rferl--2020-06-18--Kyrgyz Lawmakers Exonerate Country Of Links To Massive Money-Laundering Operation

BISHKEK – Kyrgyz lawmakers have approved the findings of a parliamentary commission that concluded Kyrgyzstan was not involved in hundreds of millions of dollars of alleged money laundering uncovered in a bombshell joint journalistic investigation .
Seventy-two lawmakers on June 18 approved the conclusion of the commission probing the murder of a businessman and widespread corruption allegations that have triggered protests in the Central Asian nation .
The commission concluded that `` the $ 932 million withdrawn from the country is not related to Kyrgyzstan , since it was the funds of Kyrgyz and foreign private entrepreneurs ” working in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmaker Talantbek Mamytov .
The vote relates to an award-winning joint journalistic investigation by RFE/RL ’ s Kyrgyz Service , the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project , and the Kyrgyz news site Kloop , titled Plunder And Patronage In The Heart Of Central Asia .
The investigation implicated former Kyrgyz State Customs Agency Deputy Chairman Raimbek Matraimov in a corruption scheme involving money transferred out of the country by Chinese-born Uyghur businessman Aierken Saimaiti , who was assassinated in Istanbul in November .
Prior to his killing , he provided a trove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he moved money out of Kyrgyzstan via murky wire transfers and cash couriers over the course of several years .
Earlier in June , Kyrgyzstan 's State Committee for National Security ( UKMK ) claimed reporters with RFE/RL had received money from Saimaiti , who served as the journalists ' source in the joint investigation .
Former RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said at the time that the allegations `` appear to be the latest attempt in a long-standing campaign of retaliation against journalists by corrupt individuals seeking to protect their wealth and power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied any links to Saimaiti or corruption in the Kyrgyz customs service , and filed a libel suit over the investigation .
The lead reporter in the investigation , Ali Toktakunov of RFE/RL ’ s Radio Azattyk , has received death threats in connection with the publication , which has triggered street protests in Kyrgyzstan following its publication in November .

BISHKEK – Kyrgyz lawmakers have approved the findings of a parliamentary commission that concluded Kyrgyzstan was not involved in hundreds of millions of dollars of alleged money laundering uncovered in a bombshell joint journalistic investigation.
Seventy-two lawmakers on June 18 approved the conclusion of the commission probing the murder of a businessman and widespread corruption allegations that have triggered protests in the Central Asian nation.
The commission concluded that "the $932 million withdrawn from the country is not related to Kyrgyzstan, since it was the funds of Kyrgyz and foreign private entrepreneurs” working in Uzbekistan, according to its chairman, lawmaker Talantbek Mamytov.
The vote relates to an award-winning joint journalistic investigation by RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and the Kyrgyz news site Kloop, titled Plunder And Patronage In The Heart Of Central Asia.
The investigation implicated former Kyrgyz State Customs Agency Deputy Chairman Raimbek Matraimov in a corruption scheme involving money transferred out of the country by Chinese-born Uyghur businessman Aierken Saimaiti, who was assassinated in Istanbul in November.
Prior to his killing, he provided a trove of financial records to reporters showing how he moved money out of Kyrgyzstan via murky wire transfers and cash couriers over the course of several years.
Earlier in June, Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) claimed reporters with RFE/RL had received money from Saimaiti, who served as the journalists' source in the joint investigation.
RFE/RL strongly rejected the allegation.
Former RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said at the time that the allegations "appear to be the latest attempt in a long-standing campaign of retaliation against journalists by corrupt individuals seeking to protect their wealth and power."
Matraimov and his family have denied any links to Saimaiti or corruption in the Kyrgyz customs service, and filed a libel suit over the investigation.
The lead reporter in the investigation, Ali Toktakunov of RFE/RL’s Radio Azattyk, has received death threats in connection with the publication, which has triggered street protests in Kyrgyzstan following its publication in November.


rferl--2020-06-18--North Macedonia's Former Organized Crime Prosecutor Jailed In Bribery Scheme

North Macedonia 's former special prosecutor in charge of investigating organized crime and corruption has been sentenced to seven years in prison for abuse of office .
A Skopje court on June 18 found Katica Janeva guilty of working with an intermediary friend who took 1.5 million euros ( $ 1.7 million ) from one of the Balkan country ’ s wealthiest businessmen , Orce Kamcev , who is under investigation in a separate case .
The middleman -- high-profile entertainer and television owner Bojan Jovanovski -- was sentenced to nine years in prison for bribery and money laundering .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had agreed to `` softer measures '' during the inquiry into Kamcev , including allowing the suspect to be held in house detention and developing a plan to only fine him , according to the verdict .
Janeva `` has destroyed the trust of the public in the justice system , '' the court said .
Both Janeva and Jovanovski claim innocence and can appeal the verdict .
The whereabouts of the 1.5 million euros in extortion money is unknown , RFE/RL ’ s Balkan Service reported .
The so-called “ Extortion ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in controversy , since Jovanovski boasted of his connections with senior officials in the Social Democratic government .
Janeva was arrested in August 2019 after the Italian newspaper La Verita published audio and video recordings alleging she was involved in the bribery scheme .
The graft inquiry into Kamcev , known as the `` Empire '' investigation , has been completed , but prosecutors have not yet decided to file charges .
The special prosecutor 's office was established in 2015 to investigate high-profile crime as part of a deal brokered by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and restore faith in the judiciary .
North Macedonia seeks EU membership and a condition for joining the club is fighting corruption and organized crime .
With reporting by AFP , dpa , Reuters , and RFE/RL 's Balkan Service

North Macedonia's former special prosecutor in charge of investigating organized crime and corruption has been sentenced to seven years in prison for abuse of office.
A Skopje court on June 18 found Katica Janeva guilty of working with an intermediary friend who took 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million) from one of the Balkan country’s wealthiest businessmen, Orce Kamcev, who is under investigation in a separate case.
The middleman -- high-profile entertainer and television owner Bojan Jovanovski -- was sentenced to nine years in prison for bribery and money laundering.
Skopje's criminal court found that Janeva had agreed to "softer measures" during the inquiry into Kamcev, including allowing the suspect to be held in house detention and developing a plan to only fine him, according to the verdict.
Janeva "has destroyed the trust of the public in the justice system," the court said.
Both Janeva and Jovanovski claim innocence and can appeal the verdict.
The whereabouts of the 1.5 million euros in extortion money is unknown, RFE/RL’s Balkan Service reported.
The so-called “Extortion” case mired former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in controversy, since Jovanovski boasted of his connections with senior officials in the Social Democratic government.
Janeva was arrested in August 2019 after the Italian newspaper La Verita published audio and video recordings alleging she was involved in the bribery scheme.
The graft inquiry into Kamcev, known as the "Empire" investigation, has been completed, but prosecutors have not yet decided to file charges.
The special prosecutor's office was established in 2015 to investigate high-profile crime as part of a deal brokered by the European Union to end a political crisis and restore faith in the judiciary.
North Macedonia seeks EU membership and a condition for joining the club is fighting corruption and organized crime.
With reporting by AFP, dpa, Reuters, and RFE/RL's Balkan Service


rferl--2020-06-18--Russian WWII Veterans Quarantined Before Watching Military Parade With Putin

MOSCOW -- Russian World War II veterans scheduled to watch a Victory Day military parade with President Vladimir Putin later this month have been placed under quarantine as a precautionary measure .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on June 18 that the decision to quarantine the veterans would safeguard Putin from getting the virus and that the group had been placed at spas and rest homes with `` wonderful conditions . ''
`` First of all , as they are expected to communicate with each other [ at the parade , ] it is about taking care of their health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precautions are undertaken , '' Peskov said , adding that it is also `` a great opportunity for the veterans to receive additional medical services . ''
The parade , which is usually held on May 9 each year to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Soviet Union in 1945 , was moved to June 24 because of the coronavirus outbreak .
The new date was chosen as it was the day when the first Soviet victory parade after the war was held 75 years ago .
The Kremlin has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face from the pandemic , especially after both Peskov and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin both tested positive for the coronavirus .
Media reports in Russia said this week that special disinfection tunnels had been installed at Putin 's residence outside Moscow for individuals wishing to meet with him there or in the Kremlin .
The annual military parade is a major celebration that includes dozens of military vehicles passing through the center of Moscow as thousands of spectators crowd along the streets to watch .
Authorities in several towns and cities across Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus , but in the capital , the epicenter of Russia 's outbreak , the parade will take place .
Russian health authorities said on June 18 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had reached 561,091 , including 7,660 deaths .
With reporting by TASS , Interfax , and Reuters

MOSCOW -- Russian World War II veterans scheduled to watch a Victory Day military parade with President Vladimir Putin later this month have been placed under quarantine as a precautionary measure.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on June 18 that the decision to quarantine the veterans would safeguard Putin from getting the virus and that the group had been placed at spas and rest homes with "wonderful conditions."
"First of all, as they are expected to communicate with each other [at the parade, ] it is about taking care of their health. It is very important that all precautions are undertaken," Peskov said, adding that it is also "a great opportunity for the veterans to receive additional medical services."
The parade, which is usually held on May 9 each year to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Soviet Union in 1945, was moved to June 24 because of the coronavirus outbreak. The new date was chosen as it was the day when the first Soviet victory parade after the war was held 75 years ago.
The Kremlin has been careful to limit the risk Putin may face from the pandemic, especially after both Peskov and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin both tested positive for the coronavirus.
Media reports in Russia said this week that special disinfection tunnels had been installed at Putin's residence outside Moscow for individuals wishing to meet with him there or in the Kremlin.
The annual military parade is a major celebration that includes dozens of military vehicles passing through the center of Moscow as thousands of spectators crowd along the streets to watch.
Authorities in several towns and cities across Russia have postponed or canceled military parades due to the virus, but in the capital, the epicenter of Russia's outbreak, the parade will take place.
Russian health authorities said on June 18 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had reached 561,091, including 7,660 deaths.
With reporting by TASS, Interfax, and Reuters


rferl--2020-06-18--Former Armenian President Kocharian Granted Bail Of More Than $4 Million

YEREVAN -- An Armenian court has granted bail to former President Robert Kocharian , who is standing trial on charges of overthrowing the constitutional order and bribery .
The criminal court of appeal in Yerevan on June 18 ruled that Kocharian , who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the capital , should be released after posting bail of 2 billion drams ( $ 4.2 million ) .
His lawyer , Aram Vardevanian , welcomed the court decision to grant bail to his client but called its amount `` unprecedented . ''
Kocharian was taken to Yerevan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undergo surgery for the second time in seven months .
On May 13 , a Yerevan district court denied Kocharian 's release on bail pending the end of his trial .
Two weeks later , another court ruled that the 65-year-old ex-president should not be sent back to prison as long as he remains at risk of contracting COVID-19 – a ruling that is being challenged by the Penitentiary Service .
Prosecutors have opposed Kocharian ’ s release , saying the man who served as president for a decade ( 1998-2008 ) could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was arrested in July 2018 and is now standing trial along with three other former officials on charges stemming from his alleged role in a 2008 postelection crackdown on the opposition , as well as for taking bribes .
The former head of state faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the charges , which he rejects as politically motivated .

YEREVAN -- An Armenian court has granted bail to former President Robert Kocharian, who is standing trial on charges of overthrowing the constitutional order and bribery.
The criminal court of appeal in Yerevan on June 18 ruled that Kocharian, who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the capital, should be released after posting bail of 2 billion drams ($4.2 million).
His lawyer, Aram Vardevanian, welcomed the court decision to grant bail to his client but called its amount "unprecedented."
Kocharian was taken to Yerevan’s Izmirlian Medical Center in April to undergo surgery for the second time in seven months.
On May 13, a Yerevan district court denied Kocharian's release on bail pending the end of his trial.
Two weeks later, another court ruled that the 65-year-old ex-president should not be sent back to prison as long as he remains at risk of contracting COVID-19 – a ruling that is being challenged by the Penitentiary Service.
Prosecutors have opposed Kocharian’s release, saying the man who served as president for a decade (1998-2008) could flee prosecution or obstruct justice.
Kocharian was arrested in July 2018 and is now standing trial along with three other former officials on charges stemming from his alleged role in a 2008 postelection crackdown on the opposition, as well as for taking bribes.
The former head of state faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the charges, which he rejects as politically motivated.


rferl--2020-06-18--U.S. Embassy Warns Ukraine About Its Justice System As Arrest Of Poroshenko Mulled

KYIV -- The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has expressed concerns about Ukraine 's justice system at a time when the State Bureau of Investigations ( DBR ) and the Prosecutor-General 's Office are considering arresting former President Petro Poroshenko amid a spate of investigations involving him .
In a statement posted on Facebook on June 18 , the embassy wrote in a thinly veiled message that did n't mention Poroshenko by name that all `` citizens in a democracy deserve to be treated equally and fairly under the law . ''
`` The justice system should not be used for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the statement said .
Ukraine 's Prosecutor-General 's Office and the DBR have said that Poroshenko was officially informed that he is a suspect in one of more than 20 cases implicating his possible involvement , adding that they are seeking Poroshenko 's pretrial arrest .
However , on June 18 , prosecutors said at the hearing on possible pretrial restrictions for Poroshenko at the Pechera District Court that they were not seeking the pretrial arrest of the former president , but other restrictions instead .
The hearing was then adjourned until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes a day after Donald Tusk , the president of the European People 's Party ( EPP ) , expressed his party 's concerns over probes launched against Poroshenko after he lost a 2019 presidential election to the current Ukrainian leader , Volodymyr Zelenskiy .
`` The EPP is very concerned by political cases against former President Poroshenko .
The charges should not resemble politically motivated persecution , nor be politically motivated against select political opponents , '' Tusk wrote on Twitter on June 17 .
Last week , the Orthodox Church of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political motivation in the activities of law enforcement agencies and the initiation of criminal cases , in particular , against the former president is inexcusable .
A billionaire confectioner , Poroshenko currently serves as a member of parliament .
His party ran on a pro-European , anti-Russian ticket in July 2019 parliamentary elections , winning 25 seats .

KYIV -- The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has expressed concerns about Ukraine's justice system at a time when the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) and the Prosecutor-General's Office are considering arresting former President Petro Poroshenko amid a spate of investigations involving him.
In a statement posted on Facebook on June 18, the embassy wrote in a thinly veiled message that didn't mention Poroshenko by name that all "citizens in a democracy deserve to be treated equally and fairly under the law."
"The justice system should not be used for the purpose of settling political scores," the statement said.
Ukraine's Prosecutor-General's Office and the DBR have said that Poroshenko was officially informed that he is a suspect in one of more than 20 cases implicating his possible involvement, adding that they are seeking Poroshenko's pretrial arrest.
However, on June 18, prosecutors said at the hearing on possible pretrial restrictions for Poroshenko at the Pechera District Court that they were not seeking the pretrial arrest of the former president, but other restrictions instead.
The hearing was then adjourned until July 1.
The U.S. Embassy post comes a day after Donald Tusk, the president of the European People's Party (EPP), expressed his party's concerns over probes launched against Poroshenko after he lost a 2019 presidential election to the current Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
"The EPP is very concerned by political cases against former President Poroshenko. The charges should not resemble politically motivated persecution, nor be politically motivated against select political opponents," Tusk wrote on Twitter on June 17.
Last week, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine issued a statement saying that any political motivation in the activities of law enforcement agencies and the initiation of criminal cases, in particular, against the former president is inexcusable.
A billionaire confectioner, Poroshenko currently serves as a member of parliament.
His party ran on a pro-European, anti-Russian ticket in July 2019 parliamentary elections, winning 25 seats.


rferl--2020-06-18--EU Extends Crimea Sanctions By One More Year

The European Union has rolled over for another year sanctions imposed over Russia 's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine .
EU member states “ decided to renew the sanctions introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June 2021 , '' the European Council said in a statement on June 18 .
The restrictive measures were introduced in 2014 as a response to Russia 's forcible seizure of Crimea in March 2014 after Moscow sent in troops and staged a referendum dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imports of products originating in Crimea into the EU , as well as infrastructural or financial investments and tourism services on the peninsula .
Goods and technologies for the transport , telecommunications , and energy sectors also can not be exported to Crimean companies or for use on the peninsula .
Separately , the EU has imposed a raft of economic sanctions related to Russia 's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014 .
These sanctions targeting Russia are set to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomatic sources and officials as saying that the 27 national EU leaders are expected on June 19 to back extending the restrictive measures for another six months -- until the end of January 2021 .
In Moscow , the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry 's European Cooperation Department , Nikolai Kobrinets , told Interfax that “ life under sanctions can be hard , and they 're doing a lot of harm to our economy , yet we adapt . ''
With reporting by Reuters and Interfax

The European Union has rolled over for another year sanctions imposed over Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.
EU member states “decided to renew the sanctions introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June 2021," the European Council said in a statement on June 18.
The restrictive measures were introduced in 2014 as a response to Russia's forcible seizure of Crimea in March 2014 after Moscow sent in troops and staged a referendum dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries.
The sanctions include prohibitions targeting the imports of products originating in Crimea into the EU, as well as infrastructural or financial investments and tourism services on the peninsula.
Goods and technologies for the transport, telecommunications, and energy sectors also cannot be exported to Crimean companies or for use on the peninsula.
Separately, the EU has imposed a raft of economic sanctions related to Russia's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014.
These sanctions targeting Russia are set to expire on July 31.
Reuters quoted diplomatic sources and officials as saying that the 27 national EU leaders are expected on June 19 to back extending the restrictive measures for another six months -- until the end of January 2021.
In Moscow, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's European Cooperation Department, Nikolai Kobrinets, told Interfax that “life under sanctions can be hard, and they're doing a lot of harm to our economy, yet we adapt."
With reporting by Reuters and Interfax


rferl--2020-06-18--German Prosecutors Accuse Russian Government Of Ordering Killing In Berlin

Prosecutors in Germany have filed murder charges against a Russian national accused of the slaying of a Georgian man in Berlin last year and said the Russian government ordered the killing .
The killing in broad daylight on August 23 in the German capital strained ties between Moscow and Berlin .
In December , Germany expelled two Russian diplomats , citing a lack of cooperation with its probe .
In a statement on June 18 , German federal prosecutors filed charges of murder and a violation of weapons laws against a Russian citizen they identified Vadim K. , alias Vadim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point before mid-July last year , “ state agencies of the central government of the Russian Federation ” tasked him with “ liquidating ” the victim , Tornike K. , who has been identified in reports on the killing as Zelimkhan Khangoshvili , a Georgian citizen of Chechen ethnicity who fought against Russian troops in Chechnya .
Speaking to reporters in Vienna during a trip to Austria on June 18 , German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after the prosecutors ' announcement : “ We once again invited the Russian ambassador for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make our position unmistakably clear again to the Russian side , and the German government expressly reserves the right to take further measures in this case.
” Media reports said that the Russian ambassador to Germany was called in to the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin on June 18 .
A German government spokesman was quoted by Reuters as saying Berlin takes the federal prosecutors ’ statement that the killing was ordered by Russian authorities seriously and that the government `` reserves the right to take further steps . ''
The Russian ambassador @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia had ordered the killing “ unfounded , ” according to Russian news agencies .
`` As for the threats coming from Berlin on possible further measures against Russia , if they are put into practice , they wo n't be left unanswered , '' Nechayev said .
The 40-year-old Khangoshvili had several brushes with death .
In the early 2000s , he fought with Chechen separatists against Russian forces during the Second Chechen War .
In 2015 in Tbilisi , he was targeted in an apparent assassination hit .
He survived with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Later in Ukraine , he was tipped off about another planned hit and went into hiding before turning up in Berlin in late 2016 .
In the German capital on August 23 , 2019 , a man approached him in the city ’ s Kleiner Tiergarten and shot him several times in the head , killing him instantly .
A Russian national , allegedly traveling under a false identity , was arrested as a suspect .
Moscow has denied any role in the killing .
Germany on December 4 expelled the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case after gathering evidence that a “ foreign intelligence agency ” was behind the slaying .
After the killing , Russian President Vladimir Putin – without providing evidence – asserted that Khangoshvili had been a “ murderous fighter ” who was involved in several terror attacks in Russia .
At the time of the killing , acquaintances of Khangoshvili said they were convinced he was killed for his role as a military commander in Chechnya in the early 2000s .
Some even criticized the German government for not approving his request for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought in the Second Chechen War , as a mid-level commander , that 's enough , I think , for him to have been hunted , '' Saikhan Muzayev , an acquaintance of Khangoshvili , told Current Time , the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA .
The open source investigative group Bellingat said the killing had been planned and organized by Russia ’ s Federal Security Service ( FSB ) .
In a report following a monthlong probe , Bellingcat said it found that preparations for the killing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chairman of the Vympel Charitable Fund For Former FSB Spetsnaz Officers , and other senior members of the fund .
Russia has been accused in the past of deploying agents abroad to target Kremlin opponents , including the 2018 poisoning in Britain of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter .
With reporting by dpa , TASS , Interfax , and AP

Prosecutors in Germany have filed murder charges against a Russian national accused of the slaying of a Georgian man in Berlin last year and said the Russian government ordered the killing.
The killing in broad daylight on August 23 in the German capital strained ties between Moscow and Berlin. In December, Germany expelled two Russian diplomats, citing a lack of cooperation with its probe.
In a statement on June 18, German federal prosecutors filed charges of murder and a violation of weapons laws against a Russian citizen they identified Vadim K., alias Vadim S.
They said that, at some point before mid-July last year, “state agencies of the central government of the Russian Federation” tasked him with “liquidating” the victim, Tornike K., who has been identified in reports on the killing as Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Georgian citizen of Chechen ethnicity who fought against Russian troops in Chechnya.
Speaking to reporters in Vienna during a trip to Austria on June 18, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after the prosecutors' announcement: “We once again invited the Russian ambassador for a meeting at the Foreign Ministry today to make our position unmistakably clear again to the Russian side, and the German government expressly reserves the right to take further measures in this case.”
Media reports said that the Russian ambassador to Germany was called in to the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin on June 18.
A German government spokesman was quoted by Reuters as saying Berlin takes the federal prosecutors’ statement that the killing was ordered by Russian authorities seriously and that the government "reserves the right to take further steps."
The Russian ambassador, Sergei Nechayev, called accusations that Russia had ordered the killing “unfounded,” according to Russian news agencies.
"As for the threats coming from Berlin on possible further measures against Russia, if they are put into practice, they won't be left unanswered," Nechayev said.
The 40-year-old Khangoshvili had several brushes with death. In the early 2000s, he fought with Chechen separatists against Russian forces during the Second Chechen War.
In 2015 in Tbilisi, he was targeted in an apparent assassination hit. He survived with gunshot wounds to the arm and shoulder. Later in Ukraine, he was tipped off about another planned hit and went into hiding before turning up in Berlin in late 2016.
In the German capital on August 23, 2019, a man approached him in the city’s Kleiner Tiergarten and shot him several times in the head, killing him instantly.
A Russian national, allegedly traveling under a false identity, was arrested as a suspect. Moscow has denied any role in the killing.
Germany on December 4 expelled the two Russian diplomats after federal prosecutors took over the case after gathering evidence that a “foreign intelligence agency” was behind the slaying.
After the killing, Russian President Vladimir Putin – without providing evidence – asserted that Khangoshvili had been a “murderous fighter” who was involved in several terror attacks in Russia.
At the time of the killing, acquaintances of Khangoshvili said they were convinced he was killed for his role as a military commander in Chechnya in the early 2000s. Some even criticized the German government for not approving his request for asylum.
"The fact that he fought in the Second Chechen War, as a mid-level commander, that's enough, I think, for him to have been hunted," Saikhan Muzayev, an acquaintance of Khangoshvili, told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.
The open source investigative group Bellingat said the killing had been planned and organized by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
In a report following a monthlong probe, Bellingcat said it found that preparations for the killing of Khangoshvili were supervised directly by Eduard Bendersky, chairman of the Vympel Charitable Fund For Former FSB Spetsnaz Officers, and other senior members of the fund.
Russia has been accused in the past of deploying agents abroad to target Kremlin opponents, including the 2018 poisoning in Britain of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.
With reporting by dpa, TASS, Interfax, and AP


rferl--2020-06-18--Potential Lukashenka Challenger Babaryka Arrested On Suspicion Of Financial Crimes

MINSK -- Belarusian authorities have arrested a potential challenger to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in an upcoming presidential election after questioning him on allegations of tax evasion and money laundering .
The Committee for State Control ( KDK ) said on June 18 that Viktar Babaryka was arrested because he allegedly attempted to influence witness testimony and illegally withdrew a significant amount of cash from bank accounts , among other things .
Almost 20 employees of Belgazprombank have also been arrested , KDK head Ivan Tertel said , adding that many of the suspects `` confessed '' that they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Latvia via a scheme organized by Babaryka .
Babaryka led Belgazprombank for 20 years before he recently stepped down to be eligible to run against Lukashenka in an August 9 election .
Earlier in the day , the Belarusian state-run Television and Radio Corporation and Babaryka supporters said that Babaryka and his son `` had been brought '' to the KDK 's Financial Investigations Department for questioning .
Babaryka 's election campaign staff said lawyers for the two men were not allowed to be present during the questioning and that Babaryka 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement officers .
Up to 2,000 people took to the streets of Minsk to show their solidarity with Babaryka and other jailed opponents of Lukashenka .
The participants stood in line , standing far apart from each other over coronavirus concerns .
By evening , the line stretched along three metro stops .
Belgazprombank was taken under Belarusian authorities ' control on June 15 .
Major shareholders of the Belgazprombank are Russian energy giant Gazprom and its Gazprombank .
Babaryka has said that the probes were designed to apply political pressure on him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatures needed to be registered as a candidate for the vote and was expected to submit his documentation in the near future .
In recent weeks , opposition rallies and gatherings in support of would-be candidates have attracted thousands of people across Belarus as the authoritarian Lukashenka seeks a sixth term .
Several opposition activists , politicians , and bloggers were sentenced to up to 15 days in jail this week for taking part in what authorities called `` unsanctioned rallies . ''
On June 18 in Brussels , European Commission President Ursula @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately release `` all arbitrarily detained '' activists .
`` The rule of law must be respected .
The Belarusian people are asking for democratic elections , '' she added .
None of the elections held in Belarus since Lukashenka took power in 1994 has been deemed free or fair by Western standards .

MINSK -- Belarusian authorities have arrested a potential challenger to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in an upcoming presidential election after questioning him on allegations of tax evasion and money laundering.
The Committee for State Control (KDK) said on June 18 that Viktar Babaryka was arrested because he allegedly attempted to influence witness testimony and illegally withdrew a significant amount of cash from bank accounts, among other things.
Almost 20 employees of Belgazprombank have also been arrested, KDK head Ivan Tertel said, adding that many of the suspects "confessed" that they had illegally transferred hundreds of millions of dollars to Latvia via a scheme organized by Babaryka.
Babaryka led Belgazprombank for 20 years before he recently stepped down to be eligible to run against Lukashenka in an August 9 election.
WATCH: Hundreds of Minsk residents formed a human chain in the Belarusian capital on June 18 to show their solidarity with Viktar Babaryka:
Earlier in the day, the Belarusian state-run Television and Radio Corporation and Babaryka supporters said that Babaryka and his son "had been brought" to the KDK's Financial Investigations Department for questioning.
Babaryka's election campaign staff said lawyers for the two men were not allowed to be present during the questioning and that Babaryka's home in Minsk was searched by law enforcement officers.
Up to 2,000 people took to the streets of Minsk to show their solidarity with Babaryka and other jailed opponents of Lukashenka.
The participants stood in line, standing far apart from each other over coronavirus concerns.
By evening, the line stretched along three metro stops.
Belgazprombank was taken under Belarusian authorities' control on June 15.
Major shareholders of the Belgazprombank are Russian energy giant Gazprom and its Gazprombank.
Babaryka has said that the probes were designed to apply political pressure on him.
He has reportedly collected the 100,000 signatures needed to be registered as a candidate for the vote and was expected to submit his documentation in the near future.
In recent weeks, opposition rallies and gatherings in support of would-be candidates have attracted thousands of people across Belarus as the authoritarian Lukashenka seeks a sixth term.
Several opposition activists, politicians, and bloggers were sentenced to up to 15 days in jail this week for taking part in what authorities called "unsanctioned rallies."
On June 18 in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Belarus to immediately release "all arbitrarily detained" activists.
"The rule of law must be respected. The Belarusian people are asking for democratic elections," she added.
None of the elections held in Belarus since Lukashenka took power in 1994 has been deemed free or fair by Western standards.


rferl--2020-06-18--Former Kazakh President Nazarbaev Tests Positive For COVID-19

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev , who continues to control the Central Asian country after his sudden resignation last year , has tested positive for the coronavirus .
Nazarbaev 's press service said on June 18 that the former president was currently self-isolated and continued to work remotely .
The 79-year-old Nazarbaev announced his resignation in March 2019 after ruling the oil-rich former Soviet republic for almost 30 years .
But he continues to lead the ruling Nur-Otan party and the country 's powerful Security Council .
He also enjoys the broad benefits of the title of `` elbasy '' -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's opponents say he de facto continues to run the country of 18 million by supervising the actions of incumbent President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev .
Recently , Health Minister Elzhan Birtanov , the chairman of the parliament 's lower chamber , Nurlan Nyghmatulin , presidential spokesman Berik Uali , and several other officials have also tested positive for the coronavirus .
After that , Prime Minister Asqar Mamin and four members of his government announced they were self-isolating as a precautionary measure .
Kazakhstan imposed a state of emergency over the pandemic on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since then , the government has been slowly removing restrictions to help stop the spread of the virus , but health authorities said on June 17 that the situation was getting `` out of control . ''
On June 18 , the government issued an order , according to which additional restrictions will be imposed this weekend for residents of the capital , Nur-Sultan , the country 's largest city , Almaty , and four other cities -- Qaraghandy , Shymkent , Pavlodar , and Ekibastuz .
The additional restrictions include the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping malls , market places , and the limiting of public transportation .
Also , all parks , beaches , ski resorts , fitness clubs , swimming pools , and entertainment sites in those cities will be closed .
Only outdoor restaurants will be allowed to operate but they must follow social-distancing guidelines that require customers are kept at least 2 meters from each other .
Citizens older than 65 will be barred from leaving their homes .
The government also ordered local governors to expedite efforts to set up additional sites for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of medical institutions to deal with an increasing number of COVID-19 patients .
As of June 18 , the total number of registered coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan was reported as 22,708 , including 100 deaths .
That is the highest number among the five Central Asian countries .

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, who continues to control the Central Asian country after his sudden resignation last year, has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Nazarbaev's press service said on June 18 that the former president was currently self-isolated and continued to work remotely.
The 79-year-old Nazarbaev announced his resignation in March 2019 after ruling the oil-rich former Soviet republic for almost 30 years. But he continues to lead the ruling Nur-Otan party and the country's powerful Security Council.
He also enjoys the broad benefits of the title of "elbasy" -- the leader of the nation.
Nazarbaev's opponents say he de facto continues to run the country of 18 million by supervising the actions of incumbent President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev.
Recently, Health Minister Elzhan Birtanov, the chairman of the parliament's lower chamber, Nurlan Nyghmatulin, presidential spokesman Berik Uali, and several other officials have also tested positive for the coronavirus.
After that, Prime Minister Asqar Mamin and four members of his government announced they were self-isolating as a precautionary measure.
Kazakhstan imposed a state of emergency over the pandemic on March 16 and lifted it on May 11. Since then, the government has been slowly removing restrictions to help stop the spread of the virus, but health authorities said on June 17 that the situation was getting "out of control."
On June 18, the government issued an order, according to which additional restrictions will be imposed this weekend for residents of the capital, Nur-Sultan, the country's largest city, Almaty, and four other cities -- Qaraghandy, Shymkent, Pavlodar, and Ekibastuz.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
The additional restrictions include the suspension of operations at large supermarkets, shopping malls, market places, and the limiting of public transportation.
Also, all parks, beaches, ski resorts, fitness clubs, swimming pools, and entertainment sites in those cities will be closed.
Only outdoor restaurants will be allowed to operate but they must follow social-distancing guidelines that require customers are kept at least 2 meters from each other.
Citizens older than 65 will be barred from leaving their homes.
The government also ordered local governors to expedite efforts to set up additional sites for coronavirus testing and shore up the capacity of medical institutions to deal with an increasing number of COVID-19 patients.
As of June 18, the total number of registered coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan was reported as 22,708, including 100 deaths. That is the highest number among the five Central Asian countries.


rferl--2020-06-19--Son Of Soviet Leader Khrushchev Dies In U.S. At Age 84

Sergei Khrushchev , the son of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev , has died in the United States , where he had lived for almost three decades .
Nikita Khrushchev 's great-granddaughter , Nina Khrushcheva , told RFE/RL on June 19 that the former professor at Brown University in Providence , Rhode Island , died the day before at the age of 84 .
She gave no further details .
Sergei Khrushchev graduated from the Moscow Energy Institute in 1958 , after which he worked at the Vladimir Chelomei rocket-design bureau , where he was involved in the development of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various awards for his work in the Soviet Union , including the Medal of the Labor Hero , the Order of Lenin , the Lenin Prize and the Prize of the Soviet Union 's Council of Ministers .
Before leaving Russia for the United States in 1991 , he was a teacher at the oldest and largest Russian technical school -- the Bauman Moscow State Technical University .
Khrushchev became a U.S. citizen in 1999 .
He always maintained that he did not defect from the Soviet Union as the two countries were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States , he taught political science and modern history at the Watson Institute for International Relations at Brown University .
His older half-brother , Leonid Khrushchev , died during World War II at the age of 25 .

Sergei Khrushchev, the son of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, has died in the United States, where he had lived for almost three decades.
Nikita Khrushchev's great-granddaughter, Nina Khrushcheva, told RFE/RL on June 19 that the former professor at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, died the day before at the age of 84.
She gave no further details.
Sergei Khrushchev graduated from the Moscow Energy Institute in 1958, after which he worked at the Vladimir Chelomei rocket-design bureau, where he was involved in the development of ballistic missiles and spacecraft.
He received various awards for his work in the Soviet Union, including the Medal of the Labor Hero, the Order of Lenin, the Lenin Prize and the Prize of the Soviet Union's Council of Ministers.
Before leaving Russia for the United States in 1991, he was a teacher at the oldest and largest Russian technical school -- the Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
Khrushchev became a U.S. citizen in 1999. He always maintained that he did not defect from the Soviet Union as the two countries were "no longer enemies."
While in the United States, he taught political science and modern history at the Watson Institute for International Relations at Brown University.
His older half-brother, Leonid Khrushchev, died during World War II at the age of 25.


rferl--2020-06-19--Baltic States Protest Russia's Historical Revisionism On Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

Estonia , Latvia , and Lithuania have protested moves in Russia they say are a whitewashing of historical facts about the 1939 nonagression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany that led to their annexation by Moscow .
Known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact , the accord and its secret protocols divided Central and Eastern Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence .
The foreign ministries of the three Baltic states on June 18 summoned Russian ambassadors and representatives to express concerns about historical revisionism in a recent legislative initiative by lawmakers in Russia 's State Duma .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 24 , 1989 , resolution by the Soviet Union 's Supreme Council that condemned the nonagression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union .
Under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact , Poland was jointly invaded and then divided between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union .
The pact also led in 1940 to the Soviet occupation and annexation of the three Baltic states -- which did not regain their independence until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 .
In a lengthy essay published on June 18 in the U.S.-based journal National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism of Soviet cooperation with Nazi Germany at the start of World War II .
`` The blame for the tragedy that Poland then suffered lies entirely with the Polish leadership , which had impeded the formation of a military alliance between Britain , France , and the Soviet Union and relied on the help from its Western partners , throwing its own people under the steamroller of Hitler 's machine of destruction , '' Putin wrote .
Putin reiterated Moscow 's contention that the Soviet Union was forced into signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a military alliance against Nazi Germany .
`` The Soviet Union did its utmost to use every chance of creating an anti-Hitler coalition .
Despite -- I will say it again -- the double dealing on the part of the Western countries , '' Putin wrote .
Putin also took issue with a European Union resolution adopted in September 2019 as the world marked the 80th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact .
The EU resolution states that 1939 pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany `` paved the way for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putin said the EU resolution failed to mention an agreement reached with Nazi Germany in Munich in 1938 by Britain , France , and Italy that allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland in what was then western Czechoslovakia .
Referring to the agreement as the `` Munich Betrayal , '' Putin said it `` destroyed even the formal , fragile guarantees that remained on the continent '' and showed that `` mutual agreements were worthless . ''
`` It was the Munich Betrayal that served as a 'trigger ' and made the great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , accusing European politicians , and Polish leaders in particular , of wanting to sweep the Munich deal under the carpet .
Draft legislation to revoke the Soviet Union 's 1989 condemnation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was submitted in the State Duma on May 27 .
The State Duma 's Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously backed the bill on June 9 and submitted it for further consideration .
The foreign ministers of the three Baltic states agreed in Vilnius on June 15 to simultaneously summon Russian ambassadors to discuss their concerns about historical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting by Reuters and AP

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have protested moves in Russia they say are a whitewashing of historical facts about the 1939 nonagression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany that led to their annexation by Moscow.
Known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the accord and its secret protocols divided Central and Eastern Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence.
The foreign ministries of the three Baltic states on June 18 summoned Russian ambassadors and representatives to express concerns about historical revisionism in a recent legislative initiative by lawmakers in Russia's State Duma.
If approved, the legislation would revoke a December 24, 1989, resolution by the Soviet Union's Supreme Council that condemned the nonagression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
Under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Poland was jointly invaded and then divided between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
The pact also led in 1940 to the Soviet occupation and annexation of the three Baltic states -- which did not regain their independence until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In a lengthy essay published on June 18 in the U.S.-based journal National Interest, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected criticism of Soviet cooperation with Nazi Germany at the start of World War II.
"The blame for the tragedy that Poland then suffered lies entirely with the Polish leadership, which had impeded the formation of a military alliance between Britain, France, and the Soviet Union and relied on the help from its Western partners, throwing its own people under the steamroller of Hitler's machine of destruction," Putin wrote.
Putin reiterated Moscow's contention that the Soviet Union was forced into signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact after Western powers rejected the creation of a military alliance against Nazi Germany.
"The Soviet Union did its utmost to use every chance of creating an anti-Hitler coalition. Despite -- I will say it again -- the double dealing on the part of the Western countries," Putin wrote.
Putin also took issue with a European Union resolution adopted in September 2019 as the world marked the 80th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
The EU resolution states that 1939 pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany "paved the way for the outbreak of World War II."
Putin said the EU resolution failed to mention an agreement reached with Nazi Germany in Munich in 1938 by Britain, France, and Italy that allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland in what was then western Czechoslovakia.
Referring to the agreement as the "Munich Betrayal," Putin said it "destroyed even the formal, fragile guarantees that remained on the continent" and showed that "mutual agreements were worthless."
"It was the Munich Betrayal that served as a 'trigger' and made the great war in Europe inevitable," Putin said, accusing European politicians, and Polish leaders in particular, of wanting to sweep the Munich deal under the carpet.
Draft legislation to revoke the Soviet Union's 1989 condemnation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was submitted in the State Duma on May 27.
The State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously backed the bill on June 9 and submitted it for further consideration.
The foreign ministers of the three Baltic states agreed in Vilnius on June 15 to simultaneously summon Russian ambassadors to discuss their concerns about historical revisionism by authorities in Russia.
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-06-19--Russian Regional Chief Who Sued Putin Over Dismissal Dies In Hospital

The former head of the autonomous Russian region of Chuvashia , Mikhail Ignatyev , has died in the hospital just days before his unprecedented lawsuit challenging his dismissal by President Vladimir Putin was to be heard in court .
Chuvashia 's parliamentary website on June 19 confirmed reports saying that the 58-year-old former official had passed away .
No cause of death was given , but media reports last month said that Ignatyev had been treated for pneumonia in a hospital in the city of St. Petersburg .
His condition at the time was said to be very serious , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cardiopulmonary bypass unit to assist the functioning of his heart and lungs .
In May , the Russian Supreme Court said a hearing into the lawsuit filed by Ignatyev against Putin challenging his January dismissal would start on June 30 .
Putin fired Ignatyev after the ruling United Russia party excluded Ignatyev from its ranks after he sparked a wave of public criticism by publicly saying at an event devoted to Press Day that `` it is necessary to wipe out those journalists '' who criticize the authorities .
The same month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video was broadcast on Russian television channels showing him making a firefighter jump to get the keys to a new fire engine at a public event in Chuvashia 's capital , Cheboksary .
It was the first known case of a former official suing Putin for losing a post .

The former head of the autonomous Russian region of Chuvashia, Mikhail Ignatyev, has died in the hospital just days before his unprecedented lawsuit challenging his dismissal by President Vladimir Putin was to be heard in court.
Chuvashia's parliamentary website on June 19 confirmed reports saying that the 58-year-old former official had passed away.
No cause of death was given, but media reports last month said that Ignatyev had been treated for pneumonia in a hospital in the city of St. Petersburg. His condition at the time was said to be very serious, as he had been connected to a cardiopulmonary bypass unit to assist the functioning of his heart and lungs.
In May, the Russian Supreme Court said a hearing into the lawsuit filed by Ignatyev against Putin challenging his January dismissal would start on June 30.
Putin fired Ignatyev after the ruling United Russia party excluded Ignatyev from its ranks after he sparked a wave of public criticism by publicly saying at an event devoted to Press Day that "it is necessary to wipe out those journalists" who criticize the authorities.
The same month, Ignatyev touched off further criticism after a video was broadcast on Russian television channels showing him making a firefighter jump to get the keys to a new fire engine at a public event in Chuvashia's capital, Cheboksary.
It was the first known case of a former official suing Putin for losing a post.


rferl--2020-06-19--Bail Denied For Ukrainian Official Suspected In Fatal Acid Attack

KYIV -- A court in Kyiv has sent the head of the regional council in Kherson to pretrial detention under suspicion of ordering a deadly attack on anti-corruption activist Kateryna Handzyuk in 2018 .
The Pechera district court late on June 18 ruled that Vladyslav Manher must remain under pretrial arrest without bail until July 28 .
On June 16 , officers of the Ukrainian Security Service detained Manher while he was at a hospital in the city of Kherson and transferred him to Kyiv .
Manher had failed twice to show up for the hearing about his pretrial restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as those of his daughter .
Manher has denied any involvement in the attack .
Handzyuk , a 33-year-old civil activist and adviser to the mayor of the Black Sea port city of Kherson , died in November 2018 -- three months after she was severely injured in an acid attack .
Prosecutors arrested Manher in February last year and charged him with ordering the attack .
Manher was later released on bail .
In June 2019 , five men were sentenced to prison terms of between three and 6 1/2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after they made plea deals with investigators .
Human rights activists have accused Ukrainian law enforcement agencies of failing to thoroughly investigate the growing number of attacks on activists , and even of collusion with the perpetrators in some cases .

KYIV -- A court in Kyiv has sent the head of the regional council in Kherson to pretrial detention under suspicion of ordering a deadly attack on anti-corruption activist Kateryna Handzyuk in 2018.
The Pechera district court late on June 18 ruled that Vladyslav Manher must remain under pretrial arrest without bail until July 28.
On June 16, officers of the Ukrainian Security Service detained Manher while he was at a hospital in the city of Kherson and transferred him to Kyiv. Manher had failed twice to show up for the hearing about his pretrial restrictions, citing his own health problems, as well as those of his daughter.
Manher has denied any involvement in the attack.
Handzyuk, a 33-year-old civil activist and adviser to the mayor of the Black Sea port city of Kherson, died in November 2018 -- three months after she was severely injured in an acid attack.
Prosecutors arrested Manher in February last year and charged him with ordering the attack. Manher was later released on bail.
In June 2019, five men were sentenced to prison terms of between three and 6 1/2 years for organizing and executing the attack, after they made plea deals with investigators.
Human rights activists have accused Ukrainian law enforcement agencies of failing to thoroughly investigate the growing number of attacks on activists, and even of collusion with the perpetrators in some cases.


rferl--2020-06-19--Moscow's Approval Necessary For Any Deal Between Serbia, Kosovo, Lavrov Says

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia 's approval would be required for any solution reached in peace talks between Kosovo and Serbia , whose leaders are scheduled to meet in the White House next week .
Speaking in Belgrade on June 18 , Lavrov said the Kremlin would only support solutions to the Kosovo question acceptable to Belgrade and approved by the UN Security Council .
Richard Grenell , the U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo negotiations , last week said he had received commitments from both countries to meet in Washington on June 27 for talks aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Grenell said Serbia had committed to `` temporarily pause the de-recognition campaign '' and Kosovo agreed to pause its efforts to win more international memberships in order to meet at the White House to try to resume talks that have been on hold for more than a year .
Lavrov said that the European Union had a mandate from the UN General Assembly to negotiate in the dispute and it should be the entity that carries out those duties .
Grenell said the White House meeting `` opens the door to new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement to the Associated Press on June 18 , he said the United States `` hopes leaders in Kosovo and Serbia will seize this chance to return to dialogue and begin a new era of stability and prosperity .
The people of this region deserve nothing less . ''
The EU mediator in the talks , Miroslav Lajcak , said an EU role was necessary for any future deal and said Washington had n't contacted Brussels on its latest summit initiative .
`` We communicate with our partner the U.S. on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same , '' Lajcak said .
`` A good agreement would bring Kosovo and Serbia closer to the EU and I do n't believe that such an agreement can be reached without the EU presence there . ''
Lajcak said that the Brussels-facilitated dialogue would resume soon and the date would be set after his visit to Belgrade next week .
Kosovo was part of Serbia until an armed uprising by the ethnic Albanian majority population in 1998-99 triggered a Serbian crackdown .
This in turn prompted a NATO bombing campaign against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kosovo .
Belgrade and Moscow both refuse to recognize Kosovo 's 2008 declaration of independence .
Lavrov 's visit comes three days ahead of elections in Serbia and is widely seen as a sign of support for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic .
Vucic said no resolution of Serbia 's future relationship with its former province would be possible without Moscow 's consent and said he would reject European Union membership if Belgrade did not receive concessions in return for recognizing Kosovo and dropping attempts to stop it joining the United Nations .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Serbia ] to recognize Kosovo and that Kosovo enters the UN , and we receive nothing in return , except EU membership , our answer would be 'no , ' '' Vucic said after meeting Lavrov .
With reporting by AP and Reuters

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


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

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

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


rferl--2020-06-19--UN Nuclear Watchdog Ramps Up Pressure On Iran To Access Sites

The board of governors of the United Nations ’ atomic agency issued a resolution on June 19 urging Iran to provide access to two sites where nuclear activity may have occurred in the past .
It is the first resolution of its kind since 2012 .
The resolution calls on Iran to `` fully cooperate ” with the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) and “ satisfy the Agency 's requests without any further delay , ” including by providing “ prompt ” access to the two sites in order to clarify whether undeclared nuclear activity took place there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been blocking access to the sites for months , prompting a growing diplomatic dispute .
The resolution was passed by 25 votes in favor of the resolution -- which was put forward by France , Germany , and Britain with support by the United States .
Russia and China voted against while seven countries abstained -- Azerbaijan , Pakistan , India , Mongolia , South Africa , Thailand , and Niger .
Kazem Gharib Abadi , the Iranian ambassador to the IAEA , said his country “ strongly rejects this resolution and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian officials have said that such a resolution could hurt relations between Tehran and the UN agency .
Russia 's ambassador to the UN in Vienna , Mikhail Ulyanov , tweeted that “ the resolution can be counterproductive , ” while also “ stressing the need for Tehran and IAEA to settle this problem without delay.
” The sites in question are not thought to be directly relevant to Iran 's current nuclear program .
But the IAEA says it needs to know if activities going back almost two decades have been properly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been accounted for .
The IAEA says it still has the access it needs to inspect Iran 's declared nuclear facilities according to its mandate under the landmark nuclear deal reached in 2015 between Iran and world powers .
The United States pulled out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions that have hurt the Iranian economy .
In response , Tehran has been progressively breaking the restrictions laid down in the agreement , saying that it can reverse them if the remaining parties to the deal -- Britain , France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- comply with the deal .
U.S. sanctions make it difficult for other parties to abide by their commitments .
The United States has also pushed for an extension of an arms embargo on Iran beyond October , when it was set to be progressively eased under the nuclear accord .
After meeting in Berlin on June 19 , the foreign ministers of Britain , France , and Germany said that they too opposed lifting the embargo , saying that the move `` would have major implications for regional security and stability .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries would not back U.S. efforts to unilaterally trigger the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran .
“ Any unilateral attempt to trigger UN sanctions snapback would have serious adverse consequences in the UN Security Council , '' they said in a joint statement .
However , they added that they `` wish to address the issue in close coordination with Russia and China . ''
With reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , ISNA , and dpa

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


rferl--2020-06-19--Former Iranian Judge Sought By Tehran, Linked To 'Torture' Of Journalists Found Dead In Bucharest

BUCHAREST -- A former Iranian judge sought by his homeland to face corruption charges has been found dead in Romania ’ s capital , officials say .
Police in Bucharest said a 52-year-old man on June 19 died after apparently falling from a higher floor of a hotel .
The man was a “ foreign national under judicial control ” accused of “ crimes allegedly committed on the territory of another country , '' they said in a statement , adding that an investigation into his death was under way .
Official sources confirmed to RFE/RL local media reports saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mansouri , who fled Iran last year after authorities there alleged he took some 500,000 euros ( $ 560,000 ) in bribes .
Iran 's Interpol chief , Brigadier General Hadi Shirzad , quoted Romanian authorities as telling Iran that Mansouri `` had thrown himself out of the window of his hotel , ” according to Iran 's semiofficial INSA news agency .
Romanian police detained Mansouri earlier this month and a court had been expected to rule next month on whether to extradite him .
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian Embassy in Bucharest and discussed how to return to Iran , the state-run IRNA news agency reported .
In a video statement posted online last week , Mansouri denied the charges , saying he left Iran for unspecified medical treatment and that coronavirus travel restrictions prevented him from returning home .
He didn ’ t give details about his whereabouts .
Meanwhile , human rights groups and media freedom watchdogs said Mansouri was in Germany , where they said he should be prosecuted for ordering the mass arrest of reporters while serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) filed a complaint with Germany ’ s Federal Public Prosecutor , accusing Mansouri of being responsible for the `` arrest and torture '' of at least 20 journalists in 2013 .
And the London-based rights group Justice For Iran called for information that could lead to Mansouri ’ s prosecution in Germany .
Citing the testimony of `` a significant number '' of journalists , Justice For Iran said that Mansouri was `` responsible for issuing arrest warrants against them . ''
`` These journalists were interrogated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Evin prison in solitary confinement and pressured to confess against themselves and others . ''
RSF later said it had filed a second complaint with Romanian authorities after learning Mansouri had slipped away from Germany .
Mansouri was detained by Romanian police on an Interpol arrest warrant upon arrival in the country on June 12 .
The ex-judge was later released from custody and placed under judicial control , meaning he was banned from leaving Romania and should regularly report to the authorities .
Romanian authorities have asked Tehran to officially submit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details about the charges against Mansouri .
The Bucharest Court of Appeal was set to consider the case on July 10 .
Mansouri was among several judges who were accused of corruption during the high-profile trial of a former senior judiciary official that opened in Tehran this month .
With reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-06-19--EU Leaders Support Extension Of Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine

European Union leaders on June 19 have supported a six-month extension of economic sanctions imposed against Russia over its role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine .
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel briefed other EU heads of state and government during a videoconference and said , according to RFE/RL sources familiar with the matter , that no progress had been made in implementing the Minsk agreement .
The sanctions were first adopted in July 2014 after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula and starting providing military support for pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then , the sanctions have been extended every six months .
A formal decision to prolong the sanctions beyond their current July 31 expiry date is to be taken by EU ambassadors in the coming weeks .
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year proposed a freeze on economic sanctions on `` humanitarian '' grounds to allow countries to better combat the coronavirus pandemic .
But EU officials have rejected Putin 's call , with both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel insisting the measures `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to combat the epidemic .
The sanctions mainly target Russia ’ s financial , energy , and defense industries .

European Union leaders on June 19 have supported a six-month extension of economic sanctions imposed against Russia over its role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel briefed other EU heads of state and government during a videoconference and said, according to RFE/RL sources familiar with the matter, that no progress had been made in implementing the Minsk agreement.
The sanctions were first adopted in July 2014 after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and starting providing military support for pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 13,000 people.
Since then, the sanctions have been extended every six months. A formal decision to prolong the sanctions beyond their current July 31 expiry date is to be taken by EU ambassadors in the coming weeks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year proposed a freeze on economic sanctions on "humanitarian" grounds to allow countries to better combat the coronavirus pandemic.
But EU officials have rejected Putin's call, with both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel insisting the measures "do not impede Russia’s capacity" to combat the epidemic.
The sanctions mainly target Russia’s financial, energy, and defense industries.


rferl--2020-06-19--After Arresting Presidential Challenger, Belarus's Lukashenka Says 'Revolution' Thwarted

MINSK -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka claims to have thwarted an attempt to foment revolution in the Eastern European country , a day after his government ordered the arrest of a popular , would-be presidential candidate , prompting thousands to take to the streets to protest what they see as increased harassment of opposition leaders .
Speaking at a government meeting on June 19 , Lukashenka said that forces “ in the East and West ” were trying to destabilize Belarus but that their “ masks have been torn off ” and the “ puppets and puppet masters abroad ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people gathered in central Minsk for a final day of signature gathering for would-be candidates in the August 9 presidential election .
The participants were lining up along Independence Boulevard when police pushed them to a nearby square , amid reported disruptions of Internet connections in the area .
At one point , officers told people to leave the square .
Several people were detained , including RFE/RL reporter Alyaksandra Dynko and her cameraman , Andrey Rabchyk .
The previous day , thousands of people took to Independence Boulevard in what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Babaryka , who headed the Russian-owned Belgazprombank for 20 years , was detained on suspicion of financial crimes , as well as his son who heads his presidential election campaign .
Belarusian authorities on June 15 took control of the bank and arrested more than a dozen top executives on charges of tax evasion and money laundering .
Babaryka , 56 , has said the actions taken against Belgazprombank were part of an intimidation campaign conducted on “ political orders.
” On June 19 , the European Union called on Belarus to immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to guarantee full respect of the rule of law .
`` Any investigation must be impartial and without political pressure , '' EU foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano said in a statement .
The crackdown on Babaryka and Belgazprombank – which is nearly 100 percent owned by Russian natural gas giant Gazprom and its affiliate Gazprombank -- comes as Lukashenka faces what experts say is one of the biggest challenges ever to his rule , which stretches back to 1994 .
Belarus , with a population of some 9.5 million , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates for the coronavirus , which Lukashenka dismissed as a “ mass psychosis ” and ignored calls by the World Health Organization and others to institute any social-distancing measures .
The World Bank predicts the Belarusian economy will contract 4 percent this year as a result of the pandemic , while some informal , online polls put Lukashenka ’ s public support at just 3 percent .
In the election on August 9 , Lukashenka will be seeking a sixth term in office .
No election , either for president or parliament , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fair by Western governments and institutions .
Babaryka has risen in popularity as the vote nears , and his election campaign says it has collected nearly 435,000 signatures -- more than four times the required 100,000 minimum to get on the ballot -- to support his bid to get on the ballot by a June 19 deadline .
The Belarusian Central Election Commission cleared 15 would-be candidates to collect signatures to get on the ballot , while rejecting others , including potential candidates like popular vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski and opposition politician Mikalay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2010 and was imprisoned for protests that followed that disputed vote .
WATCH : Thousands Form Human Chain In Minsk Following Arrest Of Opposition Candidate The Committee for State Control ( KDK ) said on June 18 that Babaryka was arrested for allegedly attempting to influence witness testimony and illegally withdrawing large amounts of cash from bank accounts , among other things .
KDK head Ivan Tertel said that almost 20 employees of Belgazprombank had been arrested , adding that many of the suspects `` confessed '' that they had illegally transferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via a scheme organized by Babaryka .
Babaryka 's election campaign staff said lawyers for the two men were not allowed to be present during the questioning , and that Babaryka 's home in Minsk was searched by law enforcement officers .
In recent weeks , opposition rallies and gatherings in support of would-be candidates have attracted thousands of people across Belarus as the authoritarian Lukashenka seeks a sixth term .
Several opposition activists , politicians , and bloggers were sentenced to up to 15 days in jail this week for taking part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In his statement , Stano demanded that Belarus “ refrain from any restrictions of the rights of potential candidates , avoid any detentions of peaceful protesters , and immediately release all arbitrarily detained activists.
” '' No potential candidate should be prevented from fulfilling the registration procedure due to politically motivated restrictive measures , '' he added .

MINSK -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka claims to have thwarted an attempt to foment revolution in the Eastern European country, a day after his government ordered the arrest of a popular, would-be presidential candidate, prompting thousands to take to the streets to protest what they see as increased harassment of opposition leaders.
Speaking at a government meeting on June 19, Lukashenka said that forces “in the East and West” were trying to destabilize Belarus but that their “masks have been torn off” and the “puppets and puppet masters abroad” identified.
In the afternoon, dozens of people gathered in central Minsk for a final day of signature gathering for would-be candidates in the August 9 presidential election.
The participants were lining up along Independence Boulevard when police pushed them to a nearby square, amid reported disruptions of Internet connections in the area.
At one point, officers told people to leave the square. Several people were detained, including RFE/RL reporter Alyaksandra Dynko and her cameraman, Andrey Rabchyk.
The previous day, thousands of people took to Independence Boulevard in what was dubbed a picket of solidarity after Viktar Babaryka, who headed the Russian-owned Belgazprombank for 20 years, was detained on suspicion of financial crimes, as well as his son who heads his presidential election campaign.
Belarusian authorities on June 15 took control of the bank and arrested more than a dozen top executives on charges of tax evasion and money laundering.
Babaryka, 56, has said the actions taken against Belgazprombank were part of an intimidation campaign conducted on “political orders.”
On June 19, the European Union called on Belarus to immediately release Babaryka and his son from detention and to guarantee full respect of the rule of law.
"Any investigation must be impartial and without political pressure," EU foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano said in a statement.
The crackdown on Babaryka and Belgazprombank – which is nearly 100 percent owned by Russian natural gas giant Gazprom and its affiliate Gazprombank -- comes as Lukashenka faces what experts say is one of the biggest challenges ever to his rule, which stretches back to 1994.
Belarus, with a population of some 9.5 million, has one of Europe’s highest infection rates for the coronavirus, which Lukashenka dismissed as a “mass psychosis” and ignored calls by the World Health Organization and others to institute any social-distancing measures.
The World Bank predicts the Belarusian economy will contract 4 percent this year as a result of the pandemic, while some informal, online polls put Lukashenka’s public support at just 3 percent.
Seeking A Sixth Term
In the election on August 9, Lukashenka will be seeking a sixth term in office. No election, either for president or parliament, during his rule has been deemed free and fair by Western governments and institutions.
Babaryka has risen in popularity as the vote nears, and his election campaign says it has collected nearly 435,000 signatures -- more than four times the required 100,000 minimum to get on the ballot -- to support his bid to get on the ballot by a June 19 deadline.
The Belarusian Central Election Commission cleared 15 would-be candidates to collect signatures to get on the ballot, while rejecting others, including potential candidates like popular vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski and opposition politician Mikalay Statkevich, who challenged the authoritarian leader in 2010 and was imprisoned for protests that followed that disputed vote.
WATCH: Thousands Form Human Chain In Minsk Following Arrest Of Opposition Candidate
The Committee for State Control (KDK) said on June 18 that Babaryka was arrested for allegedly attempting to influence witness testimony and illegally withdrawing large amounts of cash from bank accounts, among other things.
KDK head Ivan Tertel said that almost 20 employees of Belgazprombank had been arrested, adding that many of the suspects "confessed" that they had illegally transferred hundreds of millions of dollars to Latvia via a scheme organized by Babaryka.
Babaryka's election campaign staff said lawyers for the two men were not allowed to be present during the questioning, and that Babaryka's home in Minsk was searched by law enforcement officers.
In recent weeks, opposition rallies and gatherings in support of would-be candidates have attracted thousands of people across Belarus as the authoritarian Lukashenka seeks a sixth term.
Several opposition activists, politicians, and bloggers were sentenced to up to 15 days in jail this week for taking part in what authorities called "unsanctioned rallies."
In his statement, Stano demanded that Belarus “refrain from any restrictions of the rights of potential candidates, avoid any detentions of peaceful protesters, and immediately release all arbitrarily detained activists.”
"No potential candidate should be prevented from fulfilling the registration procedure due to politically motivated restrictive measures," he added.