rferl--2020-02-13--U.S. Grants Iraq Waiver To Buy Iranian Energy Supplies, But Sets Conditions

The United States has granted a 45-day waiver to allow Iraq to continue to buy gas and electricity from Iran , despite sanctions imposed by Washington targeting Tehran ’ s energy sector .
The U.S. State Department on February 12 said the waiver , which sets tough conditions , “ ensures that Iraq is able to meet its short-term energy needs while it takes steps to reduce its dependence on Iranian energy imports.
” Washington imposed strict sanctions on the Iranian energy sector and countries doing business with Tehran in late 2018 , but it granted Iraq a 45-day waiver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 120 days at a time .
Baghdad relies on Iran for gas and electricity imports to supply about one-third of its power grid , crippled by years of conflict and poor maintenance .
Iraq , which receives financial and military support from Washington , has attempted to balance its relations with the United States and Iran , which carries significant influence with members of Iraq 's Shi'ite population .
The latest move comes as relations between Washington and Baghdad have frayed over the U.S. air strike that killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some calls for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq .
In its statement , the State Department said that “ Iran has proven itself as a highly unreliable source of energy for Iraq .
Reducing Iranian energy imports is therefore paramount for Iraq to achieve energy security.
” The waiver gives Iraq 45 days to show it is moving to develop domestic gas supplies or find alternative sources for power .
The previous waiver had given Iraq 120 days to do so .
A senior Iraqi official told AP that Baghdad had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once Iraq submits a technical timetable detailing how it plans to meet gas independence .
“ It happened that the United States of America gave us a period of 45 days , and it could be extended in the event of us submitting a timetable regarding Iraqi gas investment , ” said the official , who asked not to be identified .
“ Until now , we have not sent them a timetable.
” In a move toward the goal , the Iraqi cabinet on January 23 approved six oil contracts awarded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would boost domestic gas supply in the next few years .
Despite its reliance on Iranian energy supplies , Iraq has been hit by street protests by demonstrators angered by foreign influence in the country , including Iran 's .
With reporting by AP and AFP

The United States has granted a 45-day waiver to allow Iraq to continue to buy gas and electricity from Iran, despite sanctions imposed by Washington targeting Tehran’s energy sector.
The U.S. State Department on February 12 said the waiver, which sets tough conditions, “ensures that Iraq is able to meet its short-term energy needs while it takes steps to reduce its dependence on Iranian energy imports.”
Washington imposed strict sanctions on the Iranian energy sector and countries doing business with Tehran in late 2018, but it granted Iraq a 45-day waiver before repeatedly extending it for 90 or 120 days at a time.
Baghdad relies on Iran for gas and electricity imports to supply about one-third of its power grid, crippled by years of conflict and poor maintenance.
Iraq, which receives financial and military support from Washington, has attempted to balance its relations with the United States and Iran, which carries significant influence with members of Iraq's Shi'ite population.
The latest move comes as relations between Washington and Baghdad have frayed over the U.S. air strike that killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad on January 3, prompting some calls for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
In its statement, the State Department said that “Iran has proven itself as a highly unreliable source of energy for Iraq. Reducing Iranian energy imports is therefore paramount for Iraq to achieve energy security.”
The waiver gives Iraq 45 days to show it is moving to develop domestic gas supplies or find alternative sources for power. The previous waiver had given Iraq 120 days to do so.
A senior Iraqi official told AP that Baghdad had been told the period could be extended once Iraq submits a technical timetable detailing how it plans to meet gas independence.
“It happened that the United States of America gave us a period of 45 days, and it could be extended in the event of us submitting a timetable regarding Iraqi gas investment,” said the official, who asked not to be identified.
“Until now, we have not sent them a timetable.”
In a move toward the goal, the Iraqi cabinet on January 23 approved six oil contracts awarded by the Oil Ministry in April 2018 that would boost domestic gas supply in the next few years.
Despite its reliance on Iranian energy supplies, Iraq has been hit by street protests by demonstrators angered by foreign influence in the country, including Iran's.
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-02-13--U.S. Praises Pakistan For Jailing Of Militant Accused Of Mumbai Attacks

ISLAMABAD -- The United States has praised the jailing of the alleged mastermind of deadly 2008 attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai as a `` step forward '' for Pakistan .
An anti-terrorism court in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on February 12 sentenced Hafiz Saeed to a total of 11 years in two terrorism-financing cases and fined him 30,000-rupees ( $ 194 ) .
However , Saeed is to serve 5 1/2 years in prison as the two sentences will run concurrently .
His lawyer , Imran Gill , said he would appeal against the verdict .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saeed ’ s close aides was given a similar punishment .
Alice Wells , the top U.S. diplomat for South Asia , tweeted that the convictions were `` an important step forward ” that will help keep Saeed ’ s Lashkar-e-Taiba ( LeT ) militant group “ accountable for its crimes , and for Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terrorist financing . ''
She said the move would help keep Saeed ’ s Lashkar-e-Taiba ( LeT ) militant group “ accountable for its crimes , and for Pakistan in meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Saeed was arrested in July last year and charged with collecting funds for a banned organization .
He pleaded not guilty .
U.S. President Donald Trump hailed Saeed 's arrest at the time , writing on Twitter : `` After a ten-year search , the so-called 'mastermind ' of the Mumbai Terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan .
Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him ! ''
Saeed is the founder of LeT , the militant group blamed by the United States and India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , including Americans , were killed .
Saeed has denied involvement in the Mumbai attack , but India has repeatedly called for his prosecution .
His jailing comes as Pakistan faces potential blacklisting by a world financial watchdog -- the Financial Action Task Force ( FATF ) -- for failing to curb terror financing .
Pakistani officials say they are working to meet the Paris-based FATF ’ s demands ahead of the organization 's plenary meeting on February 16 .
Washington has long pressured Pakistan to try Saeed , who is designated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Nations .
The United States offered a reward of $ 10 million for information leading to the conviction of Saeed , who has been repeatedly detained and released over the past 10 years .
With reporting by AFP , Reuters , and dpa

ISLAMABAD -- The United States has praised the jailing of the alleged mastermind of deadly 2008 attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai as a "step forward" for Pakistan.
An anti-terrorism court in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on February 12 sentenced Hafiz Saeed to a total of 11 years in two terrorism-financing cases and fined him 30,000-rupees ($194).
However, Saeed is to serve 5 1/2 years in prison as the two sentences will run concurrently.
His lawyer, Imran Gill, said he would appeal against the verdict.
Co-defendant Malik Zafar Iqbal, one of Saeed’s close aides was given a similar punishment.
Alice Wells, the top U.S. diplomat for South Asia, tweeted that the convictions were "an important step forward” that will help keep Saeed’s Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group “accountable for its crimes, and for Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terrorist financing."
She said the move would help keep Saeed’s Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group “accountable for its crimes, and for Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terrorist financing."
Saeed was arrested in July last year and charged with collecting funds for a banned organization. He pleaded not guilty.
U.S. President Donald Trump hailed Saeed's arrest at the time, writing on Twitter: "After a ten-year search, the so-called 'mastermind' of the Mumbai Terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan. Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!"
Saeed is the founder of LeT, the militant group blamed by the United States and India for the Mumbai siege in which 160 people, including Americans, were killed.
Saeed has denied involvement in the Mumbai attack, but India has repeatedly called for his prosecution.
His jailing comes as Pakistan faces potential blacklisting by a world financial watchdog -- the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) -- for failing to curb terror financing.
Pakistani officials say they are working to meet the Paris-based FATF’s demands ahead of the organization's plenary meeting on February 16.
Washington has long pressured Pakistan to try Saeed, who is designated a terrorist by the United States and the United Nations.
The United States offered a reward of $10 million for information leading to the conviction of Saeed, who has been repeatedly detained and released over the past 10 years.
With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and dpa


rferl--2020-02-13--Netherlands Rejected Moscow's Bid To Try MH17 Suspects In Russia

The Netherlands has rejected an offer by Moscow to prosecute three Russian men suspected of involvement in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 , a disaster that cost the lives of nearly 300 people .
Dutch Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said on February 12 that Moscow had sent a letter in October 2019 in which it asked whether the Netherlands would consider transferring the criminal prosecution of three suspects to Moscow .
`` The Justice and Security Ministry replied that the transfer of criminal proceedings against the three Russian suspects by the Dutch authorities is not an option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Grapperhaus said in a letter to parliament .
The trial of the men `` is an important step in finding the truth and justice for all 298 victims of flight MH17 and their relatives , '' Grapperhaus said .
`` The government has full confidence in the independence and quality of Dutch justice . ''
The three Russian nationals and a fourth suspect , a Ukrainian citizen , are believed to be residing in Russia .
The Netherlands is leading an international investigation into MH17 being shot down on July 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on board .
About two-thirds of the victims were Dutch nationals .
The Boeing 777 passenger jet was flying over territory held by pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine after departing Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a sophisticated Russian-made BUK missile , the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team ( JIT ) concluded .
The JIT in 2016 announced that the Buk missile system used in the attack came from Russia and then in May 2018 concluded that Russia 's 53rd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade had transported the Buk in 2014 to and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and has supported the separatists who control parts of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in a war that has killed some 13,000 people since April of that year .
The passenger flight was downed in the conflict zone over nongovernment-controlled territory .
The first hearing in the case has been set for March 9 at a high-security courthouse near Amsterdam 's Schiphol Airport .
If the matter goes to trial , the suspects -- Russian citizens Igor Girkin , Oleg Pulatov , and Sergei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- could be tried in absentia under Dutch law .
It is unlikely that any of the men will be present at the trial as neither Russia nor Ukraine allows its citizens to be extradited .
Another suspect , Volodymyr Tsemakh , was among 35 prisoners sent to Moscow from Kyiv in the September 7 swap of 70 people captured during fighting in eastern Ukraine .
The JIT had pleaded with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to keep Tsemakh in Ukrainian custody , but Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly insisted that Tsemakh be included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be called off .
With reporting by AFP and Reuters

The Netherlands has rejected an offer by Moscow to prosecute three Russian men suspected of involvement in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a disaster that cost the lives of nearly 300 people.
Dutch Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said on February 12 that Moscow had sent a letter in October 2019 in which it asked whether the Netherlands would consider transferring the criminal prosecution of three suspects to Moscow.
"The Justice and Security Ministry replied that the transfer of criminal proceedings against the three Russian suspects by the Dutch authorities is not an option and has not been taken into consideration," Grapperhaus said in a letter to parliament.
The trial of the men "is an important step in finding the truth and justice for all 298 victims of flight MH17 and their relatives," Grapperhaus said.
"The government has full confidence in the independence and quality of Dutch justice."
The three Russian nationals and a fourth suspect, a Ukrainian citizen, are believed to be residing in Russia.
The Netherlands is leading an international investigation into MH17 being shot down on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board. About two-thirds of the victims were Dutch nationals.
The Boeing 777 passenger jet was flying over territory held by pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine after departing Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a sophisticated Russian-made BUK missile, the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) concluded.
The JIT in 2016 announced that the Buk missile system used in the attack came from Russia and then in May 2018 concluded that Russia's 53rd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade had transported the Buk in 2014 to and from Ukraine.
Russia denies involvement in the incident.
Moscow seized control of the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and has supported the separatists who control parts of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in a war that has killed some 13,000 people since April of that year. The passenger flight was downed in the conflict zone over nongovernment-controlled territory.
The first hearing in the case has been set for March 9 at a high-security courthouse near Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
If the matter goes to trial, the suspects -- Russian citizens Igor Girkin, Oleg Pulatov, and Sergei Dubinsky, and Ukrainian national Leonid Kharchenko -- could be tried in absentia under Dutch law.
It is unlikely that any of the men will be present at the trial as neither Russia nor Ukraine allows its citizens to be extradited.
Another suspect, Volodymyr Tsemakh, was among 35 prisoners sent to Moscow from Kyiv in the September 7 swap of 70 people captured during fighting in eastern Ukraine.
The JIT had pleaded with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to keep Tsemakh in Ukrainian custody, but Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly insisted that Tsemakh be included in the exchange or the swap would be called off.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters


rferl--2020-02-12--Minsk Court Sentences Two Men To Seven Years For Causing $66 In Damages To Government Property

A court in Minsk has sentenced two Belarusian men to 7 years at a high-security prison for damaging government property and using incendiary devices .
Mikita Yemelyanav and Ivan Komar were found guilty of damaging the Minsk City Court and the Minsk pretrial detention facility as well as producing Molotov cocktails .
They had been in jail since October .
According to the investigators , Yemelyanav in September threw a light bulb with red paint at the Minsk court , causing $ 65 in damages .
He subsequently pleaded guilty , saying the act was carried out to protest another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polienko .
The following month Yemelyanav threw a fire bomb at the entrance door of a pretrial detention facility that failed to ignite .
He succeeded in his second attempt the following week causing $ 0.7 worth of damages .
In court , he said the fire bomb was thrown to protest political prisoners in Belarus .
Human rights activist Valyanstin Stefanovich told RFE/RL that Emelyanav voluntarily paid for the damages , a matter the court didn ’ t take into consideration when sentencing him .
Komar , who filmed the acts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in causing damage to the government properties .
Yemelyanav said his sentencing was politically motivated and that he will appeal the ruling .
Based on reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Belarus Service and Current Time

A court in Minsk has sentenced two Belarusian men to 7 years at a high-security prison for damaging government property and using incendiary devices.
Mikita Yemelyanav and Ivan Komar were found guilty of damaging the Minsk City Court and the Minsk pretrial detention facility as well as producing Molotov cocktails.
They had been in jail since October.
According to the investigators, Yemelyanav in September threw a light bulb with red paint at the Minsk court, causing $65 in damages.
He subsequently pleaded guilty, saying the act was carried out to protest another trial prosecuting a fellow anarchist, Dzmitry Polienko.
The following month Yemelyanav threw a fire bomb at the entrance door of a pretrial detention facility that failed to ignite. He succeeded in his second attempt the following week causing $0.7 worth of damages.
In court, he said the fire bomb was thrown to protest political prisoners in Belarus.
Human rights activist Valyanstin Stefanovich told RFE/RL that Emelyanav voluntarily paid for the damages, a matter the court didn’t take into consideration when sentencing him.
Komar, who filmed the acts, admitted doing so but pleaded not guilty in causing damage to the government properties.
Yemelyanav said his sentencing was politically motivated and that he will appeal the ruling.
Based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Belarus Service and Current Time


rferl--2020-02-13--U.S. Navy Seizes Suspected Iranian Weapons Cache In Arabian Sea

The U.S. Navy says that it seized advanced weapons and weapon components believed to be of Iranian `` design and manufacture '' intended for Huthi rebels in Yemen .
The weapons cache , including more than 150 Dehlavieh anti-tank guided missiles and three Iranian surface-to-air missiles , were seized in the Arabian Sea aboard a stateless dhow sailing vessel during a maritime interdiction operation on February 9 .
`` Other weapons components seized aboard the dhow were of Iranian design and manufacture and included three Iranian surface-to-air missiles , Iranian thermal-imaging weapon scopes , and Iranian components for unmanned aerial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement said .
It did not say what kind of surface-to-air missiles were seized .
The statement noted that many of the munitions seized over the weekend by the USS Normandy guided-missile cruiser were similar to weapons and components seized in November by the crew of the USS Forrest Sherman guided-missile destroyer .
The weapons seized in November were determined to be destined for Huthis , according to the U.S. military .
The Iran-backed Huthis have been fighting Saudi Arabia 's forces in Yemen for five years .
The rebels have used drones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past , using equipment that U.S. military experts say comes from Iran .
The shipment of weapons seized over the weekend would violate a UN Security Council resolution prohibiting the `` direct or indirect supply , sale , or transfer of weapons to the Huthis , '' the statement said .
Based on reporting by Reuters , USNI News , and Bloomberg

A polytechnic school in Russia’s Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.
The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.
The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
Since then, RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.
“My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away,” Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. “He said to me on the phone, ‘Come and get me or I’ll die,’ so I picked him up immediately.”
Zhanna, who asked that her underage son’s name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.
The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-02-13--Ukrainian Envoy Says Russian Helicopter Fired On Navy Vessel In Black Sea In 2018

A ballistics test has found that a Russian combat helicopter allegedly fired an armor-piercing projectile at one of the three Ukrainian Navy vessels in the Black Sea in 2018 that Russia impounded , said Ukraine 's deputy envoy to international organizations in Vienna , Ihor Lossovskiy .
Speaking at a forum on security held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation Europe ( OSCE ) , the Ukrainian diplomat said that the `` shell hole on the armored cutter Berdyansk arose as a result of a direct hit by an armored-piercing projectile fired from a Russian Ka-52 helicopter , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 .
Lossovskiy did n't specify which of the two versions of the Ka-52 helicopter allegedly attacked the vessel .
Russia 's military uses the Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter , designed for ground assault , and has a newer amphibious version called the Ka-52 Katran that can be deployed on ships .
Both aircraft are equipped with armor-piercing rounds and capable of launching air-to-surface missiles .
Lossovskiy said the findings `` clearly confirm the aggressive and illegal nature of the actions taken by Russia in the Black Sea in November 2018 . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia insisted the Ukrainian Navy vessels were violating its territorial waters and refused to obey instructions .
Ukraine called the attack and subsequent capture of 24 crewmen aboard the ships a violation of international maritime law .
On May 25 , the UN 's maritime tribunal ordered Russia to immediately release the crewmen and impounded boats , a ruling that Moscow ignored .
The Ukrainian crewmen were released on September 7 and Russia returned the three severely damaged ships on November 19 in very poor condition .

A ballistics test has found that a Russian combat helicopter allegedly fired an armor-piercing projectile at one of the three Ukrainian Navy vessels in the Black Sea in 2018 that Russia impounded, said Ukraine's deputy envoy to international organizations in Vienna, Ihor Lossovskiy.
Speaking at a forum on security held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation Europe (OSCE), the Ukrainian diplomat said that the "shell hole on the armored cutter Berdyansk arose as a result of a direct hit by an armored-piercing projectile fired from a Russian Ka-52 helicopter," Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported on February 13.
Lossovskiy didn't specify which of the two versions of the Ka-52 helicopter allegedly attacked the vessel.
Russia's military uses the Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter, designed for ground assault, and has a newer amphibious version called the Ka-52 Katran that can be deployed on ships.
Both aircraft are equipped with armor-piercing rounds and capable of launching air-to-surface missiles.
Lossovskiy said the findings "clearly confirm the aggressive and illegal nature of the actions taken by Russia in the Black Sea in November 2018."
At the time of the incident, Russia insisted the Ukrainian Navy vessels were violating its territorial waters and refused to obey instructions.
Ukraine called the attack and subsequent capture of 24 crewmen aboard the ships a violation of international maritime law.
On May 25, the UN's maritime tribunal ordered Russia to immediately release the crewmen and impounded boats, a ruling that Moscow ignored.
The Ukrainian crewmen were released on September 7 and Russia returned the three severely damaged ships on November 19 in very poor condition.
Based on reporting by Ukrinform


rferl--2020-02-13--Less Russia, More Europe On Belarus's New Symbol-To-Be

Amid a push from Russia for closer ties , Belarus is considering adopting a new national coat of arms that pointedly looks west .
The country 's parliament 's website says it has received a bill containing amendments to the law on state symbols and a recently established special commission will be involved in the debate over the proposal .
While the national anthem , flag , and several other symbols are unchanged in the proposal , the new coat of arms has subtle differences from the previous one , which had roots dating back to Soviet times .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ map of Western Europe and the Atlantic Ocean , a politically pointed change from the former emblem , which showed Russia and Eurasia .
The change could be seen as a reflection of the delicate balancing act Belarus , still a close ally of Russia , is trying to maintain .
Last month the country said it was open to conducting joint military ties with NATO , the Western security alliance that lies on Belarus 's western border , while Russia sits along its eastern border .
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in talks in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on February 7 on the increasingly intertwined issues of energy prices and closer integration between the two neighbors , who signed an unfulfilled 1999 agreement on forming a union state .
Lukashenka , who has been in power in Belarus for more than 25 years , has faced growing pressure from Moscow in recent years to agree to deeper integration under the unification agreement , which envisaged close political , economic , and military ties but stopped short of forming a single country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been met by protests in Minsk recently , as Belarusians worry their country is on the verge of being swallowed by its far bigger , more powerful neighbor .
Other changes to the coat of arms include a larger silhouette of Belarus in the center of the insignia , and a bigger star near the top that still gives a Soviet feel .
The shapes of the heads of wheat , clover , and flax are also updated , while the country 's traditional colors of green and red are bolder than before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation has the bill 's context with proposed changes .

Amid a push from Russia for closer ties, Belarus is considering adopting a new national coat of arms that pointedly looks west.
The country's parliament's website says it has received a bill containing amendments to the law on state symbols and a recently established special commission will be involved in the debate over the proposal.
While the national anthem, flag, and several other symbols are unchanged in the proposal, the new coat of arms has subtle differences from the previous one, which had roots dating back to Soviet times.
Most notably, the new emblem shows a map of Western Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, a politically pointed change from the former emblem, which showed Russia and Eurasia.
The change could be seen as a reflection of the delicate balancing act Belarus, still a close ally of Russia, is trying to maintain.
Last month the country said it was open to conducting joint military ties with NATO, the Western security alliance that lies on Belarus's western border, while Russia sits along its eastern border.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka reportedly made little progress in talks in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on February 7 on the increasingly intertwined issues of energy prices and closer integration between the two neighbors, who signed an unfulfilled 1999 agreement on forming a union state.
Lukashenka, who has been in power in Belarus for more than 25 years, has faced growing pressure from Moscow in recent years to agree to deeper integration under the unification agreement, which envisaged close political, economic, and military ties but stopped short of forming a single country.
The plan, however, has been met by protests in Minsk recently, as Belarusians worry their country is on the verge of being swallowed by its far bigger, more powerful neighbor.
Other changes to the coat of arms include a larger silhouette of Belarus in the center of the insignia, and a bigger star near the top that still gives a Soviet feel. The shapes of the heads of wheat, clover, and flax are also updated, while the country's traditional colors of green and red are bolder than before.
A website for state documents and legislation has the bill's context with proposed changes.


rferl--2020-02-13--Belarus May Raise Age Of Consent For Homosexuals

MINSK -- Belarusian authorities may raise the age of consent for homosexuals .
RFE/RL on February 13 obtained a letter signed by Deputy Health Minister Dzmitry Pinevich addressed to social groups opposing the criminalization of domestic violence , which says the ministry `` stands for propaganda of traditional family values and supports proposed amendments to the criminal and administrative codes . ''
The Health Ministry `` supports introduction of criminal and administrative liability for spreading information discrediting the institute of family and marriage relations .
[ The ministry ] also stands for raising from 16 to 18 years the consent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between individuals of the same sex , '' the letter said .
Health Ministry officials refused to comment on the letter , asking RFE/RL to provide them with a written request for comments and promising to answer all questions as soon as possible .
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Belarus in 1994 , but anti-gay sentiment among many Belarusians remains strong .
The Belarusian parliament said earlier this month that President Alyaksandr Lukashenka had asked them to amend the country 's Criminal and Administrative codes .
No details were provided at the time .

MINSK -- Belarusian authorities may raise the age of consent for homosexuals.
RFE/RL on February 13 obtained a letter signed by Deputy Health Minister Dzmitry Pinevich addressed to social groups opposing the criminalization of domestic violence, which says the ministry "stands for propaganda of traditional family values and supports proposed amendments to the criminal and administrative codes."
The Health Ministry "supports introduction of criminal and administrative liability for spreading information discrediting the institute of family and marriage relations. [The ministry] also stands for raising from 16 to 18 years the consent age for the activities of sexual character between individuals of the same sex," the letter said.
Health Ministry officials refused to comment on the letter, asking RFE/RL to provide them with a written request for comments and promising to answer all questions as soon as possible.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Belarus in 1994, but anti-gay sentiment among many Belarusians remains strong.
The Belarusian parliament said earlier this month that President Alyaksandr Lukashenka had asked them to amend the country's Criminal and Administrative codes. No details were provided at the time.


rferl--2020-02-13--Police In North Macedonia Find 53 Migrants In Truck

Macedonian police have discovered 53 migrants in a truck in a southeastern border region and arrested the driver , who is suspected of being part of a trafficking gang , officials have said .
The truck was stopped during a routine check late on February 12 near the town of Valandovo , located in the vicinity of North Macedonia 's borders with Greece and Bulgaria , police said in a statement .
It said 37 of the migrants were Afghans , 12 were Pakistanis , two were Indians , and there was one Iraqi and one Egyptian .
The driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Macedonia .
The migrants , who are believed to have entered the country illegally from Greece , were sent to detention centers in the capital , Skopje , and the border town of Gevgelija , pending trial .
They are expected to be deported back to Greece .
Although the so-called Balkan Route from Greece to Western Europe has been closed since 2015 , thousands of migrants still try to make their way up north by paying smugglers .
North Macedonia 's police say in the first three weeks of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had entered the country illegally were spotted .
Last year , police stopped more than 24,500 migrants from crossing the border illegally into neighboring countries .
Based on reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service , AP , and dpa

Macedonian police have discovered 53 migrants in a truck in a southeastern border region and arrested the driver, who is suspected of being part of a trafficking gang, officials have said.
The truck was stopped during a routine check late on February 12 near the town of Valandovo, located in the vicinity of North Macedonia's borders with Greece and Bulgaria, police said in a statement.
It said 37 of the migrants were Afghans, 12 were Pakistanis, two were Indians, and there was one Iraqi and one Egyptian. The driver was identified as a 43-year-old citizen of North Macedonia.
The migrants, who are believed to have entered the country illegally from Greece, were sent to detention centers in the capital, Skopje, and the border town of Gevgelija, pending trial. They are expected to be deported back to Greece.
Although the so-called Balkan Route from Greece to Western Europe has been closed since 2015, thousands of migrants still try to make their way up north by paying smugglers.
North Macedonia's police say in the first three weeks of the year, a total of 1,365 migrants who had entered the country illegally were spotted. Last year, police stopped more than 24,500 migrants from crossing the border illegally into neighboring countries.
Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, AP, and dpa


rferl--2020-02-13--Trump Sees Promising Signs For Accord with Taliban By Month's End

U.S. President Donald Trump says there are promising signs that the United States would reach a peace deal with the Taliban by the end of this month .
Chances are `` good '' for the agreement to be sealed , Trump said on a February 13 podcast broadcast on iHeart Radio .
When asked if a tentative deal had been reached , Trump said : `` I think we 're very close ... .
I think there 's a good chance that we 'll have a deal ... .
We 're going to know over the next two weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest indication of progress being made in talks between the United States and the Taliban that have been taking place since December in Qatar , where the militants have a political office .
Earlier in the day , Defense Secretary Mark Esper told journalists in Brussels that both sides had negotiated a `` proposal '' for a week-long scaling-down in violence .
He said a drawdown of troops and further negotiations with the militants would be `` conditions-based '' and begin after a decline in violence .
`` We 've said all along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a political agreement , '' he added .
`` It will be a continual evaluative process as we go forward -- if we go forward . ''
Progress toward reducing violence could usher in direct peace talks between the militants and the Afghan government to end the nearly two-decade war .
AP reported that if violence subsided , it would lead to an agreement being signed between the United States and the Taliban , followed by , within 10 days , all-Afghan negotiations to establish a road map for the political future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a `` pretty important breakthrough '' over the past few days , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on February 13 about peace negotiations .
He did not elaborate .
President Donald Trump would still have to formally approve the agreement and finalization of details is expected at this week 's Munich Security Conference , where Esper and Pompeo will meet with Afghan President Ashaf Ghani .
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg the day before reiterated that the alliance `` fully supports the U.S.-led peace efforts , which can pave the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same NATO summit in Brussels attended by Esper , the secretary-general said the militants `` need to demonstrate that they are both willing and capable to deliver a reduction of violence and contribute to peace in good faith . ''
He said the militant fighters have to `` understand that they will never win on the battlefield .
They have to make real compromises around the negotiating table . ''
The prospective deal would see the U.S. pull thousands of troops from Afghanistan , while the Taliban would provide security guarantees and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kabul .
There are some 12,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan , as well as thousands of European forces participating in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission .
With reporting by Democrat-Gazette , Pajhwok , dpa , AP , and Reuters

The education of girls and women is universally accepted in more than 200 countries and territories, including nearly 50 Muslim-majority nations.
But Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamist Taliban rulers have banned teenage girls from attending school after the sixth grade since they returned to power two years ago. The ban was extended in December to women in universities.
Countless protests by Afghans inside the country, pressure from the international community, and lobbying by Muslim scholars and clerics have failed to convince the fundamentalist Taliban leaders to reopen schools.
Experts are divided over whether the ban is rooted in how the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam is shaped by conservative Pashtun tribal customs and cultural practices or if it is prompted by how senior Taliban ideologues interpret Islamic teachings.
Most Taliban leaders are ethnic Pashtun, Sunni Muslim clerics. Many were educated in Deobandi madrasahs in neighboring Pakistan. Deobandism emerged as a puritanical Islamic revivalist movement in 19-century British Colonial India. Based on the Sunni Hanafi school of jurisprudence, it is a prominent strain among Islamists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Tribal Influences
Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator, argues that the Taliban restrictions against women are linked to social customs and cultural practices in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
Most Taliban leaders come from various Pashtun rural tribal communities in these regions bordering Pakistan.
"They believe that a woman's place is either inside a house or in a grave," Yousafzai said of the basic Taliban belief influenced by the status of women in the families of clerics and religious leaders in these Pashtun regions.
“Women living in the households of the current Taliban policymakers were never educated and never left their homes,” said Yousafzai, who has tracked the Islamist group since it emerged as a ragtag militia in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar in late 1994. “These women never performed any government or nongovernmental jobs.”
Yousafzai says the Taliban backs policies shaped by this worldview by leaning on Islamic teachings supporting such ideas. He says Taliban leaders rely on sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad that discourage women from leaving their homes.
“Their primary belief is that pubescent girls should not leave home under any circumstance,” he said. “This is why they view women leaving home for education or work as engaging in moral corruption.”
In Afghanistan, a Muslim nation of some 40 million people, activists and rights advocates accuse the Taliban of implementing "gender apartheid" by denying women education, work, freedom of movement, and deciding how they can appear in public.
Most Muslims agree that Islam allows women to get an education. Yet the Taliban publicly says that it will allow girls access to education only after ensuring complete gender segregation and other unspecified conditions.
Almost all Afghan secondary schools were gender segregated and universities imposed a strict separation between men and women after the Taliban takeover.
Yousafzai says in conservative and traditional Muslim societies around the world, some clerics also favor restrictions on women's education, work, and their role in public life. But the governments in those countries usually oppose or limit such ideas.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia -- one of the most conservative Sunni Muslim nations -- has allowed women to drive and granted them freedom of movement without a male guardian. These steps are part of a reform and modernity drive by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
The Taliban ban on education has invited universal condemnation from Muslims globally.
“The Taliban's ban on women's education is not rooted in [the Islamic] Shari’a law but rather reflects cultural biases that contradict the teachings of Islam,” said Salam al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in the United States.
He said that contrary to Taliban practices, “Islam emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge and encourages all individuals, regardless of gender, to acquire an education.”
Historical Conflict
But Islamic scholars and those who have attempted to convince the Taliban about reopening girls schools offer a different explanation.
John Mohammad Butt, an Islamic scholar and former BBC broadcaster who is the only Westerner to graduate from India’s Darul Uloom Deoband, argues that the Taliban's policy on girls' education is not tribal but shaped by the century-old conflict over modern education.
“The problem is that girls' education in Afghanistan -- indeed, contemporary education in general -- has generally been introduced in Afghanistan in line with a secular agenda,” he said.
In the 1920s, a coalition of conservative clerics and tribal and community leaders deposed reformist King Amanullah Khan. He wanted to modernize Afghanistan along Turkish leader Kamal Ataturk's secular lines and championed modern education and rights for women.
This opposition to modernity and secularism continued, and conservative clerics opposed women's education and work. It became a key part of the Islamist opposition to the pro-Soviet Afghan communist governments after the April 1978 military coup that ended the Afghan monarchy. The mujahedin accused the communists of spreading immorality by promoting women’s education and empowerment.
“This has led to particular wariness on the part of conservative circles in Afghanistan with regard to girls' education,” Butt said.
'Deep Ideological Conviction'
Obaidullah Baheer, a political science lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan, became part of an effort to rescind the ban by talking to the Taliban last year.
But he says the effort failed because “the ban is a matter of deep ideological conviction” for the current supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.
Baheer says that the most prominent Taliban leaders have studied in Pakistani madrasahs and were thus disconnected from village and tribal life.
“They have been indoctrinated by the Deobandi school of thought so that they now enforce the strictest version of Islam on the Afghan population,” he said.
He argues that the ban on girls’ schools is a deliberate policy championed by Akhundzada, who he says has endorsed Taliban Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani's Arabic language book The Islamic Emirate And Its System. In this book, Haqqani supports a fringe Islamic opinion of preferring the choice of one of the Prophet Muhammad's wives, Sawdah Bint Zam'ah, who chose to stay at home until her death.
Baheer says Haqqani ignores his other wives and other female companions that played an active role in many sectors of society and how they served as students and teachers for men.
“This fringe opinion is not held by all Taliban leaders but is one that the current absolute sovereign, the Taliban emir, seems to be convinced of,” he said.
Butt says that even Haqqani has acknowledged the principle that if there is something that women need to act upon, then that is also something that women need to learn about.
“I hope the Taliban authorities will come to realize in the not-too-distant future that education for women will make Afghan women into better Muslims,” he says. “It will enable them to make a stronger contribution to the well-being of their country.”
Two years after grappling with the issue, Western diplomats appear to be encouraging Afghan conservative and clerical circles to find ways to end the ban.
Tom West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, recently tweeted that Afghan women must be educated and contribute to the economy to help their country stand on its own two feet.
“If change to policies is made, it will be because Afghans have asked for it, not a result of foreign requests,” he wrote.


rferl--2020-02-13--Russia To Deploy New Air-Defense Equipment To Base In Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan says Russia plans to install new air- and missile-defense equipment and drones at its air base near the former Soviet republic 's northern city of Kant .
Nurlan Kirisheev , the deputy chief of the Kyrgyz armed forces General Staff , said in a statement on February 13 that Russia will renovate runways at the air base , in moves that will `` improve security in the region . ''
According to Kirisheev , the deployment of drones and air- and missile-defense systems will be conducted in accordance with agreements signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's statement came the same day that Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov told lawmakers in Moscow about plans to deploy air-defense equipment at the air base .
Russia 's air base at Kant was opened in 2003 under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization , which includes Russia , Kyrgyzstan , Armenia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , and Tajikistan .
A U.S. air base outside the capital , Bishkek , began hosting U.S. troops in 2001 as part of the campaign in nearby Afghanistan , but Kyrgyzstan shut it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 , the Kant air base and three other Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan were consolidated into a single base .

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan says Russia plans to install new air- and missile-defense equipment and drones at its air base near the former Soviet republic's northern city of Kant.
Nurlan Kirisheev, the deputy chief of the Kyrgyz armed forces General Staff, said in a statement on February 13 that Russia will renovate runways at the air base, in moves that will "improve security in the region."
According to Kirisheev, the deployment of drones and air- and missile-defense systems will be conducted in accordance with agreements signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Kyrgyzstan last summer.
Kirisheev's statement came the same day that Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov told lawmakers in Moscow about plans to deploy air-defense equipment at the air base.
Russia's air base at Kant was opened in 2003 under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which includes Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.
A U.S. air base outside the capital, Bishkek, began hosting U.S. troops in 2001 as part of the campaign in nearby Afghanistan, but Kyrgyzstan shut it in 2014 under pressure from Moscow.
In 2017, the Kant air base and three other Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan were consolidated into a single base.


rferl--2020-02-13--Syrian Parliament Recognizes Armenian Killings As Genocide

The Syrian parliament says it has recognized the mass killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire a century ago as genocide , amid heightened tensions with neighboring Turkey following deadly clashes in northwestern Syria .
Members of the People 's Assembly have unanimously adopted a resolution condemning and recognizing `` the genocide committed against the Armenians by the Ottoman state at the start of the 20th century , '' the legislature said on its website on February 13 .
More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians lived in Syria prior to the country 's civil war .
Many of them have fled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's parliament is composed entirely of supporters of President Bashar al-Assad 's government who were elected in a 2016 election , when war prevented most of the people in the country from voting .
it is not recognized by the Syrian opposition .
In response , Turkey decried Damascus 's `` hypocrisy '' over the vote .
During and immediately after World War I , Ottoman Turks killed or deported as many as 1.5 million Armenians -- a Christian minority in the predominately Muslim empire .
Many historians and some other nations consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO member , objects to the use of the word genocide to describe the killings .
Ankara claims the deaths were a result of civil strife rather than a planned Ottoman government effort to annihilate Armenians .
Turkey also claims fewer Armenians died than has been reported .
At least 23 countries have officially recognized the mass slaughter and deportation as genocide , triggering the ire of Ankara .
Last year , both chambers of the U.S. Congress passed resolutions recognizing the tragedy as genocide .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian expressed his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armenian people .
Syria 's move comes after weeks of tensions between Ankara and Damascus over a Russia-backed Syrian government military offensive in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib -- the last major bastion of opposition in the country .
Ankara says deadly clashes in Idlib between the two sides has killed 14 Syrian soldiers .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on February 12 said his country would do `` whatever necessary '' to push Syrian forces back .

The Syrian parliament says it has recognized the mass killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire a century ago as genocide, amid heightened tensions with neighboring Turkey following deadly clashes in northwestern Syria.
Members of the People's Assembly have unanimously adopted a resolution condemning and recognizing "the genocide committed against the Armenians by the Ottoman state at the start of the 20th century," the legislature said on its website on February 13.
More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians lived in Syria prior to the country's civil war. Many of them have fled, including thousands to Armenia.
Syria's parliament is composed entirely of supporters of President Bashar al-Assad's government who were elected in a 2016 election, when war prevented most of the people in the country from voting. it is not recognized by the Syrian opposition.
In response, Turkey decried Damascus's "hypocrisy" over the vote.
During and immediately after World War I, Ottoman Turks killed or deported as many as 1.5 million Armenians -- a Christian minority in the predominately Muslim empire. Many historians and some other nations consider the killings genocide.
Turkey, a NATO member, objects to the use of the word genocide to describe the killings. Ankara claims the deaths were a result of civil strife rather than a planned Ottoman government effort to annihilate Armenians. Turkey also claims fewer Armenians died than has been reported.
At least 23 countries have officially recognized the mass slaughter and deportation as genocide, triggering the ire of Ankara.
Last year, both chambers of the U.S. Congress passed resolutions recognizing the tragedy as genocide. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian expressed his "gratitude" on behalf of the Armenian people.
Syria's move comes after weeks of tensions between Ankara and Damascus over a Russia-backed Syrian government military offensive in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib -- the last major bastion of opposition in the country.
Ankara says deadly clashes in Idlib between the two sides has killed 14 Syrian soldiers.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on February 12 said his country would do "whatever necessary" to push Syrian forces back.
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-02-13--Moscow Court Fines Twitter, Facebook For Refusal To 'Localize' Russian Users' Data

A court in Moscow has fined Twitter and Facebook for failing to move Russian user data onto servers in Russian @ @ @ @ @ court on February 13 ordered the two global behemoths to pay 4 million rubles ( @ @ @ @ @ violating a law that obliges social-media companies to store their clients ' data solely inside @ @ @ @ @ filed by Russia 's media watchdog , Roskomnazdor , are the latest effort by Russian @ @ @ @ @ and increase their ability to monitor content and users of social media .
Russian authorities @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 , is aimed at protecting Russians ' personal data .
Twitter and Facebook @ @ @ @ @ comply with the data law by January 31 , 2020 .

A court in Moscow has fined Twitter and Facebook for failing to move Russian user data onto servers in Russian territory.
The Taganka district court on February 13 ordered the two global behemoths to pay 4 million rubles ($63,336) each for violating a law that obliges social-media companies to store their clients' data solely inside the country.
The lawsuits filed by Russia's media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, are the latest effort by Russian authorities to impose more control and increase their ability to monitor content and users of social media.
Russian authorities say the law, passed in 2014, is aimed at protecting Russians' personal data.
Twitter and Facebook were warned last year to comply with the data law by January 31, 2020.


rferl--2020-02-13--NGO: Armenian Journalists Under 'Growing Harassment'

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) is raising alarm over an `` increase in the harassment '' of journalists in Armenia , who the watchdog says are being subjected to defamation suits and attacks on their right to protect their sources .
`` We are disturbed by the tendency for Armenian media to be sued or prosecuted , '' Jeanne Cavelier , the head of RSF 's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk , said in a statement on February 12 .
Cavelier said Armenia 's judicial system `` is being manipulated for partisan purposes to bring abusive legal proceedings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcing them dedicate a lot of resources to defending themselves . ''
The number of lawsuits alleging defamation or insult has tripled in the past four years , with Armenia 's justice department reporting 74 cases last year compared to 24 in 2016 , RSF said .
It said the lawsuits against journalists and media outlets were usually brought by politicians or businessmen , and sometimes by other media .
Cavelier urged the authorities to promote the use of existing nonjudicial solutions to settle disputes in order to `` avoid criminalizing journalism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harutyunian , a journalist working for the news website 1in.am , who was sued by pro-opposition news site News.am for suggesting in a Facebook post that News.am was owned by former President Robert Kocharian .
A court has ruled that she should have `` quoted her source '' and `` verified the facts '' although she was `` just expressing an opinion on an informal platform , '' the Paris-based media freedom group said .
As a result , Harutyunian had to post a retraction of her comments on Facebook on January 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manukian , the editor of the daily Zhoghovurd , who is facing criminal proceedings for refusing to reveal her sources , RSF said .
`` More and more journalists are being summoned for questioning about stories they have covered although Article 5 of Armenia 's mass-media law supposedly guarantees the confidentiality of their sources , '' according to RSF .

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is raising alarm over an "increase in the harassment" of journalists in Armenia, who the watchdog says are being subjected to defamation suits and attacks on their right to protect their sources.
"We are disturbed by the tendency for Armenian media to be sued or prosecuted," Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, said in a statement on February 12.
Cavelier said Armenia's judicial system "is being manipulated for partisan purposes to bring abusive legal proceedings designed to gag and obstruct media by forcing them dedicate a lot of resources to defending themselves."
The number of lawsuits alleging defamation or insult has tripled in the past four years, with Armenia's justice department reporting 74 cases last year compared to 24 in 2016, RSF said.
It said the lawsuits against journalists and media outlets were usually brought by politicians or businessmen, and sometimes by other media.
Cavelier urged the authorities to promote the use of existing nonjudicial solutions to settle disputes in order to "avoid criminalizing journalism."
RSF cited the case of Sona Harutyunian, a journalist working for the news website 1in.am, who was sued by pro-opposition news site News.am for suggesting in a Facebook post that News.am was owned by former President Robert Kocharian.
A court has ruled that she should have "quoted her source" and "verified the facts" although she was "just expressing an opinion on an informal platform," the Paris-based media freedom group said.
As a result, Harutyunian had to post a retraction of her comments on Facebook on January 31.
Another victim of harassment is Qnar Manukian, the editor of the daily Zhoghovurd, who is facing criminal proceedings for refusing to reveal her sources, RSF said.
"More and more journalists are being summoned for questioning about stories they have covered although Article 5 of Armenia's mass-media law supposedly guarantees the confidentiality of their sources," according to RSF.


rferl--2020-02-13--Azerbaijan Ordered To Compensate Activists For 'Arbitrary' Drug Arrests

The European Court of Human Rights ( ECHR ) has ordered Azerbaijan to pay compensation to two opposition activists jailed on drug charges after painting political graffiti on a statue of former President Heydar Aliyev .
In its February 13 ruling , the Strasbourg-based court held that Azerbaijan is to pay Bayram Mammadov and Giyas Ibrahimov 30,000 euros ( $ 32,600 ) each in respect of nonpecuniary damage , plus 6,000 euros ( $ 6,500 ) each as compensation for costs and expenses .
The ECHR found that the arrest and pretrial detention of Mammadov and Ibrahimov of the NIDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police had subjected them to `` ill-treatment in order to force them to confess '' to the charges against them .
The case was `` part of a pattern it had found in previous cases of the arbitrary arrest and detention of government critics , civil society activists , and human-rights defenders through retaliatory prosecutions and misuse of the criminal law , '' the court said .
Mammadov and Ibrahimov were arrested in May 2016 , a day after they sprayed graffiti on a statue of the president who ruled Azerbaijan from 1993 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took up the reins 17 years ago .
The two activists posted images of the graffiti on social media .
The graffiti included the words `` F*** the system '' and `` Happy slave day '' in Azeri -- a play on the phrase “ Happy flower day , ” which is linked to commemorations of Heydar Aliyev ’ s birthday .
Mammadov and Ibrahimov were convicted of drug offenses and sentenced to 10 years in jail before being released by presidential pardon last year .
The ECHR said their prosecution for drug-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an `` unlawful , '' `` grossly arbitrary '' interference with their freedom of expression .
In 2018 , the ECHR found that four other NIDA members had been arrested and charged with supplying firebombs in retaliation for their involvement in the youth movement .

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Azerbaijan to pay compensation to two opposition activists jailed on drug charges after painting political graffiti on a statue of former President Heydar Aliyev.
In its February 13 ruling, the Strasbourg-based court held that Azerbaijan is to pay Bayram Mammadov and Giyas Ibrahimov 30,000 euros ($32,600) each in respect of nonpecuniary damage, plus 6,000 euros ($6,500) each as compensation for costs and expenses.
The ECHR found that the arrest and pretrial detention of Mammadov and Ibrahimov of the NIDA youth movement had been arbitrary and that police had subjected them to "ill-treatment in order to force them to confess" to the charges against them.
The case was "part of a pattern it had found in previous cases of the arbitrary arrest and detention of government critics, civil society activists, and human-rights defenders through retaliatory prosecutions and misuse of the criminal law," the court said.
Mammadov and Ibrahimov were arrested in May 2016, a day after they sprayed graffiti on a statue of the president who ruled Azerbaijan from 1993 until his son, Ilham Aliyev, took up the reins 17 years ago. The two activists posted images of the graffiti on social media.
The graffiti included the words "F*** the system" and "Happy slave day" in Azeri -- a play on the phrase “Happy flower day,” which is linked to commemorations of Heydar Aliyev’s birthday.
Mammadov and Ibrahimov were convicted of drug offenses and sentenced to 10 years in jail before being released by presidential pardon last year.
The ECHR said their prosecution for drug-related crimes in retaliation for their actions was an "unlawful," "grossly arbitrary" interference with their freedom of expression.
In 2018, the ECHR found that four other NIDA members had been arrested and charged with supplying firebombs in retaliation for their involvement in the youth movement.


rferl--2020-02-13--Russian Court Upholds Decision To Fire Navy Officer For Being Drunk While Deployed In Syria

A Russian military court has upheld a lower court 's ruling that found a navy submarine officer 's early dismissal from the military for being drunk while deployed in Syria was legal .
The Southern Military District Court in the city of Rostov-on-Don on February 12 upheld the ruling by a military court in the city of Sevastopol in Crimea finding Captain Lieutenant Oleg Lavrenchuk 's firing just .
Lavrenchuk , who served aboard a Russian submarine near the Syrian Mediterranean port city of Tartus , was arrested by military police in late June 2019 for being drunk .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest , verbally insulted military police and commanders , and cursed at President Vladimir Putin 's portrait inside police headquarters .
Lavrenchuk 's lawyer , Sergei Gurin , said that although his client later expressed regret for his behavior , he was fired in August .
Gurin added that the court refused to accept Lavrenchuk 's explanation that he got drunk because he was depressed after finding out that his long-term deployment in Syria had been unexpectedly prolonged by four months .
According to Gurin , Lavrenchuk has served in the Russian Navy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months were remaining until his retirement .
The Russian military maintains its presence in Syria at the Tartus base and an air base in the coastal province of Latakia .
Moscow has given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 's government crucial support throughout an ongoing civil war , which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes since it began with a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011 .

A Russian military court has upheld the dismissal of a submariner who was discharged from the navy after a drunken rant in which he allegedly cursed his commanders and a portrait of President Vladimir Putin during a deployment to Syria.
The Southern Military District Court in the city of Rostov-on-Don on February 12 upheld the ruling by a military court in the city of Sevastopol in Crimea finding Captain Lieutenant Oleg Lavrenchuk's firing just.
Lavrenchuk, who served aboard a Russian submarine near the Syrian Mediterranean port city of Tartus, was arrested by military police in late June 2019 for being drunk.
According to court materials, Lavrenchuk aggressively resisted arrest, verbally insulted military police and commanders, and cursed at Putin's portrait inside police headquarters.
Lavrenchuk's lawyer, Sergei Gurin, said that although his client later expressed regret for his behavior, he was fired in August.
Gurin added that the court refused to accept Lavrenchuk's explanation that he got drunk because he was depressed after finding out that his long-term deployment in Syria had been unexpectedly prolonged by four months.
According to Gurin, Lavrenchuk has served in the Russian Navy for 17 1/2 years and only 18 months were remaining until his retirement.
The Russian military maintains its presence in Syria at the Tartus base and an air base in the coastal province of Latakia.
Moscow has given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government crucial support throughout an ongoing civil war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes since it began with a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.


rferl--2020-02-13--Iran Election Campaign Starts With Thousands Barred From Running

The weeklong campaigning for Iran 's parliamentary elections kicked off with more than 7,000 candidates vying for the 290 seats in the legislature , state TV reported on February 13 .
The February 21 elections are widely seen as a contest between hard-liners and conservatives after most pro-reform and moderate candidates were disqualified .
The vote will also be a test of the popularity of President Hassan Rohani , a relative moderate who has struggled to deliver on promises to improve people 's lives under crippling U.S. economic sanctions .
But experts say rising public dissatisfaction over Iran 's faltering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fair election process are likely to dampen voter turnout .
Rohani has criticized the Guardians Council , a hard-line body which vets all candidates , after it disqualified thousands of people who had registered to run , including 90 current lawmakers .
But the president used a speech marking the 41st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution earlier this week to urge Iranians `` not to be passive '' in the polls despite `` possible complaints and criticism . ''
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also called for a high turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patriotism at a time of heightened tensions with the United States .
`` Someone may not like me personally , but if they love Iran , they must go to the ballot box , '' Khamenei said in a speech on February 5 .
When officials announced gasoline rationing and price hikes in November , anti-government protests erupted in more than 100 Iranian cities and turned violent before security forces put them down .
Last month , the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane by Iran 's air defenses led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with demonstrators chanting slogans against Iran ’ s clerical leadership .
The plane disaster followed the killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani , the leader of Iran 's elite Quds Force , in a U.S. air strike in Baghdad in early January .
In response , Tehran launched missile strikes on two bases hosting U.S. troops in Iraq .
Tensions have soared between Iran and the United States since Washington in 2018 pulled out of a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers and reimposed economic sanctions on Iran .
Tehran has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the 2015 deal and has said it no longer considers itself bound by the pact .
Experts predict Iran 's hard-liners will dominate the next legislature following elections in which reformists say 90 percent of their candidates have been barred from running .
In the 2016 vote , a bloc of reformists and moderate conservatives won 41 percent of the 290 parliamentary seats .
Hard-liners won 29 percent and independents took 28 percent .
Among the high-profile candidates in the upcoming polls that are running are Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf , the conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pezeshkian , among the few reformist lawmakers permitted to run for reelection .
Conservative Ali Larijani , Iran ’ s powerful parliament speaker , and moderate Mohammad Reza Aref , who headed the reformist faction in parliament , have decided not to run .
Those barred from contesting the polls include Ali Motahari , an outspoken lawmaker and a political moderate , and Mahmud Sadeqi , the reformist politician who has represented Tehran since winning his seat in 2016 .


rferl--2020-02-13--Afghanistan Urged To Prosecute 'Powerful' Perpetrators Of Sexual Assaults

Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) is urging the Afghan government to take immediate steps to provide `` justice , support victims , and protect witnesses '' in sexual-assault cases implicating `` powerful people . ''
In a statement on February 12 , the New York-based watchdog said that two recent cases highlighted the Afghan authorities ' failure to prosecute such cases .
Senior officials of the Afghan Football Federation ( AFF ) charged for sexually assaulting female players and for participating in a cover-up of the abuse have not been arrested , while officials in Logar Province are `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an alleged pedophile ring operating in state schools , according to HRW .
`` Prosecuting sexual violence has long been difficult in Afghanistan , but the problems are magnified when the suspects are powerful people , '' said Patricia Gossman , associate Asia director at HRW .
`` These two horrific cases are a litmus test of the Afghan government 's commitment to ending impunity for sexual violence , '' Gossman added .
Gossman called on Afghanistan 's donors to press the government to prosecute those responsible for the alleged sexual abuse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists who reported the abuse last year have received threats on social media , some from local officials , and were detained by Afghanistan 's intelligence agency , the National Directorate of Security ( NDS ) .
The activists were later released and subsequently left Afghanistan .
The Attorney General ’ s Office initiated an investigation into the allegations and 18 people have been detained , but no police or senior officials alleged to have been responsible for abuse were included in the detentions , HRW said .
The group quoted activists as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the probe , regardless of whether it has made progress , while the authorities `` have not put into place any measures to protect survivors and witnesses from retaliation . ''
HRW said the Afghan authorities have also failed to make progress in the investigation of multiple cases of alleged sexual assault of female soccer players by former AFF head Keramuddin Karim .
Soccer 's global governing body , FIFA , last year banned Karim for life and fined him about $ 1 million , and the Afghan attorney general issued a warrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has yet to be detained , while most of his accusers have left Afghanistan after receiving threats , according to HRW .
Gossman said the authorities now had to arrest Karim and investigate soccer federation officials who `` facilitated the abuse or helped cover it up . ''


rferl--2020-02-13--Turkmen President Fires National Security Minister Weeks After Rebuke

ASHGABAT -- Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has dismissed National Security Minister Yaylym Berdiev less than a month after he publicly rebuked him for perceived shortcomings in his performance .
State-run media outlets in the energy-rich Central Asian country reported on February 13 that Colonel Gurbanmyrat Annaev was appointed as the new national security minister .
On January 22 , Berdymukhammedov handed down `` a severe rebuke with a final warning '' to Berdiev for , according to media reports , `` improperly carrying out his service duties , '' and demoted Berdiev to the rank of major general from colonel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the post of secretary of the State Security Council at the time .
Berdiev was also publicly reprimanded by Berdymukhammedov for `` mistakes '' in November 2019 in the wake of an international outcry around a gay Turkmen doctor , who along with his family members , faced pressure following an interview with RFE/RL in which he detailed his tormented life as a homosexual in a conservative society .
Berdymukhammedov has ruled the former Soviet republic with an iron fist since the death of his autocratic predecessor , Saparmurat Niyazov , in December @ @

ASHGABAT -- Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has dismissed National Security Minister Yaylym Berdiev less than a month after he publicly rebuked him for perceived shortcomings in his performance.
State-run media outlets in the energy-rich Central Asian country reported on February 13 that Colonel Gurbanmyrat Annaev was appointed as the new national security minister.
On January 22, Berdymukhammedov handed down "a severe rebuke with a final warning" to Berdiev for, according to media reports, "improperly carrying out his service duties," and demoted Berdiev to the rank of major general from colonel general.
Berdymukhammedov also removed Berdiev from the post of secretary of the State Security Council at the time.
Berdiev was also publicly reprimanded by Berdymukhammedov for "mistakes" in November 2019 in the wake of an international outcry around a gay Turkmen doctor, who along with his family members, faced pressure following an interview with RFE/RL in which he detailed his tormented life as a homosexual in a conservative society.
Berdymukhammedov has ruled the former Soviet republic with an iron fist since the death of his autocratic predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov, in December 2006.


rferl--2020-02-13--U.S. Senate Votes To Restrain Trump's Military Powers Against

The U.S. Senate has passed a bipartisan resolution curbing President Donald Trump 's authority to launch military operations against Iran .
The measure , authored by Senator Tim Kaine ( Democrat-Virginia ) says Trump must win approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran .
Eight Republicans joined with Democrats to pass the resolution by a 55-45 vote .
Kaine and other supporters said the resolution was not directed at Trump , but instead was an important reassertion of congressional power to declare war .
Under the U.S. Constitution , Congress has the power to declare war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his supporters say the measure sends the wrong signal to Iran and other potential adversaries .
`` It is very important for our Country 's SECURITY that the United States Senate not vote for the Iran War Powers Resolution .
We are doing very well with Iran and this is not the time to show weakness , '' the president tweeted .
Trump is likely to veto the measure , having dismissed limiting the president 's war powers as a sign of `` weakness . ''
The president recently used his veto on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a separate , nonbinding war-powers resolution last month , as Democrats and some Republicans fumed over Trump 's failure to fully inform them about his Iran strategy .
The move came after Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Major General Qasem Soleimani , the leader of Iran 's elite Quds Force , outside Baghdad .
He did not inform Congress until after the strike .
In response to Soleimani 's killing , Tehran launched missile strikes on two bases hosting U.S. troops in Iraq .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury following the attack on the Ain al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq , though no one was killed .
The House could take up the Senate resolution later this month .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , and RFE/RL 's Radio Farda


rferl--2020-02-14--Russia Wants Canada To Hand Over Files On Ex-Nazi Death Squad Interpreter

Russia says it has asked Canada to hand over case files on a 95-year-old former Nazi death-squad member to help Moscow investigate the mass murder of children at a Soviet orphanage during World War II .
Helmut Oberlander , who was born in Ukraine and became a German citizen during the war , lives in Canada .
He obtained Canadian citizenship in 1960 and courts have repeatedly ruled Oberlander 's citizenship should be revoked because he lied about his participation in a Nazi death squad during the war .
In December Canada 's Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him of his passport , bringing him a step closer to actual deportation from Canada .
Russia 's Investigation Committee announced on February 14 that it wanted Canada 's case and legal files on Oberlander , saying it was checking his possible involvement in a 1942 `` genocide '' at an orphanage in the Sea of Azov town of Yeysk .
The committee said in a statement that a death squad equipped with `` mobile gas chambers '' was deployed in 1942 and 1943 to the German-occupied Krasnodar region .
`` As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October 9 and 10 , 1942 , a mass murder of children at the Yeysk orphanage was committed , '' it added .
At the time , Oberlander served as a translator for the Nazis ' mobile killing squads , the committee said .
Oberlander has said he was forced to join one of the squads at the age of 17 and did not take part in any atrocities .
Last year , Russian investigators said they had opened a probe into suspected genocide after declassified documents in the Krasnodar region revealed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had fled the Crimean Peninsula for nearby Yeysk were found after Nazi forces were driven out of the area .
With reporting by Interfax , Reuters , and The Moscow Times

Russia says it has asked Canada to hand over case files on a 95-year-old former Nazi death-squad member to help Moscow investigate the mass murder of children at a Soviet orphanage during World War II.
Helmut Oberlander, who was born in Ukraine and became a German citizen during the war, lives in Canada.
He obtained Canadian citizenship in 1960 and courts have repeatedly ruled Oberlander's citizenship should be revoked because he lied about his participation in a Nazi death squad during the war. In December Canada's Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal on the government's decision to strip him of his passport, bringing him a step closer to actual deportation from Canada.
Russia's Investigation Committee announced on February 14 that it wanted Canada's case and legal files on Oberlander, saying it was checking his possible involvement in a 1942 "genocide" at an orphanage in the Sea of Azov town of Yeysk.
The committee said in a statement that a death squad equipped with "mobile gas chambers" was deployed in 1942 and 1943 to the German-occupied Krasnodar region.
"As a result of one such operation, on October 9 and 10, 1942, a mass murder of children at the Yeysk orphanage was committed," it added.
At the time, Oberlander served as a translator for the Nazis' mobile killing squads, the committee said.
Oberlander has said he was forced to join one of the squads at the age of 17 and did not take part in any atrocities.
Last year, Russian investigators said they had opened a probe into suspected genocide after declassified documents in the Krasnodar region revealed that the bodies of 214 disabled foster children who had fled the Crimean Peninsula for nearby Yeysk were found after Nazi forces were driven out of the area.
With reporting by Interfax, Reuters, and The Moscow Times


rferl--2020-02-14--Russia Halts All Charter Flights To And From China Due To Coronavirus

All charter flights from Russia to China have been stopped as of February 14 due to the spread of the coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV ) .
Before the move on February 14 , Russian authorities had allowed charter flights that were bringing Russian citizens back from China .
All regularly scheduled flights from across Russia to China were stopped on February 1 , except for some flights operated by state carrier Aeroflot , Air China , Hainan Airlines , and China Southern Airlines , which are running routes through an isolated terminal in Moscow 's Sheremetyevo Airport .
Russia has brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the coronavirus outbreak in emerged in December in Wuhan , capital of the central province of Hubei .
On February 14 , the Russian Embassy in Cambodia said that eight Russian passengers from the Westerdam cruise ship that has been turned away from ports around Asia over coronavirus concerns and is now anchored in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville , will be repatriated on February 15 at the expense of the tour company .
Chinese officials on February 14 said that the death toll from the coronavirus in the country was 1,380 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on reporting by RBK and TASS

All charter flights from Russia to China have been stopped as of February 14 due to the spread of the coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Before the move on February 14, Russian authorities had allowed charter flights that were bringing Russian citizens back from China.
All regularly scheduled flights from across Russia to China were stopped on February 1, except for some flights operated by state carrier Aeroflot, Air China, Hainan Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, which are running routes through an isolated terminal in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.
Russia has brought home hundreds of its citizens from China since the coronavirus outbreak in emerged in December in Wuhan, capital of the central province of Hubei.
On February 14, the Russian Embassy in Cambodia said that eight Russian passengers from the Westerdam cruise ship that has been turned away from ports around Asia over coronavirus concerns and is now anchored in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, will be repatriated on February 15 at the expense of the tour company.
Chinese officials on February 14 said that the death toll from the coronavirus in the country was 1,380, with 63,851 confirmed cases.
Based on reporting by RBK and TASS


rferl--2020-02-14--Azerbaijani President Vows To Investigate Violations During Parliamentary Elections

BAKU -- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has vowed to thoroughly investigate all violations at voting stations during the parliamentary elections on February 9 after the Central Election Commission annulled results from four constituencies due to irregularities .
Speaking at a public event in the central city of Kurdamir on February 13 , Aliyev admitted some violations took place , saying an assessment of the elections by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) was `` more objective than before , although we could not agree with some of their conclusions . ''
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the violations that took place will be seriously investigated and those responsible for them will be punished and we will continue our cooperation with all international organizations ... .
We do not want any violations .
We do not need them at all , because today , and I say this with full confidence , there is no alternative to our policies in Azerbaijan , '' Aliyev said .
The OSCE observers noted that the number of registered voters in more than half of the 125 constituencies deviated by more than allowed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Azerbaijan Paarty Executive Secretary Ali Ahmedov said his party won at least 72 seats in parliament , while the election commission 's preliminary results show the ruling party won 70 out of 125 seats in the single-chamber legislature .
Nearly all of the remaining mandates went to small parties and independents loyal to Aliyev .
The opposition has alleged widespread violations , including ballot-box stuffing and carousel voting , in the election .
On February 11 , police in Baku detained more than 20 opposition and independent candidates who protested the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Central Election Commission 's building .
Since Azerbaijan declared independence from the Soviet Union in August 1991 , its elections have repeatedly been deemed as falling short of democratic standards by international observers from the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe .
Aliyev has ruled the energy-rich South Caucasus country of nearly 10 million people since shortly before the 2003 death of his father , a former KGB officer and communist-era leader who had ruled Azerbaijan since 1993 .

BAKU -- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has vowed to thoroughly investigate all violations at voting stations during the parliamentary elections on February 9 after the Central Election Commission annulled results from four constituencies due to irregularities.
Speaking at a public event in the central city of Kurdamir on February 13, Aliyev admitted some violations took place, saying an assessment of the elections by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was "more objective than before, although we could not agree with some of their conclusions."
"We told [the OSCE] that all the violations that took place will be seriously investigated and those responsible for them will be punished and we will continue our cooperation with all international organizations.... We do not want any violations. We do not need them at all, because today, and I say this with full confidence, there is no alternative to our policies in Azerbaijan," Aliyev said.
The OSCE observers noted that the number of registered voters in more than half of the 125 constituencies deviated by more than allowed by the Electoral Code.
On February 12, New Azerbaijan Paarty Executive Secretary Ali Ahmedov said his party won at least 72 seats in parliament, while the election commission's preliminary results show the ruling party won 70 out of 125 seats in the single-chamber legislature.
Nearly all of the remaining mandates went to small parties and independents loyal to Aliyev.
The opposition has alleged widespread violations, including ballot-box stuffing and carousel voting, in the election.
On February 11, police in Baku detained more than 20 opposition and independent candidates who protested the results of the votes in front of the Central Election Commission's building.
Since Azerbaijan declared independence from the Soviet Union in August 1991, its elections have repeatedly been deemed as falling short of democratic standards by international observers from the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Aliyev has ruled the energy-rich South Caucasus country of nearly 10 million people since shortly before the 2003 death of his father, a former KGB officer and communist-era leader who had ruled Azerbaijan since 1993.