rferl--2020-07-26--More Anti-Kremlin Protests In Russia's Khabarovsk

Hundreds of people took to the streets of the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk on July 26 to demand the release and return of the region 's governor .
Sergei Furgal is now in jail in Moscow on charges of attempted murder and ordering two contract killings some 15 years ago .
Supporters say the charges are politically motivated .
Furgal , who denies the allegations , beat a pro-Kremlin candidate in an election nearly two years ago .
Demonstrations have rocked the city of 600,000 for more than two weeks and have grown to include calls for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On July 25 , a crowd estimated at up to 50,000 turned out despite officials urging people to stay away due to concerns over the coronavirus .
Officials put the turnout on July 25 at some 6,500 .
The man appointed by Putin to replace Furgal addressed protesters for the first time in public on July 26 .
As the demonstration was ending , Mikhail Degtyaryov told a small group that a council would be created to allow the protesters to communicate with him on the Furgal matter .
Degtyarov said he thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the public .
`` If there is undeniable evidence , then the people should be allowed to see it , '' he said .
After Degtyaryov left , a scuffle took place on the square where he had addressed the crowd .
Police detained one activist .
Degtyarov is a member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia , as is Furgal , but he has never lived in Khabarovsk .
Such sustained demonstrations are unusual for Russia 's regions , as is the fact that the authorities have not yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow on the heels of a controversial nationwide vote that set the stage for Putin to remain in power until 2036 .
The protests have unnerved Moscow .
Khabarovsk Krai residents overwhelmingly voted for Furgal in the 2018 gubernatorial elections .
His surprise victory was a blow to the ruling United Russia party .
Furgal , who was arrested in Khabarovsk on July 9 and transferred to Moscow , is charged with attempted murder and ordering two murders in 2004-2005 .
He denies the allegations .

Hundreds of people took to the streets of the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk on July 26 to demand the release and return of the region's governor.
Sergei Furgal is now in jail in Moscow on charges of attempted murder and ordering two contract killings some 15 years ago. Supporters say the charges are politically motivated. Furgal, who denies the allegations, beat a pro-Kremlin candidate in an election nearly two years ago.
Demonstrations have rocked the city of 600,000 for more than two weeks and have grown to include calls for the resignation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On July 25, a crowd estimated at up to 50,000 turned out despite officials urging people to stay away due to concerns over the coronavirus. Officials put the turnout on July 25 at some 6,500.
The man appointed by Putin to replace Furgal addressed protesters for the first time in public on July 26.
As the demonstration was ending, Mikhail Degtyaryov told a small group that a council would be created to allow the protesters to communicate with him on the Furgal matter.
Degtyarov said he thinks any proceedings against Furgal should be open to the public.
"If there is undeniable evidence, then the people should be allowed to see it," he said.
After Degtyaryov left, a scuffle took place on the square where he had addressed the crowd. Police detained one activist.
Degtyarov is a member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, as is Furgal, but he has never lived in Khabarovsk.
Such sustained demonstrations are unusual for Russia's regions, as is the fact that the authorities have not yet moved to break them up.
They follow on the heels of a controversial nationwide vote that set the stage for Putin to remain in power until 2036. The protests have unnerved Moscow.
Khabarovsk Krai residents overwhelmingly voted for Furgal in the 2018 gubernatorial elections. His surprise victory was a blow to the ruling United Russia party.
Furgal, who was arrested in Khabarovsk on July 9 and transferred to Moscow, is charged with attempted murder and ordering two murders in 2004-2005. He denies the allegations.
With reporting by dpa


rferl--2020-07-26--Senior UN Official Postpones Visit To Pakistan

The incoming president of the United Nations General Assembly has announced that he is postponing a scheduled visit to Pakistan “ due to some technical flight problems . ''
Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir was elected president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly last month and was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on July 26 .
But in a Twitter post , he said the visit to Pakistan 's capital would have to wait .
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted in response to Bozkir that “ I look forward to welcoming you to Pakistan soon for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcing the visit on July 25 , Qureshi had said he hoped to discuss a range of issues with Bozkir , including the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir , which is split between Pakistan and neighboring India and claimed by both in its entirety .
The two sides often exchange fire in Kashmir , causing troop and civilian casualties .
Pakistan ’ s military on July 26 said it had shot down a small Indian drone that flew 200 meters into Pakistani-administered Kashmir .
It was the the 10th such downing of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , the military released photos of the drone downed near the Pandu border village .
Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars over the disputed region since gaining independence from British rule in 1947 .

The incoming president of the United Nations General Assembly has announced that he is postponing a scheduled visit to Pakistan “due to some technical flight problems."
Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir was elected president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly last month and was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on July 26.
But in a Twitter post, he said the visit to Pakistan's capital would have to wait.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted in response to Bozkir that “I look forward to welcoming you to Pakistan soon for a constructive and fruitful visit.
In announcing the visit on July 25, Qureshi had said he hoped to discuss a range of issues with Bozkir, including the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is split between Pakistan and neighboring India and claimed by both in its entirety. The two sides often exchange fire in Kashmir, causing troop and civilian casualties.
Pakistan’s military on July 26 said it had shot down a small Indian drone that flew 200 meters into Pakistani-administered Kashmir. It was the the 10th such downing of an Indian drone this year. In a statement, the military released photos of the drone downed near the Pandu border village.
Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars over the disputed region since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.
Based on reporting by AP


rferl--2020-07-26--Putin, Zelenskiy Speak By Phone Ahead Of Fresh Truce In Eastern Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have discussed the conflict in eastern Ukraine hours before a fresh cease-fire was due to enter into force .
Both expressed support for the truce between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists that is set to begin at midnight on July 27 .
Zelenskiy 's office said the Ukrainian president told Putin during the phone call on July 26 that further steps were needed to free Ukrainian citizens being held in eastern Ukraine , Crimea , and Russia .
The Kremlin said Putin told Zelenskiy that Ukraine 's decision to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace accords aimed at resolving the conflict which broke out in 2014 .
The leaders spoke shortly after Ukraine ’ s military said their forces had `` begun preparations '' for the cease-fire .
If upheld , it would `` pave the way for implementing other clauses '' of the Minsk peace deal , the office of Ukraine ’ s president said .
Zelenskiy was elected last year on promises to end the conflict in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk .
Germany and France have mediated between Ukraine and Russia since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarusian capital , Minsk , in 2015 , but efforts at implementation have faltered .
The leaders of the four countries met at a summit in Paris in December 2019 to revive the peace process , leading to Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists in the east of Ukraine conducting a series of prisoner exchanges .
Lingering issues remain over a timeline for local elections , control over borders in the separatist-controlled regions , the withdrawal of Russian military units and equipment , and disarmament of separatist groups .
Moscow denies it has troops in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia has been tense ever since protests in Kyiv led to the overthrow of pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014 .
Russia annexed Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula shortly thereafter and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine , sparking a war that has resulted in some 13,200 deaths .
With reporting by Reuters , Interfax , and TASS

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have discussed the conflict in eastern Ukraine hours before a fresh cease-fire was due to enter into force.
Both expressed support for the truce between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists that is set to begin at midnight on July 27.
Zelenskiy's office said the Ukrainian president told Putin during the phone call on July 26 that further steps were needed to free Ukrainian citizens being held in eastern Ukraine, Crimea, and Russia.
The Kremlin said Putin told Zelenskiy that Ukraine's decision to hold regional elections in 2020 contradicts the Minsk peace accords aimed at resolving the conflict which broke out in 2014.
The leaders spoke shortly after Ukraine’s military said their forces had "begun preparations" for the cease-fire.
If upheld, it would "pave the way for implementing other clauses" of the Minsk peace deal, the office of Ukraine’s president said.
Zelenskiy was elected last year on promises to end the conflict in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Germany and France have mediated between Ukraine and Russia since a peace agreement was signed in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, in 2015, but efforts at implementation have faltered.
The leaders of the four countries met at a summit in Paris in December 2019 to revive the peace process, leading to Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists in the east of Ukraine conducting a series of prisoner exchanges.
Lingering issues remain over a timeline for local elections, control over borders in the separatist-controlled regions, the withdrawal of Russian military units and equipment, and disarmament of separatist groups.
Moscow denies it has troops in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine's relationship with Russia has been tense ever since protests in Kyiv led to the overthrow of pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.
Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula shortly thereafter and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, sparking a war that has resulted in some 13,200 deaths.
With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and TASS


rferl--2020-07-26--Serbian President Says Balkan Nation Seeking More Warplanes

The president of Serbia says the Balkan nation is seeking to purchase more warplanes .
Aleksandar Vucic accused the United States and other Western countries of arming Serbia 's NATO neighbors and Kosovo , a former province of Serbia .
“ The Americans , Turks , and Germans are taking care of their beloved child , ” Vucic said on July 26 , referring to Kosovo .
He said Washington recently delivered a number of armored vehicles to Kosovo ’ s security forces .
Vucic did not say what Serbia intended to buy , but pro-government media have reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aircraft .
Reports have said that , if Washington does not deliver the fighters , Belgrade will likely turn to Russia for Sukhoi-25 military jets .
Serbia has recently received a sophisticated antiaircraft system from Russia , which has also provided fighter jets , attack helicopters , and armored vehicles .
Another Serbian ally , China , has delivered military drones .
U.S. officials have in the past spoken openly about introducing sanctions against Serbia if Moscow sends more arms to the country , especially those that could jeopardize the security of neighboring @ @ @

The president of Serbia says the Balkan nation is seeking to purchase more warplanes.
Aleksandar Vucic accused the United States and other Western countries of arming Serbia's NATO neighbors and Kosovo, a former province of Serbia.
“The Americans, Turks, and Germans are taking care of their beloved child,” Vucic said on July 26, referring to Kosovo. He said Washington recently delivered a number of armored vehicles to Kosovo’s security forces.
Vucic did not say what Serbia intended to buy, but pro-government media have reported that Belgrade has officially requested 20 unspecified military aircraft. Reports have said that, if Washington does not deliver the fighters, Belgrade will likely turn to Russia for Sukhoi-25 military jets.
Serbia has recently received a sophisticated antiaircraft system from Russia, which has also provided fighter jets, attack helicopters, and armored vehicles. Another Serbian ally, China, has delivered military drones.
U.S. officials have in the past spoken openly about introducing sanctions against Serbia if Moscow sends more arms to the country, especially those that could jeopardize the security of neighboring NATO-member states.
Based on reporting by AP


rferl--2020-07-26--UN Says Thousands Of Pakistani Militants In Afghanistan

More than 6,000 Pakistani insurgents are hiding in Afghanistan , a fresh UN report says .
The report released earlier this week said most of the militants belonged to the outlawed Pakistani Talibani group that is responsible for attacks on Pakistani military and civilian targets .
According to the report , the group , known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban ( TTP ) , has linked up with the Afghan-based affiliate of the Islamic State extremist group .
Some TTP members have even joined the IS affiliate , which has its headquarters in eastern Afghanistan .
The Afghan government did not respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP news agency for comment .
The report was prepared by the UN analytical and sanctions monitoring team , which tracks terrorist groups around the world .
The report said IS in Afghanistan , known as IS in Khorasan Province , has suffered losses as a result of being targeted by Afghan security forces as well as U.S. and NATO forces , and even on occasion by the Afghan Taliban .
The report estimated that the membership of IS in Afghanistan is 2,200 , and while its leadership has been depleted , IS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national , Abu Said Mohammad al-Khorasani .
The report also said the monitoring team had received information that two senior Islamic State commanders , Abu Qutaibah and Abu Hajar al-Iraqi , had recently arrived in Afghanistan from the Middle East .
“ Although in territorial retreat , [ the Islamic State [ remains capable of carrying out high-profile attacks in various parts of the country , including Kabul .
It also aims to attract Taliban fighters who oppose the agreement with the United States , '' the report said , referring to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in February .
That deal was struck to allow the U.S. to end its 19-year involvement in Afghanistan , and calls on the Taliban to guarantee its territory will not be used by terrorist groups .
The deal is also expected to guarantee the Taliban 's all-out participation in the fight against IS .
The second and perhaps most critical part of the agreement calls for talks between the Taliban and Kabul 's political leadership .
Late on July 25 , the U.S. State Department issued a statement saying its peace envoy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region seeking to jump start those negotiations , which have been repeatedly postponed as both sides squabble over a prisoner release program .

More than 6,000 Pakistani insurgents are hiding in Afghanistan, a fresh UN report says.
The report released earlier this week said most of the militants belonged to the outlawed Pakistani Talibani group that is responsible for attacks on Pakistani military and civilian targets.
According to the report, the group, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), has linked up with the Afghan-based affiliate of the Islamic State extremist group. Some TTP members have even joined the IS affiliate, which has its headquarters in eastern Afghanistan.
The Afghan government did not respond on July 26 to requests by the AP news agency for comment.
The report was prepared by the UN analytical and sanctions monitoring team, which tracks terrorist groups around the world.
The report said IS in Afghanistan, known as IS in Khorasan Province, has suffered losses as a result of being targeted by Afghan security forces as well as U.S. and NATO forces, and even on occasion by the Afghan Taliban.
The report estimated that the membership of IS in Afghanistan is 2,200, and while its leadership has been depleted, IS still counts among its leaders a Syrian national, Abu Said Mohammad al-Khorasani.
The report also said the monitoring team had received information that two senior Islamic State commanders, Abu Qutaibah and Abu Hajar al-Iraqi, had recently arrived in Afghanistan from the Middle East.
“Although in territorial retreat, [the Islamic State[ remains capable of carrying out high-profile attacks in various parts of the country, including Kabul. It also aims to attract Taliban fighters who oppose the agreement with the United States," the report said, referring to a U.S. peace deal signed with the Taliban in February.
That deal was struck to allow the U.S. to end its 19-year involvement in Afghanistan, and calls on the Taliban to guarantee its territory will not be used by terrorist groups. The deal is also expected to guarantee the Taliban's all-out participation in the fight against IS.
The second and perhaps most critical part of the agreement calls for talks between the Taliban and Kabul's political leadership.
Late on July 25, the U.S. State Department issued a statement saying its peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, was again shuttling through the region seeking to jump start those negotiations, which have been repeatedly postponed as both sides squabble over a prisoner release program.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-07-26--Putin Attends Naval Parade, Promises New Ships, Weapons

President Vladimir Putin said the Russian Navy will get 40 new ships and vessels this year , as he attended a naval parade in St. Petersburg marking Navy Day in Russia .
The parade in St. Petersburg on July 26 featured 46 ships and vessels and over 4,000 troops and aimed to `` demonstrate the growing power of our navy , '' Putin said .
Putin said 40 ships and vessels of different classes will enter service this year , and that the Russian Navy will be equipped with hypersonic weapons to boost its combat capabilities .
The combination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hypersonic missiles , capable of travelling at more than five times the speed of sound , makes them difficult to track and intercept .
Russia has made military modernization its top priority amid tensions with the West that followed Moscow ’ s 2014 seizure of Crimea .
Similar parades marking Russia ’ s Navy Day on July 26 took place in the Far Eastern cities of Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsk , Sevastopol in the annexed Crimea region , the seaport towns of Severomorsk and Baltiysk , Kaspirsk in the south of Russia , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier this week , during a ceremony of keel-laying for new warships in Crimea , Putin pledged to continue an ambitious program of building new warships , saying that Russia needs a strong navy to defend its interests and `` help maintain a strategic balance and global stability . ''
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters

President Vladimir Putin said the Russian Navy will get 40 new ships and vessels this year, as he attended a naval parade in St. Petersburg marking Navy Day in Russia.
The parade in St. Petersburg on July 26 featured 46 ships and vessels and over 4,000 troops and aimed to "demonstrate the growing power of our navy," Putin said.
Putin said 40 ships and vessels of different classes will enter service this year, and that the Russian Navy will be equipped with hypersonic weapons to boost its combat capabilities.
The combination of speed, maneuverability, and altitude of hypersonic missiles, capable of travelling at more than five times the speed of sound, makes them difficult to track and intercept.
Russia has made military modernization its top priority amid tensions with the West that followed Moscow’s 2014 seizure of Crimea.
Similar parades marking Russia’s Navy Day on July 26 took place in the Far Eastern cities of Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsk, Sevastopol in the annexed Crimea region, the seaport towns of Severomorsk and Baltiysk, Kaspirsk in the south of Russia, and the port city of Tartus in Syria.
Earlier this week, during a ceremony of keel-laying for new warships in Crimea, Putin pledged to continue an ambitious program of building new warships, saying that Russia needs a strong navy to defend its interests and "help maintain a strategic balance and global stability."
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-28--Hot With A Chance Of COVID: Tajik Weather Forecast Irks Turkmenistan

A weather forecast in Tajikistan by the Moscow-based Mir TV channel warning of a coming heatwave has irked Ashgabat because it mentions Turkmenistan , which feels it implied the coronavirus would be carried into its neighbor by the weather system .
The Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a statement on July 28 that it had `` deep concerns '' over the weather forecast , saying it was `` politically incorrect '' to mention Turkmenistan , the only country in Central Asia that has not officially registered a single coronavirus case within its borders , at a time of heightened fears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread by air .
`` We believe that any mention of the specific name of a country in the context of the movement of air masses from or through its territory may raise suspicions of the transfer of dangerous infections to other countries , '' the Foreign Ministry said .
`` Therefore , the Turkmen side , noting the political shortsightedness of the correspondent who prepared and disseminated the information in question , stresses that violations of the norms of political ethics established in international affairs are unacceptable , '' it added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have commented on the Turkmen statement .
Although Turkmenistan has not officially registered any coronavirus cases , RFE/RL correspondents have reported that local hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients with pneumonia symptoms , some of whom , including medical personnel , have died .
In some parts of the country , so-called quarantine zones have been established and some industrial facilities are being shut down .
In recent days , the Turkmen authorities ordered people to stay home during one of the most important Islamic holidays , Eid al-Adha , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` to avoid the dangerous effects of dust . ''
Earlier this month , the Health Ministry urged people to wear medical masks outdoors and maintain social distance due to the `` high dust content in the air . ''
In the local media , `` harmful dust '' has turned into a euphemism for COVID-19 .
The leader of a World Health Organization mission , Catherine Smallwood , told a press conference in Ashgabat on July 15 that the mission had concerns about reports of pneumonia in the tightly controlled energy-rich country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activate `` critical public-health measures in Turkmenistan , as if COVID-19 was circulating . ''

A weather forecast in Tajikistan by the Moscow-based Mir TV channel warning of a coming heatwave has irked Ashgabat because it mentions Turkmenistan, which feels it implied the coronavirus would be carried into its neighbor by the weather system.
The Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a statement on July 28 that it had "deep concerns" over the weather forecast, saying it was "politically incorrect" to mention Turkmenistan, the only country in Central Asia that has not officially registered a single coronavirus case within its borders, at a time of heightened fears over how the coronavirus and other infections spread by air.
"We believe that any mention of the specific name of a country in the context of the movement of air masses from or through its territory may raise suspicions of the transfer of dangerous infections to other countries," the Foreign Ministry said.
"Therefore, the Turkmen side, noting the political shortsightedness of the correspondent who prepared and disseminated the information in question, stresses that violations of the norms of political ethics established in international affairs are unacceptable," it added.
Neither Tajik officials, nor Mir TV, have commented on the Turkmen statement.
Although Turkmenistan has not officially registered any coronavirus cases, RFE/RL correspondents have reported that local hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients with pneumonia symptoms, some of whom, including medical personnel, have died.
In some parts of the country, so-called quarantine zones have been established and some industrial facilities are being shut down.
In recent days, the Turkmen authorities ordered people to stay home during one of the most important Islamic holidays, Eid al-Adha, which is marked on August 1-2 this year, "to avoid the dangerous effects of dust."
Earlier this month, the Health Ministry urged people to wear medical masks outdoors and maintain social distance due to the "high dust content in the air."
In the local media, "harmful dust" has turned into a euphemism for COVID-19.
The leader of a World Health Organization mission, Catherine Smallwood, told a press conference in Ashgabat on July 15 that the mission had concerns about reports of pneumonia in the tightly controlled energy-rich country.
Smallwood advised the Turkmen government to activate "critical public-health measures in Turkmenistan, as if COVID-19 was circulating."


rferl--2020-07-28--Fuel Trucks Catch Fire In Western Iranian City Of Kermanshah

Several fuel tankers have caught fire at a truck park near the western Iranian city of Kermanshah , sparking panic among local residents .
Governor Fazlollah Ranjbar was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying that the fire broke out on July 28 during repair work to a heavy vehicle before spreading to seven others .
The governor , however , denied there was an explosion .
`` We did not have any explosions anywhere in the city today and the black smoke that citizens see in the sky of Kermanshah metropolis was related to the fire in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The blaze was contained by firefighters and rescue efforts were still ongoing , he added .
Five people including four firefighters were injured , an emergency services spokesperson told French news agency AFP .
The tankers did not belong to the Oil Ministry but to a private company , according to local authorities .
The incident is the latest in a string of unexplained explosions and fires at military and civilian sites across Iran in recent weeks .
Two explosions hit Tehran late last month , one near a military site and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latter killing 19 people .
Fires or blasts also rocked a shipyard in southern Iran and the Natanz nuclear complex in central Iran this month .
Officials said the Natanz fire was an accident , before adding they would not reveal the cause for `` security reasons . ''
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa

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


rferl--2020-07-28--Iran's IRGC Launches Exercises Near Key Waterway For Oil Transport

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) says it has launched the final stage of a large-scale military exercise in southern Iran that includes operations in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz .
The IRCG said on July 28 that the exercises , called Payambar-e Azam 14 ( The Great Prophet ) include forces from the IRGC Navy and the IRGC Aerospace Force , and involve ground , aerial , naval , and space operations .
The news comes a day after satellite images provided by U.S.-based space technology firm Maxar Technologies showed Iran had placed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Strait of Hormuz .
Tehran , which opposes the presence of U.S. and Western navies in the gulf , frequently holds naval war games in the strategic strait , a passageway for some 30 percent of all crude and other oil liquids traded by sea .
Tensions have been on the rise between Tehran and Washington since 2018 , when the United States withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed crippling sanctions that have battered the Iranian economy .
In addition , IRCG and U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington accusing the Iranians of harassing its warships as they pass through the waterway .


rferl--2020-07-28--Five Pakistani Commandos, Two Suspected Militants Killed In Early Morning Raid

Police say five Pakistani counterterrorism commandos and two suspected militants were killed in a raid on a militant hideout in northwestern Pakistan .
Police spokesman Imtiaz Khan said an hours-long firefight erupted early on July 28 when the commandos from the Counterterrorism Department tried to raid a house in the village of Roni in the Chilas district , 460 kilometers north of Peshawar , the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province , which borders Afghanistan .
Along with the two militants killed , a cache of weapons and explosives was recovered , Khan said .
It was not immediately clear which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Pakistani Taliban -- the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan ( TTP ) -- is active in the area .
A UN report released last week said that more than 6,000 Pakistani militants were hiding in neighboring Afghanistan , the majority of them from the TTP , which has also aligned with the Islamic State ( IS ) group based in Afghanistan .
The report said the TTP and the IS affiliate pose a serious threat to both Pakistan and Afghanistan .
TTP in 2018 set fire to 14 schools for girls in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militants suspected of involvement in the attack .
Based on reporting by AP and Geo.tv

Police say five Pakistani counterterrorism commandos and two suspected militants were killed in a raid on a militant hideout in northwestern Pakistan.
Police spokesman Imtiaz Khan said an hours-long firefight erupted early on July 28 when the commandos from the Counterterrorism Department tried to raid a house in the village of Roni in the Chilas district, 460 kilometers north of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which borders Afghanistan.
Along with the two militants killed, a cache of weapons and explosives was recovered, Khan said.
It was not immediately clear which militant group was involved in the firefight. The Pakistani Taliban -- the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- is active in the area.
A group of villagers temporarily blocked the Karakoram Highway to protest the killing of what they called "innocent civilians" in the raid.
Roshan Khan Diameri, a university student from the area, told RFE/RL that one of the two suspected militants killed by the commandos was a student at Namal University in Islamabad. Diameri said the other man was a local laborer whose name was Basharat.
There was no immediate official reaction to the allegation.
A UN report released last week said that more than 6,000 Pakistani militants were hiding in neighboring Afghanistan, the majority of them from the TTP, which has also aligned with the Islamic State (IS) group based in Afghanistan.
The report said the TTP and the IS affiliate pose a serious threat to both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
TTP in 2018 set fire to 14 schools for girls in the area; police arrested more than 35 militants suspected of involvement in the attack.
Based on reporting by AP and Geo.tv


rferl--2020-07-28--COVID-19: Kyrgyzstan Announces Day Of Mourning To Honor Victims

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 650,000 , with more than 16.5 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has signed a decree declaring July 30 as a national day of mourning to commemorate the victims of COVID-19 .
The presidential press service said on July 28 that all national flags across the country and at Kyrgyz embassies and diplomatic missions abroad will fly at half-mast on that day , and all entertainment programs and events will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of coronavirus cases in Kyrgyzstan was reported at 33,844 , of which 22,296 people had recovered and 1,329 patients died .
Kyrgyzstan has been adding victims with acute pneumonia to its COVID-19 death toll for several weeks now .
In neighboring Kazakhstan , Health Minister Aleksei Tsoi recommended on July 28 that the government start easing coronavirus restrictions from next week .
Tsoi said that the number of new coronavirus cases per day in the last three weeks had decreased and continued to fall , allowing for limited operations at shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hairdressers to resume as of August 3 .
He added that public events should remain banned , as well as operations at entertainment venues , cinemas , theaters , food courts , restaurants , bars , nightclubs , religious facilities , gyms , fitness clubs , and swimming pools .
Also , Tsoi said , a ban on intercity passenger bus and train services must remain in force .
Prime Minister Asqar Mamin said that a cabinet decision on the issue will be made after a government commission looks into Tsoi 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan was reported at 84,648 , of whom 54,404 patients had recovered and 656 died .
In Uzbekistan , President Shavkat Mirziyoev appeared in public wearing a medical mask for the first time since the pandemic was announced in mid-March .
Mirziyoev attended a gathering in Tashkent on July 27 , at which city authorities reported on their efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Mirziyoev promised more support from the government and urged Tashkent officials to improve working conditions for medical personnel involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on July 28 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country reached 21,506 , including 122 deaths .
The officials added that 11,674 patients had recovered .
In Tajikistan , more than 100 medical personnel in the northern region of Sughd , where the majority of officially registered coronavirus cases have been reported , were awarded for their work with COVID-19 patients .
The head of the regional health-care directorate , Farruh Maqsudzoda , said on July 27 that since coronavirus was officially registered in the country in April , three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region .
As of July 27 , the number of coronavirus cases in Tajikistan was officially reported as 7,235 , including 60 deaths .
However , an investigative report by RFE/RL 's Tajik Service last month revealed that the real number of lethal cases of COVID-19 in the country might be several hundred , including dozens of physicians and nurses who treated COVID-19 patients .
Turkmenistan is the only country in the region that has not officially registered any coronavirus cases , but RFE/RL correspondents have reported that local hospitals have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of whom , including medical personnel , have died .
In some parts of the country , so-called quarantine zones have been established , some industrial facilities are being shut down..
The head of a World Health Organization mission , Catherine Smallwood , told a press conference in Ashgabat on July 15 that the mission had concerns about reports of pneumonia in the tightly controlled energy-rich country .
Smallwood advised the Turkmen government to activate `` critical public-health measures in Turkmenistan , as if COVID-19 was circulating . ''
Religious authorities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uzbekistan said earlier that because of the deadly virus no mass prayers at mosques , other public events will be held during one of the most important Islamic holidays , Eid al-Adha , that is marked on August 1-2 this year .
In Turkmenistan , authorities have ordered people to stay home during the holiday `` to avoid the dangerous effects of dust . ''
With reporting by By RFE/RL 's Kazakh , Kyrgyz , Tajik , Turkmen , and Uzbek , services

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 650,000, with more than 16.5 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Belarus
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka says he tested positive for the coronavirus but did not suffer through any symptoms and has overcome it without being hospitalized.
Talking to officers of Interior Ministry troops in Minsk on July 28, Lukashenka looked tired and his voice sounded a bit hoarse as the 65-year-old described his ordeal.
"I apologize for my voice. I must speak a lot lately. But, most surprisingly, you are now meeting with a person who has managed to come through the coronavirus on their feet. That is what doctors concluded yesterday. I was asymptomatic," Lukashenka said, recalling that he had said earlier that "97 percent of our population come through the infection without any symptoms."
Belarus currently has 67,366 registered coronavirus cases, including 543 deaths, but Lukashenka has publicly dismissed concerns about the dangers of the disease many times, calling fears about the pandemic a "psychosis."
Lukashenka is in the midst of a campaign ahead of a presidential election on August 9.
He has faced mounting public opposition in recent months after 26 years in power, in part from public discontent over the government's handling of the pandemic.
In addition, hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers have been arrested as the government has cracked down hard on rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates, who were not registered by election officials.
Central Asia
Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has signed a decree declaring July 30 as a national day of mourning to commemorate the victims of COVID-19.
The presidential press service said on July 28 that all national flags across the country and at Kyrgyz embassies and diplomatic missions abroad will fly at half-mast on that day, and all entertainment programs and events will be suspended.
As of July 28, the number of coronavirus cases in Kyrgyzstan was reported at 33,844, of which 22,296 people had recovered and 1,329 patients died. Kyrgyzstan has been adding victims with acute pneumonia to its COVID-19 death toll for several weeks now.
In neighboring Kazakhstan, Health Minister Aleksei Tsoi recommended on July 28 that the government start easing coronavirus restrictions from next week.
Tsoi said that the number of new coronavirus cases per day in the last three weeks had decreased and continued to fall, allowing for limited operations at shopping malls, kindergartens, beauty salons, and hairdressers to resume as of August 3.
He added that public events should remain banned, as well as operations at entertainment venues, cinemas, theaters, food courts, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, religious facilities, gyms, fitness clubs, and swimming pools.
Also, Tsoi said, a ban on intercity passenger bus and train services must remain in force.
Prime Minister Asqar Mamin said that a cabinet decision on the issue will be made after a government commission looks into Tsoi's recommendations.
As of July 28, the number of coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan was reported at 84,648, of whom 54,404 patients had recovered and 656 died.
In Uzbekistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoev appeared in public wearing a medical mask for the first time since the pandemic was announced in mid-March.
Mirziyoev attended a gathering in Tashkent on July 27, at which city authorities reported on their efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Mirziyoev promised more support from the government and urged Tashkent officials to improve working conditions for medical personnel involved in treating coronavirus patients.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
Uzbek health authorities said on July 28 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country reached 21,506, including 122 deaths. The officials added that 11,674 patients had recovered.
In Tajikistan, more than 100 medical personnel in the northern region of Sughd, where the majority of officially registered coronavirus cases have been reported, were awarded for their work with COVID-19 patients.
The head of the regional health-care directorate, Farruh Maqsudzoda, said on July 27 that since coronavirus was officially registered in the country in April, three medical workers had died of COVID-19 in the region.
As of July 27, the number of coronavirus cases in Tajikistan was officially reported as 7,235, including 60 deaths.
However, an investigative report by RFE/RL's Tajik Service last month revealed that the real number of lethal cases of COVID-19 in the country might be several hundred, including dozens of physicians and nurses who treated COVID-19 patients.
Turkmenistan is the only country in the region that has not officially registered any coronavirus cases, but RFE/RL correspondents have reported that local hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients with pneumonia symptoms, some of whom, including medical personnel, have died.
In some parts of the country, so-called quarantine zones have been established, some industrial facilities are being shut down..
The head of a World Health Organization mission, Catherine Smallwood, told a press conference in Ashgabat on July 15 that the mission had concerns about reports of pneumonia in the tightly controlled energy-rich country.
Smallwood advised the Turkmen government to activate "critical public-health measures in Turkmenistan, as if COVID-19 was circulating."
Religious authorities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan said earlier that because of the deadly virus no mass prayers at mosques, other public events will be held during one of the most important Islamic holidays, Eid al-Adha, that is marked on August 1-2 this year.
In Turkmenistan, authorities have ordered people to stay home during the holiday "to avoid the dangerous effects of dust."
With reporting by By RFE/RL's Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, and Uzbek, services, and BelTA


rferl--2020-07-28--U.S., Russia Begin Three Days Of Nuclear Arms-Control Talks

U.S. and Russian officials have opened three days of nuclear arms-control talks in Vienna less than a year before a treaty covering about 90 percent of the world 's atomic weapons expires .
During a first round of talks last month in the Austrian capital , the United States and Russia discussed their last remaining nuclear arms-control agreement , the 2010 New Strategic Arms Treaty ( New START ) , which caps the number of deployed long-range nuclear warheads each can have and which expires in February .
Under a new format agreed last month by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov , technical working groups will deal with military doctrines and potentials , transparency and verification , as well as with security in space , according to the Russian Foreign Ministry .
The nuclear talks come after a one-day dialogue on space security on July 27 , the first on the topic held by the two countries since 2013 .
The United States has proposed rules for responsible behavior in space , which would be modeled on existing rules of war that are based on the principles of proportionality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been backing a rival effort to ban weapons in outer space in an international treaty .
No statement was issued after the one-day session .
U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Christophe Ford told a press conference on July 24 that the United States hoped the meeting would allow the sides to `` explore ways to increase security and stability in outer space as well as to advance the cause of developing norms of responsible behavior . ''
He also said that Moscow and Beijing have already turned space into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States and Britain accuse Russia of having tested an anti-satellite weapon in space on July 15 .
Moscow denied the accusation , describing the event as an inspection of one satellite by another .
`` Russia has always been and remains a country that is committed to the aim of fully demilitarizing outer space and nondeployment of any kinds of arms in outer space , '' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 24 in comments carried by state news agency TASS .
The United States and Britain , however , said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described as the space equivalent of `` a bullet . ''
Russia has now carried out such a test for the second time , Ford said .
The first test took place in 2017 .
With reporting by dpa and TASS

U.S. and Russian officials have opened three days of nuclear arms-control talks in Vienna less than a year before a treaty covering about 90 percent of the world's atomic weapons expires.
During a first round of talks last month in the Austrian capital, the United States and Russia discussed their last remaining nuclear arms-control agreement, the 2010 New Strategic Arms Treaty (New START), which caps the number of deployed long-range nuclear warheads each can have and which expires in February.
Under a new format agreed last month by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, technical working groups will deal with military doctrines and potentials, transparency and verification, as well as with security in space, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The nuclear talks come after a one-day dialogue on space security on July 27, the first on the topic held by the two countries since 2013.
The United States has proposed rules for responsible behavior in space, which would be modeled on existing rules of war that are based on the principles of proportionality and humanity.
Russia and China have been backing a rival effort to ban weapons in outer space in an international treaty.
No statement was issued after the one-day session.
U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Christophe Ford told a press conference on July 24 that the United States hoped the meeting would allow the sides to "explore ways to increase security and stability in outer space as well as to advance the cause of developing norms of responsible behavior."
He also said that Moscow and Beijing have already turned space into a "war-fighting domain."
The United States and Britain accuse Russia of having tested an anti-satellite weapon in space on July 15.
Moscow denied the accusation, describing the event as an inspection of one satellite by another.
"Russia has always been and remains a country that is committed to the aim of fully demilitarizing outer space and nondeployment of any kinds of arms in outer space," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 24 in comments carried by state news agency TASS.
The United States and Britain, however, said a Russian satellite fired a projectile that Ford described as the space equivalent of "a bullet."
Russia has now carried out such a test for the second time, Ford said. The first test took place in 2017.
With reporting by dpa and TASS


rferl--2020-07-28--Iranian Delegation To Visit Ukraine To Discuss Compensation For Shooting Down Passenger Jet

An Iranian delegation will visit Ukraine later this week to discuss compensation for a Ukrainian jet shot down by Iran on January 8 , the Ukrainian foreign minister has said .
`` Given the circumstance of what happened , there are all reasons to ask from Iran to pay the highest price for what it did , '' Dmytro Kuleba said at a news conference during a visit to Warsaw .
`` I can not disclose final numbers of the compensation ... numbers will be the result of the consultations , '' he said .
Kuleba said Ukraine would represent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks , which will take place July 29-30 .
Iran 's military says it downed the Ukraine International Airlines ( UIA ) passenger jet after mistaking it for a missile amid heightened tensions with the United States .
All 176 people on board , including 57 Canadians , were killed .
The aircraft was shot down hours after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi air bases housing U.S. forces in retaliation for the U.S. drone killing of a senior Iranian commander .
The data extraction from the jet 's black boxes is being carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Safety Board ( TSB ) said on July 23 the download and preliminary analysis of the cockpit voice and flight data was finished but the investigation is far from over .
`` The download and preliminary data analysis was an important milestone in what must be a thorough and transparent safety investigation , '' TSB Chairwoman Kathy Fox said in a statement .
Iran 's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the investigation , which is being observed by Canadian , U.S. , Swedish , and British experts and representatives from UIA , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Safran .


rferl--2020-07-29--Report: U.S. Officials Say Russia-Backed Websites Spread Coronavirus Disinformation

U.S. officials have identified three English-language websites that they say Russia is using to spread disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic to exploit the U.S. struggle to contain the outbreak .
The U.S. officials were quoted on July 28 by the Associated Press as saying the activity is linked to Russian intelligence services , and they identify two Russians who have held senior roles in Russia 's GRU military intelligence unit as responsible for a disinformation effort aimed at U.S. and Western audiences .
The AP said the U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before about the spread of disinformation tied to the pandemic , but the officials quoted by the AP went further by singling out InfoRos , an information agency that is registered in Russia and that operates the websites InfoRos.ru , Infobrics.org , and OneWorld.press .
Between late May and early July the websites published about 150 articles about the pandemic response , including coverage that puts Russia in a positive light or that denigrates the United States , one of the officials said .
This included stories that suggested that Russia had given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight the pandemic and that amplified Chinese statements about suspicions that the coronavirus is a biological weapon .
Stories on the sites also have highlighted unrest in many U.S. cities over racial injustice .
The disclosure comes as the spread of disinformation is an urgent concern heading into the U.S. presidential election in November .
U.S. politicians have repeatedly warned of a repeat of Russian meddling that the U.S. intelligence community and congressional committees have concluded took place largely through a covert social media campaign in 2016 to boost the candidacy of Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking out about the websites now to sound the alarm and to expose what they say is a clear link between the sites and Russian intelligence .
The two individuals who have held leadership roles at InfoRos and previously served in the GRU were identified as Denis Valeryevich Tyurin and Aleksandr Gennadyevich Starunskiy .
The GRU unit they served in specializes in military psychological intelligence and they maintain deep contacts there , the officials said , according to the AP .
The AP said it attempted to reach InfoRos for comment but its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describes itself on its Facebook page as an “ Information agency : world through the eyes of Russia.
” InfoRos and One World have previously attracted scrutiny in Europe .
A report last month by the Brussels-based EU DisinfoLab examined links between InfoRos and One World to Russian military intelligence .
“ InfoRos is evolving in a shady grey zone , where regular information activities are mixed with more controversial actions that could be quite possibly linked to the Russian state ’ s information operations , ” the report said .
The Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was linked to the GRU .

U.S. officials have identified three English-language websites that they say Russia is using to spread disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic to exploit the U.S. struggle to contain the outbreak.
The U.S. officials were quoted on July 28 by the Associated Press as saying the activity is linked to Russian intelligence services, and they identify two Russians who have held senior roles in Russia's GRU military intelligence unit as responsible for a disinformation effort aimed at U.S. and Western audiences.
AP said the U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
U.S. officials have warned before about the spread of disinformation tied to the pandemic, but the officials quoted by AP went further by singling out InfoRos, an information agency that is registered in Russia and operates the websites InfoRos.ru, Infobrics.org, and OneWorld.press.
Between late May and early July the websites published around 150 articles about the pandemic response, including coverage that puts Russia in a positive light or denigrates the United States, one of the officials said.
This included stories that suggested Russia had given substantial aid to the United States to fight the pandemic and that amplified Chinese statements about suspicions that the coronavirus is a biological weapon. Stories on the sites have also highlighted unrest in many U.S. cities over racial injustice.
The disclosure comes as the spread of disinformation is an urgent concern heading into the U.S. presidential election in November. U.S. politicians have repeatedly warned of a repeat of Russian meddling that the U.S. intelligence community and congressional committees have concluded took place largely through a covert social media campaign in 2016 to boost the candidacy of Donald Trump.
The officials said they were speaking out about the websites now to sound the alarm and to expose what they say is a clear link between the sites and Russian intelligence.
The two individuals who have held leadership roles at InfoRos and previously served in the GRU were identified as Denis Valeryevich Tyurin and Aleksandr Gennadyevich Starunskiy. The GRU unit they served in specializes in military psychological intelligence and they maintain deep contacts there, the officials said, according to AP.
AP said it attempted to reach InfoRos for comment but its email was not immediately returned. InfoRos describes itself on its Facebook page as an “Information agency: world through the eyes of Russia.”
InfoRos and One World have previously attracted scrutiny in Europe. A report last month by the Brussels-based EU DisinfoLab examined links between InfoRos and One World to Russian military intelligence.
“InfoRos is evolving in a shady grey zone, where regular information activities are mixed with more controversial actions that could be quite possibly linked to the Russian state’s information operations,” the report said.
The Washington Post also has previously reported that InfoRos was linked to the GRU.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-07-28--Tajikistan Limits Power Due To Low Water At Hydroelectric Dam

DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan 's national energy company Barqi Tojik says it will impose restrictions on the supply of electricity due to a dramatic drop in water levels in a reservoir used to generate hydroelectric power .
The Central Asian nation 's government made the announcement on July 28 , saying low water levels in the Nurek reservoir were caused by little snowfall in the mountains during the winter .
The government said the limit on electricity supply will aim at saving water in the reservoir , which is used by the Nurek hydropower station .
The water level in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Fifty percent less water is running in the Vakhsh and Panj rivers that feed into the reservoir .
“ The process of climate change and global warming is going on rapidly on the planet , and its impact , especially this year on Tajikistan , has intensified , ” the government said .
The statement said that , if low water levels continue , it may create problems providing electricity to the population and industrial facilities across the country in the autumn and winter .
It is not clear how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's homes .
In the past , during the `` limit '' period , residents received only four or five hours of electricity per day .
The announcement comes a day after Afghanistan ’ s state electricity company said Tajikistan had reduced its export of electricity to the country by 90 percent .
Barqi Tojik said that it had cut off electricity exports to Uzbekistan since July 16 .
Tajikistan , one of the poorest former Soviet republics , is heavily dependent on hydroelectric power and regularly experiences electricity outages .

DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan's national energy company Barqi Tojik says it will impose restrictions on the supply of electricity due to a dramatic drop in water levels in a reservoir used to generate hydroelectric power.
The Central Asian nation's government made the announcement on July 28, saying low water levels in the Nurek reservoir were caused by little snowfall in the mountains during the winter.
The government said the limit on electricity supply will aim at saving water in the reservoir, which is used by the Nurek hydropower station.
The water level in the reservoir is 17-meters lower compared to last year. Fifty percent less water is running in the Vakhsh and Panj rivers that feed into the reservoir.
“The process of climate change and global warming is going on rapidly on the planet, and its impact, especially this year on Tajikistan, has intensified,” the government said.
The statement said that, if low water levels continue, it may create problems providing electricity to the population and industrial facilities across the country in the autumn and winter.
It is not clear how much electricity will be cut off to people's homes. In the past, during the "limit" period, residents received only four or five hours of electricity per day.
The announcement comes a day after Afghanistan’s state electricity company said Tajikistan had reduced its export of electricity to the country by 90 percent.
Barqi Tojik said that it had cut off electricity exports to Uzbekistan since July 16.
Tajikistan, one of the poorest former Soviet republics, is heavily dependent on hydroelectric power and regularly experiences electricity outages.


rferl--2020-07-28--Journalists Detained Near KGB Building In Minsk Amid Crackdown On Press

MINSK -- Belarusian police have detained at least 11 journalists near the KGB security service building in the capital , Minsk , in the latest crackdown on the press ahead of the country ’ s upcoming presidential election .
The detentions on July 28 occurred as a representative of jailed presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka filed a petition with the KGB to change the terms of his arrest .
The representative , Maria Kolesnikova , was untouched by security forces , but several people were arrested outside the KGB building as they sought to file similar petitions to release Babaryka on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goretsky , deputy chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists , 11 journalists were also detained while covering the event .
All but three were later released , he said on Facebook .
Among those detained were a journalist from Tut.by , four journalists from Belsat TV , two reporters from BelaPAN , a photojournalist from Russia ’ s TASS news agency , and Reuters journalists .
The Tut.by news website reported that security forces took the journalists to the Zavodskoye District Department of Internal Affairs to check their media accreditation .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Alyaksandr Lukashenka attacked both Russian and Western media outlets for their coverage of developments in Belarus .
He also called for those promoting “ mass disturbances ” to be expelled from the country because they `` do n't observe our country 's laws . ''
Lukashenka faces mounting public pressure after 26 years in power and an energized opposition ahead of the August 9 presidential election in which he is seeking a sixth presidential term .
Hundreds of people , including activists and bloggers , have been detained or arrested as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations supporting opposition candidates , who were not registered by election officials .
On July 14 and 15 , at least 17 journalists were detained while covering protests against the electoral body 's decision to deny opposition presidential candidates Valery Tsapkala and Babaryka the ability to register in the upcoming election , according to the Committee to Protect Journalists .
In June , Belarusian authorities detained at least 14 journalists for allegedly participating in unsanctioned protests , and in May , five journalists covering opposition candidates were detained .
Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongman Lukashenka .
She became a presidential candidate because her jailed husband , well-known vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski , was incarcerated after he openly expressed his intention to run for president .
Tsikhanouskaya is campaigning with the representatives of two opposition candidates who were denied registration as presidential candidates -- former Belgazprombank head Babaryka and prominent businessman Tsapkala .
Babaryka , who was viewed as a potentially potent rival to Lukashenka , was jailed in June on suspicion of money laundering , bribery , and tax evasion .
He rejected the charges as politically @ @

MINSK -- Belarusian police have detained at least 11 journalists near the KGB security service building in the capital, Minsk, in the latest crackdown on the press ahead of the country’s upcoming presidential election.
The detentions on July 28 occurred as a representative of jailed presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka filed a petition with the KGB to change the terms of his arrest.
The representative, Maria Kolesnikova, was untouched by security forces, but several people were arrested outside the KGB building as they sought to file similar petitions to release Babaryka on his own recognizance.
According to Barys Haretski, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, 11 journalists were also detained while covering the event.
All but three were later released, he said on Facebook.
Among those detained were a journalist from Tut.by, four journalists from Belsat TV, two reporters from BelaPAN, a photojournalist from Russia’s TASS news agency, and Reuters journalists.
The Tut.by news website reported that security forces took the journalists to the Zavodskoye district Department of Internal Affairs to check their media accreditation.
The latest detentions have come just days after President Alyaksandr Lukashenka attacked both Russian and Western media outlets for their coverage of developments in Belarus.
He also called for those promoting “mass disturbances” to be expelled from the country because they "don't observe our country's laws."
Lukashenka faces mounting public pressure after 26 years in power and an energized opposition ahead of the August 9 presidential election in which he is seeking a sixth presidential term.
Hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers, have been detained or arrested as the government cracks down hard on rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates, who were not registered by election officials.
On July 14 and 15, at least 17 journalists were detained while covering protests against the electoral body's decision to deny opposition presidential candidates Valery Tsapkala and Babaryka the ability to register in the upcoming election, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
In June, Belarusian authorities detained at least 14 journalists for allegedly participating in unsanctioned protests, and in May, five journalists covering opposition candidates were detained.
Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has emerged as the opposition's main candidate against strongman Lukashenka.
She became a presidential candidate because her jailed husband, well-known vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was incarcerated after he openly expressed his intention to run for president.
Tsikhanouskaya is campaigning with the representatives of two opposition candidates who were denied registration as presidential candidates -- former Belgazprombank head Babaryka and prominent businessman Tsapkala.
Babaryka, who was viewed as a potentially potent rival to Lukashenka, was jailed in June on suspicion of money laundering, bribery, and tax evasion. He rejected the charges as politically motivated.
With reporting by Tut.by


rferl--2020-07-28--Taliban, Afghan Government Declare Three-Day Cease-Fire During Eid Holiday

The Taliban and Afghan government have announced a three-day cease-fire for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday starting on July 31 , as the United States presses for the start of delayed intra-Afghan peace talks .
“ All mujahideen ( Taliban fighters ) are instructed not to carry out any operation against the enemy during the three days and nights of Eid , ” the Taliban said in a July 28 statement , adding that if the Taliban were attacked , they should “ respond strongly.
” The Afghan government said it had ordered its security forces to observe the cease-fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Embassy in Kabul , welcomed the announcements , saying Afghans “ deserve to celebrate the holiday in peace.
” “ I look forward to both sides fulfilling their commitments and moving quickly to intra-Afghan negotiations , ” he wrote on Twitter .
The announcements come as U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad is trying to revive peace talks with visits to Pakistan and the Afghan capital , as well as Qatar , where the Taliban maintain a political office .
The United States and the Taliban struck an agreement in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intra-Afghan peace talks between the militants and the U.S.-backed government in Kabul to end nearly 18 years of war .
Although the Taliban have refrained from attacking U.S. and NATO forces , militants continue to stage near daily attacks on Afghan security forces .
A major hurdle in launching intra-Afghan talks is the completion of prisoner exchanges .
Both the Afghan government and Taliban have suggested that direct talks may finally occur after the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha , provided the prisoner swap has been completed .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Taliban could begin `` in a week 's time , ” following a prisoner exchange .
`` To demonstrate the government 's commitment to peace , the Islamic Republic will soon complete the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners , '' Ghani said at the presidential palace .
Under the U.S.-Taliban deal , Kabul was to release around 5,000 Taliban in exchange for the militants freeing 1,000 government and military personnel .
To date , Kabul has freed about 4,000 militants and the Taliban nearly 800 government forces .
The Taliban have accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been released .
Ghani urged the Taliban to agree to a `` permanent and comprehensive cease-fire '' during any peace talks .
He said Taliban attacks have killed 3,560 government forces and wounded 6,781 others since the U.S.-Taliban deal was signed in February .
With reporting by AFP , AP , dpa , and Reuters

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


rferl--2020-07-28--U.K.-Australian Academic Moved To Notorious Iranian Prison

Australia 's government has warned Iranian authorities that they are responsible for the `` safety and well-being '' of a jailed British-Australian woman after she was moved to a prison outside Tehran .
Kylie Moore-Gilbert , a lecturer in Islamic Studies at Melbourne University , was jailed about two years ago and is serving a 10-year sentence on espionage charges , which she and Australia have rejected .
In a statement on July 28 , Australia 's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Iran had confirmed earlier reports from human rights activists that she had been moved from Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility , south of the Iranian capital .
The department said it was `` urgently seeking access '' to the academic , adding : `` Dr Moore-Gilbert 's case is one of the Australian government 's highest priorities , including for our embassy officials in Tehran.
” In the past , a number of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience have claimed they had been `` exiled '' to Qarchak prison as punishment for not `` cooperating '' with the authorities .
Conditions there have been described by former prisoners as abysmal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a cluster of coronavirus cases .
The Australian ambassador visited Moore-Gilbert at Evin prison recently and had been in telephone contact with her over the past months , according to Australia ’ s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade .
In letters smuggled out of the prison and published in British media in January , Moore-Gilbert wrote that she had rejected an offer to work with the intelligence branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) .
She said she had been held in an `` extremely restrictive detention ward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health .
With reporting by AFP and the BBC


rferl--2020-07-28--UN Demands Probe Into Kyrgyz Activist Askarov's Death In Custody

The United Nations has called for an independent investigation into the death of an ethnic-Uzbek rights defender , Azimjan Askarov , while in Kyrgyz custody .
Askarov , a 69-year-old human rights activist died in a Bishkek prison hospital on July 25 of what Kyrgyz officials described as pneumonia .
`` There should be a prompt , impartial , and effective investigation into his death , '' Elizabeth Throssel , a spokeswoman with the UN rights office , told journalists in Geneva on July 28 , adding that his family had the right to redress under international human rights law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent news websites , had been in prison for almost a decade after he was sentenced to life in prison for creating a mass disturbance and involvement in the murder of a police officer during deadly ethnic clashes between local Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in the southern cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad .He and his supporters rejected the charges saying they were politically motivated .
More than 450 people , mainly ethnic Uzbeks , were killed and tens of thousands more were displaced during the violence that erupted in June 2010 .
Throssel said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities in May to allow Askarov to leave prison since his health was frail , leaving him among the most-vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic .
She also reiterated a UN call for the Kyrgyz government to `` consider an early humanitarian release of the most vulnerable prisoners '' in light of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Authorities there , she stressed , had `` repeatedly and publicly expressed their commitment to international human rights norms and standards , which also include obligations to ensure the right to health and the right to life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in prison in the first place .
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights ( ODIHR ) and the European External Action Service ( EEAS ) have expressed their regrets over Askarov 's death , which came despite their numerous calls for his release on humanitarian grounds .
`` It is important that the circumstances of his death , and the conditions in which he was held in the final months of his life , are clarified . ''
the EEAS said .
`` Just two months ago , ODIHR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Supreme Court to uphold the life sentence imposed on Askarov in 2010 .
It is unfortunate that the Kyrgyz authorities did not use the opportunity open to them to restore justice . ''
ODIHR added in a statement .
In May , Human Rights Watch said Askarov suffered from cardiac and respiratory conditions and had not received `` appropriate medical attention in prison . ''
It also warned that he was at high risk of contracting COVID-19 , a disease that disproportionately affects older people and individuals with underlying illnesses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Askarov was arbitrarily detained , denied a fair trial , and tortured .
It ruled that the activist should be released immediately and his conviction quashed .
However , Askarov 's conviction was upheld by Kyrgyz courts after several appeals .
With reporting by AFP and Interfax

The United Nations has called for an independent investigation into the death of an ethnic-Uzbek rights defender, Azimjan Askarov, while in Kyrgyz custody.
Askarov, a 69-year-old human rights activist died in a Bishkek prison hospital on July 25 of what Kyrgyz officials described as pneumonia.
"There should be a prompt, impartial, and effective investigation into his death," Elizabeth Throssel, a spokeswoman with the UN rights office, told journalists in Geneva on July 28, adding that his family had the right to redress under international human rights law.
Askarov, who also contributed to independent news websites, had been in prison for almost a decade after he was sentenced to life in prison for creating a mass disturbance and involvement in the murder of a police officer during deadly ethnic clashes between local Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in the southern cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad .He and his supporters rejected the charges saying they were politically motivated.
More than 450 people, mainly ethnic Uzbeks, were killed and tens of thousands more were displaced during the violence that erupted in June 2010.
Throssel said the UN rights office had urged Kyrgyz authorities in May to allow Askarov to leave prison since his health was frail, leaving him among the most-vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also reiterated a UN call for the Kyrgyz government to "consider an early humanitarian release of the most vulnerable prisoners" in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Authorities there, she stressed, had "repeatedly and publicly expressed their commitment to international human rights norms and standards, which also include obligations to ensure the right to health and the right to life."
Throssel said Askarov should not have been in prison in the first place.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) have expressed their regrets over Askarov's death, which came despite their numerous calls for his release on humanitarian grounds.
"It is important that the circumstances of his death, and the conditions in which he was held in the final months of his life, are clarified." the EEAS said.
"Just two months ago, ODIHR voiced regret over the decision of Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court to uphold the life sentence imposed on Askarov in 2010. It is unfortunate that the Kyrgyz authorities did not use the opportunity open to them to restore justice." ODIHR added in a statement.
In May, Human Rights Watch said Askarov suffered from cardiac and respiratory conditions and had not received "appropriate medical attention in prison." It also warned that he was at high risk of contracting COVID-19, a disease that disproportionately affects older people and individuals with underlying illnesses.
The UN Human Rights Committee has found that Askarov was arbitrarily detained, denied a fair trial, and tortured. It ruled that the activist should be released immediately and his conviction quashed.
However, Askarov's conviction was upheld by Kyrgyz courts after several appeals.
With reporting by AFP and Interfax


rferl--2020-07-28--Kuchma Quits As Presidential Envoy In Group For Resolving Conflict In Ukraine

KYIV -- Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has left the post of presidential envoy in the trilateral contact group on resolving the ongoing conflict between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian armed forces in the country ’ s east .
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 's office said on July 28 that Kuchma had decided to end his activities in the group .
The office did not give any reasons for the decision .
Kuchma , who ran the country between 1994 and 2005 , served as Ukraine 's presidential envoy in the trilateral group consisting of representatives of Ukraine , Russia , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe ( OSCE ) from 2014 to 2018 .
On June 3 last year , days after Zelenskiy was inaugurated as Ukraine 's president , Kuchma returned to the group that has been involved in negotiations on a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine 's eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk , known jointly as the Donbas .
Some parts of the region have been under the control of Kremlin-backed separatists since April 2014 .
The armed conflict in Donbas started after Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine 's Crimea region in March 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow of armed support for the pro-Russian separatists .
Russia insists it has nothing to do with the conflict , saying that some `` volunteers '' from Russia may have gone to fight in the Donbas .

KYIV -- Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has left the post of presidential envoy in the trilateral contact group on resolving the ongoing conflict between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian armed forces in the country’s east.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office said on July 28 that Kuchma had decided to end his activities in the group. The office did not give any reasons for the decision.
Kuchma, who ran the country between 1994 and 2005, served as Ukraine's presidential envoy in the trilateral group consisting of representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) from 2014 to 2018.
On June 3 last year, days after Zelenskiy was inaugurated as Ukraine's president, Kuchma returned to the group that has been involved in negotiations on a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine's eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, known jointly as the Donbas. Some parts of the region have been under the control of Kremlin-backed separatists since April 2014.
The armed conflict in Donbas started after Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in March 2014. Kyiv and Western governments have accused Moscow of armed support for the pro-Russian separatists.
Russia insists it has nothing to do with the conflict, saying that some "volunteers" from Russia may have gone to fight in the Donbas.