rferl--2020-02-11--Report: Russian Couple Faces Charges For Wedding Photos That Include FSB Officer

A Russian newspaper says that a married couple faces criminal charges for photographs taken at their wedding five years ago and published online that reveal the identity of a counterintelligence officer with Russia ’ s main security agency .
Kommersant reported on February 11 that Konstantin Antonets and Antonina Zimina were detained in July 2018 in the Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad .
The couple have denied the allegations .
According to the newspaper , the Federal Security Service , known as the FSB , has been investigating how details of a Kaliningrad FSB officer had been obtained by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the guests who attended the couple ’ s wedding in April 2015 was an FSB counterintelligence officer who was a friend and former university classmate of Zimina 's .
The officer spoke openly about his employer , and at the wedding , he also handed out business cards and posed for photographs with guests , Kommersant said .
Zimina 's father , Konstantin , told the newspaper that it was common knowledge where the FSB officer , whom he named as Maksim , worked , and that Maksim made no effort to hide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatives of Zimina ’ s , who were from Lithuania .
Some videos and photographs from the wedding were later published on social media , and reportedly were included in an unspecified Baltic television program , at which time the FSB opened a criminal investigation , Kommersant said .
At the time of her arrest , Zimina served as director of a nongovernmental organization , the Baltic Center for the Dialogue of Cultures , and Antonets had been employed as a government lawyer in Kaliningrad , and then later in a private firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an organization that advocates for public diplomacy , and her professional interests were identified as `` the policy of the Baltic countries towards Russia '' and `` the identity of the political elite of Latvia . ''
Zimina has been held in the Lefotovo detention center since her arrest .
Her husband ’ s whereabouts were not immediately known .
Russian military and intelligence agencies have grown increasingly concerned about social media and how content posted online by soldiers , officers , or security personnel to platforms such as Facebook or VK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their affiliations , or even military movements .
In 2017 , the Defense Ministry called for legislation to ban contract soldiers serving in the Russian military for posting content to social media sites .
Last year , parliament passed related legislation that also banned soldiers from using smart phones , or similar devices—measures that echoed restriction in place in other countries .
The issue of wedding photos inadvertently revealing Russian intelligence officers got renewed public attention in October in a joint report published by RFE/RL and open-source researchers Bellingcat .
In that report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian military intelligence unit were identified using photos and videos taken at a wedding in 2017 and published online.l The two men were members of unit linked to a series of assassination attempts in England , Bulgaria , and other activities in Europe .
The photos have since been taken down .

A Russian newspaper says that a married couple faces criminal charges for photographs taken at their wedding five years ago and published online that reveal the identity of a counterintelligence officer with Russia’s main security agency.
Kommersant reported on February 11 that Konstantin Antonets and Antonina Zimina were detained in July 2018 in the Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad. The couple have denied the allegations.
According to the newspaper, the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, has been investigating how details of a Kaliningrad FSB officer had been obtained by the intelligence agency in Latvia.*
Among the guests who attended the couple’s wedding in April 2015 was an FSB counterintelligence officer who was a friend and former university classmate of Zimina's. The officer spoke openly about his employer, and at the wedding, he also handed out business cards and posed for photographs with guests, Kommersant said.
Zimina's father, Konstantin, told the newspaper that it was common knowledge where the FSB officer, whom he named as Maksim, worked, and that Maksim made no effort to hide it.
Other guests in attendance were relatives of Zimina's, who were from Lithuania.
Some videos and photographs from the wedding were later published on social media, and reportedly were included in an unspecified Baltic television program, at which time the FSB opened a criminal investigation, Kommersant said.
At the time of her arrest, Zimina served as director of a nongovernmental organization, the Baltic Center for the Dialogue of Cultures, and Antonets had been employed as a government lawyer in Kaliningrad, and then later in a private firm in Moscow. Zimina was also affiliated with an organization that advocates for public diplomacy, and her professional interests were identified as "the policy of the Baltic countries towards Russia" and "the identity of the political elite of Latvia."
Zimina has been held in the Lefotovo detention center since her arrest. Her husband’s whereabouts were not immediately known.
Social Media Concerns
Russian military and intelligence agencies have grown increasingly concerned about social media and how content posted online by soldiers, officers, or security personnel to platforms such as Facebook or VK can be used to identify people, their affiliations, or even military movements.
In 2017, the Defense Ministry called for legislation to ban contract soldiers serving in the Russian military for posting content to social media sites. Last year, parliament passed related legislation that also banned soldiers from using smart phones, or similar devices—measures that echoed restriction in place in other countries.
The issue of wedding photos inadvertently revealing Russian intelligence officers got renewed public attention in October in a joint report published by RFE/RL and open-source researchers Bellingcat.
In that report, two men linked to a notorious Russian military intelligence unit were identified using photos and videos taken at a wedding in 2017 and published online.l
The two men were members of unit linked to a series of assassination attempts in England, Bulgaria, and other activities in Europe.
The photos have since been taken down.
* CORRECTION: This story mistakenly reported that details of a Kaliningrad FSB officer had been obtained by the intelligence agency in Lithuania.


rferl--2020-02-11--NATO Ministers To Discuss 'Response' To Russian Missile Systems

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance 's defense ministers will meet this week to assess the challenge posed by Russia 's missile systems and discuss other issues including the allies ' support for Afghanistan .
The ministers will gather in Brussels on February 12 for two-day talks following the demise of the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces ( INF ) Treaty last year that banned Russia and the United States from deploying land-based , short- and intermediate-range nuclear weapons .
Washington withdrew from the INF Treaty following years of accusations that Moscow had developed and deployed a ground-launched cruise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s restrictions .
The move , reciprocated by Moscow , sparked concerns of a new arms race between the world 's leading nuclear-armed powers .
`` NATO allies have stood united on Russia ’ s breach of the treaty '' Stoltenberg told a press conference on February 11 as he outlined the topics up for discussion at the NATO ministers ’ meeting .
The 9M729 missile , also known as the SSC-8 , `` is just one challenge we face , '' he said .
`` So we will discuss our response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- conventional and nuclear -- currently deployed or under development . ''
Stoltenberg said the ministers will also discuss the future of NATO 's mission in Iraq `` to help ensure [ the Islamic State extremist group , or IS ] can not return '' and consider `` what more NATO can do in the wider region to build long-term stability and security . ''
NATO and the U.S.-led coalition against IS have training missions aimed at building up Iraqi security forces .
However , both missions were suspended over fears for regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a top Iranian commander in Baghdad last month .
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the alliance 's mission to take on greater responsibility .
All nations contributing to NATO 's training mission in Afghanistan will also meet in Brussels , Stoltenberg said , insisting that the allies `` fully support the efforts led by the United States to end the conflict and achieve a peaceful solution . ''
The defense ministers will also meet with their Ukrainian counterpart to review the country 's reforms and NATO support .
With reporting by @ @ @ @ @ @

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance's defense ministers will meet this week to assess the challenge posed by Russia's missile systems and discuss other issues including the allies' support for Afghanistan.
The ministers will gather in Brussels on February 12 for two-day talks following the demise of the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty last year that banned Russia and the United States from deploying land-based, short- and intermediate-range nuclear weapons.
Washington withdrew from the INF Treaty following years of accusations that Moscow had developed and deployed a ground-launched cruise missile in violation of the pact’s restrictions.
The move, reciprocated by Moscow, sparked concerns of a new arms race between the world's leading nuclear-armed powers.
"NATO allies have stood united on Russia’s breach of the treaty" Stoltenberg told a press conference on February 11 as he outlined the topics up for discussion at the NATO ministers’ meeting.
The 9M729 missile, also known as the SSC-8, "is just one challenge we face," he said. "So we will discuss our response to the whole range of Russian missile systems -- conventional and nuclear -- currently deployed or under development."
Stoltenberg said the ministers will also discuss the future of NATO's mission in Iraq "to help ensure [the Islamic State extremist group, or IS] cannot return" and consider "what more NATO can do in the wider region to build long-term stability and security."
NATO and the U.S.-led coalition against IS have training missions aimed at building up Iraqi security forces. However, both missions were suspended over fears for regional stability after a U.S. drone strike killed a top Iranian commander in Baghdad last month.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the alliance's mission to take on greater responsibility.
All nations contributing to NATO's training mission in Afghanistan will also meet in Brussels, Stoltenberg said, insisting that the allies "fully support the efforts led by the United States to end the conflict and achieve a peaceful solution."
The defense ministers will also meet with their Ukrainian counterpart to review the country's reforms and NATO support.
With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AP


rferl--2020-02-11--Slain Kazakh Opposition Leader's Relatives Demand Interrogation Of Nazarbaev, His Daughter

Relatives of Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly have demanded that President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev allow investigators to question his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbaev and his daughter Darigha Nazarbaeva , the current Senate speaker , over the 2006 assassination of the opposition leader .
Kazakh opposition politicians , journalists , civic activists and rights defenders gathered in Kazakhstan 's commercial capital , Almaty , on February 11 to honor the memory of Sarsenbaiuly , who was shot dead execution-style along with two associates 14 years ago .
At a meeting in the Astana Hotel to mark the anniversary of his demise , Sarsenbaiuly 's older brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he authored regarding the killings , saying that many questions linked to the tragedy remain unanswered and that state authorities should be interrogated about what happened .
`` To make Nazarbaev 's questioning possible it is necessary to rescind the law on the leader of the nation that gives Nazarbaev lifetime immunity from prosecution and [ President ] Toqaev must met that demand of ours , '' Sarsenbai , a journalist , said .
He added that the former leader of the Committee for National Security , Alnur Musaev must also be questioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-imposed exile in the European Union .
Sarsenbaiuly ( aka Sarsenbaev ) , a former Kazakh ambassador to Russia and Information Minister , was a co-chairman of the opposition Naghyz Aq Zhol ( True Bright Path ) party when he , his bodyguard Bauyrzhan Baibosyn , and driver Vasily Zhuravlyov , went missing on February 11 , 2006 .
They were found dead two days later in the mountains near Almaty with their hands tied behind their backs and gunshot wounds to the back of their heads .
The slaying of the opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Central Asian country three months after another influential opposition politician , Zamanbek Nurqadilov , was found dead with two bullets in his chest and one in his head at his home in Almaty .
The death of Nurqadilov -- a former government minister and Almaty mayor who joined the opposition in 2004 and accused Nazarbaev of corruption -- was officially declared a suicide .
Both politicians were interviewed in July 2004 by prominent independent journalist Askhat Sharipzhanov , who was found bloodied and unconscious the same day with a fractured skull .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Police said he had been hit by a car , but friends and colleagues said his injuries suggested he had been struck in the head before being hit by a vehicle .
Sarsenbaiuly 's killing was officially declared to have been motivated by personal enmity .
A former chief of staff of the Kazakh parliament , Erzhan Otembaev , was convicted of ordering the slaying and sentenced to 20 years in prison .
However , in 2013 , Otembaev 's sentence was annulled after Kazakh authorities announced that the case had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence they said indicated that Rakhat Aliev , Nazarbaev 's former son-in-law , had ordering the killing .
Aliev , who was deputy chief of Kazakhstan ’ s National Security Committee when the slaying took place and became a fierce opponent to Nazarbaev in 2007 , was in self-imposed exile in Europe at the time .
Aliev was later arrested by Austrian officials at the request of authorities in Astana , which accused him of involvement in the kidnapping and murder of two Kazakh bankers .
In February 2015 , Aliev was found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials ruled Aliev 's death to have been suicide , but many in Kazakhstan believe he was murdered while in Austrian custody .
NOTE : The author of this article is a brother of the late journalist Askhat Sharipzhanov .

Relatives of Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly have demanded that President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev allow investigators to question his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbaev and his daughter Darigha Nazarbaeva, the current Senate speaker, over the 2006 assassination of the opposition leader.
Kazakh opposition politicians, journalists, civic activists and rights defenders gathered in Kazakhstan's commercial capital, Almaty, on February 11 to honor the memory of Sarsenbaiuly, who was shot dead execution-style along with two associates 14 years ago.
At a meeting in the Astana Hotel to mark the anniversary of his demise, Sarsenbaiuly's older brother, Raiymbek Sarsenbai, presented a report he authored regarding the killings, saying that many questions linked to the tragedy remain unanswered and that state authorities should be interrogated about what happened.
"To make Nazarbaev's questioning possible it is necessary to rescind the law on the leader of the nation that gives Nazarbaev lifetime immunity from prosecution and [President] Toqaev must met that demand of ours," Sarsenbai, a journalist, said.
He added that the former leader of the Committee for National Security, Alnur Musaev must also be questioned in the case. Musaev lives in self-imposed exile in the European Union.
Sarsenbaiuly (aka Sarsenbaev), a former Kazakh ambassador to Russia and Information Minister, was a co-chairman of the opposition Naghyz Aq Zhol (True Bright Path) party when he, his bodyguard Bauyrzhan Baibosyn, and driver Vasily Zhuravlyov, went missing on February 11, 2006. They were found dead two days later in the mountains near Almaty with their hands tied behind their backs and gunshot wounds to the back of their heads.
The slaying of the opposition leader deepened a sense of shock in the Central Asian country three months after another influential opposition politician, Zamanbek Nurqadilov, was found dead with two bullets in his chest and one in his head at his home in Almaty. The death of Nurqadilov -- a former government minister and Almaty mayor who joined the opposition in 2004 and accused Nazarbaev of corruption -- was officially declared a suicide.
Both politicians were interviewed in July 2004 by prominent independent journalist Askhat Sharipzhanov, who was found bloodied and unconscious the same day with a fractured skull. He died several days later in hospital.
Police said he had been hit by a car, but friends and colleagues said his injuries suggested he had been struck in the head before being hit by a vehicle.
Sarsenbaiuly's killing was officially declared to have been motivated by personal enmity. A former chief of staff of the Kazakh parliament, Erzhan Otembaev, was convicted of ordering the slaying and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
However, in 2013, Otembaev's sentence was annulled after Kazakh authorities announced that the case had been sent for review based on newly obtained evidence they said indicated that Rakhat Aliev, Nazarbaev's former son-in-law, had ordering the killing.
Aliev, who was deputy chief of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee when the slaying took place and became a fierce opponent to Nazarbaev in 2007, was in self-imposed exile in Europe at the time.
Aliev was later arrested by Austrian officials at the request of authorities in Astana, which accused him of involvement in the kidnapping and murder of two Kazakh bankers.
In February 2015, Aliev was found hanged in a Vienna jail.
Austrian officials ruled Aliev's death to have been suicide, but many in Kazakhstan believe he was murdered while in Austrian custody.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
NOTE: The author of this article is a brother of the late journalist Askhat Sharipzhanov.


rferl--2020-02-11--China Virus Deaths Top 1,000, Senior Chinese Officials 'Removed'

China has `` removed '' a number of senior officials over their handling of a novel respiratory virus , state media reported , as the death toll reached more than 1,000 .
The National Health Commission reported 108 new fatalities from the coronavirus on February 11 , bringing the total death toll in China to 1,016 .
There are now a total of 42,638 confirmed coronavirus cases in mainland China as well as 319 cases in 24 other countries , including one death , according to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and Chinese health officials .
In Hubei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 103 people died and 2,097 new cases were reported , the health commission said early on February 11 .
According to state broadcaster CCTV , the Communist Party secretary for the Health Commission of Hubei Province and the head of the health commission were among those who were `` removed '' following a decision by the province 's party committee -- the most senior officials to be sanctioned .
The two will be replaced by the deputy director of China 's National Health Commission , Wang Hesheng .
However , removal from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person will be fired , as it can also mean demotion .
China 's most senior medical adviser on the outbreak , Zhong Nanshan , said numbers of new cases were falling and forecast the epidemic would peak this month .
`` I hope this outbreak or this event may be over in something like April , '' added Zhong , 83 , an epidemiologist who won fame for his role in combating an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) which killed hundreds worldwide in 2002-2003 .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pathogen among people who have not been to China could be `` the spark that becomes a bigger fire '' and the global community must not let the epidemic get out of control .
Ukraine ’ s embassy in China said on February 10 that it was sending a chartered plane to Wuhan -- the provincial capital of Hubei -- to airlift 50 citizens to Kyiv .
Once in Ukraine , the evacuated Ukrainians will be quarantined for 14 days .
Meanwhile , the number of confirmed cases on a cruise ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama has doubled to 135 .
Two Ukrainians , a 25-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman who worked in the kitchen of the Diamond Princess ship , have tested positive for the virus aboard the ship .
A total of 25 Ukrainians work on the ship .
While visiting a hospital treating infected patients in Beijing , Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 10 called the situation in Hubei `` still very grave '' and that `` more decisive measures '' were needed to contain the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
A WHO-led international team of experts landed in Beijing the same day to investigate the epidemic .
It is headed by Bruce Aylward who oversaw the organization 's 2014-16 response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa There are 168 labs worldwide that have the technology to diagnose the virus , according to the WHO .
With reporting by DW , Reuters , AP , and Interfax

China has "removed" a number of senior officials over their handling of a novel respiratory virus, state media reported, as the death toll reached more than 1,000.
The National Health Commission reported 108 new fatalities from the coronavirus on February 11, bringing the total death toll in China to 1,016.
There are now a total of 42,638 confirmed coronavirus cases in mainland China as well as 319 cases in 24 other countries, including one death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese health officials.
In Hubei Province, the epicenter of the epidemic, 103 people died and 2,097 new cases were reported, the health commission said early on February 11.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the Communist Party secretary for the Health Commission of Hubei Province and the head of the health commission were among those who were "removed" following a decision by the province's party committee -- the most senior officials to be sanctioned.
The two will be replaced by the deputy director of China's National Health Commission, Wang Hesheng.
However, removal from a certain position does not necessarily mean the person will be fired, as it can also mean demotion.
China's most senior medical adviser on the outbreak, Zhong Nanshan, said numbers of new cases were falling and forecast the epidemic would peak this month.
"I hope this outbreak or this event may be over in something like April," added Zhong, 83, an epidemiologist who won fame for his role in combating an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which killed hundreds worldwide in 2002-2003.
However, the WHO has said the spread of the pathogen among people who have not been to China could be "the spark that becomes a bigger fire" and the global community must not let the epidemic get out of control.
Ukraine’s embassy in China said on February 10 that it was sending a chartered plane to Wuhan -- the provincial capital of Hubei -- to airlift 50 citizens to Kyiv.
Once in Ukraine, the evacuated Ukrainians will be quarantined for 14 days.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases on a cruise ship with 3,700 passengers and crew on board quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama has doubled to 135.
Two Ukrainians, a 25-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman who worked in the kitchen of the Diamond Princess ship, have tested positive for the virus aboard the ship. A total of 25 Ukrainians work on the ship.
While visiting a hospital treating infected patients in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 10 called the situation in Hubei "still very grave" and that "more decisive measures" were needed to contain the spread of the virus, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
A WHO-led international team of experts landed in Beijing the same day to investigate the epidemic. It is headed by Bruce Aylward who oversaw the organization's 2014-16 response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa
There are 168 labs worldwide that have the technology to diagnose the virus, according to the WHO.
With reporting by DW, Reuters, AP, and Interfax


rferl--2020-02-12--French Academic Held In Iran Ends Hunger Strike, Condition 'Not Good'

A lawyer for an Iranian-French academic detained in Iran for eight months says his client has ended a six-week hunger strike .
Fariba Adelkhah `` responded to a written request from civil and political activists and ended her hunger strike at midday , '' the lawyer , Said Dehghan , told the AFP news agency on February 12 .
Dehghan said Adelkhah began her hunger strike on December 24 .
`` Her mental and physical condition is not good , she has been weakened , '' he said .
`` Her voice was difficult to hear and she has difficulty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Iran and Shi'ite Islam , was arrested in Tehran in June 2019 .
She is being held in Tehran ’ s Evin prison as she awaits trial on charges including spreading `` propaganda against the political system '' of Iran .
Adelkhah 's partner and colleague at Paris 's Sciences Po University , Roland Marchal , was also arrested by Iranian authorities in June while visiting her .
Iran , which does not recognize dual nationality , has repeatedly rejected calls from Paris to release the two .
Based on reporting by @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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


rferl--2020-02-12--Uzbekistan Sending Medical Supllies To Virus-Hit China

Uzbekistan is sending protective cloths , disposable gloves , masks , and other supplies to China to support Beijing 's efforts to control the spread of the new coronavirus .
President Shavkat Mirziyoev signed the relevant decree on February 11 , the government said , as a fully loaded military cargo plane departed the Uzbek capital , Tashkent .
The February 12 cabinet statement said the government was preparing a second shipment .
Chinese authorities reported shortages of protective medical equipment after the COVID-19 virus emerged in the country late last year .
The disease has killed more than 1,100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of infections now stands at more than 44,000 .
The epidemic has spread to more than 20 countries around the world , but there have been no confirmed cases in Uzbekistan or the other four Central Asian republics -- Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , and Turkmenistan .
Uzbekistan has stopped all regular flights to China , its major trade partner , as a protective measure .
The country ’ s Health Ministry said 771 Uzbek citizens who had recently returned from China remained in quarantine .
The incubation period for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Chinese mail service said it was disinfecting postal offices , processing centers , and vehicles in a bid to protect staff and prevent the virus from spreading via the mail .
The crisis was impacting mail that transits China to other destinations including the five Central Asian republics , according to China Post .
With reporting by Reuters and AP

Uzbekistan is sending protective cloths, disposable gloves, masks, and other supplies to China to support Beijing's efforts to control the spread of the new coronavirus.
President Shavkat Mirziyoev signed the relevant decree on February 11, the government said, as a fully loaded military cargo plane departed the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.
The February 12 cabinet statement said the government was preparing a second shipment.
Chinese authorities reported shortages of protective medical equipment after the COVID-19 virus emerged in the country late last year.
The disease has killed more than 1,100 people in China, where the overall number of infections now stands at more than 44,000.
The epidemic has spread to more than 20 countries around the world, but there have been no confirmed cases in Uzbekistan or the other four Central Asian republics -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
Uzbekistan has stopped all regular flights to China, its major trade partner, as a protective measure.
The country’s Health Ministry said 771 Uzbek citizens who had recently returned from China remained in quarantine.
The incubation period for the virus is up to 14 days.
The Chinese mail service said it was disinfecting postal offices, processing centers, and vehicles in a bid to protect staff and prevent the virus from spreading via the mail.
The crisis was impacting mail that transits China to other destinations including the five Central Asian republics, according to China Post.
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-02-12--Russian Intellectuals Express Support For Political Prisoners In Letter

More than 100 Russian writers , poets , journalists , interpreters , literature experts , publishers , and other cultural figures have issued a letter expressing solidarity with political prisoners .
`` Every Friday , hundreds of demonstrators in Moscow and St. Petersburg gather at metro stations , demanding justice and freedom for you .
The weekly pickets are turning into a tradition in other cities of Russia , '' says the letter , which was published on February 11 by the website Colta.ru , says .
`` Every day we spread the truth about you , about charges you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being wrong .
Every day we find ways to help your families and friends .
We hope that our statement today will reach you in some way in your prison cell or camp barrack and you will see once again that dozens and hundreds of people outside constantly think about your fates , your future and will do everything they can for your freedom and ours , '' the letter says .
According to the Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center , there are 64 individuals in Russia currently jailed on politically motivated charges @

More than 100 Russian writers, poets, journalists, interpreters, literature experts, publishers, and other cultural figures have issued a letter expressing solidarity with political prisoners.
"Every Friday, hundreds of demonstrators in Moscow and St. Petersburg gather at metro stations, demanding justice and freedom for you. The weekly pickets are turning into a tradition in other cities of Russia," says the letter, which was published on February 11 by the website Colta.ru, says.
"Every day we spread the truth about you, about charges you faced, and about your sentences' being wrong. Every day we find ways to help your families and friends. We hope that our statement today will reach you in some way in your prison cell or camp barrack and you will see once again that dozens and hundreds of people outside constantly think about your fates, your future and will do everything they can for your freedom and ours," the letter says.
According to the Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center, there are 64 individuals in Russia currently jailed on politically motivated charges.


rferl--2020-02-12--Woman In Iran Dies Of 'Suspected Coronavirus,' Patients In Russia Recover

A woman has died in Tehran of a suspected coronavirus infection , an Iranian state newspaper reports .
Without citing any sources , the daily IRAN newspaper said on February 12 that the 63-year-old Iranian woman died in hospital three days earlier .
An investigation has been ordered into the cause of her death , according to the report .
Kianush Jahanpour , a spokesman for Iran 's Health Ministry , denied the report , insisting that there have been `` no cases of coronavirus in Iran . ''
Meanwhile , Russia has discharged its second patient hospitalized with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the disease , officials say .
A tourist from China hospitalized in the Siberian region of Zabaikalye was discharged on February 12 after tests showed he was `` completely healthy and poses no danger to people around him , '' according to local health officials .
The previous day , a hospital in the Tyumen region bordering Kazakhstan discharged a Chinese female student who had also been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus .
Both patients suffered from a mild form of the disease , doctors said .
People who were in contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The COVID-19 has killed more than 1,100 people in China , where the overall number of infections now stands at more than 44,000 .
As the epidemic spread to more than 20 countries around the world , Russia reported only two confirmed cases of infection with COVID-19 , according to the country ’ s consumer-protection agency Rospotrebnadzor .
Russia has evacuated dozens of its citizens from China and placed them under quarantine in the Tyumen region .
The government has halted most of Russian air traffic to China , suspended all trains connecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land border between the two countries .
Moscow has also temporarily stopped issuing work visas to Chinese citizens .
Elsewhere , Uzbekistan is sending protective cloths , disposable gloves , masks , and other supplies to China to support Beijing 's efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus .
President Shavkat Mirziyoev signed the relevant decree on February 11 , the government said , as a fully loaded military cargo plane departed the Uzbek capital , Tashkent .
The February 12 cabinet statement said the government was preparing a second shipment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective medical equipment since the COVID-19 virus emerged late last year .
So far , there have been no confirmed cases in Uzbekistan or the other four Central Asian republics -- Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , and Turkmenistan .
Uzbekistan has stopped all regular flights to China , its major trade partner , as a protective measure .
The country ’ s Health Ministry said 771 Uzbek citizens who had recently returned from China remained in quarantine .
With reporting by AP , Reuters , and AFP


rferl--2020-02-12--Watchdog says Iran 'Muzzling' Journalists Ahead Of Parliamentary Elections

The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran ( CHRI ) says intelligence agents are summoning Iranian journalists , raiding their homes , and confiscating their equipment in a campaign to silence criticism of state policies ahead of this month ’ s parliamentary elections .
At least 10 journalists have been targeted by the intelligence arm of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) over the past two weeks , CHRI said in a statement on February 11 .
It said the crackdown was targeting journalists -- and activists -- who maintain active social media accounts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hedayat , a former political prisoner who was detained on February 10 .
`` Muzzling journalists , detaining activists , and disqualifying parliamentary candidates will not silence dissent in Iran , as the recent protests have shown , '' CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi said in a statement on February 11 .
The hard-line Guardians Council disqualified thousands of candidates from running in the February 21 parliamentary elections , which come in the wake of deadly crackdowns on protests that have erupted across Iran amid rising public dissatisfaction over the country 's faltering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were rocked by protests in November after the government announced gasoline rationing and price hikes .
Last month , the shooting down of a Ukrainian jetliner by Iran 's air defenses also led to days of protests in Iranian cities after authorities first denied any state involvement in the incident .
CHRI quoted an unidentified reporter in Tehran as saying the IRGC is raiding the homes of journalists and confiscating computers , phones , books , writings , and press ID cards .
The belongings are not returned `` until they appear for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media .
`` Anything that displeases officials is being considered criminal activity and used to press charges , '' according to the reporter .
`` In some cases , agents have contacted newspaper editors to pressure their reporters to stop using social media to criticize the Islamic republic regarding everything from deaths and detentions during the November 2019 protests to the Ukrainian plane shot down by the IRGC and the upcoming parliamentary elections , '' the journalist added .
CHRI said dozens of critics of Iranian state policies or officials have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past few years .
At least seven members of the press were prosecuted for doing their jobs last year , according to the group .


rferl--2020-02-12--U.S. Authorities Arrest 5 People For Allegedly Conspiring To Violate Iran Oil Sanctions

Five people were arrested on February 11 on suspicion of conspiring to sell sanctioned Iranian oil to a refinery in China , the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release .
Four suspects in Texas and one in New York were each charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( IEEPA ) .
Between July 2019 and February 2020 , four defendants -- Nicholas Hovan , 33 , James Fuchs , 26 , Robert Thwaites , 30 , and Daniel Ray Lane , 38 -- allegedly conspired in Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell it to a Chinese firm represented by 39-year-old Zhenyu Wang .
Lane allegedly offered to launder money through his company and the suspects agreed to use a Polish shell company as the seller of the illicit oil , according to the complaint .
Lane is the president of STACK Royalties , a Texas-based firm that sells oil and gas mineral rights to investment funds and private equity companies .
`` With the goal of illegally enriching themselves , the defendants conspired for over eight months to devise a scheme to violate U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban on foreign oil sales , '' said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers .
`` The sale of oil is the lifeblood of the Iranian economy .
At the same time the United States was increasing its sanctions in order to pressure Iran to stop its malign activities , these defendants put greed ahead of country . ''
If convicted , the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison , as well as a fine of up to $ 1.25 million .


rferl--2020-02-12--HRW Slams Verdicts In 'Deeply Flawed' Terrorism Cases In Russia

Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) is calling on Russian authorities to engage in `` constructive dialogue '' with critics instead of `` abusing '' counterterrorism laws to silence them .
The New York-based watchdog issued the call on February 12 after Russian military courts earlier this month handed down `` harsh '' guilty verdicts in three `` deeply flawed '' terrorism cases in which the defendants claimed that they were detained incommunicado , tortured , and received other `` ill-treatment to extract confessions . ''
A total of 18 defendants in the separate cases on February 5 and 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 23 years .
HRW said in a statement that the trials were also marred by the prosecution and judges ' refusal to investigate the defendants ' `` credible claims of abuse , '' and by their reliance on `` dubious expert analysis and use of anonymous , 'secret witnesses . '
'' `` These defendants did n't get a fair trial .
The verdicts should be quashed , and allegations of fabrications and ill-treatment adequately investigated , '' said Hugh Williamson , Europe and Central Asia director at HRW .
In one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the town of Penza on February 10 found seven men guilty of planning terrorist attacks to destabilize the country and sentenced them to prison terms of between six and 18 years .
Authorities said the accused belonged to a group called `` Set '' ( Network ) , but the men all claimed such a group does not exist and that , although they share antifascist views , they mainly play outdoor war games together .
Several defendants claimed that they were tortured while in custody , but the Investigative Committee rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Yekaterinburg court sentenced an alleged leader of the Russian branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir , an Islamic group banned in Russia as a terrorist organization , to 23 years in a maximum security prison .
The convict , Eduard Nizamov , said that staff at the detention center had ill-treated him and caused him to be harassed while he was in custody , HRW said .
Five days earlier , 10 people were found guilty on charges related to their alleged involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir , including creating or membership in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assisting terrorism , and propaganda for terrorism .
They were handed prison terms ranging from 11 to 22 years .
All of the Hizb ut-Tahrir defendants denied the accusations , saying the case against them was fabricated .
Their lawyers challenged the prosecution 's use of anonymous `` secret witnesses '' and the use of statements by people who were exonerated after plea bargains , according to HRW .
Williamson said that `` abusing counterterrorism laws to silence critics and deny fundamental human rights is unlawful and risks fomenting more resentment against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dissidents , the authorities urgently need to learn to engage them in constructive dialogue , '' he added .

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on Russian authorities to engage in "constructive dialogue" with critics instead of "abusing" counterterrorism laws to silence them.
The New York-based watchdog issued the call on February 12 after Russian military courts earlier this month handed down "harsh" guilty verdicts in three "deeply flawed" terrorism cases in which the defendants claimed that they were detained incommunicado, tortured, and received other "ill-treatment to extract confessions."
A total of 18 defendants in the separate cases on February 5 and 10 were sentenced to prison terms of up to 23 years.
HRW said in a statement that the trials were also marred by the prosecution and judges' refusal to investigate the defendants' "credible claims of abuse," and by their reliance on "dubious expert analysis and use of anonymous, 'secret witnesses.'"
"These defendants didn't get a fair trial. The verdicts should be quashed, and allegations of fabrications and ill-treatment adequately investigated," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW.
In one of the cases, a district court in the town of Penza on February 10 found seven men guilty of planning terrorist attacks to destabilize the country and sentenced them to prison terms of between six and 18 years.
Authorities said the accused belonged to a group called "Set" (Network), but the men all claimed such a group does not exist and that, although they share antifascist views, they mainly play outdoor war games together.
Several defendants claimed that they were tortured while in custody, but the Investigative Committee rejected the claims.
Also on February 10, a Yekaterinburg court sentenced an alleged leader of the Russian branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic group banned in Russia as a terrorist organization, to 23 years in a maximum security prison. The convict, Eduard Nizamov, said that staff at the detention center had ill-treated him and caused him to be harassed while he was in custody, HRW said.
Five days earlier, 10 people were found guilty on charges related to their alleged involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir, including creating or membership in a local cell of a terrorist organization, assisting terrorism, and propaganda for terrorism. They were handed prison terms ranging from 11 to 22 years.
All of the Hizb ut-Tahrir defendants denied the accusations, saying the case against them was fabricated. Their lawyers challenged the prosecution's use of anonymous "secret witnesses" and the use of statements by people who were exonerated after plea bargains, according to HRW.
Williamson said that "abusing counterterrorism laws to silence critics and deny fundamental human rights is unlawful and risks fomenting more resentment against the government."
"Instead of steamrolling the dissidents, the authorities urgently need to learn to engage them in constructive dialogue," he added.


rferl--2020-02-12--Ukraine's Armored Vehicles Significantly Damaged In First 2 Years Of Donbas Conflict

Ukraine 's military says 2,576 units of its weaponized armored vehicles and equipment were damaged between April 2014 and June 2016 in the combat zone of the two easternmost regions where a war with Russia-backed separatists still rages .
Most of the losses -- 2,185 units -- were caused by enemy shelling , armed clashes , and landmine explosions , the Ukrainian-based Defense Express magazine reported on February 11 , citing data received from the Defense Ministry .
Exactly 1,201 infantry fighting vehicles and 440 tanks were damaged during this period , the most among the various armored vehicles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most common cause of damage was fire from rocket-launcher and artillery systems , as well as mortars .
Forty-five percent of the total damage , or 1,159 armored vehicles , were damaged in July-September 2014 .
This occurred around the time when Russia allegedly engaged in systematic cross-border shelling of Ukrainian positions , something which Moscow denies .
Russia followed up on the purported shelling from its side of the border with regular forces who crossed into Ukraine 's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions in late summer , culminating in the disastrous battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves surrounded .
Altogether , 2,410 armored vehicles , including 475 tanks , were damaged in the first 365 days of the war .
In 2015 , Ukraine lost 410 armored vehicles , including many during the battle for Donetsk airport and near Debaltseve in the Donetsk region , a key rail-transportation hub that Kyiv eventually lost to combined Russian-separatist forces .
Twenty-six armored vehicles were damaged the following year consisting of either infantry fighting vehicles or armored personnel carriers .
Based on reporting by Defense Express and Ukrainian Military Pages

Ukraine's military says 2,576 units of its weaponized armored vehicles and equipment were damaged between April 2014 and June 2016 in the combat zone of the two easternmost regions where a war with Russia-backed separatists still rages.
Most of the losses -- 2,185 units -- were caused by enemy shelling, armed clashes, and landmine explosions, the Ukrainian-based Defense Express magazine reported on February 11, citing data received from the Defense Ministry.
Exactly 1,201 infantry fighting vehicles and 440 tanks were damaged during this period, the most among the various armored vehicles.
According to the cited data, the most common cause of damage was fire from rocket-launcher and artillery systems, as well as mortars.
Forty-five percent of the total damage, or 1,159 armored vehicles, were damaged in July-September 2014. This occurred around the time when Russia allegedly engaged in systematic cross-border shelling of Ukrainian positions, something which Moscow denies.
Russia followed up on the purported shelling from its side of the border with regular forces who crossed into Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions in late summer, culminating in the disastrous battle of Ilovaisk in which Ukrainian forces found themselves surrounded.
Altogether, 2,410 armored vehicles, including 475 tanks, were damaged in the first 365 days of the war.
In 2015, Ukraine lost 410 armored vehicles, including many during the battle for Donetsk airport and near Debaltseve in the Donetsk region, a key rail-transportation hub that Kyiv eventually lost to combined Russian-separatist forces.
Twenty-six armored vehicles were damaged the following year consisting of either infantry fighting vehicles or armored personnel carriers.
Based on reporting by Defense Express and Ukrainian Military Pages


rferl--2020-02-12--Two Russian Space Probes Stalk U.S. Spy Satellite

The newly-created U.S. Space Force has accused Russia of using a pair of its satellites to tail a U.S. spy satellite , calling it `` disturbing behavior '' while prompting a reserved response from Moscow on February 11 .
General John Raymond , the Space Force chief of space operations , first told Time magazine on February 10 that the two Russian satellites had come extremely close and within 160 kilometers of the U.S. satellite .
`` We view this behavior as unusual and disturbing , '' Raymond said .
`` It has the potential to create a dangerous situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed to AFP the following day that he had received a message from Washington regarding the situation , adding that `` Moscow will respond after studying it . ''
He called such maneuvers in space common practice `` by many countries , '' according to Russian news agencies .
Russia calls its space probes that follow other spacecraft `` inspector satellites . ''
The Russian spacecraft launched in November as one satellite , which later released a second craft from within it , almost `` birthing it , '' U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly the first time that the U.S. military has publicly revealed a threat from another country to one of its spacecraft .
The Space Force was established in December and is the sixth formal branch of the U.S. military , along with the army , air force , navy , marines , and coastguard .
In his 2021 budget proposal , President Donald Trump earmarked $ 15.4 billion for the new Space Force , which will be a `` technology-focused service , '' according to Raymond .
Based on reporting by Time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP

The newly-created U.S. Space Force has accused Russia of using a pair of its satellites to tail a U.S. spy satellite, calling it "disturbing behavior" while prompting a reserved response from Moscow on February 11.
General John Raymond, the Space Force chief of space operations, first told Time magazine on February 10 that the two Russian satellites had come extremely close and within 160 kilometers of the U.S. satellite.
"We view this behavior as unusual and disturbing," Raymond said. "It has the potential to create a dangerous situation in space."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed to AFP the following day that he had received a message from Washington regarding the situation, adding that "Moscow will respond after studying it."
He called such maneuvers in space common practice "by many countries," according to Russian news agencies.
Russia calls its space probes that follow other spacecraft "inspector satellites."
The Russian spacecraft launched in November as one satellite, which later released a second craft from within it, almost "birthing it," U.S. military analysts told Space.com.
This is reportedly the first time that the U.S. military has publicly revealed a threat from another country to one of its spacecraft.
The Space Force was established in December and is the sixth formal branch of the U.S. military, along with the army, air force, navy, marines, and coastguard.
In his 2021 budget proposal, President Donald Trump earmarked $15.4 billion for the new Space Force, which will be a "technology-focused service," according to Raymond.
Based on reporting by Time, Space.com, TASS, Interfax, and AFP


rferl--2020-02-12--Ukrainian Skier Found Dead In Georgia After Avalanche

The dead body of a Ukrainian skier in Georgia who went missing during the onset of an avalanche was found @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainians had gone skiing the previous day in the high-altitude region of Svaneti , but @ @ @ @ @ Shchekotin , didn ’ t return , according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry .
An @ @ @ @ @ slid down one of the slopes in the Tetnuldi ski resort .
Rescuers managed to @ @ @ @ @ Czech Republic but were n't able to find Shchekotin , whose disappearance only became known @ @ @ @ @ ’ t return to his lodgings .
Georgian rescuers and volunteers searched for him on @ @ @ @ @ , resuming the search the following day .
Based on reporting by Rustavi-2 and Ukrainska @

The dead body of a Ukrainian skier in Georgia who went missing during the onset of an avalanche was found on February 11.
Five Ukrainians had gone skiing the previous day in the high-altitude region of Svaneti, but one of them, Yevhen Shchekotin, didn’t return, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
An avalanche reaching four meters had slid down one of the slopes in the Tetnuldi ski resort.
Rescuers managed to save a tourist from the Czech Republic but weren't able to find Shchekotin, whose disappearance only became known hours later after he didn’t return to his lodgings.
Georgian rescuers and volunteers searched for him on February 10 until night fell, resuming the search the following day.
Based on reporting by Rustavi-2 and Ukrainska Pravda


rferl--2020-02-12--New Virus Cases In China Fall Again As Deaths Exceed 1,100

China ’ s National Health Commission reported 97 new coronavirus deaths on February 11 for the previous 24 hours , bringing the total number of fatalities nationwide to 1,113 .
The total number of confirmed cases of the illness in mainland China stands at 44,643 .
However , the number of new cases -- 2,015 -- has declined for a second day .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has named the disease caused by the virus as COVID-19 .
Twenty-five countries as of February 12 have confirmed cases , including one death -- in the Philippines .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , more than 45,100 people worldwide have been infected with the virus .
At a conference in Geneva on combating the virus on February 11 , WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyes urged countries to work together against the `` grave threat '' posed by the outbreak .
He said viruses have `` more powerful consequences than any terrorist action . ''
China , where 99 percent of the illnesses are , remains in a state of `` emergency , '' Tedros said at the conference , adding that the virus also `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the world . ''
COVID-19 is believed to be highly contagious and the case of a British man who transmitted the virus to at least 11 other people has raised fears of a new phase of it spreading abroad .
The biggest case of contagion outside China is aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined off Japan , where 175 people have tested positive , including two Ukrainians and a quarantine officer .
The ship originally had 3,700 passengers and crew on board .
It is expected to remain in quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the illness remains at around 2 percent .
Due to the outbreak , 22 airlines have cancelled all flights to China and 15 airlines have suspended some flights or routes to the country .
With reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters

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


rferl--2020-02-12--Ukrainian Police Major, Ex-Convict Wanted In Arson Of RFE/RL’s Reporter’s Car

Ukraine ’ s Prosecutor-General ’ s Office in Lviv suspects an underworld criminal and a police major of collusion in the arson of a vehicle belonging to RFE/RL correspondent Halyna Tereshchuk .
Iryna Didenko , the lead prosecutor of the Lviv region , signed the charge sheets for the two suspects on February 11 .
Accused of ordering the torching of the journalist ’ s car is a 48-year-old former convict , who is known in the criminal world for black-market schemes and stealing fuel at the Lviv railway .
Allegedly colluding with him was a 43-year-old National Police major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arsonist and paid him for the crime , according to Didenko .
The suspects are on a nationwide wanted list .
Both would be prosecuted for intentional destruction of or damage to property , which carries a prison sentence of six to 15 years .
The journalist , who has worked for RFE/RL since 2000 , said at the time of the arson on January 30 that she suspected the attack was linked to her professional activities .
Police on February 6 detained a 19-year-old male in Odesa for allegedly setting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If found guilty , he faces three to 10 years in prison .
The case has been jointly investigated by prosecutors and investigators from the Security Service ( SBU ) .
The Ukrainian unit of rights group Freedom House has condemned the torching of Tereshchuk 's car , as well as that of Andriy Lukin , an activist in Zaporizhzhya , whose car was also set ablaze on January 29 .
The group stated that `` arson or other methods of destruction of vehicles and property are becoming increasingly used as a means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' It noted that there were 11 cases last year of property belonging to activists being destroyed and `` in almost all cases , the perpetrators were not found and punished . ''

Ukraine’s Prosecutor-General’s Office in Lviv suspects an underworld criminal and a police major of collusion in the arson of a vehicle belonging to RFE/RL correspondent Halyna Tereshchuk.
Iryna Didenko, the lead prosecutor of the Lviv region, signed the charge sheets for the two suspects on February 11.
Accused of ordering the torching of the journalist’s car is a 48-year-old former convict, who is known in the criminal world for black-market schemes and stealing fuel at the Lviv railway.
Allegedly colluding with him was a 43-year-old National Police major in the Lviv region, who sought the arsonist and paid him for the crime, according to Didenko.
The suspects are on a nationwide wanted list.
Both would be prosecuted for intentional destruction of or damage to property, which carries a prison sentence of six to 15 years.
The journalist, who has worked for RFE/RL since 2000, said at the time of the arson on January 30 that she suspected the attack was linked to her professional activities.
Police on February 6 detained a 19-year-old male in Odesa for allegedly setting the reporter’s car on fire. If found guilty, he faces three to 10 years in prison.
The case has been jointly investigated by prosecutors and investigators from the Security Service (SBU).
The Ukrainian unit of rights group Freedom House has condemned the torching of Tereshchuk's car, as well as that of Andriy Lukin, an activist in Zaporizhzhya, whose car was also set ablaze on January 29.
The group stated that "arson or other methods of destruction of vehicles and property are becoming increasingly used as a means to pressure active people in Ukraine."
It noted that there were 11 cases last year of property belonging to activists being destroyed and "in almost all cases, the perpetrators were not found and punished."


rferl--2020-02-11--Russia's 'Heinous' Sentencing Of Seven Activists Sparks Social Media Outrage

A Russian regional court ’ s `` heinous '' sentencing of seven activists to long prison terms has ignited outrage on social media , with some critics drawing parallels to the show trials of the Stalin era .
The verdicts in the case , known as `` Set '' ( a Russian word for Network ) , are the latest in a series of Russian court decisions over the past year against citizens sharing anti-government views that have provoked a sharp response from segments of society .
A district court in Penza -- an industrial city of about half-a-million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentenced the seven men on February 10 to prison terms ranging from six to 18 years , lengths normally given to violent criminals .
The judge found the men guilty of planning terrorist attacks to destabilize the country during the 2018 presidential election and the soccer World Cup , which Russia hosted the same year .
Authorities say they belong to a group called the Network , but the men all contend that such a group does not exist and that , although they share antifascist views , they mainly play outdoor war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists say the case was fabricated by the state to send a signal to members of society who express political views that run counter to those of the government .
Several of the convicted men said members of the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) , the successor to the Soviet KGB , and other officers tortured them to extract a confession .
The men said they were beaten and subjected to electric shock .
Aleksei Minyaylo , an opposition politician , said following the sentencing that `` 1937 is back , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show trials beganand the height of a repressive period known as the Great Terror .
`` If we will sit and be afraid , everything will get incomparably worse , '' Minyaylo said .
The men -- who are aged 23 to 30 -- include a cook , a former sailor , a musician , a shooting instructor , and a punk-music enthusiast .
They were arrested in several swoops in late 2017 .
The FSB claimed they were anarchists who sought to overthrow the government and ran terrorist cells in other cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anatoly Vakhterov , a lawyer for Ilya Shakursky , said the men played airsoft -- a competitive team shooting sport in which participants try to eliminate opposing players with replica guns that use plastic projectiles -- in the woods and gave each other fighter roles and nicknames .
The prosecutors said the men possessed real guns and grenades to carry out their planned terrorist attacks .
Defense lawyers and relatives said the real weapons were planted by the officers .
`` They will now go to prison , and we will carry on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities ] can put you in jail for anything , whether you are a cook or a punk fan .
Especially if your beliefs differ even just a bit , '' said former state TV journalist Yekaterina Gordeyeva .
Dmitry Pchelintsev , whom the FSB called the ringleader , said masked men in the detention center stuffed gauze pads in his mouth and applied electric shocks to his toes that caused a `` paralyzing pain '' in his legs .
Pchelintsev claimed the masked men then began pulling down his underwear to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confessed to planning a terrorist attack .
Members of human rights organizations who visited the men said their bruises and bodily marks , including burns , were consistent with torture .
`` Before , they tortured you in a basement , but now they do it in front of the whole world , '' said Sergei Vilkov , a journalist who called the matter the `` primary political '' case in Russia .
Pchelintsev was sentenced to 18 years in prison .
`` We have to be absolutely clear here .
An 18-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neither killed , shot , or beaten anybody , nor stolen billions -- unlike most of the heroic representatives of various elites — is pure Stalinism , '' said Andrei Kolesnikov , a political analyst .
Soviet courts , Kolesnikov said , did not even give such harsh sentences during the reigns of Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev , , who headed the Soviet Union in the decades after Stalin 's death .
Maria Eismont , a defense attorney who represented jailed activist Konstantin Kotov in another case , called the long sentences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to shock and awe those citizens who hold views opposed by the government .
`` In fact , this is largely why such sentences were given to them : so that that segment of society that cares [ about human rights ] feels all this : horror , helplessness , and apathy , '' she said .
Some activists say cases such of this could force people with similar views to leave the country .
Russia has backtracked over the past year on some cases and convictions seen as political amid widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist Ivan Golunov was dropped in June after a protest erupted over clear evidence that the narcotics were planted on the reporter by officers .
In December , a Moscow judge gave a suspended sentence to university student and popular YouTube blogger Yegor Zhukov , who was charged with `` extremism '' for his anti-Kremlin videos .
Then last month , President Vladimir Putin ordered the Prosecutor-General 's Office to review the sentencing of Kotov , who was given four years in prison in September 2019 for participating in more than one unsanctioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have asked a court to reduce Kotov 's sentence to one year .
Written by Todd Prince in Washington , D.C. , based on reporting by RFE/RL 's Russian Service .
Additional reporting by Current Time and Mediazona .

A Russian regional court’s "heinous" sentencing of seven activists to long prison terms has ignited outrage on social media, with some critics drawing parallels to the show trials of the Stalin era.
The verdicts in the case, known as "Set" (a Russian word for Network), are the latest in a series of Russian court decisions over the past year against citizens sharing anti-government views that have provoked a sharp response from segments of society.
A district court in Penza -- an industrial city of about half-a-million people some 625 kilometers southeast of Moscow -- sentenced the seven men on February 10 to prison terms ranging from six to 18 years, lengths normally given to violent criminals.
The judge found the men guilty of planning terrorist attacks to destabilize the country during the 2018 presidential election and the soccer World Cup, which Russia hosted the same year.
Authorities say they belong to a group called the Network, but the men all contend that such a group does not exist and that, although they share antifascist views, they mainly play outdoor war games together.
Human rights organizations and activists say the case was fabricated by the state to send a signal to members of society who express political views that run counter to those of the government.
Several of the convicted men said members of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the Soviet KGB, and other officers tortured them to extract a confession. The men said they were beaten and subjected to electric shock.
Torture Claims
Aleksei Minyaylo, an opposition politician, said following the sentencing that "1937 is back," a reference to the year the Stalinist show trials beganand the height of a repressive period known as the Great Terror.
"If we will sit and be afraid, everything will get incomparably worse," Minyaylo said.
The men -- who are aged 23 to 30 -- include a cook, a former sailor, a musician, a shooting instructor, and a punk-music enthusiast.
They were arrested in several swoops in late 2017. The FSB claimed they were anarchists who sought to overthrow the government and ran terrorist cells in other cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Anatoly Vakhterov, a lawyer for Ilya Shakursky, said the men played airsoft -- a competitive team shooting sport in which participants try to eliminate opposing players with replica guns that use plastic projectiles -- in the woods and gave each other fighter roles and nicknames.
The prosecutors said the men possessed real guns and grenades to carry out their planned terrorist attacks. Defense lawyers and relatives said the real weapons were planted by the officers.
"They will now go to prison, and we will carry on with our lives knowing that [the authorities] can put you in jail for anything, whether you are a cook or a punk fan. Especially if your beliefs differ even just a bit," said former state TV journalist Yekaterina Gordeyeva.
Dmitry Pchelintsev, whom the FSB called the ringleader, said masked men in the detention center stuffed gauze pads in his mouth and applied electric shocks to his toes that caused a "paralyzing pain" in his legs.
Pchelintsev claimed the masked men then began pulling down his underwear to do the same to his genitals before he confessed to planning a terrorist attack.
'Pure Stalinism'
Members of human rights organizations who visited the men said their bruises and bodily marks, including burns, were consistent with torture.
"Before, they tortured you in a basement, but now they do it in front of the whole world," said Sergei Vilkov, a journalist who called the matter the "primary political" case in Russia.
Pchelintsev was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
"We have to be absolutely clear here. An 18-year jail term for a 27-year-old who has neither killed, shot, or beaten anybody, nor stolen billions --unlike most of the heroic representatives of various elites — is pure Stalinism," said Andrei Kolesnikov, a political analyst.
Soviet courts, Kolesnikov said, did not even give such harsh sentences during the reigns of Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev, who headed the Soviet Union in the decades after Stalin's death.
Maria Eismont, a defense attorney who represented jailed activist Konstantin Kotov in another case, called the long sentences "heinous" and said they were meant to shock and awe those citizens who hold views opposed by the government.
"In fact, this is largely why such sentences were given to them: so that that segment of society that cares [about human rights] feels all this: horror, helplessness, and apathy," she said.
Some activists say cases such of this could force people with similar views to leave the country.
Hope Dies Last?
Russia has backtracked over the past year on some cases and convictions seen as political amid widespread outrage.
A drug charge against independent journalist Ivan Golunov was dropped in June after a protest erupted over clear evidence that the narcotics were planted on the reporter by officers.
In December, a Moscow judge gave a suspended sentence to university student and popular YouTube blogger Yegor Zhukov, who was charged with "extremism" for his anti-Kremlin videos.
Then last month, President Vladimir Putin ordered the Prosecutor-General's Office to review the sentencing of Kotov, who was given four years in prison in September 2019 for participating in more than one unsanctioned protest within a 180-day period. Prosecutors have asked a court to reduce Kotov's sentence to one year.
Written by Todd Prince in Washington, D.C., based on reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service. Additional reporting by Current Time and Mediazona.


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

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

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


rferl--2020-02-12--Ukrainian Authorities Accuse Opposition Lawmaker Of Threatening Zelenskiy’s Life

A Ukrainian opposition lawmaker on February 12 was given a notice of suspicion for allegedly threatening the life of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , an offense that is punishable with a maximum five-year prison sentence .
Prosecutors made the announcement at the State Bureau of Investigations ( DBR ) office concerning Sofia Fedyna , a member of parliament in the European Solidarity party headed by former President Petro Poroshenko .
Investigators say she and blogger Olena Sambul , while livestreaming on YouTube and Facebook , publicly threatened the president ’ s life on October 26 when commenting on his visit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I was handed a notice of suspicion for threatening the president with words [ like ] 'and you know , there is shelling , and you know , there are grenades exploding , and it is thoughtless to go to the front in a white shirt [ without a bullet-proof vest ] , ’ ” Fedyna said .
She said her words spoke the truth and “ this is not a threat or a warning , it is a reality…but for reality people don ’ t get punished ... .Today , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trumped-up crime , which means that we are [ all ] sliding downhill into a mass concentration camp.
” On February 6 , DBR investigators handed Sambul , a war veteran and volunteer , a notice of suspicion for threatening Zelenskiy ’ s life .
Four days later a court in Kyiv ordered her to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet , surrender her passport , and obey summons from investigators .
The preventative measure is in effect until April 9 .
Based on reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Ukrainian Service , Deutsche @ @ @ @

A Ukrainian opposition lawmaker on February 12 was given a notice of suspicion for allegedly threatening the life of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, an offense that is punishable with a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors made the announcement at the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) office concerning Sofia Fedyna, a member of parliament in the European Solidarity party headed by former President Petro Poroshenko.
Investigators say she and blogger Olena Sambul, while livestreaming on YouTube and Facebook, publicly threatened the president’s life on October 26 when commenting on his visit to the war zone in eastern Ukraine.
"I was handed a notice of suspicion for threatening the president with words [like] 'and you know, there is shelling, and you know, there are grenades exploding, and it is thoughtless to go to the front in a white shirt [without a bullet-proof vest],’” Fedyna said.
She said her words spoke the truth and “this is not a threat or a warning, it is a reality…but for reality people don’t get punished....Today, in fact, I am being incriminated for a trumped-up crime, which means that we are [all] sliding downhill into a mass concentration camp.”
On February 6, DBR investigators handed Sambul, a war veteran and volunteer, a notice of suspicion for threatening Zelenskiy’s life.
Four days later a court in Kyiv ordered her to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, surrender her passport, and obey summons from investigators.
The preventative measure is in effect until April 9.
Based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, Deutsche Welle, and Interfax


rferl--2020-02-12--U.S. Customs Chief Admits Agents Mistreated Iranian Americans At U.S.-Canada Border

The acting head of the Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) agency acknowledged that agents were out of line last month when they detained dozens of Iranian-Americans and Iranians at a border crossing near Canada in Washington State .
While providing January border-crossing statistics in Washington on February 11 , Mark Morgan , the agency ’ s acting commissioner , said agents behaved in a way “ that was not in line with our direction , ” when they held more than 60 U.S. citizens of Iranian heritage for up to 10 hours or more for questioning .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency and the first public recognition of the incidents .
Accounts from travelers and advocacy groups reported dozens of people being held over the January 4-5 weekend at an entry point in Blaine , Washington .
Their detentions took place after a U.S. drone attack killed Qasem Soleimani , a high-ranking Iranian commander , in Iraq on January 3 .
Some travelers were questioned for hours about their political views , and had their personal belongings like passports , car keys , and smart phones , confiscated .
Morgan admitted officials at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I would say in that one instance leadership got a little overzealous , and we corrected that right away , ” he said .
The detentions prompted lawmakers and local officials to investigate the matter on their own after CBP officials repeatedly denied that Iranian-Americans had been singled out as they returned to the United States .
Amid a leaked memo that later emerged directing CBP agents to stop travelers of Iranian descent for questioning , Representative Pramila Jayapal ( Democrat-Washington ) made inquiries and gave news conferences on the incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it took my inquiries , a leaked memo , and press reports for CBP to finally acknowledge that it inappropriately targeted Iranian Americans , ” Jayapal said in a statement .
Still , she wasn ’ t satisfied with Morgan ’ s admission , saying his statement was “ not a sufficient response.
” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi has condemned the CBP for its “ illegal ” and “ inhumane ” treatment of Iranian nationals as a brazen violation of human rights .
In a statement , Musavi said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in human rights courts .
“ Such behavior from the U.S. government could be definitely brought to and sued by the human rights tribunals , ” the spokesman said .
With reporting by dpa , Los Angeles Times , Seattle Times , and Tehran Times


rferl--2020-02-12--EU Warns Romania Over Illegal Logging

EU Warns Romania Over Illegal Logging

The European Commission has put EU member Romania on notice for failing to tackle illegal logging and not doing enough to protect some of Europe ’ s largest unspoiled forests .
The February 12 move launches a sanctions procedure that could see Bucharest brought in front of a court and penalized .
Illegal logging is a major problem for Romania , where six forest rangers have been killed in recent years by timber thieves -- two of them last year , prompting thousands to march in Bucharest demanding government action .
Another 650 forest workers were beaten , attacked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at after catching illegal loggers in the act .
Under the infringement procedure , an EU member state can be taken to the Court of Justice and be hit with financial sanctions .
Bucharest was given one month to take steps to prevent timber firms from exporting illegally harvested wood to the European Union market .
`` Inconsistencies in the national legislation do not allow Romanian authorities to check large amounts of illegally harvested timber , '' the commission said in a so-called letter of formal notice , the first step in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover some 7 million hectares , or almost one-third of Romania .
More than 525,000 hectares are virgin primary forests -- more than any other EU country outside Scandinavia .
Such forests , as well as containing ancient and protected tree species , provide a habitat for wildlife including bears , wolves , and lynx .
Romania 's timber industry , estimated to be worth more than 6 billion euros ( $ 6.6 billion ) , is dominated by the Austrian company Holzindustrie Schweighofer , which has been accused by environmental and civic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chopped timber .
A forest inventory commissioned by the government and leaked to the media last year showed that 20 million cubic meters of wood are cut illegally from the forests every year , while 19 million cubic meters are cut legally .
According to the European Commission , Romanian authorities also `` manage forests , including by authorizing logging , without evaluating beforehand the impacts on protected habitats '' as required under EU rules .
The European Commission blamed Romanian authorities for `` shortcomings in the access of the public to environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Romanian Environment Minister Costel Alexe blamed the previous leftist government for the situation .
`` The first letter from the commission came three years ago ... .
Previous governments endlessly postponed solutions that could have stopped illegal logging , '' Alexe said , pledging to act swiftly .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Romanian Service , Euronews , AFP , hotnews.ro , g4media.ro , and Digi24.ro

The European Commission has put EU member Romania on notice for failing to tackle illegal logging and not doing enough to protect some of Europe’s largest unspoiled forests.
The February 12 move launches a sanctions procedure that could see Bucharest brought in front of a court and penalized.
Illegal logging is a major problem for Romania, where six forest rangers have been killed in recent years by timber thieves -- two of them last year, prompting thousands to march in Bucharest demanding government action.
Another 650 forest workers were beaten, attacked with axes or knives, or even shot at after catching illegal loggers in the act.
Under the infringement procedure, an EU member state can be taken to the Court of Justice and be hit with financial sanctions.
Bucharest was given one month to take steps to prevent timber firms from exporting illegally harvested wood to the European Union market.
"Inconsistencies in the national legislation do not allow Romanian authorities to check large amounts of illegally harvested timber," the commission said in a so-called letter of formal notice, the first step in the EU's infringement procedure.
Forests still cover some 7 million hectares, or almost one-third of Romania. More than 525,000 hectares are virgin primary forests -- more than any other EU country outside Scandinavia.
Such forests, as well as containing ancient and protected tree species, provide a habitat for wildlife including bears, wolves, and lynx.
Romania's timber industry, estimated to be worth more than 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion), is dominated by the Austrian company Holzindustrie Schweighofer, which has been accused by environmental and civic groups of buying large quantities of illegally chopped timber.
A forest inventory commissioned by the government and leaked to the media last year showed that 20 million cubic meters of wood are cut illegally from the forests every year, while 19 million cubic meters are cut legally.
According to the European Commission, Romanian authorities also "manage forests, including by authorizing logging, without evaluating beforehand the impacts on protected habitats" as required under EU rules.
The European Commission blamed Romanian authorities for "shortcomings in the access of the public to environmental information in the forest management plans."
Romanian Environment Minister Costel Alexe blamed the previous leftist government for the situation.
"The first letter from the commission came three years ago.... Previous governments endlessly postponed solutions that could have stopped illegal logging," Alexe said, pledging to act swiftly.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, Euronews, AFP, hotnews.ro, g4media.ro, and Digi24.ro