rferl--2020-04-28--U.S. Religious-Freedom Report Cites Improvement in Uzbekistan, Deterioration In Russia

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom ( USCIRF ) is proposing the State Department remove Uzbekistan from its `` worst of the worst '' list of offenders of religious freedom , while reiterating that Russia should be put on that list .
The independent , bipartisan advisory body created by Congress to make recommendations about global religious freedom proposed in its annual report on April 28 that 14 countries be put on the `` country of particular concern '' list , a category reserved for those that carrying out `` systematic , ongoing , and egregious '' violations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commission recommended Uzbekistan be removed as a country of particular concern , a move already taken by President Donald Trump 's administration last year .
Uzbekistan has taken `` significant steps '' to improve religious freedom , warranting its removal from the list of worst offenders , the commission said .
As improvements it cited an end to long-standing raids on religious communities and restrictions on literature , as well as the government 's announcement it would close the notorious Jasliq prison , which had held religious prisoners , including two who in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the commission said .
Tashkent still remains on a special watch list , meaning there are still `` severe '' violations of religious freedom in the Central Asian country .
Other countries on the USCIRF 's special watch list include : Cuba , Nicaragua , Afghanistan , Algeria , Azerbaijan , Bahrain , Central African Republic , Egypt , Indonesia , Iraq , Kazakhstan , Malaysia , and Turkey .
The State Department has already designated nine of 14 countries on the list of the worst countries regarding religious freedom : Burma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Korea , Pakistan , Saudi Arabia , Tajikistan , and Turkmenistan .
But it has so far not followed USCIRF recommendations to add five others -- India , Nigeria , Russia , Syria , and Vietnam .
The commission said Russia -- which remains on the State Department 's special watch list -- saw a deterioration of religious freedom in 2019 with raids on Jehovah 's Witnesses and the abuse of vague laws and counterextremism justifications to target religious minorities .
`` The Russian government views independent religious activity as threatening social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while simultaneously cultivating relationships with the country 's so-called 'traditional ' religions , '' the report said .
In Russian-occupied Crimea , the commission said Crimean Tatars were harassed , arrested , and even tortured under the cover of alleged extremism charges leveled against secular human rights groups opposed to the Russian occupation .
Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine also restricted religious freedom , the commission said , following a similar pattern as in Russia , while also privileging the Russian Orthodox Church over the Orthodox Church of Ukraine .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested and kidnapped people with alleged links to Islamist militant groups and harassed Muslim prayer groups .
In another major recommendation to the State Department , the commission put India on its `` worst of the worst '' list of offenders of religious freedom .
India is `` trending in a very negative direction , '' USCIRF Chairman Tony Perkins said at a press conference .
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's Hindu nationalist government implemented a series of discriminatory policies in 2019 , including an amendment to the citizenship law that provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-Muslim immigrants from Afghanistan , Bangladesh , and Pakistan .
When a national register is completed , millions of Muslims who have lived in the country for decades could face detention , deportation , and statelessness .
`` The national and various state governments have tolerated widespread harassment and violence against religious minorities , '' USCIRF added .
Elsewhere in the word , China has rounded up 1.8 million Uyghur Muslims into concentration camps and women in Pakistan were forced to convert to Islam .
Secretive Turkmenistan was identified as one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom , while the commission said Tajikistan 's `` already dismal record '' deteriorated .
The USCIRF advises the president , Congress , and State Department on international religious-freedom issues .
Its annual reports are different from the State Department 's reports on international religious freedom .
The advisory body says its independence enables it to `` unflinchingly criticize '' both U.S. allies and adversaries .

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is proposing the State Department remove Uzbekistan from its "worst of the worst" list of offenders of religious freedom, while reiterating that Russia should be put on that list.
The independent, bipartisan advisory body created by Congress to make recommendations about global religious freedom proposed in its annual report on April 28 that 14 countries be put on the "country of particular concern" list, a category reserved for those that carrying out "systematic, ongoing, and egregious" violations of religious freedom.
Alongside Sudan, the commission recommended Uzbekistan be removed as a country of particular concern, a move already taken by President Donald Trump's administration last year.
Uzbekistan has taken "significant steps" to improve religious freedom, warranting its removal from the list of worst offenders, the commission said.
As improvements it cited an end to long-standing raids on religious communities and restrictions on literature, as well as the government's announcement it would close the notorious Jasliq prison, which had held religious prisoners, including two who in the past had been boiled to death, the commission said.
Tashkent still remains on a special watch list, meaning there are still "severe" violations of religious freedom in the Central Asian country. Other countries on the USCIRF's special watch list include: Cuba, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Central African Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Turkey.
The State Department has already designated nine of 14 countries on the list of the worst countries regarding religious freedom: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
But it has so far not followed USCIRF recommendations to add five others -- India, Nigeria, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.
Russia 'Gets Worse'
The commission said Russia -- which remains on the State Department's special watch list -- saw a deterioration of religious freedom in 2019 with raids on Jehovah's Witnesses and the abuse of vague laws and counterextremism justifications to target religious minorities.
"The Russian government views independent religious activity as threatening social and political stability and its own control, while simultaneously cultivating relationships with the country's so-called 'traditional' religions," the report said.
In Russian-occupied Crimea, the commission said Crimean Tatars were harassed, arrested, and even tortured under the cover of alleged extremism charges leveled against secular human rights groups opposed to the Russian occupation.
Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine also restricted religious freedom, the commission said, following a similar pattern as in Russia, while also privileging the Russian Orthodox Church over the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
In the North Caucacus, meanwhile, security forces arrested and kidnapped people with alleged links to Islamist militant groups and harassed Muslim prayer groups.
'Very Negative Direction'
In another major recommendation to the State Department, the commission put India on its "worst of the worst" list of offenders of religious freedom.
India is "trending in a very negative direction," USCIRF Chairman Tony Perkins said at a press conference.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government implemented a series of discriminatory policies in 2019, including an amendment to the citizenship law that provides a path to Indian citizenship only for non-Muslim immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
When a national register is completed, millions of Muslims who have lived in the country for decades could face detention, deportation, and statelessness.
"The national and various state governments have tolerated widespread harassment and violence against religious minorities," USCIRF added.
Elsewhere in the word, China has rounded up 1.8 million Uyghur Muslims into concentration camps and women in Pakistan were forced to convert to Islam.
Secretive Turkmenistan was identified as one of the worst countries in the world for religious freedom, while the commission said Tajikistan's "already dismal record" deteriorated.
The USCIRF advises the president, Congress, and State Department on international religious-freedom issues. Its annual reports are different from the State Department's reports on international religious freedom.
The advisory body says its independence enables it to "unflinchingly criticize" both U.S. allies and adversaries.


rferl--2020-04-28--Poll Finds Russians' Trust In Putin Dips To Lowest Point In 14 Years

A survey by Russia 's main state-funded pollster shows that trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin fell in March to its lowest in 14 years .
The poll , taken last month by Russia 's Public Opinion Research Center , or VTsIOM , and released on April 27 , showed those who chose Putin when asked to name a politician whom they trust , dropped to 28.3 percent in March from 29 percent the previous month and 30.6 percent in January .
Participants in the poll were asked who do they trusted and who they did not trust to solve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not directly mentioned in the survey question .
Valery Fyodorov , the head of VTsIOM , was quoted by Forbes Russia as saying that respondents are more likely to say they trust Putin if given multiple choices rather than an `` open-ended '' format .
The decline in Putin 's popularity ratings has been a longer-term trend , even though he overwhelmingly won an election for a fourth term as president in 2018 .
Since then , Putin and Kremlin-allied lawmakers in parliament have pushed through a series of controversial social and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These include raising the pension age and increasing value-added tax .
The latest move to introduce amendments to the constitution that would allow Putin the possibility of seeking a fifth or even sixth presidential term after his current second consecutive six-year term ends in 2024 also drew wide criticism from some Russians .
The poll 's results may also have been affected by the government 's restrictive measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak .
Russia recorded its first official cases of the virus on January 31 , and quickly introduced some restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
But the outbreak accelerated in April , prompting Putin to announce a long nonworking period , obliging companies to continue paying salaries to their employees .
On April 28 he extended that period to May 11 .
Russia has officially reported 93,558 cases of the virus , including 867 deaths , and has imposed a partial lockdown on many regions , including Moscow , the capital , with its more than 12.5 million people .

A survey by Russia's main state-funded pollster shows that trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin fell in March to its lowest in 14 years.
The poll, taken last month by Russia's Public Opinion Research Center, or VTsIOM, and released on April 27, showed those who chose Putin when asked to name a politician whom they trust, dropped to 28.3 percent in March from 29 percent the previous month and 30.6 percent in January.
Participants in the poll were asked who do they trusted and who they did not trust to solve important state issues. Putin's name was not directly mentioned in the survey question.
Valery Fyodorov, the head of VTsIOM, was quoted by Forbes Russia as saying that respondents are more likely to say they trust Putin if given multiple choices rather than an "open-ended" format.
The decline in Putin's popularity ratings has been a longer-term trend, even though he overwhelmingly won an election for a fourth term as president in 2018.
Since then, Putin and Kremlin-allied lawmakers in parliament have pushed through a series of controversial social and economic reforms that have angered many Russians.
These include raising the pension age and increasing value-added tax.
The latest move to introduce amendments to the constitution that would allow Putin the possibility of seeking a fifth or even sixth presidential term after his current second consecutive six-year term ends in 2024 also drew wide criticism from some Russians.
The poll's results may also have been affected by the government's restrictive measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
Russia recorded its first official cases of the virus on January 31, and quickly introduced some restrictions, such as closing the border with China.
But the outbreak accelerated in April, prompting Putin to announce a long nonworking period, obliging companies to continue paying salaries to their employees. On April 28 he extended that period to May 11.
Russia has officially reported 93,558 cases of the virus, including 867 deaths, and has imposed a partial lockdown on many regions, including Moscow, the capital, with its more than 12.5 million people.


rferl--2020-04-28--Azerbaijan Puts Four Top Banks Under Temporary Administration

BAKU -- Azerbaijan 's central bank has put four of the energy-rich South Caucasus country 's top banks under temporary @ @ @ @ @ caused by a plunge in oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic .
The central bank @ @ @ @ @ administrators for Atabank , AGBank , NBCBank , and Amrah Bank , which are among @ @ @ @ @ financial institutions .
No explanations were officially given for the decision , but some media @ @ @ @ @ a first step toward the banks ' possible closure or merger with other financial institution @ @ @ @ @ slowdown caused by governments imposing restrictions on businesses and individuals in a bid to curtail @ @ @ @ @ has triggered a collapse of global oil prices in recent weeks .
Crude oil and @ @ @ @ @ main sources of income .

BAKU -- Azerbaijan's central bank has put four of the energy-rich South Caucasus country's top banks under temporary administration, amid economic difficulties caused by a plunge in oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic.
The central bank on April 27 appointed temporary administrators for Atabank, AGBank, NBCBank, and Amrah Bank, which are among the country's 15 largest financial institutions.
No explanations were officially given for the decision, but some media reports said it might be a first step toward the banks' possible closure or merger with other financial institution.
The ongoing widespread economic slowdown caused by governments imposing restrictions on businesses and individuals in a bid to curtail the spread of the coronavirus has triggered a collapse of global oil prices in recent weeks.
Crude oil and natural gas are Azerbaijan's main sources of income.


rferl--2020-04-28--Amid Czech Claims Of Poisoning Plot, Moscow Says It's Victim Of 'Slander'

Russia has rejected as slander a Czech media report of an alleged poisoning plot against Prague officials , including the city 's mayor , as the Czech counterintelligence agency refuses to comment on the allegations .
The investigative Czech weekly Respekt reported on April 26 that a suspected Russian intelligence officer had traveled to Prague more than three weeks ago with a suitcase containing the lethal toxin ricin .
It quoted Czech security sources as saying the target of the poison plot was Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib and a district mayor .
The report comes amid fresh tensions between Prague @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind a recent wave of cyberattacks in the Czech Republic .
However , Russia claimed it was the victim , not the Czech Republic , of a disinformation campaign .
The Russian Embassy in Prague said on Facebook it `` rejects such outrageous and false slander . ''
In a post on April 27 , the embassy added it had sent a note to the Czech Foreign Ministry highlighting what it claimed were `` ongoing , unsubstantiated attacks on Russia and its embassy in Prague . ''
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report of the alleged ricin poisoning plot needed to be checked for misinformation .
`` Such things ca n't go unpunished , '' Zakharova said .
The Czech Foreign Ministry called the Russian Embassy 's note `` inappropriate , '' saying it went against the independence of the media .
The ministry `` does not and will not interfere '' with freedom of the press , it added .
Ladislav Sticha , spokesman for the Czech counterintelligence agency BIS , declined to comment on the Respekt article by Ondrej Kundra .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kundra , therefore BIS is declining to make any public comments on the allegations , '' Sticha told RFE/RL on April 28 .
In the report , Respekt said the suspected Russian intelligence agent arrived by plane in Prague 3 1/2 weeks ago .
He was alleged to have traveled on a diplomatic passport .
If so , under international diplomatic protocols , his bags would not have been checked by Czech immigration officials .
According to Respekt , he was driven in a Russian Embassy vehicle to the Russian compound in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a center of espionage activities in the Central European country .
Hrib and Prague 6 district Mayor Ondrej Kolar have confirmed they are under police protection due to unspecified threats .
Hrib was a vocal backer of a decision two months ago to rename the square in front of the Russian Embassy complex after former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov , an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was killed in 2015 near the Kremlin .
Like Hrib , Kolar angered officials in Russia after his district on April 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who led Red Army forces during World War II that drove Nazi troops from much of Czechoslovakia .
Another Prague district mayor , Pavel Novotny , earned the ire of Moscow in November 2019 after he proposed erecting a monument to a World War II military division made up of Soviet defectors that fought alongside the Nazis but turned against them in the final days of the war and helped liberate Prague .
Novotny confirmed to RFE/RL that he is now under police protection , but could not disclose more details .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ totally '' believable , Novotny said .
`` They are capable of something like that . ''
Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek has reportedly warned Russia 's ambassador of consequences if anything happens to the Czech politicians .
As possible payback , Czech officials suspect Russian hackers may have been behind a recent wave of cyberattacks .
Earlier this month , Czech officials said information-technology systems at Prague 's international airport , several hospitals , and the Health Ministry were targeted in the attacks , which sparked outrage in Prague as well as @ @

Russia has rejected as slander a Czech media report of an alleged poisoning plot against Prague officials, including the city's mayor, as the Czech counterintelligence agency refuses to comment on the allegations.
The investigative Czech weekly Respekt reported on April 26 that a suspected Russian intelligence officer had traveled to Prague more than three weeks ago with a suitcase containing the lethal toxin ricin. It quoted Czech security sources as saying the target of the poison plot was Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib and a district mayor.
The report comes amid fresh tensions between Prague and Moscow and suspicion that Russia was behind a recent wave of cyberattacks in the Czech Republic.
However, Russia claimed it was the victim, not the Czech Republic, of a disinformation campaign.
The Russian Embassy in Prague said on Facebook it "rejects such outrageous and false slander."
In a post on April 27, the embassy added it had sent a note to the Czech Foreign Ministry highlighting what it claimed were "ongoing, unsubstantiated attacks on Russia and its embassy in Prague."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian media on April 27 the report of the alleged ricin poisoning plot needed to be checked for misinformation.
"Such things can't go unpunished," Zakharova said.
The Czech Foreign Ministry called the Russian Embassy's note "inappropriate," saying it went against the independence of the media.
The ministry "does not and will not interfere" with freedom of the press, it added.
Ladislav Sticha, spokesman for the Czech counterintelligence agency BIS, declined to comment on the Respekt article by Ondrej Kundra. "We don't know the sources cited by Kundra, therefore BIS is declining to make any public comments on the allegations," Sticha told RFE/RL on April 28.
In the report, Respekt said the suspected Russian intelligence agent arrived by plane in Prague 3 1/2 weeks ago. He was alleged to have traveled on a diplomatic passport. If so, under international diplomatic protocols, his bags would not have been checked by Czech immigration officials.
According to Respekt, he was driven in a Russian Embassy vehicle to the Russian compound in the Czech capital, long suspected of being a center of espionage activities in the Central European country.
Hrib and Prague 6 district Mayor Ondrej Kolar have confirmed they are under police protection due to unspecified threats.
Hrib was a vocal backer of a decision two months ago to rename the square in front of the Russian Embassy complex after former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was killed in 2015 near the Kremlin.
Like Hrib, Kolar angered officials in Russia after his district on April 3 removed a statue of Marshal Ivan Konev, who led Red Army forces during World War II that drove Nazi troops from much of Czechoslovakia.
Another Prague district mayor, Pavel Novotny, earned the ire of Moscow in November 2019 after he proposed erecting a monument to a World War II military division made up of Soviet defectors that fought alongside the Nazis but turned against them in the final days of the war and helped liberate Prague.
Novotny confirmed to RFE/RL that he is now under police protection, but could not disclose more details.
The alleged ricin poisoning plot is "totally" believable, Novotny said. "They are capable of something like that."
Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek has reportedly warned Russia's ambassador of consequences if anything happens to the Czech politicians.
As possible payback, Czech officials suspect Russian hackers may have been behind a recent wave of cyberattacks.
Earlier this month, Czech officials said information-technology systems at Prague's international airport, several hospitals, and the Health Ministry were targeted in the attacks, which sparked outrage in Prague as well as Washington.


rferl--2020-04-28--Afghan Women, Girls With Disabilities Face Discrimination, Obstacles: HRW

Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) says Afghan women and girls with disabilities are being confronted with barriers , discrimination , and sexual harassment when trying to obtain government assistance , health care , and education .
A report published on April 28 from the right groups details the obstacles that Afghan women and girls with disabilities face on a daily basis in one of the world ’ s poorest countries , where more than four decades of conflict have destroyed government institutions and resulted in one of the largest populations of persons with disabilities in the world as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` At least one in five Afghan households includes an adult or child with a serious physical , sensory , intellectual , or psychosocial disability , '' says the 31-page report , titled 'Disability Is Not Weakness ' : Discrimination and Barriers Facing Women and Girls with Disabilities in Afghanistan .
The report is mainly based on interviews with 26 women and girls with disabilities and 14 health and educational professionals living in the Afghan cities of Kabul , Herat , and Mazar-e Sharif , because access to rural areas , where most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly difficult as fighting has been intensifying since 2016 .
`` All Afghans with disabilities face stigma and discrimination in getting government services , but women and girls are the 'invisible ' victims of this abuse , ” said Patricia Gossman , associate Asia director at the New York-based Human Rights Watch and the author of the report .
The document also points to the `` entrenched discrimination '' that persons with disabilities face in trying to access education , employment , and health care even though those are rights guaranteed both by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation .
It says that gender bias and violence against women , which are endemic in the Afghan society , has an aggravating impact on women and girls with disabilities .
`` Obtaining access to health care , education , and employment , along with other basic rights , is particularly difficult for Afghan women and girls with disabilities , who face both gender discrimination and stigma and barriers associated with their disability , '' it says .
Both married and or single women with disabilities are often regarded as a burden on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence .
Girls with disabilities are often denied access to education altogether , because of lack of both adequate transportation and medical care .
`` Families who have children with disabilities incur additional costs for treatment if they seek medical care .
Even minor costs can mean that treatment is out of reach for many , '' the report says .
HRW urged the Afghan government to rapidly implement reform policies and practices that prevent women and girls with disabilities from exercising their basic rights to health , education , and work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustainable solutions to increase access to quality , inclusive education for children with disabilities , particularly girls , and calls for faster moves to ensure all public buildings are accessible by building ramps and making toilets and other facilities accessible .

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


rferl--2020-04-28--COVID-19: 'Coronavirus-Free' Turkmenistan Clears Out Quarantine Centers Ahead Of WHO Visit

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 210,000 with more than 3 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Authorities in Turkmenistan are clearing out hundreds of people held in quarantine zones in what could be an attempt to hide suspected cases of coronavirus ahead of a visit by World Health Organization ( WHO ) experts .
More than 400 people placed in a quarantine area on the outskirts of Turkmenabat , the secretive Central Asian country 's second-largest city , located @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being transferred to small provincial hospitals and a psychiatric clinic .
The move follows media reports alleging that top authorities decided to temporarily transfer the sick from quarantine sites to hide coronavirus cases from a WHO team arriving in the country next week .
Turkmenistan has not reported any registered COVID-19 cases yet , but experts are skeptical , given the lack of transparency and independent media in the country .
Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus , face masks are banned , and citizens are punished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , the authorities have set up three quarantine zones around the country in a bid to prevent the spread of what officials called `` infectious diseases . ''
People with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus , and COVID-19 test results are unknown , even if they are performed .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended the nonworking period in the country until May 11 as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise across the country .
Putin made the announcement during a video conference with regional governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak of Russia 's coronavirus infections `` has not passed yet . ''
Russia has also imposed a partial lockdown on many regions , including Moscow , in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus , which has officially infected 93,558 people across the country .
Among them , 867 have died .
Putin initially announced a nonworking week from March 28 to April 5 and later extended it until April 30 , saying that salaries will be paid for that period .
On April 28 , Putin ordered the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan of action to normalize business activities , restore employment and people 's incomes , and economic growth . ''
The Russian leader also instructed the government to come up with recommendations on gradually easing the coronavirus lockdown restrictions by May 5 .
Later in the day , Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said he had signed a decree extending the lockdown regime in the city , which has been hardest-hit by COVID-19 , until May 11 .
The governor of Pakistan 's second-most-populous province has tested positive for the coronavirus .
Imran Ismail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced on April 27 results from a test he took the previous day came back positive .
`` I have just been tested Covid 19 positive ... .
Inshallah will fight it out , '' the 54-year-old governor wrote on Twitter .
Sindh Province , which includes the industrial and financial center of Karachi , has imposed a strict lockdown , while the rest of Pakistan is under a partial lockdown .
Pakistan has been divided over whether to ease coronavirus restrictions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan , which began in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 .
Health officials have warned that tens of thousands of people in Pakistan are ignoring advice to stay home during Ramadan , raising fears that the coronavirus pandemic will spread further .
Pakistan has registered 13,915 positive coronavirus cases and 292 deaths , according to official numbers .
A representative of the WHO in Tajikistan , where officials have not registered a single coronavirus case yet , says the Central Asian country must be ready for the `` worst-case scenario . ''
Galina Perfilyeva told RFE/RL on April 27 that although there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former Soviet republic , Tajikistan may have people infected with the virus .
`` I have always said that we are observing the situation in the world and we see that in many countries there is a big number of [ coronavirus ] cases that proceed without any symptoms and therefore nobody can say that everything is absolutely smooth in Tajikistan in that matter , '' Perfilyeva said , adding that although initial test results on COVID-19 in the country were negative , the results of the latest tests that were supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London have been pending as Tajikistan and many other countries have closed air links due to the pandemic .
Perfilyeva came under fire last month after initially confirming the Tajik government 's position that the country remains free of the coronavirus .
But soon afterward she changed her tone , saying it was `` impossible to conclusively '' say that there were no coronavirus infections in Tajikistan .
Perfilyeva noted in the RFE/RL interview on April 27 that `` the WHO 's goal is not to find the virus , but to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` It is clear that the [ Central Asian ] nations have not been ready for COVID-19 as they did not have equipment or hospital facilities , '' Perfilyeva said .
She also said that WHO experts are expected to arrive in Tajikistan in May to assist in the prevention of the spread of the virus .
`` Usually , when [ the WHO ] mission arrives to a country it provides technical assistance , attends facilities , assesses the situation ... .
As soon as the mission 's staff is confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the mission 's activities in Tajikistan , '' Perfilyeva said .
Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has signed a decree extending until May 10 the state of emergency in Bishkek , the capital , as well as the southern cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad and adjacent districts , and in the Ata-Bash district of the Naryn region .
The initial state of emergency over the pandemic was announced in the Kyrgyz cities and districts on March 25 until April 15 .
It was later prolonged until April 30 .
The latest figures in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight deaths .
The biggest number of coronavirus cases in the region has been registered in Kazakhstan , where health authorities said on April 28 that the number of such cases reached 2,982 , including 25 deaths .
In Uzbekistan , as of April 28 , the number of coronavirus cases was reported as 1,924 , including eight deaths .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Kazakh , Kyrgyz , Tajik , Turkmen , and Uzbek services and Radio Mashaal , Reuters , Interfax , and TASS

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 210,000 with more than 3 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Turkmenistan
Authorities in Turkmenistan are clearing out hundreds of people held in quarantine zones in what could be an attempt to hide suspected cases of coronavirus ahead of a visit by World Health Organization (WHO) experts.
More than 400 people placed in a quarantine area on the outskirts of Turkmenabat, the secretive Central Asian country's second-largest city, located in the eastern Lebab region, are being transferred to small provincial hospitals and a psychiatric clinic.
The move follows media reports alleging that top authorities decided to temporarily transfer the sick from quarantine sites to hide coronavirus cases from a WHO team arriving in the country next week.
Turkmenistan has not reported any registered COVID-19 cases yet, but experts are skeptical, given the lack of transparency and independent media in the country.
Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus, face masks are banned, and citizens are punished for talking about the global pandemic.
Meanwhile, the authorities have set up three quarantine zones around the country in a bid to prevent the spread of what officials called "infectious diseases."
People with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus, and COVID-19 test results are unknown, even if they are performed.
Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended the nonworking period in the country until May 11 as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise across the country.
Putin made the announcement during a video conference with regional governors on April 28, saying that the peak of Russia's coronavirus infections "has not passed yet."
Russia has also imposed a partial lockdown on many regions, including Moscow, in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has officially infected 93,558 people across the country. Among them, 867 have died.
Putin initially announced a nonworking week from March 28 to April 5 and later extended it until April 30, saying that salaries will be paid for that period.
On April 28, Putin ordered the government to "start preparing a wide-ranging national plan of action to normalize business activities, restore employment and people's incomes, and economic growth."
The Russian leader also instructed the government to come up with recommendations on gradually easing the coronavirus lockdown restrictions by May 5.
Later in the day, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said he had signed a decree extending the lockdown regime in the city, which has been hardest-hit by COVID-19, until May 11.
Pakistan
The governor of Pakistan's second-most-populous province has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Imran Ismail, the governor of Sindh Province, announced on April 27 results from a test he took the previous day came back positive. "I have just been tested Covid 19 positive.... Inshallah will fight it out," the 54-year-old governor wrote on Twitter.
Sindh Province, which includes the industrial and financial center of Karachi, has imposed a strict lockdown, while the rest of Pakistan is under a partial lockdown.
Pakistan has been divided over whether to ease coronavirus restrictions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began in the country on the evening of April 24.
Health officials have warned that tens of thousands of people in Pakistan are ignoring advice to stay home during Ramadan, raising fears that the coronavirus pandemic will spread further.
Pakistan has registered 13,915 positive coronavirus cases and 292 deaths, according to official numbers.
Tajikistan
A representative of the WHO in Tajikistan, where officials have not registered a single coronavirus case yet, says the Central Asian country must be ready for the "worst-case scenario."
Galina Perfilyeva told RFE/RL on April 27 that although there was no coronavirus cases recorded officially in the former Soviet republic, Tajikistan may have people infected with the virus.
"I have always said that we are observing the situation in the world and we see that in many countries there is a big number of [coronavirus] cases that proceed without any symptoms and therefore nobody can say that everything is absolutely smooth in Tajikistan in that matter," Perfilyeva said, adding that although initial test results on COVID-19 in the country were negative, the results of the latest tests that were supposed to be processed in a lab in London have been pending as Tajikistan and many other countries have closed air links due to the pandemic.
Perfilyeva came under fire last month after initially confirming the Tajik government's position that the country remains free of the coronavirus.
But soon afterward she changed her tone, saying it was "impossible to conclusively" say that there were no coronavirus infections in Tajikistan.
Perfilyeva noted in the RFE/RL interview on April 27 that "the WHO's goal is not to find the virus, but to help our colleagues to fight that virus."
"It is clear that the [Central Asian] nations have not been ready for COVID-19 as they did not have equipment or hospital facilities," Perfilyeva said.
She also said that WHO experts are expected to arrive in Tajikistan in May to assist in the prevention of the spread of the virus.
"Usually, when [the WHO] mission arrives to a country it provides technical assistance, attends facilities, assesses the situation.... As soon as the mission's staff is confirmed, we will start outlining the plan of the mission's activities in Tajikistan," Perfilyeva said.
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has signed a decree extending until May 10 the state of emergency in Bishkek, the capital, as well as the southern cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad and adjacent districts, and in the Ata-Bash district of the Naryn region.
The initial state of emergency over the pandemic was announced in the Kyrgyz cities and districts on March 25 until April 15. It was later prolonged until April 30.
The latest figures in Kyrgyzstan are 708 coronavirus cases, including eight deaths.
The biggest number of coronavirus cases in the region has been registered in Kazakhstan, where health authorities said on April 28 that the number of such cases reached 2,982, including 25 deaths.
In Uzbekistan, as of April 28, the number of coronavirus cases was reported as 1,924, including eight deaths.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, and Uzbek services and Radio Mashaal, Reuters, Interfax, and TASS


rferl--2020-04-29--Reports: Top Russian FSB General Linked To 2014 MH17 Disaster Over Ukraine

Open-source researchers have linked a top general in Russia ’ s main security and intelligence agency to the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine .
A report published jointly by Bellingcat and the Russian news site The Insider on April 28 said that Colonel General Andrei Burlaka , of Russia ’ s Federal Security Service , is one of the Russian officials whose calls with separatist militia leaders in eastern Ukraine were intercepted and recorded .
Three Russians and one Ukrainian have been identified by Dutch investigators , and a Dutch court began criminal proceedings against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed to be in Russia .
Most of the 298 people on board MH17 were Dutch citizens .
The jet was downed by a Russian-built surface-to-air missile system , which Dutch officials believe was secretly transported across the Russian border into Ukraine .
As part of their investigation , Dutch authorities released intercepted phone calls and called for public help in identifying some of the individuals heard on the calls .
One was a key figure named as `` Vladimir Ivanovich . ''
Bellingcat and The Insider identified him as Burlaka , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff for the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service , known as the FSB .
The outlets said that they established Burlaka ’ s identity by searching phone records , travel data and comparing his voice from different recordings .
`` This FSB general is the highest-ranking Russian official identified as a person of interest in the criminal investigation into the downing of MH17 , '' Bellingcat said .
The Insider said Burlaka ’ s position in the Border Guard Service puts him close in the hierarchy to FSB director Aleksandr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Putin .
Burlaka was `` in a crucial position to supervise the movement of weapons from Russia to Ukraine , and thus would have had to authorize the transfer of the Russian Buk missile launcher that shot the Malaysian airliner after crossing the border , '' Bellingcat said .
Russia has repeatedly denied any role in the crash , and refused to turn over the four men to stand trial in the Netherlands .

Open-source researchers have linked a top general in Russia’s main security and intelligence agency to the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine.
A report published jointly by Bellingcat and the Russian news site The Insider on April 28 said that Colonel General Andrei Burlaka, of Russia’s Federal Security Service, is one of the Russian officials whose calls with separatist militia leaders in eastern Ukraine were intercepted and recorded.
Three Russians and one Ukrainian have been identified by Dutch investigators, and a Dutch court began criminal proceedings against them last month. All four are believed to be in Russia.
Most of the 298 people on board MH17 were Dutch citizens. The jet was downed by a Russian-built surface-to-air missile system, which Dutch officials believe was secretly transported across the Russian border into Ukraine.
As part of their investigation, Dutch authorities released intercepted phone calls and called for public help in identifying some of the individuals heard on the calls.
One was a key figure named as "Vladimir Ivanovich." Bellingcat and The Insider identified him as Burlaka, who they said was the chief of operational staff for the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB.
The outlets said that they established Burlaka’s identity by searching phone records, travel data and comparing his voice from different recordings.
"This FSB general is the highest-ranking Russian official identified as a person of interest in the criminal investigation into the downing of MH17," Bellingcat said.
The Insider said Burlaka’s position in the Border Guard Service puts him close in the hierarchy to FSB director Aleksandr Bortnikov, who answers directly to President Vladimir Putin.
Burlaka was "in a crucial position to supervise the movement of weapons from Russia to Ukraine, and thus would have had to authorize the transfer of the Russian Buk missile launcher that shot the Malaysian airliner after crossing the border," Bellingcat said.
Russia has repeatedly denied any role in the crash, and refused to turn over the four men to stand trial in the Netherlands.


rferl--2020-04-29--Man In North Caucasus Faced With New Terrorism Charge On Eve Of Release After Serving 16 Years

STAVROPOL , Russia -- A man from Russia 's North Caucasus region of Karachai-Cherkessia has been charged with masterminding the financial support of a terrorist organization just as he was to be released from prison after serving a 16-year term for the attempted killing of a law enforcement officer .
Aslan Sanashokov 's lawyer , Ramazan Uzuyev , told RFE/RL on April 28 that his client was charged with organizing a cash transfer in 2014 while in custody to a man who allegedly was linked with a terrorist group in Syria .
According to Uzuyev , Sanashokov was charged on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was supposed to be released from a correctional institution in the Stavropol Krai region after finishing his 16-year term .
Instead of being released , Sanashokov was sent to a pretrial detention center until June 22 .
Sanashokov rejects the charge , saying it was n't possible to organize cash transfers to anyone while behind bars .
He says officers of the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) fabricated the case against him after they interrogated his wife last year and planted a flashcard in his belongings , the contents of which were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Soviet republics , the practice of filing new charges against inmates to keep them incarcerated right before their expected release has been common for years .
The FSB 's directorate in the Stavropol Krai refused to comment on the situation when contacted by RFE/RL by phone , saying that the directorate does not have a press service .
The directorate confirmed , however , that it had received RFE/RL 's written questions and promised to answer them `` in the nearest future . ''
Karachai-Cherkessia is one of several autonomous republics making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Caucasus , which has long been plagued by criminal violence and Islamic radicals who have mounted frequent attacks against police , public officials , and moderate Muslims in the region .
However , rights activists have criticized security officials and police in the region -- which also includes the volatile republics of Chechnya , Daghestan , Ingushetia , and Kabardino-Balkaria -- for abuse of power , human rights violations , fabricating criminal cases , torture , and even extrajudicial killings .

STAVROPOL, Russia -- A man from Russia's North Caucasus region of Karachai-Cherkessia has been charged with masterminding the financial support of a terrorist organization just as he was to be released from prison after serving a 16-year term for the attempted killing of a law enforcement officer.
Aslan Sanashokov's lawyer, Ramazan Uzuyev, told RFE/RL on April 28 that his client was charged with organizing a cash transfer in 2014 while in custody to a man allegedly linked to a terrorist group in Syria.
According to Uzuyev, Sanashokov was charged on April 22, the day he was supposed to be released from a correctional institution in the Stavropol Krai region after finishing his 16-year term. Instead of being released, Sanashokov was sent to a pretrial detention center until June 22.
Sanashokov rejects the charge, saying it wasn't possible to organize cash transfers to anyone while behind bars. He says officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) fabricated the case against him after they interrogated his wife last year and planted a flashcard in his belongings, the contents of which were later used against him.
In many former Soviet republics, the practice of filing new charges against inmates to keep them incarcerated right before their expected release has been common for years.
The FSB's directorate in the Stavropol Krai refused to comment on the situation when contacted by RFE/RL by phone, saying that the directorate does not have a press service.
The directorate confirmed, however, that it had received RFE/RL's written questions and promised to answer them "in the nearest future."
Karachai-Cherkessia is one of several autonomous republics making up Russia's restive, mostly Muslim-populated North Caucasus, which has long been plagued by criminal violence and Islamic radicals who have mounted frequent attacks against police, public officials, and moderate Muslims in the region.
However, rights activists have criticized security officials and police in the region -- which also includes the volatile republics of Chechnya, Daghestan, Ingushetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria -- for abuse of power, human rights violations, fabricating criminal cases, torture, and even extrajudicial killings.


rferl--2020-04-29--Prague District Mayor Says Russian Agent Sent To 'Liquidate Me'

PRAGUE -- A Prague district mayor says he is under police protection after authorities informed him that he and two other Prague officials , including the city 's mayor , were the targets of a Russian agent sent to the Czech capital to `` liquidate '' them .
Ondrej Kolar 's comments on April 28 came after Respekt , a Czech investigative weekly , published a report quoting unnamed security sources as saying that a suspected Russian intelligence officer had traveled recently to Prague with a suitcase containing the deadly toxin ricin as part of an alleged poisoning plot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the Czech Republic was a `` sovereign state '' that would not tolerate `` any world power '' trying to interfere in its internal affairs .
`` It 's not acceptable -- if it 's true -- for a foreign state to take action against our citizens here , '' Babis said in Prague on April 28 .
The three alleged targets have all taken or supported actions that have angered the Kremlin , including the renaming of the square in front of the Russian Embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the removal of a statue of a Soviet-era general .
As possible payback , Moscow is suspected of having a role in a recent wave of cyberattacks in the Czech Republic .
Moscow , suspected in the 2018 poisoning in Britain of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal with a highly radioactive isotope , has dismissed the alleged poisoning plot against the three Czechs as part of a `` disinformation campaign '' aimed at discrediting Russia .
Kolar , who has said he is in hiding , told Prima TV on April 28 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case , which also involves Zdenek Hrib , the mayor of Prague , and Pavel Novotny , another Prague district mayor .
`` I can really only tell you that I have police protection .
It was ordered on the basis of certain facts and those facts are that there is a Russian here who was given an assignment to liquidate me .
Not only me , but Mr. Hrib and Mr .
Novotny . ''
All three have now confirmed they have been given around-the-clock police protection .
In its April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as saying a suspected Russian intelligence agent carrying a suitcase of ricin flew into Prague on a diplomatic passport some 3 1/2 weeks ago .
He was allegedly taken away in a Russian vehicle to the Russian Embassy compound , a suspected hive of Russian intelligence activity located in the district of which Kolar is mayor .
Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek is reported to have warned Alexandr Zmeyevsky , Russia 's ambassador in the Czech Republic , of repercussions if anything happens to the three Czech officials .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report `` looked like a canard . ''
The Russian Embassy in Prague the same day rejected the report as `` outrageous and false slander '' that was part of `` ongoing , unsubstantiated attacks on Russia and its embassy in Prague . ''
Kolar was criticized by the Kremlin after his district on April 3 removed the statue of Marshal Ivan Konev , who led the Red Army forces during World War II that drove Nazi troops from most of Czechoslovakia .
Moscow called the controversial statue 's removal an insult and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Prague and Moscow also soured over a Czech decision to rename the square where the Russian Embassy is located , a decision backed by Hrib .
Two months ago , Prague officials dedicated the leafy square in front of the embassy complex to former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov , who was fatally shot in February 2015 just meters away from the Kremlin walls .
Nemtsov was an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin .
In an interview with Ekho Moskvy earlier this week , Hrib said , `` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by my beliefs , even if it means risking my life . ''
Novotny irritated the Kremlin after proposing to erect a monument to a controversial World War II military division called the Vlasov Army made up of Soviet defectors that fought alongside the Nazis but turned against them in the final days of the war and helped liberate Prague .
Novotny told RFE/RL on April 28 that he was under police protection but also said he was under restrictions when speaking about the case .
Asked whether he found the ricin poisoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Are [ the Russians ] capable of something like that ? ''
he asked .
`` Definitely . ''

PRAGUE -- A Prague district mayor says he is under police protection after authorities informed him that he and two other Prague officials, including the city's mayor, were the targets of a Russian agent sent to the Czech capital to "liquidate" them.
Ondrej Kolar's comments on April 28 came after Respekt, a Czech investigative weekly, published a report quoting unnamed security sources as saying that a suspected Russian intelligence officer had traveled recently to Prague with a suitcase containing the deadly toxin ricin as part of an alleged poisoning plot.
In his first public comments on the case, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the Czech Republic was a "sovereign state" that would not tolerate "any world power" trying to interfere in its internal affairs.
"It's not acceptable -- if it's true -- for a foreign state to take action against our citizens here," Babis said in Prague on April 28.
The three alleged targets have all taken or supported actions that have angered the Kremlin, including the renaming of the square in front of the Russian Embassy after a slain former Kremlin critic and the removal of a statue of a Soviet-era general. As possible payback, Moscow is suspected of having a role in a recent wave of cyberattacks in the Czech Republic.
Moscow, suspected in the 2018 poisoning in Britain of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter with a nerve agent, has dismissed the alleged poisoning plot against the three Czechs as part of a "disinformation campaign" aimed at discrediting Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry pushed back on April 29, threatening "serious consequences" to Czech-Russian relations for what it described as "provocation bordering on the sick ravings" by some in the Czech Republic.
"We assume that Prague should fully realize how serious the consequences of such methods and manipulations could be," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Kolar, who has said he is in hiding, told Prima TV on April 28 that he was restricted from disclosing details about the case, which also involves Zdenek Hrib, the mayor of Prague, and Pavel Novotny, another Prague district mayor.
"I can really only tell you that I have police protection. It was ordered on the basis of certain facts and those facts are that there is a Russian here who was given an assignment to liquidate me. Not only me, but Mr. Hrib and Mr. Novotny."
All three have now confirmed they have been given around-the-clock police protection.
Speaking to RFE/RL on April 29, Hrib said the police protection started around Easter and he was unsure how long it would last. "Unfortunately, I cannot elaborate on how this [protection] is being carried out, nor on the reasons for which it was deployed," he said.
In its April 26 report, Respekt quoted security sources as saying a suspected Russian intelligence agent carrying a suitcase of ricin flew into Prague on a diplomatic passport some 3 1/2 weeks ago. He was allegedly taken away in a Russian vehicle to the Russian Embassy compound, a suspected hive of Russian intelligence activity located in the district of which Kolar is mayor.
Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek is reported to have warned Aleksandr Zmeyevsky, Russia's ambassador in the Czech Republic, of repercussions if anything happens to the three Czech officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 27 that the Respekt report "looked like a canard."
The Russian Embassy in Prague the same day rejected the report as "outrageous and false slander" that was part of "ongoing, unsubstantiated attacks on Russia and its embassy in Prague."
Kolar was criticized by the Kremlin after his district on April 3 removed the statue of Marshal Ivan Konev, who led the Red Army forces during World War II that drove Nazi troops from most of Czechoslovakia. Moscow called the controversial statue's removal an insult and an attempt to rewrite history.
Relations between Prague and Moscow also soured over a Czech decision to rename the square where the Russian Embassy is located, a decision backed by Hrib.
Two months ago, Prague officials dedicated the leafy square in front of the embassy complex to former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was fatally shot in February 2015 just meters away from the Kremlin walls.
In an interview with Ekho Moskvy earlier this week, Hrib said, "It is very important for me to stand by my beliefs, even if it means risking my life."
Novotny irritated the Kremlin after proposing to erect a monument to a controversial World War II military division called the Vlasov Army made up of Soviet defectors that fought alongside the Nazis but turned against them in the final days of the war and helped liberate Prague.
Novotny told RFE/RL on April 28 that he was under police protection but also said he was under restrictions when speaking about the case.
Asked whether he found the ricin poisoning plot credible, Novotny didn't hesitate.
"Are [the Russians] capable of something like that?" he asked. "Definitely."


rferl--2020-04-29--Afghanistan Suicide Bombing Kills At Least Three, Wounds 15

A suicide bombing in Kabul Province close to the Afghan capital killed three people and wounded 15 on April 29 @ @ @ @ @ .
`` A suicide bomber detonated his explosives among civilians in the Reshkhor area of @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday morning , '' ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said in a statement .
Chabar @ @ @ @ @ kilometers from Kabul .
The attack reportedly occurred near a special operations facility belonging to @ @ @ @ @ It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the blast , which came during @ @ @ @ @ Ramadan .
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the militant group was investigating whether its fighters @ @ @ @ @ The latest attack came as the coronavirus pandemic and U.S.-led efforts to broker peace talks @ @ @ @ @ Afghan government have prompted calls for a cease-fire and reduction in violence .
With reporting @ @ @ @


rferl--2020-04-28--Amid Czech Claims Of Poisoning Plot, Moscow Says It's A Victim Of 'Slander'


rferl--2020-04-29--Posters Depicting Medical Workers As Saints Insult Christian Iconography, Romanian Orthodox Church S

Posters Depicting Medical Workers As Saints Insult Christian Iconography, Romanian Orthodox Church Says

Romania 's Orthodox Church said on April 29 that posters depicting nurses and doctors dealing with the coronavirus outbreak as saints were an insult to Christian iconography .
The campaign is “ marked by bad taste fed by ignorance and a hideous ideology that only knows how to caricaturize Christianity , ” said church spokesman Vasile Banescu .
The posters are part of a wider European campaign designed to thank medical workers for their work in the pandemic .
They depict nurses and doctors in a style mixing comic book elements with religious art .
Banescu said the posters were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also an insult to doctors , who do not think of themselves as saints or “ improvised saviors.
” Bucharest city hall said it would ask outdoor advertising firms to remove the posters .
In a statement it suggests they could be replaced by “ images that bring homage to hero doctors without hurting the faith of passersby . ''
The posters were created by Romanian illustrator Wanda Hutira for McCann Worldgroup .
The advertising agency defended the posters as a “ gesture of gratitude for doctors.
” The company said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in no way is following a “ political , religious , or any other kind of purpose . ''
The majority of Romaniansare Christian Orthodox and the Church has considerable influence in the EU country of 20 million people .
Romania has reported nearly 12,000 cases of the coronavirus and 688 deaths , according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University .
With reporting by Reuters and AP

Romania's Orthodox Church said on April 29 that posters depicting nurses and doctors dealing with the coronavirus outbreak as saints were an insult to Christian iconography.
The campaign is “marked by bad taste fed by ignorance and a hideous ideology that only knows how to caricaturize Christianity,” said church spokesman Vasile Banescu.
The posters are part of a wider European campaign designed to thank medical workers for their work in the pandemic. They depict nurses and doctors in a style mixing comic book elements with religious art.
Banescu said the posters were not just "a blasphemous act" but also an insult to doctors, who do not think of themselves as saints or "improvised saviors."
Bucharest city hall said it would ask outdoor advertising firms to remove the posters. In a statement it suggests they could be replaced by "images that bring homage to hero doctors without hurting the faith of passersby."
The posters were created by Romanian illustrator Wanda Hutira for McCann Worldgroup. The advertising agency defended the posters as a "gesture of gratitude for doctors." The company said they were a "daring artistic choice" that was in no way following a "political, religious, or any other kind of purpose."
The majority of Romanians are Christian Orthodox and the Church has considerable influence in the EU country of 20 million people.
Romania has reported nearly 12,000 cases of the coronavirus and 688 deaths, according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-04-29--U.S. Seeks To Extend Iran Arms Embargo, Setting Stage For Clash Over Nuclear Deal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States will not allow Iran to buy or sell conventional arms after a UN embargo expires in October , in a move that could prompt Tehran to pull out the 2015 nuclear deal and a major nonproliferation treaty .
`` We ’ re not going to let that happen , '' Pompeo told reporters at a news briefing on April 29 when asked about the expiration of the arms embargo .
`` We will work with the UN Security Council to extend that prohibition on those arms sales and then in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to act , the United States is evaluating every possibility about how we might do that , '' he said .
The ban on selling conventional weapons to Iran ends on October 23 under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that enshrined the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers .
The United States withdrew from the nuclear accord , known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) , in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran , raising tensions across the Middle East and sending the Iranian economy into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatories to the nuclear deal believed to be eager to sell arms to Iran , are likely to exercise their veto at the Security Council to oppose extending the UN arms embargo .
To circumvent China and Russia ’ s veto power , Pompeo said the United States is prepared to argue that it is still a participant in the nuclear accord because it was listed as one under the UN resolution .
That claim comes even as President Donald Trump clearly stated in May 2018 he was “ terminating the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parties to the nuclear deal can implement a so-called “ snapback ” mechanism to reimpose sanctions or extend the arms embargo by declaring Iran to be in violation .
“ The UN Security Council Resolution 2231 is very clear : We don ’ t have to declare ourselves a participant , ” Pompeo told reporters .
“ It ’ s unambiguous and the rights that accrue to participants in the UN Security Council resolution are fully available to all those participants.
” European diplomats have questioned whether Washington can trigger the sanctions snapback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the United States is also urging action from Britain , France , and Germany , the so-called E3 who remain participants to the JCPOA and have tried to save it .
Europe , while sharing U.S. concerns over Iran ’ s activities in the Middle East and its missile program , already has separate arms restrictions and believes the nuclear issue is more important .
There are also questions of whether the existing UN arms embargo is effective as Iran continues to supply regional allies and proxies .
Ali Vaez , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crisis Group , told RFE/RL that an extension was also unlikely to stop China or Russia from selling arms to Iran .
“ The removal of the arms embargo is one of the few remaining benefits of the JCPOA for Iran .
Depriving Tehran from having access to the arms market will compel Iran to double down on its support for proxies and its ballistic missiles program , ” he said .
In response to the United States ’ “ maximum pressure ” campaign , Iran has ratcheted up regional tensions and breached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be quickly reversed if the other parties comply with their obligations .
A so-called “ strategic patience ” doctrine designed to bide time in hopes Trump is a one-term president has shifted to one of `` maximum resistance . ''
Having gained little economic benefit under the nuclear deal , Iranian officials have said they may completely withdraw from the JCPOA and international Non-Proliferation Treaty if the arms embargo is extended .
`` This is not a bluff .
It allows Tehran to gain immediate leverage and it creates an international nonproliferation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his re-election campaign '' ahead of the November election , Vaez said .

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--2020-04-29--Eastern Europe, Central Asia Governments Responding To Coronavirus With 'Repressive' Measures, Amnes

Eastern Europe, Central Asia Governments Responding To Coronavirus With 'Repressive' Measures, Amnesty Says

Many governments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are viewing the coronavirus pandemic as `` a free pass to trample '' on human rights , Amnesty International says , insisting that any strict measures to stop the spread of the virus must be `` temporary , proportionate , and in line with human rights standards . ''
`` As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds in the region , many governments seem more interested in cracking down on dissent than protecting public health , '' Heather McGill , Amnesty International ’ s Central Asia researcher , said on April 29 .
Authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries in the region `` routinely '' resort to repressive measures to silence critical views , and `` unsurprisingly '' responded to the epidemic with disregard for basic human rights , Amnesty said .
The London-based watchdog cited cases in both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in which the authorities enforced quarantines on blocks of flats by welding shut the doors and thereby forcing residents to stay inside .
In Ukraine , the group said the military had closed off the only access to a village , leaving the 150 residents with `` no access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means of getting food , medical services , or any other assistance . ''
And in Russia ’ s North Caucasus region of Chechnya , video evidence suggests that police have physically assaulted people for not wearing face masks .
In Belarus , Tajikistan , and Turkmenistan , political leaders have `` belittled '' the seriousness of the outbreak and promoted cures `` with no proven efficacy , '' which Amnesty International said constitute threats to people 's right to health .
Regarding freedom of expression and access to information , the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asia had `` all too often '' used newly introduced emergency powers to harass journalists and others who have tried to share information .
The governments of Azerbaijan and Russia `` have prosecuted social media users , journalists , and medical professionals for exposing flaws in their COVID-19 responses .
Other countries , like Uzbekistan , have imposed ruinous fines for dissemination of 'fake news , ' ” McGill said .
`` The people of Eastern Europe and Central Asia deserve better during these tough and challenging times , '' McGill , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available resources to fulfill the right to health and put human rights at the center of their response to the virus . ''

Many governments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are viewing the coronavirus pandemic as "a free pass to trample" on human rights, Amnesty International says, insisting that any strict measures to stop the spread of the virus must be "temporary, proportionate, and in line with human rights standards."
"As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds in the region, many governments seem more interested in cracking down on dissent than protecting public health," Heather McGill, Amnesty International’s Central Asia researcher, said on April 29.
Authorities in Azerbaijan, Russia, and other countries in the region "routinely" resort to repressive measures to silence critical views, and "unsurprisingly" responded to the epidemic with disregard for basic human rights, Amnesty said.
The London-based watchdog cited cases in both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in which the authorities enforced quarantines on blocks of flats by welding shut the doors and thereby forcing residents to stay inside.
In Ukraine, the group said the military had closed off the only access to a village, leaving the 150 residents with "no access to the outside world, and no means of getting food, medical services, or any other assistance."
And in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Chechnya, video evidence suggests that police have physically assaulted people for not wearing face masks.
In Belarus, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, political leaders have "belittled" the seriousness of the outbreak and promoted cures "with no proven efficacy," which Amnesty International said constitute threats to people's right to health.
Regarding freedom of expression and access to information, the group said authorities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia had "all too often" used newly introduced emergency powers to harass journalists and others who have tried to share information.
The governments of Azerbaijan and Russia "have prosecuted social media users, journalists, and medical professionals for exposing flaws in their COVID-19 responses. Other countries, like Uzbekistan, have imposed ruinous fines for dissemination of 'fake news,'” McGill said.
"The people of Eastern Europe and Central Asia deserve better during these tough and challenging times," McGill said. "Their governments must allocate all available resources to fulfill the right to health and put human rights at the center of their response to the virus."


rferl--2020-04-29--Tajik Lawmakers Approve Bill Banning Russified Surnames

DUSHANBE -- Tajik lawmakers have approved a bill banning the issuance of new identification documents and birth certificates for ethnic Tajiks containing Russified surnames , the latest attempt to revive traditional names .
Justice Minister Muzaffar Ashuryon said after the bill was approved by parliament 's lower chamber , the Assembly of Representatives , on April 29 that the government had initiated the bill to comply with the state program on `` returning national names . ''
According to the bill , ethnic Tajik children whose parents have surnames from the Soviet era that end with the Russian `` ov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for women will instead be given documents that use traditional Tajik suffixes -- `` i , '' `` zod , '' `` zoda , '' `` iyon , '' `` far , '' `` dukht , '' or `` pur . ''
The regulation also applies to the birth certificates of newborn ethnic Tajiks or ethnic Tajik children receiving identification documents for the first time .
Adults who previously obtained documents with a Russified surname and choose to continue using that surname will be allowed to do so .
The law does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tajiks .
Many Tajik officials have changed their Russified names into traditional Tajik ones in recent years after the Central Asian state 's president officially changed his Soviet-era Russified name , Imomali Sharipovich Rakhmonov , to Emomali Rahmon in 2007 .
The authorities have been trying to encourage citizens via orders and presidential decrees to change their Russified names for years but the attempts were not always successful , as many Tajiks preferred to preserve their Russified names to make it easier for them to live in Russia as migrant workers .
Hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kyrgyz work as migrant workers in Russian town and cities , where they must prolong their work permits and other documents on a regular basis .
The bill now must be approved by parliament 's upper chamber , the National Assembly , before Rahmon signs it into law .

DUSHANBE -- Tajik lawmakers have approved a bill banning the issuance of new identification documents and birth certificates for ethnic Tajiks containing Russified surnames, the latest attempt to revive traditional names.
Justice Minister Muzaffar Ashuryon said after the bill was approved by parliament's lower chamber, the Assembly of Representatives, on April 29 that the government had initiated the bill to comply with the state program on "returning national names."
According to the bill, ethnic Tajik children whose parents have surnames from the Soviet era that end with the Russian "ov" for men and "ova" for women will instead be given documents that use traditional Tajik suffixes -- "i," "zod," "zoda," "iyon," "far," "dukht," or "pur."
The regulation also applies to the birth certificates of newborn ethnic Tajiks or ethnic Tajik children receiving identification documents for the first time.
Adults who previously obtained documents with a Russified surname and choose to continue using that surname will be allowed to do so.
The law does not apply to children who are not ethnic Tajiks.
Many Tajik officials have changed their Russified names into traditional Tajik ones in recent years after the Central Asian state's president officially changed his Soviet-era Russified name, Imomali Sharipovich Rakhmonov, to Emomali Rahmon in 2007.
The authorities have been trying to encourage citizens via orders and presidential decrees to change their Russified names for years but the attempts were not always successful, as many Tajiks preferred to preserve their Russified names to make it easier for them to live in Russia as migrant workers.
Hundreds of thousands of Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Kyrgyz work as migrant workers in Russian town and cities, where they must prolong their work permits and other documents on a regular basis.
The bill now must be approved by parliament's upper chamber, the National Assembly, before Rahmon signs it into law.


rferl--2020-04-29--Iran Says 3,600 Arrested For Spreading Coronavirus-Related Rumors

A spokesman for Iran 's armed forces says 3,600 people have been arrested in the country for spreading rumors regarding the coronavirus pandemic .
Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi made the comments on a live news program on state-controlled television on April 28 , claiming that the Islamic republic 's `` enemies '' had `` elements '' inside the country who follow their orders .
Sherkachi suggested that the unnamed enemies were trying to hurt the country due to its `` very good '' performance against the coronavirus outbreak that has killed nearly 6,000 Iranians and infected over 93,500 , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The real figures are suspected of being significantly higher , with even the Research Center of Iran 's parliament estimating earlier this month that the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the country was likely to be double the official numbers , due to insufficient testing and reporting .
Tehran has been criticized for its slow initial response to the pandemic and failure to quarantine the city of Qom , where the outbreak erupted and spread to the rest of the country .
Shekarchi 's comments come weeks after the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have attempted to report the real extent of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country by contacting U.S. officials .
Speaking to RFE/RL 's Radio Farda on March 28 , State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Iran had not been transparent about its coronavirus cases and death toll , adding that when the Iranian people asked the government to tell the truth , when they demand transparency from the government , the regime does everything to stop them .
The French media watchdog Reporters Without Borders on April 15 condemned the Iranian establishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have published information about the coronavirus epidemic that lacked official approval .


rferl--2020-04-29--Afghans Claim Foreign Combatants Fighting Alongside Taliban In Violation Of Peace Deal

Afghan officials say hundreds of foreign combatants are fighting alongside Taliban militants in a strategic northern province , a move that if proven true would violate the terms of the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement .
Zakaria Sawda , the governor of the northeastern province of Badakhshan , said around 400 foreign militants , mostly from neighboring Tajikistan and Uzbekistan , had joined the Taliban and were fighting Afghan security forces in the province .
Sawda told RFE/RL that the Taliban and foreign fighters were attempting to create a large terrorist `` hub '' in Badakhshan , adding that it was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims could not be independently verified .
But if confirmed , the Taliban 's actions would constitute a violation of the agreement the militant group signed with Washington in February .
Under that deal , the Taliban committed to severing ties with terrorist groups and preventing terrorists from using territory under its control to launch attacks against the United States and its allies , including the Afghan government .
In exchange for the Taliban 's counterterrorism guarantees , the United States agreed to withdraw all of its around 12,000 troops from Afghanistan by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment from the Taliban , which controls and contests large parts of Badakhshan , a remote , mountainous province bordering Tajikistan , China , and Pakistan .
Sawda said some 30 foreign fighters entered Badakhshan on April 14 , although he did not specify how the militants had come and from where .
He said the foreign combatants were fighting Afghan forces in the districts of Warduj , Jurm , and Yamgan -- Taliban strongholds in the province .
Sawda said the foreign fighters also included combatants from China 's northwestern region of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chechnya .
Bashir Ahmad Samim , the head of the provincial council in Badakhshan , said foreign fighters in the province had also joined Islamic State ( IS ) militants .
`` Foreign terrorists are conducting the war '' in several districts , Samim said .
Taliban and IS militants have clashed in various parts of Afghanistan , although the two Sunni extremist groups have also fought together on occasion .
Foreign militants have been present in Afghanistan for years .
Many are believed to have arrived after fleeing a Pakistani military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restive tribal areas , a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban , Al-Qaeda , and other regional militant groups .
The foreign fighters sought sanctuary in Afghanistan amid a drawdown of international forces at the end of 2014 .
In northern Afghanistan , some of the foreign fighters have joined the Taliban and other militant groups .
They include the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan , some of whose fighters have claimed allegiance to the IS group .