rferl--2020-06-10--China Again Declines To Join Arms-Control Talks With U.S., Russia

China has reiterated its refusal to participate in three-way disarmament talks with the United States and Russia ahead of a new round of arms-control talks between Washington and Moscow scheduled for June 22 in Vienna .
The United States had voiced hopes that Russia could convince China to join the negotiations about limiting the three countries ' nuclear weapons stockpiles .
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on June 10 that Beijing had n't changed its previous stance that it was not going to join the talks .
`` We noticed that the United States has been dragging China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised , '' with the intention of deflecting from its responsibility , Hua said .
President Donald Trump has in recent years pulled out of a number of international agreements , such as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Iran nuclear deal .
The Trump administration , however , voiced a general interest in preserving New START ( Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ) , which obliges the United States and Russia to halve their inventories of strategic nuclear-missile launchers .
The treaty expires in February 2021 .
But Washington is seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would also include China , whose nuclear arsenal remains significantly smaller than those of Moscow and Washington .
Hua , speaking in Beijing , said U.S. claims that it wanted to negotiate in good faith `` feel extremely ridiculous and even surreal . ''
China 's rebuttal of Washington 's overtures came after Russia also warned that U.S. insistence on including China could scuttle efforts .
Moscow called on the United States on June 9 to make a `` positive '' proposal ahead of the Vienna meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New START .
Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations by videoconference , Ryabkov said , `` My answer to a direct question on whether or not we think it would be possible to bring China to the table would be a flat and straightforward no . ''
`` We need to hear loudly and clearly what this administration wants , how it believes it would be possible to do something positive and not just to dismantle one arms-control treaty or arrangement after another , '' Ryabkov said .
He added that U.S. allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with much smaller arsenals , should join the talks .
The United States and Russia each had more than 6,000 nuclear warheads in 2019 , while China had 290 , according to the Washington-based Arms Control Association .
France had 300 and Britain possessed 200 , with India , Pakistan , Israel , and North Korea maintaining smaller arsenals , according to the research group .
With reporting by AFP and dpa

China has reiterated its refusal to participate in three-way disarmament talks with the United States and Russia ahead of a new round of arms-control talks between Washington and Moscow scheduled for June 22 in Vienna.
The United States had voiced hopes that Russia could convince China to join the negotiations about limiting the three countries' nuclear weapons stockpiles.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on June 10 that Beijing hadn't changed its previous stance that it was not going to join the talks.
"We noticed that the United States has been dragging China into the issue...whenever it is raised," with the intention of deflecting from its responsibility, Hua said.
President Donald Trump has in recent years pulled out of a number of international agreements, such as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Iran nuclear deal.
The Trump administration, however, voiced a general interest in preserving New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which obliges the United States and Russia to halve their inventories of strategic nuclear-missile launchers. The treaty expires in February 2021.
But Washington is seeking to broaden the accord into a three-way deal that would also include China, whose nuclear arsenal remains significantly smaller than those of Moscow and Washington.
Hua, speaking in Beijing, said U.S. claims that it wanted to negotiate in good faith "feel extremely ridiculous and even surreal."
China's rebuttal of Washington's overtures came after Russia also warned that U.S. insistence on including China could scuttle efforts.
Moscow called on the United States on June 9 to make a "positive" proposal ahead of the Vienna meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and U.S. envoy Marshall Billingslea on New START.
Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations by videoconference, Ryabkov said, "My answer to a direct question on whether or not we think it would be possible to bring China to the table would be a flat and straightforward no."
"We need to hear loudly and clearly what this administration wants, how it believes it would be possible to do something positive and not just to dismantle one arms-control treaty or arrangement after another," Ryabkov said.
He added that U.S. allies Britain and France, also nuclear powers with much smaller arsenals, should join the talks.
The United States and Russia each had more than 6,000 nuclear warheads in 2019, while China had 290, according to the Washington-based Arms Control Association.
France had 300 and Britain possessed 200, with India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea maintaining smaller arsenals, according to the research group.
With reporting by AFP and dpa


rferl--2020-06-10--Kazakh Women Demanding Financial Support Forcibly Quarantined

NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakh officials have forcibly placed a group of women from lower-income families who were picketing the Ministry of Labor and Social Support for increased government assistance into quarantine .
Video posted on Facebook showed a large group of individuals wearing protective equipment swarming the women at the ministry in Nur-Sultan , the capital , on June 10 and forcibly removing them in a chaotic scene punctuated by the screams of the protesters .
The women , who have been protesting outside the ministry since June 8 , were taken to a nearby hotel .
When RFE/RL correspondents arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the situation , individuals in protective garments and masks did not allow them to enter , saying that the hotel was now `` a quarantine building . ''
Some 20 women launched the so-called `` silent protests '' after Kazakh authorities started lifting some restrictions imposed to slow down coronavirus spread .
The women were wearing sanitary masks marked with an `` X '' on them , which they said symbolized `` the fact that we are not allowed to speak up . ''
They also held posters saying : `` Cheap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Financial support for each child , '' `` Amnesty for poor families ' bank credits , '' and `` We are on a hunger strike . ''
Rallies and pickets by poor women have been held regularly in Nur-Sultan and other Kazakh cities since February last year , after five children from a single family died in a fire at night when their parents were working .
The tragedy triggered anger across the country and demonstrations where protesters demanded increased government support to families that had several children .
The protests were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the coronavirus were introduced in mid-March .
Since the protests began last year , the Kazakh government has announced a special program to support families with more than three children .
Initially , such families were provided with an additional monthly allowance of 21,000 tenges ( $ 50 ) per child .
However , the sum has since been cut twice .
From January , the allowances were given only to families officially recognized as living in poverty .
The women demanded a return of the benefits to the initial levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be given to all families with more than three children .

NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakh officials have forcibly placed a group of women from lower-income families who were picketing the Ministry of Labor and Social Support for increased government assistance into quarantine.
Video posted on Facebook showed a large group of individuals wearing protective equipment swarming the women at the ministry in Nur-Sultan, the capital, on June 10 and forcibly removing them in a chaotic scene punctuated by the screams of the protesters.
The women, who have been protesting outside the ministry since June 8, were taken to a nearby hotel.
When RFE/RL correspondents arrived at the hotel to get more information about the situation, individuals in protective garments and masks did not allow them to enter, saying that the hotel was now "a quarantine building."
Some 20 women launched the so-called "silent protests" after Kazakh authorities started lifting some restrictions imposed to slow down coronavirus spread.
The women were wearing sanitary masks marked with an "X" on them, which they said symbolized "the fact that we are not allowed to speak up."
They also held posters saying: "Cheap mortgages for families in need," "Financial support for each child," "Amnesty for poor families' bank credits," and "We are on a hunger strike."
Rallies and pickets by poor women have been held regularly in Nur-Sultan and other Kazakh cities since February last year, after five children from a single family died in a fire at night when their parents were working.
The tragedy triggered anger across the country and demonstrations where protesters demanded increased government support to families that had several children.
The protests were held periodically until restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus were introduced in mid-March.
Since the protests began last year, the Kazakh government has announced a special program to support families with more than three children.
Initially, such families were provided with an additional monthly allowance of 21,000 tenges ($50) per child. However, the sum has since been cut twice. From January, the allowances were given only to families officially recognized as living in poverty.
The women demanded a return of the benefits to the initial levels, as well as for more benefits to be given to all families with more than three children.


rferl--2020-06-10--Russian Actor, Kremlin Critic Under House Arrest After Deadly Crash

Mikhail Yefremov , a well-known Russian actor who in recent years has criticized Kremlin politics in his stand-up performances , has been put under house arrest and faces up to 12 years in prison for killing a person in an accident while he was driving under the influence of alcohol .
A spokeswoman at the Moscow prosecutor 's office , Lyudmila Nefyodova , said on June 10 that Yefremov was barred from leaving his home , using the telephone , the Internet , regular mail , and communicating with the media and individuals with the exception of close relatives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said on June 9 that Yefremov was drunk when he drove his Jeep Grand Cherokee at a high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow the previous evening , hitting another car .
Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident , while the driver of the other vehicle , identified as 57-year-old Sergei Zakharov , was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later .
After Zakharov was pronounced dead , Yefremov was charged with `` causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 9 , a Moscow court ruled that the actor must be held under house arrest until August 9 .
If found guilty , Yefremov faces up to 12 years in prison .
Stand-ups by the 56-year-old Yefremov challenging President Vladimir Putin and his politics have been very popular in recent years .
Vyacheslav Volodin , the chairman of the Russian parliament 's lower chamber , the State Duma , on June 9 called for a parliamentary commission on anti-corruption efforts to watch the case in order to prevent `` possible pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law is the same for all .
Driving under the influence of alcohol is unacceptable .
If it causes a death , no matter who was driving , the punishment must be the same -- up to 12 years in prison , '' Volodin said .
The widow of Sergei Zakharov said on a television program late on June 9 that she would like to see Yefremov sent to prison for the accident .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax

Mikhail Yefremov, a well-known Russian actor who in recent years has criticized Kremlin politics in his stand-up performances, has been put under house arrest and faces up to 12 years in prison for killing a person in an accident while he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
A spokeswoman at the Moscow prosecutor's office, Lyudmila Nefyodova, said on June 10 that Yefremov was barred from leaving his home, using the telephone, the Internet, regular mail, and communicating with the media and individuals with the exception of close relatives, lawyers, and investigators.
Moscow police officials said on June 9 that Yefremov was drunk when he drove his Jeep Grand Cherokee at a high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow the previous evening, hitting another car.
Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident, while the driver of the other vehicle, identified as 57-year-old Sergei Zakharov, was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later.
After Zakharov was pronounced dead, Yefremov was charged with "causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence" and ordered not leave Moscow.
Later on June 9, a Moscow court ruled that the actor must be held under house arrest until August 9. If found guilty, Yefremov faces up to 12 years in prison.
Stand-ups by the 56-year-old Yefremov challenging President Vladimir Putin and his politics have been very popular in recent years.
Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the Russian parliament's lower chamber, the State Duma, on June 9 called for a parliamentary commission on anti-corruption efforts to watch the case in order to prevent "possible pressure on the investigation."
"The law is the same for all. Driving under the influence of alcohol is unacceptable. If it causes a death, no matter who was driving, the punishment must be the same -- up to 12 years in prison," Volodin said.
The widow of Sergei Zakharov said on a television program late on June 9 that she would like to see Yefremov sent to prison for the accident.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-06-10--Retired Austrian Army Colonel Found Guilty Of Spying For Russia

An Austrian court has sentenced a retired army colonel to three years in prison after convicting him of spying for Russia 's military intelligence service ( GRU ) for more than 25 years .
But the 71-year-old officer , who has not been named and whose trial was held behind closed doors , was released for time served .
A jury in Salzburg on June 9 found the retired colonel guilty of disclosing state secrets .
Specifically , the court found the man guilty of operating a secret intelligence operation against Austria , betraying state secrets , and the crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison but he was sentenced to just three and released for time served since his arrest in November 2018 .
According to the indictment , from 1992 to September 2018 the defendant provided military secrets to Russia in exchange for 280,000 euros ( $ 317,000 ) .
Defense lawyers argued he had not revealed any government or military secrets .
Instead , they said he only passed on publicly available information .
They said the amount he received was 220,000 euros .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the facts , the [ defendant 's ] advanced years and the absence of previous convictions as mitigating factors .
The court came to the conclusion that the defendant no longer poses a threat , '' a court spokesman said .
At the time of the man 's arrest , Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he knew `` nothing about the issue . ''
Austria is one of the few European countries that has maintained close diplomatic contacts with Moscow despite Russia 's actions in Ukraine and the poisoning of ex-Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain , which London has blamed on the Kremlin .
Austria 's capital , Vienna , home to multiple international organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency , the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe , and a branch of the United Nations , is known as a European espionage hub .
The city also used to be a gateway to communist countries during the Cold War because of its proximity to Eastern Europe .
With reporting by dpa , Reuters , Der Standard , and Krone Zeitung

An Austrian court has sentenced a retired army colonel to three years in prison after convicting him of spying for Russia's military intelligence service (GRU) for more than 25 years.
But the 71-year-old officer, who has not been named and whose trial was held behind closed doors, was released for time served.
A jury in Salzburg on June 9 found the retired colonel guilty of disclosing state secrets. Specifically, the court found the man guilty of operating a secret intelligence operation against Austria, betraying state secrets, and the crime of deliberately revealing military secrets.
The charges carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison but he was sentenced to just three and released for time served since his arrest in November 2018.
According to the indictment, from 1992 to September 2018 the defendant provided military secrets to Russia in exchange for 280,000 euros ($317,000).
Defense lawyers argued he had not revealed any government or military secrets. Instead, they said he only passed on publicly available information. They said the amount he received was 220,000 euros.
"The court took into account the recognition of the facts, the [defendant's] advanced years and the absence of previous convictions as mitigating factors. The court came to the conclusion that the defendant no longer poses a threat," a court spokesman said.
At the time of the man's arrest, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he knew "nothing about the issue."
Austria is one of the few European countries that has maintained close diplomatic contacts with Moscow despite Russia's actions in Ukraine and the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain, which London has blamed on the Kremlin.
Austria's capital, Vienna, home to multiple international organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and a branch of the United Nations, is known as a European espionage hub.
The city also used to be a gateway to communist countries during the Cold War because of its proximity to Eastern Europe.
With reporting by dpa, Reuters, Der Standard, and Krone Zeitung


rferl--2020-06-10--Kyrgyz President Marks 10th Anniversary Of Ethnic Clashes In South

OSH , Kyrgyzstan -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has visited the southern city of Osh to mark the 10th anniversary of the deadly ethnic clashes that claimed hundreds of lives .
Jeenbekov laid flowers on June 10 at the Mothers ' Tears monument commemorating the victims of the violence between Kyrgyz and local Uzbeks .
He took part in a collective prayer near the monument and talked to relatives of the victims .
Jeenbekov also issued a statement addressed to the Central Asian nation in which he once more expressed condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern Kyrgyz city , Jalal-Abad .
`` Today we commemorate those whose lives were taken by the tragedy ... .
The past will always be a lesson for us as we continue to strengthen the unity of our nation and develop our country , '' Jeenbekov said .
The wide-scale clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks came two months after the ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiev and raised fears of a descent into violent chaos in Kyrgyzstan , a poor country of 6.5 million that was providing an important link in the U.S.-NATO supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least 470 people , mainly ethnic Uzbeks , were killed in the clashes and thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed .
The violence followed the ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiev in an uprising in April 2010 .
An international commission set up to investigate the clashes found no evidence linking the Bakiev family to the violence .
Instead it suggested that the government had failed to recognize the scale of rising Kyrgyz nationalism .
The chairman of the commission , Finnish politician Kimmo Kiljunen , was declared persona non grata @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's findings were released in 2011 .
Ethnic Uzbeks , most of whom live in the south , make up some 14 percent of the population of Kyrgyzstan , which also has a sizable ethnic Russian minority .

OSH, Kyrgyzstan -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has visited the southern city of Osh to mark the 10th anniversary of the deadly ethnic clashes that claimed hundreds of lives.
Jeenbekov laid flowers on June 10 at the Mothers' Tears monument commemorating the victims of the violence between Kyrgyz and local Uzbeks.
He took part in a collective prayer near the monument and talked to relatives of the victims.
Jeenbekov also issued a statement addressed to the Central Asian nation in which he once more expressed condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives during the clashes in Osh and another southern Kyrgyz city, Jalal-Abad.
"Today we commemorate those whose lives were taken by the tragedy.... The past will always be a lesson for us as we continue to strengthen the unity of our nation and develop our country," Jeenbekov said.
The wide-scale clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks came two months after the ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiev and raised fears of a descent into violent chaos in Kyrgyzstan, a poor country of 6.5 million that was providing an important link in the U.S.-NATO supply line to nearby Afghanistan at the time.
At least 470 people, mainly ethnic Uzbeks, were killed in the clashes and thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed.
The violence followed the ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiev in an uprising in April 2010.
An international commission set up to investigate the clashes found no evidence linking the Bakiev family to the violence. Instead it suggested that the government had failed to recognize the scale of rising Kyrgyz nationalism.
The chairman of the commission, Finnish politician Kimmo Kiljunen, was declared persona non grata by the Kyrgyz parliament after the commission's findings were released in 2011.
Ethnic Uzbeks, most of whom live in the south, make up some 14 percent of the population of Kyrgyzstan, which also has a sizable ethnic Russian minority.


rferl--2020-06-10--Babies Born To Surrogates In Ukraine Finally Meet Parents After Pandemic Restrictions Ease

Foreign couples who waited two months because of coronavirus-related border closures have finally collected their biological babies from surrogate mothers in Ukraine .
Ukraine 's human rights ombudswoman , Lyudmila Denisova , said June 10 that 31 couples had arrived and been united with their infant children .
There were emotional scenes as new parents cried and held their babies after a long ordeal because of the pandemic .
“ It ` s a very good ending of the story , unbelievable , ” said Andrea Diez of Argentina , who held her baby for the first time .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country closed its borders because of the pandemic .
The Foreign Ministry finally allowed the families to enter , conditional on a two-week quarantine and negative COVID-19 test .
A total of 125 babies born to surrogates across Ukraine were awaiting parents from abroad .
The issue received wide attention when Biotexcom , the country ’ s largest surrogacy operation , posted a video showing more than 60 babies in cribs at a hotel where the clients usually stay .
Denisova said 88 more families have received permits to enter the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ukraine is one of the few countries that allows foreigners to use surrogate birth services at about 50 clinics .
With reporting by AP and RFE/RL 's Ukrainian Service

Foreign couples who waited two months because of coronavirus-related border closures have finally collected their babies from surrogate mothers in Ukraine.
Ukraine's human rights ombudswoman, Lyudmila Denisova, said June 10 that 31 couples had arrived and been united with their infant children.
There were emotional scenes as new parents cried and held their babies after a long ordeal because of the pandemic.
“It's a very good ending of the story, unbelievable,” said Andrea Diez of Argentina, who held her baby for the first time.
The babies have been stranded in Ukraine since the country closed its borders because of the pandemic.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry finally allowed the families to enter, conditional on a two-week quarantine and negative COVID-19 test.
A total of 125 babies born to surrogates across Ukraine were awaiting parents from abroad.
The issue received wide attention when Biotexcom, the country’s largest surrogacy operation, posted a video showing more than 60 babies in cribs at a hotel where the clients usually stay.
Denisova said 88 more families have received permits to enter the country and will arrive in the coming weeks.
Ukraine is one of the few countries that allows foreigners to use surrogate birth services at about 50 clinics.
With reporting by AP and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service


rferl--2020-06-10--Two Pakistani Troops Killed In North Waziristan Bomb Attack

A roadside bomb targeting a vehicle carrying troops has exploded in northwestern Pakistan , killing two soldiers and wounding two @ @ @ @ @ .
The Pakistani army said in a statement on June 10 that the attack occurred @ @ @ @ @ Shah , the main urban center in the North Waziristan tribal district that borders Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ responsibility for the attack , which took place as the troops were on patrol .
@ @ @ @ @ stronghold for local and foreign militants until 2014 , when Pakistan ’ s army launched @ @ @ @ @ clear the region of combatants .
Despite the army ’ s claims of success , @ @ @ @ @ be the scene of violent attacks , targeted killings , and roadside bombs .
On @ @ @ @ @ three people , including two government officials , were killed in an attack in the @ @ @ @ @

A roadside bomb targeting a vehicle carrying troops has exploded in northwestern Pakistan, killing two soldiers and wounding two others, the military says.
The Pakistani army said in a statement on June 10 that the attack occurred near the town of Miran Shah, the main urban center in the North Waziristan tribal district that borders Afghanistan.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place as the troops were on patrol.
North Waziristan served as a stronghold for local and foreign militants until 2014, when Pakistan’s army launched a massive military operation to clear the region of combatants.
Despite the army’s claims of success, the region has continued to be the scene of violent attacks, targeted killings, and roadside bombs.
On May 24, officials said three people, including two government officials, were killed in an attack in the town of Mir Ali.


rferl--2020-06-10--Germany Confirms U.S. Eying Troop Cuts Despite Concerns Over Russia

The German government says it has received formal notification of a possible partial withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in the country , a move that some worry sends the wrong signal to Russia and damages NATO security .
The June 10 announcement follows media reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the withdrawal of up to 15,000 of the approximately 34,500 U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany .
Both the White House and NATO have declined to comment on the media reports .
`` The federal government has been informed that there are considerations in the U.S. administration to reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Germany , '' Chancellor Angela Merkel 's spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told journalists in Berlin .
`` As far as we know , there has been no final decision , '' she added .
Some U.S. lawmakers have warned that if implemented , the reported plan would damage U.S. national security and strengthen Russia ’ s position in Europe .
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Trump planned to move forward with the withdrawal of up to 9,500 U.S. personnel , while the German news magazine Der Spiegel said between 5,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Earlier this week , German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , who is also the leader of Merkel 's Christian Democrats ( CDU ) , suggested that if the United States goes ahead , it would do more harm to NATO as a whole than to Germany ’ s own defense .
`` I do n't want to speculate on something for which I have no confirmation , '' she told a news conference on June 8 .
`` The fact is the presence of U.S. troops in Germany serves the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American security too .
That is the basis on which we work together . ''
Germany hosts more U.S. troops than any other country in Europe .
But transatlantic ties have become strained under Trump , who has repeatedly criticized Germany and other European countries for not fulfilling their NATO commitment to spend 2 percent of economic output on their militaries .
Berlin has pledged to increase military spending , but meeting the NATO target would likely not happen before 2030 .
In an open letter dated June 9 , 22 Republican members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they were “ very concerned about reports that the Administration is considering a significant reduction of U.S. troops currently based in Europe as well as a cap on the total number of U.S. troops which can be present there at any one time.
” “ Such steps would significantly damage U.S. national security as well as strengthen the position of Russia to our detriment , ” the lawmakers wrote , adding : “ In Europe , the threats posed by Russia have not lessened , and we believe that signs of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further Russian aggression and opportunism.
” With reporting by dpa and AFP

The German government says it has received formal notification of a possible partial withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in the country, a move that some worry sends the wrong signal to Russia and damages NATO security.
The June 10 announcement follows media reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the withdrawal of up to 15,000 of the approximately 34,500 U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany.
Both the White House and NATO have declined to comment on the media reports.
"The federal government has been informed that there are considerations in the U.S. administration to reduce the presence of the U.S. armed forces in Germany," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told journalists in Berlin.
"As far as we know, there has been no final decision," she added.
Some U.S. lawmakers have warned that if implemented, the reported plan would damage U.S. national security and strengthen Russia’s position in Europe.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Trump planned to move forward with the withdrawal of up to 9,500 U.S. personnel, while the German news magazine Der Spiegel said between 5,000 and 15,000 could be withdrawn later this year.
Earlier this week, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who is also the leader of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), suggested that if the United States goes ahead, it would do more harm to NATO as a whole than to Germany’s own defense.
"I don't want to speculate on something for which I have no confirmation," she told a news conference on June 8. "The fact is the presence of U.S. troops in Germany serves the entire security of the NATO alliance -- so American security too. That is the basis on which we work together."
Germany hosts more U.S. troops than any other country in Europe.
But transatlantic ties have become strained under Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Germany and other European countries for not fulfilling their NATO commitment to spend 2 percent of economic output on their militaries.
Berlin has pledged to increase military spending, but meeting the NATO target would likely not happen before 2030.
In an open letter dated June 9, 22 Republican members of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee said they were “very concerned about reports that the Administration is considering a significant reduction of U.S. troops currently based in Europe as well as a cap on the total number of U.S. troops which can be present there at any one time.”
“Such steps would significantly damage U.S. national security as well as strengthen the position of Russia to our detriment,” the lawmakers wrote, adding: “In Europe, the threats posed by Russia have not lessened, and we believe that signs of a weakened U.S. commitment to NATO will encourage further Russian aggression and opportunism.”
With reporting by dpa and AFP


rferl--2020-06-10--U.S. Hails 'Real Progress' On Religious Freedom In Uzbekistan

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department says religious freedom in Uzbekistan continues to improve , while Iran and China remain among the worst offending countries in the world .
`` In many places of the world , individuals have become more familiar with religious oppression than religious freedom , '' Sam Brownback , the ambassador at large for international religious freedom , said on June 10 after the release of an annual report on religious freedom .
Uzbekistan was removed from the `` worst of the worst '' list of offenders of religious freedom last year and continues to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We documented no police raids of unregistered religious-group meetings during 2019 , compared with 114 such raids in 2018 , and 240 the year before that .
These are great strides , real progress , ” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a news conference in Washington .
However , Tashkent remains on a special watch list , meaning there are still `` severe '' violations of religious freedom in the Central Asian country .
Pompeo said that while there was improvement in some countries , there remained “ great darkness over parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are persecuted or denied the right to worship.
” In Iran , the country ’ s Shi ’ ite theocratic leaders continued to repress religious freedom and discriminate against minorities as part of an already bleak human rights record .
The government continued to execute individuals for “ enmity against God ” and otherwise persecute small religious minorities such as the Baha ’ is , Christian converts , and Sunnis , according to the 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom .
Elsewhere in the word , Pompeo accused China of continuing a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hold of the Communist Party over all aspects of life .
China has rounded up more than 1 million Uyghur Muslims and other groups into concentration camps in the western Xinjiang Province , where the report said forced disappearances were accompanied by political indoctrination , torture , sexual abuse , and forced labor .
In Russia , the report said the government continued to enforce a ban on Jehovah ’ s Witnesses as “ extremists , ” raiding homes , detaining believers , and throwing some into prison .
Similar treatment was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hizb ut-Tahrir , with more than 200 people imprisoned for their religious beliefs .

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department says religious freedom in Uzbekistan continues to improve, while Iran and China remain among the worst offending countries in the world.
"In many places of the world, individuals have become more familiar with religious oppression than religious freedom," Sam Brownback, the ambassador at large for international religious freedom, said on June 10 after the release of an annual report on religious freedom.
Uzbekistan was removed from the "worst of the worst" list of offenders of religious freedom last year and continues to take positive steps despite continued abuses.
“We documented no police raids of unregistered religious-group meetings during 2019, compared with 114 such raids in 2018, and 240 the year before that. These are great strides, real progress,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a news conference in Washington.
However, Tashkent remains on a special watch list, meaning there are still "severe" violations of religious freedom in the Central Asian country.
Pompeo said that while there was improvement in some countries, there remained “great darkness over parts of the world where people of faith are persecuted or denied the right to worship.”
In Iran, the country’s Shi’ite theocratic leaders continued to repress religious freedom and discriminate against minorities as part of an already bleak human rights record.
The government continued to execute individuals for “enmity against God” and otherwise persecute small religious minorities such as the Baha’is, Christian converts, and Sunnis, according to the 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom.
Elsewhere in the word, Pompeo accused China of continuing a “decades-long war on faith” to strengthen the hold of the Communist Party over all aspects of life.
China has rounded up more than 1 million Uyghur Muslims and other groups into concentration camps in the western Xinjiang Province, where the report said forced disappearances were accompanied by political indoctrination, torture, sexual abuse, and forced labor.
In Russia, the report said the government continued to enforce a ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses as “extremists,” raiding homes, detaining believers, and throwing some into prison.
Similar treatment was meted out against the banned Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, with more than 200 people imprisoned for their religious beliefs.


rferl--2020-06-10--EU: Russia, China Undermine Democracy With Coronavirus Disinformation

The European Union is urging online platforms to step up the fight against a wave of online disinformation triggered by the coronavirus pandemic , accusing China and Russia of mounting propaganda campaigns to undermine democracy and burnish their own images .
“ Foreign actors and certain third countries , in particular Russia and China , have engaged in targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns around COVID-19 in the EU , its neighborhood , and globally , ” says a policy document released on June 10 outlining the bloc ’ s approach to tackling disinformation linked to the pandemic .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic debate and exacerbate social polarization , and improve their own image in the COVID-19 context , '' the document adds .
The pandemic “ showed that disinformation does not only harm the health of our democracies , it also harms the health of our citizens , '' the report says , citing “ dangerous hoaxes and misleading health-care information ” like claims that drinking bleach can cure the disease and that washing hands does not help prevent its spread .
The EU praised online platforms like Google , Facebook , and Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those U.S. digital giants that agreed to extra scrutiny under a voluntary code of practice aimed at halting the spread of disinformation linked to the virus .
But European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova told journalists that the companies should provide far more detailed reports each month than currently on the action they are taking to prevent a fake news “ infodemic.
” The companies should also enable the public to “ identify new threats independently , ” she added .
The coronavirus has infected more than 7.6 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 180,000 of them in Europe , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
With reporting by AP and AFP

The European Union is urging online platforms to step up the fight against a wave of online disinformation triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, accusing China and Russia of mounting propaganda campaigns to undermine democracy and burnish their own images.
“Foreign actors and certain third countries, in particular Russia and China, have engaged in targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns around COVID-19 in the EU, its neighborhood, and globally,” says a policy document released on June 10 outlining the bloc’s approach to tackling disinformation linked to the pandemic.
The two countries are “seeking to undermine democratic debate and exacerbate social polarization, and improve their own image in the COVID-19 context," the document adds.
The pandemic “showed that disinformation does not only harm the health of our democracies, it also harms the health of our citizens," the report says, citing “dangerous hoaxes and misleading health-care information” like claims that drinking bleach can cure the disease and that washing hands does not help prevent its spread.
The EU praised online platforms like Google, Facebook, and Twitter for removing millions of misleading ads and those U.S. digital giants that agreed to extra scrutiny under a voluntary code of practice aimed at halting the spread of disinformation linked to the virus.
But European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova told journalists that the companies should provide far more detailed reports each month than currently on the action they are taking to prevent a fake news “infodemic.”
The companies should also enable the public to “identify new threats independently,” she added.
The coronavirus has infected more than 7.6 million people worldwide and killed over 412,000, about 180,000 of them in Europe, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-06-10--More Arrests Made In Connection With Russian Arctic Diesel Spill

Russian authorities have arrested three managers at a thermal power plant that leaked tons of fuel into the fragile Arctic environment .
The disaster occurred on May 29 , when a holding tank at the facility near the industrial city of Norilsk spilled at least 20,000 tons of diesel fuel into the soil , two rivers , and a downstream lake .
Russia ’ s Investigative Committee said on June 10 that the head of the power station , Pavel Smirnov , and two top engineers were arrested on suspicion of violating environmental protection rules .
The committee said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repairs in 2018 but continued to function in violation of safety regulations .
`` As a result the accident occurred , '' the investigators ' statement said .
Another manager at the plant was arrested and charged earlier this month .
The power plant is owned by a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel , the world 's leading nickel and palladium producer , which said the leak was caused when pillars supporting a storage tank sank due to thawing permafrost soil .
The Prosecutor-General 's Office has also issued preliminary findings revealing that sagging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Vladimir Putin ordered a state of emergency after the extent of the spill became known and Norilsk Nickel has since promised to pay for the costs of the cleanup , estimated at 10 billion rubles ( $ 145 million ) .
Norilsk Nickel is own by Russia ’ s richest man , Vladimir Potanin .
The company denies allegations that management hushed up and downplayed the scale of the disaster for at least two days after the accident .
On June 9 , the company said that the fuel-storage tank was repaired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went through a safety audit .
Those detained `` are cooperating with law enforcement authorities and now they would be much more useful at the scene of the cleanup operation , '' the press service said in a statement to RIA Novosti news agency , citing Vice President Nikolai Utkin .
Regional officials say oil booms and other cleanup operations have failed to prevent all the spilled fuel and chemicals from flowing from the Daldykan and Ambarnaya rivers into Lake Pyasino .
Separately , the Emergency Situations Ministry said on June 10 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have provided satellite data on the spill to aid in the response .
The ecological disaster came as temperatures in Siberia were up to 10 degrees Celsius above average in May and were also higher than normal earlier in the year , leading to thawing permafrost .
Sixty five percent of Russia is covered by permafrost .
Norilsk , an isolated Arctic city , is constructed on permafrost and its infrastructure is threatened by climate change .
With reporting by AFP , AP , Interfax , Reuters , and TASS

Russian authorities have arrested three managers at a thermal power plant that leaked tons of fuel into the fragile Arctic environment.
The disaster occurred on May 29, when a holding tank at the facility near the industrial city of Norilsk spilled at least 20,000 tons of diesel fuel into the soil, two rivers, and a downstream lake.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said on June 10 that the head of the power station, Pavel Smirnov, and two top engineers were arrested on suspicion of violating environmental protection rules.
The committee said it had established that the fuel-storage tank needed repairs in 2018 but continued to function in violation of safety regulations.
"As a result the accident occurred," the investigators' statement said.
Another manager at the plant was arrested and charged earlier this month.
The power plant is owned by a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel, the world's leading nickel and palladium producer, which said the leak was caused when pillars supporting a storage tank sank due to thawing permafrost soil.
The Prosecutor-General's Office has also issued preliminary findings revealing that sagging ground helped trigger the disaster.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a state of emergency after the extent of the spill became known and Norilsk Nickel has since promised to pay for the costs of the cleanup, estimated at 10 billion rubles ($145 million).
Norilsk Nickel is own by Russia’s richest man, Vladimir Potanin. The company denies allegations that management hushed up and downplayed the scale of the disaster for at least two days after the accident.
On June 9, the company said that the fuel-storage tank was repaired in 2017 and 2018 after which it went through a safety audit.
Those detained "are cooperating with law enforcement authorities and now they would be much more useful at the scene of the cleanup operation," the press service said in a statement to RIA Novosti news agency, citing Vice President Nikolai Utkin.
Regional officials say oil booms and other cleanup operations have failed to prevent all the spilled fuel and chemicals from flowing from the Daldykan and Ambarnaya rivers into Lake Pyasino.
Separately, the Emergency Situations Ministry said on June 10 that 14 countries, including the United States, have provided satellite data on the spill to aid in the response.
The ecological disaster came as temperatures in Siberia were up to 10 degrees Celsius above average in May and were also higher than normal earlier in the year, leading to thawing permafrost.
Sixty five percent of Russia is covered by permafrost. Norilsk, an isolated Arctic city, is constructed on permafrost and its infrastructure is threatened by climate change.
With reporting by AFP, AP, Interfax, Reuters, and TASS


rferl--2020-06-10--Tajikistan Criminalizes Spreading Coronavirus, Fines Anyone Not Wearing A Mask

Tajikistan ’ s parliament has voted to criminalize anyone found negligently infecting others with the coronavirus .
The bill , passed on June 10 , provides for a prison sentence of between 2 and 5 years for first-time offenders who spread the disease in a negligent manner .
If someone spreads the disease more than once , they can face up to 10 years in prison .
Anyone found guilty of deliberately spreading the virus can also be punished by up to 10 years in prison .
Speaking to RFE/RL 's Tajik Service , Ravshan Rajabzoda , deputy chairman of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Human Rights , said the aim of the law is not to punish people .
`` The goal is to prevent infectious diseases that still exist in our country today , '' he said .
Parliament also approved fines of up to $ 28 for anyone not wearing a mask in public or failing to practice physical distancing of two meters .
Other amendments to the criminal code allow individuals to be fined up to $ 112 for disseminating false information about the coronavirus and $ 11,000 for legal entities .
Tajikistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were no coronavirus cases in the country and President Emomali Rahmon flouted warnings by international experts to order social-distancing restrictions or other measures to try to curtail the spread of the disease .
According to official numbers , 4,690 people have contracted the virus in Tajikistan and 48 have died .

Tajikistan’s parliament has voted to criminalize anyone found negligently infecting others with the coronavirus.
The bill, passed on June 10, provides for a prison sentence of between 2 and 5 years for first-time offenders who spread the disease in a negligent manner. If someone spreads the disease more than once, they can face up to 10 years in prison.
Anyone found guilty of deliberately spreading the virus can also be punished by up to 10 years in prison.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Tajik Service, Ravshan Rajabzoda, deputy chairman of the lower house's Committee on Legislation and Human Rights, said the aim of the law is not to punish people.
"The goal is to prevent infectious diseases that still exist in our country today," he said.
Parliament also approved fines of up to $28 for anyone not wearing a mask in public or failing to practice physical distancing of two meters.
Other amendments to the criminal code allow individuals to be fined up to $112 for disseminating false information about the coronavirus and $11,000 for legal entities.
Tajikistan’s authoritarian government initially claimed there were no coronavirus cases in the country and President Emomali Rahmon flouted warnings by international experts to order social-distancing restrictions or other measures to try to curtail the spread of the disease.
According to official numbers, 4,690 people have contracted the virus in Tajikistan and 48 have died.
With reporting by dpa


rferl--2020-06-10--Kazakh Police Detain 12 Picketing EU For Activists' Release

NUR-SULTAN -- Police in the Kazakh capital , Nur-Sultan , have detained 12 activists who were picketing the European Union 's office in the city .
The activists on June 10 were calling on EU officials to pressure Kazakh authorities to release three activists , Ruslan Nurqanov , Aibek Sabitov , and Darkhan Omirbaev , who were sentenced to jail terms of between 10 and 15 days last week on the eve of unsanctioned protests in Nur-Sultan .
They were found guilty of calling for `` illegal rallies . ''
During the demonstration , the protesters held portraits of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posters saying `` European Union , Be With The Kazakh People ! ''
and `` # BlackLivesMatter # Kazakhstan . ''
One of the posters had a picture of a donkey with the face of the Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev .
`` We want police reforms !
We want a new law on public protests !
We are against the police state ! ''
the protesters chanted before dozens of police forced them into vehicles and took them away .
Police in Nur-Sultan , Kazakhstan ’ s second-largest city , Almaty , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 100 people on June 6 during anti-government protests .
Some of them were later sentenced to several days in jail for taking part in the unsanctioned protests .
In Almaty , on June 10 , a noted civil rights activist , Asya Tulesova , was sentenced to 10 days in jail for taking part in the June 6 protest .

NUR-SULTAN -- Police in the Kazakh capital, Nur-Sultan, have detained 12 activists who were picketing the European Union's office in the city.
The activists on June 10 were calling on EU officials to pressure Kazakh authorities to release three activists, Ruslan Nurqanov, Aibek Sabitov, and Darkhan Omirbaev, who were sentenced to jail terms of between 10 and 15 days last week on the eve of unsanctioned protests in Nur-Sultan. They were found guilty of calling for "illegal rallies."
During the demonstration, the protesters held portraits of the three jailed activists, as well as posters saying "European Union, Be With The Kazakh People!" and "#BlackLivesMatter #Kazakhstan."
One of the posters had a picture of a donkey with the face of the Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev.
"We want police reforms! We want a new law on public protests! We are against the police state!" the protesters chanted before dozens of police forced them into vehicles and took them away.
Police in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan’s second-largest city, Almaty, and at least three other cities detained more than 100 people on June 6 during anti-government protests. Some of them were later sentenced to several days in jail for taking part in the unsanctioned protests.
In Almaty, on June 10, a noted civil rights activist, Asya Tulesova, was sentenced to 10 days in jail for taking part in the June 6 protest.


rferl--2020-06-10--Top EU Officials Rule Out Sanctions Relief For Russia

Two top European Union officials have rejected suggestions that sanctions imposed on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine could be lifted during the coronavirus pandemic , saying the restrictive measures `` do not impede Russia ’ s capacity '' to combat the epidemic , according to a letter seen by RFE/RL .
In a letter dated May 26 and addressed to a group of European lawmakers , European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel wrote that the sanctions adopted in 2014 are “ deliberately narrowly framed in order to limit the risks of unintended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ None of the measures foresees a prohibition on the export of food or medicines , vaccines or medical equipment , ” they said .
The letter was addressed to 19 members of the European Parliament who had accused Russia of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to try to get sanctions reviewed or lifted .
`` Russian authorities by pursuing such public relation campaigns as sending poorly applicable humanitarian aid to Italy , as well as misinterpreting the statements by the UN officials , might try to sway the position of the EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions , '' the lawmakers wrote in a letter dated April 3 and addressed to von der Leyen , Michel , and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell .
The move came after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed during a Group of 20 ( G20 ) videoconference in March that a freeze be placed on economic sanctions on `` humanitarian '' grounds to allow countries to better combat the coronavirus .
The EU sanctions were first imposed in 2014 in response to Russia 's annexation of Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula and Moscow 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In March , the EU prolonged by six months asset freezes and visa bans on 175 individuals and 44 entities that the bloc believe has undermined the territorial integrity of Ukraine .
EU leaders are also expected to agree to prolong economic sanctions against Russia , which mainly target the country 's energy and banking sectors , during a videoconference scheduled for June 19 .
Separately , EU ambassadors on June 10 agreed to extend the bloc 's investment ban on Crimea by another year .
Russia has reported more than 493,000 coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world after the United States and Brazil , with over 6,300 fatalities .
But critics have cast doubt on the low mortality rate and accused authorities of underreporting to play down the scale of the crisis .

Two top European Union officials have rejected suggestions that sanctions imposed on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine could be lifted during the coronavirus pandemic, saying the restrictive measures "do not impede Russia’s capacity" to combat the epidemic, according to a letter seen by RFE/RL.
In a letter dated May 26 and addressed to a group of European lawmakers, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel wrote that the sanctions adopted in 2014 are “deliberately narrowly framed in order to limit the risks of unintended consequences or harm to the wider population.”
“None of the measures foresees a prohibition on the export of food or medicines, vaccines or medical equipment,” they said.
The letter was addressed to 19 members of the European Parliament who had accused Russia of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to try to get sanctions reviewed or lifted.
"Russian authorities by pursuing such public relation campaigns as sending poorly applicable humanitarian aid to Italy, as well as misinterpreting the statements by the UN officials, might try to sway the position of the EU and its member states leadership regarding the sanctions," the lawmakers wrote in a letter dated April 3 and addressed to von der Leyen, Michel, and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
The move came after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed during a Group of 20 (G20) videoconference in March that a freeze be placed on economic sanctions on "humanitarian" grounds to allow countries to better combat the coronavirus.
The EU sanctions were first imposed in 2014 in response to Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and Moscow's fomenting of conflict in eastern Ukraine.
In March, the EU prolonged by six months asset freezes and visa bans on 175 individuals and 44 entities that the bloc believe has undermined the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
EU leaders are also expected to agree to prolong economic sanctions against Russia, which mainly target the country's energy and banking sectors, during a videoconference scheduled for June 19.
Separately, EU ambassadors on June 10 agreed to extend the bloc's investment ban on Crimea by another year.
Russia has reported more than 493,000 coronavirus infections, the third-highest number of cases in the world after the United States and Brazil, with over 6,300 fatalities.
But critics have cast doubt on the low mortality rate and accused authorities of underreporting to play down the scale of the crisis.


rferl--2020-06-10--Azerbaijani Man Says Police Beat Him For Five Hours After Violent Raid

BAKU -- A resident of the Azerbaijani capital is alleging police brutality while he was in custody following a local backlash to a raid enforcing coronavirus regulations .
Karim Suleymanli told journalists in Baku on June 9 after he was released from custody that police beat him for hours despite repeated warnings about his health .
`` Thirty people beat me for five hours .
I kept saying that I had had surgery on my lungs , begging them not to punch me on my lungs , because the surgery site might rupture , and I would die , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and punching , `` Suleymanli said .
Suleymanli 's lawyer , Cavad Cavadov , told RFE/RL on June 10 that his client visited a hospital and obtained an official medical report stating he was severely beaten .
Cavadov added that the document will be attached to a police-brutality complaint his client plans to file with the Prosecutor-General 's Office .
However , Baku city police spokesman Elsad Haciyev rejected Suleymanli 's claims .
`` Suleymanli received minor facial injuries not in the police station , but while disobeying the law when he resisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations , '' Haciyev said in a statement on June 9 .
Suleymanli was one of 11 residents of Baku 's Yeni Yasamal neighborhood who were violently detained by dozens of police early in the morning on June 8 .
The Interior Ministry issued a statement that day alleging that the detainees had thrown garbage at police officers a day earlier as they were detaining another locals for `` violating restrictions imposed to slow down the spread of the coronavirus . ''
Human rights activist Baxtiyar Haciyev told RFE/RL on June 8 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of the widening gap between law enforcement and ordinary citizens .
`` What we saw today looked like a revenge operation , a step by police to intimidate citizens , to break them , '' Haciyev said .
“ Meanwhile , all moves by state entities must be done strictly within legal frameworks .
”

BAKU -- A resident of the Azerbaijani capital is alleging police brutality while he was in custody following a local backlash to a raid enforcing coronavirus regulations.
Karim Suleymanli told journalists in Baku on June 9 after he was released from custody that police beat him for hours despite repeated warnings about his health.
"Thirty people beat me for five hours. I kept saying that I had had surgery on my lungs, begging them not to punch me on my lungs, because the surgery site might rupture, and I would die, but they ignored me. They kept kicking and punching, " Suleymanli said.
Suleymanli's lawyer, Cavad Cavadov, told RFE/RL on June 10 that his client visited a hospital and obtained an official medical report stating he was severely beaten.
Cavadov added that the document will be attached to a police-brutality complaint his client plans to file with the Prosecutor-General's Office.
Police Denial
However, Baku city police spokesman Elsad Haciyev rejected Suleymanli's claims.
"Suleymanli received minor facial injuries not in the police station, but while disobeying the law when he resisted his detention...We absolutely deny the allegations," Haciyev said in a statement on June 9.
Suleymanli was one of 11 residents of Baku's Yeni Yasamal neighborhood who were violently detained by dozens of police early in the morning on June 8.
The Interior Ministry issued a statement that day alleging that the detainees had thrown garbage at police officers a day earlier as they were detaining another locals for "violating restrictions imposed to slow down the spread of the coronavirus."
Human rights activist Baxtiyar Haciyev told RFE/RL on June 8 that the police’s behavior was an example of the widening gap between law enforcement and ordinary citizens.
"What we saw today looked like a revenge operation, a step by police to intimidate citizens, to break them," Haciyev said. “Meanwhile, all moves by state entities must be done strictly within legal frameworks.”


rferl--2020-06-10--Poroshenko A Suspect In Alleged Illegal Move Of Paintings

KYIV -- Ukraine 's State Bureau of Investigation ( DBR ) has announced that prosecutors consider former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko a suspect in a case about the alleged illegal transfer of valuable paintings across the border .
The DBR announced on June 10 after meeting with Poroshenko that the former president was officially served with a document informing him that his status was changed from witness to suspect in the case .
However , one of Poroshenko 's lawyers , Ilya Novikov , rejected the DBR 's announcement , saying that his client can not be officially considered as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document informing him of his status was handed over with procedural violations .
`` There was no questioning , because there was no plan to hold questioning to start with .
In fact , the whole idea was to hand Petro Poroshenko the document recognizing him as a suspect in the case , '' Novikov said .
According to Novikov , in cases similar to that in question , Prosecutor-General Iryna Venedyktova must personally announce that a person is a suspect in a criminal case .
`` Since the proceeding was not in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to communicate with the person and left the DBR building right away , '' Novikov added , stressing that his client was called to the DBR not for questioning as the summons said , but for officially serving him with the document recognizing him a suspect .
Before entering the DBR building on June 10 , Poroshenko spoke to journalists and criticized President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for what he called `` persecution of the opposition . ''
Poroshenko came to the DBR six days after a court in Kyiv ruled that he can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after he twice ignored a summons in May .
Investigators said they wanted to question him as a witness in the case about 43 paintings by world-famous artists that crossed the border without proper customs clearance .
On May 29 , DBR investigators said they also wanted to question Poroshenko in an investigation into audio recording of individuals thought to be Poroshenko and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden .
In May , lawmaker Andriy Derkach said the recordings proved that Poroshenko had committed `` high treason . ''
Poroshenko 's lawyers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the DBR because the summons had been made via the agency ’ s website .
They said their client should have been served the subpoena personally .
Poroshenko has been questioned as a witness several times in recent months in investigations launched after he failed to win a second term as president last year .
In January , the DBR said that it was looking into 13 possible cases in which Poroshenko or his associates were implicated .
A billionaire confectioner , Poroshenko currently serves as a member of parliament .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticket in July 2019 parliamentary elections , winning 25 seats .

KYIV -- Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) has announced that prosecutors consider former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko a suspect in a case about the alleged illegal transfer of valuable paintings across the border.
The DBR announced on June 10 after meeting with Poroshenko that the former president was officially served with a document informing him that his status was changed from witness to suspect in the case.
However, one of Poroshenko's lawyers, Ilya Novikov, rejected the DBR's announcement, saying that his client cannot be officially considered as a suspect in the case as the document informing him of his status was handed over with procedural violations.
"There was no questioning, because there was no plan to hold questioning to start with. In fact, the whole idea was to hand Petro Poroshenko the document recognizing him as a suspect in the case," Novikov said.
According to Novikov, in cases similar to that in question, Prosecutor-General Iryna Venedyktova must personally announce that a person is a suspect in a criminal case.
"Since the proceeding was not in accordance with the law, we refused to communicate with the person and left the DBR building right away," Novikov added, stressing that his client was called to the DBR not for questioning as the summons said, but for officially serving him with the document recognizing him a suspect.
Before entering the DBR building on June 10, Poroshenko spoke to journalists and criticized President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for what he called "persecution of the opposition."
Poroshenko came to the DBR six days after a court in Kyiv ruled that he can be brought in by force if need be after he twice ignored a summons in May. Investigators said they wanted to question him as a witness in the case about 43 paintings by world-famous artists that crossed the border without proper customs clearance.
On May 29, DBR investigators said they also wanted to question Poroshenko in an investigation into audio recording of individuals thought to be Poroshenko and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.
In May, lawmaker Andriy Derkach said the recordings proved that Poroshenko had committed "high treason."
Poroshenko's lawyers have said the ex-president did not show up at the DBR because the summons had been made via the agency’s website. They said their client should have been served the subpoena personally.
Poroshenko has been questioned as a witness several times in recent months in investigations launched after he failed to win a second term as president last year.
In January, the DBR said that it was looking into 13 possible cases in which Poroshenko or his associates were implicated.
A billionaire confectioner, Poroshenko currently serves as a member of parliament.
His party ran on a pro-European, anti-Russian ticket in July 2019 parliamentary elections, winning 25 seats.


rferl--2020-06-10--Arkhangelsk Authorities Halt Unpopular Landfill Project

ARKHANGELSK , Russia -- Authorities in Russia 's northwestern region of Arkhangelsk have announced they will halt the construction of a landfill for waste from Moscow , a project that was extremely unpopular locally .
The region 's economic development minister , Ivan Kulyavtsev , said on June 9 that the local government had canceled an agreement with the Tekhnopark construction company on building the landfill in the town of Shiyes , near the regional capital , Arkhangelsk .
Kulyavtsev said that the agreement was canceled after the project had been removed from the list of the most-important investment projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government of the Arkhangelsk region said in a statement that the decision to remove the project from the list was one of the steps to fully shutting it down .
The construction of the new landfill near Arkhangelsk has sparked numerous protests since it began in July 2018 .
Local authorities said at the time that some 10.5 million tons of garbage was expected to be transferred to the site from Moscow over the next 20 years .
Some of the protests against the project in the region and adjacent Republic of Komi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project was supported by the former governor of the Arkhangelsk region , Igor Orlov , who resigned in early April .
His successor , the acting governor of the region , Aleksandr Tsybulsky , has openly expressed his negative stance to the project and initiated its closure .
The acting head of the Republic of Komi , Vladimir Uiba , has also criticized the project and called for its closure .

ARKHANGELSK, Russia -- Authorities in Russia's northwestern region of Arkhangelsk have announced they will halt the construction of a landfill for waste from Moscow, a project that was extremely unpopular locally.
The region's economic development minister, Ivan Kulyavtsev, said on June 9 that the local government had canceled an agreement with the Tekhnopark construction company on building the landfill in the town of Shiyes, near the regional capital, Arkhangelsk.
Kulyavtsev said that the agreement was canceled after the project had been removed from the list of the most-important investment projects.
Also on June 9, the government of the Arkhangelsk region said in a statement that the decision to remove the project from the list was one of the steps to fully shutting it down.
The construction of the new landfill near Arkhangelsk has sparked numerous protests since it began in July 2018.
Local authorities said at the time that some 10.5 million tons of garbage was expected to be transferred to the site from Moscow over the next 20 years.
Some of the protests against the project in the region and adjacent Republic of Komi were violently dispersed by police.
The project was supported by the former governor of the Arkhangelsk region, Igor Orlov, who resigned in early April.
His successor, the acting governor of the region, Aleksandr Tsybulsky, has openly expressed his negative stance to the project and initiated its closure.
The acting head of the Republic of Komi, Vladimir Uiba, has also criticized the project and called for its closure.


rferl--2020-06-10--Top Russian Diplomat Says Moscow, Washington, Kabul To Consult On Taliban Talks

A top Russian diplomat says Russia , the United States , and Afghanistan will hold video consultations to try and @ @ @ @ @ Zamir Kabulov , who is Russia 's presidential envoy on issues related to Afghanistan and @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Ministry 's second department of Asia , told Russian media on June 10 that @ @ @ @ @ be held on June 15 .
According to Kabulov , the talks will involve the @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan , Zalmay Khalilzad , and Afghanistan 's acting foreign minister , Mohammad Haneef Atmar @ @ @ @ @ two days after Khalilzad held a new round of talks in Qatar with the political @ @ @ @ @ in Afghanistan , Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar .
In February , the United States and @ @ @ @ @ aimed at ending the 18-year war -- the longest military conflict in U.S. history .
@ @ @ @ @ timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in return for security commitments from @ @ @ @ @ reporting by Interfax and TASS

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


rferl--2020-06-11--Russian Court Grants Early Release To Scientist Convicted Of Treason

A Russian court has granted early release to a 79-year-old former space researcher , Vladimir Lapygin , who was sentenced to prison on a treason conviction and recognized as a political prisoner by the rights group Memorial .
A court in Tver , a city 180 kilometers northwest of Moscow , ruled on June 11 that Lapygin would be released on parole .
It is expected this will happen within 10 days , once the court 's ruling comes into force .
Lapygin was sentenced to 7 years in prison in September 2016 after a Moscow court found him guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ characteristics of hypersonic aircraft to China .
Lapygin has denied the allegation saying that he never had access to classified information .
Before his arrest , he worked for a research branch of the Russian space agency Roskosmos .
Since his conviction , Lapygin asked President Vladimir Putin twice to pardon him , but his requests were rejected .
In August 2017 , the Moscow-based Memorial human rights group recognized Lapygin as a political prisoner and called for his immediate release .
Lapygin 's case is one of several in recent years in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sensitive information .
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax

A Russian court has granted early release to a 79-year-old former space researcher, Vladimir Lapygin, who was sentenced to prison on a treason conviction and recognized as a political prisoner by the rights group Memorial.
A court in Tver, a city 180 kilometers northwest of Moscow, ruled on June 11 that Lapygin would be released on parole. It is expected this will happen within 10 days, once the court's ruling comes into force.
Lapygin was sentenced to 7 years in prison in September 2016 after a Moscow court found him guilty of handing secret information about the aerodynamic characteristics of hypersonic aircraft to China. Lapygin has denied the allegation saying that he never had access to classified information.
Before his arrest, he worked for a research branch of the Russian space agency Roskosmos.
Since his conviction, Lapygin asked President Vladimir Putin twice to pardon him, but his requests were rejected.
In August 2017, the Moscow-based Memorial human rights group recognized Lapygin as a political prisoner and called for his immediate release.
Lapygin's case is one of several in recent years in which academics have been accused of disseminating sensitive information.
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-06-11--Sixteen Kazakh Military Officers, Defense Officials Go On Trial Over Deadly Ammo Blasts

SHYMKENT , Kazakhstan -- Sixteen Kazakh military officers and Defense Ministry officials have gone on trial over a series of explosions at an ammunition warehouse that killed four people in June 2019 .
A military court in the southern city of Shymkent started the trial on June 11 , almost a year after the fire in the town of Arys , 67 kilometers west of Shymkent , which sparked the blasts that lasted for four days , killing three and injuring dozens of residents .
The fourth victim , an 8-year-old boy , died weeks later in hospital .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arys and some senior Defense Ministry officials .
Six of the defendants are taking part in the trial via a video link from Nur-Sultan , the capital .
The charges against the defendants include negligence and violating safety regulations for storing arms and ammunition .
Some 35,000 residents of the town fled their homes for Shymkent and nearby towns , returning days later after the authorities lifted a state of emergency .
Kazakh officials said that 85 percent of the town 's buildings , mainly private houses , had been damaged by heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debris from the blasts .
The government has promised to rebuild the houses , but many residents , some of whom attended the trial on June 11 , complained that the rebuilding efforts had been too slow .
After the blasts , hundreds of people rallied in Shymkent and blocked a major road demanding to be relocated permanently because they were afraid to go back as the June blasts were just the latest in a series of explosions to hit the depot since 2009 .
President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev , who won a controversial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blasts , has vowed to punish those responsible .

SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan -- Sixteen Kazakh military officers and Defense Ministry officials have gone on trial over a series of explosions at an ammunition warehouse that killed four people in June 2019.
A military court in the southern city of Shymkent started the trial on June 11, almost a year after the fire in the town of Arys, 67 kilometers west of Shymkent, which sparked the blasts that lasted for four days, killing three and injuring dozens of residents.
The fourth victim, an 8-year-old boy, died weeks later in hospital.
Among the 16 defendants are military officers from Arys and some senior Defense Ministry officials. Six of the defendants are taking part in the trial via a video link from Nur-Sultan, the capital.
The charges against the defendants include negligence and violating safety regulations for storing arms and ammunition.
Some 35,000 residents of the town fled their homes for Shymkent and nearby towns, returning days later after the authorities lifted a state of emergency.
Kazakh officials said that 85 percent of the town's buildings, mainly private houses, had been damaged by heavy smoke, shock waves, and flying debris from the blasts.
The government has promised to rebuild the houses, but many residents, some of whom attended the trial on June 11, complained that the rebuilding efforts had been too slow.
After the blasts, hundreds of people rallied in Shymkent and blocked a major road demanding to be relocated permanently because they were afraid to go back as the June blasts were just the latest in a series of explosions to hit the depot since 2009.
President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, who won a controversial election less than three weeks before the blasts, has vowed to punish those responsible.


rferl--2020-06-11--Drugs Added To Probe Of Deadly DUI Case Against Russian Actor, Kremlin Critic Yefremov

MOSCOW -- Investigators have added an `` illegal drugs sales '' probe to the high-profile case against Mikhail Yefremov , a well-known Russian actor who in recent years has criticized Kremlin politics in his one-man performances and now faces up to 12 years in prison for killing a person in an accident while he was driving under the influence .
A spokesman for the Moscow police , Vladimir Vasenin , said on June 10 that investigators are looking at `` the fact of an illegal drugs purchase by the driver from unknown individuals , '' adding that the case against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Investigative Directorate of the Interior Ministry 's Moscow office .
Earlier in the day , the Moscow prosecutor 's office said that high levels of alcohol and drugs were discovered in Yefremov 's blood samples .
Media reports quoted law enforcement officials as saying that , among other drugs , cocaine was found in the actor 's blood .
Moscow police officials said on June 9 that Yefremov was drunk when he drove his Jeep Grand Cherokee at a high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow the previous evening , hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any injuries in the accident , while the driver of the other vehicle , identified as 57-year-old Sergei Zakharov , was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later .
After Zakharov was pronounced dead , Yefremov was charged with `` causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence '' and ordered not to leave Moscow .
A Moscow court ruled the same day that the actor must be held under house arrest until August 9 .
Yefremov has pleaded guilty to the initial driving under the influence ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 years in prison for it .
He has not reacted publicly to the new allegation .
Performances by the 56-year-old challenging President Vladimir Putin and his politics have been very popular in recent years .

MOSCOW -- Investigators have added an "illegal drugs sales" probe to the high-profile case against Mikhail Yefremov, a well-known Russian actor who in recent years has criticized Kremlin politics in his one-man performances and now faces up to 12 years in prison for killing a person in an accident while he was driving under the influence.
A spokesman for the Moscow police, Vladimir Vasenin, said on June 10 that investigators are looking at "the fact of an illegal drugs purchase by the driver from unknown individuals," adding that the case against Yefremov has been sent to the Main Investigative Directorate of the Interior Ministry's Moscow office.
Earlier in the day, the Moscow prosecutor's office said that high levels of alcohol and drugs were discovered in Yefremov's blood samples.
Media reports quoted law enforcement officials as saying that, among other drugs, cocaine was found in the actor's blood.
Moscow police officials said on June 9 that Yefremov was drunk when he drove his Jeep Grand Cherokee at a high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow the previous evening, hitting another car. Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident, while the driver of the other vehicle, identified as 57-year-old Sergei Zakharov, was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later.
After Zakharov was pronounced dead, Yefremov was charged with "causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence" and ordered not to leave Moscow.
A Moscow court ruled the same day that the actor must be held under house arrest until August 9.
Yefremov has pleaded guilty to the initial driving under the influence (DUI) charge and faces up to 12 years in prison for it. He has not reacted publicly to the new allegation.
Performances by the 56-year-old challenging President Vladimir Putin and his politics have been very popular in recent years.


rferl--2020-06-11--COVID-19: Russian Cases Pass Half-Million Mark, Death Toll Exceeds 6,500

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 416,000 with more than 7.3 million infections confirmed , causing @ @ @ @ @ to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
Russian health officials say @ @ @ @ @ in the country now exceeds half a million , while the death toll has rise @ @ @ @ @ daily update of data , health authorities said on June 11 that 8,779 new cases @ @ @ @ @ country in the previous 24 hours , bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to @ @ @ @ @ authorities , 171 people died of COVID-19 over that period , bringing the total number @ @ @ @ @ from the illness to 6,532 .
Russia has the third-most cases of the virus in @ @ @ @ @ States , with more than 2 million , and Brazil , which has recorded almost @ @

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