treated unfairly and called the move `` politically motivated . ''
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said that WADA 's decision was a `` continuation of anti-Russian hysteria .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetoric to deflect the blame . ''
`` WADA 's main point is criticism of depravity of the attitude , the way Russia is trying to get out of the problem , '' Ganus said .
`` Since we are talking about sports of the highest achievements , about sports of the international level , then the country must cooperate with international entities , with the International Olympic Committee , with international anti-doping bodies . ''
`` That kind of work must be built up not just on the principles of the Olympics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transparency , and trust , '' Ganus said .
Russia has formally appealed to the CAS over WADA 's decision .
WADA President Craig Reedie supported the decision , saying his agency will defend it with the `` utmost vigor . ''
In 2016 , WADA concluded that Russia had operated a `` state-sponsored '' doping program that involved a Russian intelligence agency and other officials .
In late 2015 , disgraced former RUSADA chief Nikita Kamayev died suddenly , just two months after resigning from his post .
The agency 's founding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks earlier under unclear circumstances .
A Russian court in 2017 issued an arrest warrant for former RUSADA chief Grigory Rodchenkov , who claimed to have helped orchestrate the doping program before he turned into a whistle-blower and fled for the United States .
Ganus said he was confident Russia must focus on further integration with international sports organizations .
`` It is our common goal , common problem , common calamity , common temptation -- doping , '' Ganus said , adding that RUSADA will do its best to tackle the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @

MOSCOW -- The head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) says his country has little chance to win its appeal against a ban that prevents Russia from participating in major sporting events during the next four years.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) imposed the ban on December 9 over Russia's repeated doping violations.
Yury Ganus told RFE/RL on January 3 that Russian athletes might be banned from participating in international sports events even under a neutral flag.
"Not everyone in our country fully understands that the [appeal] hearings will be public, that during the hearings at the CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] the world will learn about...the real goals of Russia's sports officials," Ganus said.
"And when the world learns about it, it will be a blast, everybody will stand dumbfounded... And therefore, the hearings will be a huge blow to the reputation" of Russia, he added.
WADA has determined that the copy of a database it received from Russia's national drug-testing laboratory was intentionally altered. That led to the decision to declare RUSADA noncompliant and to impose the four-year ban against Russian sports teams.
The ban means Russia's flag and anthem will not be allowed at events such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and soccer's 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ganus saID the ban will, in fact, have a longer impact.
"It is a four-year ban, but also during those four years Russia will not be allowed to nominate itself to host further competitions," Ganus said. "That means there will be no international tournaments in Russia in the next eight or nine years."
"That is inconceivable," he said. "We have a large and excellent sport infrastructure. In the last several years it was renovated, large amounts were invested. And now, for eight or nine years, it will stay suspended,"
President Vladimir Putin, commenting on WADA's decision, said Russia was treated unfairly and called the move "politically motivated."
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said that WADA's decision was a "continuation of anti-Russian hysteria."
Ganus called such statements "special rhetoric to deflect the blame."
"WADA's main point is criticism of depravity of the attitude, the way Russia is trying to get out of the problem," Ganus said. "Since we are talking about sports of the highest achievements, about sports of the international level, then the country must cooperate with international entities, with the International Olympic Committee, with international anti-doping bodies."
"That kind of work must be built up not just on the principles of the Olympics but also on those of integration, transparency, and trust," Ganus said.
Russia has formally appealed to the CAS over WADA's decision.
WADA President Craig Reedie supported the decision, saying his agency will defend it with the "utmost vigor."
In 2016, WADA concluded that Russia had operated a "state-sponsored" doping program that involved a Russian intelligence agency and other officials.
In late 2015, disgraced former RUSADA chief Nikita Kamayev died suddenly, just two months after resigning from his post.
The agency's founding chairman, Vyacheslav Sinev, died two weeks earlier under unclear circumstances.
A Russian court in 2017 issued an arrest warrant for former RUSADA chief Grigory Rodchenkov, who claimed to have helped orchestrate the doping program before he turned into a whistle-blower and fled for the United States.
Ganus said he was confident Russia must focus on further integration with international sports organizations.
"It is our common goal, common problem, common calamity, common temptation -- doping," Ganus said, adding that RUSADA will do its best to tackle the problem with the help of international organizations.


rferl--2020-01-08--Iran Claims Responsibility For Multiple Attacks In Iraq, Including Air Base With U.S. Troops

Rockets early on January 8 struck multiple locations in Iraq , including an air base that houses U.S. troops , Reuters reported citing an unnamed U.S. official .
Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) claimed responsibility for the attacks , AP reported citing Iranian state television .
The IRGC stated the attacks were in retaliation for the killing of a prominent Iranian military commander , Qasem Soleimani , who died in a U.S. airstrike last week .
IRGC said further details will be announced and warned the United States any retaliation will met with a harsher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian state-run news agencies .
No information was available yet on any damage or casualties from the rocket attacks , including at the Ain Assad Air Base , which hosts U.S. forces .
It was unclear what other sites may have been attacked .
“ We are aware of the reports of attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq , ” the White House told reporters based on a media pool report .
“ The President [ Donald Trump ] has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national-security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Soleimani was buried in his hometown on January 7 .
Iran ’ s military leaders and pro-Iranian factions in Iraq have vowed to avenge his death .
A day earlier in Washington , U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters that he anticipated Iran would retaliate for the death of Soleimani `` in some way , shape , or form . ''
`` We 're prepared for any contingency .
And then we will respond appropriately to whatever they do , '' he warned .
Based on reporting by AP , TASS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP

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U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran "appears to be standing down" after the country carried out a ballistic-missile attack on air bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq, while his defense chief gave a fuller description of the scale of the attack.
In an address to the nation on January 8, Trump said that "no American or Iraqi lives were lost" in the strikes, "no Americans were harmed," and that the bases suffered "only minimal damage."
Iran says the attack on the Ain al-Asad Air Base and the Harir Air Base was in retaliation for the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Qasem Soleimani.
The Quds Force commander died in a U.S. air strike in Baghdad last week, triggering a major escalation in already deteriorating relations between Tehran and Washington.
World leaders condemned Iran's attack and urged an end to the escalating confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
The attack came hours after the 62-year-old Soleimani, who helped orchestrate Tehran's overseas clandestine and military operations, was buried in his hometown on January 7.
It was described as the most direct assault by Iran on the United States since the seizing of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
U.S. Defense Chief Mark Esper said that Iran launched at least 16 short-range ballistic missiles from at least three locations.
He added that the U.S. military remains "poised and ready" should further attacks occur and said that its forces have restored the necessary "level of deterrence" against Iran.
Just before midnight in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, two rockets fell inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, causing no casualties, the Iraqi military said. The U.S. and other embassies are based in the area, as well as the seat of Iraq's government.
Pro-Iranian factions in Iraq have vowed to avenge Soleimani's death.
Meanwhile, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the chamber would move forward with a resolution to "limit the president's military actions regarding Iran."
The resolution "will go to the Rules Committee this evening and will be brought to the floor tomorrow," Pelosi said in a statement, after concerns about the administration's strategy and decisions were not addressed in a briefing with lawmakers.
Trump has previously threatened military action against Iran if it were to target U.S. personnel and bases.
But in his January 8 address, the president said, "The fact that we have this great military and equipment...does not mean we have to use it."
"Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned," he added.
Washington would impose new financial and economic sanctions on Iran, Trump said, adding that they would remain until the country "changed its behavior."
Iran "must abandon its nuclear ambitions and end its support for terrorism," he said.
"The civilized world must send a clear and unified message to the Iranian regime: Your campaign of terror, murder, mayhem will not be tolerated any longer. It will not be allowed to go forward," he continued.
Trump also said the United States was "ready to embrace peace with all who seek it."
Iranian state television said Iran had fired 15 missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq early on January 8.
AP quoted two U.S. officials as saying 10 of the missiles hit the Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq's western province of Anbar and one targeted the Harir Air Base in Irbil in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region.
Four failed, according to the officials.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the attack was "a slap in the face" delivered to the United States and called for an end to the U.S. presence in the Middle East.
And President Hassan Rohani said that Washington might have "cut off the arm" of Soleimani but America's "leg" in the region would be cut off in response.
The IRGC said the attack was "a total success by all accounts."
Iranian state television claimed, without offering evidence, that the strikes killed "at least 80 terrorist U.S soldiers" and also damaged helicopters, drones, and other equipment.
Iraq's military said there were "no victims among the Iraqi forces."
And a NATO official said that there were no casualties among the personnel on the alliance's training mission in Iraq.
In a statement, the country's presidency condemned the Iranian strikes, reiterating its rejection of breaches of Iraq's sovereignty.
President Barham Salih's office also said that Iraq "has previously declared its refusal to be a starting point for aggression against any country, and also refuses to be a source of threat to any of its neighbors."
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi received a verbal message from Iran telling him a response to the U.S. killing of Soleimani was either imminent or under way, Mahdi's spokesman earlier said in a statement.
Tehran told Abdul-Mahdi it would only target locations where U.S. forces were present but did not specify the locations, his spokesman said.
The Iraqi prime minister simultaneously received a call from the United States while missiles were falling on the Ain al-Asad and Harir air bases, the spokesman said.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Tehran to "refrain from further violence."
Later in the day, NATO said Stoltenberg had a phone call with Trump, who asked the secretary-general for the military alliance to "become more involved in the Middle East."
The two agreed that NATO "could contribute more to regional stability and the fight against international terrorism," a statement said.
Besides Iraq, NATO conducts training missions in Afghanistan. It is also a member of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq and Syria.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned Iran's "reckless and dangerous" missile attacks and called for "urgent de-escalation" by Tehran and Washington.
France said that "the priority is more than ever for a de-escalation," while Germany called on Iran to end a "spiral" of conflict.
EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell said, "It is in no one's interest to turn up the spiral of violence even further."
Following their meeting in Istanbul, the leaders of Russia and Turkey issued a joint statement saying that the "exchange of attacks and use of force by any party do not contribute to finding solutions to the complex problems in the Middle East."
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called on all parties to "act with restraint as well as common sense and to prioritize diplomacy."
Separately, Erdogan said Turkey did not want the region to be "a stage for proxy wars."
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is to visit Iraq on January 9 as part of diplomatic efforts to "alleviate the escalated tension" in the region, his ministry said.
In a Twitter post, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan also stressed the need to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions and said he was sending his foreign minister to Iran, Saudi Arabia, and United States to meet with counterparts.
The UN mission in Iraq said the country "should not pay the price for external rivalries."
Meanwhile, the Syrian government expressed solidarity with Iran, saying Tehran had the right to defend itself "in the face of American threats and attacks."
Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami told state television that should Washington retaliate, Iran would respond with "proportional" force.
"We used short-range missiles.... I hope this will be a memorable lesson for America," Hatami said.
"Iran's response [to any U.S. retaliation] will be proportional to what America will do," he said, adding that Trump "has turned the [U.S.] administration into a terrorist government."
Several major airlines, including Air France and Germany's Lufthansa, announced they were rerouting flights to avoid airspace over Iraq and Iran, while the Federal Aviation Administration banned U.S. carriers from the area.
Iran's military leaders and pro-Iranian factions in Iraq had vowed to avenge his death.
Professor Stephen David of Johns Hopkins University told Voice of America that while Iran's retaliation wasn't unexpected, it was surprising that Tehran chose to launch the attack from its own territory and use ballistic missiles -- a weapon substantially more powerful than a rocket.
"I think it was surprising that the attack was from Iran. It was not at all deniable," David said. "It was clear what the source of the attack was; the fact they use ballistic missiles also was a bit of a surprise, something of an escalation."
With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, and dpa


rferl--2020-01-07--Ukraine 6th Biggest Climber In Visa-Free Travel Gains Over Past Decade

The travel freedom of Ukrainian passport holders has doubled since 2010 , making Ukraine the world ’ s sixth biggest @ @ @ @ @ the past decade .
Ukrainians currently enjoy visa-free travel to 128 countries , placing their @ @ @ @ @ featured in the latest edition of the yearly Henley Passport Index that was published on @ @ @ @ @ rise in improved international access was a far-reaching political and economic pact with the European @ @ @ @ @ uprising of 2014 when a corrupt , Kremlin-friendly president was ousted .
Protests in Kyiv @ @ @ @ @ former President Viktor Yanukovych rejected an Association Agreement with the EU in favor of warmer @ @ @ @ @ from the three EU member Baltic states of Estonia , Lithuania , and Latvia , @ @ @ @ @ Soviet republics in terms of visa-free travel privileges .
Eight spots behind in 51st place @ @ @ @ @ occupies the 53rd spot .
The index of so-called passport power is published in cooperation @ @ @ @ @ Association ( IATA ) and was first released in 2006 .

The travel freedom of Ukrainian passport holders has doubled since 2010, making Ukraine the world’s sixth-biggest climber in the category over the past decade.
Ukrainians currently enjoy visa-free travel to 128 countries, placing their country 43rd among 199 countries featured in the latest edition of the yearly Henley Passport Index that was published on January 7.
Driving the rise in improved international access was a far-reaching political and economic pact with the European Union following the pro-democracy Maidan uprising of 2014.
Protests in Kyiv started in November 2013 when former President Viktor Yanukovych rejected an Association Agreement with the EU in favor of warmer relations with Moscow.
Aside from the three EU member Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, Ukraine leads the other former Soviet republics in terms of visa-free travel privileges.
Eight spots behind in 51st place is Russia, while Georgia occupies the 53rd spot.
The index of so-called passport power is published in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and was first released in 2006.


rferl--2020-01-07--Kosovo Arrests Woman After Comments Praising Slain Iranian Commander

PRISTINA -- Kosovo police have detained a leader of a small Shi'ite community in the Balkan country ’ s southwest after she praised in media posts a top Iranian general killed in a U.S. air strike last week .
Ikballe Huduti-Berisha was detained on January 7 following an order from the prosecution and will remain in custody for 48 hours awaiting a court decision , police spokesman Daut Hoxha told RFE/RL .
He did not say what Huduti-Berisha , a resident of the city of Prizren , was suspected of .
In a series of posts on her Facebook account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani , whom she described as a `` great man . ''
The January 3 assassination of the commander of Iran 's elite Quds Force has raised fears of a conflict between the United States and Iran .
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and outgoing Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj have expressed support for the U.S. move .
`` I strongly support # US reaction against Iran 's activities in the Middle East that have caused terror , instability and global concern .
We stand together in protecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in search of peace and security , '' Thaci tweeted .
Haradinaj wrote in a Facebook post that the U.S. drone strike was a measure of `` self-defense '' aimed at protecting `` freedom and democracy . ''

PRISTINA -- Kosovo police have detained a leader of a small Shi'ite community in the Balkan country’s southwest after she praised in media posts a top Iranian general killed in a U.S. air strike last week.
Ikballe Huduti-Berisha was detained on January 7 following an order from the prosecution and will remain in custody for 48 hours awaiting a court decision, police spokesman Daut Hoxha told RFE/RL.
He did not say what Huduti-Berisha, a resident of the city of Prizren, was suspected of.
In a series of posts on her Facebook account, she had criticized the United States over the killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani, whom she described as a "great man."
The January 3 assassination of the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force has raised fears of a conflict between the United States and Iran.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and outgoing Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj have expressed support for the U.S. move.
"I strongly support #US reaction against Iran's activities in the Middle East that have caused terror, instability and global concern. We stand together in protecting our values and our way of life and in search of peace and security," Thaci tweeted.
Haradinaj wrote in a Facebook post that the U.S. drone strike was a measure of "self-defense" aimed at protecting "freedom and democracy."


rferl--2020-01-07--Prosecutors Seek Prison Term For Former White House Security Aide Flynn

Prosecutors have called for former White House national-security adviser Michael Flynn to be sentenced to up to six months in prison following his 2017 guilty plea to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia ’ s then-ambassador to Washington .
The prosecutors ' call on January 7 for a prison term for the former close adviser to President Donald Trump reverses their previous stance that Flynn should receive probation because of his cooperation with investigators in Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s probe of Russian meddling in the U.S. election process .
The 61-year-old Flynn pleaded guilty in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on December 1 , 2017 , to lying about his communications during the presidential transition period with Sergei Kislyak , who was then Moscow ’ s ambassador to the United States .
Flynn admitted he was in contact with senior Trump transition officials before and after his communications with Kislyak , including discussions regarding his request that Russia not escalate tensions in response to sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama for election interference .
Since pleading guilty , Flynn ’ s lawyers have taken a contentious stand toward the Mueller probe and accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorable to Flynn .
Prosecutors rejected those claims and asserted that Flynn has not taken responsibility for his actions and deserves to spend time behind bars .
Flynn was a top adviser to the Trump campaign and was hired as the president 's first national security adviser , a powerful White House post .
However , he resigned after 24 days when reports of his contacts with Kislyak surfaced .
Flynn ’ s attorneys have until January 13 to reply to the prosecutors ’ recommendation .
Sentencing is scheduled for January 28 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post , and Reuters

Prosecutors have called for former White House national-security adviser Michael Flynn to be sentenced to up to six months in prison following his 2017 guilty plea to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia’s then-ambassador to Washington.
The prosecutors' call on January 7 for a prison term for the former close adviser to President Donald Trump reverses their previous stance that Flynn should receive probation because of his cooperation with investigators in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian meddling in the U.S. election process.
The 61-year-old Flynn pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington, D.C., on December 1, 2017, to lying about his communications during the presidential transition period with Sergei Kislyak, who was then Moscow’s ambassador to the United States.
Flynn admitted he was in contact with senior Trump transition officials before and after his communications with Kislyak, including discussions regarding his request that Russia not escalate tensions in response to sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama for election interference.
Since pleading guilty, Flynn’s lawyers have taken a contentious stand toward the Mueller probe and accused prosecutors of withholding documents and other information favorable to Flynn.
Prosecutors rejected those claims and asserted that Flynn has not taken responsibility for his actions and deserves to spend time behind bars.
Flynn was a top adviser to the Trump campaign and was hired as the president's first national security adviser, a powerful White House post. However, he resigned after 24 days when reports of his contacts with Kislyak surfaced.
Flynn’s attorneys have until January 13 to reply to the prosecutors’ recommendation. Sentencing is scheduled for January 28.
Based on reporting by AP, The Washington Post, and Reuters


rferl--2020-01-07--Pakistan Bomb Attack Kills Two, Wounds 16

Two people were killed and 16 others were injured in a bomb blast in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta @ @ @ @ @ police chief Abdul Razzq Cheema said on January 7 that an explosive-laden motorbike blew up @ @ @ @ @ forces was passing by .
Two security-force personnel were among those injured .
The attack @ @ @ @ @ ( JuA ) , a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban .
Quetta is the @ @ @ @ @ Province , which borders Afghanistan .
The province has been plagued by sectarian violence , @ @ @ @ @ a separatist insurgency that has led to thousands of casualties since 2004 .

Two people were killed and 16 others were injured in a bomb blast in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, officials say.
Provincial police chief Abdul Razzq Cheema said on January 7 that an explosive-laden motorbike blew up as a vehicle carrying security forces was passing by.
Two security-force personnel were among those injured.
The attack was claimed by Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA), a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban.
Quetta is the capital of the resource-rich Balochistan Province, which borders Afghanistan.
The province has been plagued by sectarian violence, Islamist militant attacks, and a separatist insurgency that has led to thousands of casualties since 2004.


rferl--2020-01-07--Kosovar President's '48 Hour' Ultimatum Underscores Postelection Obstacles

PRISTINA -- Kosovo 's presumed next prime minister has pushed back against a presidential deadline to force his leftist party to end a three-month postelection stalemate within `` 48 hours '' by nominating someone to head the next government .
Self-Determination ( Vetevendosje ) party leader Albin Kurti told RFE/RL on January 7 that President Hashim Thaci `` did n't mention any deadlines '' during a `` short consultative meeting that can not have legal effects . ''
The meeting `` lasted less than six minutes , '' Kurti added .
Kurti 's upstart party emerged with a plurality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upset entrenched allies of Thaci , a former Kosovo Liberation Army commander , but still won just 29 seats in the 120-seat legislature .
Coalition talks with the second-placed finisher , the center-right opposition Democratic League ( LDK ) with 28 seats , reportedly stalled over government posts and a unified choice to defeat Thaci 's likely reelection bid in 2021 .
The failure to form a government and Thaci 's warning of a `` constitutional crisis '' highlight the political stakes in Europe 's newest state since voters signaled a possible end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the ranks of former independence fighters .
Kosovo has been recognized by more than 110 states since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008 , but continues to face diplomatic and institutional hurdles stemming from nonrecognition by Serbia , Russia , and a handful of European states .
Talks on normalizing diplomatic relations with Serbia were derailed in 2018 by Pristina 's imposition of 100-percent tariffs on Serbian goods in response to Belgrade 's continued lobbying for countries to reverse their recognition of Kosovo .
International hopes on restarting those talks -- potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearing other obstacles -- appear pinned on the next Kosovar government .
Thaci said in November that dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade on normalizing ties should continue `` without any conditionality . ''
After his January 6 meeting with Kurti , Thaci said via social media : `` I hope Mr. Kurti within 48 hours may be able to nominate a candidate for PM , since the people , the parliament , our allies are expecting him to do so . ''
`` He may seek further delay , but to great disappointment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely unnecessary constitutional crisis , '' he added .
Kosovo 's constitution sets no specific time limit on proposing a prime ministerial candidate to parliament after elections , but says the president makes the proposal `` in consultation '' with the party or coalition that won a majority .
Thaci did not say what steps he was considering if no candidate was submitted within two days .
An official in Thaci 's office who requested anonymity told RFE/RL on January 7 that `` everyone acknowledges the urgency of forming the new government '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` a political request . ''
Meanwhile , Self-Determination officials met to decide on a candidate for prime minister but adjourned saying they would try again the next day .
Kurti has described himself as `` a future prime minister , '' and many expect him to emerge in that post atop a coalition with the Democratic League or a minority government with initial Democratic League support .
But reports suggested that the election of a Self-Determination lawmaker as speaker when the new parliament convened on December 26 threatened the coalition talks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative of the country 's ethnic Serb minority , according to the constitution .
Thaci had invited Kurti on multiple occasions to meet to agree on a prime ministerial candidate and pave the way for a new government prior to their short face-to-face on January 6 .
Kurti released a video ahead of that meeting calling on the Democratic League to send the names of prospective cabinet members , saying , `` There is no more time to waste -- the time that is passing is not private and individual but state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by saying it was ready for talks with Self-Determination `` on the basis of trust and partnership . ''
Kosovo has Europe 's youngest population at an average age of 29 , and economic growth has averaged 4 percent over the past decade .
But it remains poor with high unemployment and an exodus of more than 200,000 people since it declared its independence .
Kosovars long complained of corruption and inefficiencies during more than a decade under governments led by the Democratic Party of Kosovo ( PDK ) , which placed third @ @ @ @ @

PRISTINA -- Kosovo's presumed next prime minister has pushed back against a presidential deadline to force his leftist party to end a three-month postelection stalemate within "48 hours" by nominating someone to head the next government.
Self-Determination (Vetevendosje) party leader Albin Kurti told RFE/RL on January 7 that President Hashim Thaci "didn't mention any deadlines" during a "short consultative meeting that cannot have legal effects."
The meeting "lasted less than six minutes," Kurti added.
Kurti's upstart party emerged with a plurality of 26 percent in the October election that upset entrenched allies of Thaci, a former Kosovo Liberation Army commander, but still won just 29 seats in the 120-seat legislature.
Coalition talks with the second-placed finisher, the center-right opposition Democratic League (LDK) with 28 seats, reportedly stalled over government posts and a unified choice to defeat Thaci's likely reelection bid in 2021.
The failure to form a government and Thaci's warning of a "constitutional crisis" highlight the political stakes in Europe's newest state since voters signaled a possible end to more than a decade of leadership from the ranks of former independence fighters.
Kosovo has been recognized by more than 110 states since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008, but continues to face diplomatic and institutional hurdles stemming from nonrecognition by Serbia, Russia, and a handful of European states.
Talks on normalizing diplomatic relations with Serbia were derailed in 2018 by Pristina's imposition of 100-percent tariffs on Serbian goods in response to Belgrade's continued lobbying for countries to reverse their recognition of Kosovo.
International hopes on restarting those talks -- potentially leading to UN recognition for Kosovo and clearing other obstacles -- appear pinned on the next Kosovar government.
Thaci said in November that dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade on normalizing ties should continue "without any conditionality."
After his January 6 meeting with Kurti, Thaci said via social media: "I hope Mr. Kurti within 48 hours may be able to nominate a candidate for PM, since the people, the parliament, our allies are expecting him to do so."
"He may seek further delay, but to great disappointment of people of Kosovo & risk of completely unnecessary constitutional crisis," he added.


rferl--2020-01-07--Pompeo Defends Soleimani Killing, Accuses Iran Of Hurting Afghan Peace Effort

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has rejected suggestions that Iran 's top military commander was on a `` diplomatic '' mission when he was killed by a U.S. air strike near Baghdad last week .
`` Is there any history that would indicate that it was remotely possible that this kind gentleman , this diplomat of great order -- Qasem Soleimani -- had traveled to Baghdad for the idea of conducting a peace mission ? ''
Pompeo told a press briefing on January 7 .
`` We know that was n't true , ” he added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the slain major general was attempting to conduct peace talks in Iraq .
Pompeo reiterated U.S. President Donald Trump 's view that Soleimani , who headed Iran 's elite Quds Force , was in the process of orchestrating attacks on Americans and others in the region .
The state secretary also said that Iran was `` actively working '' to undermine the peace process in Afghanistan and that Tehran had relationships with the Taliban and other militant groups there .
`` Iran has refused to join the regional and international consensus for peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actively working to undermine the peace process by continuing its long global effort to support militant groups there , '' Pompeo said .
Meanwhile , Afghan President Ashraf Ghani tweeted that he had discussed the `` latest security developments in the region '' with U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper .
“ We both agreed that it 's time for urgent # de-escalation between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran , '' he wrote .


rferl--2020-01-07--More Iranian Journalists Arbitrarily Arrested, Facing 'Inhuman' Treatment, Says Watchdog

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) has condemned the `` arbitrary ” arrests of four journalists in Iran last month , which it said brought the number of reporters held since the start of a wave of anti-government protests in November to 12 .
In a statement on January 7 , the Paris-based media freedom watchdog also denounced the `` inhuman and degrading '' treatment of two prominent women journalists in Tehran 's Evin prison in the past two weeks .
RSF said the detention and ill-treatment of the journalists were just examples of `` the many measures taken by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harassment of journalists '' since a wave of anti-government protests erupted in mid-November following a gas price hike .
The group said Jelveh Javaheri , Kaveh Mzadari , Forough Sameinia , and Ahmad Zahedi Langroudi were among people arrested on December 26 during an event held in the northern city of Sowme'eh Sara to pay tribute to a demonstrator killed during a protest in November .
All those arrested have been released from custody except the four journalists , for whom payment of 100 million tomans ( $ 30,000 ) in bail was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that the four are being held in Lakan prison near Rasht , Gilan Province ’ s largest city , without their lawyers or families knowing why .
Javaheri , Mzadari , and Sameinia work for online media , while Langroudi edits the provincial monthly GhilanOuja .
Meanwhile , journalist and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi was beaten by prison officials in Evin prison on December 25 as she responded to a summons to meet with her lawyer in the prison director 's office , RSF said .
Instead of her lawyer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director and an Intelligence Ministry representative , who told her she was going to be transferred to Zanjan prison , 300 kilometers from the capital .
When Mohammadi objected , she was beaten repeatedly and then bundled into an ambulance that took her to Zanjan , according to the media watchdog .
It said that both the Evin prison administration and the Justice Ministry denied that the attack against the journalist had taken place , although a forensic doctor ’ s report confirms that she sustained `` bruising and other signs of physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was also the spokesperson for the Center for Human Rights Defenders in Iran , is serving a 10-year prison sentence after being found guilty of anti-government propaganda and membership of a banned group opposed to the death penalty , among other charges .
RSF said the `` long list '' of journalists subjected to inhuman treatment and humiliation in Iran 's prisons also includes Hengameh Shahidi , who is serving 12 years and nine months in prison for `` insulting the judicial system and its representatives . ''
Shahidi , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former adviser to reformist politician Mehdi Karrubi , has been denied medical treatment for a heart condition , it said .
Her family and lawyer say she is in very poor health .
Reza Moini , the head of RSF ’ s Iran/Afghanistan desk , urged the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran , Javaid Rehman , to `` intervene as a matter of urgency . ''
`` The inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners of conscience , including journalists and citizen-journalists , constitutes a flagrant violation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights , to which Iran is a party , '' Moini said .
Iran is ranked 179th out of 180 countries in RSF 's 2019 World Press Freedom Index .


rferl--2020-01-07--Stampede Kills Dozens Of Mourners At Iranian Commander's Burial

Fifty-six people have been killed and more than 200 injured in a stampede as Iranians attended the funeral procession of a top Iranian general slain in a U.S. air strike , state media report .
The deaths in Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) Major General Qasem Soleimani 's hometown of Kerman led to the January 7 ceremony being delayed .
The cause of the stampede was not immediately clear .
The powerful commander 's burial went ahead in the early evening in the cemetery 's `` martyrs section , '' the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have brought hundreds of thousands of mourners on to the streets in Iran .
The January 3 assassination in Baghdad of the 62-year-old major general who helped orchestrate Tehran ’ s overseas clandestine and military operations has carried already tense U.S.-Iranian relations to uncharted territory , with vows of revenge and retaliation emanating from both sides .
Speaking from the White House Oval Office , President Donald Trump defended his order to kill Soleimani , saying the Iranian was planning a `` very big attack and a very bad attack for us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a monster .
And he 's no longer a monster .
He 's dead , '' Trump said .
Meanwhile , U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters that Washington was seeking a diplomatic solution with Iran but that Tehran must de-escalate tensions .
However , Esper said that the United States should expect Iran to retaliate for the attack on Soleimani `` in some way , shape , or form . ''
`` We 're prepared for any contingency .
And then we will respond appropriately to whatever they do , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's decision to kill the Iranian commander have said the move has brought the United States closer to a potentially devastating war with Iran , while Canada and some U.S. allies in Europe have begun moving troops at least temporarily out of Iraq .
NATO said it had `` temporarily suspended our training on the ground '' and was taking `` all precautions necessary to protect our people . ''
This includes the `` temporary re-positioning of some personnel to different locations both inside and outside of Iraq , '' the alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the expulsion of foreign forces from Iraq in response to the drone attack that killed Soleimani , but Trump said that a U.S. troop withdrawal at this stage would be the `` worst thing '' for the country .
`` At some point we want to get out , but this is n't the right point , '' he said .
There are roughly 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. Videos posted online showed victims of the stampede in Kerman lying lifeless on a road while survivors shout and try to help the injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier in the central square of Kerman carrying posters bearing the image of Soleimani .
At the start of the funeral procession , the IRGC ’ s top commander Hossein Salami threatened to `` set ablaze ' '' unspecified locations supported by the United States over Soleimani 's killing .
`` We will take revenge .
We will set ablaze a place they like , and they well know where it is , '' Salami said , drawing the cries of `` Death to Israel . ''
On January 6 , crowds filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to mourn Soleimani in a funeral procession during which Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wept over the slain commander ’ s casket .
Washington blames Soleimani for the killing of American troops in Iraq and accused him of plotting new attacks just before his death .
Soleimani also led forces in Syria backing President Bashar al-Assad in a long war , and he also served as the point man for Iranian proxies in countries like Iraq , Lebanon , and Yemen .
During a press briefing , U.S. Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a `` diplomatic '' mission when he was assassinated .
`` Is there any history that would indicate that it was remotely possible that this kind gentleman , this diplomat of great order -- Qasem Soleimani -- had traveled to Baghdad for the idea of conducting a peace mission ? ''
Pompeo said during a press briefing .
`` We know that was n't true , ” he added , responding to remarks by Iranian officials that the slain general was attempting to conduct peace talks in Iraq .
The state secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actively working to undermine '' the peace process in Afghanistan by `` continuing its long global effort to support militant groups there . ''
Iran has `` relationships '' with the Taliban and other militant groups in Afghanistan , Pompeo told reporters. Amid heightened regional tension and diplomatic maneuvering , Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit on Orthodox Christmas Day on January 7 to Syria 's capital , Damascus , where he met with Assad and held consultations with Russian military officials .
Assad is closely aligned with Iran .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the United States had refused to issue a visa that would have allowed him to attend a UN Security Council meeting on January 9 in New York .
In response to a question during his news briefing , Pompeo said the United States does not comment on individual visa maters .
`` We will always comply with our obligations under the UN requirements , the headquarters agreement , and we will do so in this particular instance and more broadly , ” he added .
A U.S. official told AP that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it was not immediately clear if the visa request had been formally denied .
Separately , Reuters reported that U.S. administration officials would brief congressional and Intelligence Committee leaders on the Iran situation later on January 7 and then brief the full House of Representatives the next day .
Democrats have bitterly complained that Trump has kept them out of the process and that he did not properly consult or notify Congress as required by U.S. law .
Iran 's parliament , meanwhile , passed a piece of legislation labeling the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington and those acting on its behalf `` terrorists , '' subject to Iranian sanctions .
The measure appears to mirror a decision by Trump in April to declare the IRGC a “ terrorist organization.
” With reporting by AP , AFP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-01-08--Uzbek Ex-President's Daughter Gulnara Karimova On Trial Again For Corruption

A new trial for Gulnara Karimova , the eldest daughter of the late Uzbek President Islam Karimov who has been @ @ @ @ @ since March 2019 , has started in the capital .
Uzbekistan 's Supreme Court said @ @ @ @ @ that the trial of `` Karimova and others '' began on January 8 .
The @ @ @ @ @ in August that Karimova was accused of illegally buying state-owned shares of two cement plants @ @ @ @ @ foreign businessmen .
The 47-year-old was jailed in March for allegedly violating the terms of @ @ @ @ @ a five-year sentence in 2015 on charges of embezzlement and extortion .
Uzbek prosecutors have @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 1.5 billion in foreign assets held by Karimova .
Once a socialite @ @ @ @ @ pop singer , Karimova disappeared from public view after falling out with her father in @ @ @ @ @ the country 's authoritarian leader .
Islam Karimov ran Central Asia 's most populous country @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 .

A new trial for Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of the late Uzbek President Islam Karimov who has been jailed in a Tashkent prison since March 2019, has started in the capital.
Uzbekistan's Supreme Court said in a statement on Telegram that the trial of "Karimova and others" began on January 8.
The Uzbek Prosecutor-General's Office said in August that Karimova was accused of illegally buying state-owned shares of two cement plants that she later sold to foreign businessmen.
The 47-year-old was jailed in March for allegedly violating the terms of her house arrest after receiving a five-year sentence in 2015 on charges of embezzlement and extortion.
Uzbek prosecutors have said they aim to seize more than $1.5 billion in foreign assets held by Karimova.
Once a socialite, businesswoman, and a pop singer, Karimova disappeared from public view after falling out with her father in 2014 while he was still the country's authoritarian leader.
Islam Karimov ran Central Asia's most populous country from 1989 until his death in 2016.


rferl--2020-01-08--Activists In Almaty Urge Ukraine Not To Extradite Kazakh Blogger Akhmet

ALMATY , Kazakhstan -- Activists in Kazakhstan 's largest city , Almaty , have urged Ukraine not to extradite Kazakh opposition blogger Zhanar Akhmet over safety concerns .
Dozens of activists rallied in central Almaty on January 8 , holding posters saying `` Do Not Extradite Zhanar Akhmet , '' `` Akhmet 's Extradition Is Kazakh Government 's Political Order , '' and `` Stop Extradition Process ! ''
The process to extradite Akhmet has been under way in Ukraine since October 2017 , after she was arrested in Kyiv on the basis of a Kazakh arrest warrant that accuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a court in Kyiv released Akhmet at the request of Ukrainian lawmaker Svitlana Zaklishchuk , pending a decision on her extradition .
Akhmet fled Kazakhstan in March 2017 with her son , who was 9 years old at the time , saying she feared for her safety if she remained in the Central Asian nation .
Akhmet has said she decided to flee when she learned from sources that she could face charges of `` organizing an illegal group '' that uses the Internet to advocate self-immolation .
She previously faced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged infractions , including jaywalking , that she considered politically motivated retaliation for her criticism of authorities .
At least four other Kazakh opposition and rights activists -- Ermek Narymbaev , Moldir Adilova , Aidos Sadyqov , and Natalya Sadyqova -- also have fled to Ukraine in recent years .

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Activists in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, have urged Ukraine not to extradite Kazakh opposition blogger Zhanar Akhmet over safety concerns.
Dozens of activists rallied in central Almaty on January 8, holding posters saying "Do Not Extradite Zhanar Akhmet," "Akhmet's Extradition Is Kazakh Government's Political Order," and "Stop Extradition Process!"
The process to extradite Akhmet has been under way in Ukraine since October 2017, after she was arrested in Kyiv on the basis of a Kazakh arrest warrant that accuses her of fraud.
In November 2017, a court in Kyiv released Akhmet at the request of Ukrainian lawmaker Svitlana Zaklishchuk, pending a decision on her extradition.
Akhmet fled Kazakhstan in March 2017 with her son, who was 9 years old at the time, saying she feared for her safety if she remained in the Central Asian nation.
Akhmet has said she decided to flee when she learned from sources that she could face charges of "organizing an illegal group" that uses the Internet to advocate self-immolation.
She previously faced a series of court hearings in Almaty for alleged infractions, including jaywalking, that she considered politically motivated retaliation for her criticism of authorities.
At least four other Kazakh opposition and rights activists -- Ermek Narymbaev, Moldir Adilova, Aidos Sadyqov, and Natalya Sadyqova -- also have fled to Ukraine in recent years.