rferl--2020-06-20--COVID-19: Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan Tighten Restrictions Amid Rise In Cases

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 460,000 , with more than 8.6 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Kyrgyzstan has announced it is tightening coronavirus restrictions after an increase in new cases .
Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov said on June 20 that public transport in the capital , Bishkek , and routes between all of its provinces were being shut down until June 22 .
The move came as the number of new coronavirus cases in the Central Asian nation rose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country 's full readiness for a worsening of the epidemiological situation , '' Boronov said .
`` We see daily growth in new COVID-19 cases . ''
The former Soviet republic of 6.5 million people , which now has 2,981 reported cases of the virus , ended a state of emergency accompanied by curfews and lockdowns in May .
Neighboring Kazakhstan , which has 25,000 confirmed cases , has also introduced new weekend restrictions .
It has closed all shopping malls , markets , and parks in major cities as it fights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. State Department says COVID-19 infections have been reported at its embassy in the Afghan capital .
The State Department did not say how many were affected .
An official at the embassy in Kabul told the AP news agency that as many as 20 people were infected , the majority of whom are Nepalese Gurkhas , who provide embassy security .
“ The embassy is implementing all appropriate measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 , ” the U.S. State Department said on June 20 .
Afghanistan has 28,424 confirmed coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it may mean the numbers are much higher , international aid organizations monitoring the pandemic 's spread in the country say .
They also fear the contagious disease has spread widely throughout the country with the return of nearly 300,000 Afghans from Iran , the hardest-hit country in the region .
Iran has recorded more than 200,000 cases and 9,392 deaths .
Few of the Afghans who returned from Iran were tested before they fanned out across the country to their homes .
Earlier this month the International Rescue Committee warned Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster mostly because the government does not have the capacity to even test 80 percent of coronavirus cases .
Until now a handful of NATO troops have also tested positive for the infection .
With reporting by Reuters and AP

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 460,000, with more than 8.6 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Kyrgyzstan. Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan has announced it is tightening coronavirus restrictions after an increase in new cases.
Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov said on June 20 that public transport in the capital, Bishkek, and routes between all of its provinces were being shut down until June 22.
The move came as the number of new coronavirus cases in the Central Asian nation rose by 192.
"We must ensure the country's full readiness for a worsening of the epidemiological situation," Boronov said. "We see daily growth in new COVID-19 cases."
The former Soviet republic of 6.5 million people, which now has 2,981 reported cases of the virus, ended a state of emergency accompanied by curfews and lockdowns in May.
Neighboring Kazakhstan, which has 25,000 confirmed cases, has also introduced new weekend restrictions.
It has closed all shopping malls, markets, and parks in major cities as it fights a second wave of the outbreak.
Afghanistan
The U.S. State Department says COVID-19 infections have been reported at its embassy in the Afghan capital.
The State Department did not say how many were affected. An official at the embassy in Kabul told the AP news agency that as many as 20 people were infected, the majority of whom are Nepalese Gurkhas, who provide embassy security.
"The embassy is implementing all appropriate measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19," the U.S. State Department said on June 20.
Afghanistan has 28,424 confirmed coronavirus cases. Lack of testing and access to it may mean the numbers are much higher, international aid organizations monitoring the pandemic's spread in the country say.
They also fear the contagious disease has spread widely throughout the country with the return of nearly 300,000 Afghans from Iran, the hardest-hit country in the region. Iran has recorded more than 200,000 cases and 9,392 deaths.
Few of the Afghans who returned from Iran were tested before they fanned out across the country to their homes.
Earlier this month the International Rescue Committee warned Afghanistan was on the brink of a humanitarian disaster mostly because the government does not have the capacity to even test 80 percent of coronavirus cases.
Until now a handful of NATO troops have also tested positive for the infection.
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-06-20--Russian Soccer Team Routed After Fielding Youth Players Due To Coronavirus

A team in Russia ’ s top soccer league has suffered a huge defeat after being forced to field youth players because their entire first team squad was in quarantine .
Rostov lost 10-1 to Sochi in the Black Sea resort on June 19 as the Russian Premier League resumed play after shutting down for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Two days before the match , however , six players for Rostov tested positive for the coronavirus .
Russia has the third-highest number of infections in the world with more than half a million cases .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-isolating , the fourth-placed team had no professional players available for their first match back .
Sochi , which is battling relegation and desperate for points , rejected appeals to reschedule the game .
Sochi climbed from 12th to ninth in the 16-team league thanks to the rout .
Rostov 's teen brigade grabbed the lead when Roman Romanov scored in the first minute , but were 4-1 down by halftime , and home side Sochi showed no mercy in the second half .
Rostov 's 17-year-old goalkeeper Denis Popov was named man-of-the-match @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 saves including stopping a penalty .
Sochi had a total of 41 shots compared to two for Rostov .
`` We were weaker than our opponents only in terms of our physical characteristics , '' 17-year-old Romanov , the scorer of Rostov 's lone goal , told Match TV .
Russian international striker Aleksandr Kokorin scored a hat-trick for Sochi .
On June 18 , the Russian Football Federation offered to postpone the match until July 19 , but this required the agreement of both clubs , and struggling Sochi declined .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kick-off , declaring the match on .
Based on reporting by Interfax , AFP , and Reuters

A team in Russia’s top soccer league has suffered a huge defeat after being forced to field youth players because their entire first team squad was in quarantine.
Rostov lost 10-1 to Sochi in the Black Sea resort on June 19 as the Russian Premier League resumed play after shutting down for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Two days before the match, however, six players for Rostov tested positive for the coronavirus.
Russia has the third-highest number of infections in the world with more than half a million cases.
With all of Rostov's players and coaches self-isolating, the fourth-placed team had no professional players available for their first match back.
Sochi, which is battling relegation and desperate for points, rejected appeals to reschedule the game.
Sochi climbed from 12th to ninth in the 16-team league thanks to the rout.
Rostov's teen brigade grabbed the lead when Roman Romanov scored in the first minute, but were 4-1 down by halftime, and home side Sochi showed no mercy in the second half.
Rostov's 17-year-old goalkeeper Denis Popov was named man-of-the-match despite letting in 10 goals, making 15 saves including stopping a penalty. Sochi had a total of 41 shots compared to two for Rostov.
"We were weaker than our opponents only in terms of our physical characteristics," 17-year-old Romanov, the scorer of Rostov's lone goal, told Match TV.
Russian international striker Aleksandr Kokorin scored a hat-trick for Sochi.
On June 18, the Russian Football Federation offered to postpone the match until July 19, but this required the agreement of both clubs, and struggling Sochi declined.
Sochi issued a statement only hours before kick-off, declaring the match on.
Based on reporting by Interfax, AFP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-06-20--U.S. Iran Envoy Calls IAEA Resolution 'Significant,' Says Russia, China Votes Against Were ‘Irrespon

U.S. Iran Envoy Calls IAEA Resolution 'Significant,' Says Russia, China Votes Against Were ‘Irresponsible’

The U.S. special envoy for Iran has welcomed a resolution passed on June 19 by the board of governors of the United Nations ' atomic agency that urges Iran to provide access to two sites where nuclear activity may have occurred in the past .
Brian Hook said the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) board ’ s resolution `` is significant and it raises serious concerns about Iran ’ s nuclear program and its lack of transparency . ''
The resolution , the first of its kind since 2012 , calls on Iran to `` fully cooperate '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agency 's requests without any further delay , '' including by providing `` prompt '' access to the two sites in order to clarify whether undeclared nuclear activity took place there during the early 2000s .
Iran has been blocking access to the sites for months , prompting a growing diplomatic dispute .
Hook , speaking in a conference call with reporters , said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on June 18 that Iran has nothing to hide .
Hook said if this is true , `` then it should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspectors . ''
The resolution , put forth by France , Germany , and Britain , was passed with 25 votes in favor .
Russia and China voted against , while seven countries -- Azerbaijan , Pakistan , India , Mongolia , South Africa , Thailand , and Niger -- abstained .
Hook took issue with the votes cast by Russia and China , saying they tried to shield Iran from scrutiny .
`` As nuclear powers , China and Russia have special responsibilities not to support nations who play cat and mouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Their votes were irresponsible , and the international community deserves better behavior . ''
Kazem Gharib Abadi , the Iranian ambassador to the IAEA , said his country `` strongly rejects this resolution and will respond appropriately in due course . ''
Iranian officials have said that such a resolution could hurt relations between Tehran and the UN agency .
Russia 's ambassador to the UN in Vienna , Mikhail Ulyanov , tweeted that `` the resolution can be counterproductive , '' while also `` stressing the need for Tehran and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The sites in question are not thought to be directly relevant to Iran 's current nuclear program .
But the IAEA says it needs to know if activities going back almost two decades have been properly declared and whether all nuclear materials have been accounted for .
The IAEA says it still has the access it needs to inspect Iran 's declared nuclear facilities according to its mandate under the landmark nuclear deal reached in 2015 between Iran and world powers .
The United States pulled out of the agreement in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have battered the Iranian economy .
In response , Tehran has been progressively breaking the restrictions laid down in the agreement , saying that it can reverse them if the remaining parties to the deal -- Britain , France , Germany , China , and Russia -- comply with it .
U.S. sanctions make it difficult for other parties to abide by their commitments .
The United States has also pushed for an extension of an arms embargo on Iran beyond October , when it was set to be progressively eased under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 19 , the foreign ministers of Britain , France , and Germany said that they too opposed lifting the embargo , saying that the move `` would have major implications for regional security and stability . ''
But the ministers also said their countries would not back U.S. efforts to unilaterally trigger the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran .
`` Any unilateral attempt to trigger U.N. sanctions snapback would have serious adverse consequences in the U.N. Security Council , '' they said in a joint statement .
However , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue in close coordination with Russia and China . ''
With reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , ISNA , and dpa

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--2020-06-20--U.S., Russia To Hold Arms Talks Next Week In Move To Preserve New START

The United States says disarmament talks between its top arms control negotiator and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov will take place next week in Austria .
U.S. envoy Marshall Billingslea will travel to Austria on June 22-23 to meet with Ryabkov `` on mutually agreed topics related to the future of arms control , ” the State Department said in a statement on June 19 .
The statement also said the United States has extended an invitation to China to join the discussions , `` and has made clear the need for all three countries to pursue arms control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for China to join the United States and Russia in talks on a nuclear arms control agreement to replace the 2010 New START accord ( Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ) .
New START , which imposes limits on U.S. and Russian deployments of strategic nuclear arms to no more than 1,550 each , expires in February .
China , estimated to have about 300 nuclear weapons , has repeatedly rejected Trump 's proposal , most recently on June 10 .
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous stance that it was not going to join the talks .
While China has been expanding its nuclear arsenal , is still far smaller than the U.S. and Russian programs .
The United States had voiced hopes that Russia could convince China to join the negotiations .
But Ryabkov said on June 9 that his answer to the question of whether it would be possible to bring China to the table `` would be a flat and straightforward no . ''
Trump has pulled out of a number of international agreements , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iran nuclear deal .
The Trump administration , however , voiced a general interest in preserving New START .
Russia has called on the United States to make a `` positive '' proposal ahead of the meeting .
`` We need to hear loudly and clearly what this administration wants , how it believes it would be possible to do something positive and not just to dismantle one arms control treaty or arrangement after another , '' Ryabkov said on June 9 .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP

The United States says disarmament talks between its top arms control negotiator and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov will take place next week in Austria.
U.S. envoy Marshall Billingslea will travel to Austria on June 22-23 to meet with Ryabkov "on mutually agreed topics related to the future of arms control,” the State Department said in a statement on June 19.
The statement also said the United States has extended an invitation to China to join the discussions, "and has made clear the need for all three countries to pursue arms control negotiations in good faith."
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for China to join the United States and Russia in talks on a nuclear arms control agreement to replace the 2010 New START accord (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty).
New START, which imposes limits on U.S. and Russian deployments of strategic nuclear arms to no more than 1,550 each, expires in February.
China, estimated to have about 300 nuclear weapons, has repeatedly rejected Trump's proposal, most recently on June 10.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said then that Beijing hadn't changed its previous stance that it was not going to join the talks.
While China has been expanding its nuclear arsenal, is still far smaller than the U.S. and Russian programs.
The United States had voiced hopes that Russia could convince China to join the negotiations. But Ryabkov said on June 9 that his answer to the question of whether it would be possible to bring China to the table "would be a flat and straightforward no."
Trump has pulled out of a number of international agreements, including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Iran nuclear deal.
The Trump administration, however, voiced a general interest in preserving New START.
Russia has called on the United States to make a "positive" proposal ahead of the meeting.
"We need to hear loudly and clearly what this administration wants, how it believes it would be possible to do something positive and not just to dismantle one arms control treaty or arrangement after another," Ryabkov said on June 9.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP


rferl--2020-06-19--European Lawmakers Call For Eastern Partners' Greater Integration

European lawmakers are calling for the creation of a `` common economic space '' between the EU and the six former Soviet republics of its Eastern Partnership program as part of a process of `` gradual integration '' into the bloc .
The European Parliament made the call in a report supported on June 19 by 507 MEPs , with 119 voting against and 37 abstaining .
The document is supposed to serve as the chamber ’ s wish list about the future of the Eastern Partnership program , which includes Armenia , Azerbaijan , Belarus , Georgia , Moldova @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched in 2009 , is meant to bring the six former Soviet republics closer to the EU without clearly offering future membership .
“ While accession is not foreseen under the framework of the Eastern Partnership , the Eastern Partnership policy can facilitate a process of gradual integration into the EU , ” the report reads .
It proposes to `` embark on a process to create a common economic space '' and says Brussels should “ focus on telecommunications and prioritise the creation of a roaming-fees-free regime between the EU and Eastern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as soon as possible.
” Other suggestions include the establishment of an Eastern Partnership University in Kyiv and the appointment of an EU special envoy for Crimea and eastern Ukraine .
The EU has imposed sanctions on Russia over its forcible seizure of Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and its support for separatists in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014 .

European lawmakers are calling for the creation of a "common economic space" between the EU and the six former Soviet republics of its Eastern Partnership program as part of a process of "gradual integration" into the bloc.
The European Parliament made the call in a report supported on June 19 by 507 MEPs, with 119 voting against and 37 abstaining.
The document is supposed to serve as the chamber’s wish list about the future of the Eastern Partnership program, which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
The program, launched in 2009, is meant to bring the six former Soviet republics closer to the EU without clearly offering future membership.
“While accession is not foreseen under the framework of the Eastern Partnership, the Eastern Partnership policy can facilitate a process of gradual integration into the EU,” the report reads.
It proposes to "embark on a process to create a common economic space" and says Brussels should “focus on telecommunications and prioritise the creation of a roaming-fees-free regime between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries and an intra-Eastern Partnership one as soon as possible.”
Other suggestions include the establishment of an Eastern Partnership University in Kyiv and the appointment of an EU special envoy for Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
The EU has imposed sanctions on Russia over its forcible seizure of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and its support for separatists in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014.


rferl--2020-06-20--Georgians Mark One Year Since Anti-Russia Protests

Thousands of protesters gathered peacefully on June 20 in the Georgian capital , Tbilisi , to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-Russia demonstrations that were violently put down by the government .
The protest was the first mass event in Georgia since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic .
To encourage social distancing , organizers placed stickers with the image of Russian President Vladimir Putin spaced apart on the ground and encouraging protesters to step on his face .
Public anger boiled over on June 20 , 2019 , when Russian lawmaker Sergei Gavrilov addressed parliament , in Russian , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting of lawmakers from Orthodox countries .
The affront touched a nerve with many in Georgia , which fought a brief war with Russia in 2008 .
Russia still occupies the two breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia .
Led by the opposition , the protest in front of parliament a year ago descended into violence when riot police fired tear gas , rubber bullets , and water cannons .
More than 240 people were injured , including more than 30 journalists and 80 policemen .
Several protesters were injured in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days as demonstrators demanded the resignation of the government and those responsible for ordering the police response .
The government justified the use of force because protesters had tried to storm the parliament building .
With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL 's Georgian Service

Thousands of protesters gathered peacefully on June 20 in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-Russia demonstrations that were violently put down by the government.
The protest was the first mass event in Georgia since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
To encourage social distancing, organizers placed stickers with the image of Russian President Vladimir Putin spaced apart on the ground and encouraging protesters to step on his face.
Most protesters wore masks and organizers provided disinfectant hand gel.
Public anger boiled over on June 20, 2019, when Russian lawmaker Sergei Gavrilov addressed parliament, in Russian, from the speaker’s chair during a meeting of lawmakers from Orthodox countries.
The incident touched a nerve with many in Georgia, which fought a brief war with Russia in 2008. Russia still occupies the two breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Led by the opposition, the protest in front of parliament a year ago descended into violence when riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons.
More than 240 people were injured, including more than 30 journalists and 80 policemen. Several protesters were injured in the eye.
The protests continued for days as demonstrators demanded the resignation of the government and those responsible for ordering the police response.
The government justified the use of force because protesters had tried to storm the parliament building.
With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL's Georgian Service


rferl--2020-06-20--Marxists Unveil Controversial Lenin Statue In Germany

GELSENKIRCHEN , Germany -- A life-sized statue of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin was unveiled on June 20 in Gelsenkirchen , a former mining town in western Germany by the radical left-wing Marxist-Leninist Party Of Germany ( MLPD ) .
Several hundred people gathered for the ceremony , with scores of police barricading the busy street corner where the monument to the founder of the Soviet Union was revealed .
The statue was initially set to be installed in time for Lenin 's 150th birth anniversary in April , but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the event .
The installation of Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the former communist East Germany was fiercely opposed by many Germans .
Gelsenkirchen 's city council took the Marxists to court in an attempt to stop the action , calling Lenin a `` representative of violence , suppression , terror , and immense human suffering . ''
But the council 's case that the statue would `` disturb the view '' of a nearby historic bank was thrown out and the Marxists were given the green light to erect the monument .
Martin Schulmann , a spokesman for Gelsenkirchen 's city council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only a very few people around the Marxist Party want [ the Lenin monument ] , no one else . ''
But after the council 's legal defeat , `` we have no choice but to accept the court 's rulings , since the piece of land where the statue is due to be installed is privately owned [ by the MLPD ] . ''
The erection of Lenin 's statue comes amid global protests against racism in recent weeks that have witnessed numerous statues of controversial figures toppled or vandalized in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany , and elsewhere .
At a press conference before the unveiling , MLPD 's leader Gabi Fechtner told RFE/RL that measures have been taken to reinforce the Lenin statue .
`` I wo n't say exactly how but it has been very firmly fastened in place . ''
The 1.3-ton , cast-iron statue was made in the former Czechoslovakia in 1957 and bought by the MLPD in an online auction for 16,000 euros ( $ 18,000 ) .
As speeches were under way , Russian woman Yekaterina Maldon stood amongst the crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottle filled with red liquid .
Maldon had the bottle pulled from her hand and was hauled away by members of the crowd as she shouted , `` Lenin was a mass killer . ''
A few dozen right-wing demonstrators opposed to the installation of the Soviet leader gathered outside the police barricades , including a small group wearing black jerseys branded with `` Defensive West MG. '' The group drew chants of `` Fascists out ! ''
from the MLPD supporters .
A short distance from the Defensive West group , Marco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deutschland ( AfD ) , Germany 's right-wing , anti-immigrant political party , held a sign reading : `` Freedom instead of socialism . ''
Graeber told RFE/RL that he was there to oppose `` a monument to a mass murderer , '' adding that `` if there was a statue here to Hitler we would oppose that , too . ''
Another protestor next to him leaned in to add , `` socialism just does n't work , we can see it everywhere from North Korea to Venezuela .
These [ Marxist-Leninists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Stefan Engel , the former head of the MLPD , says the organization aims to install a `` true version of socialism '' in Germany , a political ideology which he told gathered media was `` betrayed '' after Josef Stalin died and his reign of mass murder and repression was denounced by the Soviet leadership beginning in 1956 .
Engel says the party is now planning to erect a statue of Karl Marx to stand next to the controversial Lenin , but gave no timeline for the emplacement .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trier unveiled a controversial statue to the communist philosopher to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his birth .

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany -- A life-sized statue of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin was unveiled on June 20 in Gelsenkirchen, a former mining town in western Germany by the radical left-wing Marxist-Leninist Party Of Germany (MLPD).
Several hundred people gathered for the ceremony, with scores of police barricading the busy street corner where the monument to the founder of the Soviet Union was revealed.
The statue was initially set to be installed in time for Lenin's 150th birth anniversary in April, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the event.
The installation of Germany's first large public statue of Lenin outside the former communist East Germany was fiercely opposed by many Germans.
Gelsenkirchen's city council took the Marxists to court in an attempt to stop the action, calling Lenin a "representative of violence, suppression, terror, and immense human suffering."
But the council's case that the statue would "disturb the view" of a nearby historic bank was thrown out and the Marxists were given the green light to erect the monument.
Martin Schulmann, a spokesman for Gelsenkirchen's city council, told RFE/RL in April that "only a very few people around the Marxist Party want [the Lenin monument], no one else."
But after the council's legal defeat, "we have no choice but to accept the court's rulings, since the piece of land where the statue is due to be installed is privately owned [by the MLPD]."
The erection of Lenin's statue comes amid global protests against racism in recent weeks that have witnessed numerous statues of controversial figures toppled or vandalized in the United States, Britain, Belgium, Germany, and elsewhere.
At a press conference before the unveiling, MLPD's leader Gabi Fechtner told RFE/RL that measures have been taken to reinforce the Lenin statue.
"I won't say exactly how but it has been very firmly fastened in place."
The 1.3-ton, cast-iron statue was made in the former Czechoslovakia in 1957 and bought by the MLPD in an online auction for 16,000 euros ($18,000).
As speeches were under way, Russian woman Yekaterina Maldon stood amongst the crowd with an anti-Soviet placard and a vodka bottle filled with red liquid.
Maldon had the bottle pulled from her hand and was hauled away by members of the crowd as she shouted, "Lenin was a mass killer."
A few dozen right-wing demonstrators opposed to the installation of the Soviet leader gathered outside the police barricades, including a small group wearing black jerseys branded with "Defensive West MG."
The group drew chants of "Fascists out!" from the MLPD supporters.
A short distance from the Defensive West group, Marco Graeber, a supporter of Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), Germany's right-wing, anti-immigrant political party, held a sign reading: "Freedom instead of socialism."
Graeber told RFE/RL that he was there to oppose "a monument to a mass murderer," adding that "if there was a statue here to Hitler we would oppose that, too."
Another protestor next to him leaned in to add, "socialism just doesn't work, we can see it everywhere from North Korea to Venezuela. These [Marxist-Leninists] want to bring back the past."
Stefan Engel, the former head of the MLPD, says the organization aims to install a "true version of socialism" in Germany, a political ideology which he told gathered media was "betrayed" after Josef Stalin died and his reign of mass murder and repression was denounced by the Soviet leadership beginning in 1956.
Engel says the party is now planning to erect a statue of Karl Marx to stand next to the controversial Lenin, but gave no timeline for the emplacement.
In 2018, the western German city of Trier unveiled a controversial statue to the communist philosopher to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his birth.


rferl--2020-06-20--Iran's Currency Plummets To Record Low Against Dollar Amid Coronavirus, U.S. Sanctions

Iran ’ s currency has tumbled against the dollar to its lowest level ever as the country grapples with U.S. sanctions , the coronavirus , and low oil prices .
The rial fell to as low as 193,400 against the dollar on the street market on June 20 , according to foreign exchange website Bonbast.com .
The economic daily Donya-e-Eqtesad gave the dollar rate as 190,800 .
The Iranian currency has plummeted more than 600 percent against the dollar since Iran and world powers in 2015 signed a nuclear deal .
Before Iran recorded its first case of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at around 140,000 against the greenback .
U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed crushing sanctions that sent the economy into a tailspin and fueled inflation .
Iran came under further diplomatic pressure on June 19 when the International Atomic Energy Agency ’ s ( IAEA ) Board of Governors called on Tehran to stop denying it access to two suspected former nuclear sites .
The coronavirus pandemic and falling oil prices have contributed to the bleak economic outlook .
Iran has been the Middle East ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9,500 deaths and more than 200,000 positive cases so far .
Iran ’ s central bank chief , Abdolnaser Hemmati , has said the country is trying to access billions in dollars of funds frozen abroad to provide liquidity to the market .
In an Instagram post on June 20 , he sought to downplay the psychological impact of the IAEA resolution and other factors impacting the market .
`` The circumstances created by corona , the temporary pressure on the foreign exchange market ... and the psychological atmosphere caused by the resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not give the wrong signal , '' Hemmati said .
`` Despite the limited oil revenues , the country 's foreign exchange balance is good and the central bank will continue to provide the needed currency ... despite continued U.S. pressure , '' he added .
In May , Iran 's parliament voted to slash four zeros from the currency and replace it with the toman , which will be equal to 10,000 rials .
The law must be ratified by the Guardians Council , a powerful hard-line constitutional watchdog .
With reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @


rferl--2020-06-20--COVID-19: Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan Tighten Restrictions; U.S. Embassy In Kabul Reports Cases

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 460,000 , with more than 8.6 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Kyrgyzstan has announced it is tightening coronavirus restrictions after an increase in new cases .
Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov said on June 20 that public transport in the capital , Bishkek , and routes between all of its provinces were being shut down until June 22 .
The move came as the number of new coronavirus cases in the Central Asian nation rose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country 's full readiness for a worsening of the epidemiological situation , '' Boronov said .
`` We see daily growth in new COVID-19 cases . ''
The former Soviet republic of 6.5 million people , which now has 2,981 reported cases of the virus , ended a state of emergency accompanied by curfews and lockdowns in May .
Neighboring Kazakhstan , which has 25,000 confirmed cases , has also introduced new weekend restrictions .
It has closed all shopping malls , markets , and parks in major cities as it fights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. State Department says COVID-19 infections have been reported at its embassy in the Afghan capital .
The State Department did not say how many were affected .
An official at the embassy in Kabul told the AP news agency that as many as 20 people were infected , the majority of whom are Nepalese Gurkhas , who provide embassy security .
`` The embassy is implementing all appropriate measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 , '' the U.S. State Department said on June 20 .
Afghanistan has 28,424 confirmed coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it may mean the numbers are much higher , international aid organizations monitoring the pandemic 's spread in the country say .
They also fear the contagious disease has spread widely throughout the country with the return of nearly 300,000 Afghans from Iran , the hardest-hit country in the region .
Iran has recorded more than 200,000 cases and 9,392 deaths .
Few of the Afghans who returned from Iran were tested before they fanned out across the country to their homes .
Earlier this month the International Rescue Committee warned Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster mostly because the government does not have the capacity to even test 80 percent of coronavirus cases .
Until now a handful of NATO troops have also tested positive for the infection .
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-06-21--COVID-19: Azerbaijan Reinstates Lockdown; Pakistan Opens Afghan Border Crossing

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 460,000 , with more than 8.8 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Highlighting the difficulty of keeping a balance between the need to reopen hard-pressed economies and the risk of a new surge in infections , Azerbaijan on June 21 reinstated a tight lockdown to contain a spike in new cases that followed the easing of restrictions weeks ago .
Azerbaijan imposed a state of emergency to contain the outbreak on March 24 .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with most restrictions relaxed .
But now Azerbaijanis will only be allowed to leave home `` once a day for a maximum of two hours after receiving permission via text message '' from the authorities , Prime Minister Ali Asadov said in a statement on June 21 .
The new measures will remain in force until August 1 in the capital , Baku , and several other major cities and provinces .
Shopping malls , cafes , restaurants , and hair salons were meanwhile ordered to close as of June 21 , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move came after the number of infections in the oil-rich nation doubled in the space of the last two weeks .
Overall , the country of around 10 million people has so far reported 12,238 cases of the coronavirus and 148 deaths .
Pakistan announced it was reopening a key border crossing with Afghanistan on June 22 to allow trade between the neighbors .
Trucks carrying fruits , vegetables , and other items will start crossing the Ghulam Khan border in northwestern North Waziristan district .
Pakistan has already reopened its border with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 220 million in lockdown in March , but the government last month eased restrictions , saying it was necessary to save the economy even though cases went up .
On June 21 , Pakistan reported 119 more COVID-19 deaths and 4,951 new cases , raising its total to 176,617 cases including 3,501 fatalities .
Critics say , however , that a lack of sufficient testing is preventing a clearer picture of the extent of the outbreak in the country .
With reporting by AP , Reuters , and dpa

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


rferl--2020-06-21--Gas Explosion Kills At Least One In Kyiv Building

At least one person was killed in a gas explosion at an apartment building in the Ukrainian capital , Kyiv @ @ @ @ @ 21 .
Several people could be trapped under wreckage after four floors of the nine-storey @ @ @ @ @ State Emergency Services said in a statement .
`` As of 11:00 , one person @ @ @ @ @ people were evacuated .
Three people have been released and further evacuation of the house @ @ @ @ @ , '' the statement said .
It said 21 residents had been evacuated from the @ @ @ @ @ not immediately clear how many people had been inside .

At least one person was killed in a gas explosion at an apartment building in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, rescuers said on June 21.
Several people could be trapped under wreckage after four floors of the nine-storey building were destroyed, the State Emergency Services said in a statement.
"As of 11:00, one person was found dead. 21 people were evacuated. Three people have been released and further evacuation of the house's residents is under way," the statement said.
It said 21 residents had been evacuated from the building, but it was not immediately clear how many people had been inside.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-06-21--Right-Wing Member Of Serbian Parliament Leads Protest Ahead Of National Elections

BELGRADE -- Several hundred people demonstrated in front of Serbia 's parliament building in Belgrade on June 20 in an action led by the right-wing independent member of parliament Srdjan Nogo a day before national elections .
Nogo said the elections were not legal and called on citizens to elect members of the 250-seat parliament who would change the constitution among other demands , including that the government call off the elections .
The demonstrators also say they will not disperse until they can enter the National Assembly .
Nogo and some of the demonstrators tried to enter the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nogo , however , was allowed to enter alone and soon exited .
The people who were gathered outside held banners that read `` Kosovo -- no surrender '' and shouted , `` Send migrants home , '' and `` Kosovo is the heart of Serbia . ''
They also sang nationalist songs .
Nogo also sent a message to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that , if anyone gets hurt during the demonstration , he will be blamed .
Police are monitoring the situation and have not taken any actions other than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Participants are not respecting physical-distancing measures or wearing masks , precautions that are recommended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
On May 9 , the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II , Nogo led a march in which groups of people shouted `` We do n't want migrants , '' and protested against the 5G Internet network and vaccinations .
Vucic ’ s ruling conservative Serbian Progressive Party ( SNS ) is poised to maintain its majority in Serbia ’ s parliament amid an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coalition partner , the Socialist Party ( SPS ) , is tapped to come in second at around 10 percent .
Several right-wing and liberal parties may make it over a 3 percent threshold .

BELGRADE -- Several hundred people demonstrated in front of Serbia's parliament building in Belgrade on June 20 in an action led by the right-wing independent member of parliament Srdjan Nogo a day before national elections.
Nogo said the elections were not legal and called on citizens to elect members of the 250-seat parliament who would change the constitution among other demands, including that the government call off the elections.
The demonstrators also say they will not disperse until they can enter the National Assembly.
Nogo and some of the demonstrators tried to enter the National Assembly building, but police stopped them. Nogo, however, was allowed to enter alone and soon exited.
The people who were gathered outside held banners that read "Kosovo -- no surrender" and shouted, "Send migrants home," and "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia." They also sang nationalist songs.
Nogo also sent a message to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that, if anyone gets hurt during the demonstration, he will be blamed.
Police are monitoring the situation and have not taken any actions other than to stop the crowd entering the building.
Participants are not respecting physical-distancing measures or wearing masks, precautions that are recommended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
On May 9, the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Nogo led a march in which groups of people shouted "We don't want migrants," and protested against the 5G Internet network and vaccinations.
Vucic’s ruling conservative Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is poised to maintain its majority in Serbia’s parliament amid an opposition boycott in the election. Vucic’s coalition partner, the Socialist Party (SPS), is tapped to come in second at around 10 percent. Several right-wing and liberal parties may make it over a 3 percent threshold.
With reporting by Tatjana Bogdanov


rferl--2020-06-21--Serbia Votes In Elections Expected To Cement Ruling Party's Hold On Power

Voting is under way in Serbia in a parliamentary election expected to tighten President Aleksandar Vucic ’ s ruling party 's grip on power amid an opposition boycott in Europe ’ s first national election since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered most of the continent .
Vucic ’ s center-right conservative ruling Serbian Progressive Party ( SNS ) , which has led the Balkan state for the past eight years , is expected to secure nearly 60 percent of the vote in the June 21 balloting , according to opinion polls .
Vucic ’ s coalition partner , the Socialist Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come in second at around 10 percent .
Several right-wing and liberal parties may make it over a 3 percent threshold to enter the 250-seat parliament but are unlikely to provide checks on the government ’ s power .
Some of the smaller parties are believed to be close to the government or controlled by it .
Some 6.5 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots at more than 8,000 polling stations across the country .
Polling stations were equipped with face masks and hand sanitizers , and voters were urged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were expected to skip voting -- partly due to fears of becoming infected .
The Serbian Electoral Commission said that the turnout at noon local time stood at 18 percent .
The results of the vote at a time when upcoming U.S.-brokered talks with Kosovo have brought the Balkan country into the geopolitical spotlight , are expected to leave a further empowered Vucic facing a fragmented and weak opposition with looming questions over the trajectory of democracy in the country .
Several liberal and right-wing opposition parties under the banner of the Alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote , citing what they say is an unfair playing field exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic .
Before the boycott , the alliance polled around 10 percent .
Serbia was in election-campaign mode when a state of emergency was declared in March over the coronavirus , and elections scheduled for April 26 were pushed back to June 21 .
The pandemic has boosted Vucic ’ s popularity , given the relatively few deaths in the country until now and state handouts to soften its economic impact .
Vucic told the media after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he expects a good turnout and adding that , in case of victory , his party will immediately announce its plans for the next term .
`` I am very pleased that there were no serious irregularities until noon today , that the elections are being held in a democratic atmosphere , that there are fewer incidents than ever in the multiparty democracy in Serbia , '' Vucic said .
Meanwhile , restrictions during the state of emergency – which interrupted more than a year of weekly pro-democracy protests -- have hampered opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is not himself up for re-election , of using his position as president to promote his party and exerting complete control over the media .
`` This is the most recent in a series of elections called by this government with the purpose of consolidating its position , strategically set for a time when they know they can win , and under conditions of near-complete domination of media and other mechanisms of communication , '' Eric Gordy , a professor at the University College London ’ s School of Slavonic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` But the boycott is weak , and is unlikely to achieve its purpose , '' he said , adding that there are `` legitimate questions '' that have been raised within the opposition as to how wise it is to boycott local elections in towns where the opposition controls local governments .
In May , the U.S.-based Freedom House said it no longer considers Serbia a democracy `` after years of increasing state capture , abuse of power , and strongman tactics '' by Vucic .
The democracy watchdog said in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SNS came to power in 2012 it `` has steadily eroded political rights and civil liberties , putting pressure on independent media , the political opposition , and civil society organizations . ''
Vucic is set to further strengthen his hand at home as he simultaneously courts the United States , the European Union , China , and Serbia ’ s traditional ally Russia .
The expected mandate from the election comes amid intensified international efforts to restart dialogue with Kosovo , an ethnic Albanian province whose independence Belgrade does not recognize .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Serbia and Kosovo negotiations , last week said he had received commitments from both Vucic and his Kosovo counterpart , Hashim Thaci , to meet at the White House on June 27 with the aim of reviving stalled talks to resolve differences between the two countries .
Kosovo was part of Serbia until an armed uprising by the ethnic Albanian majority population in 1998-99 triggered a Serbian crackdown .
This in turn prompted a NATO bombing campaign against Serbia to force its troops out of Kosovo .
Belgrade and Moscow both refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independence .
Grenell said the White House meeting `` opens the door to new economic development and investment '' to pave the way for a political solution .
But first Vucic will travel on June 24 to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow , Serbia ’ s main ally alongside China in rejecting Kosovo ’ s independence .
Serbia seeks European Union membership and for years the bloc has led talks , which stalled in 2018 .
Serbia ’ s EU membership bid is contingent on settling its disputes with Kosovo .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 111 foreign -- are monitoring the election .
Among the foreign observers are representatives of the OSCE ODIHR ( OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights ) , and for the first time , ENEMO -- the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations -- applied to monitor the elections .
The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade issued a message on June 21 saying , `` Free and fair elections are the foundation of democracy . ''
while U.S .
Ambassador to Serbia Anthony Godfrey published a photo on June 21 in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international observer in the elections .
`` Thank you to Serbia for my official accreditation for monitoring the elections in Serbia today .
My team from the Embassy and I wish Serbian voters a great and peaceful election day , '' Godfrey wrote on Twitter .
Polls remain open until 8:00 p.m. First preliminary results are expected within hours of the closing of polls .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service , AFP , AP , and Reuters

Serbia’s parliamentary elections that appear to have given President Aleksandar Vucic's ruling party a landslide victory were administered fairly but media coverage was largely one-sided, monitors of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says.
Vucic’s government benefited from extensive coverage on TV editorial programs and on broadcaster’s websites, the OSCE said in a June 22 statement, a day after the vote. However, opponents were provided with free airtime and equal access to regular election programming as required by law.
“Most major TV channels and newspapers promoted the policies of the government and gave it extensive editorial coverage, limiting the diversity of views,” the OSCE statement said.
Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) was leading with around 61 percent of the vote, followed by his ally, the Socialist Party, with around 10 percent, based on results published by election authorities with nearly two-thirds of the ballots counted.
The vote had been tarnished by a boycott from parts of the opposition and concerns about the coronavirus.
Urszula Gacek, head of the mission of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said the dominance of the ruling party "risks the neutrality of the country’s democratic institutions, and dialogue is needed to bridge the deep political divisions and protect pluralism.”
Vucic's victory over the weekend strengthens his position as he heads into internationally mediated peace negotiations on the future of Serbia’s former province of Kosovo.
The Serbian president met with EU Special Representative for the Serbia-Kosovo Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak on June 22, pledging support for the EU-mediated effort to reach an agreement in the long-standing dispute.
"I expect that EU-facilitated dialogue resumes in July in Brussels," said Lajcak, who is a former Slovak foreign minister.
A U.S.-brokered Serbia-Kosovo meeting is set for June 27 in Washington.
Projections showed the right-wing Serbian Patriotic Alliance in third place, tentatively with about 4 percent of the vote. Other groupings failed to reach the minimum 3 percent threshold to gain places in the 250-seat legislature.
“I have been in politics for a long time, but I have never experienced a moment like this,” Vucic said. “Tonight we gained the great trust of the people, the greatest ever in Serbia, in conditions when few believed in it."
At the same time, he added, the SNS received a warning from the people that the party must "be even more responsible and serious and that we have to work harder and make the best possible results for the citizens."
The new four-year mandate comes amid intensified international efforts to restart dialogue with Kosovo, which used to be an ethnic Albanian-majority province of Serbia.
In 1998-99, an armed uprising by ethnic Albanians triggered a Serbian crackdown in Kosovo that caused numerous deaths among civilians and triggered a wave of refugees.
In March 1999, NATO launched a 78-day bombing campaign to force Serbian troops out of Kosovo and protect the civilian population. In 2008, Kosovo declared independence, a move recognized by the United States and the majority of the international community, but not by Serbia, Russia, and a handful of EU states.
Richard Grenell, the U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo negotiations, said on June 15 that he had received commitments from Vucic and his Kosovar counterpart, Hashim Thaci, to meet at the White House on June 27.
Vucic’s trip to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to begin three days before the planned White House meeting.
Early this month, Avdullah Hoti became prime minister of Kosovo after winning a vote in parliament by a razor-thin margin. The new government moved swiftly to scrap all trade sanctions against Serbia, opening the door to restart normalization talks with Belgrade.
Serbia has sought European Union membership for years, but talks with the bloc stalled in 2018. Its membership bid is contingent on settling its disputes with Kosovo.
The EU's enlargement commissioner, Oliver Varhelyi, welcomed the SNS's victory in a message on Twitter, saying he was ready to work with Belgrade on reforms needed to advance Serbia's EU aspirations.
"Looking forward to working with new government on #EU-related reforms. Committed to help Serbia move forward quickly towards EU accession and to support economic recovery in the wake of #COVID-19 crisis," Varhelyi wrote.
With reporting by Maja Zivanovic of RFE/RL's Balkan Service


rferl--2020-06-21--Reports: Russian Provocateur Activist, Member Of Pussy Riot Detained In Moscow

Russian news reports said a prominent opposition activist who was a founding member of the protest music group Pussy Riot has been detained by Moscow police Pyotr Verzilov was quoted as telling the news site Mediazona that he was detained at his home earlier on June 21 after police searched his residence .
He said the investigation were connected to the mass arrests that occurred in July 2019 amid weeks of protests over local Moscow elections .
Opposition activists used the election campaign to highlight what they said was a rigged electoral process .
The state-run news agency TASS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying that Verzilov was detained as part of an investigation but did not report further details .
Another news agency , Interfax , cited unnamed law enforcement officials as saying Verzilov had been detained on extremism charges .
Verzilov is a publisher of Mediazona and a founder of the performance art group Pussy Riot that staged a video performance in a Moscow cathedral in 2012 .
Several women who performed in the video were charged and sentenced to prison terms for charges that included offending religious believers .
In 2018 , Verzilov drew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pussy Riot activists ran onto a field during the World Cup soccer match in Moscow to protest police brutality .
He and the others served 15 days in jail .
Based on reporting by Mediazona , TASS , and Interfax

Russian news reports said a prominent opposition activist who was a founding member of the protest music group Pussy Riot has been detained by Moscow police
Pyotr Verzilov was quoted as telling the news site Mediazona that he was detained at his home earlier on June 21 after police searched his residence.
He said the investigation were connected to the mass arrests that occurred in July 2019 amid weeks of protests over local Moscow elections. Opposition activists used the election campaign to highlight what they said was a rigged electoral process.
The state-run news agency TASS, meanwhile, cited a police official as saying that Verzilov was detained as part of an investigation but did not report further details.
Another news agency, Interfax, cited unnamed law enforcement officials as saying Verzilov had been detained on extremism charges.
Verzilov is a publisher of Mediazona and a founder of the performance art group Pussy Riot that staged a video performance in a Moscow cathedral in 2012. Several women who performed in the video were charged and sentenced to prison terms for charges that included offending religious believers.
In 2018, Verzilov drew worldwide attention when he and three other Pussy Riot activists ran onto a field during the World Cup soccer match in Moscow to protest police brutality. He and the others served 15 days in jail.
Based on reporting by Mediazona, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-06-21--Armenian Court Denies Request To Arrest Opposition Leader

An Armenian court has rejected a petition by investigators to arrest the leader of the country ’ s main opposition @ @ @ @ @ of making election bribes and vote buying .
The court 's June 21 decision came @ @ @ @ @ Gagik Tsarukian of his immunity , opening the door for his prosecution and arrest .
@ @ @ @ @ heads the Prosperous Armenia Party , the largest opposition faction in the National Assembly , @ @ @ @ @ 's 132 seats .
The case stems from allegations of vote buying in the 2017 @ @ @ @ @ Tsarukian and members of his political team have called politically motivated .
The prosecutor-general 's @ @ @ @ @ the court 's decision .

An Armenian court has rejected a petition by investigators to arrest the leader of the country’s main opposition party, who faces charges of making election bribes and vote buying.
The court's June 21 decision came five days after parliament stripped Gagik Tsarukian of his immunity, opening the door for his prosecution and arrest.
A wealthy businessman, Tsarukian heads the Prosperous Armenia Party, the largest opposition faction in the National Assembly, holding 25 of the chamber's 132 seats.
The case stems from allegations of vote buying in the 2017 general elections, allegations that Tsarukian and members of his political team have called politically motivated.
The prosecutor-general's office said it would appeal the court's decision.


rferl--2020-06-21--Putin Signals Possibility Of Seeking Reelection If Russians Back Constitutional Change

President Vladimir Putin has said that he would consider standing for election again if Russian voters approve a controversial constitutional amendment in a vote scheduled for next month .
Putin ’ s comments , broadcast on state-run TV on June 21 , were the strongest indications to date of his intentions , and come just 10 days before the July 1 national vote .
`` I have not made any decisions yet , '' he said in comments excerpted by Russian news agencies .
`` I am not ruling out the possibility of running for office if the option appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see . ''
Putin also suggested that finding a successor would potentially be a distraction if he chose not to run again .
That ’ s a hint that the Kremlin either fears a succession struggle among rival factions were Putin to yield the post , or that in the Kremlin ’ s eyes there is no political figure capable of consolidating power .
`` If this does n't happen , then in about two years -- and I know this from personal experience -- the normal rhythm of work of many parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ search for possible successors , '' he was quoted as saying by RIA-Novosti .
In January , after months of hints from Kremlin-allied officials , Putin called for amending the constitution , to reshuffle the center of power-making in Moscow .
But it was n't until March when he specifically backed a proposal to amend the constitution in order to give him possibility of staying on beyond the end of his current six-year term , which ends in 2024 .
If approved by voters , and Putin does seek reelection , the change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be in power until 2036 .
He is already the longest-serving Russian leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin .
First elected in 2000 , Putin served two , four-year terms , then stepped aside and yielded the post to his protégé , Dmitry Medvedev .
Medvedev served just one , four-year term , before Putin returned to the post in 2012 , under new rules that allowed him to serve two , new , six-year terms .
Since winning his most recent election in 2018 , Russia watchers and Kremlinologists have watched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has no real political rivals .
His popularity has slipped in recent years , amid economic problems and the coronavirus pandemic , but polls regularly show him as the country ’ s most popular political figure .
The Kremlin had hoped to hold the vote on April 22 , but the sweeping restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus forced its postponement until July 1 .
The amendment that would give Putin the option to stay for two more six-year terms will be on the ballot along with others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationalist sentiments and nostalgic voters .

President Vladimir Putin has said that he would consider standing for election again if Russian voters approve a controversial constitutional amendment in a vote scheduled for next month.
Putin’s comments, broadcast on state-run TV on June 21, were the strongest indications to date of his intentions, and come just 10 days before the July 1 national vote.
"I have not made any decisions yet," he said in comments excerpted by Russian news agencies. "I am not ruling out the possibility of running for office if the option appears in the constitution. We’ll see."
Putin also suggested that finding a successor would potentially be a distraction if he chose not to run again. That’s a hint that the Kremlin either fears a succession struggle among rival factions were Putin to yield the post, or that in the Kremlin’s eyes there is no political figure capable of consolidating power.
"If this doesn't happen, then in about two years -- and I know this from personal experience -- the normal rhythm of work of many parts of government will be replaced by a search for possible successors," he was quoted as saying by RIA-Novosti.
In January, after months of hints from Kremlin-allied officials, Putin called for amending the constitution, to reshuffle the center of power-making in Moscow. But it wasn't until March when he specifically backed a proposal to amend the constitution in order to give him possibility of staying on beyond the end of his current six-year term, which ends in 2024.
If approved by voters, and Putin does seek reelection, the change would mean Putin, now 67, could be in power until 2036. He is already the longest-serving Russian leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
First elected in 2000, Putin served two, four-year terms, then stepped aside and yielded the post to his protégé, Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev served just one, four-year term, before Putin returned to the post in 2012, under new rules that allowed him to serve two, new, six-year terms.
Since winning his most recent election in 2018, Russia watchers and Kremlinologists have watched closely for signals from Putin, who has no real political rivals. His popularity has slipped in recent years, amid economic problems and the coronavirus pandemic, but polls regularly show him as the country’s most popular political figure.
The Kremlin had hoped to hold the vote on April 22, but the sweeping restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus forced its postponement until July 1.
The amendment that would give Putin the option to stay for two more six-year terms will be on the ballot along with others that are seen as an appeal to nationalist sentiments and nostalgic voters.


rferl--2020-06-21--First Results Show Vucic's Ruling Party Winning 63 Percent Of Vote In Serbian Elections

BELGRADE— Early results in Serbia 's parliamentary election showed President Aleksandar Vucic ’ s ruling party was on track to win 63 percent of the vote , amid a boycott called by an opposition alliance and concerns about the coronavirus pandemic .
The initial projections in the June 21 vote were announced at Serbian public broadcaster RTS by the Center for Free Elections and Democracy .
If the results hold when final tallies are released in the coming days , they will give Vucic 's Serbian Progressive Party a strong mandate for another four years in power .
Coming in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10.6 percent of votes , while third went to the right-wing Serbian Patriotic Alliance , which tentatively got about 4 percent of votes .
Other groupings failed to the minimum threshold to gain places in the 250-seat legislature .
“ I have been in politics for a long time , but I have never experienced a moment like this .
Tonight we gained great trust of the people , the greatest ever in Serbia , in conditions when few believed in it . ''
Vucic said in a speech at party headquarters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Progressive Party “ received a great warning from the people . ''
`` That we have to be even more responsible and serious and that we have to work harder and make the best possible results for the citizens , '' he said .
The vote was Europe ’ s first national election since the coronavirus shuttered most of the continent and was overshadowed by calls for a boycott ahead of time from an alliance of opposition groups .
Pre-election opinion polls showed Vucic ’ s party , which has led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , on track to get nearly 60 percent of the vote .
Polling organizers ordered protective measures at the country ’ s more than 8,000 voting stations in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
Face masks and hand sanitizers were widely distributed , and voters were urged to respect physical distancing .
Still , many Serbs were expected to skip voting -- partly due to fears of becoming infected .
By early evening , just 41 percent of the country ’ s 6.6 million eligible voters had cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I do n't expect anything in particular ” from the vote , ” one Belgrade voter , who gave only his first name , Ivan , told RFE/RL ’ s Balkan Service .
“ The most important thing is that the people should live better.
” Several liberal and right-wing opposition parties under the banner of the Alliance for Serbia called for a boycott , citing what they say is an unfair playing field exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic .
Before the boycott , the alliance polled around 10 percent .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has boosted Vucic ’ s popularity , given the relatively few deaths until now and state handouts to soften its economic impact .
According to Johns Hopkins University ’ s global tally of coronavirus cases , Serbia had about 12,000 confirmed cases as of June 21 , and just 260 deaths .
Restrictions during the state of emergency – which interrupted more than a year of weekly pro-democracy protests -- have hampered opposition campaigning .
Opposition groups also accuse Vucic , who is not himself up for re-election , of using his position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exerting complete control over the media .
In May , the U.S.-based Freedom House said it no longer considers Serbia a democracy `` after years of increasing state capture , abuse of power , and strongman tactics '' by Vucic .
The new mandate comes amid intensified international efforts to restart dialogue with Kosovo , an ethnic Albanian province whose independence Belgrade does not recognize .
 Kosovo was part of Serbia until an armed uprising by the ethnic Albanian majority population in 1998-99 triggered a Serbian crackdown that caused numerous deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serbian troops out of Kosovo , and in 2008 , Kosovo declared independence .
Belgrade , Moscow , and a handful of European Union member states refuse to recognize the declaration .
Richard Grenell , the U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo negotiations , last week said he had received commitments from both Vucic and his Kosovo counterpart , Hashim Thaci , to meet at the White House on June 27 .
Three days before the planned White House meeting , Vucic was scheduled to travel to Moscow to meet President Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ membership for years , but talks with the bloc stalled in 2018 .
Its membership bid is contingent on settling its disputes with Kosovo .
Nearly 3,500 observers were monitoring the vote , including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and , for the first time , the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations .
According to local observers , there were scattered irregularities reported at some polling precincts , but nothing serious or widespread .
With reporting by Chase Winter , AFP , AP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-06-22--Prosecutor Seeks Six Years In Prison For Russian Director Serebrennikov

MOSCOW – Prosecutors have asked a Moscow court to sentence acclaimed theater and film director Kirill Serebrennikov to six years in prison on embezzlement charges he denies .
Prosecutor Mikhail Reznichenko said at the trial as it resumed on June 22 that it had been proven Serebrennikov and other defendants in the case had embezzled almost 129 million rubles ( more than $ 1.86 million ) .
All of the accused have denied the accusation .
Reznichenko asked the Meshchansky District Court to sentence three other defendants to prison terms of between four years and five years .
The 50-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused of embezzling state funds that were granted from 2011 to 2014 to Seventh Studio , a nonprofit organization established by Serebrennikov , for a project called Platforma .
Serebrennikov has taken part in anti-government protests and voiced concern about the growing influence of the Russian Orthodox Church .
His arrest in August 2017 drew international attention and prompted accusations that Russian authorities were targeting cultural figures who are at odds with President Vladimir Putin and his government .
Serebrennikov and two co-defendants -- producer Yury Itin and former Culture Ministry employee Sofia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April last year , but ordered to remain in Moscow .
The other defendant , Aleksei Malobrodsky , was also barred from leaving Moscow .

MOSCOW – Prosecutors have asked a Moscow court to sentence acclaimed theater and film director Kirill Serebrennikov to six years in prison on embezzlement charges he denies.
Prosecutor Mikhail Reznichenko said at the trial as it resumed on June 22 that it had been proven Serebrennikov and other defendants in the case had embezzled almost 129 million rubles (more than $1.86 million).
All of the accused have denied the accusation.
Reznichenko asked the Meshchansky District Court to sentence three other defendants to prison terms of between four years and five years.
The 50-year-old Serebrennikov and the three other persons are accused of embezzling state funds that were granted from 2011 to 2014 to Seventh Studio, a nonprofit organization established by Serebrennikov, for a project called Platforma.
Serebrennikov has taken part in anti-government protests and voiced concern about the growing influence of the Russian Orthodox Church.
His arrest in August 2017 drew international attention and prompted accusations that Russian authorities were targeting cultural figures who are at odds with President Vladimir Putin and his government.
Serebrennikov and two co-defendants -- producer Yury Itin and former Culture Ministry employee Sofia Apfelbaum -- were released from house arrest in April last year, but ordered to remain in Moscow.
The other defendant, Aleksei Malobrodsky, was also barred from leaving Moscow.


rferl--2020-06-22--Two Defendants In Russian 'Network' Case Receive Lengthy Prison Terms

ST. PETERSBURG , Russia -- Two Russian activists from a group known as Set ( Network ) have received lengthy prison terms on charges of being members of a terrorist group that planned to overthrow the country 's authorities .
On June 22 , the Second West Territory 's Military Court sentenced Viktor Filinkov to seven years and Yury Boyarshinov to 5 1/2 years in prison in a case opposition figures and rights defenders have called `` fabricated . ''
Before the trial resumed its final session , police detained a young man who had handcuffed himself to the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and chanted : `` Let them go ! ''
and `` FSB [ Federal Security Service ] is the main terrorist ! ''
The man also scattered pieces of paper with the word `` Liberty ! ''
written on them .
Filinkov and Boyarshinov went on trial in late February .
Boyarshinov had plead guilty , saying that he did not know that Network was a terrorist group when he joined it .
Filinkov rejected the charges , saying that his initial guilty plea was given under duress .
Russian investigators said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosions in Russia during the presidential election and the World Cup soccer tournament in 2018 `` to destabilize the situation '' in the country and to organize an armed mutiny .
Rights activists have said the charges are false , while some of those arrested have claimed they were tortured while in custody .
The Investigative Committee has rejected the claims .
In February , a court in another Russian city , Penza , sentenced seven other activists of the group to prison terms of between six years and 18 years after convicting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were arrested in October 2017 for allegedly creating a terrorist group with cells in Moscow , St. Petersburg , Penza , and Omsk , as well as in neighboring Belarus .
Belarusian authorities told RFE/RL in February that they weren ’ t aware of a Network cell existing in Belarus .
Amnesty International has called the terror charges `` a figment of the Russian security services ' imagination ... fabricated in an attempt to silence these activists . ''
The London-based human rights watchdog maintains the case is “ the latest politically motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young people.
” Two other activists initially arrested in the case , Igor Shishkin and Yegor Zorin , made deals with investigators and testified against the others .
Shishkin received 3 1/2 years in prison in January 2019 , while the case against Zorin was closed in September 2018 .

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- Two Russian activists from a group known as Set (Network) have received lengthy prison terms on charges of being members of a terrorist group that planned to overthrow the country's authorities.
On June 22, the Second West Territory's Military Court sentenced Viktor Filinkov to 7 years and Yury Boyarshinov to 5 1/2 years in prison in a case opposition figures and rights defenders have called "fabricated."
Filinkov's lawyer, Yevgenia Kulakova, announced that the defense would appeal the verdict, which sparked protests near the courthouse.
Several dozen people gathered there chanting slogans such as “Shame!” and “Freedom for political prisoners.”
A total of 30 participants were detained by police, according to OVD-Info, an independent political watchdog.
Before the trial resumed its final session, police detained a young man who had handcuffed himself to the court's fence, ignited a firecracker, and chanted: "Let them go!" and "FSB [Federal Security Service] is the main terrorist!"
The man also scattered pieces of paper with the word "Liberty!" written on them.
WATCH: Russian police detained dozens of activists outside a St. Petersburg courthouse where a trial was under way for two defendants accused of belonging to a terrorist organization.
Filinkov and Boyarshinov went on trial in late February.
Boyarshinov had pleaded guilty, saying that he did not know that Network was a terrorist group when he joined it. Filinkov rejected the charges, saying that his initial guilty plea was given under duress.
Russian investigators said the group planned to organize a series of explosions in Russia during the presidential election and the World Cup soccer tournament in 2018 "to destabilize the situation" in the country and to organize an armed mutiny.
Rights activists have said the charges are false, while some of those arrested have claimed they were tortured while in custody. The Investigative Committee has rejected the claims.
In February, a court in another Russian city, Penza, sentenced seven other activists of the group to prison terms of between six years and 18 years after convicting them of terrorism.
The group members were arrested in October 2017 for allegedly creating a terrorist group with cells in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Penza, and Omsk, as well as in neighboring Belarus.
Belarusian authorities told RFE/RL in February that they weren’t aware of a Network cell existing in Belarus.
Amnesty International has called the terror charges "a figment of the Russian security services' imagination...fabricated in an attempt to silence these activists."
The London-based human rights watchdog maintains the case is “the latest politically motivated abuse of the justice system to target young people.”
Two other activists initially arrested in the case, Igor Shishkin and Yegor Zorin, made deals with investigators and testified against the others.
Shishkin received 3 1/2 years in prison in January 2019, while the case against Zorin was closed in September 2018.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-06-22--Founder, Two Members Of Prominent Anti-Poverty NGO Detained In Iran

A prominent Iranian NGO that fights poverty says its founder and two other members have been detained .
Imam Ali ’ s Popular Students Relief Society said on June 21 that security forces had arrested the group 's founder , Sharmin Meymandinejad , at his home .
It added that the charity ’ s media-relations director , Morteza Keymanesh , and senior inspector , Katayoun Afrazeh , were arrested , too .
The reason for the arrests and charges against them are not clear and the authorities have not publicly confirmed their arrests .
The hard-line Tasnim news agency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( IRGC ) , accused Meymandinejad , whom it identified only by his initials , of contacts with “ anti-Iran centers outside the country ” under the cover of a charity group .
The IRGC has in recent months arrested dual nationals , environmentalists , and others on charges of espionage that have been widely dismissed by critics and civil rights activists as baseless .
Hard-liners have in recent years criticized the charity and accused it of misusing the organization for political purposes and hurting the Islamic republic by highlighting problems , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international bodies .
The charity organizes university students and other volunteers to help the poor and others in times of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods .
In May , judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi warned about alleged plans by Iran 's “ enemies ” to fund charities for “ hostile ” purposes .
Iran 's President Hassan Rohani recently said charities and nongovernmental groups should not allow “ dishonest individuals ” to assume positions in them .
The charity said last year that several of its members had been threatened over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the NGO .
The group had also said that some of its members had come under cyberattack .