rferl--2020-06-29--Exclusive: Records Reveal Money Trail In Kyrgyz Corruption Scandal

Hundreds of financial records leaked by a self-confessed money launderer at the center of a corruption scandal in Kyrgyzstan have been published , showing how hundreds of millions of dollars linked to a secretive cargo empire were funneled out of the country over the course of several years .
The documents , made public on June 29 as part of a journalistic investigation by RFE/RL , the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project ( OCCRP ) , and the Kyrgyz news outlet Kloop , were given to reporters last year by Aierken Saimaiti , a Chinese-born businessman previously based in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder in Istanbul .
Following Saimaiti 's death , RFE/RL 's Kyrgyz Service , the OCCRP , and Kloop published an investigation based on these records , interviews with Saimaiti , and their own independent reporting .
The investigation implicated influential former Kyrgyz customs official Raimbek Matraimov in widespread corruption linked to the money Saimaiti moved out of the country .
Matraimov and his family deny any links to Saimaiti or corruption and filed a libel suit over the investigation .
The trove of Saimaiti ’ s records released on June 29 include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electronic spreadsheets , and what he described as sham contracts used as cover to move hundreds of millions of dollars abroad to Germany , the United Arab Emirates , Britain , and the United States , among other countries .
The bulk of the money shown in these records was transferred on behalf of Khabibula Abdukadyr , a secretive Uyghur businessman with a Kazakh passport who has built a murky cargo-and-real-estate empire in Central Asia , Europe , the United Arab Emirates , and the United States .
Abdukadyr was virtually unknown to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published in November .
The release of Saimaiti ’ s records coincides with two new investigations published by the outlets , together with Bellingcat , that are based on documents the murdered businessman provided to reporters .
One expose reveals the identity of previously unknown donors to the Matraimov family ’ s charity , which Saimaiti claimed was the recipient of bribe money he paid as part of a corrupt scheme in Kyrgyzstan ’ s customs service .
The Matraimovs vehemently reject that charge .
The report reveals how these newly revealed donors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evident from documents he gave reporters prior to his murder .
The second investigation focuses on more than $ 1 million that Saimaiti claimed to have wired to Britain toward the purchase of a luxury apartment for Matraimov , whose family is known for leading a lavish lifestyle seemingly at odds with his long career as a public servant .
E-mails sent to the Abdukadyr family went unanswered .
An adviser to Iskender Matraimov , Raimbek ’ s brother and a member of parliament , asked for additional time to make a full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publication .
Kyrgyz lawmakers on June 18 approved the findings of a parliamentary commission that concluded Kyrgyzstan was not involved in the nearly $ 1 billion investigators said Saimaiti transferred out of the Central Asian nation .
Critics of the commission say it failed to sufficiently investigate the evidence of corruption presented in the expose published by RFE/RL , OCCRP , and Kloop in November following Saimaiti ’ s murder .
Earlier in June , Kyrgyzstan 's State Committee for National Security ( UKMK ) claimed a reporter with RFE/RL ’ s Kyrgyz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presented no evidence beyond hearsay testimony from two individuals , including a former ambassador currently in pretrial detention on abuse-of-office charges .
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said at the time that they `` appear to be the latest attempt in a long-standing campaign of retaliation against journalists by corrupt individuals seeking to protect their wealth and power . ''

Hundreds of financial records leaked by a self-confessed money launderer at the center of a corruption scandal in Kyrgyzstan have been published, showing how hundreds of millions of dollars linked to a secretive cargo empire were funneled out of the country over the course of several years.
The documents, made public on June 29 as part of a journalistic investigation by RFE/RL, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), and the Kyrgyz news outlet Kloop, were given to reporters last year by Aierken Saimaiti, a Chinese-born businessman previously based in Kyrgyzstan, prior to his November 10 murder in Istanbul.
Following Saimaiti's death, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, the OCCRP, and Kloop published an investigation based on these records, interviews with Saimaiti, and their own independent reporting.
The investigation implicated influential former Kyrgyz customs official Raimbek Matraimov in widespread corruption linked to the money Saimaiti moved out of the country.
Matraimov and his family deny any links to Saimaiti or corruption and filed a libel suit over the investigation.
The trove of Saimaiti’s records released on June 29 include wire-transfer orders, personal financial ledgers, electronic spreadsheets, and what he described as sham contracts used as cover to move hundreds of millions of dollars abroad to Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, and the United States, among other countries.
The bulk of the money shown in these records was transferred on behalf of Khabibula Abdukadyr, a secretive Uyghur businessman with a Kazakh passport who has built a murky cargo-and-real-estate empire in Central Asia, Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
Abdukadyr was virtually unknown to the broader public until the investigation was published in November.
The release of Saimaiti’s records coincides with two new investigations published by the outlets, together with Bellingcat, that are based on documents the murdered businessman provided to reporters.
One expose reveals the identity of previously unknown donors to the Matraimov family’s charity, which Saimaiti claimed was the recipient of bribe money he paid as part of a corrupt scheme in Kyrgyzstan’s customs service. The Matraimovs vehemently reject that charge.
The report reveals how these newly revealed donors had demonstrable links to Saimaiti, as evident from documents he gave reporters prior to his murder.
The second investigation focuses on more than $1 million that Saimaiti claimed to have wired to Britain toward the purchase of a luxury apartment for Matraimov, whose family is known for leading a lavish lifestyle seemingly at odds with his long career as a public servant.
E-mails sent to the Abdukadyr family went unanswered. An adviser to Iskender Matraimov, Raimbek’s brother and a member of parliament, asked for additional time to make a full response but did not follow up before publication.
Kyrgyz lawmakers on June 18 approved the findings of a parliamentary commission that concluded Kyrgyzstan was not involved in the nearly $1 billion investigators said Saimaiti transferred out of the Central Asian nation.
Critics of the commission say it failed to sufficiently investigate the evidence of corruption presented in the expose published by RFE/RL, OCCRP, and Kloop in November following Saimaiti’s murder.
Earlier in June, Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) claimed a reporter with RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service had received money from Saimaiti but presented no evidence beyond hearsay testimony from two individuals, including a former ambassador currently in pretrial detention on abuse-of-office charges.
RFE/RL strongly rejected the allegations.
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said at the time that they "appear to be the latest attempt in a long-standing campaign of retaliation against journalists by corrupt individuals seeking to protect their wealth and power."


rferl--2020-06-29--Four Militants Killed As Pakistani Security Forces Thwart Attack On Karachi Stock Exchange

Four militants have been killed in an attack on Pakistan 's stock-exchange building in the southern port city of Karachi .
Two security guards and a police officer were also killed in the June 29 attack in the heart of the city 's financial center , according to police .
`` All four [ attackers ] are dead .
Our casualties include one police officer dead and three others are injured , '' Sharjeel Kharl , deputy inspector-general for the police in Karachi 's Southern Zone , told reporters .
`` Two [ private ] security guards have also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attackers pulled their vehicle up to the building and hurled a grenade before storming the entrance and firing indiscriminately .
The gunmen managed to enter the grounds of the high-walled stock exchange , but the attack was thwarted by special forces troops who surrounded the building .
Security forces and the militants exchanged fire for about 20 minutes during the attack , which began at about 10 a.m. , according to local media .
One officer on the scene told AP that food supplies were found on the bodies of the gunmen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long siege .
All employees of the exchange were reportedly safe .
Pakistan 's separatist Balochistan Liberation Army ( BLA ) later claimed responsibility for the attack , although the claim was not confirmed by Pakistani authorities .
The group , which was designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department in July 2019 , also circulated a photograph of four men in body armor and camouflage , claiming that they were the militants who carried out the attack .
The group demands independence for Pakistan 's gas-rich southwestern Balochistan Province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Karachi is the capital .
In declaring the organization a terrorist group , the U.S. State Department described the BLA as `` an armed separatist group that usually targets security forces and civilians , mainly in ethnic Baloch areas '' of southwestern Pakistan .
The Karachi stock exchange is located in city ’ s financial district , along with the Pakistan State Bank and several national and international financial institutions .
The Karachi exchange is Pakistan ’ s largest and oldest stock exchange and is incorporated with exchanges in Islamabad and Lahore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and BBC

Four militants have been killed in an attack on Pakistan's stock-exchange building in the southern port city of Karachi.
Two security guards and a police officer were also killed in the June 29 attack in the heart of the city's financial center, according to police.
"All four [attackers] are dead. Our casualties include one police officer dead and three others are injured," Sharjeel Kharl, deputy inspector-general for the police in Karachi's Southern Zone, told reporters. "Two [private] security guards have also been killed."
Police said that armed attackers pulled their vehicle up to the building and hurled a grenade before storming the entrance and firing indiscriminately.
The gunmen managed to enter the grounds of the high-walled stock exchange, but the attack was thwarted by special forces troops who surrounded the building.
Security forces and the militants exchanged fire for about 20 minutes during the attack, which began at about 10 a.m., according to local media.
One officer on the scene told AP that food supplies were found on the bodies of the gunmen, indicating that they had planned on a long siege.
All employees of the exchange were reportedly safe.
Pakistan's separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) later claimed responsibility for the attack, although the claim was not confirmed by Pakistani authorities.
The group, which was designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department in July 2019, also circulated a photograph of four men in body armor and camouflage, claiming that they were the militants who carried out the attack.
The group demands independence for Pakistan's gas-rich southwestern Balochistan Province, which borders Sindh Province, of which Karachi is the capital.
In declaring the organization a terrorist group, the U.S. State Department described the BLA as "an armed separatist group that usually targets security forces and civilians, mainly in ethnic Baloch areas" of southwestern Pakistan.
The Karachi stock exchange is located in city’s financial district, along with the Pakistan State Bank and several national and international financial institutions.
The Karachi exchange is Pakistan’s largest and oldest stock exchange and is incorporated with exchanges in Islamabad and Lahore.
With reporting by AP, AFP, and BBC


rferl--2020-06-29--Kosovo's President To Address War Crimes Charges In Speech To Nation

PRISTINA -- Kosovar President Hashim Thaci plans to address the nation on June 29 about the war-crimes charges filed against him , including crimes against humanity , stemming from Kosovo ’ s war of independence in 1998-99 .
A special prosecutor 's office in The Hague on June 24 announced the indictment alleging Thaci and another senior Kosovar politician , Kadri Veseli , are among those `` criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders '' and other wrongdoing involving `` hundreds of known victims of Kosovo Albanian , Serb , Roma , and other ethnicities and including political opponents . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Kosovo Liberation Army ( UCK ) during the conflict .
A pretrial judge at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague has until October to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for a trial based on the 10-count indictment , according to the statement from the Special Prosecutor 's Office .
Veseli has proclaimed his innocence , while Thaci said on Instagram on June 26 that `` nobody can rewrite the history of Kosovo . ''
He posted a photo of himself seated between his parents `` in the homeland '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was announced , a planned meeting between the Kosovar president and his Serbian counterpart , Aleksandar Vucic , at the White House was postponed .
The meeting , which had been scheduled to take place on June 27 , was aimed at kickstarting suspended talks on normalizing relations between the two neighbors .
Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and is recognized by more than 110 countries , but not by Belgrade .
On June 27 , Kosovo 's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said his government remains `` committed ” to the normalization process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his return from Brussels , Hoti said he and the U.S. special presidential envoy , Richard Grenell , had agreed on `` another date which will be soon '' for the continuation of negotiations .
Meanwhile , France and Germany have indicated their willingness to co-host a summit with the Kosovar and Serbian leaders in Paris .

PRISTINA -- Kosovar President Hashim Thaci says he will “immediately resign” if a judge in The Hague confirm war-crimes charges filed against him, including crimes against humanity, stemming from Kosovo’s war of independence in 1998-99.
In a prerecorded address to the nation, Thaci rejected the “false” accusations against him and said: “My heart is hurt, but not broken. My mind weighs heavy, but is not bleary. My blood is heated, but clean,” according to a transcript distributed by his office.
He also vowed to consult with Kosovo’s political leaders in the following days to discuss “the next steps.”
The Kosovar president delivered his address in the wake an indictment being announced by a special prosecutor's office in The Hague on June 24, alleging that Thaci and another senior Kosovar politician, Kadri Veseli, are among those "criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders" and other wrongdoing involving "hundreds of known victims of Kosovo Albanian, Serb, Roma, and other ethnicities and including political opponents."
Thaci commanded guerrilla forces under the banner of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) during the conflict.
A pretrial judge at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague has until October to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for a trial based on the 10-count indictment, according to the statement from the Special Prosecutor's Office.
In his address to the nation, Thaci said "there has not been and could not be even a single piece of evidence" against him.
He also blasted the prosecutor's decision to announce the indictment before it has been confirmed by the court, calling the move a "massive scandal."
"No crime, alleged or even committed, by anyone, justifies public lynching," he added.
Veseli has also proclaimed his innocence.
Earlier in the day, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama made an unexpected visit to neighboring Kosovo, which has a predominantly ethnic Albanian population, to meet with Thaci, Veseli, and other Kosovar leaders.
After arriving in Pristina, Rama tweeted that the indictment was a "shameful stain of 21st century" world justice.
After the indictment was announced, a planned meeting between the Kosovar president and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, at the White House was postponed. The meeting, which had been scheduled to take place on June 27, was aimed at kickstarting suspended talks on normalizing relations between the two neighbors.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and is recognized by more than 110 countries, but not by Belgrade.
"I do not know whether it was chance or intrigue that, midway toward the White House, the notification for an unconfirmed indictment was released," Thaci said on June 29.
Thaci said the meeting being called off was "a strong blow to the opportunity of achieving peace between Kosovo and Serbia."
On June 27, Kosovo's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said his government remains "committed” to the normalization process with Serbia.
Speaking to reporters after his return from Brussels, Hoti said he and the U.S. special presidential envoy, Richard Grenell, had agreed on "another date which will be soon" for the continuation of negotiations.
Meanwhile, France and Germany have indicated their willingness to co-host a summit with the Kosovar and Serbian leaders in Paris.


rferl--2020-06-28--Members Of Congress Demand More Information On Russia's Alleged Offer Of Bounties To Taliban

U.S. lawmakers are demanding more information from the White House after a newspaper report said that Russian military intelligence offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan .
President Donald Trump has denied ever being briefed on the intelligence , though The New York Times , which reported on the alleged bounties , said he was told of the matter in March .
Representative Liz Cheney ( Republican-Wyoming ) said on June 28 that if the allegations in the newspaper report are true , lawmakers need to know “ who did know and when ?
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and vice president weren ’ t briefed , Cheney said on Twitter .
She also demanded to know what has been done in response to protect U.S. forces and what has been done to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable .
The New York Times , citing anonymous U.S. officials briefed on the matter , reported that a secret unit of Russia ’ s GRU military intelligence linked to assassination attempts in Europe and other activities offered rewards for successful attacks last year .
The newspaper reported on June 26 that U.S. intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence offered the bounties to Taliban-linked militants and briefed Trump .
Trump tweeted on June 28 that he was never briefed on the matter .
“ Nobody briefed or told me ” or Vice President Mike Pence or chief of staff Mark Meadows about “ the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians , ” the president said on Twitter .
`` Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us , ” he wrote .
The White House and the director of national intelligence have denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also dismissed the report and a spokesman for the Taliban leadership said on June 27 that the group `` strongly rejects '' the allegation .
The newspaper published additional information on June 28 saying U.S. intelligence and special operations forces in Afghanistan alerted superiors as early as January to the suspected Russian plot to pay bounties , citing officials briefed on the matter .
House speaker Nancy Pelosi said June 28 that she was not aware of the assessment and called for Congress to be briefed .
She said the report and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ignoring allegations against Russia to accommodate Putin .
`` There is something very wrong here .
But this must have an answer , '' the top Democrat in the House said on ABC News , adding that Trump has already supported Putin by diminishing U.S. leadership in NATO , reducing U.S. forces in Germany , and inviting Russia back into the Group of Seven ( G7 ) .
Moscow was a member of the group for a few years , making it the G8 , but it was excluded from the club @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine .
“ You would think the minute the president heard of it , he would want to know more , instead of denying that he knew anything , ” Pelosi said .
Pelosi and Representative Adam Schiff ( Democrat-California ) , chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , also questioned why Trump was not told about the bounty offer .
`` If he was briefed and still wanted Russia back in the G-8 , it 's even worse , '' Schiff tweeted .
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer urged tough sanctions against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate will debate this week .
With reporting by Reuters , ABC News , and AP

U.S. lawmakers are demanding more information from the White House after a newspaper report said that Russian military intelligence offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
President Donald Trump has denied ever being briefed on the intelligence, though The New York Times, which reported on the alleged bounties, said he was told of the matter in March.
Representative Liz Cheney (Republican-Wyoming) said on June 28 that if the allegations in the newspaper report are true, lawmakers need to know “who did know and when?” The White House must explain why the president and vice president weren’t briefed, Cheney said on Twitter.
She also demanded to know what has been done in response to protect U.S. forces and what has been done to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable.
The New York Times, citing anonymous U.S. officials briefed on the matter, reported that a secret unit of Russia’s GRU military intelligence linked to assassination attempts in Europe and other activities offered rewards for successful attacks last year. The newspaper reported on June 26 that U.S. intelligence officials concluded months ago that Russian military intelligence offered the bounties to Taliban-linked militants and briefed Trump.
Trump tweeted on June 28 that he was never briefed on the matter.
“Nobody briefed or told me” or Vice President Mike Pence or chief of staff Mark Meadows about “the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians,” the president said on Twitter.
"Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us,” he wrote.
The White House and the director of national intelligence have denied the report. The Russian Foreign Ministry also dismissed the report and a spokesman for the Taliban leadership said on June 27 that the group "strongly rejects" the allegation.
The newspaper published additional information on June 28 saying U.S. intelligence and special operations forces in Afghanistan alerted superiors as early as January to the suspected Russian plot to pay bounties, citing officials briefed on the matter.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi said June 28 that she was not aware of the assessment and called for Congress to be briefed.
She said the report and Trump's denial is more evidence of the president ignoring allegations against Russia to accommodate Putin.
"There is something very wrong here. But this must have an answer," the top Democrat in the House said on ABC News, adding that Trump has already supported Putin by diminishing U.S. leadership in NATO, reducing U.S. forces in Germany, and inviting Russia back into the Group of Seven (G7). Moscow was a member of the group for a few years, making it the G8, but it was excluded from the club over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
“You would think the minute the president heard of it, he would want to know more, instead of denying that he knew anything,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi and Representative Adam Schiff (Democrat-California), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, also questioned why Trump was not told about the bounty offer.
"If he was briefed and still wanted Russia back in the G-8, it's even worse," Schiff tweeted.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer urged tough sanctions against Russia in the defense bill that the Senate will debate this week.
With reporting by Reuters, ABC News, and AP


rferl--2020-07-01--Iran Reportedly Arrests Two Swedes For 'Drug Trafficking'

Two Swedish nationals have been arrested in Iran in a crackdown on an international drugs-trafficking network .
`` The members @ @ @ @ @ have been arrested and two Swedish nationals are among them , '' the hard-line Tasnim @ @ @ @ @ affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) , said on July 1 @ @ @ @ @ “ huge ” amount of drugs has been seized by the authorities , including “ @ @ @ @ @ The report didn ’ t say when the alleged gang members had been arrested and @ @ @ @ @ lies on a major transit route for drugs smuggled from Afghanistan to Europe .
Tehran @ @ @ @ @ Western citizens on trumped-up charges and using them as bargaining chips in negotiations .

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


rferl--2020-07-01--Kazakhstan Plans Reimposing Lockdown Amid Surge In Coronavirus Cases

NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakhstan 's government has presented a plan to reintroduce lockdown measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus after a sharp rise in infections .
According to the plan , the Central Asian nation 's second lockdown would start on July 5 and last for at least 14 days , President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev tweeted on July 1 .
Toqaev wrote that Health Minister Aleksei Tsoi will present details of the proposal the next day .
The announcement comes a day after Tsoi recommended that authorities introduce a four-week , nationwide lockdown to contain the virus .
The spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state of emergency declared on March 16 was lifted on May 11 and quarantine restrictions were eased .
The Word Health Organization has designated Kazakhstan as having the `` rapid '' spread of the coronavirus .
Kazakh health authorities said on July 1 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country reached 41,065 , of which 13,614 people recovered , and 188 died .
In neighboring Kyrgyzstan , Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov said that by the evening of July 1 , a total of 1,150 beds for coronavirus patients will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bishkek ’ s Manas International Airport .
Boronov also said that senior students at medical universities and schools have been mobilized to help tackle the epidemic in the country .
The Health Ministry said on July 30 that it has recorded 5,735 coronavirus patients in the country , of which 2,443 people recovered , and 62 died .
The government of another Central Asian nation , Tajikistan , said on June 30 that the number of coronavirus cases there reached 5,954 , of whom 4,568 people recovered and 52 died .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of people who died of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , may be almost 440 .
Tajik health authorities have claimed that the number of cases in the country has been decreasing since June 9 , while Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , and Uzbekistan have said infections were on the rise .
Uzbek health authorities said on July 1 that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country was 8,627 , of whom 5,682 people recovered , while 26 patients have died .
Turkmenistan remains the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officially admitted a single coronavirus case , though experts are skeptical of the claim given the lack of transparency and the absence of an independent media in the tightly controlled country .

NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakhstan's government has presented a plan to reintroduce lockdown measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus after a sharp rise in infections.
According to the plan, the Central Asian nation's second lockdown would start on July 5 and last for at least 14 days, President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev tweeted on July 1.
Toqaev wrote that Health Minister Aleksei Tsoi will present details of the proposal the next day.
The announcement comes a day after Tsoi recommended that authorities introduce a four-week, nationwide lockdown to contain the virus.
The spread of the virus intensified in Kazakhstan after a state of emergency declared on March 16 was lifted on May 11 and quarantine restrictions were eased.
The Word Health Organization has designated Kazakhstan as having the "rapid" spread of the coronavirus.
Kazakh health authorities said on July 1 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country reached 41,065, of which 13,614 people recovered, and 188 died.
In neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov said that by the evening of July 1, a total of 1,150 beds for coronavirus patients will be set up at university dormitories and at Bishkek’s Manas International Airport.
Boronov also said that senior students at medical universities and schools have been mobilized to help tackle the epidemic in the country.
The Health Ministry said on July 30 that it has recorded 5,735 coronavirus patients in the country, of which 2,443 people recovered, and 62 died.
The government of another Central Asian nation, Tajikistan, said on June 30 that the number of coronavirus cases there reached 5,954, of whom 4,568 people recovered and 52 died.
However, an RFE/RL investigative report has revealed that the number of people who died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, may be almost 440.
Tajik health authorities have claimed that the number of cases in the country has been decreasing since June 9, while Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have said infections were on the rise.
Uzbek health authorities said on July 1 that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country was 8,627, of whom 5,682 people recovered, while 26 patients have died.
Turkmenistan remains the only country in the region that has not officially admitted a single coronavirus case, though experts are skeptical of the claim given the lack of transparency and the absence of an independent media in the tightly controlled country.


rferl--2020-07-01--In Call With Erdogan And Putin, Iran's Rohani Calls For End Of 'Illegitimate' U.S. Presence In Syria

The `` illegitimate '' presence of U.S. forces in Syria should end immediately , Iranian President Hassan Rohani told Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a video conference on July 1 on the situation in the war-torn country .
The talks are the first since September in the so-called Astana format , in which the three countries discuss developments in Syria , where the conflict has entered its 10th year .
Iran and Russia have been staunch supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , while Turkey has called for his ouster and backed opposition fighters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ against remnants of the Islamic State ( IS ) group .
Following U.S. President Donald Trump 's announcement in December 2018 that he ordered the pullout of all 2,000-2,500 U.S. troops operating in Syria , the United States plans to finalize the withdrawal of most of its troops later this year .
Rohani insisted there is `` no military solution '' for Syria but reiterated its `` determination '' to root out IS remnants .
`` We continue to support the inter-Syrian dialogue and underline our determination to fight the terrorism of Daesh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State ) , Al-Qaeda , and other related groups . ''
`` The Islamic republic believes the only solution to the Syrian crisis is political and not a military solution , '' Rohani said in a televised opening address .
Putin told his counterparts that there was a need for peaceful dialogue between warring sides in Syria , where the conflict has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions .
Putin also said that hot spots of terrorism still remain in Syria 's Idlib and other regions .
`` I emphasize that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is completely eradicated in Syria and the region in general , '' he added .
After delivering opening statements , the three presidents are expected to discuss Syria in private .
Turkey and Russia brokered a March cease-fire in rebel-controlled Idlib Province following a monthslong Russia-backed offensive by Syrian forces that displaced nearly 1 million people and threatened to send a flood of refugees into Turkey .
As part of the cease-fire deal , Turkish and Russian troops conduct joint patrols in a buffer zone between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highway , which connects Aleppo to Latakia on the Mediterranean coast .
With reporting by AFP and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-01--COVID-19: Austria Cautions Against Balkans Travel Amid Rise In Cases

The global death toll from the coronavirus is over 500,000 , with more than 10.5 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Austria has issued a travel warning for six Western Balkan countries after several new coronavirus infection clusters in Austria were traced back to the region .
The Balkans , which had previously been less affected by outbreaks of the virus than other parts of Europe , have seen a recent increase in infections .
The July 1 travel warning refers to Albania , Bosnia-Herzegovina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Serbia -- but not to EU members Slovenia and Croatia .
The move by Austria , which has a large community of people with Balkan roots , is a particular blow for Serbia and Montenegro , which the EU on June 30 added to its `` safe list '' of countries from which nonessential travel was allowed as of July 1 .
`` I am aware that this decision causes pain to many people , '' Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told a news conference .
The number of daily new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the number climbing above 100 on June 30 for the first time since April .
`` We must do everything in our power to prevent a second wave '' of infections , Schallenberg added .
Those who must travel in the region for urgent reasons must self-quarantine or provide a recent virus test result upon return to Austria .
More than 530,000 people among Austria 's population of 8.9 million have roots in the former Yugoslavia .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service , Reuters , and dpa

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


rferl--2020-07-01--Latvia Bans Russia's RT TV Over EU-Sanctioned Chief

Latvia has banned Russia 's RT television channels from being distributed on its territory because of international sanctions against the head of the Russian state TV network , Dmitry Kiselyov .
Latvia 's media watchdog , the National Electronic Media Council ( NEPLP ) , said it had banned RT 's main English-language broadcast service , its Spanish and Arabic counterparts , the RT Documentary channel , as well as the HD versions of the programs .
RT has no other stations that broadcast in the Baltic country .
`` These TV stations have been banned because they are controlled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is under European Union sanctions for repeated calls to violate Ukraine 's democracy and territorial integrity , '' NEPLP Chairman Ivars Abolins said on June 30 .
The NEPLP also said RT attempted in its programs to present Latvia , a Baltic state that gained independence after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 , as a failed state .
Last year , the NEPLP banned 10 other Russian television channels , including Rossia RTR , for `` systematic hate speech and warmongering against Ukraine , including open calls to kill Ukrainian citizens .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the decision would be implemented this week .
Meanwhile , Kiselyov , a TV commentator known for anti-Western diatribes , said on June 30 that he had never been in charge of RT , which used to be known as Russia Today , and suggested that Latvia should apologize to the channel and cancel the move .
Kiselyov has been on the EU sanctions list for his alleged role in promoting Kremlin propaganda in support of Russia 's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine .
Kiselyov is the head of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainly on Russian news and official propaganda abroad .
The group includes , along with other television channels , RT , radio stations and websites , the Sputnik news service , Prime news agency , and the Inosmi.ru media project .
Kiselyov 's media group is among the top 10 state-subsidized groups in Russia .
It received 20.4 billion rubles ( more than $ 288 million ) from the state from 2018 to 2020 .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and Govorit Moskva

Latvia has banned Russia's RT television channels from being distributed on its territory because of international sanctions against the head of the Russian state TV network, Dmitry Kiselyov.
Latvia's media watchdog, the National Electronic Media Council (NEPLP), said it had banned RT's main English-language broadcast service, its Spanish and Arabic counterparts, the RT Documentary channel, as well as the HD versions of the programs. RT has no other stations that broadcast in the Baltic country.
"These TV stations have been banned because they are controlled and managed by Dmitry Kiselyov, who is under European Union sanctions for repeated calls to violate Ukraine's democracy and territorial integrity," NEPLP Chairman Ivars Abolins said on June 30.
The NEPLP also said RT attempted in its programs to present Latvia, a Baltic state that gained independence after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, as a failed state.
Last year, the NEPLP banned 10 other Russian television channels, including Rossia RTR, for "systematic hate speech and warmongering against Ukraine, including open calls to kill Ukrainian citizens."
The NEPLP said in a statement that the decision would be implemented this week.
Meanwhile, Kiselyov, a TV commentator known for anti-Western diatribes, said on June 30 that he had never been in charge of RT, which used to be known as Russia Today, and suggested that Latvia should apologize to the channel and cancel the move.
Kiselyov has been on the EU sanctions list for his alleged role in promoting Kremlin propaganda in support of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Kiselyov is the head of the state Rossia Segodnya media group, which focuses mainly on Russian news and official propaganda abroad.
The group includes, along with other television channels, RT, radio stations and websites, the Sputnik news service, Prime news agency, and the Inosmi.ru media project.
Kiselyov's media group is among the top 10 state-subsidized groups in Russia. It received 20.4 billion rubles (more than $288 million) from the state from 2018 to 2020.
With reporting by AP, AFP, and Govorit Moskva


rferl--2020-07-01--In Rare Move, Belarusian Court Cancels Death Sentence In High-Profile Case

MINSK -- Belarus 's Supreme Court has upheld the appeal of a death-row inmate and annulled his sentence in a murder case , a very rare move in the tightly controlled state led by autocratic President Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
The court also annulled two other sentences in the case on June 30 , and sent it back for further investigation and a retrial .
Belarus is the only country in Europe that enforces the death penalty .
A court in the central city of Slutsk in early March sentenced 29-year-old Viktar Skrundzik to death , 25-year-old Vital Myatsezh to 22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bushnin to 18 years in prison , after finding them guilty of murdering two elderly persons , along with further crimes of attempted murder , arson , and robbery .
All three pleaded partially guilty and appealed their sentences .
Skrundzik insisted at the trial that his initial confession in the crimes had been coerced by investigators .
Only Skrundzik was present at the appeal hearing on June 30 .
He was brought to the courtroom handcuffed and in a special robe for death row convicts that has the letters VMN emblazoned on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishment .
Skrundzik reiterated his stance , saying that he had confessed to the murders of the two elderly persons -- Mikhail Shuhaley and Uladzimer Harkavets -- under pressure , and stated that in fact he had not killed them .
According to Skrundzik , it was Bushnin who killed the two men .
Skrundzik added that he feared Bushnin because , according to him , the man had connections in criminal circles .
`` A death sentence was canceled , which is very rare ... .
The whole case will be reinvestigated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which we hail , '' Paluda told RFE/RL .
For years , the European Union has urged Belarus to join other countries in declaring a moratorium on capital punishment .
According to Paluda , aside from Skrundzik , there are four other persons on death row in Belarus .
Rights organizations have said that more than 400 people have been sentenced to death in Belarus since it gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 .

MINSK -- Belarus's Supreme Court has upheld the appeal of a death-row inmate and annulled his sentence in a murder case, a very rare move in the tightly controlled state led by autocratic President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
The court also annulled two other sentences in the case on June 30, and sent it back for further investigation and a retrial. Belarus is the only country in Europe that enforces the death penalty.
A court in the central city of Slutsk in early March sentenced 29-year-old Viktar Skrundzik to death, 25-year-old Vital Myatsezh to 22 years in prison, and 33-year-old Valyantsin Bushnin to 18 years in prison, after finding them guilty of murdering two elderly persons, along with further crimes of attempted murder, arson, and robbery.
All three pleaded partially guilty and appealed their sentences. Skrundzik insisted at the trial that his initial confession in the crimes had been coerced by investigators.
Only Skrundzik was present at the appeal hearing on June 30.
He was brought to the courtroom handcuffed and in a special robe for death row convicts that has the letters VMN emblazoned on it. The acronym stands for capital punishment.
Skrundzik reiterated his stance, saying that he had confessed to the murders of the two elderly persons -- Mikhail Shuhaley and Uladzimer Harkavets -- under pressure, and stated that in fact he had not killed them.
According to Skrundzik, it was Bushnin who killed the two men. Skrundzik added that he feared Bushnin because, according to him, the man had connections in criminal circles.
Belarusian human rights activist Andrey Paluda called the court's decision "a historic moment."
"A death sentence was canceled, which is very rare.... The whole case will be reinvestigated and that is a big thing, which we hail," Paluda told RFE/RL.
For years, the European Union has urged Belarus to join other countries in declaring a moratorium on capital punishment.
According to Paluda, aside from Skrundzik, there are four other persons on death row in Belarus.
Rights organizations have said that more than 400 people have been sentenced to death in Belarus since it gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.


rferl--2020-07-01--More Lawmakers Urge Trump To Consider Repercussions For Russia Over Alleged Bounties

U.S. President Donald Trump should consider imposing new economic sanctions on Russia if reports alleging that Moscow paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan are true , Democrats who were briefed on the matter said .
House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff ( Democrat-California ) , speaking after the briefing on June 30 , added his voice to those saying Trump should weigh action against Moscow .
`` We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia 's malign activities , '' he said .
Representative Mikie Sherrill ( Democrat-New Jersey ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy officer , called the allegations `` very concerning . ''
If they are true , she added , `` Russia is going to face repercussions . ''
Senate Republicans who attended a separate briefing the day before also said there ought to be consequences for Russia , if the reports are true , but stressed that an ongoing review should take place before any retaliatory actions are taken .
Trump has been under mounting pressure over the report , which first appeared in The New York Times based on multiple unidentified sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report said the bounty program was in place as U.S. and Taliban negotiators held talks aimed at ending the Afghan conflict .
Trump initially said he was not briefed on the matter , with his spokeswoman explaining on June 29 that the intelligence had not been verified and there was no consensus in the intelligence community that the bounty claims were true .
But on June 30 White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump was not `` personally '' briefed and did not address whether Trump had received a written report about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times reported that officials gave Trump a written briefing in late February laying out their conclusions , citing two unidentified officials as its sources .
Democrats and some Republicans are questioning whether Trump read the written report and , if he did why he had not responded more aggressively .
The Times previously reported that the National Security Council held an interagency meeting in late March to discuss possible responses after U.S. intelligence officers and special forces in Afghanistan began raising the alarm as early as January -- but the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The New York Times reported on June 30 that U.S. officials had intercepted data showing large transfers of money from an account controlled by Russia 's military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account .
It said this was further evidence that a bounty program had been established .
The newspaper cited three officials familiar with the intelligence as its sources .
Russia and the Taliban have denied the existence of any offer of bounties to kill U.S. troops .
The Washington Post reported on June 28 that the bounties are believed to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service members in Afghanistan .
The New York Times separately reported that U.S. intelligence officials believe at least one U.S. military death was linked to the alleged payments .
With reporting by Reuters and AP

U.S. President Donald Trump should consider imposing new economic sanctions on Russia if reports alleging that Moscow paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan are true, Democrats who were briefed on the matter said.
House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (Democrat-California), speaking after the briefing on June 30, added his voice to those saying Trump should weigh action against Moscow.
"We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia's malign activities," he said.
Representative Mikie Sherrill (Democrat-New Jersey) a former navy helicopter pilot and Russia policy officer, called the allegations "very concerning." If they are true, she added, "Russia is going to face repercussions."
Senate Republicans who attended a separate briefing the day before also said there ought to be consequences for Russia, if the reports are true, but stressed that an ongoing review should take place before any retaliatory actions are taken.
Trump has been under mounting pressure over the report, which first appeared in The New York Times based on multiple unidentified sources with knowledge of the matter. The report said the bounty program was in place as U.S. and Taliban negotiators held talks aimed at ending the Afghan conflict.
Trump initially said he was not briefed on the matter, with his spokeswoman explaining on June 29 that the intelligence had not been verified and there was no consensus in the intelligence community that the bounty claims were true.
But on June 30 White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump was not "personally" briefed and did not address whether Trump had received a written report about the alleged offer of bounties.
The New York Times reported that officials gave Trump a written briefing in late February laying out their conclusions, citing two unidentified officials as its sources.
Democrats and some Republicans are questioning whether Trump read the written report and, if he did why he had not responded more aggressively.
The Times previously reported that the National Security Council held an interagency meeting in late March to discuss possible responses after U.S. intelligence officers and special forces in Afghanistan began raising the alarm as early as January -- but the White House didn't authorize any action.
The New York Times reported on June 30 that U.S. officials had intercepted data showing large transfers of money from an account controlled by Russia's military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account.
It said this was further evidence that a bounty program had been established. The newspaper cited three officials familiar with the intelligence as its sources.
Russia and the Taliban have denied the existence of any offer of bounties to kill U.S. troops.
The Washington Post reported on June 28 that the bounties are believed to have resulted in the death of several U.S. service members in Afghanistan. The New York Times separately reported that U.S. intelligence officials believe at least one U.S. military death was linked to the alleged payments.
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-07-01--Investigation Launched Into Allegations Russian Police Broke Journalist's Arm At Polling Station

Russian investigators have launched a preliminary probe into allegations that two police officers broke a journalist 's arm at a polling station in St. Petersburg during a vote to change the constitution .
David Frenkel , a reporter and photographer for the independent outlet Mediazona , underwent surgery due to his injury on June 30 , Mediazona said .
Video of the incident posted on social media shows two police officers tackling Frenkel to the ground .
A cracking noise can be heard , followed by Frenkel screaming out in pain .
Mediazona said Frenkel had gone to the polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said an election observer identified as Dmitry Abramov , a former municipal deputy from President Vladimir Putin 's United Russia , was involved in the incident .
However , the St. Petersburg Public Chamber said Abramov was not an accredited observer , Mediazona reported , raising questions about why he was there .
RFE/RL 's Russian Service has reported on various voting irregularities and potential fraud , including multiple votes cast , coercion , and attempts to remove observers and journalists .
Voting stations opened on June 25 for a week to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The last day to vote is July 1 .
If the constitutional amendments pass , Putin will be able to seek reelection two more times , raising the possibility that he could stay in power until 2036 .
The 67-year-old Russian leader has already been in power as president or prime minister since 1999 .
With reporting by AFP , RFE/RL 's Russian Service , and Mediazona

Russian investigators have launched a preliminary probe into allegations that two police officers broke a journalist's arm at a polling station in St. Petersburg during a vote to change the constitution.
David Frenkel, a reporter and photographer for the independent outlet Mediazona, underwent surgery due to his injury on June 30, Mediazona said.
Video of the incident posted on social media shows two police officers tackling Frenkel to the ground. A cracking noise can be heard, followed by Frenkel screaming out in pain.
Mediazona said Frenkel had gone to the polling station to check possible violations.
It also said an election observer identified as Dmitry Abramov, a former municipal deputy from President Vladimir Putin's United Russia, was involved in the incident.
However, the St. Petersburg Public Chamber said Abramov was not an accredited observer, Mediazona reported, raising questions about why he was there.
RFE/RL's Russian Service has reported on various voting irregularities and potential fraud, including multiple votes cast, coercion, and attempts to remove observers and journalists.
Voting stations opened on June 25 for a week to help avoid crowds during the coronavirus. The last day to vote is July 1.
If the constitutional amendments pass, Putin will be able to seek reelection two more times, raising the possibility that he could stay in power until 2036.
The 67-year-old Russian leader has already been in power as president or prime minister since 1999.
With reporting by AFP, RFE/RL's Russian Service, and Mediazona


rferl--2020-07-01--In Unusual Move, Russian Election Officials Post Preliminary Plebiscite Results While Polls Still Op

In Unusual Move, Russian Election Officials Post Preliminary Plebiscite Results While Polls Still Open

MOSCOW -- Russia ’ s Central Election Commission ( CEC ) has begun posting preliminary results in the national plebiscite on Kremlin-backed constitutional amendments even though several hours remain before polls close in the western parts of the country .
Normally , the publication of voting results or exit polling before voting closes is illegal in Russia .
However , the nonbinding plebiscite on the constitutional amendments has not been conducted in accordance with Russian laws on referendums .
The CEC reported on July 1 that over 74 percent of voters had voted in favor of the package of amendments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open the way for President Vladimir Putin to seek two more terms and remain in power until 2036 .
With just under 1 percent of the ballots counted in the eastern regions where polls have closed , just over 24 percent of voters have voted against the amendments , according to the CEC .
The CEC also reported that by 2.00 p.m. ( 1100 GMT/UTC ) , turnout at voting stations in Moscow was 46 percent , and 62 percent in the second-largest city , St. Petersburg .
Some independent observers , journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple violations at polling stations .
July 1 is the final day of voting on the package , although polls have been open since June 25 -- an unprecedented weeklong vote the authorities said was intended to reduce crowds amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The early results are in line with expectations and previous exit polls in a campaign where Russians have been encouraged to vote with prize draws offering flats and ads putting the spotlight on popular amendments such as one that guarantees inflation-linked pensions .
Even as voters headed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10,000 rubles ( $ 141 ) to those with children .
Opposition to the amendments has been divided , with some groups -- including the Communist Party -- calling for a “ No ” vote and others -- including prominent opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and the liberal Yabloko party -- calling for a boycott of the plebiscite .
In a post on Facebook , liberal journalist Ilya Azar announced he will go to Moscow ’ s Red Square at 6 p.m. local time to protest the amendments .
“ I am not calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wrote .
“ Everyone can decide for themselves… .
But I can not limit myself to just swearing on Facebook.
” The Kremlin has said the amendments are necessary for the country 's stability and security , while Putin 's critics charge they are a bid for the 67-year-old to secure power for life .
Voters have only been given the option of accepting or rejecting the entire package of amendments .
The government has pushed hard for a strong public endorsement of the changes .
The most-controversial among more then 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resets Putin ’ s term-limit clock to zero , opening the way for him to run for reelection when his current six-year term expires in 2024 , and again in 2030 .
That prospect sparked a minor protest in Moscow 's Red Square .
Police moved in and quickly ended the protest , briefly detaining eight activists who used their bodies to form the number `` 2036 . ''
The activists included Moscow municipal lawmakers Lyusya Shtein and Viktor Kotov and members of the protest performance group Pussy Riot , Aleksandr Sofeyev and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gosha Kozhevnikov , Liza Samoilova , and Maria Timofeyeva .
All eight men and women were later released without charges .
Putin , who voted at a voting station at Russia 's Academy of Sciences , has said that he may take part in 2024 presidential poll .
If he ran for another term after that , he would be 84 by the time his final term expired .
Putin 's critics , law experts , opposition politicians , and civil rights activists have described the amendments as a “ constitutional coup.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would allow Putin to seek reelection in 2024 and 2030 was abruptly added .
The package of more than 200 amendments was adopted the next day by both the lower house of parliament , the State Duma , and the upper chamber , the Federation Council .
Putin initially scheduled the vote for April 22 , but it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic .
In addition to enabling Putin to seek additional terms , the amendments would broaden the powers of the parliament in the formation of the government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They also explicitly state the priority of Russian law over international law , ban same-sex marriages , describe a `` belief in God '' as a core national value , define the Russian language as `` the language of the state-forming ethnicity , '' and make it `` impossible to alienate parts of the Russian Federation . ''
The vote comes amid growing discontent in Russia over the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic , and as polls have shown a decline in Putin 's popularity in recent years .
His approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent during the spring , according to the independent Levada Center polling agency .
Putin , a longtime KGB officer during the Soviet era , has been president or prime minister since 1999 .
His supporters credit him with strengthening the country and its economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the crises of the 1990s .
Critics say he has weakened democratic institutions , marginalized political opponents , stifled criticism , and allowed corruption to flourish .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , and TASS

MOSCOW -- Preliminary results indicate that a national, nonbinding plebiscite has approved a sprawling package of constitutional amendments that, among other things, would open the possibility for President Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036.
According to results released by Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) early on July 2, with all ballots counted, 77.9 percent of voters endorsed the Kremlin-backed package of more than 200 constitutional amendments. Some 21.3 percent voted against.
The official turnout was about 65 percent, the commission said. Voting was spread out over a week in an effort to maintain precautions to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Putin had declared July 1, the final day of the voting, to be a public holiday in a bid to encourage voter turnout.
Ella Pamfilova, head of the commission, said the vote had been transparent and that officials had done everything to ensure its integrity, but critics and opposition figures denounced the outcome.
“The just-announced ‘results’ are a fake and a huge lie,” opposition politician Aleksei Navalny wrote in a blog post. “They have nothing in common with the opinions of the citizens of Russia. We have witnessed a show, the ending of which was scripted in advance.”
He told supporters in a video he would "never recognize this result."
Navalny said the opposition would not protest now because of the coronavirus pandemic but will later this year if its candidates are blocked from taking part in regional elections or if the election results are falsified.
"What Putin fears most is the street," said Navalny. Putin "will not leave until we start to take to the streets in the hundreds of thousands and in the millions."
The anti-amendments campaign Nyet! released its own exit polling estimating that in Moscow, 55 percent voted against the package, while in St. Petersburg, 63 percent opposed the amendments.
During the voting, several hundred people spontaneously gathered on Moscow’s Pushkin Square to protest the amendments and the prospect of two more presidential terms for Putin, who has said he has yet to decide on his future.
Moscow City Council Deputy Sergei Mitrokhin, of the liberal Yabloko party, was among those who gathered on the square. He told RFE/RL that the plebiscite vote marks “the end of…the rule of law in Russia.”
The demonstration proceeded peacefully with one-person pickets taking turns holding up signs at the base of a statue to Russian national poet Aleksandr Pushkin. There was a strong police presence around the square but no action was taken against the protesters.
One demonstrator who held a sign reading “Down with the Tsar,” told RFE/RL: “We don’t want to live in a dictatorship, particularly not in a legalized dictatorship.”
About 100 people participated in a demonstration against the amendments in St. Petersburg, carrying copies of the old version of the constitution. Police and National Guard troops forced them off the Palace Square and several people were reportedly detained.
There were numerous reports of alleged ballot-box stuffing and other irregularities in the voting on July 1. The previous day, police in St. Petersburg broke the arm of journalist David Frenkel of the MediaZona outlet as he was covering the voting. Russian authorities said they were investigating the incident.
WATCH: Russian Police Break Arm Of Journalist Covering Constitutional Vote
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based media-rights group, issued a statement on July 1 criticizing the Russian authorities for having “attacked, arrested, or harassed at least five journalists in the lead-up” to the plebiscite.
In an unusual development, the CEC began publishing preliminary results hours before polls closed in the western parts of the country. Normally, the publication of voting results or exit polling before voting closes is illegal in Russia. However, the nonbinding plebiscite on the constitutional amendments has not been conducted in accordance with Russian laws on referendums.
Russians were encouraged to vote with prize draws offering flats and advertisements putting the spotlight on popular amendments such as one that guarantees inflation-linked pensions.
Even as voters headed to the polls, Putin ordered one-off payments of 10,000 rubles ($141) to those with children.
Opposition to the amendments has been divided, with some groups – including the Communist Party -- calling for a “no” vote and others -- including prominent opposition leader Navalny and the Yabloko party -- calling for a boycott of the plebiscite.
According the CEC, the package of amendments received at least 50 percent support in almost every region of the country. It said the Republic of Tyva polled the highest support -- almost 97 percent. The Nenets Autonomous Region was the only one to reject the amendments, results showed, with about 53 percent voting no.
Some officials said the rejection by Nenets is likely the result of residents not wanting to unify with the Arkhangelsk region, which was one of the amendments in the package.
The Kremlin has said the amendments are necessary for the country’s stability and security, while Putin’s critics charge they are a bid for the 67-year-old to secure power for life.
Voters were given the option of accepting or rejecting the entire package of amendments.
The most-controversial among more than 200 amendments in the package is one that resets Putin’s term-limit clock to zero, opening the way for him to run for reelection when his current six-year term expires in 2024, and again in 2030.
That prospect sparked a minor protest in Moscow's famous Red Square. Police moved in and quickly ended the protest, briefly detaining eight activists who used their bodies to form the number "2036."
The activists included Moscow municipal lawmakers, Lyusya Shtein and Viktor Kotov, and members of the protest performance group Pussy Riot, Aleksandr Sofeyev, Nika Nikulshina, and activists Maria Bezverkhaya, Gosha Kozhevnikov, Liza Samoilova, and Maria Timofeyeva.
All eight men and women were later released without charges.
Putin, who voted at a polling station at Russia's Academy of Sciences, has said that he may take part in 2024 presidential poll. If he ran for another term after that, he would be 84 by the time his final term expired.
Putin's critics, law experts, opposition politicians, and civil rights activists have described the amendments as a “constitutional coup.”
Putin first proposed the sweeping amendments during a national address in January. The document was presented to the legislature just five days later after cursory discussion by a hastily formed “working group.”
On March 10, the wording that would allow Putin to seek reelection in 2024 and 2030 was abruptly added.
The package of more than 200 amendments was adopted the next day by both the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, and the upper chamber, the Federation Council.
Putin initially scheduled the vote for April 22, but it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to enabling Putin to seek additional terms, the amendments would broaden the powers of the parliament in the formation of the government and redistribute some authority among various government structures.
They also explicitly state the priority of Russian law over international law, ban same-sex marriages, describe a “belief in God” as a core national value, define the Russian language as “the language of the state-forming ethnicity,” and make it “impossible to alienate parts of the Russian Federation.”
The vote comes amid growing discontent in Russia over the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, and as polls have shown a decline in Putin’s popularity in recent years. His approval rating sank to a low of 59 percent during the spring, according to the independent Levada Center polling agency.
Putin, a longtime KGB officer during the Soviet era, has been president or prime minister since 1999.
His supporters credit him with strengthening the country and its economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the crises of the 1990s.
Critics say he has weakened democratic institutions, marginalized political opponents, stifled criticism, and allowed corruption to flourish.
With reporting by Current Time, Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, and TASS


rferl--2020-06-30--Hundreds Rally In Kyiv Against Appointment Of Acting Education Minister

KYIV -- Hundreds of demonstrators have rallied in the Ukrainian capital to protest against the appointment of Serhiy Shkarlet as acting Minister of Education and Science .
Scholars , students , teachers , and civil rights activists took part in the rally on June 30 , accusing the rector of Chernihiv National University of Technology of plagiarism and expressing outrage over his past association with the Russia-friendly Party of Regions .
The protesters held placards and put a toilet with a sign reading , `` For Diplomas from Shkarlet , '' next to a government building .
One man wore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ auction off diplomas .
From the government building , the protesters marched to the presidential office where they staged a sit-in protest .
The government appointed Shkarlet as acting Minister of Education and Science on June 25 , several days after a parliamentary commission refused to approve him to the ministerial post .
The protesters gathered all their posters and passed them to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy via the presidential office representatives .
Shkarlet served as a council member for the Party of Regions in Chernihiv Oblast .
Former President Viktor Yanukovych was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toppled in 2014 by antigovernment protests known as Euromaidan .
Shkarlet also ran for the Chernihiv Regional Council under former President Petro Poroshenko ’ s bloc .

KYIV -- Hundreds of demonstrators have rallied in the Ukrainian capital to protest against the appointment of Serhiy Shkarlet as acting Minister of Education and Science.
Scholars, students, teachers, and civil rights activists took part in the rally on June 30, accusing the rector of Chernihiv National University of Technology of plagiarism and expressing outrage over his past association with the Russia-friendly Party of Regions.
The protesters held placards and put a toilet with a sign reading, "For Diplomas from Shkarlet," next to a government building. One man wore a mask depicting Shkarlet and pretended to auction off diplomas.
From the government building, the protesters marched to the presidential office where they staged a sit-in protest.
The government appointed Shkarlet as acting Minister of Education and Science on June 25, several days after a parliamentary commission refused to approve him to the ministerial post.
The protesters gathered all their posters and passed them to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy via the presidential office representatives.
Shkarlet served as a council member for the Party of Regions in Chernihiv Oblast. Former President Viktor Yanukovych was a member of the party before he was toppled in 2014 by antigovernment protests known as Euromaidan.
Shkarlet also ran for the Chernihiv Regional Council under former President Petro Poroshenko’s bloc.


rferl--2020-06-30--Blast At Tehran Clinic Kills At Least 19

A powerful explosion at a medical clinic in northern Tehran has killed at least 19 people , Iranian media report .
Authorities initially said that 13 people were killed and six others injured in the blast at the Sina At'har health center on June 30 .
But Jalal Maleki , spokesman for the Tehran fire department , was quoted as saying that firefighters recovered six more bodies after the ensuing blaze was extinguished .
The dead included 15 women and four men , Maleki said , adding that firefighters had rescued 20 people .
The spokesman said the explosion occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinic 's basement .
Deputy Tehran Governor Hamidreza Goudarzi earlier said that a leak from medical gas tanks in the building was the cause of the explosion .
Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said that those injured were transferred to Tajrish hospital for medical treatment .
Ambulances were deployed to the site while police blocked off all roads leading to it .
Video posted online appeared to show more than one explosion and thick black smoke rising into the sky .
State TV reported there could be more blasts because there were a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The incident comes four days after the Defense Ministry said an explosion occurred at a gas-storage facility to the east of Tehran due to `` leaking gas tanks . ''
No casualties were reported after the blast , which occurred in an area with a sensitive military site .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-06-30--UN Blames Afghan Army For Deadly Market Blasts

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan ( UNAMA ) says `` initial , impartial '' findings indicate the Afghan National Army fired mortars on a market in the southern province of Helmand earlier this week , inflicting multiple civilian casualties .
`` Multiple credible sources assert that the ANA [ Afghan National Army ] fired lethal mortars in response to Taliban fire , missing the intended target , '' UNAMA said in a tweet on June 30 .
Afghan officials have said at least 23 civilians were killed and 15 others wounded in the June 29 explosions in Sangin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The militant group and the government blamed each other for the blasts , with President Ashraf Ghani calling the incident a `` terrorist attack . ''
In a separate tweet , UNAMA urged the warring sides to `` stop fighting in civilian-populated areas , '' saying `` such indirect-fire incidents in ground engagements cause 1000s of civilian casualties each year . ''
The UN mission also called on the Afghan government to set up an independent team to investigate the incident .
Helmand is a volatile province largely controlled by the Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a roadside bomb in the province ’ s Washer district left six civilians dead , including women and children .
Violence had dropped across much of Afghanistan after the Taliban offered a brief cease-fire to mark the Eid al-Fitr festival last month , but officials say the insurgents have stepped up attacks in recent weeks .

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--2020-06-30--Putin Urges Russians To Vote For Constitutional Changes That Could Extend His Rule

MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin has made a last-ditch appeal to Russians to vote for controversial amendments to the constitution that among other things would allow him to stay in power until 2036 .
`` We are not just voting for amendments .
We are voting for the country in which we want to live ... for a country for whose sake we are working and want to pass onto our children , '' Putin said in a televised address on June 30 , a day before the weeklong balloting ends .
Speaking in front of a monument he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to honor Soviet soldiers who died in a battle during World War II near the western Russian city of Rzhev , Putin also said the proposed constitutional changes would help `` reinforce '' Russia 's traditional `` values and principles . ''
However , he made no mention of how the sweeping constitutional reforms , which have sparked sharp criticism from opposition members and human rights groups who see them as an attempt at a power grab by Putin , could affect his own career .
Under the current rules , the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six-year term .
But if the constitutional changes are approved , Putin ’ s term-limit clock would be reset to zero -- opening the way for him to run for reelection when his current term expires in 2024 , and again in 2030 .
The 67-year-old Russian leader has already been in power as president or prime minister for the past two decades .
Voting stations opened on June 25 for a week to help avoid crowds on July 1 , the day designated for the vote , as Russia continues to grapple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was postponed from its originally scheduled date of April 22 due to the outbreak .
There is no minimum turnout required to make the vote valid , but analysts say the Kremlin fears a low turnout could undermine the perceived legitimacy of the constitutional changes .

MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin has made a last-ditch appeal to Russians to vote for controversial amendments to the constitution that among other things would allow him to stay in power until 2036.
"We are not just voting for amendments. We are voting for the country in which we want to live...for a country for whose sake we are working and want to pass onto our children," Putin said in a televised address on June 30, a day before the weeklong balloting ends.
Speaking in front of a monument he had just unveiled with Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to honor Soviet soldiers who died in a battle during World War II near the western Russian city of Rzhev, Putin also said the proposed constitutional changes would help "reinforce" Russia's traditional "values and principles."
However, he made no mention of how the sweeping constitutional reforms, which have sparked sharp criticism from opposition members and human rights groups who see them as an attempt at a power grab by Putin, could affect his own career.
Under the current rules, the president is forbidden from seeking a third consecutive six-year term.
But if the constitutional changes are approved, Putin’s term-limit clock would be reset to zero -- opening the way for him to run for reelection when his current term expires in 2024, and again in 2030.
The 67-year-old Russian leader has already been in power as president or prime minister for the past two decades.
Voting stations opened on June 25 for a week to help avoid crowds on July 1, the day designated for the vote, as Russia continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. The vote was postponed from its originally scheduled date of April 22 due to the outbreak.
There is no minimum turnout required to make the vote valid, but analysts say the Kremlin fears a low turnout could undermine the perceived legitimacy of the constitutional changes.