rferl--2020-06-12--Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Cancels Meetings After Wife Tests Positive For Coronavirus

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will switch to “ a special work mode ” after his wife tested positive @ @ @ @ @ office said June 12 Zelenskiy will cancel face-to-face meetings , suspend any trips and events @ @ @ @ @ contact to close aides and security .
Zelenskiy tested negative for coronavirus and will now @ @ @ @ @ undergo medical examinations .
Olena Zelenska , the president ’ s wife , said earlier @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
Zelenska wrote on Facebook on June 12 that the test result took @ @ @ @ @ Today , I received back a positive result from the coronavirus test .
Unexpected news @ @ @ @ @ family and I continue to comply with all the regulations -- masks , gloves , @ @ @ @ @ wrote , adding that her husband and children tested negative for the virus .
Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ June 12 that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country is 29,753 , @ @ @ @

The global death toll from the coronavirus is approaching 430,000 with more than 7.6 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Iran
Iran's President Hasan Rohani has said that restrictions to stem the coronavirus pandemic will be reimposed in the country if citizens continue to disobey public-health regulations.
After gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April, Iran in recent weeks has seen a sharp rise of new daily infections.
Rohani said in a televised speech on June 13 that compliance with health regulations had been as high as 80 percent in mid-May. But he said compliance was now down to only about 20 percent.
Rohani blamed Iran's latest surge of COVID-19 on travelers that he said had been spreading the coronavirus to previously low-risk provinces.
With 2,410 new cases on June 13, the total number of confirmed cases in Iran is now about 185,000.
Iran's Health Ministry said on June 13 that 71 people had died from the virus during the previous 24 hours.
The total number of deaths in Iran from COVID-19 on June 13 was 8,730, the ministry said.
Rohani expressed concern about mass prayers at the recently reopened Imam Reza shrine, Iran's largest Shi'ite Muslim religious complex in the northeast of the country.
"If there is no cooperation, we will have to reimpose the restrictions," Rohani said, adding that adherence to the health restrictions was needed "to keep businesses open."
Tehran faced resistance from hard-line clerics before it closed holy shrines in mid-March. The closures sparked protests with angry crowds storming the shrines of Imam Reza in Mashhad and Fatemeh Massoumeh in Qom.
Pakistan
Former Pakistani cricket captain Shahid Afridi says he has tested positive for the coronavirus, as the number of positive cases accelerates across the South Asian country.
"I've been feeling unwell since Thursday; my body had been aching badly. I've been tested and unfortunately I'm COVID positive," he wrote on Twitter on June 13.
"Need prayers for a speedy recovery, Inshallah (God willing)," added Afridi, who still has a huge global fan base.
Since retiring from international cricket in 2018, Afridi has been active in charity work through his own foundation.
Afridi's foundation has been providing food to people in remote areas of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, which have been hit hard by the coronavirus.
Pakistan has officially recorded over 132,405 positive cases and 2,551 deaths from the coronavirus as of June 13, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Armenia
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has warned that the spread of the coronavirus in his country is "bad," a day after his government extended a public-health state of emergency until mid-July.
"Our situation with the coronavirus spread is bad," Pashinian said on June 13. "I want to report that yesterday we registered a new record. Medics confirmed 723 new infections. Six patients, unfortunately died."
"I must be honest. I am very much upset with these figures," Pashinian said.
Pashinian also said he had traveled to his office on June 13 by car and "could see from a window of the car that people continue to breach epidemiological safety rules."
At an extraordinary session on June 12, the government decided to extend the coronavirus state of emergency until July 13.
It was the third extension of the state of emergency since it was introduced in mid-March.
Armenia began relaxing its strict lockdown rules in mid-April as new infections were rising sharply.
The total number of confirmed infections in the country was just under 1,400 when Armenia began reopening the economy.
Including the figures announced by Pashinian on June 13, the total number of infections in the country is now more than 16,000 with 264 deaths.
Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he will switch to "a special work mode" after his wife tested positive for coronavirus.
The presidential office said on June 12 that Zelenskiy will cancel face-to-face meetings, suspend any trips and events, and strictly limit personal contact to close aides and security.
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.
Zelenskiy tested negative for coronavirus and will now take daily coronavirus tests and undergo medical examinations.
Olena Zelenska, the president's wife, said earlier that she had tested positive.
Zelenska wrote on Facebook on June 12 that the test result took her by surprise.
"Today, I received back a positive result from the coronavirus test. Unexpected news, especially considering that my family and I continue to comply with all the regulations -- masks, gloves, minimal contact," Zelenska wrote, adding that her husband and children tested negative for the virus.
Ukraine's Health Ministry said on June 12 that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country was 29,753, including 870 deaths.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Armenian and Ukrainian services, Reuters, Fars, AFP, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-06-12--Rare Bomb Blast Hits Pakistan's Rawalpindi

A rare bomb blast at a market in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi has killed at least one person and @ @ @ @ @ was no claim for the June 12 explosion , which took place as people were @ @ @ @ @ far from Pakistan ’ s heavily guarded military headquarters .
Rawalpindi , located outside the @ @ @ @ @ for being the headquarters of the military and spy agencies .
Pakistan has experienced scores @ @ @ @ @ years , but it is rare for them to occur in Rawalpindi .
This is @ @ @ @ @ the city since 2015 .
The market bombing comes two weeks after suspected militants killed @ @ @ @ @ checkpoint in Rawalpindi .
Based on reporting by AFP and AP

A rare bomb blast at a market in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi has killed at least one person and wounded 15 others.
There was no claim of responsibility for the June 12 explosion, which took place as people were buying from street vendors not far from Pakistan's heavily guarded military headquarters.
Rawalpindi, located outside the capital, Islamabad, is known for being the headquarters of the military and spy agencies.
Pakistan has experienced scores of militant attacks in recent years, but it is rare for them to occur in Rawalpindi.
This is the first bomb blast in the city since 2015.
The market bombing comes two weeks after suspected militants killed two policemen manning a roadside checkpoint in Rawalpindi.
Based on reporting by AFP and AP


rferl--2020-06-12--Supporters Of Kosovo's Vetevendosje Party Rally In Pristina, Call For Fresh Vote

PRISTINA -- Thousands of supporters of Kosovo ’ s largest party , the leftist-nationalist Vetevendosje ( Self-Determination ) , have @ @ @ @ @ main square to mark the 15th anniversary of the organization and the 21st year since @ @ @ @ @ The participants at the June 12 demonstration on Skanderbeg Square called for new general elections @ @ @ @ @ this month a new government led by Avdullah Hoti of the center-right Democratic League of @ @ @ @ @ a razor-thin majority .
Vetevendosje has been calling for new elections since the coalition government @ @ @ @ @ , Albin Kurti , collapsed in March , less than two months after coming to @ @ @ @ @ first place in elections in October , ahead of the LDK .
Twenty-one years ago @ @ @ @ @ Kosovo on the heels of a 78-day bombing campaign to stop Serbian forces from overrunning @ @ @ @ @ a former province of Serbia , declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by @ @

PRISTINA -- Thousands of supporters of Kosovo's largest party, the leftist-nationalist Vetevendosje (Self-Determination), have gathered in Pristina's main square to mark the 15th anniversary of the organization and the 21st year since NATO troops entered Kosovo.
The participants at the June 12 demonstration on Skanderbeg Square called for new general elections, after parliament earlier this month approved a new government led by Avdullah Hoti of the center-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) by a razor-thin majority.
Vetevendosje has been calling for new elections since the coalition government led by the party's leader, Albin Kurti, collapsed in March, less than two months after coming to power.
Vetevendosje came in first place in elections in October, ahead of the LDK.
Twenty-one years ago, 50,000 NATO troops entered Kosovo on the heels of a 78-day bombing campaign to stop Serbian forces from overrunning the territory.
Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade.


rferl--2020-06-12--Belarusian Would-Be Presidential Candidate Targeted In Tax-Evasion Case

MINSK -- Belarusian financial investigators claim they have evidence that an opposition politician who is seeking to challenge President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in polls due in August is involved in illegal activities .
The June 12 announcement by the Department of Financial Investigations of the State Control Committee ( KDK ) comes a day after investigators raided companies and a bank linked to Viktar Babaryka in two separate criminal cases related to tax evasion and money laundering .
Around 15 people were arrested at Belgazprombank , the presidential press service said .
Babaryka headed Belgazprombank , the local unit of Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid .
`` I ca n't imagine that what was done in the bank by the deputies could have been unknown to the director , '' KDK Director Ivan Tsertselia said , adding that investigators had `` convincing evidence of [ Babaryka 's ] involvement in this illegal activity . ''
In a YouTube message posted on June 11 , Babaryka called the raids a `` pressure '' tactic ahead of the vote set for August 9 , adding that `` representatives of the current leadership are ready to use any means to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he had already collected 300,000 signatures in support of his candidacy for president , while a minimum of 100,000 is needed to qualify for the ballot .
The 65-year-old Lukashenka , who has ruled the former Soviet republic for a quarter of a century and is seeking a sixth term , said on June 12 he was `` not afraid of anyone . ''
`` This situation does me no good , but the bad guys had to be arrested , '' the Belarusian leader said .
Opposition rallies and gatherings in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people across Belarus in recent weeks .
Lukashenka responded by ordering arrests , including of two key opposition leaders , firing his government , and vowing there would be no revolution in the country .
Lukashenka 's critics say his government has shown little tolerance for dissent and independent media , and none of the elections since he took power in 1994 has been deemed free or fair by Western standards .
With reporting by AFP and BelTa

MINSK -- Belarusian financial investigators claim they have evidence that an opposition politician who is seeking to challenge President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in polls due in August is involved in illegal activities.
The June 12 announcement by the Department of Financial Investigations of the State Control Committee (KDK) comes a day after investigators raided companies and a bank linked to Viktar Babaryka in two separate criminal cases related to tax evasion and money laundering.
Around 15 people were arrested at Belgazprombank, the presidential press service said.
Babaryka headed Belgazprombank, the local unit of Russia's Gazprombank, before launching his presidential bid.
"I can't imagine that what was done in the bank by the deputies could have been unknown to the director," KDK Director Ivan Tsertselia said, adding that investigators had "convincing evidence of [Babaryka's] involvement in this illegal activity."
In a YouTube message posted on June 11, Babaryka called the raids a "pressure" tactic ahead of the vote set for August 9, adding that "representatives of the current leadership are ready to use any means to prevent fair elections."
Babaryka also said he had already collected 300,000 signatures in support of his candidacy for president, while a minimum of 100,000 is needed to qualify for the ballot.
The 65-year-old Lukashenka, who has ruled the former Soviet republic for a quarter of a century and is seeking a sixth term, said on June 12 he was "not afraid of anyone."
"This situation does me no good, but the bad guys had to be arrested," the Belarusian leader said.
Opposition rallies and gatherings in support of would-be candidates have attracted thousands of people across Belarus in recent weeks.
Lukashenka responded by ordering arrests, including of two key opposition leaders, firing his government, and vowing there would be no revolution in the country.
Lukashenka's critics say his government has shown little tolerance for dissent and independent media, and none of the elections since he took power in 1994 has been deemed free or fair by Western standards.
With reporting by AFP and BelTa


rferl--2020-06-12--NATO Grants Ukraine 'Enhanced Opportunities Partner' Status

NATO has entered a closer partnership with Ukraine , recognizing the former Soviet republic as an enhanced opportunities partner ( @ @ @ @ @ its `` commitment to Euro-Atlantic security . ''
This status is part of a NATO @ @ @ @ @ and deepen cooperation between Allies and partners that have made significant contributions to NATO-led operations @ @ @ @ @ Western alliance announced on June 12 .
`` Ukraine has provided troops to Allied operations @ @ @ @ @ Kosovo , as well as to the NATO Response Force and NATO exercises , '' @ @ @ @ @ said Ukraine 's new status will enable the country to benefit from `` enhanced access @ @ @ @ @ , and more sharing of information . ''
However , it insisted that the new @ @ @ @ @ any decisions on NATO membership . ''
Australia , Finland , Georgia , Jordan , @ @ @ @ @ as EOPs .

NATO has entered a closer partnership with Ukraine, recognizing the former Soviet republic as an enhanced opportunities partner (EOP) after Kyiv demonstrated its "commitment to Euro-Atlantic security."
This status is part of a NATO initiative intended to "maintain and deepen cooperation between Allies and partners that have made significant contributions to NATO-led operations and missions," the Western alliance announced on June 12.
"Ukraine has provided troops to Allied operations, including in Afghanistan and Kosovo, as well as to the NATO Response Force and NATO exercises," it said.
The statement said Ukraine's new status will enable the country to benefit from "enhanced access to interoperability programs and exercises, and more sharing of information."
However, it insisted that the new status "does not prejudge any decisions on NATO membership."
Australia, Finland, Georgia, Jordan, and Sweden are also recognized as EOPs.


rferl--2020-06-12--Jailed Iranian Journalist Faces New 'Absurd' Charge

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) has condemned the latest `` absurd charge '' brought against jailed Iranian journalist and human rights advocate Narges Mohammadi , who has been imprisoned since 2015 .
The Paris-based media-freedom watchdog on June 12 urged the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran , Javaid Rehman , to `` intervene quickly and do everything possible to obtain the release of Iran 's longest-held woman journalist . ''
Mohammadi , who was also the spokeswoman of the Center for Human Rights Defenders in Iran , is serving a 10-year prison sentence after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ membership of a banned group opposed to the death penalty , among other charges .
In a recent open letter to the Iranian judicial authorities , her brother revealed that she was now accused of `` dancing in prison during the days of mourning '' commemorating the seventh-century killing of Imam Hussein , a revered figure in Shi'ite Islam .
Mehdi Mohammadi , now a refugee in Norway , also wrote that his sister had serious health problems but `` was not allowed out of prison to see a doctor , who went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persecution of Narges Mohammadi is evidence of judicial discrimination at the behest of the Intelligence Ministry and senior justice system officials , '' said Reza Moini , the head of RSF 's Iran-Afghanistan desk .
Mohammadi , 47 , has been awarded several prestigious prizes , including the American Physical Society 's Andrei Sakharov Prize in 2018 for outstanding leadership in upholding human rights .
Iran is ranked 173rd out of 180 countries and territories in RSF 's 2020 World Press Freedom Index .

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--2020-06-12--Armenia Rejects Russian Funding For Nuclear Plant Upgrade

YEREVAN -- The Armenian government has announced it has decided to use only 60 percent of a $ 270 million Russian loan designed to finance the ongoing modernization of its Soviet-era nuclear power plant at Metsamor .
The plant 's sole functioning reactor went into service in 1980 and was due to be decommissioned by 2017 .
However , a previous government in 2014 decided to extend the life of the 420-megawatt reactor by 10 years after failing to attract foreign investment for the construction of a new nuclear plant .
In 2015 , the Russian government agreed to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a $ 30 million grant to upgrade the Metsamor nuclear power plant .
The modernization work , led by Russia ’ s Rosatom nuclear energy agency , was due to be completed by the end of 2019 , but the process fell behind schedule , preventing the full disbursement of the Russian funds .
Armenia 's infrastructure minister on June 11 said the country had used only $ 107 million of the Russian money .
Suren Papikian said Moscow had offered to extend the loan agreement by two years under the condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the money to commission equipment and services from Russian companies .
The government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian backed Papikian 's proposal to reject the Russian offer and to finance the remaining work through government bond sales .
Pashinian ’ s government said it planned to spend 63 billion drams ( $ 130 million ) to upgrade the facility over the next two years .
Pashinian said that the government will now be free to select the suppliers for Metsamor , which he said will `` substantially '' lower the costs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 kilometers west of Yerevan , generates roughly 40 percent of the country 's electricity .
The European Union and the United State have long pressed for its closure , saying that it does not meet modern safety standards .

YEREVAN -- The Armenian government has announced it has decided to use only 60 percent of a $270 million Russian loan designed to finance the ongoing modernization of its Soviet-era nuclear power plant at Metsamor.
The plant's sole functioning reactor went into service in 1980 and was due to be decommissioned by 2017.
However, a previous government in 2014 decided to extend the life of the 420-megawatt reactor by 10 years after failing to attract foreign investment for the construction of a new nuclear plant.
In 2015, the Russian government agreed to provide Armenia with a $270 million loan and a $30 million grant to upgrade the Metsamor nuclear power plant.
The modernization work, led by Russia’s Rosatom nuclear energy agency, was due to be completed by the end of 2019, but the process fell behind schedule, preventing the full disbursement of the Russian funds.
Armenia's infrastructure minister on June 11 said the country had used only $107 million of the Russian money.
Suren Papikian said Moscow had offered to extend the loan agreement by two years under the condition that Armenia agreed to use 80 percent of the money to commission equipment and services from Russian companies.
The government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian backed Papikian's proposal to reject the Russian offer and to finance the remaining work through government bond sales.
Pashinian’s government said it planned to spend 63 billion drams ($130 million) to upgrade the facility over the next two years.
Pashinian said that the government will now be free to select the suppliers for Metsamor, which he said will "substantially" lower the costs.
Armenia's sole nuclear plant, located 35 kilometers west of Yerevan, generates roughly 40 percent of the country's electricity.
The European Union and the United State have long pressed for its closure, saying that it does not meet modern safety standards.


rferl--2020-06-12--Turkmenistan Further Tightens Food Rationing Amid Price Hikes, Shortages

Turkmenistan has further tightened the rationing of basic foodstuffs at subsidized prices , introducing special registration books to track purchases at state stores .
An RFE/RL local correspondent reported that under the system , each household will receive a school notebook with a certificate inside from a neighborhood committee stating the number of people in the family and its address .
Each purchase conducted by a household in state-owned stores will be registered in the book , according to the independent Turkmen.news website .
An RFE/RL correspondent in the western province of Balkan reported on June 11 that the registration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several cities in the region , including its capital , Balkanabat .
Those who do n't have a book are n't allowed to purchase some of the subsidized staples available in government stores , including flour , rice , cooking oil , sugar , and potatoes , the correspondent said .
Tightly controlled Turkmenistan has been facing food price hikes and a food shortage in recent years .
Food supplies are still available in bazaars and private stores for increasingly high prices , but many ordinary Turkmen ca n't afford them .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staples are sold with subsidized prices , but the choice of foodstuffs there is sparse and supplies often arrive in limited amounts .
Although the authorities insist there have been no coronavirus cases in Turkmenistan so far , they have imposed restrictions that have further curtailed food distribution in the country .
Those measures included the closure of border crossings and roads inside the country , as well as restrictions on food imports from neighboring countries .
Food shortages sparked a rare public protest in the southeastern province of Mary on April 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major highway before marching toward the regional government headquarters .
The demonstrators stopped their march when local officials promised them each 2 kilograms of flour .
Turkmenistan 's secretive , authoritarian government , which controls all media in the country , never mentions food shortages or any other sign of economic hardship in the country .

Turkmenistan has further tightened the rationing of basic foodstuffs at subsidized prices, introducing special registration books to track purchases at state stores.
An RFE/RL local correspondent reported that under the system, each household will receive a school notebook with a certificate inside from a neighborhood committee stating the number of people in the family and its address.
Each purchase conducted by a household in state-owned stores will be registered in the book, according to the independent Turkmen.news website.
An RFE/RL correspondent in the western province of Balkan reported on June 11 that the registration books were introduced in recent days in several cities in the region, including its capital, Balkanabat.
Those who don't have a book aren't allowed to purchase some of the subsidized staples available in government stores, including flour, rice, cooking oil, sugar, and potatoes, the correspondent said.
Tightly controlled Turkmenistan has been facing food price hikes and a food shortage in recent years.
Food supplies are still available in bazaars and private stores for increasingly high prices, but many ordinary Turkmen can't afford them.
Many people rely on state-owned shops, where staples are sold with subsidized prices, but the choice of foodstuffs there is sparse and supplies often arrive in limited amounts.
Although the authorities insist there have been no coronavirus cases in Turkmenistan so far, they have imposed restrictions that have further curtailed food distribution in the country.
Those measures included the closure of border crossings and roads inside the country, as well as restrictions on food imports from neighboring countries.
Food shortages sparked a rare public protest in the southeastern province of Mary on April 3, when about 30 women briefly blocked a major highway before marching toward the regional government headquarters.
The demonstrators stopped their march when local officials promised them each 2 kilograms of flour.
Turkmenistan's secretive, authoritarian government, which controls all media in the country, never mentions food shortages or any other sign of economic hardship in the country.


rferl--2020-06-12--Tajik Opposition Activist Extradited From Austria Jailed 20 Years For Extremism

DUSHANBE -- Tajik opposition activist Hizbullo Shovalizoda , who was extradited from Austria in March , has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on extremism charges .
Shovalizoda 's relatives told RFE/RL on June 12 that the activist was sentenced two days earlier after being found guilty on charges that included participating in the activities of an extremist organization and high treason .
Supreme Court officials refused to comment on Shovalizoda 's trial , saying that the case was classified .
Shovalizoda 's father , Abdullo Shovalizoda , told RFE/RL that no family member was invited to the trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the specific details of the charges , '' Abdullo Shovalizoda said .
Tajik authorities said at the time that Shovalizoda was suspected of being a member of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan ( IRPT ) and participating in an attempt to overthrow the government by force .
The IRPT , long an influential party with representatives in the government and parliament , was labeled a terrorist group and banned in 2015 .
Dozens of IRPT officials and supporters have been prosecuted and many of them imprisoned , drawing criticism from human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a year ago and asked for asylum , but instead was placed under arrest in January .
Tajik opposition activists in exile told RFE/RL that they had urged the Austrian authorities not to extradite Shovalizoda , as he was not a member of any political opposition group or party .
The IRPT said at the time that Shovalizoda had never been a member .
`` Shovalizoda is most likely to be subjected to torture , ill-treatment , and unfair trial .
He , as in previous similar situations , may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people under torture , '' the party said in a statement at the time .
Tajik authorities have been criticized for cracking down on dissent for years .
In 2014 , the opposition movement Group 24 was labeled as terrorist and extremist and banned .
In March 2015 , the movement 's founder , Umarali Quvatov , was assassinated in Istanbul , Turkey .

DUSHANBE -- Tajik opposition activist Hizbullo Shovalizoda, who was extradited from Austria in March, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on extremism charges.
Shovalizoda's relatives told RFE/RL on June 12 that the activist was sentenced two days earlier after being found guilty on charges that included participating in the activities of an extremist organization and high treason.
Supreme Court officials refused to comment on Shovalizoda's trial, saying that the case was classified.
Shovalizoda's father, Abdullo Shovalizoda, told RFE/RL that no family member was invited to the trial.
"We do not even know the specific details of the charges," Abdullo Shovalizoda said.
Austrian authorities extradited 29-year-old Shovalizoda to Dushanbe in early March.
Tajik authorities said at the time that Shovalizoda was suspected of being a member of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) and participating in an attempt to overthrow the government by force.
The IRPT, long an influential party with representatives in the government and parliament, was labeled a terrorist group and banned in 2015.
Dozens of IRPT officials and supporters have been prosecuted and many of them imprisoned, drawing criticism from human rights groups.
Shovalizoda arrived in Austria more than a year ago and asked for asylum, but instead was placed under arrest in January.
Tajik opposition activists in exile told RFE/RL that they had urged the Austrian authorities not to extradite Shovalizoda, as he was not a member of any political opposition group or party.
The IRPT said at the time that Shovalizoda had never been a member.
"Shovalizoda is most likely to be subjected to torture, ill-treatment, and unfair trial. He, as in previous similar situations, may be forced to testify against himself and other people under torture," the party said in a statement at the time.
Tajik authorities have been criticized for cracking down on dissent for years.
In 2014, the opposition movement Group 24 was labeled as terrorist and extremist and banned. In March 2015, the movement's founder, Umarali Quvatov, was assassinated in Istanbul, Turkey.


rferl--2020-06-12--HRW: Kazakh Activist Charged With Assaulting Police Officer Should Be Freed

Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) is calling on Kazakhstan to immediately release a well-known civil rights activist who has been charged with attacking a police officer during an unsanctioned rally in Almaty .
HRW said in a statement on June 12 that 36-year-old Asya Tulesova was detained on June 8 , two days after she knocked off a police officer 's hat , when law enforcement officers were using force while detaining protesters at an unsanctioned rally in Kazakhstan 's largest city , Almaty .
On June 10 , a court sent Tulesova to pretrial detention for 10 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer '' and `` violence against the police . ''
She faces up to three years in prison if convicted .
`` Locking up c on the basis of these disproportionate charges is gross overreach on the part of both the police and the courts , '' Mihra Rittmann , senior Central Asia researcher at HRW , said on June 12 .
`` Restricting peaceful rallies and pursuing criminal sanctions against Tulesova shows Kazakhstan 's repressive face when responding to peaceful protest , '' Rittmann added .
Police in Kazakhstan detained more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to separate calls from two opposition groups , the unregistered Democratic Party of Kazakhstan and the banned Democratic Movement of Kazakhstan , for nationwide peaceful gatherings .
Tulesova 's lawyers called her pretrial detention unlawful , saying that Kazakh criminal-procedural law envisages pretrial detention only in cases in which the charges carry a minimum five-year sentence .
In April 2019 , Tulesova , known for her civic engagement and environmental activism , gained broader notoriety in the country for holding up a banner during the Almaty marathon with the words , `` You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' She and her friend Beibarys Tolymbekov were later sentenced to 15 days ' detention at that time for violating Kazakhstan 's restrictive public-assembly law .
HRW also urged the government to release a political activist , Alnur Ilyashev , who was arrested in April on charges of `` disseminating knowingly false information '' for social-media posts criticizing the ruling Nur-Otan party .
He faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison .

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on Kazakhstan to immediately release a well-known civil rights activist who has been charged with attacking a police officer during an unsanctioned rally in Almaty.
HRW said in a statement on June 12 that 36-year-old Asya Tulesova was detained on June 8, two days after she knocked off a police officer's hat, when law enforcement officers were using force while detaining protesters at an unsanctioned rally in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty.
On June 10, a court sent Tulesova to pretrial detention for 10 days on charges of "insulting a police officer" and "violence against the police."
She faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
"Locking up Asya Tulesova on the basis of these disproportionate charges is gross overreach on the part of both the police and the courts," Mihra Rittmann, senior Central Asia researcher at HRW, said on June 12.
"Restricting peaceful rallies and pursuing criminal sanctions against Tulesova shows Kazakhstan's repressive face when responding to peaceful protest," Rittmann added.
Police in Kazakhstan detained more than 100 protesters on June 6 in response to separate calls from two opposition groups, the unregistered Democratic Party of Kazakhstan and the banned Democratic Movement of Kazakhstan, for nationwide peaceful gatherings.
Tulesova's lawyers called her pretrial detention unlawful, saying that Kazakh criminal-procedural law envisages pretrial detention only in cases in which the charges carry a minimum five-year sentence.
In April 2019, Tulesova, known for her civic engagement and environmental activism, gained broader notoriety in the country for holding up a banner during the Almaty marathon with the words, "You can't run from the truth."
She and her friend Beibarys Tolymbekov were later sentenced to 15 days' detention at that time for violating Kazakhstan's restrictive public-assembly law.
HRW also urged the government to release a political activist, Alnur Ilyashev, who was arrested in April on charges of "disseminating knowingly false information" for social-media posts criticizing the ruling Nur-Otan party.
He faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.


rferl--2020-06-12--Opposition Report Labels Russia's FSB A 'Second Government'

Russia ’ s powerful Federal Security Service ( FSB ) has been transformed into a semicriminal structure that is functioning essentially as a “ second government , ” according to a new report by the Dossier ( Dosye ) Center , which is funded by a former oligarch and staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin , Mikhail Khodorkovsky .
The report , which was issued on June 11 , is titled `` How The FSB Determines The Politics And Economics Of Russia . ''
The security agency is described in the report as the main support of Putin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over all other government institutions .
In particular , it says , the Defense Ministry , the Investigative Committee , the Prosecutor-General ’ s Office , and the Interior Ministry are `` dependent on the FSB . ''
`` In addition , representatives of the special services regularly influence the decisions of the courts , in violation of the independence of the judicial branch , '' the report says , adding that the lack of a separation of powers `` threatens the security of the country . ''
Khodorkovsky told RFE/RL ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the report `` for more than a year . ''
`` We conducted several dozen interviews with experts , including some who worked for the FSB in the past and some who are working there now , as well as with people who for one reason or another were forced to have dealings with that agency , '' he said .
Khodorkovsky was once Russia ’ s richest man and a powerful oligarch .
He was arrested in October 2003 and later sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen as politically motivated .
Most of the assets of his Yukos oil company ended up under the control of the Rosneft state oil company , which is run by close Putin ally Igor Sechin .
Putin pardoned Khodorkovsky in December 2013 , and he now lives abroad .
`` The overall gist is that in a real sense you can call the FSB a 'second government of Russia , ' '' Khodorkovsky said .
“ That is , its activity in various areas of the public and economic life of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former KGB officer , has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since 1999 .
He served as head of the FSB in 1998-99 .
Many of the most powerful and formerly powerful figures in his ruling system -- including Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev , Rostec state corporation head Sergei Chemezov , former Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov , and former Russian State Railways head Vladimir Yakunin – have backgrounds in the Soviet and Russian security agencies .
The Dossier report also charges that some 126 pieces of real estate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country houses – that formerly belonged to the Soviet KGB were privatized at bargain rates by key figures in the current security forces and then sold for significant profits .
Among those named in the alleged scheme were Yury Yakovlev , who headed the FSB ’ s economic security department from 2008 to 2016 ; Viktor Cherkesov , the former head of the Federal Anti-Narcotics Agency ; Patrushev ; Sechin ; and another head of the Federal Anti-Narcotics Agency , Viktor Ivanov .
`` The FSB , which is in charge of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is providing cover for the whole Russian banking system in terms of money-laundering and cash flows , '' Khodorkovsky said , citing the 2019 case of former FSB officer Kirill Cherkalin , who was discovered to have 12 billion rubles ( $ 185 million ) in cash hidden in his apartment .
`` I would say that what is really happening isn ’ t a battle against corruption but an effort to monopolize it , '' he said .

Russia’s powerful Federal Security Service (FSB) has been transformed into a semicriminal structure that is functioning essentially as a “second government,” according to a new report by the Dossier (Dosye) Center, which is funded by a former oligarch and staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
The report, which was issued on June 11, is titled "How The FSB Determines The Politics And Economics Of Russia."
The security agency is described in the report as the main support of Putin’s ruling system, which has gained control over all other government institutions.
In particular, it says, the Defense Ministry, the Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor-General’s Office, and the Interior Ministry are "dependent on the FSB."
"In addition, representatives of the special services regularly influence the decisions of the courts, in violation of the independence of the judicial branch," the report says, adding that the lack of a separation of powers "threatens the security of the country."
Khodorkovsky told RFE/RL’s Russian Service that Dossier had been working on the report "for more than a year."
"We conducted several dozen interviews with experts, including some who worked for the FSB in the past and some who are working there now, as well as with people who for one reason or another were forced to have dealings with that agency," he said.
Khodorkovsky was once Russia’s richest man and a powerful oligarch. He was arrested in October 2003 and later sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of embezzlement and tax evasion in trials widely seen as politically motivated.
Most of the assets of his Yukos oil company ended up under the control of the Rosneft state oil company, which is run by close Putin ally Igor Sechin. Putin pardoned Khodorkovsky in December 2013, and he now lives abroad.
"The overall gist is that in a real sense you can call the FSB a 'second government of Russia,'" Khodorkovsky said. “That is, its activity in various areas of the public and economic life of the country far exceeds its constitutional authority.”


rferl--2020-06-12--Putin Awards Medals In First Public Event Since Lockdown Began

Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented Gold Star of Labor Hero medals to several individuals as part of activities marking Russia Day , his first appearance at a crowded public event since coronavirus restrictions were introduced in late-March .
After raising the Russian flag on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow on the national holiday celebrating the then-Soviet republic 's declaration of state sovereignty in 1990 , Putin congratulated the country on its `` great glory and pride '' and called on citizens to support amendments to the constitution at a national vote scheduled for July 1 .
`` The proposals to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian Constitution have been frequently suggested .
I am sure that such a position is shared and supported by the absolute majority of our citizens , '' said Putin , who appeared without a mask or other personal protective equipment .
Among other changes , the amendments would allow the 67-year-old , who has run Russia for 20 years as either president or prime minister , to stay in power until 2036 .
The Gold Star of Labor Hero was established in Russia in 2013 and is usually awarded to people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This year , the ceremony was moved to Russia Day due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Putin has held many video calls with top officials as the Kremlin attempted to keep him from catching the virus that infected his spokesman and the prime minister .
Even during Victory Day celebrations on May 9 , one of the country 's most revered holidays , Putin stood alone to observe a parade of the Kremlin guard regiment .
Russia Day has been celebrated each year on June 12 since 1992 .
Based on reporting by @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented Gold Star of Labor Hero medals to several individuals as part of activities marking Russia Day, his first appearance at a crowded public event since coronavirus restrictions were introduced in late-March.
After raising the Russian flag on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow on the national holiday celebrating the then-Soviet republic's declaration of state sovereignty in 1990, Putin congratulated the country on its "great glory and pride" and called on citizens to support amendments to the constitution at a national vote scheduled for July 1.
"The proposals to add these fundamental, key principles to the Russian Constitution have been frequently suggested. I am sure that such a position is shared and supported by the absolute majority of our citizens," said Putin, who appeared without a mask or other personal protective equipment.
Among other changes, the amendments would allow the 67-year-old, who has run Russia for 20 years as either president or prime minister, to stay in power until 2036.
The Gold Star of Labor Hero was established in Russia in 2013 and is usually awarded to people in April or May at the Kremlin.
This year, the ceremony was moved to Russia Day due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Putin has held many video calls with top officials as the Kremlin attempted to keep him from catching the virus that infected his spokesman and the prime minister. Even during Victory Day celebrations on May 9, one of the country's most revered holidays, Putin stood alone to observe a parade of the Kremlin guard regiment.
Russia Day has been celebrated each year on June 12 since 1992.
Based on reporting by TASS, Interfax, and RIA Novosti


rferl--2020-06-12--UN Chief Reportedly Links Iran To Saudi Oil Attacks, But Russia Still Wants To Lift Arms Embargo

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told the Security Council in a report quoted by Reuters that cruise missiles used in attacks on Saudi oil facilities last year were of Iranian origin .
Reuters said it had seen the report delivered by the UN chief and that several items recovered in U.S. seizures of weapons and related materiel in November 2019 and February 2020 also came from Iran .
In a statement carried by Iran 's state media on June 12 , the Foreign Ministry denied the allegations , saying they `` appear to have been made under political pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabia .
The ministry noted that the report came `` at a time when the United States is working to ... extend an arms embargo against Iran . ''
Though the report has yet to be made public , Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov reiterated Moscow ’ s view that the UN-imposed arms embargo that is due to expire in October `` should not be extended . ''
The report would represent a change from the last assessment by Guterres in December 2019 , when he said the United Nations at that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's involvement in drone and cruise-missile attacks on two Saudi oil facilities .
The attacks knocked out half of the kingdom 's crude production and fueled a spike in oil prices .
Saudi Arabia , as well as U.S. , and European officials , has accused Iran of responsibility for the September 14 bombardment .
Guterres reports to the Security Council every six months on the implementation of an arms embargo on Iran and other restrictions that remain in place after Tehran 's 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers .
Reuters quoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some items found had design characteristics similar to those produced by a commercial entity in Iran , or bear Persian markings , and that some were delivered to the country between February 2016 and April 2018 .
He added that `` these items may have been transferred in a manner inconsistent '' with a 2015 Security Council resolution that enshrines Tehran 's deal with world powers to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons .
`` The secretariat assesses that the cruise missiles and/or parts thereof used in the four attacks are of Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
The Security Council is due to discuss Guterres 's report later this month .
With reporting by Reuters and Interfax


rferl--2020-06-12--COVID-19: Armenia Extends State Of Emergency; Ukraine's First Lady Tests Positive

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 422,000 with more than 7.5 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Armenia 's government has extended the current state of emergency by another month given the `` tense '' situation that remains surrounding the coronavirus pandemic .
At an extraordinary session on June 12 , the government decided to extend the state of emergency , introduced in mid-March , until July 13 .
`` The epidemiological situation remains tense ... .
If there are no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country will be extended for a month -- until July 13 , '' Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian told parliament .
As of June 12 , Armenia 's health authorities said that the general number of coronavirus cases in the South Caucasus nation was 15,281 , including 258 deaths .
Olena Zelenska , the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , says she has tested positive for the coronavirus .
Zelenska wrote on Facebook on June 12 that the test result took her by surprise .
`` Today , I received back a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unexpected news , especially considering that my family and I continue to comply with all the regulations -- masks , gloves , minimal contact , '' Zelenska wrote , adding that her husband and children tested negative for the virus .
Ukraine 's Health Ministry said on June 12 that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country is 29,753 , including 870 deaths .

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


rferl--2020-06-13--COVID-19: Iran Will Retighten Restrictions If Measures Not Obeyed; PM Says Spread In Armenia 'Bad'

The global death toll from the coronavirus is approaching 430,000 with more than 7.6 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Iran 's President Hasan Rohani has said that restrictions to stem the coronavirus pandemic will be reimposed in the country if citizens continue to disobey public-health regulations .
After gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April , Iran in recent weeks has seen a sharp rise of new daily infections .
Rohani said in a televised speech on June 13 that compliance with health regulations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-May .
But he said compliance was now down to only about 20 percent .
Rohani blamed Iran 's latest surge of COVID-19 on travelers that he said had been spreading the coronavirus to previously low-risk provinces .
With 2,410 new cases on June 13 , the total number of confirmed cases in Iran is now about 185,000 .
Iran 's Health Ministry said on June 13 that 71 people had died from the virus during the previous 24 hours .
The total number of deaths in Iran from COVID-19 on June 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rohani expressed concern about mass prayers at the recently reopened Imam Reza shrine , Iran 's largest Shi'ite Muslim religious complex in the northeast of the country .
`` If there is no cooperation , we will have to reimpose the restrictions , '' Rohani said , adding that adherence to the health restrictions was needed `` to keep businesses open . ''
Tehran faced resistance from hard-line clerics before it closed holy shrines in mid-March .
The closures sparked protests with angry crowds storming the shrines of Imam Reza in Mashhad and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nikol Pashinian has warned that the spread of the coronavirus in his country is `` bad , '' a day after his government extended a public-health state of emergency until mid-July .
`` Our situation with the coronavirus spread is bad , '' Pashinian said on June 13 .
`` I want to report that yesterday we registered a new record .
Medics confirmed 723 new infections .
Six patients , unfortunately died . ''
`` I must be honest .
I am very much upset with these figures , '' Pashinian said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his office on June 13 by car and `` could see from a window of the car that people continue to breach epidemiological safety rules . ''
At an extraordinary session on June 12 , the government decided to extend the coronavirus state of emergency until July 13 .
It was the third extension of the state of emergency since it was introduced in mid-March .
Armenia began relaxing its strict lockdown rules in mid-April as new infections were rising sharply .
The total number of confirmed infections in the country was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy .
Including the figures announced by Pashinian on June 13 , the total number of infections in the country is now more than 16,000 with 264 deaths .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he will switch to `` a special work mode '' after his wife tested positive for coronavirus .
The presidential office said on June 12 that Zelenskiy will cancel face-to-face meetings , suspend any trips and events , and strictly limit personal contact to close aides and security .
Zelenskiy tested negative for coronavirus and will now take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Olena Zelenska , the president 's wife , said earlier that she had tested positive .
Zelenska wrote on Facebook on June 12 that the test result took her by surprise .
`` Today , I received back a positive result from the coronavirus test .
Unexpected news , especially considering that my family and I continue to comply with all the regulations -- masks , gloves , minimal contact , '' Zelenska wrote , adding that her husband and children tested negative for the virus .
Ukraine 's Health Ministry said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus cases in the country was 29,753 , including 870 deaths .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Armenian and Ukrainian services , Reuters , Fars , TASS , and Interfax


rferl--2020-06-12--Kosovar Opposition Rallies In Pristina, Demands Fresh Vote

PRISTINA -- Thousands of supporters of Kosovo 's largest party , the leftist-nationalist Vetevendosje ( Self-Determination ) , have gathered @ @ @ @ @ to mark the 15th anniversary of the organization and the 21st year since NATO troops @ @ @ @ @ at the June 12 demonstration on Skanderbeg Square called for new general elections , after @ @ @ @ @ a new government led by Avdullah Hoti of the center-right Democratic League of Kosovo ( @ @ @ @ @ majority .
Vetevendosje has been calling for new elections since the coalition government led by @ @ @ @ @ Albin Kurti , collapsed in March , less than two months after coming to power @ @ @ @ @ place in elections in October , ahead of the LDK .
Twenty-one years ago , @ @ @ @ @ on the heels of a 78-day bombing campaign to stop Serbian forces from overrunning the @ @ @ @ @ former province of Serbia , declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade @


rferl--2020-06-13--Top Russian Officials To Visit Turkey To Discuss Libya Conflict

Russia ’ s foreign and defense ministers will visit Turkey on June 14 for discussions that are expected to focus on the conflict in Libya .
Turkey backs the UN-recognized Government of National Accord ( GNA ) in the capital Tripoli , while Russia , Egypt , and the United Arab Emirates support the forces of eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ’ s arrival in Istanbul was agreed to after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart , Recep Tayyip Erdogan , the two sides said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will hold “ consultations and discuss coordination on regional issues . ''
Turkey ’ s state broadcaster TRT reported the two sides would also discuss Syria , where they are at odds over the fate of the last rebel-held enclave in northwest Idlib province .
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is also expected to visit Turkey on June 14 , the Iranian Foreign Ministry said .
Iran and Russia are Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ’ s key foreign backers , while Turkey backs rebel factions .
Turkey deployed military advisors , drones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in January to support the government in Tripoli .
The intervention has turned the tide against an offensive on the capital and parts of western Libya led by Haftar ’ s self-styled Libyan National Army ( LNA ) .
The United States has accused Russia of providing warplanes to Haftar ’ s forces and a UN report this year found the strongman received support from the Vagner mercenary group .
Vagner forces are believed to be run by Kremlin-linked Russian financier Yevgeny Prigozhin .
Following a series of battlefield setbacks in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some foreign backers who want a ceasefire in Libya .
Egypt , a regional rival of Turkey , has proposed its ceasefire plan which was welcomed by Russia and the UAE .
Ankara and the GNA rejected it as a ploy to buy time for Haftar 's retreating forces .
Separately , the UN ’ s Libya mission said earlier this month the North African country ’ s warring parties have started to engage in a new round of ceasefire talks under its auspices .
Turkey ’ s military gamble in Libya is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greece and Cyprus over offshore hydrocarbon resources .
On June 11 , the second largest military in NATO conducted an air and naval exercise in the eastern Mediterranean 2,000 kilometers from the Turkish coast , in a show of forced linked to the Libya conflict and territorial disputes .
With reporting by TRT , AFP , and Reuters

Russia and Turkey have postponed high-level talks that were expected to focus on Libya and Syria, where the two countries support opposing sides in long-standing conflicts.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, decided to put off the talks during a phone call on June 14, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The two countries' deputy ministers will continue contacts and talks in the period ahead. Minister-level talks will be held at a later date," the statement said.
Lavrov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had been set to visit Istanbul for the talks.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said discussion will be held on the date of the ministers' meeting.
The United Nations said this week that warring sides had begun new peace talks in Libya. The country has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the North African country's longtime dictator, Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, in 2011.
The struggle pits Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east of the country against the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
Moscow, along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, backs the LNA in the conflict.
Turkey, which deployed troops, drones, and Syrian rebel mercenaries to Libya in January, supports the government in Tripoli alongside Qatar and Italy.
In Syria, Russia and Iran support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey backs opposition fighters.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was expected to visit Istanbul on June 14 for talks with Turkish officials.
Iran's Foreign Ministry had earlier announced that Zarif planned to visit Moscow as well.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and Tasnim


rferl--2020-06-13--Ukraine Officials Say Offered $6 Million To Drop Probe Into Gas Company, But No Bidens Link

Ukrainian officials say they were offered $ 6 million in bribes to end a criminal investigation into the head of a gas company where the son of former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden served on the board .
Ukraine 's anti-corruption prosecutor , Nazar Kholodnitskiy , told a press conference in Kyiv on June 13 that neither of the Bidens was connected to the alleged bribe attempt .
The Burisma natural gas company was at the center of a scandal leading to U.S. President Donald Trump 's impeachment trial .
Biden is Trump ’ s Democratic challenger in the November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was $ 6 million .
This a record amount for a bribe in Ukraine , as far as I remember , '' said Artem Sytnyk , the head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau , during the news conference .
Kholodnitskiy and Sytnyk said the bribe was intended to encourage their offices to drop a probe into Mykola Zlochevskiy , the head of Burisma and a former minister of ecology .
Zlochevskiy is suspected of using his ministerial position for personal gain .
In a statement , Burisma said the company had nothing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a July 25 phone call , Trump urged his Ukrainian counterpart , Volodymyr Zelenskiy , to investigate Biden and his son , Hunter Biden , according to a transcript of the conversation .
Critics said the Trump administration withheld crucial military aid worth $ 391 million to Kyiv as leverage .
In January , Democrats in the House of Representatives charged Trump with abuse of office and obstruction of Congress , allegations he rejected as a political `` witch-hunt . ''
The president was acquitted following a trial in the Senate in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on reporting by AP and Reuters

Ukrainian officials say they were offered $6 million in bribes to end a criminal investigation into the head of a gas company where the son of former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden served on the board.
Ukraine's anti-corruption prosecutor, Nazar Kholodnitskiy, told a press conference in Kyiv on June 13 that neither of the Bidens was connected to the alleged bribe attempt.
The Burisma natural gas company was at the center of a scandal leading to U.S. President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.
Biden is Trump’s Democratic challenger in the November presidential election.
"The total confiscated was $6 million. This a record amount for a bribe in Ukraine, as far as I remember," said Artem Sytnyk, the head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, during the news conference.
Kholodnitskiy and Sytnyk said the bribe was intended to encourage their offices to drop a probe into Mykola Zlochevskiy, the head of Burisma and a former minister of ecology.
Zlochevskiy is suspected of using his ministerial position for personal gain.
In a statement, Burisma said the company had nothing to do with the bribe attempt.
During a July 25 phone call, Trump urged his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, according to a transcript of the conversation.
Critics said the Trump administration withheld crucial military aid worth $391 million to Kyiv as leverage.
In January, Democrats in the House of Representatives charged Trump with abuse of office and obstruction of Congress, allegations he rejected as a political "witch-hunt."
The president was acquitted following a trial in the Senate in a vote mainly along party lines.
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-06-13--Albania Orders Extradition Of Tajik Terror Suspect Wanted In Germany

A court in Albania has ordered the extradition of a Tajik man sought by Germany for suspected membership in a cell of the Islamic State ( IS ) group .
The district court in the capital , Tirana , decided on June 12 that 24-year-old Komrom Zukhurov should not be extradited to Russia , where he is also wanted , or to his native Tajikistan , where he claims he was tortured .
Albania announced it had arrested Zukhurov on April 30 , two weeks after German authorities said they had detained a group of Tajik nationals suspected of forming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German soil .
Zukhurov was the subject of an international arrest warrant issued on April 21 by a federal court in Karlsruhe , Germany .
German prosecutors said Zukhurov was a member of the same group whose members are suspected of planning attacks on behalf of the IS group , including on U.S. Air Force bases in Germany and an unidentified individual they deemed critical of Islam .
Zukhurov 's defense lawyer , Asllan Dogjani , denied his client was part of the cell .
Dogjani said that before his arrest , Zukhurov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and went to Albania in February to see his aunt , adding that the young man had turned himself in .
German prosecutors said three of the suspects -- all from Tajikistan -- were arrested on April 15 in the city of Siegen and in the towns of Heinsberg and Werdohl in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia .
The fourth suspect , also a Tajik national believed to be the leader of the terror cell , was already in custody after being detained in March 2019 .
The men are all aged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Germany as refugees .
The men joined IS in January 2019 and were instructed by the IS group to form a cell in Germany , German prosecutors said .
They said the attacks were not planned for the immediate future but that the group had already acquired firearms and ammunition , as well as secured directions and precursors for making a bomb from the Internet .
To help finance the terror plans , German prosecutors said the ringleader , identified as Ravshan B. , and another suspect traveled to Albania to carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the operation fell apart and they returned to Germany , the statement added .
The men are alleged to have been in contact with two high-ranking IS figures in Syria and Afghanistan .
In recent years , Germany has seen several terrorist attacks claimed by IS , including a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that left 12 people dead .

A court in Albania has ordered the extradition of a Tajik man sought by Germany for suspected membership in a cell of the Islamic State (IS) group.
The district court in the capital, Tirana, decided on June 12 that 24-year-old Komrom Zukhurov should not be extradited to Russia, where he is also wanted, or to his native Tajikistan, where he claims he was tortured.
Albania announced it had arrested Zukhurov on April 30, two weeks after German authorities said they had detained a group of Tajik nationals suspected of forming an IS cell that plotted attacks on German soil.
Zukhurov was the subject of an international arrest warrant issued on April 21 by a federal court in Karlsruhe, Germany.
German prosecutors said Zukhurov was a member of the same group whose members are suspected of planning attacks on behalf of the IS group, including on U.S. Air Force bases in Germany and an unidentified individual they deemed critical of Islam.
Zukhurov's defense lawyer, Asllan Dogjani, denied his client was part of the cell. Dogjani said that before his arrest, Zukhurov had lived in Germany for two years and went to Albania in February to see his aunt, adding that the young man had turned himself in.
German prosecutors said three of the suspects -- all from Tajikistan -- were arrested on April 15 in the city of Siegen and in the towns of Heinsberg and Werdohl in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The fourth suspect, also a Tajik national believed to be the leader of the terror cell, was already in custody after being detained in March 2019. The men are all aged between 24 and 32, and came to Germany as refugees.
The men joined IS in January 2019 and were instructed by the IS group to form a cell in Germany, German prosecutors said.
They said the attacks were not planned for the immediate future but that the group had already acquired firearms and ammunition, as well as secured directions and precursors for making a bomb from the Internet.
To help finance the terror plans, German prosecutors said the ringleader, identified as Ravshan B., and another suspect traveled to Albania to carry out a $40,000 contract killing, but the operation fell apart and they returned to Germany, the statement added.
The men are alleged to have been in contact with two high-ranking IS figures in Syria and Afghanistan.
In recent years, Germany has seen several terrorist attacks claimed by IS, including a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that left 12 people dead.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-06-13--Uzbek Police Officers Charged With Torturing Man Who Later Died

Three Uzbek police officers have been arrested and charged with illegally detaining and torturing a man who then died in hospital , the Prosecutor-General 's Office has said .
State prosecutors said on June 13 that the police officers in the eastern city of Andijon detained a local man in May and tortured him .
Prosecutors said the man , identified as A. Abdukarimov , was taken to hospital and died on June 11 .
Prosecutors added that Abdukarimov 's relatives filmed his condition in hospital , where he was in a coma with extensive bruising on his arms and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mouth .
The police officers were arrested on June 1 and the case was being investigated , prosecutors said .
It was unclear on what grounds Abdukarimov was arrested .
Last month , a United Nations review of Uzbekistan 's human rights record expressed concerns about persistent torture in detention centers and limits on basic freedoms , according to Human Rights Watch .
President Shavkat Mirziyoev has taken steps to implement reforms since coming to power in 2016 .
But rights watchdogs have expressed concerns about conditions in Uzbekistan , where rights abuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islam Karimov .

Three Uzbek police officers have been arrested and charged with illegally detaining and torturing a man who then died in hospital, the Prosecutor-General's Office has said.
State prosecutors said on June 13 that the police officers in the eastern city of Andijon detained a local man in May and tortured him.
Prosecutors said the man, identified as A. Abdukarimov, was taken to hospital and died on June 11.
Prosecutors added that Abdukarimov's relatives filmed his condition in hospital, where he was in a coma with extensive bruising on his arms and legs and had a tube in his mouth.
The police officers were arrested on June 1 and the case was being investigated, prosecutors said.
It was unclear on what grounds Abdukarimov was arrested.
Last month, a United Nations review of Uzbekistan's human rights record expressed concerns about persistent torture in detention centers and limits on basic freedoms, according to Human Rights Watch.
President Shavkat Mirziyoev has taken steps to implement reforms since coming to power in 2016. But rights watchdogs have expressed concerns about conditions in Uzbekistan, where rights abuses had been widespread under his predecessor, Islam Karimov.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-06-13--At Least 17 Killed In Attacks Across Afghanistan

Afghan officials say at least 17 people have been killed in a string of attacks across the country .
There was no claim of responsibility for the series of attacks on June 13 .
Violence in the country has spiked in recent weeks despite progress toward the launch of direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government over a permanent cease-fire and future power-sharing deal .
Gunmen killed eight people in the eastern province of Khost , the spokesman for the provincial police chief said .
Spokesman Adel Haidar said Abdul Wali Ekhlas , a candidate in last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed in the Ali Sher district .
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack .
In the eastern province of Logar , a local official said gunmen stormed a house in the provincial capital , Pul-e Alam , killing a woman and her three daughters .
In the northeastern province of Badakhshan , the provincial spokesman for the police chief said a pro-government militia commander and three of his men were killed by gunmen .
Meanwhile , a cleric was gunned down by gunmen in the northern province of Takhar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleric was killed in an explosion in the capital , Kabul .
Also on June 12 , an official in the central province of Ghor said Taliban militants stormed a police checkpoint and killed 10 police officers .
Based on reporting by dpa , AP , and AFP

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