rferl--2020-07-24--Unregistered Opposition Presidential Candidate Tsapkala, Children Flee Belarus

MINSK -- Valer Tsapkala , the opposition politician whose candidacy election officials refused to register for an August 9 presidential poll , has fled Belarus for Russia with his children for safety reasons .
Tsapkala told Russia 's Dozhd television channel on July 24 that his wife Veranika remained in Belarus to join his campaign 's forces with those of the officially registered opposition candidate , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya .
He said that he and his children left the country after `` reliable sources '' informed him that Belarusian authorities planned to arrest him .
Tsapkala 's statement came three days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial hearing into a lawsuit filed against him by a Turkish businessman residing in Belarus , Sedat Igdeci , who accused Tsapkala of bribery .
The hearing was held in Tsapkala 's absence .
On June 29 , the Interior Ministry announced that it had started preliminary investigations into what it called `` facts of illegal activities '' committed by Tsapkala .
Veranika Tsapkala confirmed with the Tut.by online newspaper on July 24 that her husband and their children were now in Russia .
`` Two days ago , prosecutors came to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers to write complaints about us .
As far as I understood , they have launched a process of depriving us of the custody over our children , '' she said .
`` Because of that , we decided that Valer and the children must leave Belarusian territory as we face a real danger and threat here . ''
The August 9 election comes as Lukashenka faces mounting public opposition after 26 years in power .
Hundreds of people , including activists and bloggers have been arrested as the government has cracked down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates , who were not registered by the election officials .
Western governments and international institutions , including the United Nations , have called on Lukashenka 's government to stop the crackdown .
Veranika Tsapkala along with Maryya Kalesnikava , a coordinator of the campaign of another potential presidential candidate , former Belgazprombank head Viktar Babaryka , joined Tsikhanouskaya , who unlike Tsapkala and Babaryka was registered as a presidential candidate .
Babaryka is currently in jail facing embezzlement charges , which he and his supporters reject as politically motivated .
Tsikhanouskaya became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-known vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski , was incarcerated for openly expressing his intention to run for president .
It became known on July 20 that Tsikhanouskaya also moved her two children to an EU country out of concern for their safety after receiving threats ahead of the election .
Last month , the authorities detained at least 14 journalists for allegedly participating in unsanctioned protests , and in May , five journalists covering opposition candidates were detained , according to the Committee to Protect Journalists .
With reporting by Dozhd and Tut.by

MINSK -- Valer Tsapkala, the opposition politician whose candidacy election officials refused to register for an August 9 presidential poll, has fled Belarus for Russia with his children for safety reasons.
Tsapkala told Russia's Dozhd television channel on July 24 that his wife Veranika remained in Belarus to join his campaign's forces with those of the officially registered opposition candidate, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
He said that he and his children left the country after "reliable sources" informed him that Belarusian authorities planned to arrest him.
Tsapkala's statement came three days after a court in Minsk held an initial hearing into a lawsuit filed against him by a Turkish businessman residing in Belarus, Sedat Igdeci, who accused Tsapkala of bribery.
The hearing was held in Tsapkala's absence.
On June 29, the Interior Ministry announced that it had started preliminary investigations into what it called "facts of illegal activities" committed by Tsapkala.
Veranika Tsapkala confirmed with the Tut.by online newspaper on July 24 that her husband and their children were now in Russia.
"Two days ago, prosecutors came to the school where my children study and asked teachers to write complaints about us. As far as I understood, they have launched a process of depriving us of the custody over our children," she said.
"Because of that, we decided that Valer and the children must leave Belarusian territory as we face a real danger and threat here."
The August 9 election comes as Lukashenka faces mounting public opposition after 26 years in power.
Hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers have been arrested as the government has cracked down hard on rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates, who were not registered by the election officials.
Western governments and international institutions, including the United Nations, have called on Lukashenka's government to stop the crackdown.
Veranika Tsapkala along with Maryya Kalesnikava, a coordinator of the campaign of another potential presidential candidate, former Belgazprombank head Viktar Babaryka, joined Tsikhanouskaya, who unlike Tsapkala and Babaryka was registered as a presidential candidate.
Babaryka is currently in jail facing embezzlement charges, which he and his supporters reject as politically motivated.
Tsikhanouskaya became a presidential candidate after her husband, well-known vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was incarcerated for openly expressing his intention to run for president.
It became known on July 20 that Tsikhanouskaya also moved her two children to an EU country out of concern for their safety after receiving threats ahead of the election.
Last month, the authorities detained at least 14 journalists for allegedly participating in unsanctioned protests, and in May, five journalists covering opposition candidates were detained, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
With reporting by Dozhd and Tut.by


rferl--2020-07-24--Russian Parliament's Upper Chamber Approves Bill On Multiday Voting In Elections

MOSCOW -- Russia 's upper chamber of parliament , the Federation Council , has approved a bill that allows voting over as many as three days during elections .
Right after the bill was approved by the Federation Council on July 24 , Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova announced that the new voting system will be used during elections in September in 41 of 83 regions of the Russian Federation .
According to Pamfilova , voting will start on September 11 and last for three days , with September 13 as the main election day .
The bill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Vladimir Putin , says that the decision on whether to hold multiday voting will be made by electoral officials .
Human rights organizations in Russia have harshly criticized the bill , saying that it would give the authorities more control over elections and more of a chance to rig their results .
Multiday voting was used for the first time between June 25 and July 1 in a national vote on constitutional amendments that , among other things , allowed President Vladimir Putin the possibility to seek further presidential terms after his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting by TASS and Interfax

MOSCOW -- Russia's upper chamber of parliament, the Federation Council, has approved a bill that allows voting over as many as three days during elections.
Right after the bill was approved by the Federation Council on July 24, Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova announced that the new voting system will be used during elections in September in 41 of 83 regions of the Russian Federation.
According to Pamfilova, voting will start on September 11 and last for three days, with September 13 as the main election day.
The bill, which must be endorsed into law by President Vladimir Putin, says that the decision on whether to hold multiday voting will be made by electoral officials.
Human rights organizations in Russia have harshly criticized the bill, saying that it would give the authorities more control over elections and more of a chance to rig their results.
Multiday voting was used for the first time between June 25 and July 1 in a national vote on constitutional amendments that, among other things, allowed President Vladimir Putin the possibility to seek further presidential terms after his current term expires in 2024.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-07-24--Iran Condemns U.S. Intercept Of Airliner Over Syria

Iran has accused Washington of endangering civilians after U.S. military aircraft intercepted an Iranian passenger plane over Syria as it was flying to Beirut from Tehran in a `` standard visual inspection . ''
U.S. Central Command , which oversees operations in the Middle East , said an F-15 fighter jet on July 24 `` conducted a standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air passenger airliner at a safe distance of approximately 1,000 meters '' while on a routine air mission near At-Tanf in Syria .
The U.S. military , which has a small desert base at At-Tanf near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` professional intercept was conducted in accordance with international standards . ''
But IRIB TV aired unverified amateur footage of passengers on board screaming as the pilot sharply reduced the altitude of the flight , saying it caused some injuries among passengers .
`` U.S ... .harasses a scheduled civil airliner -- endangering innocent civilian passengers -- ostensibly to protect its occupation forces , '' Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter .
`` These outlaws must be stopped before disaster , '' he added .
U.S. Central Command spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilot identified the aircraft as a Mahan Air passenger plane , the F-15 `` safely opened distance from the aircraft . ''
`` The visual inspection occurred to ensure the safety of coalition personnel at At-Tanf garrison , '' he added .
The head of Beirut airport , Fadi al-Hassan , told local Lebanese broadcaster New Television that the Iranian plane landed in the Lebanese capital in the evening .
`` All the passengers are well , but some suffered from minor wounds ... most suffered from shock and fear , '' Hassan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have long accused Mahan Air of shipping weapons and fighters to the Lebanese militant group Hizballah and Iran-linked groups in Syria and the region .
The United States imposed sanctions on Mahan Air in 2011 .
With reporting by SANA , AFP , dpa , and Reuters

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


rferl--2020-07-27--Kosovo Calls On Apple To Correct Its Borders On Maps

PRISTINA -- Kosovo has asked U.S. technology company Apple to correct its borders on its maps .
Kosovar Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj said on Twitter on July 26 that she had written a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook .
In it , she asked Cook `` to take immediate steps to correctly present Kosovo 's internationally recognized borders in its AppleMap Service . ''
On those maps , Kosovo is shown as part of Serbia , something the minister said was in `` in direct contradiction of the political and legal realities . ''
Kosovo seceded from Serbia after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops .
Kosovo , dominated by ethnic Albanians , declared independence from Serbia in 2008 , a move recognized by some 100 countries -- but not by Serbia , ally Russia , and five EU countries .
`` It is felt as a hurt by our citizens , who suffered immense losses in our independence struggle , '' Haradinaj tweeted .
`` It is also perceived as an insult to our state . ''
Haradinaj said that other digital-service providers like LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , menus , and options to correctly represent the Republic of Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state . ''
Apple did not respond immediately to a request from the AP news agency for comment .

PRISTINA -- Kosovo has asked U.S. technology company Apple to correct its borders on its maps.
Kosovar Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj said on Twitter on July 26 that she had written a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
In it, she asked Cook "to take immediate steps to correctly present Kosovo's internationally recognized borders in its AppleMap Service."
On those maps, Kosovo is shown as part of Serbia, something the minister said was in "in direct contradiction of the political and legal realities."
Kosovo seceded from Serbia after a 1998-99 war that ended with a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops.
Kosovo, dominated by ethnic Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by some 100 countries -- but not by Serbia, ally Russia, and five EU countries.
"It is felt as a hurt by our citizens, who suffered immense losses in our independence struggle," Haradinaj tweeted. "It is also perceived as an insult to our state."
Haradinaj said that other digital-service providers like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Spotify had updated "their platform, menus, and options to correctly represent the Republic of Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state."
Apple did not respond immediately to a request from the AP news agency for comment.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-07-27--Azerbaijani, Armenian Ambassadors Call On Compatriots In Russia To Keep Calm

The ambassadors of Armenia and Azerbaijan have called on their countrymen to avoid `` provocations '' and confrontations amid reports that ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijanis have clashed in Moscow and some other Russian cities in recent days amid an escalation of tensions between the two South Caucasus countries .
Vardan Toghanian and Polad Bulbuloglu issued separate statements calling on Armenians and Azerbaijanis residing in Russia not to violate laws of the Russian Federation .
The call came after Moscow police said more than 30 foreign nationals were arrested for taking part in huge fights and riots in the Russian capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to police officials , the majority of the arrested foreigners were charged with hooliganism , while some faced robbery charges as well .
`` In addition , in accordance with migration laws , many of the detained individuals will be barred from entering the territory of the Russian Federation for a period of five years , '' the officials said .
Police did not specify which countries the detained people were from and what exactly caused the fights , but media reports said that several mass brawls between ethnic Azerbaijanis and Armenians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cities near the Russian capital last week .
Police in Russia 's second-largest city , St , Peterburg , said on July 25 that they prevented a large fight between Azerbaijanis and Armenians in an area near the city .
The reports came as the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border has escalated since July 12 .
Both sides have reported casualties among military personnel .
Since July 17 , both sides have characterized the situation as relatively calm , though both have also accused each other of shelling in the border area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Armenia said on July 27 that one of its soldiers was killed overnight by sniper fire near the border , while Azerbaijan accused Armenia of using machine guns and sniper rifles along the border over the previous 24 hours .
The two countries have been in conflict since 1988 , when the mostly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region announced its secession from Azerbaijan .
In the course of the 1992-94 armed conflict , Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts .
Since 1992 , negotiations on a peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OSCE Minsk Group , which is chaired by the United States , France , and Russia , have brought no progress in solution of the ongoing conflict .
In a phone call on July 27 , Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart , Recep Tayyip Erdogan , expressed `` readiness ... to coordinate efforts for stabilization in the region , '' the Kremlin said .
A statement said that Putin `` underlined the importance of not allowing any actions that promote an escalation in tensions . ''
Both leaders said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a peaceful way , through talks . ''
Meanwhile , Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry announced that the country and its close ally Turkey will hold joint military exercises in early August .
The drills would take place on Azerbaijani soil and involve `` army personnel of both countries , armored vehicles , artillery and mortars , as well as military aircraft and air defense , '' the ministry said .
With reporting by Interfax , TASS , and AFP

The ambassadors of Armenia and Azerbaijan have called on their countrymen to avoid "provocations" and confrontations amid reports that ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijanis have clashed in Moscow and some other Russian cities in recent days amid an escalation of tensions between the two South Caucasus countries.
Vardan Toghanian and Polad Bulbuloglu issued separate statements calling on Armenians and Azerbaijanis residing in Russia not to violate laws of the Russian Federation.
The call came after Moscow police said more than 30 foreign nationals were arrested for taking part in huge fights and riots in the Russian capital and surrounding region on July 23-24.
According to police officials, the majority of the arrested foreigners were charged with hooliganism, while some faced robbery charges as well.
"In addition, in accordance with migration laws, many of the detained individuals will be barred from entering the territory of the Russian Federation for a period of five years," the officials said.
Police did not specify which countries the detained people were from and what exactly caused the fights, but media reports said that several mass brawls between ethnic Azerbaijanis and Armenians took place in Moscow and other towns and cities near the Russian capital last week.
Police in Russia's second-largest city, St, Peterburg, said on July 25 that they prevented a large fight between Azerbaijanis and Armenians in an area near the city.
The reports came as the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border has escalated since July 12. Both sides have reported casualties among military personnel.
Since July 17, both sides have characterized the situation as relatively calm, though both have also accused each other of shelling in the border area and near the contact line in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenia said on July 27 that one of its soldiers was killed overnight by sniper fire near the border, while Azerbaijan accused Armenia of using machine guns and sniper rifles along the border over the previous 24 hours.
The two countries have been in conflict since 1988, when the mostly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region announced its secession from Azerbaijan.
In the course of the 1992-94 armed conflict, Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts.
Since 1992, negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the conflict conducted by the OSCE Minsk Group, which is chaired by the United States, France, and Russia, have brought no progress in solution of the ongoing conflict.
In a phone call on July 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressed "readiness...to coordinate efforts for stabilization in the region," the Kremlin said.
A statement said that Putin "underlined the importance of not allowing any actions that promote an escalation in tensions."
Both leaders said they backed "resolving the conflict situation exclusively in a peaceful way, through talks."
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry announced that the country and its close ally Turkey will hold joint military exercises in early August.
The drills would take place on Azerbaijani soil and involve "army personnel of both countries, armored vehicles, artillery and mortars, as well as military aircraft and air defense," the ministry said.
With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and AFP


rferl--2020-07-27--Thousands Continue Anti-Kremlin Protests In Russia's Khabarovsk

KHABAROVSK , Russia -- Thousands of people have rallied in the central square of the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk to demand the release and return of the region 's governor , Sergei Furgal .
Furgal is now in jail in Moscow on charges of attempted murder and ordering two contract killings some 15 years ago .
Supporters say the charges are politically motivated .
Furgal , who denies the allegations , defeated a pro-Kremlin candidate in an election nearly two years ago .
Demonstrators have rallied in the city of 600,000 people for more than two weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the resignation of Russian President Vladimir Putin .
On July 25 , a crowd estimated at up to 50,000 turned out despite officials urging people to stay away due to concerns over the coronavirus .
On July 27 , well-known rock musician Sergei Shnurov , who currently works as general producer at the RTVi television channel , joined the demonstrators , saying that he and his team were shooting a documentary about the protests .
The protesters met Shnurov with mixed reactions .
Some took selfie photos with the celebrity , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newly appointed acting governor of the region , Mikhail Degtyaryov , against whom the demonstrators have rallied .
A day earlier , Degtyaryov spoke to some of the protesters for the first time since his appointment to the post on July 20 .
Degtyaryov is a member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia , as is Furgal , but he has never lived in Khabarovsk .
Also on July 27 , the first participant in the ongoing pro-Furgal protests was fined .
The leader of the Libertarian Party 's branch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RFE/RL that the Central district court found him guilty of violating regulations on public gatherings and fined him 10,000 rubles ( $ 140 ) .
An anchor for opposition politician Aleksei Navalny 's YouTube channel , Dmitry Nizovtsev , said on July 27 that police in Khabarovsk had launched a probe into his beating by unknown attackers last week .
Nizovtsev was attacked by three unknown men near his apartment on July 23 after he covered pro-Furgal rallies .
Such sustained demonstrations are unusual for Russia 's regions , as is the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to break them up .
They follow on the heels of a controversial nationwide vote that set the stage for Putin to remain in power until 2036 .
Khabarovsk region residents overwhelmingly voted for Furgal in the 2018 gubernatorial elections .
His surprise victory was a blow to the ruling United Russia party .
Furgal , who was arrested in Khabarovsk city on July 9 and transferred to Moscow , is charged with attempted murder and ordering two murders in 2004-2005 .
He denies the allegations .

KHABAROVSK, Russia -- Thousands of people have rallied in the central square of the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk to demand the release and return of the region's governor, Sergei Furgal.
Furgal is now in jail in Moscow on charges of attempted murder and ordering two contract killings some 15 years ago. Supporters say the charges are politically motivated. Furgal, who denies the allegations, defeated a pro-Kremlin candidate in an election nearly two years ago.
Demonstrators have rallied in the city of 600,000 people for more than two weeks. Their anger has grown to include calls for the resignation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On July 25, a crowd estimated at up to 50,000 turned out despite officials urging people to stay away due to concerns over the coronavirus.
On July 27, well-known rock musician Sergei Shnurov, who currently works as general producer at the RTVi television channel, joined the demonstrators, saying that he and his team were shooting a documentary about the protests.
The protesters met Shnurov with mixed reactions. Some took selfie photos with the celebrity, while others accused him of trying to assist the newly appointed acting governor of the region, Mikhail Degtyaryov, against whom the demonstrators have rallied.
A day earlier, Degtyaryov spoke to some of the protesters for the first time since his appointment to the post on July 20.
Degtyaryov is a member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, as is Furgal, but he has never lived in Khabarovsk.
Also on July 27, the first participant in the ongoing pro-Furgal protests was fined.
The leader of the Libertarian Party's branch in Khabarovsk, Artyom Mozgov, told RFE/RL that the Central district court found him guilty of violating regulations on public gatherings and fined him 10,000 rubles ($140).
An anchor for opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's YouTube channel, Dmitry Nizovtsev, said on July 27 that police in Khabarovsk had launched a probe into his beating by unknown attackers last week.
Nizovtsev was attacked by three unknown men near his apartment on July 23 after he covered pro-Furgal rallies.
Such sustained demonstrations are unusual for Russia's regions, as is the fact that the authorities have not yet moved to break them up.
They follow on the heels of a controversial nationwide vote that set the stage for Putin to remain in power until 2036.
Khabarovsk region residents overwhelmingly voted for Furgal in the 2018 gubernatorial elections. His surprise victory was a blow to the ruling United Russia party.
Furgal, who was arrested in Khabarovsk city on July 9 and transferred to Moscow, is charged with attempted murder and ordering two murders in 2004-2005. He denies the allegations.


rferl--2020-07-27--Russian Journalist Whose Collarbone Broken By Police Fined

ST. PETERSBURG , Russia -- A Russian journalist whose collarbone was broken by a police officer was fined for failing to obey police as he reported during a national vote on a series of changes to the constitution , a charge he denies .
A court in St. Petersburg on July 27 fined Mediazona news website correspondent David Frenkel 500 rubles ( $ 7 ) after finding him guilty of refusing to follow a police officer 's instructions at a polling station on June 30 .
Police said that during his detainment , in which an officer broke Frenkel 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict situation '' by resisting law enforcement officers , pushing them , using his feet and leaning against walls even though video presented at the hearing failed to show such a scene .
Additionally , the court ordered Frenkel to pay 2,000 rubles ( $ 28 ) for `` meddling '' in the work of the election commission and warned him not to violate further the `` self-isolation regime '' that was in effect in St. Petersburg at the time of the incident to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Frenkel had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible violations during the national vote on controversial amendments that among other things allows President Vladimir Putin the possibility to seek new terms in office after his current one expires in 2024 .
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 .
He underwent surgery due to his injury on June 30 .
Denis Dmitriyev , the police officer who detained Frenkel , said at the hearing that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election commission 's chairman because Frenkel `` was interfering with the voting process , '' an accusation Frenkel denies .
Frenkel has filed a lawsuit against the police officer , accusing him of abuse of power .
A former city official , Dmitry Abramov , who said he was an observer at the polling station , testified at the hearing that Frenkel `` most likely '' broke his collarbone when he fell down on the floor and the injury was not inflicted by police .
During the incident , Abramov stepped on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , trying `` to prove '' that the journalist was faking injury .
However , the St. Petersburg Public Chamber said Abramov was not an accredited observer , Mediazona has reported , raising questions about why he was there .

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- A Russian journalist whose collarbone was broken by a police officer was fined for failing to obey police as he reported during a national vote on a series of changes to the constitution, a charge he denies.
A court in St. Petersburg on July 27 fined Mediazona news website correspondent David Frenkel 500 rubles ($7) after finding him guilty of refusing to follow a police officer's instructions at a polling station on June 30.
Police said that during his detainment, in which an officer broke Frenkel's collarbone, the journalist "provoked a conflict situation" by resisting law enforcement officers, pushing them, using his feet and leaning against walls even though video presented at the hearing failed to show such a scene.
Additionally, the court ordered Frenkel to pay 2,000 rubles ($28) for "meddling" in the work of the election commission and warned him not to violate further the "self-isolation regime" that was in effect in St. Petersburg at the time of the incident to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Frenkel had gone to the polling station to check possible violations during the national vote on controversial amendments that among other things allows President Vladimir Putin the possibility to seek new terms in office after his current one expires in 2024.
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.
He underwent surgery due to his injury on June 30.
Denis Dmitriyev, the police officer who detained Frenkel, said at the hearing that he detained the journalist at the request of the election commission's chairman because Frenkel "was interfering with the voting process," an accusation Frenkel denies.
Frenkel has filed a lawsuit against the police officer, accusing him of abuse of power.
A former city official, Dmitry Abramov, who said he was an observer at the polling station, testified at the hearing that Frenkel "most likely" broke his collarbone when he fell down on the floor and the injury was not inflicted by police.
During the incident, Abramov stepped on Frenkel's leg and pulled his arm, trying "to prove" that the journalist was faking injury.
However, the St. Petersburg Public Chamber said Abramov was not an accredited observer, Mediazona has reported, raising questions about why he was there.


rferl--2020-07-27--COVID-19: Iranian Government Spokesman Hospitalized; Kosovo Restaurant Owners Protest Restrictions

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 640,000 , with more than 16 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei has been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus , the latest Iranian official said to have been infected with the virus .
Rabiei had been staying at home since last week , according to state-run television .
Two vice presidents , the tourism minister , a member of the Expediency Council , and a number of parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been infected with the coronavirus .
Iran has the highest number of recorded cases of infections and deaths in the Middle East .
Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on July 27 there had been a total of 293,606 cases in the country .
The latest daily death toll of 212 brought the total number of deaths to 15,912 .
Hundreds of restaurant and cafe owners have demonstrated in Kosovo 's capital to protest government restrictions imposed on their businesses to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic , and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spike in coronavirus cases , the government mandated from July 6 that those businesses must be closed from 9 p.m to 5 a.m .
Protesters gathered outside the main government building in Pristina , where they threw away cardboard keys to symbolize the lost business they 've suffered due to the restrictions .
Police deployed to the protest and in front of the government and parliament complex urged the protesters to disperse , warning them that they were violating pandemic restrictions .
Protest organizer Petrit Kllokoqi said the owners want subsides for salaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and other help .
`` We are not being supported by the state .
That is what we are asking for , '' he said .
Kllokoqi said that unless the demands are met , the protest will be repeated next week .
`` Next time we will bring our cash registers .
We will stop being fiscally responsible if you remain morally irresponsible , '' he added .
Kosovo saw a big increase in new coronavirus cases in May , after a relaxation of measures that were aimed at slowing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures , including limiting the operation hours for cafes and restaurants .
As of July 27 , the authorities have reported more than 6,900 coronavirus cases , with 169 deaths .
Uzbek authorities have extended restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus until August 15 amid reports of an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Central Asia 's most populous country of 32 million .
The state commission on measures to slow the outbreak said on July 26 that as of July 31 , when one of the most important Islamic holidays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the weekend of August 1-2 , all transport services nationwide will be suspended .
The commission also said that the restrictions had been prolonged `` due to the worsening epidemiological situation in the country . ''
The restrictions include limiting operations of transportation , including interregional links , and the suspension of operations at markets , large nonfood shops , parks , and entertainment and sports venues .
Family celebrations and ceremonies have been banned as well .
Almost all employees at state companies and entities have been working remotely , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ links .
Outdoor gatherings of more than three people have been prohibited and the movement of individuals over the age of 65 has been restricted .
Uzbek health authorities said on July 27 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country was 20,820 , including 117 deaths .
In neighboring Kazakhstan , officials said on July 27 that the governor of the southern Talghar district , Zholan Omarov , had died of pneumonia at the age of 41 .
Kazakh health officials have said that as of August 1 they will start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 death toll .
As of July 27 , the number of coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan was reported at 83,122 , including 610 deaths .
In Kyrgyzstan , health officials announced earlier in July that they had started adding people who died of acute pneumonia to the statistics of the COVID-19 victims .
According to the Health Ministry , the number of coronavirus cases in Kyrgyzstan as of July 27 was 33,296 , of whom 21,205 had recovered and 1,301 patients had died .
In Tajikistan , Health Minister Jamoliddin Abdullozoda said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical worker had become infected with coronavirus since it was officially registered in the country in April .
Health authorities said on July 27 that in the previous 24 hours , 42 new coronavirus cases were registered in the country , bringing the total number to 7,192 , of whom 59 people died .
However , an investigative report by RFE/RL 's Tajik Service last month revealed that the real number of lethal cases of COVID-19 in the country might be several hundreds , including dozens of physicians and nurses who treated COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region that has not officially registered any coronavirus cases , but RFE/RL correspondents have reported that local hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients with pneumonia symptoms , some of whom , including medical personnel , have died .
In some parts of the country , so-called quarantine zones have been established and some industrial facilities are being shut down .
The leader of a World Health Organization mission , Catherine Smallwood , told a press conference in Ashgabat on July 15 that the mission had concerns about reports of pneumonia in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised the Turkmen government to activate `` critical public-health measures in Turkmenistan , as if COVID-19 was circulating . ''
With reporting By RFE/RL 's Balkan , Kazakh , Kyrgyz , Radio Farda , Tajik , Turkmen , and Uzbek , services , and AP , Reuters , and dpa

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 640,000, with more than 16 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Iran
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei has been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus, the latest Iranian official said to have been infected with the virus.
Rabiei had been staying at home since last week, according to state-run television.
Two vice presidents, the tourism minister, a member of the Expediency Council, and a number of parliament members are among the Iranian officials who have been infected with the coronavirus.
Iran has the highest number of recorded cases of infections and deaths in the Middle East.
Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on July 27 there had been a total of 293,606 cases in the country.
The latest daily death toll of 212 brought the total number of deaths to 15,912.
Kosovo
Hundreds of restaurant and cafe owners have demonstrated in Kosovo's capital to protest government restrictions imposed on their businesses to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, and to demand relief measures.
Due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the government mandated from July 6 that those businesses must be closed from 9 p.m to 5 a.m.
Protesters gathered outside the main government building in Pristina, where they threw away cardboard keys to symbolize the lost business they've suffered due to the restrictions.
Police deployed to the protest and in front of the government and parliament complex urged the protesters to disperse, warning them that they were violating pandemic restrictions.
Protest organizer Petrit Kllokoqi said the owners want subsides for salaries, support for 50 percent of rent, and other help.
"We are not being supported by the state. That is what we are asking for," he said.
Kllokoqi said that unless the demands are met, the protest will be repeated next week. "Next time we will bring our cash registers. We will stop being fiscally responsible if you remain morally irresponsible," he added.
Kosovo saw a big increase in new coronavirus cases in May, after a relaxation of measures that were aimed at slowing the spread.
The government reimposed some lockdown measures, including limiting the operation hours for cafes and restaurants.
As of July 27, the authorities have reported more than 6,900 coronavirus cases, with 169 deaths.
Central Asia
Uzbek authorities have extended restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus until August 15 amid reports of an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Central Asia's most populous country of 32 million.
The state commission on measures to slow the outbreak said on July 26 that as of July 31, when one of the most important Islamic holidays, Eid al-Adha, is marked, and the weekend of August 1-2, all transport services nationwide will be suspended.
The commission also said that the restrictions had been prolonged "due to the worsening epidemiological situation in the country."
The restrictions include limiting operations of transportation, including interregional links, and the suspension of operations at markets, large nonfood shops, parks, and entertainment and sports venues.
Family celebrations and ceremonies have been banned as well.
Almost all employees at state companies and entities have been working remotely, with meetings and conferences being held via video links.
Outdoor gatherings of more than three people have been prohibited and the movement of individuals over the age of 65 has been restricted.
Uzbek health authorities said on July 27 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country was 20,820, including 117 deaths.
In neighboring Kazakhstan, officials said on July 27 that the governor of the southern Talghar district, Zholan Omarov, had died of pneumonia at the age of 41.
Kazakh health officials have said that as of August 1 they will start adding victims of acute pneumonia to the COVID-19 death toll.
As of July 27, the number of coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan was reported at 83,122, including 610 deaths.
In Kyrgyzstan, health officials announced earlier in July that they had started adding people who died of acute pneumonia to the statistics of the COVID-19 victims.
According to the Health Ministry, the number of coronavirus cases in Kyrgyzstan as of July 27 was 33,296, of whom 21,205 had recovered and 1,301 patients had died.
In Tajikistan, Health Minister Jamoliddin Abdullozoda said on July 24, that not a single medical worker had become infected with coronavirus since it was officially registered in the country in April.
Health authorities said on July 27 that in the previous 24 hours, 42 new coronavirus cases were registered in the country, bringing the total number to 7,192, of whom 59 people died.
However, an investigative report by RFE/RL's Tajik Service last month revealed that the real number of lethal cases of COVID-19 in the country might be several hundreds, including dozens of physicians and nurses who treated COVID-19 patients.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
Turkmenistan is the only country in the region that has not officially registered any coronavirus cases, but RFE/RL correspondents have reported that local hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients with pneumonia symptoms, some of whom, including medical personnel, have died.
In some parts of the country, so-called quarantine zones have been established and some industrial facilities are being shut down.
The leader of a World Health Organization mission, Catherine Smallwood, told a press conference in Ashgabat on July 15 that the mission had concerns about reports of pneumonia in the tightly controlled energy-rich country.
Smallwood advised the Turkmen government to activate "critical public-health measures in Turkmenistan, as if COVID-19 was circulating."
With reporting By RFE/RL's Balkan, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Radio Farda, Tajik, Turkmen, and Uzbek, services, and AP, Reuters, and dpa


rferl--2020-07-27--Belarusian President's Ex-Security Chief Gets 12 Years In Prison For Bribery

MINSK -- The former chief of Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's security has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for bribe taking .
The Supreme Court of Belarus pronounced the verdict and sentencing of Andrey Utsyurin on July 27 .
The court also barred Utsyurin from working at administrative posts for five years and deprived him of the military rank of colonel .
The court also ruled to confiscate $ 192,000 from Utsyurin , which , according to the court , he had received as bribes .
Fourteen of 15 other defendants in the case , including former employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and private businesses , received prison terms of between two and 7 1/2 years .
One defendant , a citizen of Latvia , was fined $ 14,600 .
The group went on trial on March 10 .
Utsyurin was arrested in April last year and charged with accepting at least $ 190,000 in bribes and instigation of bribe-giving during his handling of a state project on buying communication equipment , computers , and software .
Born in 1971 in the Russian city of Penza , Utsyurin led the presidential security unit from 2007-2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Security Council , the post he had until his arrest .

MINSK -- The former chief of Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's security has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for bribe taking.
The Supreme Court of Belarus pronounced the verdict and sentencing of Andrey Utsyurin on July 27. The court also barred Utsyurin from working at administrative posts for five years and deprived him of the military rank of colonel.
The court also ruled to confiscate $192,000 from Utsyurin, which, according to the court, he had received as bribes.
Fourteen of 15 other defendants in the case, including former employees of state entities, financial institutions, and private businesses, received prison terms of between two and 7 1/2 years.
One defendant, a citizen of Latvia, was fined $14,600.
The group went on trial on March 10.
Utsyurin was arrested in April last year and charged with accepting at least $190,000 in bribes and instigation of bribe-giving during his handling of a state project on buying communication equipment, computers, and software.
Born in 1971 in the Russian city of Penza, Utsyurin led the presidential security unit from 2007-2014 before he was appointed a deputy secretary of the Security Council, the post he had until his arrest.


rferl--2020-07-27--U.S., Russia Discuss Space Security Ahead Of Nuclear Talks This Week

U.S. and Russian officials are holding talks on space security after the United States and Britain last week accused Moscow of having launched an anti-satellite weapon .
The one-day dialogue , being held in Vienna on July 27 , will focus on space security and had been planned months in advance .
Those talks will be followed by three days of nuclear arms-control talks in the Austrian capital .
U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford said July 24 that `` Moscow and Beijing have already turned space into a war-fighting domain . ''
The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space , which would be modeled on existing rules of war that are based on the principles of proportionality and humanity .
`` Our hope is that this meeting will allow us to explore ways to increase security and stability in outer space as well as to advance the cause of developing norms of responsible behavior , '' Ford told a press conference .
The last bilateral meeting between Russia and the United States on space security took place in 2013 .
Russia and China have been backing a rival effort to ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treaty .
The United States and Britain accused Russia of having tested an anti-satellite weapon in space on July 15 .
Moscow denied the accusation , describing the event as an inspection of one satellite by another .
`` Russia has always been and remains a country that is committed to the aim of fully demilitarizing outer space and nondeployment of any kinds of arms in outer space , '' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 24 in comments carried by state news agency TASS .
The United States and Britain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a projectile that Ford described as the space equivalent of `` a bullet . ''
Russia has now carried out such a test for the second time , Ford said .
The first test took place in 2017 .
With reporting by dpa and TASS

U.S. and Russian officials are holding talks on space security after the United States and Britain last week accused Moscow of having launched an anti-satellite weapon.
The one-day dialogue, being held in Vienna on July 27, will focus on space security and had been planned months in advance. Those talks will be followed by three days of nuclear arms-control talks in the Austrian capital.
U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford said July 24 that "Moscow and Beijing have already turned space into a war-fighting domain."
The United States is proposing rules for responsible behavior in space, which would be modeled on existing rules of war that are based on the principles of proportionality and humanity.
"Our hope is that this meeting will allow us to explore ways to increase security and stability in outer space as well as to advance the cause of developing norms of responsible behavior," Ford told a press conference.
The last bilateral meeting between Russia and the United States on space security took place in 2013.
Russia and China have been backing a rival effort to ban weapons in outer space in an international treaty.
The United States and Britain accused Russia of having tested an anti-satellite weapon in space on July 15.
Moscow denied the accusation, describing the event as an inspection of one satellite by another.
"Russia has always been and remains a country that is committed to the aim of fully demilitarizing outer space and nondeployment of any kinds of arms in outer space," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 24 in comments carried by state news agency TASS.
The United States and Britain, however, said a Russian satellite fired a projectile that Ford described as the space equivalent of "a bullet."
Russia has now carried out such a test for the second time, Ford said. The first test took place in 2017.
With reporting by dpa and TASS


rferl--2020-07-27--FSB Says 'Terrorist' From Central Asia Killed Near Moscow

MOSCOW -- Russia 's Federal Security Service ( FSB ) says it has killed a person from Central Asia who `` planned a terrorist attack '' in Moscow .
The FSB said on July 27 that the man , whose identity was not disclosed , was killed after he opened fire at security officers as they sought to detain him in the city of Khimki near Moscow .
According to the FSB , the man planned a shooting spree in a public place in the Russian capital .
In a video distributed by the FSB , a man introduced as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he informed Moscow law enforcement about his brother 's association with an unnamed terrorist group in Syria .
The FSB said that officers found an assault rifle and grenades at the site where the shooting took place , adding that `` evidence , proving the suspect 's links with an international terrorist group banned in Russia , '' had been found .
On July 17 , the FSB said it had prevented `` a terrorist act '' in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk , where people have been protesting for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional governor , Sergei Furgal .
The FSB said at the time that an alleged terrorist who planned a shooting spree in `` the place of large gathering of people '' in Khabarovsk had been apprehended .

MOSCOW -- Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) says it has killed a person from Central Asia who "planned a terrorist attack" in Moscow.
The FSB said on July 27 that the man, whose identity was not disclosed, was killed after he opened fire at security officers as they sought to detain him in the city of Khimki near Moscow.
According to the FSB, the man planned a shooting spree in a public place in the Russian capital.
In a video distributed by the FSB, a man introduced as the killed suspect's brother says that he informed Moscow law enforcement about his brother's association with an unnamed terrorist group in Syria.
The FSB said that officers found an assault rifle and grenades at the site where the shooting took place, adding that "evidence, proving the suspect's links with an international terrorist group banned in Russia," had been found.
On July 17, the FSB said it had prevented "a terrorist act" in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, where people have been protesting for more than two weeks over the arrest of the regional governor, Sergei Furgal.
The FSB said at the time that an alleged terrorist who planned a shooting spree in "the place of large gathering of people" in Khabarovsk had been apprehended.


rferl--2020-07-27--Belarusian Authorities Accused Of 'Fostering Fear' Ahead Of Presidential Vote

MINSK -- Human rights groups have accused Belarusian authorities of fostering an atmosphere of `` fear and intimidation '' ahead of a presidential election scheduled for August 9 .
The Human Rights Defenders For Free Elections campaign , run by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Vyasna ( Spring ) human rights center in Minsk , said in a joint statement on July 27 that a campaign of repression has been initiated by the authorities , including the current detention of 25 individuals on politically motivated charges .
In all , the total number of people arrested since the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of whom 190 were incarcerated and 333 were ordered to pay fines , the activists said .
The rights groups emphasized that the Supreme Court of Belarus had denied the appeal of potential opposition presidential candidate Valer Tsapkala against the decision of the Central Election Commission to reject his registration and refused to look into a similar complaint filed by another potential candidate , Viktar Babaryka .
Experts of the Human Rights Defenders For Free Elections campaign believe that when making the decision on Tsapkala 's complaint , the court ignored the circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into account `` important reasons '' that created obstacles for Babaryka 's campaign to meet deadlines , which legislation allows to be prolonged .
Tsapkala had to flee the country with his children several days ago , fearing a politically motivated arrest , while Babaryka and his son Eduard were arrested in June on embezzlement charges , which they and their supporters call trumped up and imposed in order to prevent Babaryka from taking part in the vote .
The joint statement by the human rights groups also noted that the Central Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of observers at polling stations to five people bars independent observers from monitoring the election process and violates the basic principle of transparency in democratic elections .
The statement expressed a particular concern over statements made by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the head of the Security Council , Andrey Raukou , about the possibility of involving troops to counter protests and demonstrations .
`` Representatives of the Human Rights Defenders For Free Elections consider it as creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in the society , '' the statement said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mounting public opposition after 26 years in power .
Hundreds of people , including activists and bloggers , have been arrested as the government has cracked down hard on rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates who were not registered by election officials .
Western governments and institutions , including the United Nations , have called on Lukashenka 's government to stop the crackdown .
Tsapkala 's wife , Veranika Tsapkala , who remained in the country , and a coordinator of Babaryka ’ s campaign , Maryya Kalesnikava , have joined to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlike Tsapkala and Babaryka , was registered as a presidential candidate .
Tsikhanouskaya became a candidate after her husband , well-known vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski , was incarcerated for openly expressing his intention to run for president .
Tsikhanouskaya also moved her two children to an EU country out of concern for their safety after receiving threats ahead of the election .
On July 26 , Tsikhanouskaya told a gathering of thousands of people who came to express their support for her in the southeastern city of Homel that her son told her via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her . ''
`` I don ’ t want to live in a country where it ’ s scary to live .
I want to live in my native country , where it is not scary to live , it is not scary to talk , '' Tsikhanouskaya said .
She stressed that by removing `` the three strongest candidates for the presidency '' -- Syarhey Tsikhanouski , Viktar Babaryka , and Valer Tsapkala -- `` the authorities failed to take into account that `` behind every strong man stands a strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Western criticism of the government 's violent dispersal of pro-democracy demonstrations and the disqualification of candidates .
The Belarusian leader has ruled the country since 1994 and is currently serving his fifth term as president .
Belarus abolished presidential term limits in 2004 .

MINSK -- Human rights groups have accused Belarusian authorities of fostering an atmosphere of "fear and intimidation" ahead of a presidential election scheduled for August 9.
The Human Rights Defenders For Free Elections campaign, run by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Vyasna (Spring) human rights center in Minsk, said in a joint statement on July 27 that a campaign of repression has been initiated by the authorities, including the current detention of 25 individuals on politically motivated charges.
In all, the total number of people arrested since the beginning of the election campaign exceeds 1,140, of whom 190 were incarcerated and 333 were ordered to pay fines, the activists said.
The rights groups emphasized that the Supreme Court of Belarus had denied the appeal of potential opposition presidential candidate Valer Tsapkala against the decision of the Central Election Commission to reject his registration and refused to look into a similar complaint filed by another potential candidate, Viktar Babaryka.
Experts of the Human Rights Defenders For Free Elections campaign believe that when making the decision on Tsapkala's complaint, the court ignored the circumstances of the case and failed to take into account "important reasons" that created obstacles for Babaryka's campaign to meet deadlines, which legislation allows to be prolonged.
Tsapkala had to flee the country with his children several days ago, fearing a politically motivated arrest, while Babaryka and his son Eduard were arrested in June on embezzlement charges, which they and their supporters call trumped up and imposed in order to prevent Babaryka from taking part in the vote.
The joint statement by the human rights groups also noted that the Central Election Commission's move to reduce the number of observers at polling stations to five people bars independent observers from monitoring the election process and violates the basic principle of transparency in democratic elections.
The statement expressed a particular concern over statements made by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the head of the Security Council, Andrey Raukou, about the possibility of involving troops to counter protests and demonstrations.
"Representatives of the Human Rights Defenders For Free Elections consider it as creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in the society," the statement said.
The August 9 election comes as Lukashenka faces mounting public opposition after 26 years in power. Hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers, have been arrested as the government has cracked down hard on rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates who were not registered by election officials.
Western governments and institutions, including the United Nations, have called on Lukashenka's government to stop the crackdown.
Tsapkala's wife, Veranika Tsapkala, who remained in the country, and a coordinator of Babaryka’s campaign, Maryya Kalesnikava, have joined to support opposition presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya who, unlike Tsapkala and Babaryka, was registered as a presidential candidate.
Tsikhanouskaya became a candidate after her husband, well-known vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was incarcerated for openly expressing his intention to run for president.
Tsikhanouskaya also moved her two children to an EU country out of concern for their safety after receiving threats ahead of the election.
On July 26, Tsikhanouskaya told a gathering of thousands of people who came to express their support for her in the southeastern city of Homel that her son told her via the Internet that he was "scared for her."
"I don’t want to live in a country where it’s scary to live. I want to live in my native country, where it is not scary to live, it is not scary to talk," Tsikhanouskaya said.
She stressed that by removing "the three strongest candidates for the presidency" -- Syarhey Tsikhanouski, Viktar Babaryka, and Valer Tsapkala -- "the authorities failed to take into account that "behind every strong man stands a strong woman."
Lukashenka has rejected domestic and Western criticism of the government's violent dispersal of pro-democracy demonstrations and the disqualification of candidates.
The Belarusian leader has ruled the country since 1994 and is currently serving his fifth term as president. Belarus abolished presidential term limits in 2004.


rferl--2020-07-27--Swiss Government Says First Deal With Iran Via Humanitarian Channel Completed

A Swiss pharmaceutical firm has completed the first transaction under a new humanitarian trade channel with Iran , the government of Switzerland said on July 27 .
Trial operations started in January under the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement ( SHTA ) to bring food and medicine to the struggling Iranian population without violating U.S. sanctions .
`` We would like to emphasize that the operationalization of the SHTA is progressing and that a number of companies have already been approved , more companies will follow .
Further transactions should be carried out shortly , '' the State Secretariat for Economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ e-mail to Reuters .
SECO did not identify the pharmaceutical company or give a value for the shipment , which it said involved a cancer drug .
Food , medicine , and other humanitarian supplies are exempt from the sanctions that Washington reimposed on Tehran after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers .
But the U.S. measures targeting everything from oil sales to shipping and financial activities have deterred several foreign banks from doing business with Iran -- including humanitarian deals .
Under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs required for organ transplants worth 2.3 million euros ( $ 2.7 million ) were shipped to Iran .
Geneva-based bank BCP and pharmaceutical company Novartis took part in the pilot deal .


rferl--2020-07-27--Satellite Images Show Iranian Replica Of U.S. Aircraft Carrier In Strait of Hormuz

Satellite images show that Iran has placed a replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz , @ @ @ @ @ exercises .
News agencies Reuters and AP reported on July 27 that the ship , @ @ @ @ @ carrier , could be seen in images provided by U.S.-based space technology firm Maxar Technologies @ @ @ @ @ July 26 , an Iranian fast-attack boat can be seen approaching the fake vessel , @ @ @ @ @ planes lined up on the deck of the ship .
Iranian officials have not confirmed @ @ @ @ @ dummy ship .
Tehran , which opposes the presence of U.S. and Western navies in @ @ @ @ @ naval war games in the strategic strait , the conduit for some 30 percent of @ @ @ @ @ liquids traded by sea .
Tensions have been on the rise between Tehran and Washington @ @ @ @ @ United States withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and @ @ @ @ @ battered the Iranian economy .
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-07-27--More Than 1,200 Civilians Killed In Afghanistan In First Half Of 2020, UN Reports

There were 1,282 civilian deaths in Afghanistan in the first half of the year , while another 2,176 people were wounded over the same period , the UN Mission in Afghanistan ( UNAMA ) said in a report published on July 27 .
Those numbers include 340 children killed and another 727 wounded , the report said .
“ At a time when the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban have a historic opportunity to come together at the negotiating table for peace talks , the tragic reality is that the fighting continues , inflicting terrible harm to civilians every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UN secretary-general ’ s special representative for Afghanistan .
Taliban and Islamic State ( IS ) militants were behind most of the casualties , accounting for 58 percent of the victims , the report said , adding that pro-government forces were responsible for 23 percent of the civilians killed or wounded .
The numbers represent a 13 percent decrease in the numbers of deaths and injuries reported during the same time period in 2019 .
The report cites weaker engagement by international armed forces and the Islamic State extremist group as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Afghan government security forces and the Taliban were responsible for an almost unchanged number of casualties compared to the previous year , while civilian losses caused by Afghan Army air strikes tripled compared to the first half of 2019 .
The report came as efforts to achieve peace in Afghanistan remain in limbo due to disagreements about a prisoner release program between Kabul and the Taliban while violence is on the rise .
The Afghan National Security Council said on July 25 that in the past week the Taliban had killed 46 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States and the Taliban struck an agreement in February intended to pave the way for intra-Afghan peace talks between the militants and the U.S.-backed government in Kabul .
Key preconditions for intra-Afghan talks are prisoner exchanges and a reduction of violence .
The Taliban has said it is prepared to hold peace talks with the Afghan government next month after the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha , provided the prisoner swap has been completed .
However , on July 26 , the Taliban accused Afghan security forces of rearresting insurgents who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` bear responsibility for the consequences . ''
Meanwhile , the United States has dispatched its special envoy for Afghanistan on a five-nation tour aimed at advancing the fragile peace process .
The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan , Zalmay Khalilzad , is visiting Doha , Islamabad , Kabul , Oslo , and Sofia , the State Department said in a July 25 statement .
In Doha and Kabul , Khalilzad will “ press for resolution of the remaining issues ahead of intra-Afghan negotiations , specifically final prisoner exchanges and reduced violence.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of repeated rounds of U.S. talks with the Taliban .
Taliban militants control about half of Afghanistan 's territory and they have continued to carry out deadly attacks since the U.S.-Taliban deal was signed .
“ Although significant progress has been made on prisoner exchanges , the issue requires additional effort to fully resolve , ” the State Department said .
Khalilzad will also travel to Pakistan to seek its support in advancing intra-Afghan negotiations .
In Oslo and Sofia , the diplomat will update NATO allies on the Afghan peace process .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP , and AFP

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


rferl--2020-07-27--Germany Rejects U.S. Proposal For Russia's Return To G7

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has rejected allowing Russia 's return to the Group of Seven ( G7 ) , after U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect of Moscow rejoining the club of leading economic powers .
“ The reason for expelling Russia was its annexation of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine , ” Maas said in an interview to be published on July 27 in two German newspapers , Rheinische Post and Bonner General-Anzeiger .
“ So long as we don ’ t have a solution there , I don ’ t see any chance ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump suggested that Russia return to the G7 in May when he announced plans to postpone the annual summit until September because of the coronavirus pandemic .
He said he would like to expand the list of invitees to include Australia , Russia , South Korea , and India .
At the time , Trump said it was “ common sense ” to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to an expanded G7 summit because countries needed to talk to Russia despite its policies on the international stage and illegal annexation of Crimea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group but was expelled in the wake of its forcible annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 .
Maas said the relationship with Russia right now is difficult “ in many dossiers.
” '' Russia itself can make the largest contribution to opening such doors , '' Maas said of the idea to allow Moscow back into the elite group .
`` The G7 and G20 are two sensibly coordinated formats .
We do n't need a G11 or G12 , '' he said .
The G7 includes the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Britain , and Italy .
Maas noted Russia is needed to reach solutions to conflicts in Syria , Libya , and Ukraine .
A solution to these issues “ will happen with Russia , not against Russia , ” he said .
Germany currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and has been involved in diplomacy to end the conflicts in Libya , Syria , and Ukraine .
It is also a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council .
With reporting by Tagesschau , dpa , and Reuters

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has rejected allowing Russia's return to the Group of Seven (G7), after U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect of Moscow rejoining the club of leading economic powers.
“The reason for expelling Russia was its annexation of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine,” Maas said in an interview to be published on July 27 in two German newspapers, Rheinische Post and Bonner General-Anzeiger.
“So long as we don’t have a solution there, I don’t see any chance” of Russia rejoining the G7, Maas said.
Trump suggested that Russia return to the G7 in May when he announced plans to postpone the annual summit until September because of the coronavirus pandemic. He said he would like to expand the list of invitees to include Australia, Russia, South Korea, and India.
At the time, Trump said it was “common sense” to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to an expanded G7 summit because countries needed to talk to Russia despite its policies on the international stage and illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Russia was formerly in the group but was expelled in the wake of its forcible annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Maas said the relationship with Russia right now is difficult “in many dossiers.”
"Russia itself can make the largest contribution to opening such doors," Maas said of the idea to allow Moscow back into the elite group.
"The G7 and G20 are two sensibly coordinated formats. We don't need a G11 or G12," he said.
The G7 includes the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, France, Britain, and Italy.
Maas noted Russia is needed to reach solutions to conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Ukraine.
A solution to these issues “will happen with Russia, not against Russia,” he said.
Germany currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and has been involved in diplomacy to end the conflicts in Libya, Syria, and Ukraine. It is also a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council.
With reporting by Tagesschau, dpa, and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-26--Ukraine Accuses Separatists Of Breaching New Truce

KYIV -- Ukraine 's military says Russia-backed separatists have breached a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine shortly after it went into effect -- a claim rejected by the separatists .
The cease-fire , which entered into force on July 27 , had been agreed to last week by negotiators from Ukraine , Russia , and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) .
However , separatists violated the new truce near the town of Uzhivka , south of their stronghold city of Donetsk , and around Novomykhaylivka , southwest of Donetsk , according to Ukraine 's military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite shelling with small arms , grenade launchers , and heavy machine guns .
Ukraine 's military insisted that it was continuing to observe the cease-fire .
Separatists in Donetsk rejected Kyiv 's accusation , saying they were strictly following their commitments in the truce .
There have been more than 20 cease-fire attempts since the conflict in Ukraine 's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk erupted in 2014 .
In Kyiv , several hundred people gathered on the evening of July 27 for a protest rally against the new cease-fire .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn our soldiers into helpless targets .
Our army protects us every day .
Therefore , our duty is to support our army , '' the organizers said .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the truce as `` a significant step toward strengthening mutual trust and defusing tensions '' and called on the parties to `` fully adhere to their obligations and agreements . ''
Hours before the truce took effect , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Russian counterpart , Vladimir Putin , discussed the conflict in a phone call and expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office said that if upheld , the truce would `` pave the way for implementing other clauses '' of the Minsk accords aimed at putting an end to the fighting in Donetsk and Luhansk .
The Ukrainian president told Putin in the call that further steps were needed to free Ukrainian citizens being held in eastern Ukraine , Crimea , and Russia , it said .
The Kremlin said Putin told Zelenskiy that Ukraine 's decision to hold regional elections in 2020 contradicted the Minsk peace deals .
Zelenskiy was elected last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany and France have mediated between Ukraine and Russia since a peace agreement was signed in the Belarusian capital , Minsk , in 2015 , but efforts at implementation have faltered .
The leaders of the four countries met at a summit in Paris in December 2019 to revive the peace process , leading to Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists in the east of Ukraine conducting a series of prisoner exchanges .
Lingering issues remain over a timeline for local elections , control over borders in the separatist-controlled regions , the withdrawal of Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of separatist groups .
Moscow denies it has troops in eastern Ukraine .
Ukraine 's relationship with Russia has been tense ever since protests in Kyiv led to the overthrow of pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014 .
Russia annexed Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula shortly thereafter and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine , sparking a war that has resulted in some 13,200 deaths .
With reporting by AFP , dpa , UNIAN , Reuters , Interfax , and TASS

KYIV -- Ukraine's military says Russia-backed separatists have breached a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine shortly after it went into effect -- a claim rejected by the separatists.
The cease-fire, which entered into force on July 27, had been agreed to last week by negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
However, separatists violated the new truce near the town of Uzhivka, south of their stronghold city of Donetsk, and around Novomykhaylivka, southwest of Donetsk, according to Ukraine's military.
It said no casualties were reported despite attacks with small arms, grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns.
Ukraine's military insisted that it was continuing to observe the cease-fire.
Separatists in Donetsk rejected Kyiv's accusation, saying they were strictly following their commitments in the truce.
There have been more than 20 cease-fire attempts since the conflict in Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk erupted in 2014.
In Kyiv, several hundred people gathered on the evening of July 27 for a protest rally against the new cease-fire.
"We will not disarm our army and turn our soldiers into helpless targets. Our army protects us every day. Therefore, our duty is to support our army," the organizers said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the truce as "a significant step toward strengthening mutual trust and defusing tensions" and called on the parties to "fully adhere to their obligations and agreements."
Hours before the truce took effect, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, discussed the conflict in a phone call and expressed support for the cease-fire.
Zelenskiy's office said that if upheld, the truce would "pave the way for implementing other clauses" of the Minsk accords aimed at putting an end to the fighting in Donetsk and Luhansk.
The Ukrainian president told Putin in the call that further steps were needed to free Ukrainian citizens being held in eastern Ukraine, Crimea, and Russia, it said.
The Kremlin said Putin told Zelenskiy that Ukraine's decision to hold regional elections in 2020 contradicted the Minsk peace deals.
Zelenskiy was elected last year on promises to end the conflict.
Germany and France have mediated between Ukraine and Russia since a peace agreement was signed in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, in 2015, but efforts at implementation have faltered.
The leaders of the four countries met at a summit in Paris in December 2019 to revive the peace process, leading to Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists in the east of Ukraine conducting a series of prisoner exchanges.
Lingering issues remain over a timeline for local elections, control over borders in the separatist-controlled regions, the withdrawal of Russian military units and equipment, and disarmament of separatist groups.
Moscow denies it has troops in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine's relationship with Russia has been tense ever since protests in Kyiv led to the overthrow of pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.
Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula shortly thereafter and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, sparking a war that has resulted in some 13,200 deaths.
With reporting by AFP, dpa, UNIAN, Reuters, Interfax, and TASS