rferl--2020-09-01--Detentions Made As University Students Protest In Minsk

MINSK -- Hundreds of university students have gathered in the Belarusian capital for a march after the country ’ s opposition called for a nationwide strike to coincide with the first day of the school year .
Columns of students carrying banned red-and-white flags that have long been a symbol of opposition to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka ’ s rule flocked into the center of Minsk on September 1 .
At least 17 people were detained as riot police dispersed protesters at several locations , according to the Vyasna human rights group .
`` September 1 is a day of knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solidarity .
Join this one-day strike , support the workers and show the government who is the real source of power , '' opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya ’ s team said in a statement .
Lukashenka , who has kept a tight grip on Belarus for 26 years , was declared the winner in an August 9 presidential election , which was widely viewed as rigged in his favor .
Thousands of citizens have since taken to the streets across the country to protest the results , saying Lukashenka 's challenger , Tsikhanouskaya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters are demanding the 66-year-old leader ’ s resignation , the release of all political prisoners , and free and fair elections .
Much of Europe , as well as the United States and other countries , have rejected the election results and Lukashenka 's crackdown on protesters and opposition members both before and after the vote .
Lithuania , Latvia , and Estonia announced on August 31 that they had slapped travel sanctions on several top Belarusian officials , including Lukashenka , while the European Union has agreed to impose sanctions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of involvement in election fraud and the brutal crackdown on protesters .
With the goodwill built up during a thaw in relations with the West quickly evaporating , Lukashenka , who has rejected the opposition ’ s demands , has turned an eye towards the Kremlin , a traditional ally despite recent strains sparked by Minsk 's courting of others .
On September 1 , Lukashenka said that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will safeguard `` our common homeland from Brest to Vladivostok '' and that he was ready to reroute the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Russian ports in response to the sanctions imposed by Lithuania , Latvia , and Estonia .
`` They say , it would be more expensive for Belarus , '' BelTa news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying .
`` Of course , it would be a little bit disadvantageous for us .
But we can agree with the Russians on tariffs , '' he said Addressing students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations on September 1 , Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western countries of `` delivering verdicts '' on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said is “ unacceptable in the modern world . ''
Moscow has consistently accused the West of interfering in the internal affairs of Belarus .
With reporting by Reuters , Interfax , and AFP

MINSK -- Thousands of university students have gathered in the Belarusian capital for a march after the country’s opposition called for a nationwide strike to coincide with the first day of the school year.
Columns of students carrying banned red-and-white flags that have long been a symbol of opposition to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s rule flocked into the center of Minsk on September 1.
At least 55 people were detained as riot police dispersed protesters at several locations, according to the Vyasna human rights group. Video posted on social media showed police dressed in black charging into a line of students and forcefully dragging them away.
"September 1 is a day of knowledge. Knowledge of the meaning of Belarusian solidarity. Join this one-day strike, support the workers and show the government who is the real source of power," opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya's team said in a statement.
Lukashenka, who has kept a tight grip on Belarus for 26 years, was declared the winner in an August 9 presidential election, which was widely viewed as rigged in his favor.
Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have since taken to the streets across the country to protest the results, calling on Lukashenka to step down, release all political prisoners, and hold free and fair elections.
BELARUS: Postelection Timeline Of The Crisis (click to view)
Much of Europe, as well as the United States and other countries, have criticized Lukashenka's crackdown on protesters and opposition members, both before and after the vote.
In a statement on September 1, UN human rights experts said they had received reports of 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of people held in custody since the election.
"Any violation of the non-derogable prohibition of torture and ill-treatment must be prosecuted and punished," they said.
The experts also said that most people reported missing have been accounted for, but the whereabouts and the health situation of at least six individuals are said to be unknown to their relatives.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on September 1 called on the UN Human Rights Council to immediately convene to discuss the situation in Belarus.
Separately, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia announced on August 31 that they had slapped travel sanctions on several top Belarusian officials, including Lukashenka.
The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions on up to 20 senior Belarusian officials suspected of involvement in election fraud and the brutal crackdown on protesters.
With the goodwill built up during a thaw in relations with the West quickly evaporating, Lukashenka, who has rejected the opposition’s demands, has turned an eye toward the Kremlin, a traditional ally despite recent strains sparked by Minsk's courting of others.
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
On September 1, Lukashenka said that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will safeguard "our common homeland from Brest to Vladivostok" and that he was ready to reroute the country’s cargo from Baltic ports to Russian ports in response to the sanctions imposed by Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
"They say, it would be more expensive for Belarus," BelTa news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying.
"Of course, it would be a little bit disadvantageous for us. But we can agree with the Russians on tariffs," he said
Addressing students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations on September 1, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western countries of "delivering verdicts" on the crisis in Belarus, which he said is “unacceptable in the modern world."
Moscow has consistently accused the West of interfering in the internal affairs of Belarus.
With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and AFP


rferl--2020-09-01--Iran's Khamenei Says U.A.E. 'Betrayed' Islamic World With Israel Normalization Deal

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called the United Arab Emirates ’ ( U.A.E . )
historic deal with Israel to normalize relations a `` betrayal '' that `` won ’ t last for long . ''
The “ treachery ” was committed against “ the Islamic world or Arab nations , regional countries , and Palestine , '' Khamenei said in a speech on September 1 , according to state media , as a joint , high-level U.S.-Israeli delegation wrapped up a visit to Abu Dhabi following the first direct flight between Israel and the U.A.E .
Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 that they were establishing full diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered deal that included an Israeli pledge to suspend its plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank .
The deal makes the U.A.E .
the first Gulf Arab state to establish full diplomatic ties , and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic relations , with Israel .
The U.A.E .
has touted the normalization deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hailed by several Gulf states but slammed by Iran , Turkey , and Palestinian officials .
Speaking on August 31 , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested that Iran , which has come under intense U.S. pressure , was central to the deal between the U.A.E .
and Israel , saying Tehran creates “ instability in the Middle East.
” “ The Emiratis and Israelis can have the capacity to cooperate in securing the Middle East against this enormous threat , ” Pompeo said in an interview .
This weekend , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which had been in place since 1972 , and earlier this month the two countries opened direct telephone services for the first time .
With reporting by 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--2020-09-01--Jailed Belarusian Opposition Politician Charged With Taking Part In Mass Disorder

MINSK -- Belarusian opposition member Paval Sevyarynets , who has been in custody since early June , has been charged with taking part in mass disorder .
The politician 's wife , Volha Sevyarynets , wrote on Facebook late on August 31 that a court in Minsk also extended her husband 's pretrial detention by two months .
`` I admire the courage , wisdom , and endurance of the Belarusian people .
I thank the Lord that the church came out to defend truth and justice .
I believe that Belarus will be free , '' Volha Sevyarynets wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-registered opposition Belarusian Christian Democratic Party , is one of dozens of activists and politicians who were detained in Minsk and several other cities across Belarus during the June 8 rallies at which hundreds of demonstrators were collecting signatures necessary to register presidential candidates other than the authoritarian incumbent , Alyaksandr Lukashenka , for an August 9 election .
His jail term has been prolonged several times since his initial arrest .
If convicted , Sevyarynets may face up to eight years in prison .
Lukashenka , who has ruled the country since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , which was widely viewed as rigged in his favor .
Thousands of citizens have taken to the streets over the past three weeks to protest the results , saying Lukashenka 's challenger , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , actually won the election .
Lukashenka has shown no sign of giving in to the protesters , who are demanding his resignation , the release of all political prisoners , and free and fair elections .

MINSK -- Belarusian opposition member Paval Sevyarynets, who has been in custody since early June, has been charged with taking part in mass disorder.
The politician's wife, Volha Sevyarynets, wrote on Facebook late on August 31 that a court in Minsk also extended her husband's pretrial detention by two months.
"I admire the courage, wisdom, and endurance of the Belarusian people. I thank the Lord that the church came out to defend truth and justice. I believe that Belarus will be free," Volha Sevyarynets wrote.
Sevyarynets, a co-chairman of the non-registered opposition Belarusian Christian Democratic Party, is one of dozens of activists and politicians who were detained in Minsk and several other cities across Belarus during the June 8 rallies at which hundreds of demonstrators were collecting signatures necessary to register presidential candidates other than the authoritarian incumbent, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, for an August 9 election.
His jail term has been prolonged several times since his initial arrest.
If convicted, Sevyarynets may face up to eight years in prison.
Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994, was declared the winner in the election, which was widely viewed as rigged in his favor.
Thousands of citizens have taken to the streets over the past three weeks to protest the results, saying Lukashenka's challenger, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, actually won the election.
Lukashenka has shown no sign of giving in to the protesters, who are demanding his resignation, the release of all political prisoners, and free and fair elections.


rferl--2020-09-01--Russian Blogger, Activist Zhukov Describes Attack As Politically Motivated

MOSCOW -- A prominent Russian blogger and activist known for his open criticism of the government , Yegor Zhukov , says a physical attack on him earlier this week was politically motivated .
In a post on Telegram on August 31 , Zhukov , who was severely beaten by unknown assailants on August 30 , said he had escaped a similar attack near his home on July 24 , adding that he believes both were “ linked to my political activities . ''
`` My professional activities frustrate many scoundrels and the same number of thieves ... .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ] an example of real Russian politics in the year of 2020 , '' Zhukov wrote .
Zhukov confirmed his earlier statements by his colleagues that he was attacked late on August 30 near his home after he took part in a live talk show with Maksim Kats on YouTube .
During the show , he shared his views regarding the ongoing protests in neighboring Belarus , where thousands of demonstrators have been challenging the official results of the August 9 presidential election that gave incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a landslide victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of attackers was most likely two and that they assaulted him around 10 p.m. near his apartment block in Moscow , first hitting him in the head from behind .
`` They beat me exclusively on my face .
There were many punches and it was impossible to concentrate and remember what the attackers looked like , '' Zhukov wrote , adding that he was released from hospital earlier in the day as `` no severe head injuries were uncovered '' by medical personnel .
In a photo posted by his colleagues on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with deep bruises and lacerations on his face .
Moscow police said on August 31 that a probe has been launched into the attack .
Zhukov 's lawyer Murad Musayev told RFE/RL that the two attacks against his client were linked to Zhukov 's journalistic and political activities .
`` There were no concrete and direct threats addressed to Zhukov lately .
However , one must understand that he has no household or personal conflicts or some ill-wishers of that sort , '' Musayev said , expressing hope that police will find the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During the talk show with Kats , Zhukov called the protests in Belarus `` a textbook example '' that `` should be thoroughly studied by those who want to achieve democratic change by peaceful means . ''
`` A modern peaceful protest is a siege ... .
If there is a wall in front of you and you just keep hitting your head against that wall , then the wall will win ... .
The essence of peaceful protests is defeating Mike Tyson by chess , '' Zhukov said , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russian political commentators have repeatedly said that the Kremlin 's biggest fear is a popular , peaceful uprising .
Zhukov , 22 , was handed a three-year suspended sentence in December 2019 on extremism charges which he and his supporters have called politically motivated .
The charges against Zhukov related to four videos he posted on his YouTube channel in October and December 2017 that included clips of demonstrations and commentaries by the blogger on the protest movement and Russian politics .
Zhukov was arrested in August 2019 amid protests in Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dozens of people have been fined or given jail sentences over the rallies .
In his final court appearance on December 4 , 2019 , before his sentencing the next day , Zhukov made a statement harshly criticizing Russia 's current political system for creating economic inequality for its citizens .
Zhukov 's statement resonated across the country and made him prominent in Russia .

MOSCOW -- A prominent Russian blogger and activist known for his open criticism of the government, Yegor Zhukov, says a physical attack on him earlier this week was politically motivated.
In a post on Telegram on August 31, Zhukov, who was severely beaten by unknown assailants on August 30, said he had escaped a similar attack near his home on July 24, adding that he believes both were “linked to my political activities."
"My professional activities frustrate many scoundrels and the same number of thieves.... This is about politics for sure. [It is] an example of real Russian politics in the year of 2020," Zhukov wrote.
Zhukov confirmed his earlier statements by his colleagues that he was attacked late on August 30 near his home after he took part in a live talk show with Maksim Kats on YouTube.
During the show, he shared his views regarding the ongoing protests in neighboring Belarus, where thousands of demonstrators have been challenging the official results of the August 9 presidential election that gave incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a landslide victory.
Zhukov also wrote that the number of attackers was most likely two and that they assaulted him around 10 p.m. near his apartment block in Moscow, first hitting him in the head from behind.
"They beat me exclusively on my face. There were many punches and it was impossible to concentrate and remember what the attackers looked like," Zhukov wrote, adding that he was released from hospital earlier in the day as "no severe head injuries were uncovered" by medical personnel.
In a photo posted by his colleagues on Facebook on August 30, Zhukov appeared with deep bruises and lacerations on his face.
Moscow police said on August 31 that a probe has been launched into the attack.
Zhukov's lawyer Murad Musayev told RFE/RL that the two attacks against his client were linked to Zhukov's journalistic and political activities.
"There were no concrete and direct threats addressed to Zhukov lately. However, one must understand that he has no household or personal conflicts or some ill-wishers of that sort," Musayev said, expressing hope that police will find the attackers and those who ordered the assaults.
During the talk show with Kats, Zhukov called the protests in Belarus "a textbook example" that "should be thoroughly studied by those who want to achieve democratic change by peaceful means."
"A modern peaceful protest is a siege.... If there is a wall in front of you and you just keep hitting your head against that wall, then the wall will win.... The essence of peaceful protests is defeating Mike Tyson by chess," Zhukov said, in a reference to the former heavyweight boxing champion.
Russian political commentators have repeatedly said that the Kremlin's biggest fear is a popular, peaceful uprising.
Zhukov, 22, was handed a three-year suspended sentence in December 2019 on extremism charges which he and his supporters have called politically motivated.
The charges against Zhukov related to four videos he posted on his YouTube channel in October and December 2017 that included clips of demonstrations and commentaries by the blogger on the protest movement and Russian politics.
Zhukov was arrested in August 2019 amid protests in Moscow to demand free and fair municipal elections. Dozens of people have been fined or given jail sentences over the rallies.
In his final court appearance on December 4, 2019, before his sentencing the next day, Zhukov made a statement harshly criticizing Russia's current political system for creating economic inequality for its citizens.
Zhukov's statement resonated across the country and made him prominent in Russia.


rferl--2020-09-01--Parties To Iran Nuclear Deal Meet In Vienna Amid U.S. Pressure

The remaining parties to the faltering nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers are meeting on September 1 as the United States is pushing for UN sanctions on Iran to be reimposed and an arms embargo to be extended .
The meeting in Vienna is being chaired by EU senior official Helga-Maria Schmid with representatives from Britain , China , France , Germany , Iran , and Russia attending .
The United States withdrew from the 2015 landmark agreement more than two years ago and has since reimposed sanctions on Iran , which in turn has been progressively stepping up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Germany , China , and Russia are struggling to save the accord , which swapped sanctions relief for Iran 's agreement to scale back its nuclear program .
In a boost to the Vienna talks , Iran last week agreed for inspectors of the UN nuclear watchdog to visit two sites suspected of having hosted undeclared activity in the early 2000s .
The Vienna-based global watchdog had criticized Iranian officials for denying it access to the two locations , and for not answering its questions about past activities at the sites .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council blocked a U.S. bid to reimpose international sanctions on Iran , while Washington also failed to rally enough support to extend an arms embargo set to start to lapse from October .


rferl--2020-09-01--Bulgaria Suspends Probe Into Poisoning Linked To Russians

SOFIA -- Prosecutors in Sofia confirm they ’ ve “ suspended ” an investigation into the 2015 poisoning of a Bulgarian arms dealer that had been focusing on three suspected Russian agents .
The suspects include a Russian military intelligence general alleged to have commanded a team accused by Britain in the 2018 Novichok attack against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia .
The suspension of the Bulgarian investigation comes after German doctors treating Aleksei Navalny in Berlin announced on August 23 that the Russian opposition leader had been poisoned with a substance similar to poison used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arms dealer Emilian Gebrev .
Those charged in absentia in the Bulgaria case have been identified as Moscow residents Sergei Fedotov , Sergei Pavlov , and Georgy Gorshkov .
None have been questioned by the Bulgarian investigators .
The Britain-based open-source research group Bellingcat says it has confirmed that Sergei Fedotov is the false identity used by Denis Sergeyev -- a major general from an “ elite overseas clandestine-operations ” team that is part of Russia ’ s GRU military intelligence unit 29155 .
Siika Mileva , a spokeswoman for the Prosecutor-General 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 1 that the suspension of the case does not mean the investigation has been terminated .
She said it is possible for the investigation to be reopened in the future .
Bulgarian authorities have previously said they believe Gebrev , owner of the Bulgarian weapons firm EMCO Ltd. ; his son , Hristo Gebrev ; and company manager Valentin Takhchiev were targeted in a poisoning attack `` by intoxication with an unidentified phosphorus-organic substance . ''
Gebrev and the two other victims fell ill after being poisoned in Bulgaria in 2015 but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has a copy of an August 26 order from the Prosecutor-General 's Office to suspend the case .
Gebrev quoted excerpts from the order that he said were `` not right . ''
But he did not provide RFE/RL with a copy of the entire document .

SOFIA -- Prosecutors in Sofia confirm they’ve “suspended” an investigation into the 2015 poisoning of a Bulgarian arms dealer that had been focusing on three suspected Russian agents.
The suspects include a Russian military intelligence general alleged to have commanded a team accused by Britain in the 2018 Novichok attack against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
The suspension of the Bulgarian investigation comes after German doctors treating Aleksei Navalny in Berlin announced on August 23 that the Russian opposition leader had been poisoned with a substance similar to poison used in attacks against the Skripals and Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev.
Those charged in absentia in the Bulgaria case have been identified as Moscow residents Sergei Fedotov, Sergei Pavlov, and Georgy Gorshkov.
None have been questioned by the Bulgarian investigators.
The Britain-based open-source research group Bellingcat says it has confirmed that Sergei Fedotov is the false identity used by Denis Sergeyev -- a major general from an “elite overseas clandestine-operations” team that is part of Russia’s GRU military intelligence unit 29155.
Siika Mileva, a spokeswoman for the Prosecutor-General's Office in Sofia, told RFE/RL on September 1 that the suspension of the case does not mean the investigation has been terminated. She said it is possible for the investigation to be reopened in the future.
Bulgarian authorities have previously said they believe Gebrev, owner of the Bulgarian weapons firm EMCO Ltd.; his son, Hristo Gebrev; and company manager Valentin Takhchiev were targeted in a poisoning attack "by intoxication with an unidentified phosphorus-organic substance."
Gebrev and the two other victims fell ill after being poisoned in Bulgaria in 2015 but survived.
Gebrev told RFE/RL recently that he has a copy of an August 26 order from the Prosecutor-General's Office to suspend the case.
Gebrev quoted excerpts from the order that he said were "not right." But he did not provide RFE/RL with a copy of the entire document.


rferl--2020-08-31--Montenegro's Ruling Party Benefited From 'Uneven Playing Field' During Parliamentary Elections, OSCE

Montenegro's Ruling Party Benefited From 'Uneven Playing Field' During Parliamentary Elections, OSCE Says

Montenegro ’ s pro-Western party enjoyed an unfair advantage during parliamentary elections due to its access to state resources and misuse of office , according to Western observers .
The Democratic Party of Socialists ( DPS ) , which has ruled for 30 years , also benefited from greater press coverage , the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) said in an August 31 statement .
Nonetheless , the pro-Serb Democratic Front ( DF ) and two other opposition coalitions claimed victory over DPS in the razor-thin August 30 parliamentary elections .
Preliminary unofficial results indicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Milo Djukanovic , leader of the DPS , said his party will respect the result but did not yet concede .
“ This was a hard-fought campaign , but the ruling party benefited from an uneven playing field , ” OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Margareta Cederfelt , who is special coordinator and leader of the OSCE short-term observers , said in the statement .
The OSCE said the elections were held in “ patchy compliance ” with legislation , pointing out that political rallies were banned due to the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency declared inside the country .
The election observers also faulted the lack of independent editorial coverage of the candidates and parties , which it said was the result of politically affiliated business interests controlling national media .
“ It is most regrettable that the gaps in the legislation and lack of independent media scrutiny make the misuse of office and state resources possible , ” Tamas Meszerics , head of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights , said in the statement .

Montenegro’s pro-Western party enjoyed an unfair advantage during parliamentary elections due to its access to state resources and misuse of office, according to Western observers.
The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which has ruled for 30 years, also benefited from greater press coverage, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said in an August 31 statement.
Nonetheless, the pro-Serb Democratic Front (DF) and two other opposition coalitions claimed victory over DPS in the razor-thin August 30 parliamentary elections. Preliminary unofficial results indicated the opposition won 41 of 81 seats.
President Milo Djukanovic, leader of the DPS, said his party will respect the result but did not yet concede.
“This was a hard-fought campaign, but the ruling party benefited from an uneven playing field,” OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Margareta Cederfelt, who is special coordinator and leader of the OSCE short-term observers, said in the statement.
The OSCE said the elections were held in “patchy compliance” with legislation, pointing out that political rallies were banned due to the coronavirus pandemic even though there was no state of emergency declared inside the country.
The election observers also faulted the lack of independent editorial coverage of the candidates and parties, which it said was the result of politically affiliated business interests controlling national media.
“It is most regrettable that the gaps in the legislation and lack of independent media scrutiny make the misuse of office and state resources possible,” Tamas Meszerics, head of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said in the statement.


rferl--2020-08-31--Belarus Detains Opposition Figure, Jails Strike Leader

Belarusian authorities on August 31 jailed a strike leader and detained a top member of an opposition council aiming to coordinate a transition of power , in the latest attempt by authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to quell opposition to his 26-year rule .
Police from the financial-crimes unit detained Lilia Vlasova , one of seven members of the Coordination Council Presidium , on August 31 after searching her home earlier in the day , her colleague Paval Latushka said in a Telegram post .
Vlasova , 67 , is at least the third member of the presidium to have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month following nationwide protests in the wake of the disputed August 9 presidential election .
Two members of the presidium were jailed for 10 days while at least six of the seven have been questioned since the prosecutor-general opened an investigation into the council , claiming it is attempting to illegally “ seize ” power .
Separately , Anatol Bokun , co-chair of the Belaruskali factory strike committee , was sentenced to 15 days in jail on charges of organizing an unsanctioned protest .
The state-run factory , which accounts for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fertilizer output , is the nation ’ s top cash earner .
Workers at the factory and some other state-run plants went on strike two weeks ago to protest the election results , posing an unprecedented challenge to Lukashenka .
The Belaruskali strike committee spokesman , Gleb Sandras , told AP news agency that the potash mines are now working after state security services pressured workers to end the strike .
“ The authorities have powerful economic instruments .
They are blackmailing workers with mass dismissals , ” Sandras said .
Bokun 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at two other major industrial plants in Minsk last week .
Deputy Prime Minister Yury Nazarov said on August 31 that all major industrial plants have resumed normal operations .
Lukashenka has shown no sign of giving in to nearly three weeks of protests demanding his resignation , the release of all political prisoners , and free and fair elections .
The authorities have cracked down on the opposition and the media despite international outrage and the threat of isolation .
Eliot Engel ( New York ) , the Democratic chairman of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCaul ( Texas ) , the committee ’ s ranking member , on August 31 denounced the Belarusian authorities ’ recent decision to strip the accreditation from at least 17 journalists representing major foreign news organizations .
“ This latest move , along with efforts to disrupt internet access , to restrict access to independent media and to detain and harass journalists , is part of a malicious campaign to silence those opposed to the dictatorship of [ Lukashenka ] and conceal the horrific stories of the regime ’ s violent crackdown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Belarusian authorities on August 31 jailed a strike leader and detained a top member of an opposition council aiming to coordinate a transition of power, in the latest attempt by authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to quell opposition to his 26-year rule.
Police from the financial-crimes unit detained Lilia Vlasova, one of seven members of the Coordination Council Presidium, on August 31 after searching her home earlier in the day, her colleague Paval Latushka said in a Telegram post.
Vlasova, 67, is at least the third member of the presidium to have been detained since it was set up earlier this month following nationwide protests in the wake of the disputed August 9 presidential election.
Two members of the presidium were jailed for 10 days while at least six of the seven have been questioned since the prosecutor-general opened an investigation into the council, claiming it is attempting to illegally “seize” power.
Separately, Anatol Bokun, co-chair of the Belaruskali factory strike committee, was sentenced to 15 days in jail on charges of organizing an unsanctioned protest.
The state-run factory, which accounts for a fifth of the world’s potash fertilizer output, is the nation’s top cash earner.
Workers at the factory and some other state-run plants went on strike two weeks ago to protest the election results, posing an unprecedented challenge to Lukashenka.
The Belaruskali strike committee spokesman, Gleb Sandras, told AP news agency that the potash mines are now working after state security services pressured workers to end the strike.
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
“The authorities have powerful economic instruments. They are blackmailing workers with mass dismissals,” Sandras said.
Bokun's detention follows the arrests of strike leaders at two other major industrial plants in Minsk last week.
Deputy Prime Minister Yury Nazarov said on August 31 that all major industrial plants have resumed normal operations.
Lukashenka has shown no sign of giving in to nearly three weeks of protests demanding his resignation, the release of all political prisoners, and free and fair elections.
The authorities have cracked down on the opposition and the media despite international outrage and the threat of isolation.
Eliot Engel (New York), the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Michael McCaul (Texas), the committee’s ranking member, on August 31 denounced the Belarusian authorities’ recent decision to strip the accreditation from at least 17 journalists representing major foreign news organizations.
“This latest move, along with efforts to disrupt internet access, to restrict access to independent media and to detain and harass journalists, is part of a malicious campaign to silence those opposed to the dictatorship of [Lukashenka] and conceal the horrific stories of the regime’s violent crackdown,” they said in a joint statement.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-09-02--U.S. Shifts Focus To Economic Development In Serbia-Kosovo Talks In Washington

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti will meet in Washington on September 3 and 4 as part of long-running negotiations between the Balkan rivals .
The talks will focus on economic development and job creation , a special adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump said on September 1 during a call with reporters .
The official said tackling political disputes between Serbia and Kosovo has failed to yield results and the United States aims to focus on tangible economic issues that will help people on the ground .
“ We ’ re going to flip the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to try to first give people some excitement about growth in the economy and let some of these political issues come secondary , ” the official said .
The official said the United States is also focused on implementing the air , rail , and motor agreements between the two sides that were already agreed upon .
Ethnic Albanian majority Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade .
Both Kosovo and Serbia , which aspire to join the European Union , have been facing mounting pressure from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stepped up its involvement in Serbia-Kosovo negotiations last year in a process that runs parallel to nearly a decade of EU-mediated normalization efforts .
The EU-brokered talks have produced multiple agreements seeking to normalize relations in the region , although many of them have not been implemented .
In July , Vucic and Hoti held their first face-to-face negotiations in 20 months under an EU-mediated dialogue process after Kosovo lifted import tariffs on Serbian goods .
At those talks , the two sides focused on issues of missing and displaced persons as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought to bring the two former foes face-to-face at the White House on June 27 .
But those plans were canceled following the indictment of Kosovo President Hashim Thaci at The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during or after the 1998-99 Kosovo war .
Thaci has denied involvement in any war crimes and has been cooperating with the investigation .
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague is currently reviewing the indictment to decide on whether to confirm the charges .

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


rferl--2020-09-01--Facebook Says It Removed Networks Of Fake Accounts In Russia, Pakistan

Facebook says it has removed three networks of fake accounts last month located in Russia , Pakistan , and the United States as it seeks to combat `` influence operations '' on its platform .
The U.S. social-media giant said on September 1 that it deleted `` a small network '' in Russia consisting of 13 Facebook accounts and two pages that were linked to people previously associated with the Internet Research Agency ( IRA ) .
U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded in 2019 following a two-year investigation that the IRA , commonly called the Russian `` troll farm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 U.S. presidential election through the use of fake social-media accounts .
Facebook said it began its investigation into the Russian network following a tip about the offline activity of its members from the FBI .
The network was focused primarily on the United States , Britain , Algeria , Egypt and other English-speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa .
The IRA is owned by Kremlin insider Yevgeny Prigozhin , who is also financing Russian mercenary activities in the North African nation of Libya and Syria in the Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farm were arrested in Libya last year .
According to one report , the men were seeking to influence elections in the country .
Facebook said it had removed about a dozen influence campaigns connected to individuals associated with the IRA since 2017 .
Overall , it has removed just over 100 networks worldwide during that same time period .
The Silicon Valley-based company said it was able to detect influence operations `` earlier and earlier '' and remove them before they can build their audience .
Facebook said the IRA-linked network it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be news agencies to appear more legitimate but claimed their influence operation did not gain much traction on its platform .
It `` was largely unsuccessful on Facebook , but it tricked unwitting freelance journalists into writing stories on its behalf .
We 're notifying people who we believe have been contacted by this network , '' the company said .
Facebook did not give any details about what the IRA-linked accounts were posting and whether it concerned the 2020 U.S. election .
U.S. officials have repeatedly said that Russia is seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online campaigns .
The Pakistan network taken down last month was much larger , consisting of 453 Facebook accounts , 103 pages , 78 groups and 107 Instagram accounts .
The accounts and pages were operated from Pakistan and focused on Pakistan and India , Facebook said .
It gave no further details .
Meanwhile , Facebook said the U.S. network it took down was linked to CLS Strategies , a Washington-based strategic communications firm .
The U.S. network consisted of 55 Facebook accounts , 42 pages , and 36 Instagram accounts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and also on Mexico and Bolivia .
We found this activity as part of our proactive investigation into suspected coordinated inauthentic behavior in the region , '' Facebook said .
CLS clients include the governments of several Latin American countries , including Mexico as well as two of Bolivia 's neighbors , Brazil and Peru .
CLS did not immediately respond to an RFE/RL request for comment .

Facebook says it has removed three networks of fake accounts last month located in Russia, Pakistan, and the United States as it seeks to combat "influence operations" on its platform.
The U.S. social-media giant said on September 1 that it deleted "a small network" in Russia consisting of 13 Facebook accounts and two pages that were linked to people previously associated with the Internet Research Agency (IRA).
U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded in 2019 following a two-year investigation that the IRA, commonly called the Russian "troll farm," sought to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election through the use of fake social-media accounts.
Facebook said it began its investigation into the Russian network following a tip about the offline activity of its members from the FBI. The network was focused primarily on the United States, Britain, Algeria, Egypt and other English-speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
The IRA is owned by Kremlin insider Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is also financing Russian mercenary activities in the North African nation of Libya and Syria in the Middle East.
Two men linked to the troll farm were arrested in Libya last year. According to one report, the men were seeking to influence elections in the country.
Facebook said it had removed about a dozen influence campaigns connected to individuals associated with the IRA since 2017. Overall, it has removed just over 100 networks worldwide during that same time period.
The Silicon Valley-based company said it was able to detect influence operations "earlier and earlier" and remove them before they can build their audience.
Facebook said the IRA-linked network it took down in August created pages purporting to be news agencies to appear more legitimate but claimed their influence operation did not gain much traction on its platform.
It "was largely unsuccessful on Facebook, but it tricked unwitting freelance journalists into writing stories on its behalf. We're notifying people who we believe have been contacted by this network," the company said.
Facebook did not give any details about what the IRA-linked accounts were posting and whether it concerned the 2020 U.S. election.
U.S. officials have repeatedly said that Russia is seeking to interfere in the 2020 election through online campaigns.
The Pakistan network taken down last month was much larger, consisting of 453 Facebook accounts, 103 pages, 78 groups and 107 Instagram accounts. The accounts and pages were operated from Pakistan and focused on Pakistan and India, Facebook said. It gave no further details.
Meanwhile, Facebook said the U.S. network it took down was linked to CLS Strategies, a Washington-based strategic communications firm. The U.S. network consisted of 55 Facebook accounts, 42 pages, and 36 Instagram accounts.
"This network focused primarily on Venezuela and also on Mexico and Bolivia. We found this activity as part of our proactive investigation into suspected coordinated inauthentic behavior in the region," Facebook said.
CLS clients include the governments of several Latin American countries, including Mexico as well as two of Bolivia's neighbors, Brazil and Peru.
CLS did not immediately respond to an RFE/RL request for comment.


rferl--2020-09-01--Russian Lawmaker Seeks To Cut App Commissions For Apple, Google

A Russian lawmaker has submitted a bill that would slash the commissions paid to U.S. tech companies Apple and Google for the purchase of apps on their platforms .
Fedot Tumusov , a member of the A Just Russia party representing the Siberian region of Yakutsk , submitted legislation on September 1 that would cap the tech giants ' commission at 20 percent .
Apple currently collects a 30 percent commission on sales in its App Store .
The bill , if adopted , would also allow third parties to offer apps on Apple and Google platforms and oblige app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commissions to a special training fund for IT specialists on a quarterly basis .
Russia 's anti-monopoly service last month accused Apple of having abused its dominant position on the mobile apps market through its App Store and demanded the company rectify the situation .
Apple and Google are already facing pressure in the United States and Europe over their right to take a large commission on the sale of apps .
A U.S. federal judge in August blocked Apple from shutting down an Epic Games tool that is relied upon by hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time said it would appeal the decision .
Based on reporting by Kommersant and Reuters

A Russian lawmaker has submitted a bill that would slash the commissions paid to U.S. tech companies Apple and Google for the purchase of apps on their platforms.
Fedot Tumusov, a member of the A Just Russia party representing the Siberian region of Yakutsk, submitted legislation on September 1 that would cap the tech giants' commission at 20 percent.
Apple currently collects a 30 percent commission on sales in its App Store.
The bill, if adopted, would also allow third parties to offer apps on Apple and Google platforms and oblige app sellers to pay a third of their commissions to a special training fund for IT specialists on a quarterly basis.
Russia's anti-monopoly service last month accused Apple of having abused its dominant position on the mobile apps market through its App Store and demanded the company rectify the situation.
Apple and Google are already facing pressure in the United States and Europe over their right to take a large commission on the sale of apps.
A U.S. federal judge in August blocked Apple from shutting down an Epic Games tool that is relied upon by hundreds of other app makers.
Apple at the time said it would appeal the decision.
Based on reporting by Kommersant and Reuters


rferl--2020-09-01--Putin Calls Supporters Of Western Historians' Approach To WWII 'Collaborators'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced those citizens who do not share the Kremlin 's interpretation of the history of World War II , calling them `` collaborators . ''
Putin made the comments on September 1 while taking part in a nationwide online class to commemorate the first day of the school year in Russia .
Putin said that the West had been trying to rewrite the history of the war against Nazi Germany since the Cold War ended .
`` But those who now agree with the people who initiate the rewriting of history may well be called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that `` such people have always existed and will always exist everywhere . ''
Putin has frequently accused European countries of `` rewriting history '' by allegedly diminishing the role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazi Germany and stressing atrocities committed by Soviet forces , like the mass murder of Polish officers in Katyn Forest in 1940 .
Historians in the West also say the 1939 nonaggression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany facilitated the outbreak of World War II , which Russian officials vehemently disagree with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 80th anniversary of the accord – known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact -- in which Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to divide up Central and Eastern Europe .
Soviet forces took over eastern Poland , eventually massacring more than 20,000 of the country 's officers whom they had taken prisoner .
The Nazis eventually betrayed the pact with their surprise invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 .
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced those citizens who do not share the Kremlin's interpretation of the history of World War II, calling them "collaborators."
Putin made the comments on September 1 while taking part in a nationwide online class to commemorate the first day of the school year in Russia.
Putin said that the West had been trying to rewrite the history of the war against Nazi Germany since the Cold War ended.
"But those who now agree with the people who initiate the rewriting of history may well be called modern-day collaborators," Putin said, adding that "such people have always existed and will always exist everywhere."
Putin has frequently accused European countries of "rewriting history" by allegedly diminishing the role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazi Germany and stressing atrocities committed by Soviet forces, like the mass murder of Polish officers in Katyn Forest in 1940.
Historians in the West also say the 1939 nonaggression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany facilitated the outbreak of World War II, which Russian officials vehemently disagree with.
Last year, the world marked the 80th anniversary of the accord – known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact -- in which Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to divide up Central and Eastern Europe.
Soviet forces took over eastern Poland, eventually massacring more than 20,000 of the country's officers whom they had taken prisoner.
The Nazis eventually betrayed the pact with their surprise invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-09-01--Afghan Government Releases 100 'Dangerous' Taliban Prisoners

Afghan officials say they have released about another 100 Taliban prisoners as part of a prisoner swap meant to clear the way for the start of peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban .
Afghan officials have described the remaining prisoners as the most dangerous , accusing them of masterminding attacks on embassies , public squares , and government offices , killing thousands of civilians in recent years .
The release of 400 Taliban prisoners was approved last month at a consultative Loya Jirga in Kabul .
Eighty of them were released last month .
The decision came more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the release of prisoners by both sides a condition for the talks between the militant group and Kabul .
A government official who did not want to be named told RFE/RL on September 1 that the release of the prisoners will be completed in the next few days and that talks between the government and the Taliban will begin in Qatar .
The official said the process could be completed by September 2 and that an Afghan government delegation will immediately travel to the Qatari capital of Doha for negotiations with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners is the last hurdle to opening peace talks between the internationally backed government in Kabul and the Taliban under a peace deal signed in February between the militants and the United States .
WATCH : Taliban militants attacked a military base in Afghanistan 's eastern Paktia Province , killing at least three Afghan soldiers .
An official said that at least five other members of the security forces were wounded in the September 1 assault .

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--2020-09-01--Uzbekistan Marks Independence Day Without Public Events Due To Pandemic

TASHKENT -- Uzbekistan has marked its Independence Day without any public events amid concern over the spread of the coronavirus .
President Shavkat Mirziyoev had already announced on August 20 that Independence Day this year would be marked on September 1 without public celebrations and concerts due to the pandemic , which has infected nearly 42,000 people in Uzbekistan .
The holiday , which celebrates Uzbekistan 's independence from the Soviet Union , is one of the country 's most important and features performances by musicians and dancers .
A single official event devoted to the 29th anniversary of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held without any audience -- was broadcast by state television on August 31 .
That same day , Mirziyoev attended a ceremony to commemorate Soviet-era repressions .
The president took part in a joint prayer to honor the thousands of Uzbeks killed or sent to prison by dictator Josef Stalin 's government .
`` Those people were real leaders , better representatives of intellectuals , prominent writers , culture experts .
Had not they been persecuted , they could have enormously contributed to our nation , science , economy , and culture , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's official data , more than 100,000 people in the republic faced repressions between 1937 and 1953 , including 13,000 who were executed .
In general , across the former Soviet Union , the number of people who faced repressions in that period of time is believed to be 3.8 million , of whom 800,000 were executed .

TASHKENT -- Uzbekistan has marked its Independence Day without any public events amid concern over the spread of the coronavirus.
President Shavkat Mirziyoev had already announced on August 20 that Independence Day this year would be marked on September 1 without public celebrations and concerts due to the pandemic, which has infected nearly 42,000 people in Uzbekistan.
The holiday, which celebrates Uzbekistan's independence from the Soviet Union, is one of the country's most important and features performances by musicians and dancers.
A single official event devoted to the 29th anniversary of the Central Asian state's independence -- and held without any audience -- was broadcast by state television on August 31.
That same day, Mirziyoev attended a ceremony to commemorate Soviet-era repressions.
The president took part in a joint prayer to honor the thousands of Uzbeks killed or sent to prison by dictator Josef Stalin's government.
"Those people were real leaders, better representatives of intellectuals, prominent writers, culture experts. Had not they been persecuted, they could have enormously contributed to our nation, science, economy, and culture," Mirziyoev said.
According to Uzbekistan's official data, more than 100,000 people in the republic faced repressions between 1937 and 1953, including 13,000 who were executed.
In general, across the former Soviet Union, the number of people who faced repressions in that period of time is believed to be 3.8 million, of whom 800,000 were executed.


rferl--2020-09-01--U.S. Ambassador Again Warns Georgians That Moscow Likely To Meddle In Elections

TBILISI -- U.S .
Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has warned for the second time since early July that Russia will likely try to interfere in the upcoming parliamentary elections in the South Caucasus country .
`` Georgia should expect that Russia is going to interfere in the elections .
There is a long pattern of interference through disinformation campaigns and other efforts that have been fairly consistent , not just related to the election but in general , and this is something that the United States Embassy , as well as other international donors , have initiatives to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help Georgians be able to discern , to tell the difference between fake news and accurate reporting , '' Degnan said at a press conference in Tbilisi on August 31 .
`` Again , I think the political leaders getting out there with their campaigns that are designed to educate the voters about the issues that are important to them -- education , economic recovery , health care -- this is the way to ensure the voters go to the polls well-informed and ready to cast their ballots , and the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or anywhere else , '' Degnan said .
On July 1 , Degnan expressed similar concerns during a panel discussion organized by the Georgian Institute of Politics in Tbilisi .
Parliamentary elections in Georgia are scheduled for October 31 .

TBILISI -- U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has warned for the second time since early July that Russia will likely try to interfere in the upcoming parliamentary elections in the South Caucasus country.
"Georgia should expect that Russia is going to interfere in the elections. There is a long pattern of interference through disinformation campaigns and other efforts that have been fairly consistent, not just related to the election but in general, and this is something that the United States Embassy, as well as other international donors, have initiatives to try and raise awareness among Georgian public and to help Georgians be able to discern, to tell the difference between fake news and accurate reporting," Degnan said at a press conference in Tbilisi on August 31.
"Again, I think the political leaders getting out there with their campaigns that are designed to educate the voters about the issues that are important to them -- education, economic recovery, health care -- this is the way to ensure the voters go to the polls well-informed and ready to cast their ballots, and the best way push back against disinformation from Russia or anywhere else," Degnan said.
On July 1, Degnan expressed similar concerns during a panel discussion organized by the Georgian Institute of Politics in Tbilisi.
Parliamentary elections in Georgia are scheduled for October 31.


rferl--2020-09-01--Iran Nuclear Deal Parties Vow To Save Agreement, Reject U.S. Bid To Return Sanctions

The remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal have agreed to save the faltering agreement , rejecting an attempt by Washington to trigger a return of UN sanctions on Tehran .
Senior EU foreign policy official Helga-Maria Schmid , who chaired the September 1 meeting in Vienna , said in a statement that “ all participants reaffirmed the importance of preserving the agreement.
” Representatives from Britain , China , France , Germany , Iran , and Russia attended the meeting , which is part of a regular series of gatherings to discuss implementation of the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States withdrew from the 2015 landmark agreement more than two years ago and reimposed sanctions on Iran , which responded by progressively stepping up its nuclear activities because it has failed to receive economic benefits promised in the deal .
In a controversial move , the United States on August 20 formally began a 30-day process at the UN to trigger the return of international sanctions on Iran under a “ snapback ” provision in the Iran nuclear accord .
But the UN Security Council overwhelming rejected the United States ' claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nuclear deal because it was listed as such in the UN resolution that enshrined it , setting the stage for a showdown later this month at the international body .
In the EU ’ s statement , Schmid said the remaining participants to the accord reaffirmed the United States unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and had not participated in any JCPOA-related activity since .
The United States “ could not be considered as a participant state , ” the statement said .
Chinese representative , Fu Cong , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JCPOA participants all agreed that the United States had no “ legal ground or legal standing to trigger snapback . ''
He said Washington is trying “ to sabotage or even kill the JCPOA.
” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said after the talks that parties to the JCPOA have come together against U.S. attempts to reinstate sanctions against Iran and impose its `` skewed and unilateral interpretation of the situation '' on the world .
In a boost to the Vienna talks , Iran last week agreed to allow inspectors from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites suspected of having hosted undeclared nuclear activity in the early 2000s .
The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency had criticized Iranian officials for denying it access to the two locations , and for not answering its questions about past activities at the sites .
In another blow to Washington , the United States also failed to rally enough support to extend an arms embargo on Iran set to expire in late October .
Iran has threatened to completely exit the JCPOA and hinted it will pull out of another key nonproliferation treaty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a `` snapback '' of sanctions .
But Tehran has said it will come fully back into compliance with the JCPOA if the United States abides by its commitments and lifts unilateral sanctions .
With reporting by AP and TASS


rferl--2020-09-02--Moscow Court Extends Journalist Safronov's Pretrial Detention In High Treason Case

MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has extended the pretrial detention of former journalist Ivan Safronov , who is charged @ @ @ @ @ Lefortovo district court on September 2 ruled that Safronov must be held at least until @ @ @ @ @ took place behind closed doors as the case is classified .
The 30-year-old Safronov , @ @ @ @ @ as an adviser to the head of Russia 's Space Agency ( Roskosmos ) Dmitry @ @ @ @ @ journalist who covered the military-industrial complex for the newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti .
He was @ @ @ @ @ allegations that he had passed secret information to the Czech Republic in 2017 about Russian @ @ @ @ @ East .
Safronov has rejected the accusations and many of his supporters have held pickets @ @ @ @ @ demanding his release .
Human rights organizations have issued statements demanding Safronov ’ s release @ @ @ @ @ intensifying crackdown on dissent in Russia .

MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has extended the pretrial detention of former journalist Ivan Safronov, who is charged with high treason.
The Lefortovo district court on September 2 ruled that Safronov must be held at least until December 7. The hearing took place behind closed doors as the case is classified.
The 30-year-old Safronov, who has worked since May as an adviser to the head of Russia's Space Agency (Roskosmos) Dmitry Rogozin, is a prominent journalist who covered the military-industrial complex for the newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti.
He was arrested on July 7 amid allegations that he had passed secret information to the Czech Republic in 2017 about Russian arms sales in the Middle East.
Safronov has rejected the accusations and many of his supporters have held pickets in Moscow and other cities demanding his release.
Human rights organizations have issued statements demanding Safronov’s release and expressing concerns over an intensifying crackdown on dissent in Russia.


rferl--2020-09-02--Bulgarian Protesters Scuffle With Police At Start Of 'Grand National Uprising'

SOFIA -- Violent clashes have broken out in the center of Sofia between Bulgarian police and protesters calling for the resignation of the country ’ s prime minister and chief prosecutor .
Thousands of protesters gathered on September 2 on Sofia ’ s Independence Square , home to the parliament , the government building , and the presidential administration , at the start of a so-called Grand National Uprising in response to the government 's plan for a new constitution .
The rally took place on the first sitting of the National Assembly after summer recess .
It followed weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters say is oligarchic control over Bulgaria ’ s government and judicial system .
In the latest clashes , protesters tried to break through the police cordon and pushed police buses .
Riot police fired pepper spray against protesters who threw eggs , tomatoes , and stones , according to Sofia police chief Georgi Hadzhiev , who said officers were affected by an unknown gas aimed at them .
`` The aggression against the police officers is escalating .
More than 20 law enforcement officers were gassed , ” he said .
State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 people were detained during the violence , in which protesters and journalists from the commercial channel bTV were also wounded .
A number of them were said to have been taken to hospital for treatment .
The Interior Ministry said a gendarmerie officer was taken to hospital with a wound in the head .
The protesters are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov , his government , and Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev .
They also want parliament to be dissolved and early elections to be held .
In parliament , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate ” resignation of Borisov and Geshev , and appealed to deputies to dismiss the plan for a new constitution .
`` It was not the lack of a new constitution…that brought the people onto the streets , but the lack of morality in the leadership , the erosion of statehood , and corruption , '' Radev said .
Borisov has pledged to resign if lawmakers approve his call for the election of a grand national assembly tasked with voting on a new constitution .
The ruling GERB party needs to collect 120 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a new constitution and convene a grand national assembly .

SOFIA -- Violent clashes erupted between Bulgarian police and protesters in central Sofia in one of the biggest showings in nearly two months anti-government protests calling for the resignation of the country’s prime minister and chief prosecutor.
Thousands of protesters gathered early on September 2 on Sofia’s Independence Square, home to the parliament, the government building, and the presidential administration, at the start of a so-called Grand National Uprising in response to the government's plan for a new constitution.
The rally took place on the first sitting of the National Assembly after summer recess. It followed weeks of mass demonstrations across Bulgaria against what protesters say is oligarchic control over Bulgaria’s government and judicial system.
Tensions rose as protesters tried to break through the police cordon and pushed police buses.
Riot police fired pepper spray against protesters who threw eggs, tomatoes, and stones, according to Sofia police chief Georgi Hadzhiev, who said officers were affected by an unknown gas aimed at them.
In the evening, some protesters threw firecrackers and small bombs at police.
Health officials said some 45 people including police officers, were treated in hospitals.
State news agency BTA reported that more than 30 people were detained during the violence, in which protesters and journalists from the commercial channel bTV were also wounded.
A number of them were said to have been taken to hospital for treatment.
The Interior Ministry said a gendarmerie officer was taken to hospital with a wound in the head.
The protesters are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, his government, and Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev. They also want parliament to be dissolved and early elections to be held.
In parliament, President Rumen Radev called for the “immediate” resignation of Borisov and Geshev, and appealed to deputies to dismiss the plan for a new constitution.
"It was not the lack of a new constitution…that brought the people onto the streets, but the lack of morality in the leadership, the erosion of statehood, and corruption," Radev said.
Borisov has pledged to resign if lawmakers approve his call for the election of a grand national assembly tasked with voting on a new constitution.
After two days of negotiations with parties, the ruling GERB party on September 2 said it had collected the more than 120 signatures in parliament needed to start debate on a new constitution and convene a grand national assembly.


rferl--2020-09-02--Pentagon Says Tajikistan Among Countries Where Beijing May Seek To Establish Military Bases

The U.S. Department of Defense says the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan is among the countries China may be planning to set up new military bases as it expands the world 's largest standing ground force .
The Pentagon 's annual report to Congress , a 200-page unclassified version of which was released on September 1 , also said that Beijing plans to double its current nuclear warhead stockpile over the next decade .
`` The [ People 's Republic of China ] has likely considered locations for [ People 's Liberation Army ] military logistics facilities in Myanmar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sri Lanka , United Arab Emirates , Kenya , Seychelles , Tanzania , Angola , and Tajikistan , '' the report said , adding that Beijing 's sea force is the largest navy , with a strong ship-building capacity in reserve .
Tajikistan currently houses about 7,000 troops from Russia ’ s 201st Motor Rifle Division at three facilities in the Central Asian nation that are considered part of the Russian base in Tajikistan .
Russia has not commented officially on the mention of Tajikistan in the Pentagon report .
The report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear warheads in its arsenal , emphasizing that Chinese capacity with regard to its ground-launched cruise missiles is greater than the United States .
According to the report , China 's goal is to become a more robust great power as its leadership sees itself in competition with the United States and is starting to use its armed forces to project power internationally .
China 's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman , Hua Chunying , rejected the report on September 2 , denying that Beijing wants to double the number of its nuclear warheads and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bias .
With reporting by Reuters and dpa

The U.S. Department of Defense says the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan is among the countries China may be planning to set up new military bases as it expands the world's largest standing ground force.
The Pentagon's annual report to Congress, a 200-page unclassified version of which was released on September 1, also said that Beijing plans to double its current nuclear warhead stockpile over the next decade.
"The [People's Republic of China] has likely considered locations for [People's Liberation Army] military logistics facilities in Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan," the report said, adding that Beijing's sea force is the largest navy, with a strong ship-building capacity in reserve.
Tajikistan currently houses about 7,000 troops from Russia’s 201st Motor Rifle Division at three facilities in the Central Asian nation that are considered part of the Russian base in Tajikistan.
Russia has not commented officially on the mention of Tajikistan in the Pentagon report.
The report estimates that Beijing currently has some 200 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, emphasizing that Chinese capacity with regard to its ground-launched cruise missiles is greater than the United States.
According to the report, China's goal is to become a more robust great power as its leadership sees itself in competition with the United States and is starting to use its armed forces to project power internationally.
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, rejected the report on September 2, denying that Beijing wants to double the number of its nuclear warheads and saying that the report was filled with bias.
With reporting by Reuters and dpa


rferl--2020-09-02--Brother Of Organizer Of 2018 Foreign Cyclists' Killings In Tajikistan Gets Additional 20 Years

DUSHANBE -- A brother of the late organizer of the 2018 killing of four foreign cyclists in Tajikistan has been handed an additional 20 years in prison after the Supreme Court found him guilty of calling inmates to stage riots that claimed dozens of lives in 2019 .
Sources close to the Supreme Court of Tajikistan told RFE/RL on September 1 that the trial of Bakhtiyor Abdusamadov was held behind closed doors and that his case was related to the deadly prison riot in the Vahdat district near Dushanbe , the capital in May 2019 .
Abdusamadov 's mother , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son had denied any involvement in the riot in which 32 people died , including three prison guards .
The 39-year-old Bakhtiyor has been serving his 16-year prison term since 2009 for being a member of a criminal group involved in illegal border-crossing activities .
His brother Hussein Abdusamadov , who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the killing of four foreign cyclists on the Dushanbe-Danghara highway in July 2018 , died while incarcerated in March .
Hussein Abdusamadov was the sole survivor of a group of attackers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cyclists -- two Americans , a Dutch national , and a Swiss national -- were killed on July 29 , 2018 , when attackers plowed their vehicle into their group on a road and then stabbed some of them .
Two other foreign cyclists survived the attack , which occurred about 150 kilometers south of Dushanbe .
Four suspects in the attack , Zafarjon Safarov , Asomuddin Majidov , Jafariddin Yusupov , and Asliddin Yusupov , were killed by Tajik security forces .
Hussein Abdusamadov , who was named the group 's leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of murder in November 2018 .
The extremist group Islamic State ( IS ) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it occurred and released a video showing five men -- at least some of whom appeared to resemble those identified by Tajik officials as suspects killed in a confrontation with security forces -- pledging allegiance to the leader of IS .
The Tajik government , however , rejected the claim and instead blamed followers of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan ( IRPT ) , a political party that was banned by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2015 .
The leadership of the IRPT -- which served for several years in the Tajik government -- has denied involvement and called the authorities ' claims `` shameless and illogical slander . ''

DUSHANBE -- A brother of the late organizer of the 2018 killing of four foreign cyclists in Tajikistan has been handed an additional 20 years in prison after the Supreme Court found him guilty of calling inmates to stage riots that claimed dozens of lives in 2019.
Sources close to the Supreme Court of Tajikistan told RFE/RL on September 1 that the trial of Bakhtiyor Abdusamadov was held behind closed doors and that his case was related to the deadly prison riot in the Vahdat district near Dushanbe, the capital in May 2019.
Abdusamadov's mother, Gulchehra Shodmonova, told RFE/RL that her son had denied any involvement in the riot in which 32 people died, including three prison guards.
The 39-year-old Bakhtiyor has been serving his 16-year prison term since 2009 for being a member of a criminal group involved in illegal border-crossing activities.
His brother Hussein Abdusamadov, who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the killing of four foreign cyclists on the Dushanbe-Danghara highway in July 2018, died while incarcerated in March.
Hussein Abdusamadov was the sole survivor of a group of attackers who killed the Western cyclists.
The four cyclists -- two Americans, a Dutch national, and a Swiss national -- were killed on July 29, 2018, when attackers plowed their vehicle into their group on a road and then stabbed some of them.
Two other foreign cyclists survived the attack, which occurred about 150 kilometers south of Dushanbe.
Four suspects in the attack, Zafarjon Safarov, Asomuddin Majidov, Jafariddin Yusupov, and Asliddin Yusupov, were killed by Tajik security forces.
Hussein Abdusamadov, who was named the group's leader, survived, and was found guilty of murder in November 2018.
The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it occurred and released a video showing five men -- at least some of whom appeared to resemble those identified by Tajik officials as suspects killed in a confrontation with security forces -- pledging allegiance to the leader of IS.
The Tajik government, however, rejected the claim and instead blamed followers of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), a political party that was banned by the authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon's government in 2015.
The leadership of the IRPT -- which served for several years in the Tajik government -- has denied involvement and called the authorities' claims "shameless and illogical slander."


rferl--2020-09-02--Chechen Leader Kadyrov Appoints His Daughter First Deputy Culture Minister

GROZNY , Russia -- Ramzan Kadyrov , the authoritarian leader of Russia 's North Caucasus region of Chechnya , has @ @ @ @ @ first deputy culture minister .
Kadyrov announced the appointment of his 21-year-old daughter to the @ @ @ @ @ 1 , saying that it was his `` firmly weighed decision . ''
`` Despite @ @ @ @ @ has a wealth of experience managing very complex and large projects , including those linked @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
Aishat Kadyrova manages the Firdaws fashion salon , which presented its collections in @ @ @ @ @ , and Grozny .
In July , the U.S. State Department introduced new sanctions against @ @ @ @ @ in the region , including torture and extrajudicial execution .
The new sanctions also targeted @ @ @ @ @ Karina , and mother Medni Kadyrova .

GROZNY, Russia -- Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, has appointed his eldest daughter as first deputy culture minister.
Kadyrov announced the appointment of his 21-year-old daughter to the post on Telegram on September 1, saying that it was his "firmly weighed decision."
"Despite her young age, she has a wealth of experience managing very complex and large projects, including those linked to culture," Kadyrov wrote.
Aishat Kadyrova manages the Firdaws fashion salon, which presented its collections in Paris, Dubai, Moscow, and Grozny.
In July, the U.S. State Department introduced new sanctions against Kadyrov for human rights violations in the region, including torture and extrajudicial execution. The new sanctions also targeted Aishat Kadyrova, her sister Karina, and mother Medni Kadyrova.