rferl--2020-09-10--'Brave Women Of Belarus' Nominated For Sakharov Prize

The `` brave women of Belarus , '' led by opposition figures Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , Maryya Kalesnikava and Veranika Tsapkala have been nominated in the European Parliament for this year ’ s Sakharov Prize .
The trio was nominated by the second-largest group in the chamber , the Socialists and Democrats ( S & D ) .
In a press release announcing the decision , Kati Piri , S & D vice president , said that `` we are firmly convinced that this year ’ s Sakharov Prize should honor the brave women of Belarus fighting for freedom and democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspired by the three women who spearheaded the grassroots opposition campaign for last month 's presidential elections in an attempt to unseat autocratic dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka . ''
Other groups in the European Parliament are expected to announce their own nominations later this week or early next week .
However , sources in Brussels have told RFE/RL that all of the main political groups are leaning toward backing the S & D proposal .
The deadline for nominations is September 17 with three candidates due to be shortlisted on October 12 before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced on October 22 .
The annual human rights prize is named after the Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov and was established in 1988 by the European Parliament to honor individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms .
The Belarusian Association of Journalists and the former Belarusian Presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkievich were awarded the prize in 2004 and 2006 respectively .

The "brave women of Belarus," led by opposition figures Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maryya Kalesnikava and Veranika Tsapkala have been nominated in the European Parliament for this year’s Sakharov Prize.
The trio was nominated by the second-largest group in the chamber, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D).
In a press release announcing the decision, Kati Piri, S&D vice president, said that "we are firmly convinced that this year’s Sakharov Prize should honor the brave women of Belarus fighting for freedom and democracy in their country. We are particularly inspired by the three women who spearheaded the grassroots opposition campaign for last month's presidential elections in an attempt to unseat autocratic dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka."
Other groups in the European Parliament are expected to announce their own nominations later this week or early next week. However, sources in Brussels have told RFE/RL that all of the main political groups are leaning toward backing the S&D proposal.
The deadline for nominations is September 17 with three candidates due to be shortlisted on October 12 before the final decision on the 2020 laureate is announced on October 22.
The annual human rights prize is named after the Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov and was established in 1988 by the European Parliament to honor individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists and the former Belarusian Presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkievich were awarded the prize in 2004 and 2006 respectively.


rferl--2020-09-10--Belarusian Miner Chains Himself Hundreds Of Meters Below Ground Demanding Lukashenka's Resignation

A Belarusian miner in the city of Salihorsk , 130 kilometers south of Minsk , chained himself for several hours to a piece of equipment in a mine more than 300 meters below the surface while demanding the resignation of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
Yury Korzun said in a letter on September 10 that the president was `` illegally '' holding his position and that Lukashenka should stop threatening striking workers and miners , release jailed members of the strike committee of the Belaruskali factory , stop abductions of ordinary people by unknown individuals and stop attacks against peaceful demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was reported to have said that Korzun was forcibly removed after spending more than four hours in the mine before being taken to a local hospital , which he left after a medical examination .
Employees at many state enterprises have gone on strike in Belarus to support demonstrations against the results of an August 9 presidential election that they say was rigged .
Lukashenka , who has ruled the country since 1994 , was declared the winner with just over 80 percent of the vote , while the opposition says its candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since the balloting , thousands of protesters , including factory workers who once formed the backbone of Lukashenka 's support , have taken to the streets calling for the president 's resignation and fresh elections .
Lukashenka has refused to meet with the opposition or agree to a new election .

A Belarusian miner in the city of Salihorsk, 130 kilometers south of Minsk, chained himself for several hours to a piece of equipment in a mine more than 300 meters below the surface while demanding the resignation of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Yury Korzun said in a letter on September 10 that the president was "illegally" holding his position and that Lukashenka should stop threatening striking workers and miners, release jailed members of the strike committee of the Belaruskali factory, stop abductions of ordinary people by unknown individuals and stop attacks against peaceful demonstrators across the country.
The strike committee was reported to have said that Korzun was forcibly removed after spending more than four hours in the mine before being taken to a local hospital, which he left after a medical examination.
Employees at many state enterprises have gone on strike in Belarus to support demonstrations against the results of an August 9 presidential election that they say was rigged.
Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994, was declared the winner with just over 80 percent of the vote, while the opposition says its candidate won and that the figures were falsified.
Since the balloting, thousands of protesters, including factory workers who once formed the backbone of Lukashenka's support, have taken to the streets calling for the president's resignation and fresh elections.
Lukashenka has refused to meet with the opposition or agree to a new election.


rferl--2020-09-10--Azerbaijani Rights Activists Call For Release Of Jailed Politician

BAKU -- A group uniting leading human rights defenders in Azerbaijan is appealing to authorities to release hunger-striking opposition politician Tofiq Yaqublu , who was sentenced to more than four years in prison on hooliganism charges that he and supporters call `` bogus . ''
A member of the Joint Working Group on Human Rights ( BIQ ) , Novella Cafaroglu , said on September 10 that the group had turned to officials at various levels and agencies , including lawmakers , law enforcement officials , and members of the state commission on clemencies , urging them to focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BIQ urged the officials to assist in expedited and open hearings into Yaqublu 's appeal , cancellation of his sentence , and his release , adding that the release of other political prisoners is also on the group 's agenda .
Cafaroglu 's statement came a day after police in Baku broke up a rally held by Yaqublu 's supporters demanding his immediate release .
At least 20 demonstrators were detained .
The 59-year-old Yaqublu is a deputy chairman of the opposition Musavat Party and a senior politician in the National Council of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` hooliganism '' and sentenced to four years and three months in prison on September 3 over a dispute after a traffic accident that he and rights groups say was a setup for the `` bogus '' case .
Yaqublu 's lawyer , Aqil Layic , told RFE/RL on September 7 that the politician was being pressured to confess to nonexistent psychological problems to explain the hunger strike he launched to protest his conviction .
Yaqublu was arrested in March after the car collision .
Investigators accused Yaqublu of `` using a wrench @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the other driver , a charge he has denied .
European Union officials have expressed concern over Yaqublu 's conviction and called on Baku to revisit his case .
Yaqublu , who frequently criticizes the government and authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev , spent 14 months in prison in 2013-14 on charges widely dismissed as politically motivated .
He was also sentenced to several days in jail in October 2019 after an opposition rally , during which he claims he was tortured in custody .
Critics of Aliyev 's government say authorities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to silence dissent by jailing opposition activists , journalists , and civil-society advocates on trumped-up charges .
Aliyev has ruled Azerbaijan since 2003 , taking over for his father , Heydar Aliyev , who served as president for a decade .

BAKU -- A group uniting leading human rights defenders in Azerbaijan is appealing to authorities to release hunger-striking opposition politician Tofiq Yaqublu, who was sentenced to more than four years in prison on hooliganism charges that he and supporters call "bogus."
A member of the Joint Working Group on Human Rights (BIQ), Novella Cafaroglu, said on September 10 that the group had turned to officials at various levels and agencies, including lawmakers, law enforcement officials, and members of the state commission on clemencies, urging them to focus on the issue.
Cafaroglu said that the BIQ urged the officials to assist in expedited and open hearings into Yaqublu's appeal, cancellation of his sentence, and his release, adding that the release of other political prisoners is also on the group's agenda.
Cafaroglu's statement came a day after police in Baku broke up a rally held by Yaqublu's supporters demanding his immediate release. At least 20 demonstrators were detained.
The 59-year-old Yaqublu is a deputy chairman of the opposition Musavat Party and a senior politician in the National Council of Democratic Forces.
He was convicted of "hooliganism" and sentenced to four years and three months in prison on September 3 over a dispute after a traffic accident that he and rights groups say was a setup for the "bogus" case.
Yaqublu's lawyer, Aqil Layic, told RFE/RL on September 7 that the politician was being pressured to confess to nonexistent psychological problems to explain the hunger strike he launched to protest his conviction.
Yaqublu was arrested in March after the car collision.
Investigators accused Yaqublu of "using a wrench to conduct an act of hooliganism" against the other driver, a charge he has denied.
European Union officials have expressed concern over Yaqublu's conviction and called on Baku to revisit his case.
Yaqublu, who frequently criticizes the government and authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev, spent 14 months in prison in 2013-14 on charges widely dismissed as politically motivated.
He was also sentenced to several days in jail in October 2019 after an opposition rally, during which he claims he was tortured in custody.
Critics of Aliyev's government say authorities in the oil-rich Caspian Sea state frequently seek to silence dissent by jailing opposition activists, journalists, and civil-society advocates on trumped-up charges.
Aliyev has ruled Azerbaijan since 2003, taking over for his father, Heydar Aliyev, who served as president for a decade.
With reporting by Turan


rferl--2020-09-10--Navalny's Condition Is Said To Have Improved, But Kremlin Critic's Spokeswoman Has Her Doubts

The German magazine Der Spiegel has reported that the hospitalized Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has made further progress and is said to be able to speak , although a Navalny spokesperson appeared to downplay the report .
Russian authorities have pressed Germany to share the evidence that led them to conclude `` without doubt '' that Navalny was poisoned with a military nerve agent from the Novichok group , the same class of Soviet-era nerve agents that British authorities said was used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018 .
Russian doctors said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Navalny 's system .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused critics in the West on September 10 of expecting Russia to accept blame for something it had nothing to do with .
The Kremlin critic is being treated in Berlin 's Charite hospital after becoming seriously ill on a Russian domestic flight last month .
Germany has demanded Russia explain the affair , though Russia denies any involvement .
`` Der Spiegel and Bellingcat understand that Navalny can speak again and can likely remember details about his collapse , '' the magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` His statements could be dangerous for people behind the attack . ''
The German magazine said Navalny 's police protection had been stepped up in the expectation that he would be receiving more visitors as his condition improved .
The Insider , a Russian investigative website also involved in the report , said Navalny remembered events up to the illness .
However , Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh appeared to downplay the report .
`` In connection with the latest material about Aleksei : that he is conscious and reacting to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday , but , in general , the article is very exaggerated and contained many factual errors , '' Yarmysh wrote on Twitter , without explicitly citing the Der Spiegel article .
There was no immediate comment by the hospital treating Navalny .
The affair has added fresh tensions between Russia and the West .
Lavrov charged that Germany , the United States and other Western allies who have urged Russia to conduct a probe into Navalny 's poisoning expect Moscow to accept blame for something it has n't done .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Lavrov said .
`` When the official representative of the German government says that the request from the Russian Prosecutor-General 's Office has been directed to independent judiciary agencies and so the German government can do nothing about it while demanding that we conduct an investigation , it resembles the precedent created by our Western colleagues following the Salisbury poisoning incident . ''
`` If such logic prevails , that would only mean that they put themselves above the law , above everyone else , '' he added .
Germany ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Navalny had been provided to the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons .
Lavrov ’ s comments come a day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on September 9 that there was a `` substantial chance '' his poisoning was ordered by senior Russian officials .
Pompeo said people around the world `` see this kind of activity for what it is .
And when they see the effort to poison a dissident , and they recognize that there is a substantial chance that this actually came from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not good for the Russian people . ''
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on September 10 that Moscow viewed that statement as `` unacceptable . ''
Berlin is facing calls for a sharper response to the poisoning .
Some opposition politicians have called for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany to be cancelled , even as it nears completion .
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was quoted on September 10 as saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him he would set up a committee to investigate Navalny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collaborate with the German authorities . ''
Peskov later on September 10 appeared to deny that report , saying the Italian minister 's remarks could have been based on a `` misunderstanding . ''
Peskov told reporters that Moscow still saw no grounds to open a criminal case into the illness of Navalny .
Peskov said Russia had not seen solid evidence of his alleged poisoning and that it had not received any medical data from Germany .
With reporting by Reuters , Spiegel , Die Zeit , The Insider , and Meduza

The German magazine Der Spiegel has reported that the hospitalized Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has made further progress and is said to be able to speak, although a Navalny spokesperson appeared to downplay the report.
Russian authorities have pressed Germany to share the evidence that led them to conclude "without doubt" that Navalny was poisoned with a military nerve agent from the Novichok group, the same class of Soviet-era nerve agents that British authorities said was used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018. Russian doctors said they had found no trace of poison in Navalny's system.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused critics in the West on September 10 of expecting Russia to accept blame for something it had nothing to do with.
The Kremlin critic is being treated in Berlin's Charite hospital after becoming seriously ill on a Russian domestic flight last month. Germany has demanded Russia explain the affair, though Russia denies any involvement.
"Der Spiegel and Bellingcat understand that Navalny can speak again and can likely remember details about his collapse," the magazine wrote, crediting its investigative website partner. "His statements could be dangerous for people behind the attack."
The German magazine said Navalny's police protection had been stepped up in the expectation that he would be receiving more visitors as his condition improved.
The Insider, a Russian investigative website also involved in the report, said Navalny remembered events up to the illness.
However, Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh appeared to downplay the report.
"In connection with the latest material about Aleksei: that he is conscious and reacting to those around him, we reported that already on Monday, but, in general, the article is very exaggerated and contained many factual errors," Yarmysh wrote on Twitter, without explicitly citing the Der Spiegel article.
There was no immediate comment by the hospital treating Navalny.
The affair has added fresh tensions between Russia and the West.
Lavrov charged that Germany, the United States and other Western allies who have urged Russia to conduct a probe into Navalny's poisoning expect Moscow to accept blame for something it hasn't done.
"We’re accustomed to unfounded accusations," Lavrov said. "When the official representative of the German government says that the request from the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office has been directed to independent judiciary agencies and so the German government can do nothing about it while demanding that we conduct an investigation, it resembles the precedent created by our Western colleagues following the Salisbury poisoning incident."
"If such logic prevails, that would only mean that they put themselves above the law, above everyone else," he added.
Germany’s Defense Ministry has said the data about Navalny had been provided to the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Lavrov’s comments come a day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on September 9 that there was a "substantial chance" his poisoning was ordered by senior Russian officials.
Pompeo said people around the world "see this kind of activity for what it is. And when they see the effort to poison a dissident, and they recognize that there is a substantial chance that this actually came from senior Russian officials, I think this is not good for the Russian people."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on September 10 that Moscow viewed that statement as "unacceptable."
Berlin is facing calls for a sharper response to the poisoning. Some opposition politicians have called for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany to be cancelled, even as it nears completion.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was quoted on September 10 as saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him he would set up a committee to investigate Navalny's case and "was ready to collaborate with the German authorities."
Peskov later on September 10 appeared to deny that report, saying the Italian minister's remarks could have been based on a "misunderstanding."
Peskov told reporters that Moscow still saw no grounds to open a criminal case into the illness of Navalny.
Peskov said Russia had not seen solid evidence of his alleged poisoning and that it had not received any medical data from Germany.
With reporting by Reuters, Spiegel, Die Zeit, The Insider, and Meduza


rferl--2020-09-11--Putin, Lukashenka To Hold First Face-To-Face Talks Since Postelection Crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka will meet next week to hold their first face-to-face talks since a wave of demonstrations demanding the longtime Belarusian leader step down erupted following his disputed reelection last month .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on September 11 that the `` working meeting '' would take place on September 14 at a yet-undetermined site in Russia .
Peskov said no documents were set for signature , nor will there be a press conference at the event .
Belarus has witnessed daily demonstrations and strike actions since Lukashenka , in power since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the August 9 vote .
Thousands have been detained and hundreds beaten by police in a brutal crackdown that has been condemned by the United States and European Union .
Opposition challenger Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who says she won 60 percent to 70 percent of the vote , is now in Lithuania , having arrived in the neighboring Baltic state shortly after the election under still unclear circumstances .
Putin , who has pressed a reluctant Lukashenka on closer integration , has backed the embattled Belarusian strongman , even promising military assistance under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police force .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has refused to commit to meet with members of the opposition Coordination Council , initiated by Tsikhanouskaya to help resolve the crisis and a transfer of power , saying some members held `` anti-Russian views . ''
Most of the council presidium 's seven members have either been arrested or forced to leave the country .
Before the election , the 66-year-old Lukashenka had accused Russia of being among foreign powers trying to sow unrest ahead of the vote , with 33 Russian mercenaries captured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But with his hold on power appearing to slip , Lukashenka has turned to his old ally , putting at risk a rapprochement with the West , including the United States , which sent its first oil shipment ever to Belarus earlier this year .
The planned meeting with Putin comes after Lukashenka met earlier this month with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin , who reported that progress was made toward deeper integration under the aegis of a Russia-Belarus `` Union State '' that was created in the 1990s but exists largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Reuters , and Interfax

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka will meet next week to hold their first face-to-face talks since a wave of demonstrations demanding the longtime Belarusian leader step down erupted following his disputed reelection last month.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on September 11 that the two leaders will meet in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on September 14 for talks that would focus on energy cooperation and bilateral ties.
Belarus has witnessed daily demonstrations and strike actions since Lukashenka, in power since 1994, was declared the winner of the August 9 vote. Thousands have been detained and hundreds beaten by police in a brutal crackdown that has been condemned by the United States and European Union.
Opposition challenger Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who says she won 60 percent to 70 percent of the vote, is now in Lithuania, having arrived in the neighboring Baltic state shortly after the election under still unclear circumstances.
The announced meeting between Putin and Lukashenka comes as protests continued in Belarus.
At least nine protesters were detained outside a court in the capital, Minsk, as they rallied in solidarity with industrial workers defending their right to strike.
Police also detained protesters in the cities of Vitebsk, Homel, and Baranavichy, according to the Vyasna human rights center in Minsk.
“The threats and detentions come before the protests set for the weekend,” the head of the center, Ales Byalyatski, said. “Lukashenka would very much like to show the Kremlin that the protests are abating and he is in control of the situation, but so far repression has had the opposite effect.”
Putin, who has pressed a reluctant Lukashenka on closer integration, has backed the embattled Belarusian strongman, even promising military assistance under a bilateral military pact, including a police force.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has refused to commit to meet with members of the opposition Coordination Council, initiated by Tsikhanouskaya to help resolve the crisis and a transfer of power, saying some members held "anti-Russian views."
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
Most of the council presidium's seven members have either been arrested or forced to leave the country.
Before the election, the 66-year-old Lukashenka had accused Russia of being among foreign powers trying to sow unrest ahead of the vote, with 33 Russian mercenaries captured in an arrest highlighted by state media.
But with his hold on power appearing to slip, Lukashenka has turned to his old ally, putting at risk a rapprochement with the West, including the United States, which sent its first oil shipment ever to Belarus earlier this year.
The planned meeting with Putin comes after Lukashenka met earlier this month with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who reported that progress was made toward deeper integration under the aegis of a Russia-Belarus "Union State" that was created in the 1990s but exists largely on paper.
With reporting by Meduza.io, Reuters, and Interfax


rferl--2020-09-11--Russian Interior Ministry Wants To Question Navalny In Germany

Russia 's Interior Ministry wants to question opposition politician Aleksei Navalny in Berlin , where he is being treated after German doctors reported `` unequivocal evidence '' that he was poisoned with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok , contradicting their Russian counterparts who said they had found no trace of poison .
The ministry 's transportation police directorate branch in Siberia said on September 11 that with Navalny coming out of a medically induced coma earlier this week , it is preparing a request that German authorities allow its investigators to take part in questioning the 44-year-old Kremlin critic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Berlin had yet to receive an official request from Moscow on the issue .
Navalny fell ill aboard a plane en route from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow in late August and was hospitalized after the plane made an emergency landing in the city of Omsk .
He was then flown to the Charite clinic in Berlin , where German authorities said that `` unequivocal evidence '' indicated Navalny had been poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent , which the Kremlin has vehemently denied and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian human rights defenders , opposition politicians and activists , and Navalny 's relatives and associates , however , say the use of Novichok indicates that the Russian state only could be responsible for the poisoning .
Western politicians have said they also believe the poisoning was likely ordered by authorities in Russia and have urged Moscow to prove its lack of involvement .
The case has prompted international calls for Russia to carry out a transparent investigation or risk sanctions , but the country has not opened a criminal investigation , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poison in tests .
In its September 11 statement , the Siberian transport police said they had been conducting `` checks '' into what happened and published some findings on Navalny 's activities .
According to the statement , Navalny had snacks and drinks at the Xander Hotel , Velvet restaurant , and an apartment where he held meetings with his team members in Tomsk .
He also stopped at the Vienna Coffeehouse at the Tomsk airport for a tea before boarding the plane .
The statement also says that five of Navalny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tomsk have been questioned by police , while a sixth associate , Marina Pevchikh , who is a permanent resident of Britain , was not available for questioning .
Police are now working on tracking down other passengers who were aboard the plane , the statement said .
The Kremlin says Berlin has not answered its request to see the medical data that led to the declaration that Navalny had been poisoned with Novichok .
However , doctors in Omsk said earlier that they had used an antidote to nerve agents while treating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charite clinic also used it while treating the anti-corruption campaigner .
Germany ’ s Defense Ministry has said the data about Navalny has been provided to the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons .
Moscow 's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya on September 10 reiterated Moscow ’ s stance on the incident , saying that Russia `` has no grounds to launch a probe '' into the situation around Navalny .
`` Our doctors -- who , by the way , saved Navalny -- did not find any trace of the chemical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not received any evidence from Germany that would bring us to the conclusion that we are talking about a premeditated crime here , '' Nebenzya said .
With reporting by TASS , Interfax , AFP , and dpa

Russia's Interior Ministry wants to question opposition politician Aleksei Navalny in Berlin, where he is being treated after German doctors reported "unequivocal evidence" that he was poisoned with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok, contradicting their Russian counterparts who said they had found no trace of poison.
The ministry's transportation police directorate branch in Siberia said on September 11 that with Navalny coming out of a medically induced coma earlier this week, it is preparing a request that German authorities allow its investigators to take part in questioning the 44-year-old Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner.
A German government spokesman said Berlin had yet to receive an official request from Moscow on the issue.
Separately, the public prosecutor's office in Berlin said it had been instructed by the state’s Justice Ministry to provide legal assistance to the Russian authorities and information on Navalny's health -- "subject to his consent."
Navalny fell ill aboard a plane en route from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow in late August and was hospitalized after the plane made an emergency landing in the city of Omsk.
He was then flown to the Charite clinic in Berlin, where German authorities said that "unequivocal evidence" indicated Navalny had been poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent, which the Kremlin has vehemently denied and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called "groundless" on September 11.
Russian human rights defenders, opposition politicians and activists, and Navalny's relatives and associates, however, say the use of Novichok indicates that the Russian state only could be responsible for the poisoning.
Infographic: A Timeline Of Russian Poisoning Cases
Western politicians have said they also believe the poisoning was likely ordered by authorities in Russia and have urged Moscow to prove its lack of involvement.
The case has prompted international calls for Russia to carry out a transparent investigation or risk sanctions, but the country has not opened a criminal investigation, saying its medics did not find evidence of poison in tests.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told reporters on September 11: "It is unbelievable to us that this would happen on the territory of any country and the government would not react with urgency to investigate and hold accountable those who committed the crime."
In its statement, the Siberian transport police said they had been conducting "checks" into what happened and published some findings on Navalny's activities.
According to the statement, Navalny had snacks and drinks at the Xander Hotel, Velvet restaurant, and an apartment where he held meetings with his team members in Tomsk. He also stopped at the Vienna Coffeehouse at the Tomsk airport for a tea before boarding the plane.
The statement also says that five of Navalny's associates who were accompanying him in Tomsk have been questioned by police, while a sixth associate, Marina Pevchikh, who is a permanent resident of Britain, was not available for questioning.
Police are now working on tracking down other passengers who were aboard the plane, the statement said.
The Kremlin says Berlin has not answered its request to see the medical data that led to the declaration that Navalny had been poisoned with Novichok.
However, doctors in Omsk said earlier that they had used an antidote to nerve agents while treating Navalny and that medical personnel in the Charite clinic also used it while treating the anti-corruption campaigner.
Germany’s Defense Ministry has said the data about Navalny has been provided to the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Moscow's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya on September 10 reiterated Moscow’s stance on the incident, saying that Russia "has no grounds to launch a probe" into the situation around Navalny.
"Our doctors -- who, by the way, saved Navalny -- did not find any trace of the chemical weapon in his tests. We have not received any evidence from Germany that would bring us to the conclusion that we are talking about a premeditated crime here," Nebenzya said.
With reporting by TASS, Interfax, AFP, dpa, AP, and RFE/RL's Russian Service


rferl--2020-09-11--Akhmed Zakayev, Former Member Of Chechen Separatist Government, Says His Relatives Detained In Chech

Akhmed Zakayev, Former Member Of Chechen Separatist Government, Says His Relatives Detained In Chechnya

A former top official in Chechnya 's separatist government , Akhmed Zakayev , who resides in London , says his relatives have been detained in Chechnya after a video statement he posted online condemning the humiliation of a teenage activist .
Zakayev told RFE/RL on September 10 that his two brothers and two sisters , as well as their children residing in Chechnya , had been detained and taken away by men belonging to unknown organizations .
Zakayev linked the detainments with his September 8 online video statement condemning the torture and humiliation of a 19-year-old Chechen activist , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authoritarian leader , Ramzan Kadyrov , on the opposition 1ADAT Telegram channel .
Zakayev in the statement called himself a moderator of the 1ADAT Telegram channel and condemned Chechen authorities for recording the teenager ’ s humiliation and placing the video on the Internet , calling the ordeal “ a gross shame.
” On September 9 , Chechen parliament speaker Magomed Daudov publicly said that Zakayev will be `` held responsible '' for his involvement in the activities of the 1ADAT Telegram channel .
Zakayev , 61 , served as culture minister , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and foreign minister for the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria .
He and his immediate family members have been residing in exile in London since 2002 .
He is wanted in Russia for alleged terrorism , which he and his supporters deny .
A former Chechen militant who fought against Russian forces in the first Chechen war , Kadyrov has been accused by Russian and international rights activists of numerous human rights violations , including torture , kidnapping , disappearances , extrajudicial executions , and the assassination of personal and political enemies both in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putin has turned a blind eye to the alleged abuses and violations of the country 's constitution by Kadyrov because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya , the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus .

A former top official in Chechnya's separatist government, Akhmed Zakayev, who resides in London, says his relatives have been detained in Chechnya after a video statement he posted online condemning the humiliation of a teenage activist.
Zakayev told RFE/RL on September 10 that his two brothers and two sisters, as well as their children residing in Chechnya, had been detained and taken away by men belonging to unknown organizations.
Zakayev linked the detainments with his September 8 online video statement condemning the torture and humiliation of a 19-year-old Chechen activist, who criticized Chechen police and the region's authoritarian leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, on the opposition 1ADAT Telegram channel.
Zakayev in the statement called himself a moderator of the 1ADAT Telegram channel and condemned Chechen authorities for recording the teenager’s humiliation and placing the video on the Internet, calling the ordeal “a gross shame.”
On September 9, Chechen parliament speaker Magomed Daudov publicly said that Zakayev will be "held responsible" for his involvement in the activities of the 1ADAT Telegram channel.
Zakayev, 61, served as culture minister, deputy prime minister, prime minister, and foreign minister for the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
He and his immediate family members have been residing in exile in London since 2002.
He is wanted in Russia for alleged terrorism, which he and his supporters deny.
A former Chechen militant who fought against Russian forces in the first Chechen war, Kadyrov has been accused by Russian and international rights activists of numerous human rights violations, including torture, kidnapping, disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and the assassination of personal and political enemies both in Russia and abroad.
Kremlin critics say Putin has turned a blind eye to the alleged abuses and violations of the country's constitution by Kadyrov because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya, the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus.


rferl--2020-09-11--Pompeo Says Afghan Peace Talks Likely To Be 'Contentious'

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said upcoming Afghan peace talks are likely to be “ contentious , ” but that they are the only way forward if Afghans are to find peace after decades of conflict .
Pompeo made the comments on September 11 as he traveled to Qatar , where the negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government are scheduled to begin on September 12 .
The negotiations were laid out in a peace deal Washington brokered with the Taliban and signed in Doha on February 29 aimed at ending the war and bringing U.S. troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s taken us longer than I wish that it had to get from February 29 to here , but we expect Saturday morning -- for the first time in almost two decades -- to have the Afghans sitting at the table together , prepared to have what will be contentious discussions about how to move their country forward to reduce violence and deliver what the Afghan people are demanding : a reconciled Afghanistan with a government that reflects a country that isn ’ t at war , ” Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doha .
`` It ’ s their country to figure out how to move forward and make a better life for all Afghan people , ” he said .
President Donald Trump made the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan a promise before the 2016 presidential election .
In the countdown to this November 's presidential poll , Washington has ramped up pressure to start intra-Afghan negotiations .
At a news conference on September 10 , Trump called the talks “ exciting ” and said Washington expected to be down to 4,000 troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plagued the start of negotiations , Washington began withdrawing some of its 13,000 troops after the February 29 deal was signed .
Pompeo warned of spoilers to peace , citing recent targeted killings in Afghanistan and the attempted assassination earlier this week of Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh .
“ It ’ s very clear that the violence levels have to come down to acceptable levels , ” he said .
In Kabul , the Afghan delegation on September 11 departed for Dubai , including Abdullah Abdullah , who heads the High Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group that will oversee the negotiation team headed by former intelligence chief Mohammed Masoom Stanikzai .
Abdullah 's appointment to head the council was part of a power-sharing deal with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani , ending months of squabbling over the results of a controversial presidential poll the year before .
The Taliban negotiating team is led by Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai , a hard-line cleric who spent years lying low in Pakistan ’ s southwestern city of Quetta , where the Afghan Taliban leadership has been based since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighboring Afghanistan .
With reporting by AP , Reuters , 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--2020-09-11--'It Is Time To Help': Belarusian Opposition Leader Rebukes EU For Failure To Act Against Lukashenka

PRAGUE -- A leading Belarusian opposition official has called on the European Union to live up to its commitment to support democracy and announce that it will stop recognizing the rule of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka at the end of a three-month transition period .
“ It is a very important and necessary signal to Belarusian society .
The time for the declaration has already passed .
Actions are needed , ” Paval Latushka , a former insider turned opposition activist , told RFE/RL 's Belarus Service in an interview in Prague on September 10 .
Latushka , who said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomatic car , met in Prague earlier in the day with the Czech Republic ’ s foreign minister to discuss аn EU declaration .
The former Belarusian ambassador is a member of the seven-person presidium of the Coordination Council , which was set up last month with the goal to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the political crisis gripping Minsk following the August 9 presidential election .
The Coordination Council wants the European Union to end its recognition of Lukashenka after November 5 .
Lukashenka , who has ruled Belarus for 26 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 80 percent of the vote .
The opposition said it was rigged in his favor .
Latushka said Poland and Lithuania have already backed such a declaration , and he said he thinks that the Czech Republic is ready to support it as well .
However , he hinted the EU is not yet unified on the position because of the “ geopolitical concerns of third countries , '' a possible reference to Russia , which backs Lukashenka .
“ The European Union taught us !
Taught us democracy !
Now it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said with apparent frustration .
He questioned “ how many acts of violence are still required ” against Belarusian civil society before the EU will act .
Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets since August 9 to protest the outcome of the election , which handed Lukashenka another five-year term .
The protesters are demanding he step down , release all political prisoners , and hold free and fair elections .
Lukashenka has unsuccessfully sought to smother the daily protests with arrests and vicious beatings .
Police have detained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tortured hundreds .
Among those arrested are members of the Coordination Council ’ s presidium .
Most recently , Maryya Kalesnikava was snatched off the street in Minsk by masked men on September 7 and later arrested on charges of `` public calls for seizing power in the country . ''
Most of the presidium 's seven members have either been arrested or forced to leave the country .
Latushka had been questioned by Belarus 's Investigative Committee .
The 47-year-old Latushka , who also served as a spokesman at Belarus 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture minister , told RFE/RL he decided to join the opposition after seeing images of the tortured protesters .
The civil servant 's move angered Lukashenka , who indirectly called him out for “ crossing a red line.
” Latushka expressed little hope that Lukashenka would leave office peacefully .
He said the recently published photographs of Lukashenka brandishing weapons during the protests was meant “ to show he will fight for power , including by using violence.
” However , he said Lukashenka 's recent comments about implementing constitutional changes -- even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through on them -- showed that the protests were having an impact on the authoritarian leader .
Latushka also claimed that Lukashenka 's recent visit to the prosecutor 's office is a sign that the president is concerned about the strength of his support inside the government .
`` He clearly understands that the government apparatus today is against him , '' Latushka said .
The opposition leader said he was surprised that many government officials were not afraid to send him text messages of support or call him .
Lukashenka , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , the nation 's ally .
Latushka said he was disappointed that Russia did not express outrage over the beatings of protesters nor respond to outreach from the Coordination Council .
He hinted the Kremlin ’ s policy of backing Lukashenka would fail in the long run .
`` Russia needs to understand that if it has strategic interests , medium-term interests in Belarus , it needs to speak with those who will be in power tomorrow .
They know well that Lukashenka 's time has passed , '' he said .

PRAGUE -- A leading Belarusian opposition official has called on the European Union to live up to its commitment to support democracy and announce that it will stop recognizing the rule of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka at the end of a three-month transition period.
“It is a very important and necessary signal to Belarusian society. The time for the declaration has already passed. Actions are needed,” Paval Latushka, a former insider turned opposition activist, told RFE/RL's Belarus Service in an interview in Prague on September 10.
Latushka, who said he slipped through Belarusian border guards in a diplomatic car, met in Prague earlier in the day with the Czech Republic’s foreign minister to discuss аn EU declaration.
The former Belarusian ambassador is a member of the seven-person presidium of the Coordination Council, which was set up last month with the goal to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the political crisis gripping Minsk following the August 9 presidential election.
The Coordination Council wants the European Union to end its recognition of Lukashenka after November 5. Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus for 26 years, claimed to win the presidential election with 80 percent of the vote. The opposition said it was rigged in his favor.
Latushka said Poland and Lithuania have already backed such a declaration, and he said he thinks that the Czech Republic is ready to support it as well.
However, he hinted the EU is not yet unified on the position because of the “geopolitical concerns of third countries," a possible reference to Russia, which backs Lukashenka.
“The European Union taught us! Taught us democracy! Now it is time to help,” he said with apparent frustration.
He questioned “how many acts of violence are still required” against Belarusian civil society before the EU will act.
Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets since August 9 to protest the outcome of the election, which handed Lukashenka another five-year term.
The protesters are demanding he step down, release all political prisoners, and hold free and fair elections.
Lukashenka has unsuccessfully sought to smother the daily protests with arrests and vicious beatings. Police have detained thousands of protesters over the past month and tortured hundreds.
Among those arrested are members of the Coordination Council’s presidium.
Most recently, Maryya Kalesnikava was snatched off the street in Minsk by masked men on September 7 and later arrested on charges of "public calls for seizing power in the country."
Most of the presidium's seven members have either been arrested or forced to leave the country. Latushka had been questioned by Belarus's Investigative Committee.
The 47-year-old Latushka, who also served as a spokesman at Belarus's Foreign Ministry and as the country's culture minister, told RFE/RL he decided to join the opposition after seeing images of the tortured protesters.
The civil servant's move angered Lukashenka, who indirectly called him out for “crossing a red line.”
Latushka expressed little hope that Lukashenka would leave office peacefully.
He said the recently published photographs of Lukashenka brandishing weapons during the protests was meant “to show he will fight for power, including by using violence.”
However, he said Lukashenka's recent comments about implementing constitutional changes -- even if he has no intention of carrying through on them -- showed that the protests were having an impact on the authoritarian leader.
Latushka also claimed that Lukashenka's recent visit to the prosecutor's office is a sign that the president is concerned about the strength of his support inside the government.
"He clearly understands that the government apparatus today is against him," Latushka said.
The opposition leader said he was surprised that many government officials were not afraid to send him text messages of support or call him.
Lukashenka, however, continues to receive critical support from Russia, the nation's ally.
Latushka said he was disappointed that Russia did not express outrage over the beatings of protesters nor respond to outreach from the Coordination Council.
He hinted the Kremlin’s policy of backing Lukashenka would fail in the long run.
"Russia needs to understand that if it has strategic interests, medium-term interests in Belarus, it needs to speak with those who will be in power tomorrow. They know well that Lukashenka's time has passed," he said.


rferl--2020-09-10--Detentions Made In Pakistan Over Highway Gang Rape

Pakistani authorities say they have detained 12 people for questioning after two armed men gang-raped a woman in front of her children after her car stalled on a highway .
In the overnight incident near the eastern city of Lahore , the assailants also stole cash and jewelry from the mother before fleeing the scene , police said on September 10 .
Neither of the attackers is thought to be among those detained .
News of the assault drew widespread condemnation on social media , including from officials and politicians .
Musarrat Cheema , a spokeswoman in the eastern Punjab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were `` working in close coordination to capture those involved in [ the ] painful motorway incident . ''
`` So far 12 suspects have been arrested and search is going on , '' she tweeted .
A statement released by the Punjab police confirmed the arrests and said that `` no stone will be left unturned to provide immediate justice to the victim and her family . ''
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also vowed that `` justice will be done in the motorway case no matter what and those who tortured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishment ! ''
Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a Twitter post that the `` horrible incident calls for collective & multi-pronged action…NOT a knee-jerk response . ''
`` We as a society are failing our women & children , '' he said .
`` For starters , at least stand with the victim and acknowledge the real problem . ''
Gang rape is relatively rare in Pakistan , although sexual harassment and violence against women is not uncommon .
Hundreds of women are killed every year in Pakistan in so-called honor killings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , marriage , and public behavior .
With reporting by AP and Dawn

Pakistani authorities say they have detained 12 people for questioning after two armed men gang-raped a woman in front of her children after her car stalled on a highway.
In the overnight incident near the eastern city of Lahore, the assailants also stole cash and jewelry from the mother before fleeing the scene, police said on September 10.
Neither of the attackers is thought to be among those detained.
News of the assault drew widespread condemnation on social media, including from officials and politicians.
Musarrat Cheema, a spokeswoman in the eastern Punjab Province, said that law enforcement agencies were "working in close coordination to capture those involved in [the] painful motorway incident."
"So far 12 suspects have been arrested and search is going on," she tweeted.
A statement released by the Punjab police confirmed the arrests and said that "no stone will be left unturned to provide immediate justice to the victim and her family."
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also vowed that "justice will be done in the motorway case no matter what and those who tortured the victim will have to suffer strict punishment!"
Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a Twitter post that the "horrible incident calls for collective & multi-pronged action…NOT a knee-jerk response."
"We as a society are failing our women & children," he said. "For starters, at least stand with the victim and acknowledge the real problem."
Gang rape is relatively rare in Pakistan, although sexual harassment and violence against women is not uncommon.
Hundreds of women are killed every year in Pakistan in so-called honor killings for violating conservative Pakistani traditions on love, marriage, and public behavior.
With reporting by AP and Dawn


rferl--2020-09-12--Nearly Two Decades After U.S. Invasion, Afghan Peace Talks To Begin

Nineteen years after the September 11 terror attacks in the United States led to a bloody conflict that ravaged Afghanistan and killed tens of thousands of people , talks designed to bring peace to the country are set to begin .
Afghan government officials , Taliban extremists , and U.S. officials have begun arriving in the Qatari capital , Doha , for the negotiations that are scheduled to begin on September 12 .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Afghan government negotiators arrived in Doha on September 11 .
Washington helped broker the on-and-off peace talks in Qatar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I 'm mindful of how difficult these conversations will be among the Afghans , but it 's theirs for the taking , '' he told reporters during his flight to the Qatari capital .
Abdullah Abdullah , an Afghan former minister who is leading the peace negotiations , said that `` I hope this is a historic day and the beginning of a big change . ''
`` Afghanistan 's problems have no military solutions , that is why we are going to talk , ” he added .
Experts say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the talks could prove to be lengthy and acrimonious .
`` The negotiations will have to tackle a range of profound questions about the kind of country Afghans want , '' Deborah Lyons , the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan , told the UN Security Council this month .
An inauguration ceremony is scheduled to open the negotiating sessions , with Pompeo set to attend .
President Donald Trump made the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan a promise before the 2016 presidential election .
In the countdown to this November 's presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start intra-Afghan negotiations .
At a news conference on September 10 , Trump called the talks “ exciting ” and said Washington expected to be down to 4,000 troops by November .
Even though delays have plagued the start of negotiations , Washington began withdrawing some of its 13,000 troops after the February 29 deal was signed .
Pompeo warned of spoilers to peace , citing recent targeted killings in Afghanistan and an attempted assassination earlier this week of Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh .
The Afghan delegation includes Abdullah , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the powerful umbrella group that will oversee the negotiation team headed by former intelligence chief Mohammed Masoom Stanikzai .
Abdullah 's appointment to head the council was part of a power sharing deal with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani , ending their months of squabbling over the results of controversial presidential polls the year before .
The Taliban negotiating team is led by Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai , a hardline cleric who spent years lying low in Pakistan ’ s southwestern city of Quetta , where the Afghan Taliban leadership has been based since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremist group from power in Afghanistan .
A European diplomat in Kabul told Reuters that a comprehensive cease-fire -- which the Taliban have so far rejected -- should be a priority of the talks .
`` The Taliban leaders will have to stop fighters from attacking Afghan forces and civilians , violence continues to degrade the atmosphere and potentially derail negotiations , '' the diplomat said .
Many people in Afghanistan fear a return of the Taliban as part of a governing arrangement .
The extremist group was accused of human rights violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of rule , which ended when U.S. forces invaded and drove the extremists from power in 2001 .
The Taliban controlled Afghanistan at the time and harbored Osama bin Laden , the mastermind behind the attacks .
Since being driven from power , the extremists have regrouped and have been waging an insurgency .
They now control much of the country .
The American-led led coalition now mainly trains and advises Afghan troops and conducts counterterrorism actions .
The deal foresees the gradual withdrawal of all international forces in exchange for the Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,300 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001 .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Radio Free Afghanistan , Reuters and dpa

Nineteen years after the September 11 terror attacks in the United States led to a bloody conflict that ravaged Afghanistan and killed tens of thousands of people, talks designed to bring peace to the country are getting under way.
Afghan government officials, Taliban extremists, and U.S. officials are in the Qatari capital, Doha, for the negotiations that opened on September 12 with an inauguration ceremony.
The long-warring parties "must make the decisive decision in line with the current challenges and rise above all form of division... by reaching an agreement on the basis of no victor and no vanquished," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said.
"I can tell you with confidence that the history of our country will remember today as the end of the war and suffering of our people," said Abdullah Abdullah, an Afghan former minister who is heading Kabul's negotiating team.
"My delegation are in Doha representing a political system that is supported by millions of men and women from a diversity of cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds in our homeland," he added.
Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the start of the talks was a "momentous occasion."
“Each of you carry a great responsibility,” Pompeo told the participants. “You have an opportunity to overcome your divisions."
Taliban leader Mullah Baradar Akhund said that Afghanistan should "have an Islamic system in which all tribes and ethnicities of the country find themselves without any discrimination and live their lives in love and brotherhood.
"Negotiations may have problems but should move forward with patience," he said.
Washington helped broker the on-and-off peace talks in Qatar, where the Taliban has a representative office.
Analysts said that, although getting both sides to the negotiating table was a major achievement, this does not mean the path to peace will be easy, especially with violence increasing around the country.
"Nothing should prevent a cease-fire being accepted and implemented by both parties," Josep Borrell, the high representative for foreign affairs of the European Union, told the Doha meeting via video link.
President Donald Trump made the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan a promise before the 2016 presidential election. In the countdown to this November's presidential poll, Washington has ramped up pressure to start intra-Afghan negotiations.
At a news conference on September 10, Trump called the talks "exciting" and said Washington expected to be down to 4,000 troops by November. Even though delays have plagued the start of negotiations, Washington began withdrawing some of its 13,000 troops after the February 29 deal was signed.
Talks in Doha are expected to tackle tough issues, including a permanent cease-fire, the rights of women and minorities, and the disarming of tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and militias loyal to warlords, some of them aligned with the government.
Constitutional changes, power sharing, and even the name of the country and the flag are expected to be on the agenda as well.
Among the government-appointed negotiators are four women, who vowed to preserve women's rights in any power-sharing deal with the hard-line Taliban. This includes the right to work, education, and participation in political life, which were all denied to women when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan for five years.
No women are on the Taliban's negotiation team led by Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai, a hard-line cleric who spent years lying low in Pakistan’s southwestern city of Quetta, where the Afghan Taliban leadership has been based since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 toppled the extremist group from power in Afghanistan.
The Taliban has said it accepted a woman's right to work, go to school and participate in politics but would not accept a female president or chief justice.
Deeply conservative members of the government-named High Council for National Reconciliation, which is overseeing the talks, also hold that women can not serve in either post.
In his remarks at the September 12 ceremony in Doha, Pompeo encouraged the negotiators to respect Afghanistan’s rich diversity, including women and ethnic and religious minorities. He said that, while it was up to the Afghans to decide what kind of political system they wanted, the United States had found that democracy and rotation of political power works best.
“I can only urge these actions. You will write the next chapter of Afghan history,” he said.
Many people in Afghanistan fear a return of the Taliban as part of a governing arrangement. The extremist group was accused of human rights violations and abuse of women during its years of rule, which ended when U.S. forces invaded and drove the extremists from power in 2001.
The Taliban controlled Afghanistan at the time and harbored Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attacks.
Since being driven from power, the extremists have regrouped and have been waging an insurgency. They now control large swaths of territory.
The American-led coalition now mainly trains and advises Afghan troops and conducts counterterrorism actions.
The deal foresees the gradual withdrawal of all international forces in exchange for the Taliban's renunciation of terrorism.
More than 2,300 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Reuters and dpa


rferl--2020-09-12--Iran Claims It Drove Away U.S. Craft From Area Near Military Maneuvers

Iran 's military says it drove away U.S. aircraft that flew close to an area where a three-day military exercise was being conducted near the strategic Strait of Hormuz .
Tehran 's military on September 11 said its air force detected three U.S. aircraft after they entered Iran ’ s air defense identification zone .
The U.S. craft were identified a P-8 airplane , a MQ-9 drone , and a RQ-4 drone .
After `` ignoring warnings by Iran 's defense systems to keep away from the drill zone '' the aircraft were tracked by an Iranian drone before `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Tehran ’ s military added .
The Pentagon ’ s Central Command did not immediately comment on the report .
Iran ’ s annual Zolfaghar 99 exercises , which began on September 10 , are conducted in more than 1.2 million square kilometers in the Strait of Hormuz , Makran coast , Oman Sea , and the north Indian Ocean , Iran 's Mehr News Agency reported .
In June 2019 , a U.S. drone was shot down by Iran after it said the craft had violated the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the RQ-4A Global Hawk was flying over international waters when it was destroyed .
Iranian forces later displayed the wreckage of the downed drone on state television .
Tensions have consistently been high between Tehran and Washington since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed crippling financial sanctions on Iran .
Washington also accuses Iran of financing extremist actions in the region -- a charge Tehran denies .
During the second day of the Zolfaghar 99 maneuvers , the Iranian navy deployed domestically manufactured military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cruise missile .
The submarine , dubbed the Fateh -- Persian for `` Conqueror '' -- was seen in action for the first .
The near 600-ton submarine is armed with torpedoes , mines , and cruise missiles .
According to Iranian media , it can remain underwater at a depth of more than 200 meters up to 35 days .
With reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Radio Farda , AFP , Newsweek , and MSN News

Iran's military says it drove away U.S. aircraft that flew close to an area where a three-day military exercise was being conducted near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran's military said on September 11 that its air force detected three U.S. aircraft after they entered Iran’s air defense identification zone.
The U.S. craft were identified as a P-8 airplane, an MQ-9 drone, and an RQ-4 drone.
After "ignoring warnings by Iran's defense systems to keep away from the drill zone" the aircraft were tracked by an Iranian drone before "they changed course and left the zone," Tehran's military added.
The Pentagon’s Central Command did not immediately comment on the report.
Iran's annual Zolfaghar 99 exercises, which began on September 10, are conducted in more than 1.2 million square kilometers in the Strait of Hormuz, Makran coast, Oman Sea, and the north Indian Ocean, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported.
In June 2019, a U.S. drone was shot down by Iran after it said the craft had violated the country’s airspace.
U.S. officials at the time said the RQ-4A Global Hawk was flying over international waters when it was destroyed. Iranian forces later displayed the wreckage of the downed drone on state television.
Tensions have consistently been high between Tehran and Washington since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed crippling financial sanctions on Iran. Washington also accuses Iran of financing extremist actions in the region -- a charge Tehran denies.
During the second day of the Zolfaghar 99 maneuvers, the Iranian Navy deployed domestically manufactured military equipment, including a submarine and a cruise missile.
The submarine, dubbed the Fateh -- Persian for "Conqueror" -- was seen in action for the first time and sailed up the Indian Ocean, the military said on its website.
The near 600-ton submarine is armed with torpedoes, mines, and cruise missiles.
According to Iranian media, it can remain underwater at a depth of more than 200 meters for up to 35 days.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, AFP, Newsweek, and MSN News


rferl--2020-09-11--U.S. Ambassador Accuses China's Huawei Of Misleading Romanian People

BUCHAREST -- The U.S. ambassador to Bucharest has accused Huawei and the Chinese Embassy of continuing “ to try to mislead the people of Romania ” while accusing some Romanian press outlets of publishing Chinese propaganda .
The U.S. administration is pressing its allies to block Huawei from wireless , high-speed networks , saying the company ’ s equipment could be used by China for spying purposes .
The allegation has been denied by Huawei and Beijing .
“ We can build a secure Clean Network 5G infrastructure today to shape tomorrow ’ s digital world .
However , Huawei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romania the surveillance state of 30 years ago -- just like it is in Communist China , ” U.S .
Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman said in an opinion piece published on September 10 .
Last year , Romania and the U.S. signed a joint statement in Washington that suggested Huawei could be excluded from Romania ’ s future 5G network .
The document , which does not mention Huawei by name , says the two countries `` seek to avoid the security risks that accompany Chinese investment in 5G telecommunications networks . ''
Huawei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romanian market since 2003 , has said that it meets all the requirements listed in the draft regulations for the participation of technology companies in developing the 5G infrastructure in Romania .

BUCHAREST -- The U.S. ambassador to Bucharest has accused Huawei and the Chinese Embassy of continuing “to try to mislead the people of Romania” while accusing some Romanian press outlets of publishing Chinese propaganda.
The U.S. administration is pressing its allies to block Huawei from wireless, high-speed networks, saying the company’s equipment could be used by China for spying purposes. The allegation has been denied by Huawei and Beijing.
“We can build a secure Clean Network 5G infrastructure today to shape tomorrow’s digital world. However, Huawei and the Communist Chinese want to make Romania the surveillance state of 30 years ago -- just like it is in Communist China,” U.S. Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman said in an opinion piece published on September 10.
Last year, Romania and the U.S. signed a joint statement in Washington that suggested Huawei could be excluded from Romania’s future 5G network.
The document, which does not mention Huawei by name, says the two countries "seek to avoid the security risks that accompany Chinese investment in 5G telecommunications networks."
Huawei, which has been present in the Romanian market since 2003, has said that it meets all the requirements listed in the draft regulations for the participation of technology companies in developing the 5G infrastructure in Romania.


rferl--2020-09-11--One Killed, 10 Injured In Explosion In Tehran Province

An explosion in a battery workshop southwest of Tehran has killed one person , injured 10 others , and damaged @ @ @ @ @ , Iranian media reported .
The blast occurred on September 11 on the ground floor @ @ @ @ @ in Nasim Shahr county , local fire brigade chief Iraj Torkamani was quoted as saying @ @ @ @ @ battery workshop , killed one , and caused another [ person ] to lose a @ @ @ @ @ .
Torkamani said it was so strong that dozens of windows were shattered , causing @ @ @ @ @ ” in the area .
The cause of the explosion was still being investigated .
@ @ @ @ @ and Tasnim

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--2020-09-11--Armenia Lifts Coronavirus State Of Emergency, But Some Restrictions Remain

YEREVAN -- Armenia 's government on September 11 lifted a state of emergency declared six months ago , but kept in place some restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus .
The state of emergency is replaced by a nationwide quarantine regime set to remain in force until January 11 .
Wearing face masks in all public spaces -- both indoors and outdoors -- and enforcing social distancing and hygiene rules for businesses continue to be required across Armenia , which plans to restart classes in schools and universities next week .
Tatevik Revazian , the head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told RFE/RL that the end of emergency rules means international flights are allowed to resume .
And visitors won ’ t be required to quarantine if they test negative upon arrival .
The new regime stems from a government bill that was passed by lawmakers last week and signed into law by President Armen Sarkissian on September 10 .
It empowers authorities to impose nationwide or local lockdowns , seal off communities hit by coronavirus outbreaks , and close the country ’ s borders .
Public gatherings can also be banned or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steady decline in coronavirus cases recorded in the South Caucasus nation of around 3 million people .
Armenia has so far registered more than 45,000 confirmed coronavirus cases , with over 900 deaths .

YEREVAN -- Armenia's government on September 11 lifted a state of emergency declared six months ago, but kept in place some restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus.
The state of emergency is replaced by a nationwide quarantine regime set to remain in force until January 11.
Wearing face masks in all public spaces -- both indoors and outdoors -- and enforcing social distancing and hygiene rules for businesses continue to be required across Armenia, which plans to restart classes in schools and universities next week.
Tatevik Revazian, the head of the government’s Civil Aviation Committee, told RFE/RL that the end of emergency rules means international flights are allowed to resume.
And visitors won’t be required to quarantine if they test negative upon arrival.
The new regime stems from a government bill that was passed by lawmakers last week and signed into law by President Armen Sarkissian on September 10.
It empowers authorities to impose nationwide or local lockdowns, seal off communities hit by coronavirus outbreaks, and close the country’s borders. Public gatherings can also be banned or restricted.
The move comes amid a steady decline in coronavirus cases recorded in the South Caucasus nation of around 3 million people.
Armenia has so far registered more than 45,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with over 900 deaths.