rferl--2020-03-03--Kazakh Court Grants Early Release To Former Uranium Tycoon Dzhakishev

SEMEI , Kazakhstan -- A Kazakh court has granted an early release to former state nuclear company chief executive Mukhtar Dzhakishev , whose conviction on corruption charges in 2010 was criticized by many as politically motivated .
A court in the northeastern city of Semei ruled on March 3 that Dzhakishev will not be allowed to leave the country and will live under parole-like restrictions until his 14-year term is over .
It was the third official request for early release since November 2018 by the former tycoon , who has served about 11 years of his sentence and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part in the hearing from a correctional institution via Skype .
Dzhakishev will be released 15 days after the court 's ruling takes effect if prosecutors do not appeal the decision .
Dozens of rights activists and supporters from different parts of Kazakhstan gathered in the courtroom and chanted `` Freedom to Mukhtar ! ''
before the ruling was pronounced and broke out into emotional shouts and cheers as Judge Zhanat Abenova read the decision .
Dzhakishev 's supporters and international human rights organizations have urged the Kazakh authorities to release him since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , the Helsinki Committee Norway and the France-based Association for Human Rights in Central Asia called on then-President Nursultan Nazarbaev to release Dzhakishev on humanitarian grounds because of his health .
In 2015 , the UN Human Rights Committee asked the Kazakh authorities to annul Dzhakishev 's conviction and release him immediately .
It said that his rights to a fair and public trial , to have contact with his lawyers , and to be treated humanely had been violated .
Human rights groups in Kazakhstan also called Dzhakishev a political prisoner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was imprisoned because he was a close friend of Mukhtar Ablyazov , a self-exiled former banker and opposition politician , who has been living in the European Union since 2009 , the year when Dzhakishev was arrested .
Many in Kazakhstan hoped that after Nazarbaev 's sudden resignation in March 2019 Dzhakishev would be paroled .
Nazarbaev , 79 , had been president since before Kazakhstan became independent in 1991 .
He continues to play a crucial role in the country 's political life as the leader of the ruling Nur-Otan party and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful Security Council .
Nazarbaev also holds the title of `` elbasy , '' or leader of the nation .
On February 29 , current President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said in an interview with online magazine Informburo.kz that he was `` confident that the decision on the next early release request by Dzhakishev will be fair . ''

SEMEI, Kazakhstan -- A Kazakh court has granted an early release to former state nuclear company chief executive Mukhtar Dzhakishev, whose conviction on corruption charges in 2010 was criticized by many as politically motivated.
A court in the northeastern city of Semei ruled on March 3 that Dzhakishev will not be allowed to leave the country and will live under parole-like restrictions until his 14-year term is over.
It was the third official request for early release since November 2018 by the former tycoon, who has served about 11 years of his sentence and has complained of health issues. Dzhakishev took part in the hearing from a correctional institution via Skype.
Dzhakishev will be released 15 days after the court's ruling takes effect if prosecutors do not appeal the decision.
Dozens of rights activists and supporters from different parts of Kazakhstan gathered in the courtroom and chanted "Freedom to Mukhtar!" before the ruling was pronounced and broke out into emotional shouts and cheers as Judge Zhanat Abenova read the decision.
Dzhakishev's supporters and international human rights organizations have urged the Kazakh authorities to release him since his arrest in 2009.
In March 2018, the Helsinki Committee Norway and the France-based Association for Human Rights in Central Asia called on then-President Nursultan Nazarbaev to release Dzhakishev on humanitarian grounds because of his health.
In 2015, the UN Human Rights Committee asked the Kazakh authorities to annul Dzhakishev's conviction and release him immediately. It said that his rights to a fair and public trial, to have contact with his lawyers, and to be treated humanely had been violated.
Human rights groups in Kazakhstan also called Dzhakishev a political prisoner. Some government critics believe that he was imprisoned because he was a close friend of Mukhtar Ablyazov, a self-exiled former banker and opposition politician, who has been living in the European Union since 2009, the year when Dzhakishev was arrested.
Many in Kazakhstan hoped that after Nazarbaev's sudden resignation in March 2019 Dzhakishev would be paroled.
Nazarbaev, 79, had been president since before Kazakhstan became independent in 1991. He continues to play a crucial role in the country's political life as the leader of the ruling Nur-Otan party and the lifetime chairman of the country's powerful Security Council.
Nazarbaev also holds the title of "elbasy," or leader of the nation.
On February 29, current President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said in an interview with online magazine Informburo.kz that he was "confident that the decision on the next early release request by Dzhakishev will be fair."
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-03-03--Kyiv Launches Bilingual TV Channel For Russian-Occupied Crimea, Eastern Ukraine

Ukraine 's Culture Ministry has unveiled a new television channel that has started broadcasting in Russia-occupied Crimea and parts of the easternmost Donetsk and Luhansk regions that the government in Kyiv does n't control .
Called Dom ( Home ) , the channel started the pilot broadcast on March 1 , said Yulia Ostrovska , the acting CEO of public broadcaster UATV .
During the presentation in Kyiv , she noted that `` 54 percent of people in the occupied territories do n't have access to Ukrainian television channels and 43 percent ca n't access Ukrainian websites . ''
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` de-occupation of consciousness '' of Ukrainians , Ostrovska added .
It was in reference to Russia 's takeover of Ukraine 's Crimea Peninsula in early 2014 and subsequent support of pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people .
However , the channel might not be available to residents of Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine due to electronic warfare methods , said Mykyta Poturayev , a member of parliament who took part in delivering the presentation .
The channel will get its content from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including about 15 percent from the studio that brought current President Volodymyr Zelenskiy fame as an actor and comedian .
As such , it will be available to digital , not analogue , TV owners .
Anchors on the channels will speak both Ukrainian , the state language , and Russian , the predominant language spoken in eastern Ukraine and Crimea .
News also will be delivered in the Ukrainian and Russian languages and cover national and regional news .
Poturayev said the editorial policy of Dom will not be to repeat Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channel will talk about 'rebels , ' 'civil war , ' and will not call Russian tanks 'pink unicorns ' who came with love , from Russia with love , '' he said .
The combined 2020 budget for the channel and state-run Ukrinform news agency is 257 million hryvnyas ( $ 10 million ) .
Among the consultants employed at the channel are people from the 112 Ukrayina channel , a TV network affiliated with pro-Russian lawmaker Viktor Medvedchuk , whose daughter 's godfather is Russian President Vladimir Putin , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who also took part in the presentation .
With reporting by Ukrayinska pravda and Hromadske

Ukraine's Culture Ministry has unveiled a new television channel that has started broadcasting in Russia-occupied Crimea and parts of the easternmost Donetsk and Luhansk regions that the government in Kyiv doesn't control.
Called Dom (Home), the channel started the pilot broadcast on March 1, said Yulia Ostrovska, the acting CEO of public broadcaster UATV.
During the presentation in Kyiv, she noted that "54 percent of people in the occupied territories don't have access to Ukrainian television channels and 43 percent can't access Ukrainian websites."
One of the channel's goals is the "de-occupation of consciousness" of Ukrainians, Ostrovska added.
It was in reference to Russia's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in early 2014 and subsequent support of pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people.
However, the channel might not be available to residents of Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine due to electronic warfare methods, said Mykyta Poturayev, a member of parliament who took part in delivering the presentation.
The channel will get its content from the existing major Ukrainian TV networks, including about 15 percent from the studio that brought current President Volodymyr Zelenskiy fame as an actor and comedian.
As such, it will be available to digital, not analogue, TV owners.
Anchors on the channels will speak both Ukrainian, the state language, and Russian, the predominant language spoken in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.
News also will be delivered in the Ukrainian and Russian languages and cover national and regional news.
Poturayev said the editorial policy of Dom will not be to repeat Russian propaganda messages.
"Nobody on this channel will talk about 'rebels,' 'civil war,' and will not call Russian tanks 'pink unicorns' who came with love, from Russia with love," he said.
The combined 2020 budget for the channel and state-run Ukrinform news agency is 257 million hryvnyas ($10 million).
Among the consultants employed at the channel are people from the 112 Ukrayina channel, a TV network affiliated with pro-Russian lawmaker Viktor Medvedchuk, whose daughter's godfather is Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to deputy presidential office head Kyrylo Tymoshenko, who also took part in the presentation.
With reporting by Ukrayinska pravda and Hromadske


rferl--2020-03-03--Last Survivor Of Group That Killed Foreign Cyclists In Tajikistan Dies In Prison

DUSHANBE -- The sole survivor of a group of attackers who killed four Western cyclists in Tajikistan in 2018 has died in a prison in the capital , Dushanbe .
Mansurjon Umarov , chief of the Main Directorate at the Tajik Justice Ministry 's Penitentiary Service , told RFE/RL on March 3 that prosecutors were investigating the cause of death of Hussein Abdusamadov , who was serving a life sentence for his role in the killing of the foreign cyclists on the Dushanbe-Danghara highway in July 2018 .
`` Abdusamadov 's body has been sent for an autopsy to exclude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death , '' Umarov said , stressing that Abdusamadov `` was a dangerous terrorist . ''
Abdusamadov 's relatives confirmed the report , telling RFE/RL that they received his body on March 2 .
Four cyclists -- an American woman and man , a Dutchman , and a Swiss man -- were killed on July 29 , 2018 , when attackers plowed their vehicle into the group on a road and then stabbed some of them .
Two other foreign cyclists survived the attack , which occurred about 150 kilometers south of Dushanbe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zafarjon Safarov , Asomuddin Majidov , Jafariddin Yusupov , and Asliddin Yusupov , were killed by Tajik security forces .
Abdusamadov , who was named the group 's leader , survived , was found guilty of murder in November 2018 .
The extremist group Islamic State ( IS ) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it occurred and released a video showing five men -- at least some of whom appeared to resemble those identified by Tajik officials as suspects killed in a confrontation with security forces -- pledging allegiance to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , rejected the claim and instead blamed followers of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan ( IRPT ) , a political party that was banned by authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon 's government in 2015 .
The leadership of the IRPT -- which served for several years in the Tajik government -- has denied involvement and called the authorities ' claims `` shameless and illogical slander . ''

DUSHANBE -- The sole survivor of a group of attackers who killed four Western cyclists in Tajikistan in 2018 has died in a prison in the capital, Dushanbe.
Mansurjon Umarov, chief of the Main Directorate at the Tajik Justice Ministry's Penitentiary Service, told RFE/RL on March 3 that prosecutors were investigating the cause of death of Hussein Abdusamadov, who was serving a life sentence for his role in the killing of the foreign cyclists on the Dushanbe-Danghara highway in July 2018.
"Abdusamadov's body has been sent for an autopsy to exclude torture or violence as his cause of death," Umarov said, stressing that Abdusamadov "was a dangerous terrorist."
Abdusamadov's relatives confirmed the report, telling RFE/RL that they received his body on March 2.
Four cyclists -- an American woman and man, a Dutchman, and a Swiss man -- were killed on July 29, 2018, when attackers plowed their vehicle into the group on a road and then stabbed some of them.
Two other foreign cyclists survived the attack, which occurred about 150 kilometers south of Dushanbe.
Four suspects in the attack, Zafarjon Safarov, Asomuddin Majidov, Jafariddin Yusupov, and Asliddin Yusupov, were killed by Tajik security forces.
Abdusamadov, who was named the group's leader, survived, was found guilty of murder in November 2018.
The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it occurred and released a video showing five men -- at least some of whom appeared to resemble those identified by Tajik officials as suspects killed in a confrontation with security forces -- pledging allegiance to the leader of IS.
The Tajik government, however, rejected the claim and instead blamed followers of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), a political party that was banned by authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon's government in 2015.
The leadership of the IRPT -- which served for several years in the Tajik government -- has denied involvement and called the authorities' claims "shameless and illogical slander."


rferl--2020-03-03--Russian FM Lavrov In Finland For Talks On Coronavirus, Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is on an official visit to Finland , where he will discuss the new coronavirus outbreak and Syrian conflict with his counterpart and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto .
He will hold detailed talks with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and a separate meeting with the president , Russian state news agency TASS reported .
The ministers will `` discuss in a traditional , interested and open manner '' topical issues on the bilateral and regional agenda , as well as exchange views on international issues , the Russian Foreign Ministry said .
Finland has six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new respiratory virus , according to a daily situation report released by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) on March 2 .
The Geneva-based health organization reported that nine times as many new infections were recorded outside China , where the virus originated in December , as inside the country over the past 24 hours .
Clusters of the disease where the WHO says is the greatest concern continued to increase in South Korea , Italy , Japan , and Iran .
Canadian authorities have increased border-screening measures for travelers arriving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases linked to that country .
Officials in Tehran have reported infections rising to more than 1,500 , with 66 deaths , including a senior official .
The virus has surfaced for the first time in New York , Moscow , and Berlin , as well as Latvia , Malaysia , Morocco , Tunisia , Senegal , Jordan , and Portugal .
Pakistan on March 3 reported a new virus case , bringing the total to five in the South Asian country since last week , officials said .
Worldwide , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness , and the number of those infected rose to nearly 90,000 in 70 countries on every continent except for Antarctica .
`` Containment is feasible and must remain the top priority for all countries , '' WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said .
He has described the virus as a `` unique '' respiratory pathogen capable of community transmission .
With reporting by Yle.fi , TASS , Reuters , AP , and CNN

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is on an official visit to Finland, where he will discuss the new coronavirus outbreak and Syrian conflict with his counterpart and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.
He will hold detailed talks with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and a separate meeting with the president, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
The ministers will "discuss in a traditional, interested and open manner" topical issues on the bilateral and regional agenda, as well as exchange views on international issues, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Finland has six confirmed cases and Russia has two of the new respiratory virus, according to a daily situation report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 2.
The Geneva-based health organization reported that nine times as many new infections were recorded outside China, where the virus originated in December, as inside the country over the past 24 hours.
Clusters of the disease where the WHO says is the greatest concern continued to increase in South Korea, Italy, Japan, and Iran.
Canadian authorities have increased border-screening measures for travelers arriving from Iran, given the growing number of cases linked to that country.
Officials in Tehran have reported infections rising to more than 1,500, with 66 deaths, including a senior official.
The virus has surfaced for the first time in New York, Moscow, and Berlin, as well as Latvia, Malaysia, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Jordan, and Portugal.
Pakistan on March 3 reported a new virus case, bringing the total to five in the South Asian country since last week, officials said.
Worldwide, more than 3,000 people have died from the illness, and the number of those infected rose to nearly 90,000 in 70 countries on every continent except for Antarctica.
"Containment is feasible and must remain the top priority for all countries," WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
He has described the virus as a "unique" respiratory pathogen capable of community transmission.
With reporting by Yle.fi, TASS, Reuters, AP, and CNN


rferl--2020-03-03--European Commission: Albania, North Macedonia Merit EU Membership Talks

North Macedonia and Albania have received promising news after updated progress reports published by the EU 's executive body said both countries had delivered results and appeared ready to open EU accession talks .
The European Commission said the two Balkan states had `` stepped up their work and delivered further tangible and sustainable results in the key areas '' since June 2018 .
Combined with the new EU enlargement methodology , the latest progress reports bolster the chances of Albania and North Macedonia of getting a date for starting accession negotiations .
French President Emmanuel Macron , who took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Skopje and Tirana in October , said last month he was willing to allow them to begin membership talks if the European Commission gave them a positive review in March .
`` The European Commission stands firmly by its recommendations to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia , and I hope that the Member States will take a positive decision in the coming weeks , '' Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi wrote .
He said the two countries had reformed their economies , judicial systems , and other areas in preparation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments are expected to decide later this month whether to offer to open membership talks .
In May , a summit in Croatia is scheduled with EU leaders and all six Western Balkan candidate countries : Serbia , Kosovo , Montenegro , Albania , Bosnia-Herzegovina , and North Macedonia .
North Macedonia ’ s pro-European government , led by the Social Democrats , expects a difficult electoral fight to remain in power in the April 12 general elections .
With reporting by Reuters and Balkan Insight

North Macedonia and Albania have received promising news after updated progress reports published by the EU's executive body said both countries had delivered results and appeared ready to open EU accession talks.
The European Commission said the two Balkan states had "stepped up their work and delivered further tangible and sustainable results in the key areas" since June 2018.
Combined with the new EU enlargement methodology, the latest progress reports bolster the chances of Albania and North Macedonia of getting a date for starting accession negotiations.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who took part in blocking the opening of talks with Skopje and Tirana in October, said last month he was willing to allow them to begin membership talks if the European Commission gave them a positive review in March.
"The European Commission stands firmly by its recommendations to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, and I hope that the Member States will take a positive decision in the coming weeks," Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi wrote.
He said the two countries had reformed their economies, judicial systems, and other areas in preparation for meeting EU standards.
EU member governments are expected to decide later this month whether to offer to open membership talks.
In May, a summit in Croatia is scheduled with EU leaders and all six Western Balkan candidate countries: Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and North Macedonia.
North Macedonia’s pro-European government, led by the Social Democrats, expects a difficult electoral fight to remain in power in the April 12 general elections.
With reporting by Reuters and Balkan Insight


rferl--2020-03-03--Pentagon Signs Contract To Produce More U.S. Javelins For Ukraine

The U.S. Defense Department has signed a new contract for the production of Javelin anti-tank missile systems for partner countries , including Ukraine , Ukrinform reported on March 3 .
The U.S. Army contract is dated February 28 , is worth more than $ 18 million , and was awarded to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin , with work to be performed in Arizona .
The category of the award is for “ guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing.
” It has an estimated completion date of June 25 , 2020 .
The beneficiary countries listed as part of the award @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Czech Republic , Estonia , France , Indonesia , Ireland , Jordan , Lithuania , New Zealand , Norway , Oman , Qatar , Turkey , and United Arab Emirates .
The State Department in October approved the sale of $ 39.2 million in military equipment to Ukraine , including a second batch of Javelins , the world ’ s deadliest antitank missiles , to help Kyiv in its ongoing six-year war against Russia-backed separatists .
The deal reportedly included 150 Javelin missiles and 10 launch units , adding to the 210 missiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States in 2018 .

The U.S. Defense Department has signed a new contract for the production of Javelin anti-tank missile systems for partner countries, including Ukraine, Ukrinform reported on March 3.
The U.S. Army contract is dated February 28, is worth more than $18 million, and was awarded to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, with work to be performed in Arizona.
The category of the award is for “guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing.”
It has an estimated completion date of June 25, 2020.
The beneficiary countries listed as part of the award include Georgia, Ukraine, Australia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.
The State Department in October approved the sale of $39.2 million in military equipment to Ukraine, including a second batch of Javelins, the world’s most effective anti-tank missiles, to help Kyiv in its ongoing six-year war against Russia-backed separatists.
The deal reportedly included 150 Javelin missiles and 10 launch units, adding to the 210 missiles and 37 launchers that Ukraine bought from the United States in 2018.
Based on reporting by Ukrinform


rferl--2020-03-03--Shmyhal Set To Replace Honcharuk As PM Amid Ukraine Government Shake-Up

KYIV -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has after six months on the job submitted his resignation as the government prepares for a major reshuffle , lawmakers in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 's ruling Servant of the People party told RFE/RL .
Ukraine ’ s national legislature , the Verkhovna Rada , will likely vote on March 4 to accept Honcharuk ’ s resignation and to replace him with the 44-year-old Denys Shmyhal , currently a deputy prime minister , the lawmakers said on March 3 .
Zelenskiy plans to attend the extraordinary session of parliament , according to party members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zelenskiy or Honcharuk .
Shmyhal was named deputy prime minister in February .
He previously served as head of the regional administration in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region , where he made a name for himself as a business-friendly governor .
In 2017-2019 , Shmyhal worked as an executive at DTEK , an energy holding owned by Ukraine ’ s richest billionaire , Rinat Akhmetov .
A native of Lviv , Shmyhal headed several business enterprises for most of the previous decade before entering civil service at the Lviv regional administration .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada , Georgia , and Finland .
In previous interviews , Shmyhal said he never met Akhmetov and was hired to work for DTEK through a competitive process .
Some Ukraine observers voiced concern over the danger of oligarchs increasing their influence in politics .
“ My advice is do not allow the oligarchs a pathway to get back into power indirectly in Ukraine .
Because if you do , you will lose the support of the western community , ” said Michael Carpenter , managing director of the Penn Biden Center for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there is “ so much is at stake here and if we see the influence of people like Dmytryo Firtash , Rinat Akhmetov , and other oligarchs through proxies , through people more beholden to their interests than to the national interest , then the project starts to unwind . ''
Carpenter said he hoped wise consideration is given to `` who they put into what jobs . ''
Ukrainian sources told RFE/RL that other cabinet members will likely also lose their positions in the shake-up .
According to lawmakers , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oksana Makarova depart .
She is well respected by markets .
Seeing people like the finance minister leave `` gives one a little bit of cause for concern , '' Carpenter said .
The surprise shake-up comes amid falling approval ratings for Zelenskiy and days after Kyiv held talks with a visiting mission from the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) regarding approval for a new $ 5.5 billion loan program .
IMF backing and billions of dollars of linked aid from the EU and other western backers is seen as paramount to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sixth year of war with Russian-backed separatiasts in its easternmost regions .
Speaking in Washington on March 3 , Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev said he hopes the new government will observe the existing agreement with the IMF and implement reforms that will allow Naftogaz to compete with intermediaries like Firtash and deliver gas directly to homes .
Unbundling in the retail sector “ is one of the many challengers for the regulator , for Zelenskiy , for the new government ...
It not only damages the economy , it damages their political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy , ” he said .
Kobolyev ’ s contract ends in March .
A 35-year-old former lawyer and a political newcomer , Honcharuk was named prime minister in August .
He previously submitted his resignation on January 17 , amid a scandal surrounding an audio recording in which he allegedly disparages the economic knowledge and competence of both himself and Zelenskiy .
Zelenskiy at the time declined to accept it .
Elected to office last spring , Zelenskiy , a former comedian turned politician , ran on a platform to “ break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since independence in 1991 .
With reporting by Reuters , The Kyiv Post , 112 Ukraine , Financial Times , AFP and Ukrayinska Pravda

KYIV -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has after six months on the job submitted his resignation as the government prepares for a major reshuffle, lawmakers in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's ruling Servant of the People party told RFE/RL.
Ukraine’s national legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, will likely vote on March 4 to accept Honcharuk’s resignation and to replace him with 44-year-old Denys Shmyhal, currently a deputy prime minister, the lawmakers said on March 3.
Zelenskiy plans to attend the extraordinary session of parliament, according to party members.
There was no immediate comment from Zelenskiy or Honcharuk.
Shmyhal was named deputy prime minister in February. He previously served as head of the regional administration in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region, where he made a name for himself as a business-friendly governor.
In 2017-2019, Shmyhal worked as an executive at DTEK, an energy holding owned by Ukraine’s richest billionaire, Rinat Akhmetov. A native of Lviv, Shmyhal headed several business enterprises for most of the previous decade before entering the civil service at the Lviv regional administration. He has studied abroad, mainly in Belgium, Canada, Georgia, and Finland.
In previous interviews, Shmyhal said he had never met Akhmetov and was hired to work for DTEK through a competitive process.
Some Ukraine observers voiced concern over the danger of oligarchs increasing their influence in politics.
“My advice is do not allow the oligarchs a pathway to get back into power indirectly in Ukraine. Because if you do, you will lose the support of the Western community,” said Michael Carpenter, managing director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement.
He added that there is “so much is at stake here and, if we see the influence of people like Dmytryo Firtash, Rinat Akhmetov, and other oligarchs through proxies, through people more beholden to their interests than to the national interest, then the project starts to unwind."
Carpenter said he hoped wise consideration is given to "who they put into what jobs."
Ukrainian sources told RFE/RL that other cabinet members will likely also lose their positions in the shake-up.
According to lawmakers, the cabinet reshuffle could also see Finance Minister Oksana Makarova depart. She is well respected by markets.
Seeing people like the finance minister leave "gives one a little bit of cause for concern," Carpenter said.
The surprise shake-up comes amid falling approval ratings for Zelenskiy and days after Kyiv held talks with a visiting mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding approval for a new $5.5 billion loan program.
IMF backing and billions of dollars of linked aid from the EU and other Western backers is seen as paramount to assisting the country bounce back economically amid a sixth year of war with Russian-backed separatists in its easternmost regions.
Speaking in Washington on March 3, Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev said he hopes the new government will observe the existing agreement with the IMF and implement reforms that will allow Naftogaz to compete with intermediaries like Firtash and deliver gas directly to homes.
Unbundling in the retail sector "is one of the many challenges for the regulator, for Zelenskiy, for the new government...It not only damages the economy, it damages their political image because consumers and households are not happy," he said.
Kobolyev’s contract ends in March.
A 35-year-old former lawyer and a political newcomer, Honcharuk was named prime minister in August.
He previously submitted his resignation on January 17 amid a scandal surrounding an audio recording in which he allegedly disparages the economic knowledge and competence of both himself and Zelenskiy.
Zelenskiy at the time declined to accept it.
Elected to office last spring, Zelenskiy, a former comedian turned politician, ran on a platform to "break the system" that had ruled Ukraine since independence in 1991.
With reporting by Reuters, the Kyiv Post, 112 Ukraine, Financial Times, AFP and Ukrayinska Pravda


rferl--2020-03-03--Trump Had 'Very Good Talk' With Taliban Leader

KABUL – U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with a Taliban leader after the two sides signed an agreement aimed at ending the nearly 19-year war in Afghanistan .
`` I spoke to the leader of the Taliban today .
We had a good conversation .
We 've agreed there is no violence , ” Trump told reporters at the White House on March 3 .
“ We had , actually , a very good talk with the leader of the Taliban , '' he added .
Earlier , the Taliban issued a statement saying that the head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qatar , Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar , had held a 35-minute phone call with Trump .
Other members of the Taliban negotiating team , as well as Washington 's chief negotiator , Zalmay Khalilzad , were present during the call , the statement said .
Under the terms of the agreement signed on February 29 in the Qatari capital , Doha , U.S. and allied forces will leave Afghanistan within 14 months , in return for various security commitments from the Taliban and a pledge to hold talks with the Afghan government -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has refused to do .
However , the agreement is threatening to unravel over disputes about key issues .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has warned he was not committed to a key clause in the deal involving the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners .
The Taliban said it would not take part in intra-Afghan talks until that provision was met .
And on March 2 , the militant group ordered its fighters to resume operations against Afghan forces , saying that the weeklong partial truce between the Taliban , U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement was `` over . ''
The Taliban has since carried out attacks , including an assault on an Afghan military base in the eastern province of Logar on March 3 that killed at least five soldiers .

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--2020-03-03--Moscow Court Reject Activist's Demand For Compensation For Protest Arrest

A Moscow court has rejected an activist ’ s demand that the government pay him compensation for what he calls an illegal prosecution following his arrest for participating in an unsanctioned protest last summer .
The Tver District Court on March 3 rejected Sergei Abanichev 's bid to receive 500,000 rubles ( $ 7,500 ) as compensation for his August 5 arrest relating to a rally in the capital on July 27 .
Abanichev , along with several other activists , was detained by authorities after he took part in the unsanctioned rally .
The protest was part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent and opposition candidates be allowed to run in September 8 municipal elections .
Dozens of protesters were fined or given jail sentences for organizing and participating in the rallies .
Several were charged with taking part in `` mass unrest '' and allegedly assaulting police , with some of some of them being convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms .
On September 3 , the charges of taking part in mass riots and assaulting law enforcement officers were dropped against Abanichev and four other activists -- Daniil Konon , Valery Kostenok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On March 2 , the Tver district court partially met Konon 's demand for compensation and ordered the government to pay him 100,000 rubles ( $ 1,500 ) .
Konon had sought 1.2 million rubles ( $ 18,000 ) .
Based on reporting by Rapsi and TASS

A Moscow court has rejected an activist’s demand that the government pay him compensation for what he calls an illegal prosecution following his arrest for participating in an unsanctioned protest last summer.
The Tver District Court on March 3 rejected Sergei Abanichev's bid to receive 500,000 rubles ($7,500) as compensation for his August 5 arrest relating to a rally in the capital on July 27.
Abanichev, along with several other activists, was detained by authorities after he took part in the unsanctioned rally. The protest was part of a series of demonstrations by activists demanding that independent and opposition candidates be allowed to run in September 8 municipal elections.
Dozens of protesters were fined or given jail sentences for organizing and participating in the rallies.
Several were charged with taking part in "mass unrest" and allegedly assaulting police, with some of some of them being convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
On September 3, the charges of taking part in mass riots and assaulting law enforcement officers were dropped against Abanichev and four other activists -- Daniil Konon, Valery Kostenok, Vladislav Barabanov, and Dmitry Vasilyev.
On March 2, the Tver district court partially met Konon's demand for compensation and ordered the government to pay him 100,000 rubles ($1,500). Konon had sought 1.2 million rubles ($18,000).
Based on reporting by Rapsi and TASS


rferl--2020-03-03--Russian Regulator Accuses BBC Of Broadcast Violations

Russia 's communications regulator has accused the BBC World News channel of violating broadcasting requirements within Russia , in an intensification of a dispute over media between Moscow and London .
Roskomnadzor detected violations by the British public broadcaster of an order relating to `` the protection of children from information that is harmful to their health and development , '' the agency said on March 3 .
The regulator said the BBC did not identify and label violent or upsetting content with proper age certificates and that it failed to meet requirements for the timely filing of documents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be hit with two fines of up to 200,000 rubles ( $ 3,000 ) for the alleged labeling offense and up to 20,000 rubles for a document-filing violation .
The BBC did not immediately comment .
Roskomnadzor said a court date of March 12 has been set on the matter .
Foreign media operations have faced increasing restrictions and reporting requirements inside Russia , moves critics have said are intended to muzzle news coverage .
In late 2017 , Russian President Vladmir Putin signed a law that enables the country 's Justice Ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents . ''
Shortly thereafter , Russia declared Voice of America ( VOA ) , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty ( RFE/RL ) , and seven affiliated news services `` foreign agents . ''
Russian officials have said such laws are a `` symmetrical response '' after the state-financed RT television channel , which U.S. authorities accuse of spreading propaganda , was required to register its U.S. operating unit under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act ( FARA ) .
U.S. officials say the action was not symmetrical , arguing that the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uses its `` foreign agent '' legislation to silence dissent and discourage a free exchange of ideas .
In 2019 , Russian authorities warned British media operating in the country that they should be prepared for consequences after British regulator Ofcom fined RT for breaching impartiality rules .
Ofcom fined RT $ 242,000 for what it said were partial broadcasts over the conflict in Syria , Ukraine 's policies on Nazism , and the poisoning in England of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal .
Relations between London and Moscow have deteriorated over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Skripal and his daughter , Yulia , in the city of Salisbury on March 4 , 2018 .
It was later discovered they had been exposed to Novichok , a Soviet-made military nerve agent , and Britain and the West blamed Moscow for the attack .
Russia denied involvement .
The Skripals both recovered , but two other British citizens were exposed to the nerve agent in June 2018 , apparently by accident ; one of them , Dawn Sturgess , died .
With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL ’ s Russian Service

Russia's communications regulator has accused the BBC World News channel of violating broadcasting requirements within Russia, in an intensification of a dispute over media between Moscow and London.
Roskomnadzor detected violations by the British public broadcaster of an order relating to "the protection of children from information that is harmful to their health and development," the agency said on March 3.
The regulator said the BBC did not identify and label violent or upsetting content with proper age certificates and that it failed to meet requirements for the timely filing of documents.
Under Russian regulations, the broadcaster could be hit with two fines of up to 200,000 rubles ($3,000) for the alleged labeling offense and up to 20,000 rubles for a document-filing violation.
The BBC did not immediately comment.
Roskomnadzor said a court date of March 12 has been set on the matter.
Foreign media operations have faced increasing restrictions and reporting requirements inside Russia, moves critics have said are intended to muzzle news coverage.
In late 2017, Russian President Vladmir Putin signed a law that enables the country's Justice Ministry to designate foreign media outlets "foreign agents."
Shortly thereafter, Russia declared Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and seven affiliated news services "foreign agents."
Russian officials have said such laws are a "symmetrical response" after the state-financed RT television channel, which U.S. authorities accuse of spreading propaganda, was required to register its U.S. operating unit under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
U.S. officials say the action was not symmetrical, arguing that the U.S. and Russian laws are different and that Russia uses its "foreign agent" legislation to silence dissent and discourage a free exchange of ideas.
In 2019, Russian authorities warned British media operating in the country that they should be prepared for consequences after British regulator Ofcom fined RT for breaching impartiality rules.
Ofcom fined RT $242,000 for what it said were partial broadcasts over the conflict in Syria, Ukraine's policies on Nazism, and the poisoning in England of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.
Relations between London and Moscow have deteriorated over the past two years following the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the city of Salisbury on March 4, 2018.
It was later discovered they had been exposed to Novichok, a Soviet-made military nerve agent, and Britain and the West blamed Moscow for the attack. Russia denied involvement.
The Skripals both recovered, but two other British citizens were exposed to the nerve agent in June 2018, apparently by accident; one of them, Dawn Sturgess, died.
With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL’s Russian Service


rferl--2020-03-03--Serbia Claims Sierra Leone Is Latest Country To Rescind Kosovo Recognition

Serbia ’ s Foreign Ministry says Sierra Leone has become the latest country to withdraw its recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation .
A document obtained by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service on March 3 appears to confirm the decision , which would make the African nation the 18th country to reverse its stance toward Kosovo .
The Serbian state news agency Tanjug also appeared to confirm the decision , which comes during a visit to Sierra Leone by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic .
“ The government of the Republic of Sierra Leone is of the considered view that any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by necessary implication ) on the independence of Kosovo may have been premature , ” the document states .
Kosovo , formerly an autonomous province of Serbia , unilaterally declared its independence from Belgrade in February 2008 .
But Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state , nor does Russia -- a key traditional ally of Belgrade .
Since 2008 , much of Kosovo ’ s foreign policy agenda has focused on attempts to gain international recognition of its independence .
European Union-facilitated talks on normalizing diplomatic relations between the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's imposition of 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods and services in response to Belgrade 's continued lobbying for countries to reverse their recognition of Kosovo .
The Kosovar government on February 27 announced it would temporarily and partly lift the tariff , a move that has been met with a mixed response in diplomatic circles .
The U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo , Richard Grenell , has described the move as a `` half-measure . ''
The European Union , however , welcomed the announcement as a `` first step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect '' on restoring regional trade and `` offer an opening '' for the resumption of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina .
In a step toward improving ties , Serbian and Kosovar officials earlier this year signed deals to establish air , rail , and highway links between the two countries .
Dacic was quoted by Tanjug as saying that only 92 United Nations members now recognize Kosovo , compared with 96 that do n't .

Serbia’s Foreign Ministry says Sierra Leone has become the latest country to withdraw its recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation.
A document obtained by RFE/RL's Balkan Service on March 3 appears to confirm the decision, which would make the African nation the 18th country to reverse its stance toward Kosovo.
The Serbian state news agency Tanjug also appeared to confirm the decision, which comes during a visit to Sierra Leone by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.
“The government of the Republic of Sierra Leone is of the considered view that any recognition it had conferred (expressly or by necessary implication) on the independence of Kosovo may have been premature,” the document states.
Kosovo, formerly an autonomous province of Serbia, unilaterally declared its independence from Belgrade in February 2008.
But Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state, nor does Russia -- a key traditional ally of Belgrade.
Since 2008, much of Kosovo’s foreign policy agenda has focused on attempts to gain international recognition of its independence.
European Union-facilitated talks on normalizing diplomatic relations between the two were derailed in November 2018 by Pristina's imposition of 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods and services in response to Belgrade's continued lobbying for countries to reverse their recognition of Kosovo.
The Kosovar government on February 27 announced it would temporarily and partly lift the tariff, a move that has been met with a mixed response in diplomatic circles.
The U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo, Richard Grenell, has described the move as a "half-measure."
The European Union, however, welcomed the announcement as a "first step" that "could have a positive effect" on restoring regional trade and "offer an opening" for the resumption of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
In a step toward improving ties, Serbian and Kosovar officials earlier this year signed deals to establish air, rail, and highway links between the two countries.
Dacic was quoted by Tanjug as saying that only 92 United Nations members now recognize Kosovo, compared with 96 that don't.


rferl--2020-03-03--UN Says Iran's Uranium Stockpile Surges, Seeks Clarity On Three Undeclared Sites

The UN 's atomic watchdog says Iran has nearly tripled its stockpile of enriched uranium over the past three months , in sharp violation of the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with six world powers .
The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) also said on March 3 that Iran appears to have three undeclared atomic sites .
The IAEA said it is insisting on “ clarifications ” from Tehran .
Iran in 2015 signed the nuclear accord with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany and the European Union .
The United States abandoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions against Iranian officials and can punish entities that do business with Tehran .
Iran has said it no longer considers itself bound by the agreement and has gradually reduced some of its commitments under the deal .
It has said it would be willing to move back to full compliance with the deal if Europe provides “ meaningful ” economic benefits , but it has complained that Germany , France , and Britain have not done enough to mitigate the harm U.S. sanctions have caused .
In its report , the IAEA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uranium had reached 1,020.9 kilograms , far above the limit of 300 kilograms allowed in the agreement .
In its previous report , in November 2019 , the IAEA said the stockpile was at 372.3 kilograms .
Some experts have said Iran is reaching a level sufficient to produce a nuclear weapon , but they caution it would require several more steps -- including further enrichment -- to make the material suitable for use in a bomb .
Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is strictly for civilian and energy uses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grant access to two of three suspected nuclear sites that the UN agency wanted to visit in late January .
`` The agency identified a number of questions related to possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities , '' it said .
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi , told AFP that `` Iran must decide to cooperate in a clearer manner with the agency to give the necessary clarifications . ''
`` The fact that we found traces [ of uranium ] is very important .
That means there is the possibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under international supervision and about which we know not the origin or the intent , '' Grossi said .
`` That worries me , '' he added .
With reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters

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--2020-03-03--Supreme Leader Urges Iranians To Support Battle Against Coronavirus As Death Toll Rises

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged Iranians to support the government in its battle against an outbreak of the coronavirus as the death toll rose to 77 , the highest outside of China .
`` Do n't violate the recommendations and instructions of the responsible authorities in terms of prevention , in terms of keeping hands , face , and living environment clean and not infecting these and preventing the infection of these , '' he said in a March 3 broadcast on state television .
After the broadcast , the Islamic republic announced that Khamenei had put the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help the Health Ministry combat the outbreak .
Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said 2,336 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Iran .
`` Based on the latest statistics that have been compiled , there have been an additional 835 definite new infections .
Unfortunately , we have 11 new deaths , '' he told state TV .
The outbreak has reached the upper echelons of Iran ’ s leadership , adding to fears that officials were slow to react to the virus amid accusations of a cover-up .
Expediency Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital of the virus , making the close confidant of Khamenei the highest-ranking official in the country to perish from COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus .
The virus earlier killed lawmaker Hadi Khosroshahi , Iran ’ s former ambassador to the Vatican .
Among other officials who are infected are Vice President Masumeh Ebtekar and Iraj Harirchi , the head of an Iranian government task force on the coronavirus who tried to downplay the virus before falling ill .
In all , 23 members of Iran ’ s parliament have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abdolreza Mesri said on state television on March 3 .
The head of Iran 's emergency medical services , Pirhossein Kolivand , has also been infected , a spokesman for the services told AFP .
Globally there have been more than 90,000 confirmations of infections of the coronavirus , which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year .
Almost 3,000 people have died from COVID-19 since the outbreak began .
Across the Middle East , more than 1,150 cases of the virus have been documented , most of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of aid and pledges of more .
Six World Health Organization ( WHO ) employees arrived in Tehran on March 2 along with 7.5 tons of medical gear , including protective gloves , face masks , and respirators .
Germany , France , and Britain have said they will shuttle medical supplies to Tehran .
Ukraine , meanwhile , has confirmed its first case of coronavirus after a male who recently traveled to Italy tested positive .
Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said on March 3 that the unidentified man arrived home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trip abroad and was subsequently diagnosed as having the coronavirus .
Two Ukrainian nationals tested positive for the virus , but they were passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and not in the country .


rferl--2020-03-03--Accounts Of Navalny, Associate Frozen As Tycoon Deripaska Launches Lawsuit

Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny says his finances , along those of his wife , children , parents , and the head of his Anti-Corruption Foundation ( FBK ) have been frozen without explanation in a move to discredit and disgrace him .
The staunch Kremlin critic wrote on his website on March 3 that bank accounts and payment cards for his family , and for FBK head Ivan Zhdanov and his family , had been blocked .
At the same time , Navalny said he obtained information that billionaire Oleg Deripaska , who has strong links to Russia 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons .
According to Navalny and Zhdanov , a check of their banks online showed that they both had negative balances of 75.5 million rubles ( $ 1,130,000 ) .
Navalny accused President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating the situation , alleging that by freezing his and his associate 's accounts , the Kremlin was trying to impede the FBK 's activities at a time when many Russians are becoming disillusioned with the country 's current leadership .
Deripaska 's lawyer , Aleksei Melnikov , confirmed to the TASS news agency on March 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` damaging his business reputation . ''
According to Melnikov , Deripaska wants Navalny to retract public statements he made via YouTube earlier in the year where he alleged the tycoon had taken sizable loans from the government without repaying them .
`` We insist that such information is not true and ask a court to oblige Navalny to retract the statements and pay the symbolic amount of one ruble for moral damages , '' Melnikov said .
Navalny and the FBK regularly publish materials exposing the luxurious properties and wealth of Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None of the reports , however , have sparked legal investigations by the authorities .
Navalny , a lawyer by training who has doggedly pursued evidence of corruption at the highest level of Russian politics , founded the FBK in 2011 .
Its investigations regularly provoke public uproar over the misuse of state funds , such as in 2017 , when an FBK probe into Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev 's wealth became a catalyst for a wave of mass rallies that erupted across Russia .

Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny says his finances, along those of his wife, children, parents, and the head of his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) have been frozen without explanation in a move to discredit and disgrace him.
The staunch Kremlin critic wrote on his website on March 3 that bank accounts and payment cards for his family, and for FBK head Ivan Zhdanov and his family, had been blocked.
At the same time, Navalny said he obtained information that billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who has strong links to Russia's leadership, was suing him for unknown reasons.
According to Navalny and Zhdanov, a check of their banks online showed that they both had negative balances of 75.5 million rubles ($1,130,000).
Navalny accused President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating the situation, alleging that by freezing his and his associate's accounts, the Kremlin was trying to impede the FBK's activities at a time when many Russians are becoming disillusioned with the country's current leadership.
Deripaska's lawyer, Aleksei Melnikov, confirmed to the TASS news agency on March 3 that his client was suing Navalny for "damaging his business reputation."
According to Melnikov, Deripaska wants Navalny to retract public statements he made via YouTube earlier in the year where he alleged the tycoon had taken sizable loans from the government without repaying them.
"We insist that such information is not true and ask a court to oblige Navalny to retract the statements and pay the symbolic amount of one ruble for moral damages," Melnikov said.
Navalny and the FBK regularly publish materials exposing the luxurious properties and wealth of Russian officials, accusing them of corruption. None of the reports, however, have sparked legal investigations by the authorities.
Navalny, a lawyer by training who has doggedly pursued evidence of corruption at the highest level of Russian politics, founded the FBK in 2011.
Its investigations regularly provoke public uproar over the misuse of state funds, such as in 2017, when an FBK probe into Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's wealth became a catalyst for a wave of mass rallies that erupted across Russia.


rferl--2020-03-04--Mother Questions Prison Death Of Son Who Led Tajik Group That Killed Foreign Cyclists

DUSHANBE -- The mother of the sole survivor of a group of attackers who killed four Western cyclists in Tajikistan in 2018 has raised questions about the death of her son in prison.. Gulchehra Shodmonova , mother of Hussein Abdusamadov , who was considered the group 's leader , told RFE/RL on March 3 that , after her son 's burial , she was told by authorities that the cause of death was kidney failure .
Shodmonova said she visited her son several days before his death in prison , where he was serving a life sentence for his role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Dushanbe-Danghara highway in July 2018 , and that he looked good and had no complaints about his health .
`` They say he got sick on March 1 and died the next day .
If they consider themselves true Muslims , they should tell us how and what exactly he died of , '' Shodmonova told RFE/RL , adding that there were no traces of violence on her son 's body .
Mansurjon Umarov , chief of the Main Directorate at the Tajik Justice Ministry 's Penitentiary Service , told RFE/RL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bore no signs of violence , adding that investigations had been launched into the death of what he called `` a dangerous terrorist . ''
Four cyclists -- an American woman and man , a Dutchman , and a Swiss man -- were killed on July 29 , 2018 , when attackers plowed their vehicle into their group on a road and then stabbed some of them .
Two other foreign cyclists survived the attack , which occurred about 150 kilometers south of Dushanbe .
Four suspects in the attack , Zafarjon Safarov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Asliddin Yusupov , were killed by Tajik security forces .
Abdusamadov survived and was found guilty of murder in November 2018 .
The extremist group Islamic State ( IS ) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it occurred and released a video showing five men -- at least some of whom appeared to resemble those identified by Tajik officials as suspects killed in a confrontation with security forces -- pledging allegiance to the leader of IS .
The Tajik government , however , rejected the claim and instead blamed followers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IRPT ) , a political party that was banned by the authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon 's government in 2015 .
The leadership of the IRPT -- which served for several years in the Tajik government -- has denied involvement and called the authorities ' claims `` shameless and illogical slander . ''

DUSHANBE -- The mother of the sole survivor of a group of attackers who killed four Western cyclists in Tajikistan in 2018 has raised questions about the death of her son in prison..
Gulchehra Shodmonova, mother of Hussein Abdusamadov, who was considered the group's leader, told RFE/RL on March 3 that, after her son's burial, she was told by authorities that the cause of death was kidney failure.
Shodmonova said she visited her son several days before his death in prison, where he was serving a life sentence for his role in the killing of the foreign cyclists on the Dushanbe-Danghara highway in July 2018, and that he looked good and had no complaints about his health.
"They say he got sick on March 1 and died the next day. If they consider themselves true Muslims, they should tell us how and what exactly he died of," Shodmonova told RFE/RL, adding that there were no traces of violence on her son's body.
Mansurjon Umarov, chief of the Main Directorate at the Tajik Justice Ministry's Penitentiary Service, told RFE/RL on March 3 that Abdusamadov's body bore no signs of violence, adding that investigations had been launched into the death of what he called "a dangerous terrorist."
Four cyclists -- an American woman and man, a Dutchman, and a Swiss man -- were killed on July 29, 2018, when attackers plowed their vehicle into their group on a road and then stabbed some of them.
Two other foreign cyclists survived the attack, which occurred about 150 kilometers south of Dushanbe.
Four suspects in the attack, Zafarjon Safarov, Asomuddin Majidov, Jafariddin Yusupov, and Asliddin Yusupov, were killed by Tajik security forces.
Abdusamadov survived and was found guilty of murder in November 2018.
The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it occurred and released a video showing five men -- at least some of whom appeared to resemble those identified by Tajik officials as suspects killed in a confrontation with security forces -- pledging allegiance to the leader of IS.
The Tajik government, however, rejected the claim and instead blamed followers of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), a political party that was banned by the authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon's government in 2015.
The leadership of the IRPT -- which served for several years in the Tajik government -- has denied involvement and called the authorities' claims "shameless and illogical slander."


rferl--2020-03-04--Some Mosques In Dushanbe Suspend Mass Prayers To Keep Coronavirus At Bay

DUSHANBE -- Several mosques in Dushanbe have asked worshippers to not attend Friday Prayers as a precaution against the spreading @ @ @ @ @ Muslim Tajikstan , which has yet to register a confirmed case .
Afshin Muqim , @ @ @ @ @ on Religious Issues , told RFE/RL on March 4 that the move by some mosques @ @ @ @ @ based on a recommendation from the Tajik Islamic Center .
Muqim added that authorities may @ @ @ @ @ mosques in the near future .
Deputy Health Minister Mirhomiddin Kamolzoda confirmed to RFE/RL that @ @ @ @ @ being discussed by health officials .
The Education and Science Ministry said on March 4 @ @ @ @ @ students held from March 20 to 22 to celebrate the Norouz New Year 's holiday @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Norouz is the pre-Islamic New Year celebration that starts on the vernal @ @ @ @ @ around March 20 .
It is marked in many countries in Western and Central Asia @ @ @ @ @ Black Sea Basin , and the Balkans .

DUSHANBE -- Several mosques in Dushanbe have asked worshippers to not attend Friday Prayers as a precaution against the spreading of the coronavirus in mostly Muslim Tajikstan, which has yet to register a confirmed case.
Afshin Muqim, a spokesman for the Committee on Religious Issues, told RFE/RL on March 4 that the move by some mosques to suspend mass prayers was based on a recommendation from the Tajik Islamic Center.
Muqim added that authorities may officially suspend collective prayers in mosques in the near future.
Deputy Health Minister Mirhomiddin Kamolzoda confirmed to RFE/RL that such a measure is currently being discussed by health officials.
The Education and Science Ministry said on March 4 that all street performances by students held from March 20 to 22 to celebrate the Norouz New Year's holiday had been canceled due to the virus.
Norouz is the pre-Islamic New Year celebration that starts on the vernal equinox, which usually occurs around March 20. It is marked in many countries in Western and Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, and the Balkans.


rferl--2020-03-04--Suspect in Murder of Kadyrov Critic Left France For Chechnya, Prosecutors Say

French Prosecutors have said that a Russian-born man suspected of murdering a Chechen critical of the Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian North Caucasus region , Ramzan Kadyrov , returned immediately after the stabbing to Chechnya .
The “ prime suspect , ” who is believed to have stayed at Imran Aliyev ’ s home in Belgium before murdering him reportedly lives in Chechnya , AFP reported , citing the Lille prosecutor ’ s office on March 3 .
Aliyev , 44 , was stabbed 135 times and his body was found in a hotel room in the northern French city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had refugee status in Belgium since 2012 .
Authorities in a statement didn ’ t release the name of the suspected murderer and said , “ on the day of the events , having quickly left France , he flew to Berlin to travel to Moscow the day after.
” From the Russian capital , the suspect took a domestic flight to Mineralnye Vody , an airport in Russia ’ s North Caucasus about 100 kilometers from the Chechen border .
“ For the time being , he has not faced any questioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judicial and police cooperation from concerned European countries have already been sought.
” Aliyev and another man with a Russian passport arrived in Lille from Belgium on the night of January 29-30 .
Both checked into a hotel room near a train station there .
The victim was a popular blogger critical of strongman ruler Kadyrov .
It is not the first time that a critic of Kadyrov has been killed in Europe .
In August last year , a former Chechen separatist fighter , Georgian native Zelimkhan Khangoshvili , was shot dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Russian passport has been detained in connection with the killing .
The suspect , also implicated in the murder of a Russian businessman in 2013 , has maintained his right to maintain silent .
Berlin expelled two Russian diplomats over the apparent assassination , but Moscow has rejected the allegations of state involvement .
Rights groups say Kadyrov , who has ruled the volatile region since 2007 , uses repressive measures and has created a climate of impunity for security forces in the region .
They allege Kadyrov is ultimately responsible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Chechen authorities , including kidnappings , forced disappearances , torture , and extrajudicial killings .
Kremlin critics say Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned a blind eye to the alleged abuses and violations of the Russian Constitution by Kadyrov because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiments and violence in Chechnya , the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus .

French Prosecutors have said that a Russian-born man suspected of murdering a Chechen critical of the Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian North Caucasus region, Ramzan Kadyrov, returned immediately after the stabbing to Chechnya.
The “prime suspect,” who is believed to have stayed at Imran Aliyev’s home in Belgium before murdering him reportedly lives in Chechnya, AFP reported, citing the Lille prosecutor’s office on March 3.
Aliyev, 44, was stabbed 135 times and his body was found in a hotel room in the northern French city of Lille on January 30. He had refugee status in Belgium since 2012.
Authorities in a statement didn’t release the name of the suspected murderer and said, “on the day of the events, having quickly left France, he flew to Berlin to travel to Moscow the day after.”
From the Russian capital, the suspect took a domestic flight to Mineralnye Vody, an airport in Russia’s North Caucasus about 100 kilometers from the Chechen border.
“For the time being, he has not faced any questioning,” the statement said. “Judicial and police cooperation from concerned European countries have already been sought.”
Aliyev and another man with a Russian passport arrived in Lille from Belgium on the night of January 29-30. Both checked into a hotel room near a train station there.
The victim was a popular blogger critical of strongman ruler Kadyrov.
It is not the first time that a critic of Kadyrov has been killed in Europe.
In August last year, a former Chechen separatist fighter, Georgian native Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, was shot dead in Berlin.
A 49-year-old man with a Russian passport has been detained in connection with the killing. The suspect, also implicated in the murder of a Russian businessman in 2013, has maintained his right to maintain silent.
Berlin expelled two Russian diplomats over the apparent assassination, but Moscow has rejected the allegations of state involvement.
Rights groups say Kadyrov, who has ruled the volatile region since 2007, uses repressive measures and has created a climate of impunity for security forces in the region. They allege Kadyrov is ultimately responsible for the violence and intimidation of political opponents by Chechen authorities, including kidnappings, forced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
Kremlin critics say Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned a blind eye to the alleged abuses and violations of the Russian Constitution by Kadyrov because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiments and violence in Chechnya, the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus.
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-03-04--Kazakh Whistle-Blower Among 12 Recipients Of U.S. State Department Women's Courage Award

A whistle-blower who escaped a Chinese `` reeducation camp '' to reveal the horrors of life there after escaping to Kazakhstan is one of a dozen recipients of the U.S. State Department 's International Women of Courage Award ( IWOC ) for 2020 .
Sairagul Sauytbay , an ethnic Kazakh from China 's northwestern region of Xinjiang was one of the first victims to speak publicly about China 's `` repressive campaign against Muslims , igniting a movement against these abuses , '' the State Department said in a statement announcing the award , presented annually to women from around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courage , resourcefulness , and willingness to make sacrifices for others , especially in promoting women 's rights .
Sauytbay fled China in April 2018 and revealed in testimony at a Kazakh court that thousands of ethnic Kazakhs , Uyghurs , and other Muslims in Xinjiang were undergoing `` political indoctrination '' at a network of `` reeducation camps . ''
Chinese authorities had forced her to train `` political ideology '' instructors for such reeducation camps , she said , giving her access to secret documents about what she called a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indigenous ethnic communities .
`` Her testimony was among the first evidence that reached the broader international community of the CCP ’ s [ Chinese Communist Party 's ] repressive policy , including both the camps and the coercive methods used against Muslim minorities , '' the State Department statement said .
The 12 women will be honored at a State Department ceremony on March 4 .
Since the inception of the award in 2007 , the State Department has recognized 146 women from 77 countries .
The 2020 awardees include Zarifa Ghafari @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor of Maidan Shar in the conservative Wardak Province , at the age of 26 .
Despite constant death threats and being forced to flee an angry male mob on her first day in office , Ghafari stayed in power and tackled many of her town 's problems .
Jalila Haider , a human rights attorney from Pakistan known as the `` Iron Lady of Balochistan , '' was chosen for the work of her We the Humans NGO , which has helped strengthen opportunities for vulnerable women and children .
The State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an Armenian journalist , who has championed issues for children with mental health problems and has emerged as a leading voice in the fight against psychological , physical , and domestic violence against women and children .
Shahla Humbatova , one of a handful of lawyers in Azerbaijan who have been defending individuals facing punishment for exercising their fundamental freedoms was also honored .
The other seven recipients this year are Ximena Galarza of Bolivia , Claire Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso , Susanna Liew of Malaysia , Amaya Coppens of Nicaragua , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qadhi of Yemen , and Rita Nyampinga of Zimbabwe .

A whistle-blower who escaped a Chinese "reeducation camp" to reveal the horrors of life there after escaping to Kazakhstan is one of a dozen recipients of the U.S. State Department's International Women of Courage Award (IWOC) for 2020.
Sairagul Sauytbay, an ethnic Kazakh from China's northwestern region of Xinjiang was one of the first victims to speak publicly about China's "repressive campaign against Muslims, igniting a movement against these abuses," the State Department said in a statement announcing the award, presented annually to women from around the world who have shown leadership, courage, resourcefulness, and willingness to make sacrifices for others, especially in promoting women's rights.
Sauytbay fled China in April 2018 and revealed in testimony at a Kazakh court that thousands of ethnic Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and other Muslims in Xinjiang were undergoing "political indoctrination" at a network of "reeducation camps."
Chinese authorities had forced her to train "political ideology" instructors for such reeducation camps, she said, giving her access to secret documents about what she called a state program to "reeducate" Muslims from indigenous ethnic communities.
"Her testimony was among the first evidence that reached the broader international community of the CCP’s [Chinese Communist Party's] repressive policy, including both the camps and the coercive methods used against Muslim minorities," the State Department statement said.
The 12 women will be honored at a State Department ceremony on March 4.
Since the inception of the award in 2007, the State Department has recognized 146 women from 77 countries.
The 2020 awardees include Zarifa Ghafari, an Afghan journalist, who became mayor of Maidan Shar in the conservative Wardak Province, at the age of 26. Despite constant death threats and being forced to flee an angry male mob on her first day in office, Ghafari stayed in power and tackled many of her town's problems.
Jalila Haider, a human rights attorney from Pakistan known as the "Iron Lady of Balochistan," was chosen for the work of her We the Humans NGO, which has helped strengthen opportunities for vulnerable women and children.
The State Department also chose to honor Lucy Kocharian, an Armenian journalist, who has championed issues for children with mental health problems and has emerged as a leading voice in the fight against psychological, physical, and domestic violence against women and children.
Shahla Humbatova, one of a handful of lawyers in Azerbaijan who have been defending individuals facing punishment for exercising their fundamental freedoms was also honored.
The other seven recipients this year are Ximena Galarza of Bolivia, Claire Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso, Susanna Liew of Malaysia, Amaya Coppens of Nicaragua, Amina Khoulani of Syria, Yasmin al Qadhi of Yemen, and Rita Nyampinga of Zimbabwe.


rferl--2020-03-04--U.S. Conducts 'Defensive' Strike On Taliban After Afghan Security Personnel Killed In Attacks

The United States has conducted a “ defensive ” air strike against Taliban fighters in Afghanistan ’ s southern Helmand Province after a checkpoint manned by Afghan forces was attacked .
`` The US conducted an airstrike on March 4 against Taliban fighters in Nahr-e Saraj , Helmand , who were actively attacking an # ANDSF checkpoint .
This was a defensive strike to disrupt the attack , '' U.S. Forces-Afghanistan spokesman Sonny Leggett said in a tweet .
The strike came just hours after Taliban militants killed at least 20 Afghan security officers in a string of attacks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s `` very good '' chat with the Taliban ’ s political chief .
The wave of violence is threatening to unravel a February 29 agreement signed in Doha between the United States and the Taliban that would allow allied forces to leave Afghanistan within 14 months in return for various security commitments from the extremist group and a pledge to hold talks with the Afghan government -- which the Taliban has so far refused to do .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has warned he was not committed to a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners .
The Taliban said it would not take part in intra-Afghan talks until that provision was met .
And on March 2 , the militant group ordered its fighters to resume operations against Afghan forces , saying that a weeklong partial truce between the Taliban , U.S. , and Afghan forces that preceded the Doha agreement was `` over . ''
`` Taliban fighters attacked at least three army outposts in the Imam Sahib district of Kunduz last night , killing at least 10 soldiers and four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the provincial council .
Another attack killed six soldiers in the same northern region , Amiri added .
Washington has said it would defend Afghan forces if they came under Taliban attack .
With reporting by Reuters and dpa


rferl--2020-03-04--One Ukrainian Soldier Killed, Four Wounded In East Of Country

One Ukrainian soldier was killed and four were wounded during an artillery attack on March 3 in the eastern part @ @ @ @ @ a conflict with Russia-backed separatists is in its sixth year .
Ukraine ’ s military @ @ @ @ @ fired on Ukrainian positions and high-caliber machine guns were also used .
Fifteen Ukrainian service @ @ @ @ @ this year and more than 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict since March @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine has uprooted more than 1.5 million people from their homes in the easternmost regions @ @ @ @ @ The conflict started after Russia invaded and occupied Ukraine ’ s Crimea Peninsula in early @ @ @ @ @ in the eastern Ukrainian conflict and insists it is a civil war .

One Ukrainian soldier was killed and four were wounded during an artillery attack on March 3 in the eastern part of the country, where a conflict with Russia-backed separatists is in its sixth year.
Ukraine’s military reported that mortar rockets were fired on Ukrainian positions and high-caliber machine guns were also used.
Fifteen Ukrainian service members were killed in January-February this year and more than 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict since March 2014.
The war in Ukraine has uprooted more than 1.5 million people from their homes in the easternmost regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The conflict started after Russia invaded and occupied Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in early 2014.
Russia denies involvement in the eastern Ukrainian conflict and insists it is a civil war.