rferl--2020-05-26--Afghan Government To Free 900 More Taliban Prisoners

KABUL -- The Afghan government plans to release 900 more Taliban prisoners on May 26 , as a cease-fire by the militants enters its third and final day .
The break in fighting , which came into effect on May 24 to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr , was for the most part holding out across the country , officials said .
The government earlier responded to the Taliban 's cease-fire offer by announcing plans to release up to 2,000 militant prisoners .
`` There is a decision to release 900 today , '' National Security Council spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that the precise number could vary subject to legal procedures .
If completed , it would be the biggest group of Taliban prisoners freed so far .
The 100 Taliban prisoners were released from Bagram , north of Kabul , on May 25 as `` a gesture of goodwill to advance peace efforts , including an extended cease-fire and the immediate start of direct talks '' with the militants , Faisal tweeted .
In February , the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement aimed at ending the longest military action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in return for security commitments from the Taliban .
It also stipulates that Kabul must free 5,000 Taliban prisoners , while the militants are to release 1,000 captives -- a move expected to lead to intra-Afghan negotiations .
President Ashraf Ghani said the government was also ready to hold peace talks with the Taliban , seen as key to ending a nearly two-decade-long war .
The latest release of Taliban prisoners brings to 1,100 the number of militants freed since early April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council told RFE/RL , while the militant group has freed 245 security personnel , civil servants , and other people it had been holding .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has welcomed the cease-fire but warned that the freed Taliban fighters should not return to the battlefield .
Afghanistan 's Human Rights Commission also cautioned the government against releasing Taliban militants who committed war crimes .
The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan , Zalmay Khalizad , described the cease-fire as `` a momentous opportunity '' to accelerate a stalled U.S.-Taliban peace process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow : the release of remaining prisoners as specified in the U.S.-Taliban agreement by both sides , no returning to high levels of violence , and an agreement on a new date for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations , '' Khalizad wrote on Twitter .
The prospect of direct talks between Kabul and the Taliban gained a boost on May 17 when Ghani and his political rival , Abdullah Abdullah , reached a power-sharing agreement nearly eight months after disputed elections that led to a parallel government and hampered efforts to broker a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 12,000 troops in Afghanistan .
Washington pays about $ 4 billion a year to maintain the Afghan military .
Taliban militants control about half of Afghanistan 's territory and have continued to carry out attacks since the deal was signed .
Afghan intelligence service spokesman Javid Faisal said on May 23 that at least 146 civilians were killed and 430 wounded in Taliban attacks during Ramadan .
With reporting by AFP and AP


rferl--2020-05-25--Kazakhstan Reforms Protest Law Amid Tough Criticism From Rights Groups

Kazakhstan has reformed laws on strictly controlled peaceful assembly that critics say fall short of international human rights standards and amount to window dressing .
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev signed legislation into law on May 25 that defines how many people can attend a demonstration , what venues are available for rallies , and what permission is needed to conduct such public events .
The new law also bans foreigners from joining protests or organizing them .
Kazakh and international human rights activists have repeatedly noted that the bill contradicts international standards and is replete with numerous restrictions and bureaucratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedures described in the bill actually require authorities to grant “ permission ” for a peaceful assembly and they have many reasons to refuse .
“ Despite some changes in procedures , the law leaves room for Kazakhstan ’ s authorities to continue to unjustifiably restrict people from exercising their right to peaceful protest , ” said Mihra Rittmann , Human Rights Watch researcher for Europe and Central Asia .
In April , Human Rights Watch and other rights groups wrote a letter to Toqaev urging him to reevaluate the public assembly law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards .
Adding to concerns about the process that led to the new law , parliament debated the bill while the country was under coronavirus restrictions that limited the ability of citizens to organize to express their opinions .
RFE/RL has reported that during the coronavirus lockdown authorities clamped down on and monitored civil rights activists critical of the revisions to the law on assembly .
Tokaev came to power in 2019 pledging reforms in the energy-rich Central Asian country following three decades of rule by his predecessor , Nursultan Nazarbaev .
Nazarbaev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including head of the country ’ s Security Council and ruling Nur Otan party .

Kazakhstan has reformed laws on strictly controlled peaceful assembly that critics say fall short of international human rights standards and amount to window dressing.
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev signed legislation into law on May 25 that defines how many people can attend a demonstration, what venues are available for rallies, and what permission is needed to conduct such public events.
The new law also bans foreigners from joining protests or organizing them.
Kazakh and international human rights activists have repeatedly noted that the bill contradicts international standards and is replete with numerous restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles.
According to experts, the procedures described in the bill actually require authorities to grant “permission” for a peaceful assembly and they have many reasons to refuse.
“Despite some changes in procedures, the law leaves room for Kazakhstan’s authorities to continue to unjustifiably restrict people from exercising their right to peaceful protest,” said Mihra Rittmann, Human Rights Watch researcher for Europe and Central Asia.
In April, Human Rights Watch and other rights groups wrote a letter to Toqaev urging him to reevaluate the public assembly law to bring it into line with international standards.
Adding to concerns about the process that led to the new law, parliament debated the bill while the country was under coronavirus restrictions that limited the ability of citizens to organize to express their opinions.
RFE/RL has reported that during the coronavirus lockdown authorities clamped down on and monitored civil rights activists critical of the revisions to the law on assembly.
Tokaev came to power in 2019 pledging reforms in the energy-rich Central Asian country following three decades of rule by his predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbaev.
Nazarbaev still maintains key positions of power, including head of the country’s Security Council and ruling Nur Otan party.


rferl--2020-05-25--Russia Demands Apology From Bloomberg Over Report About Putin's Low Trust Rating

Russia has demanded an apology from the Bloomberg news agency over a report it published about President Vladimir Putin 's low trust rating among Russians .
The Russian Embassy in Washington , D.C. , said in a post on Facebook that the article by Bloomberg , which cited a poll last month conducted by Russia 's main state-funded pollster , the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center ( VTsIOM ) , was `` written to promote fake graphs and create sustainable false visual images about the 'negative dynamics ' in Russia . ''
The report on Bloomberg noted that only 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published on April 27 , named Putin when asked to name a politician they they most trust .
The embassy , however , said that `` the editors of Bloomberg continue to show complete disrespect for its readers '' since the `` real level of trust '' is 67.9 percent , a number that refers to a second part of the poll that asked specifically whether the respondent trusted Putin .
Bloomberg has not commented publicly on the issue .
It 's not the first time VTsIOM 's polling on the issue has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irritation for the president .
In May 2019 , VTsIOM added the closed , yes-or-no question on whether respondents trusted Putin , a format that led to a huge jump in his rating .
Some critics questioned why the agency changed its methodology and accused VTsIOM of succumbing to pressure from the Kremlin .
VTsIOM General Director Valery Fedorov explained at the time that the change was made to give a more rounded picture of the public that would make the data `` more understandable to our audience and the journalistic community .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent Levada Center put support for Putin at 59 percent in April , down from 63 percent the previous month .
It was the lowest recorded approval rating for Putin since September 1999 .
A second Levada poll released the same day , however , found increased support for proposed constitutional amendments that would , among other things , enable Putin to seek two more presidential terms .
According to that poll , 47 percent of Russians favor the package of amendments , up from 40 percent in March .
Those who said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on the constitutional changes were even more likely to support them , with 58 percent saying they would vote `` yes . ''
Pollsters cautioned that the most recent polls were conducted by telephone rather than face-to-face because of coronavirus-related restrictions , which makes it difficult to compare the results .
In recent weeks , Moscow has lashed out at several Western outlets over their coverage of Russia ’ s response to the outbreak .
The Foreign Ministry on May 14 criticized the Financial Times and The New York Times after they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be much higher than officials were saying .
Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova complained about what she called “ disinformation ” by the two newspapers and said letters demanding a retraction would be passed on to both .
With reporting by RIA Novosti and AP

Russia has demanded an apology from the Bloomberg news agency over a report it published about President Vladimir Putin's low trust rating among Russians.
The Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., said in a post on Facebook that the article by Bloomberg, which cited a poll last month conducted by Russia's main state-funded pollster, the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), was "written to promote fake graphs and create sustainable false visual images about the 'negative dynamics' in Russia."
The report on Bloomberg noted that only 27 percent of respondents in the poll, published on April 27, named Putin when asked to name a politician they they most trust.
The embassy, however, said that "the editors of Bloomberg continue to show complete disrespect for its readers" since the "real level of trust" is 67.9 percent, a number that refers to a second part of the poll that asked specifically whether the respondent trusted Putin.
Bloomberg has not commented publicly on the issue.
It's not the first time VTsIOM's polling on the issue has been rumored to be a source of irritation for the president.
In May 2019, VTsIOM added the closed, yes-or-no question on whether respondents trusted Putin, a format that led to a huge jump in his rating.
Some critics questioned why the agency changed its methodology and accused VTsIOM of succumbing to pressure from the Kremlin.
VTsIOM General Director Valery Fedorov explained at the time that the change was made to give a more rounded picture of the public that would make the data "more understandable to our audience and the journalistic community."
A May 6 poll by the independent Levada Center put support for Putin at 59 percent in April, down from 63 percent the previous month. It was the lowest recorded approval rating for Putin since September 1999.
A second Levada poll released the same day, however, found increased support for proposed constitutional amendments that would, among other things, enable Putin to seek two more presidential terms.
According to that poll, 47 percent of Russians favor the package of amendments, up from 40 percent in March. Those who said they would definitely participate in the national vote on the constitutional changes were even more likely to support them, with 58 percent saying they would vote "yes."
Pollsters cautioned that the most recent polls were conducted by telephone rather than face-to-face because of coronavirus-related restrictions, which makes it difficult to compare the results.
In recent weeks, Moscow has lashed out at several Western outlets over their coverage of Russia’s response to the outbreak.
The Foreign Ministry on May 14 criticized the Financial Times and The New York Times after they reported that Russia's coronavirus death toll could be much higher than officials were saying.
Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova complained about what she called “disinformation” by the two newspapers and said letters demanding a retraction would be passed on to both.
With reporting by RIA Novosti and AP


rferl--2020-05-27--Russian Su-35 Jets Intercept U.S. Aircraft, Risk Midair Collision Over Mediterranean

Two Russian Su-35 fighter jets flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol aircraft over international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean , the U.S. Navy said .
The U.S. Navy ’ s 6th Fleet said the incident on May 26 lasted around 65 minutes , during which the Russian pilots simultaneously flew on each wing of the P-8A and restricted the aircraft 's ability to maneuver .
“ The unnecessary actions of the Russian Su-35 pilots were inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules , and jeopardized the safety of flight of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy-based fleet said .
“ Actions like these increase the potential for midair collisions , ” it added .
It was the third time in two months that Russian pilots unsafely intercepted P-8A reconnaissance aircraft over international waters in the Mediterranean .
On April 19 , the U.S. Navy said an Su-35 conducted a maneuver that left only 8 meters separation in front of the P-8A , exposing the U.S. aircraft to wake turbulence and jet exhaust .
In another interception on April 15 , an SU-35 conducted a high-speed inverted maneuver just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In all cases , the U.S. aircraft were operating in international airspace , consistent with international law , with due regard for safety of flight , and did not provoke this Russian activity , ” the U.S. Navy said .

Two Russian Su-35 fighter jets flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol aircraft over international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean, the U.S. Navy has said.
The U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet said the incident on May 26 lasted around 65 minutes, during which the Russian pilots simultaneously flew on each wing of the P-8A and restricted the aircraft's ability to maneuver.
"The unnecessary actions of the Russian Su-35 pilots were inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules, and jeopardized the safety of flight of both aircraft," the Naples, Italy-based fleet said.
"Actions like these increase the potential for midair collisions," it added.
It was the third time in two months that Russian pilots unsafely intercepted P-8A reconnaissance aircraft over international waters in the Mediterranean.
On April 19, the U.S. Navy said an Su-35 conducted a maneuver that left only 8 meters separation in front of the P-8A, exposing the U.S. aircraft to wake turbulence and jet exhaust.
In another interception on April 15, an SU-35 conducted a high-speed inverted maneuver just meters from the reconnaissance plane.
"In all cases, the U.S. aircraft were operating in international airspace, consistent with international law, with due regard for safety of flight, and did not provoke this Russian activity," the U.S. Navy said.


rferl--2020-05-26--Ukraine Court Finds Lviv Student Guilty Of Torching RFE/RL Reporter’s Car

A Ukrainian court has found a university student guilty of torching an RFE/RL reporter ’ s car , a decision that the news agency 's president said brings prosecutors closer to apprehending the organizers of the premeditated crime .
A court in the western city of Lviv on May 25 handed down a suspended five-year sentence with a three-year probation period to Yakob Sarakhman for setting Halyna Tereshchuk ’ s car ablaze on the night of January 30 .
The 19-year-old university student admitted his guilt to the court and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors , Tereshchuk ’ s lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided a motive for the crime , but many reporters in Ukraine have been attacked , and even killed , over the years due to their investigative work .
Ukraine ranked 96 out of 180 countries in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index .
“ The conviction is an important first step in holding accountable the perpetrators of this hateful crime .
The arson attack not only targeted an RFE/RL colleague , and terrorized her family , but it was a worrisome attempt to intimidate independent journalism in Ukraine , ” RFE/RL President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I call on the Ukrainian authorities to identify and prosecute those who ordered the attack in addition to the individual who carried it out.
” Police have named two other suspects in the arson : Mikhailo Cherdak , a local police official , and Vadim Dmitrenko , an unemployed individual with a criminal record .
Cherdak is in hiding and his whereabouts are unknown while Dmitrenko is under house arrest .

A Ukrainian court has found a university student guilty of torching an RFE/RL reporter's car, a decision that the media organization's president said brings prosecutors closer to apprehending the organizers of the premeditated crime.
A court in the western city of Lviv on May 25 handed down a suspended five-year sentence with a three-year probation period to Yakob Sarakhman for setting Halyna Tereshchuk's car ablaze on the night of January 30.
The 19-year-old university student admitted his guilt to the court and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, Tereshchuk's lawyer, Oleh Mytsyk, said.
Police have not provided a motive for the crime, but many reporters in Ukraine have been attacked, and even killed, over the years due to their investigative work. Ukraine ranked 96th out of 180 countries in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index.
"The conviction is an important first step in holding accountable the perpetrators of this hateful crime. The arson attack not only targeted an RFE/RL colleague, and terrorized her family, but it was a worrisome attempt to intimidate independent journalism in Ukraine," RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said in a statement.
"I call on the Ukrainian authorities to identify and prosecute those who ordered the attack in addition to the individual who carried it out."
Police have named two other suspects in the arson attack: Mykhaylo Cherdak, a local police official, and Vadym Dmytrenko, an unemployed individual with a criminal record.
Cherdak is in hiding and his whereabouts unknown, while Dmytrenko is under house arrest.


rferl--2020-05-26--Trump Says U.S. Has 'No Target' Date To Pull Troops From Afghanistan

U.S. President Donald Trump says he has not set a target date for a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan , where a fragile U.S.-Taliban peace process has gained renewed momentum in recent days .
The president ’ s comments on May 26 come amid speculation he may make ending America ’ s longest war a campaign issue ahead of November ’ s election .
`` We 're there 19 years and , yeah , I think that 's enough ... We can always go back if we want to , '' Trump told a White House news conference .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as reasonable.
” The United States and the Taliban signed an agreement in February that lays out a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in return for security commitments from the Taliban .
But before reaching that final stage , the deal sets out an ambitious goal of reducing violence , a mutual prisoner exchange between the Afghan government , and intra-Afghan negotiations .
The Afghan government freed 900 more Taliban prisoners May 26 , as a three-day cease-fire with the militants drew to an end at midnight .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect on May 24 to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr , was for the most part holding out across the country , officials said .
On May 25 , authorities freed 100 prisoners from Bagram , north of Kabul .
`` We hope that the cease-fire will be extended , so that the process of prisoners ' release can move on smoothly and also we would be able to start the face to face intra-Afghan talks sooner , '' Afghan National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal said on May 26 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 900 prisoners as `` good progress '' and said the group would in turn free a `` remarkable number '' of prisoners soon .
However , he said nothing about extending the cease-fire , which was to expire at midnight local time .
Earlier , a senior Taliban figure was quoted as saying the group is considering an extension of the cease-fire “ if these developments , like the announcement of prisoner release , continues . ''
The U.S.-Taliban deal stipulates that Kabul free 5,000 Taliban prisoners , while the militants are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to lead to intra-Afghan negotiations .
After the Eid prisoner releases , the Afghan government says 2,000 Taliban militants have been freed .
The militant group has freed 245 security personnel , civil servants , and other people it had been holding .
President Ashraf Ghani said the government was also ready to hold peace talks with the Taliban , seen as key to ending a nearly two-decade-long war .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has welcomed the cease-fire but warned that the freed Taliban fighters should not return to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also cautioned the government against releasing Taliban militants who committed war crimes .
The prospect of direct talks between Kabul and the Taliban gained a boost on May 17 when Ghani and his political rival , Abdullah Abdullah , reached a power-sharing agreement nearly eight months after disputed elections that led to a parallel government and hampered efforts to broker a peace deal .
The United States has about 12,000 troops in Afghanistan .
Washington also pays about $ 4 billion a year to maintain Afghan security forces .
Taliban militants control about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to carry out attacks since the U.S.-Taliban deal was signed .
The Afghan government says at least 146 civilians were killed and 430 wounded in Taliban attacks during the Muslim holy month Ramadan , running from April 23 to May 23 .

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--2020-05-26--HRW: Russia's Proposed 'Uniform Federal Database' Would Threaten Right To Privacy

A proposed new law to create a `` uniform federal database '' in Russia infringes on the right to privacy and weakens protection of personal data for the country 's entire population , Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) says .
The lower house of parliament , the State Duma , adopted the draft law on May 21 .
The legislation is to enter into force after it is endorsed by the upper chamber , the Federation Council , and President Vladimir Putin .
Backers of the bill say it aims at ensuring reliability and consistency of data countrywide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Central Asia at HRW , said in a statement on May 26 that the proposed database `` runs contrary to the data protection principles enshrined both in national legislation and international agreements Russia is a party to . ''
`` The uniform database concept allows the government to store excessive amounts of data indefinitely as well as share it with governmental agencies without a person ’ s explicit consent , '' Zlobina said .
Such a database would also jeopardize `` security of personal data , gathering it all in one place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , '' she added .
According to Zlobina , the federal database would contain personal data of everyone living in Russia , including birth certificates , passport details , marital status , education , residence permits abroad , employment , and taxpayer information .
It would be run by the Federal Tax Service but other government agencies would feed into it , and the data could be shared with law enforcement , such as courts and prosecutors .
Russian laws currently prohibit merging databases collected for different purposes and forbids excessive collection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything collected must be directly related to what the data will be used for , '' Zlobina said , adding that these principles are enshrined in the Council of Europe 's Convention 108 for the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data , which Russia is a party of .

A proposed new law to create a "uniform federal database" in Russia infringes on the right to privacy and weakens protection of personal data for the country's entire population, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.
The lower house of parliament, the State Duma, adopted the draft law on May 21. The legislation is to enter into force after it is endorsed by the upper chamber, the Federation Council, and President Vladimir Putin.
Backers of the bill say it aims at ensuring reliability and consistency of data countrywide, but Anastasia Zlobina, coordinator for Europe and Central Asia at HRW, said in a statement on May 26 that the proposed database "runs contrary to the data protection principles enshrined both in national legislation and international agreements Russia is a party to."
"The uniform database concept allows the government to store excessive amounts of data indefinitely as well as share it with governmental agencies without a person’s explicit consent," Zlobina said.
Such a database would also jeopardize "security of personal data, gathering it all in one place rather than storing it in a decentralized way," she added.
According to Zlobina, the federal database would contain personal data of everyone living in Russia, including birth certificates, passport details, marital status, education, residence permits abroad, employment, and taxpayer information.
It would be run by the Federal Tax Service but other government agencies would feed into it, and the data could be shared with law enforcement, such as courts and prosecutors.
Russian laws currently prohibit merging databases collected for different purposes and forbids excessive collection and storage of data -- "meaning anything collected must be directly related to what the data will be used for," Zlobina said, adding that these principles are enshrined in the Council of Europe's Convention 108 for the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, which Russia is a party of.


rferl--2020-05-26--OSCE Members Blast Russia's Lack Of Response To Rights Violations In Chechnya

The United States , Canada , and 14 European states say Russia has failed to respond to serious human rights violations and abuses in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya , where a `` climate of impunity '' continues to prevail against human rights defenders , journalists , and members of the lesbian , gay , bisexual , and transgender ( LGBT ) community .
The joint statement was delivered to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) on May 26 , 17 months after a fact-finding report presented at the OSCE said the authorities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , extrajudicial executions , and other `` very serious '' human rights violations and abuses .
The victims included members of the LGBT community , human rights defenders , lawyers , independent media , and civil society organizations , according to the 2018 report .
`` Seventeen months have passed since this report was issued .
However , there has been no constructive response to the report or its recommendations from the Russian federal authorities , '' the joint statement said , calling the situation in Chechnya `` deeply worrying . ''
Ramzan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fist since he was installed as the region 's leader by President Vladimir Putin in 2007 .
`` We will continue to raise our concerns with regard to the numerous credible allegations of ongoing serious human rights violations and abuses in Chechnya until we receive a substantive response from the Russian Federation and observe tangible progress in the region , '' the statement said .
Besides the United States and Canada , the signatories included Belgium , Britain , Denmark , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Iceland , Ireland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norway , and Sweden .
The report on human rights violations in Chechnya was the result of the invocation in November 2018 by the 16 OSCE member states of a diplomatic tool known as the Moscow Mechanism .
The mechanism allows for an investigation to be launched without consensus and independently of the OSCE chairmanship , institutions , and decision-making bodies if one member state , supported by at least nine others , `` considers that a particularly serious threat to the fulfillment of the provisions of the [ OSCE ] human dimension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

The United States, Canada, and 14 European states say Russia has failed to respond to serious human rights violations and abuses in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya, where a "climate of impunity" continues to prevail against human rights defenders, journalists, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
The joint statement was delivered to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on May 26, 17 months after a fact-finding report presented at the OSCE said the authorities in Chechnya had committed torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and other "very serious" human rights violations and abuses.
The victims included members of the LGBT community, human rights defenders, lawyers, independent media, and civil society organizations, according to the 2018 report.
"Seventeen months have passed since this report was issued. However, there has been no constructive response to the report or its recommendations from the Russian federal authorities," the joint statement said, calling the situation in Chechnya "deeply worrying."
Ramzan Kadyrov has ruled Chechnya with an iron fist since he was installed as the region's leader by President Vladimir Putin in 2007.
"We will continue to raise our concerns with regard to the numerous credible allegations of ongoing serious human rights violations and abuses in Chechnya until we receive a substantive response from the Russian Federation and observe tangible progress in the region," the statement said.
Besides the United States and Canada, the signatories included Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
The report on human rights violations in Chechnya was the result of the invocation in November 2018 by the 16 OSCE member states of a diplomatic tool known as the Moscow Mechanism.
The mechanism allows for an investigation to be launched without consensus and independently of the OSCE chairmanship, institutions, and decision-making bodies if one member state, supported by at least nine others, "considers that a particularly serious threat to the fulfillment of the provisions of the [OSCE] human dimension has arisen in another participating state."


rferl--2020-05-26--COVID-19: Russia Says CSTO Should Focus On Biosecurity; Georgia Marks Subdued Independence Day

The global death toll from the coronavirus is almost 350,000 with more than 5.4 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization ( CSTO ) -- Armenia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , and Tajikistan -- should beef up their capacity to repel biosecurity threats such as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Speaking after an online conference with his CSTO counterparts on May 26 , Lavrov said the five countries had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight against the coronavirus outbreak that `` fully reflects the principled and consistent position of our organization.
” Lavrov also said that Russia and other CSTO members will react `` without hysteria '' to a recent U.S. decision to withdraw from the Open Skies treaty because of what it says are violations of the agreement by Russia .
`` Our approach to the situation will be very balanced and we will analyze it , relying primarily on our national interests and on the interests of our allies , including first of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the framework of this agreement , together with us forms one group of countries , '' Lavrov said .
Washington said it was withdrawing from the Open Skies agreement because of violations by Russia , mainly blocking the United States from conducting flights over the Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and near Georgia , which are permitted by the agreement .
The treaty aims to increase international stability by allowing the 35 signatories to conduct surveillance flights over one another 's territories to observe military installations and other objects .
Lavrov also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two CSTO member states , Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan , was also discussed at the conference .
Russia is `` ready to provide mediator services to the two countries , '' Lavrov said , calling on Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to avoid using force in solving the border-related problems .
Some border sections between former Soviet republics in Central Asia have been disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 .
The latest incident along the Tajik-Kyrgyz border took place on May 24 , when border guards opened fire .
Dushanbe and Bishkek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Georgia has marked its Independence Day without public events due to restrictive measures imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia marked the day when the Act of Independence was adopted in 1918 by the First Democratic Republic of Georgia by visiting the Vaziani military base near Tbilisi , where he congratulated all the citizens of the South Caucasus nation , including residents of two breakaway regions , Abkhazia and South Ossetia .
`` Today we are all combating a global pandemic together .
We all must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , together with all our citizens , made to the successful management of the pandemic .
Now , Georgia can say that we were able to localize the risk and manage the situation effectively , '' Gakharia said .
The First Democratic Republic of Georgia ended after communist forces took over the country in February 1921 .
Georgia regained its independence after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Georgian Service , TASS , and Interfax

The global death toll from the coronavirus is almost 350,000 with more than 5.4 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) -- Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan -- should beef up their capacity to repel biosecurity threats such as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking after an online conference with his CSTO counterparts on May 26, Lavrov said the five countries had agreed to develop further mutual assistance in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak that "fully reflects the principled and consistent position of our organization.”
Lavrov also said that Russia and other CSTO members will react "without hysteria" to a recent U.S. decision to withdraw from the Open Skies treaty because of what it says are violations of the agreement by Russia.
"Our approach to the situation will be very balanced and we will analyze it, relying primarily on our national interests and on the interests of our allies, including first of all the Republic of Belarus, which, within the framework of this agreement, together with us forms one group of countries," Lavrov said.
Washington said it was withdrawing from the Open Skies agreement because of violations by Russia, mainly blocking the United States from conducting flights over the Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and near Georgia, which are permitted by the agreement.
The treaty aims to increase international stability by allowing the 35 signatories to conduct surveillance flights over one another's territories to observe military installations and other objects.
Lavrov also said the issue of border problems between two CSTO member states, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, was also discussed at the conference.
Russia is "ready to provide mediator services to the two countries," Lavrov said, calling on Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to avoid using force in solving the border-related problems.
Some border sections between former Soviet republics in Central Asia have been disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The latest incident along the Tajik-Kyrgyz border took place on May 24, when border guards opened fire. Dushanbe and Bishkek accused each other of escalating the tensions.
Georgia
Georgia has marked its Independence Day without public events due to restrictive measures imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia marked the day when the Act of Independence was adopted in 1918 by the First Democratic Republic of Georgia by visiting the Vaziani military base near Tbilisi, where he congratulated all the citizens of the South Caucasus nation, including residents of two breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
"Today we are all combating a global pandemic together. We all must remember the contribution that the Georgian Army, together with all our citizens, made to the successful management of the pandemic. Now, Georgia can say that we were able to localize the risk and manage the situation effectively," Gakharia said.
The First Democratic Republic of Georgia ended after communist forces took over the country in February 1921.
Georgia regained its independence after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Georgian Service, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-05-26--U.S. Accuses Russia Of Sending Jets To Libya To Support Mercenaries

The United States says Moscow has deployed military jets to Libya to provide support for Russian mercenaries helping a local warlord battle the North African country 's internationally recognized government .
The Russian military aircraft flew to Libya via Syria , where they were repainted to disguise their identity , the U.S. Africa Command said in a statement on May 26 .
`` For too long , Russia has denied the full extent of its involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict .
Well , there is no denying it now .
We watched as Russia flew fourth-generation jet fighters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend , commander of AFRICOM .
AFRICOM said the Russian jets had arrived in Libya recently .
It did not say how many aircraft were transferred .
Vagner Group , a private military contractor believed to be close to the Kremlin , has been helping Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar 's forces in their fight against the Government of National Accord ( GNA ) .
A UN report earlier this month estimated the number of Russian mercenaries at between 800 and 1,200 .
Moscow has denied the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was no immediate comment from Russia 's Defense Ministry following the latest U.S. accusations .
But Andrei Krasov , deputy head of the Defense Committee in the lower house of Russia 's parliament , the State Duma , rejected the U.S. claim as `` disinformation , '' according to the Interfax news agency .
The United States posted 15 photographs of what it said were the Russian jets in Libya .
Townsend said that neither Haftar 's Libyan National Army ( LNA ) nor Vagner had the ability to operate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Russia is clearly trying to tip the scales in its favor in Libya , '' he said .
Oil-rich Libya has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the country ’ s longtime dictator , Muammar Qaddafi , in 2011 .
Haftar , who controls the eastern part of the country , is now seeking to capture the capital , Tripoli , and his LNA is battling GNA forces .
The conflict has drawn in multiple regional actors , with Russia , France , Egypt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emirates backing Haftar 's command .
Turkey , which deployed troops , drones , and Syrian rebel mercenaries to Libya in January , supports the government in Tripoli , alongside Qatar and Italy .
In a phone call with Libyan parliament speaker Aguila Saleh on May 26 , Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that `` there needs to be a constructive dialogue involving all the Libyan political forces '' and `` an immediate cease-fire , '' according to Russia 's Foreign Ministry .
Haftar and the GNA have held several rounds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , and Germany , but they have failed to reach an agreement to end the fighting .
U.S. Air Force General Jeff Harrigian said that if Russia seized bases on Libya 's coast , it could potentially deploy permanent capabilities to deny area access .
`` If that day comes , it will create very real security concerns on Europe 's southern flank , '' he said .

The United States says Moscow has deployed military jets to Libya to provide support for Russian mercenaries helping a local warlord battle the North African country's internationally recognized government.
The Russian military aircraft flew to Libya via Syria, where they were repainted to disguise their identity, the U.S. Africa Command said in a statement on May 26.
"For too long, Russia has denied the full extent of its involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict. Well, there is no denying it now. We watched as Russia flew fourth-generation jet fighters to Libya -- every step of the way," said U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend, commander of AFRICOM.
AFRICOM said the Russian jets had arrived in Libya recently. It did not say how many aircraft were transferred.
Vagner Group, a private military contractor believed to be close to the Kremlin, has been helping Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar's forces in their fight against the Government of National Accord (GNA). A UN report earlier this month estimated the number of Russian mercenaries at between 800 and 1,200.
Moscow has denied the Russian state is responsible for any deployments.
There was no immediate comment from Russia's Defense Ministry following the latest U.S. accusations.
But Andrei Krasov, deputy head of the Defense Committee in the lower house of Russia's parliament, the State Duma, rejected the U.S. claim as "disinformation," according to the Interfax news agency.
The United States posted 15 photographs of what it said were the Russian jets in Libya.
Townsend said that neither Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) nor Vagner had the ability to operate and finance the jets without Russian government support.
"Russia is clearly trying to tip the scales in its favor in Libya," he said.
Oil-rich Libya has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the country’s longtime dictator, Muammar Qaddafi, in 2011.
Haftar, who controls the eastern part of the country, is now seeking to capture the capital, Tripoli, and his LNA is battling GNA forces.
The conflict has drawn in multiple regional actors, with Russia, France, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates backing Haftar's command.
Turkey, which deployed troops, drones, and Syrian rebel mercenaries to Libya in January, supports the government in Tripoli, alongside Qatar and Italy.
In a phone call with Libyan parliament speaker Aguila Saleh on May 26, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "there needs to be a constructive dialogue involving all the Libyan political forces" and "an immediate cease-fire," according to Russia's Foreign Ministry.
Haftar and the GNA have held several rounds of peace talks in France, Italy, Russia, and Germany, but they have failed to reach an agreement to end the fighting.
U.S. Air Force General Jeff Harrigian said that if Russia seized bases on Libya's coast, it could potentially deploy permanent capabilities to deny area access.
"If that day comes, it will create very real security concerns on Europe's southern flank," he said.


rferl--2020-05-26--Khamenei Representative Apologizes After Plastic Bullets Fired At Iranian Protesters

The representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the southwestern province of Khuzestan has visited some of the people who were wounded by security forces during a protest over a lack of drinking water last week .
In a video published by the semiofficial Fars news agency on May 25 , Seyed Abdolnabi Mousavifard is seen in the home of a young man who had one leg badly injured by plastic bullets during the rally two days earlier .
`` I 'm here to apologize to this young man , '' Mousavifard is seen saying in the video .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leg have been widely circulated on social media .
He was among residents of the Gheizaniyeh district who had gathered in front of the local governor 's office on May 23 and blocked a road to protest against their drinking water being cut off .
Security forces fired tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse the crowd .
Police claimed the protesters had attacked the police with stones and sticks .
It was unclear how many people were wounded in the violence .
President Hassan Rohani on May 25 instructed the energy minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take immediate measures to resolve the problem with drinking water in the district .
Khuzestan Governor Gholamreza Shariati also apologized to residents and promised to resolve their water issue within two weeks .
Water shortages are a chronic problem in Gheizanieh , a district with a population of more than 25,000 people , as well as in many other areas of the province .
Khuzestan , home to an ethnic Arab minority , holds around 80 percent of Iran 's onshore oil reserves .
It also has a wealth of rivers and water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of drinking water , and poverty in many areas .
Khuzestan is currently one of the hot spots of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran , where the virus has officially infected more than 139,500 people and killed over 7,500 people .
Five days of protests shook Iranian cities and towns in November following a government announcement about a fuel-price hike .
At least 304 men , women , and children were killed during the `` ruthless '' crackdown on the protests by security forces , according to Amnesty International .
Thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many were subjected to `` enforced disappearance , torture , and other ill-treatment , and unfair trials , '' the London-based human rights watchdog said .
U.S. sanctions have targeted Iran ’ s oil industry and other sectors , depriving Tehran of much-needed cash .

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--2020-05-26--Putin Sets Date For Delayed World War II Victory Parade

Russia will hold a military parade next month to mark the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II even as the country continues to report thousands of new coronavirus infections each day .
President Vladimir Putin set the new date for June 24 and ordered Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to begin preparations .
`` Risks for all its participants should be minimized , and better , eliminated , '' Putin told Shoigu during a virtual government meeting on May 26 .
Russia traditionally holds the annual parade on May 9 -- known inside the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebration that includes dozens of military vehicles passing through the center of Moscow as thousands of spectators crowd along the streets to watch .
However , Putin announced in April he would postpone the parade until a later date as the country struggled to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus .
His April decision came a day after veterans groups urged the Kremlin to call off the event over health and safety concerns .
Though Russia has experienced a drop in new coronavirus cases , the number remains elevated .
Russia reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing the national tally to more than 362,000 , the third-largest globally .
Russian authorities say the large number of infections reflects a massive national testing program .
Officials said the same day that 174 people had died over the previous 24 hours , a record one-day number of fatalities , bringing the overall death toll to 3,807 .
The new June 24 parade date falls on the same day 75 years ago when Soviet troops paraded on Red Square to mark the Nazis ' defeat .
Putin also said during the May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens holding portraits of their relatives who took part in World War II -- known in Russia as the Immortal Regiment -- as well as the traditional naval-forces parade will take place on July 26 .
Those events had also been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic .
After Putin announced the new date , Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev and Moldovan President Igor Dodon said they would attend the military parade on Red Square .
With reporting by Dozhd , TASS , RIA Novosti , and Reuters

Russia will hold a military parade next month to mark the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II even as the country continues to report thousands of new coronavirus infections each day.
President Vladimir Putin set the new date for June 24 and ordered Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to begin preparations.
"Risks for all its participants should be minimized, and better, eliminated," Putin told Shoigu during a virtual government meeting on May 26.
Russia traditionally holds the annual parade on May 9 -- known inside the country as Victory Day -- with a grand celebration that includes dozens of military vehicles passing through the center of Moscow as thousands of spectators crowd along the streets to watch.
However, Putin announced in April he would postpone the parade until a later date as the country struggled to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
His April decision came a day after veterans groups urged the Kremlin to call off the event over health and safety concerns.
Though Russia has experienced a drop in new coronavirus cases, the number remains elevated. Russia reported another 8,915 cases on May 26, bringing the national tally to more than 362,000, the third-largest globally.
Russian authorities say the large number of infections reflects a massive national testing program.
Officials said the same day that 174 people had died over the previous 24 hours, a record one-day number of fatalities, bringing the overall death toll to 3,807.
The new June 24 parade date falls on the same day 75 years ago when Soviet troops paraded on Red Square to mark the Nazis' defeat.
Putin also said during the May 26 government meeting that the march of citizens holding portraits of their relatives who took part in World War II -- known in Russia as the Immortal Regiment -- as well as the traditional naval-forces parade will take place on July 26.
Those events had also been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After Putin announced the new date, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev and Moldovan President Igor Dodon said they would attend the military parade on Red Square.
With reporting by Dozhd, TASS, RIA Novosti, and Reuters


rferl--2020-05-26--European Court Says Azerbaijan Wrong To Release Man Who Killed Armenian

The European Court of Human Rights ( ECHR ) says Azerbaijan was wrong to release a man convicted of killing an Armenian national while the two were on a NATO training course in Hungary .
The Strasbourg-based court said on May 26 in a 6-1 vote that there had been no justification for the Azerbaijani authorities ' failure to enforce the punishment of Ramil Safarov `` and to in effect grant him impunity for a serious hate crime '' following his conviction in Hungary for the 2004 murder of Gurgen Margarian .
Safarov was sentenced to life in prison in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armenian military officer to death with an ax during a NATO Partnership for Peace training mission .
Safarov admitted to the murder , saying Margarian had urinated on an Azerbaijani flag and otherwise `` insulted '' his country .
However , in 2012 Hungary extradited Safarov back to Azerbaijan to complete his sentence .
Upon his arrival , he was promptly pardoned by President Ilham Aliyev , freed from his sentence , and given a hero 's welcome .
His back salary was paid and he was given an apartment .
Relatives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case to the ECHR for justice , not compensation .
There were hoping the court would rule against Hungary for the extradition of Safarov and Azerbaijan for its release of the convicted murderer .
In its ruling , the ECHR said it `` found that there had been no justification for the Azerbaijani authorities ' failure to enforce the punishment of R.S .
[ Ramil Safarov ] and to in effect grant him impunity for a serious hate crime . ''
`` Moreover , the applicants had provided sufficient evidence to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures in his favor had been ethnically motivated , namely statements by high-ranking officials expressing their support for his conduct , and in particular the fact that it had been directed against Armenian soldiers , and a specially dedicated page to R.S .
on the president of Azerbaijan 's website , '' it added .
The court said that while Azerbaijan had `` clearly endorsed '' Safarov 's actions , the ECHR stopped short of holding the country responsible for what it called `` a private decision '' that was `` so flagrantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status of a military officer '' that the country could not be responsible just because he was a state agent .
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a bloody war in the 1990s over the ethnic Armenian territory of Nagorno-Karabakh , with a shaky Russia-brokered cease-fire the only guarantee of peace since 1994 .
Russia , the United States , and France are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , which acts as a mediator in resolving the crisis .
The group has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solution to the situation .
The court exonerated Hungary in its ruling , saying courts there had handed down `` well-reasoned '' decisions , while the extradition `` followed to the letter the procedure set out in the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons . ''
The court held , unanimously , that Azerbaijan was to pay the applicants , jointly , 15,143.33 British pounds in respect of costs and expenses for the case .

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) says Azerbaijan was wrong to release a man convicted of killing an Armenian national while the two were on a NATO training course in Hungary.
The Strasbourg-based court said on May 26 in a 6-1 vote that there had been no justification for the Azerbaijani authorities' failure to enforce the punishment of Ramil Safarov "and to in effect grant him impunity for a serious hate crime" following his conviction in Hungary for the 2004 murder of Gurgen Margarian.
Safarov was sentenced to life in prison in a 2006 trial for hacking the sleeping Armenian military officer to death with an ax during a NATO Partnership for Peace training mission.
Safarov admitted to the murder, saying Margarian had urinated on an Azerbaijani flag and otherwise "insulted" his country.
However, in 2012 Hungary extradited Safarov back to Azerbaijan to complete his sentence. Upon his arrival, he was promptly pardoned by President Ilham Aliyev, freed from his sentence, and given a hero's welcome. His back salary was paid and he was given an apartment.
Relatives of the murdered Armenian officer said they took the case to the ECHR for justice, not compensation. There were hoping the court would rule against Hungary for the extradition of Safarov and Azerbaijan for its release of the convicted murderer.
In its ruling, the ECHR said it "found that there had been no justification for the Azerbaijani authorities' failure to enforce the punishment of R.S. [Ramil Safarov] and to in effect grant him impunity for a serious hate crime."
"Moreover, the applicants had provided sufficient evidence to show that R.S.'s pardon and other measures in his favor had been ethnically motivated, namely statements by high-ranking officials expressing their support for his conduct, and in particular the fact that it had been directed against Armenian soldiers, and a specially dedicated page to R.S. on the president of Azerbaijan's website," it added.
The court said that while Azerbaijan had "clearly endorsed" Safarov's actions, the ECHR stopped short of holding the country responsible for what it called "a private decision" that was "so flagrantly abusive and far removed from the official status of a military officer" that the country could not be responsible just because he was a state agent.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a bloody war in the 1990s over the ethnic Armenian territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, with a shaky Russia-brokered cease-fire the only guarantee of peace since 1994.
Russia, the United States, and France are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which acts as a mediator in resolving the crisis. The group has been struggling for years to mediate a solution to the situation.
The court exonerated Hungary in its ruling, saying courts there had handed down "well-reasoned" decisions, while the extradition "followed to the letter the procedure set out in the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons."
The court held, unanimously, that Azerbaijan was to pay the applicants, jointly, 15,143.33 British pounds in respect of costs and expenses for the case.


rferl--2020-05-27--As Deadline Passes, Afghan Cease-Fire Appears To Be Holding

KABUL -- Even though calls for the Taliban to prolong a cease-fire with the Afghan government have gone unanswered so far , there have been no signs of renewed fighting and the militants say they will release more prisoners .
A Taliban-declared three-day lull in fighting , which ended on May 26 , provided a rare break from the violence , prompting the government to call on the militants to extend the cease-fire so long-delayed peace talks could begin .
Amid the cease-fire , Afghan authorities released some 1,000 Taliban prisoners -- part of a pledge by the government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Taliban 's cease-fire move .
A senior member of the Taliban on May 27 told the AFP news agency that the militants were planning to free about 50 to 100 Afghan security force members as early as May 28 .
The Afghan government has also called on the Taliban to extend the cease-fire .
`` If the Taliban are ready to extend the cease-fire , we are ready to continue the cease-fire too , '' National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal said on May 27 , adding that the future of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next move . ''
Earlier , a senior Taliban figure was quoted as saying the group was considering an extension of the cease-fire “ if these developments , like the announcement of prisoner release , continue . ''
The prisoner exchange is part of a February 29 U.S.-Taliban agreement that did not include the Afghan government .
Under the deal , Washington agreed to pull its troops out of the country in exchange for security guarantees .
On May 26 , U.S. President Donald Trump said he had not set a target date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid speculation he may make ending the United States ' longest war a campaign issue ahead of November 's presidential election .
`` We 're there 19 years and , yeah , I think that 's enough ... .
We can always go back if we want to , '' Trump told a White House news conference .
`` I have no target .
But as soon as reasonable.
” U.S. troops are in Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations .
A few thousand U.S. troops cooperate with 16,500-strong NATO-led force to train , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A key point of the February deal between the Taliban and the United States involved a U.S. commitment to reduce its military presence in Afghanistan from about 13,000 to 8,600 by mid-July in a first stage , before a complete withdrawal by May next year .
But U.S. and NATO officials speaking on condition of anonymity have said U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan is down to nearly 8,600 , well ahead of schedule , in part because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus .
Trump said there were `` 7,000-some-odd '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarified that number was slightly over 8,600 troops .
Washington also pays about $ 4 billion a year to maintain the Afghan security force .
With reporting by Reuters , AFP , AP , and dpa


rferl--2020-05-27--COVID-19: Moscow Offers Free Antibodies Tests For Residents

The global death toll from the coronavirus is almost 350,000 with more than 5.4 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Medical institutions in Moscow have begun conducting free tests to gather information on the presence of coronavirus antibodies in the Russian capital 's residents .
Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said on May 27 that Muscovites could now register electronically at hospitals close to their homes to get tested for the presence of antibodies .
`` The appointments will be made 14 days prior [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test results will be available in three days for everyone online on their electronic medical chart , '' Rakova said , adding that Moscow 's hospitals were capable of collecting 5,000 samples per day .
Rakova 's announcement comes after officials said the total number of coronavirus cases in the country had decreased for a second day in a row .
In the last 24 hours , 8,338 new cases of coronavirus infection have been identified , official statistics show , and 11,079 people had recovered from the virus .
Russia has recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,968 deaths , including 161 in the last 24 hours .
Russia 's official statistics have been challenged by some researchers , who say they may be incomplete , inaccurate , and even partially falsified , which the authorities have denied .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax

The global death toll from the coronavirus is almost 350,000 with more than 5.4 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Russia
Medical institutions in Moscow have begun conducting free tests to gather information on the presence of coronavirus antibodies in the Russian capital's residents.
Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said on May 27 that Muscovites could now register electronically at hospitals close to their homes to get tested for the presence of antibodies.
"The appointments will be made 14 days prior [to the tests].... The test results will be available in three days for everyone online on their electronic medical chart," Rakova said, adding that Moscow's hospitals were capable of collecting 5,000 samples per day.
Rakova's announcement comes after officials said the total number of coronavirus cases in the country had decreased for a second day in a row.
In the last 24 hours, 8,338 new cases of coronavirus infection have been identified, official statistics show, and 11,079 people had recovered from the virus.
Russia has recorded 370,680 cases of the infection, with 3,968 deaths, including 161 in the last 24 hours.
Russia's official statistics have been challenged by some researchers, who say they may be incomplete, inaccurate, and even partially falsified, which the authorities have denied.
Meanwhile, Moscow authorities will reopen all non-food stores, repair shops, laundromats, and dry cleaners as of June 1.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on May 27 during a conversation with President Vladimir Putin that as of June 1, Moscow residents will be allowed to move about the city without restrictions in accordance with a schedule that will be outlined prior to that date.
Restrictions introduced in Moscow on March 29 to slow the spread of the coronavirus included the temporary closure of non-food stores, theaters, restaurants, cafes, fitness centers, beauty salons, recreational sites, parks and other nonessential venues and facilities.
Later, operations of retail facilities selling medical and optical-ophthalmic products, as well as those of companies licensed to provide medical services, were allowed to reopen.
On May 12, Moscow authorities allowed industrial facilities and construction companies to resume operations.
Georgia
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says public transportation in Georgia, including the subway system in Tbilisi, will resume operations as of May 29.
Gakharia said on May 27 that passengers taking public transport will be required to wear face masks.
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.
As of June 1, open-space shops and outdoor restaurants will resume operations, Gakharia said, adding that trips between towns and cities will be allowed as of June 8.
"Also, starting June 8, all other restaurants and hotels that have passed the inspections of the Ministry of Health and have the appropriate permits will resume work," he said.
Georgia will resume domestic tourism on June 15 with an eye on opening the country to foreign tourists as of July 1, he said.
Health authorities in the South Caucasus nation said on May 27 that the total number of officially registered coronavirus cases in the country was 735, including 12 deaths.
With reporting by TASS, Interfax, and RFE/RL's Georgian Service


rferl--2020-05-27--Former Uzbek Military Think Tank Chief Gets 12 Years In Prison For Treason

TASHKENT -- Rafik Saifulin , the former chief of Uzbekistan 's presidential military think tank , has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of high treason .
A top jurist of the Interior Ministry who took part in the trial , which started behind closed doors in February , told RFE/RL on May 26 that the Military Court of Uzbekistan had found Saifulin guilty of spying for Russia and disclosing state secrets and handed down the sentence a day earlier .
According to the jurist , who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , the 61-year-old Saifulin pleaded partially guilty , saying that the materials he had handed over to Russia included analytical information but not classified documents .
In the early 1990s , after the collapse of the Soviet Union , the former KGB operative , who in addition to his native Tatar , speaks Uzbek , Russian , Persian , and Pashtu , worked at Uzbekistan 's State Committee for Prognosis and Statistics .
He later became the head of the presidential Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies .
Many in Uzbekistan say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once-influential former chief of the National Security Service , Rustam Inoyatov , who was dismissed in 2018 .
Inoyatov , the long-serving security chief under late President Islam Karimov , turned the Security Service into a powerful and feared agency .
In March , the Military Court sentenced retired army Colonel Vladimir Kaloshin to 12 years in prison on high-treason charges .
Sources close to Uzbek law enforcement structures told RFE/RL in February that Kaloshin , Saifullin , and the chief of a directorate of the United Staff of Uzbekistan 's Armed Forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on espionage charges .

TASHKENT -- Rafik Saifulin, the former chief of Uzbekistan's presidential military think tank, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of high treason.
A top jurist of the Interior Ministry who took part in the trial, which started behind closed doors in February, told RFE/RL on May 26 that the Military Court of Uzbekistan had found Saifulin guilty of spying for Russia and disclosing state secrets and handed down the sentence a day earlier.
According to the jurist, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal details of the case, the 61-year-old Saifulin pleaded partially guilty, saying that the materials he had handed over to Russia included analytical information but not classified documents.
In the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the former KGB operative, who in addition to his native Tatar, speaks Uzbek, Russian, Persian, and Pashtu, worked at Uzbekistan's State Committee for Prognosis and Statistics.
He later became the head of the presidential Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies.
Many in Uzbekistan say Saifullin was a close associate of the once-influential former chief of the National Security Service, Rustam Inoyatov, who was dismissed in 2018.
Inoyatov, the long-serving security chief under late President Islam Karimov, turned the Security Service into a powerful and feared agency.
In March, the Military Court sentenced retired army Colonel Vladimir Kaloshin to 12 years in prison on high-treason charges.
Sources close to Uzbek law enforcement structures told RFE/RL in February that Kaloshin, Saifullin, and the chief of a directorate of the United Staff of Uzbekistan's Armed Forces, Akbar Yarbabaev, went on trial on espionage charges.


rferl--2020-05-27--Former Head Of Russia's Chuvashia Sues Putin Over Dismissal

In an unprecedented move , the former head of the Russian region of Chuvashia , Mikhail Ignatyev , has filed a lawsuit against President Vladimir Putin challenging a presidential decree that removed him from office in January .
According to official information placed on the website of the Russian Supreme Court , hearings into the case will start on June 30 .
Meanwhile , media reports on May 27 said that Ignatyev had been undergoing treatment for pneumonia in a hospital in the city of St. Petersburg since early May .
According to the reports , Ignatyev 's condition is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a cardiopulmonary bypass unit to assist the functioning of his heart and lungs .
Putin fired Ignatyev in late January after the ruling United Russia party expelled Ignatyev .
The 58-year-old Ignatyev sparked a wave of public criticism in January by publicly saying at an event devoted to Press Day that `` it is necessary to wipe out those journalists '' who criticize the authorities .
That same month , Ignatyev touched off further criticism after a video was broadcast on Russian TV channels showing him making a firefighter jump to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a public event in Chuvashia 's capital , Cheboksary .
It is the first known case of a former official suing Putin after losing his post .

In an unprecedented move, the former head of the Russian region of Chuvashia, Mikhail Ignatyev, has filed a lawsuit against President Vladimir Putin challenging a presidential decree that removed him from office in January.
According to official information placed on the website of the Russian Supreme Court, hearings into the case will start on June 30.
Meanwhile, media reports on May 27 said that Ignatyev had been undergoing treatment for pneumonia in a hospital in the city of St. Petersburg since early May.
According to the reports, Ignatyev's condition is very serious and he had been connected to a cardiopulmonary bypass unit to assist the functioning of his heart and lungs.
Putin fired Ignatyev in late January after the ruling United Russia party expelled Ignatyev.
The 58-year-old Ignatyev sparked a wave of public criticism in January by publicly saying at an event devoted to Press Day that "it is necessary to wipe out those journalists" who criticize the authorities.
That same month, Ignatyev touched off further criticism after a video was broadcast on Russian TV channels showing him making a firefighter jump to get the keys to a new fire engine at a public event in Chuvashia's capital, Cheboksary.
It is the first known case of a former official suing Putin after losing his post.


rferl--2020-05-27--Second Iranian Oil Tanker Arrives At Venezuela's Largest Refinery

A second Iranian tanker carrying gasoline and oil derivatives has arrived at crisis-stricken Venezuela 's main oil refinery , amid escalating tensions between Washington and the two U.S.-sanctioned countries .
The Forest docked at the Paraguana refinery complex in northwest Falcon state on May 26 , Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami wrote on Twitter , also sharing photos of the vessel at the dock .
Data from the website Marine Traffic confirmed the location of the ship , which entered Venezuelan waters on May 25 .
Unilateral U.S. sanctions have targeted Iran and Venezuela 's oil industry and other sectors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding pressure on Venezuela 's badly managed economy .
The Paraguana refinery , the largest in Venezuela and one of the largest in the world , can process 950,000 barrels of fuel per day , but its production has plummeted alongside the country 's crude supply .
The price of Venezuelan crude fell to its lowest level in more than two decades last month , at less than $ 10 a barrel , according to the country 's government , after averaging $ 56.70 last year .
The first tanker , Fortune , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palito refinery on Venezuela 's northwest coast , which is able to process 140,000 barrels a day .
A third tanker , Petunia , entered Venezuelan waters on May 26 , military officials announced , and two other tankers -- Faxon and Clavel -- are expected in the next two days .
The ships carry a total of 1.5 million barrels of gasoline , according to press reports .
The five vessels have encountered no immediate signs of U.S. interference after Washington said earlier in May it was considering `` measures '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompting warnings from Iran against U.S. action .
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on May 25 praised the `` solidarity and cooperation '' between his country and Iran , accusing the United States of imposing its will by force .
`` Venezuela and Iran want peace and have the right to freely trade in the world 's seas and exchange products , '' Maduro said in a state television address .
The tensions over the tankers comes after the U.S. Navy in April accused Iran of harassing its ships in the Persian Gulf , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the two countries in the region since Washington in 2018 withdrew from a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers .
The United States also recently deployed ships , including navy destroyers and other combat ships , to patrol the Caribbean on what U.S. officials call a drug-interdiction mission .
Maduro views the U.S. mission as a threat .
Maduro , El Aissami , and other top Venezuelan officials have been named by the United States as narco-traffickers .
With reporting by AP , dpa , and Reuters


rferl--2020-05-27--Russian Fighters Intercept U.S. Aircraft, Risk Midair Collision Over Mediterranean

Two Russian Su-35 fighter jets flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol aircraft over international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean , the U.S. Navy has said .
The U.S. Navy 's 6th Fleet said the incident on May 26 lasted around 65 minutes , during which the Russian pilots simultaneously flew on each wing of the P-8A and restricted the aircraft 's ability to maneuver .
`` The unnecessary actions of the Russian Su-35 pilots were inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules , and jeopardized the safety of flight of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy-based fleet said .
`` Actions like these increase the potential for midair collisions , '' it added .
It was the third time in two months that Russian pilots unsafely intercepted P-8A reconnaissance aircraft over international waters in the Mediterranean .
On April 19 , the U.S. Navy said an Su-35 conducted a maneuver that left only 8 meters separation in front of the P-8A , exposing the U.S. aircraft to wake turbulence and jet exhaust .
In another interception on April 15 , an SU-35 conducted a high-speed inverted maneuver just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In all cases , the U.S. aircraft were operating in international airspace , consistent with international law , with due regard for safety of flight , and did not provoke this Russian activity , '' the U.S. Navy said .


rferl--2020-05-26--Ukrainian Court Finds Lviv Student Guilty Of Torching RFE/RL Reporter's Car

A Ukrainian court has found a university student guilty of torching an RFE/RL reporter 's car , a decision that the media organization 's president said brings prosecutors closer to apprehending the organizers of the premeditated crime .
A court in the western city of Lviv on May 25 handed down a suspended five-year sentence with a three-year probation period to Yakob Sarakhman for setting Halyna Tereshchuk 's car ablaze on the night of January 30 .
The 19-year-old university student admitted his guilt to the court and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors , Tereshchuk 's lawyer , Oleh Mytsyk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a motive for the crime , but many reporters in Ukraine have been attacked , and even killed , over the years due to their investigative work .
Ukraine ranked 96th out of 180 countries in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index .
`` The conviction is an important first step in holding accountable the perpetrators of this hateful crime .
The arson attack not only targeted an RFE/RL colleague , and terrorized her family , but it was a worrisome attempt to intimidate independent journalism in Ukraine , '' RFE/RL President Jamie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I call on the Ukrainian authorities to identify and prosecute those who ordered the attack in addition to the individual who carried it out . ''
Police have named two other suspects in the arson attack : Mykhaylo Cherdak , a local police official , and Vadym Dmytrenko , an unemployed individual with a criminal record .
Cherdak is in hiding and his whereabouts unknown , while Dmytrenko is under house arrest .