rferl--2020-07-30--Tens Of Thousands Rally In Minsk In Support Of Opposition Presidential Candidate

MINSK -- Tens of thousands of people have gathered in the Belarusian capital for the largest opposition rally in the country since the start of the campaign ahead of a presidential election on August 9 .
The Vyasna human rights center said at least 63,000 supporters of registered presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya turned up for the demonstration in Minsk 's Park of Peoples ' Friendship on July 30 , as President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has faced mounting public opposition in recent months after 26 years in power .
Hundreds of people , including activists and bloggers , have been arrested as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates , who were not registered by the election officials .
At the rally in Minsk , which included performances by musicians and singers , Tsikhanouskaya said the opposition wanted `` fair elections , '' not a revolution .
`` We are peaceful people and we want peaceful changes in our country , '' she said , as the crowd chanted slogans such as `` Freedom ! ''
The site is surrounded by a fence , while visitors have to pass through metal detectors manned by police .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1994 , is seeking a sixth term in the upcoming election .
Tsikhanouskaya has said that she decided to take part in the poll after her husband , popular vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski , was jailed after he expressed his intention to run for presidency last month .
The rally comes after Belarusian authorities linked Tsikhanouski and other jailed opposition politicians with a probe launched against 33 contractors from the private Russian military company Vagner , who were detained and allegedly wanted to destabilize the country ahead of the August presidential election .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 30 that Tsikhanouski was charged with `` committing actions to incite social hatred and the assault of law enforcement officers . ''
The statement added that Tsikhanouski , along with veteran opposition politician Mikalay Statkevich , who was also jailed in the runup to the polls , and several unnamed individuals , were charged with preparing mass disorder , a crime that may be punished by up to eight years in prison .
`` As a result of a check of operative information received from special services , 33 citizens of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private military company ... were detained on suspicion of committing the aforementioned crime , '' the statement added .
Tsikhanouskaya rejected the new accusations against her husband .
Addressing the rally in her support , she said : `` No one will believe that these hitmen have been dispatched here specifically for the elections . ''
Earlier in the day , security officials warned candidates in the upcoming presidential election to beware of possible `` provocations '' during the campaign as authorities opened a criminal probe into the 33 contractors from Vagner .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarusian Security Council , said he met on July 30 with Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , Syarhey Cherachan , Hanna Kanapatskaya , Andrey Dzmitryyeu , and parliamentary Chairwoman Natallya Kachanava , who represented incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka , to inform the candidates about `` additional security measures at public events . ''
Raukou added that in addition to detaining 33 Russian citizens on July 29 , `` upwards of up to 200 militants '' remain at large in Belarus and efforts to locate them continue as a probe was launched into what officials said were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarus by the suspects .
The Vagner Group is a Russian paramilitary organization believed to be run by Yevgeny Prigozhin , an influential Russian businessman close to President Vladimir Putin .
Its fighters have turned up in conflicts in Syria , Libya , Ukraine , and Africa .
Neighboring Ukraine said on July 30 that it was initiating an extradition request for some of the mercenaries , who it believes have fought alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine .
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said on July 30 that it had separately summoned Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Ukrainian Embassy in Belarus , Petro Vrublevskiy , to discuss the situation .
The ministry said “ the Russian ambassador has been asked for detailed explanations regarding the goals and other aspects of the arrival and stay in our country of this organized group of persons , many of whom have proven combat experience.
” “ Taking into account the confirmed information on the participation of a number of detainees in combat activities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine ( against Ukrainian armed forces ) as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them , Petro Vrublevskiy was asked to provide the relevant information for a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the reasons for their presence in Belarus , ” the ministry said .
Moscow vehemently rejected Minsk ’ s claims , with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing allegations that `` organizations from Russia are sending some people to destabilize the situation in Belarus '' as `` nothing but insinuations . ''
Ambassador Mezentsev said that the detained Russian men were transiting through Belarus and were en route to a `` third country . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ known who exactly sent the militants as the investigation continues and the 33 Russian citizens are interrogated .
Tsikhanouskaya told journalists after the meeting with Raukou that all events for her campaign will proceed as planned despite the warning .
Belarusian authorities said they found the suspects at a health resort near Minsk overnight on July 29 , after receiving information that more than 200 Russian military contractors had arrived days earlier in Belarus to `` destabilize the situation in the country ahead of the election.
” Another suspect was detained in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BelTA news agency , which also published a list of the 33 Russian citizens , aged between 24 and 55 , who had been apprehended .
In 2018 , the U.S. State Department blacklisted Vagner along with more than 30 other Russian companies and individuals with ties to military and intelligence agencies .
Separately , Veranika Tsapkala , the wife of former potential presidential candidate Valer Tsapkala , who had to flee the country with their children for safety reasons , said on July 30 that her sister had been kidnapped by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 that unknown individuals wearing civilian clothes `` kidnapped '' her sister in a parking lot in Minsk earlier in the day and took her away .
Her whereabouts are currently unknown .
Later , it turned out that her sister , Natallya Leanyuk , was briefly detained by police for questioning in a probe launched against Valer Tsapkala following a lawsuit filed by a Turkish businessman who accused him of bribery and insult .

MINSK -- Tens of thousands of people have gathered in the Belarusian capital for the largest opposition rally in the country since the start of the campaign ahead of a presidential election on August 9.
The Vyasna human rights center said at least 63,000 supporters of registered presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya turned up for the demonstration in Minsk's Park of Peoples' Friendship on July 30, as President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has faced mounting public opposition in recent months after 26 years in power.
Hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers, have been arrested as the government has cracked down hard on rallies and demonstrations supporting opposition candidates, who were not registered by the election officials.
At the rally in Minsk, which included performances by musicians and singers, Tsikhanouskaya said the opposition wanted "fair elections," not a revolution.
"We are peaceful people and we want peaceful changes in our country," she said, as the crowd chanted slogans such as "Freedom!"
The site is surrounded by a fence, while visitors have to pass through metal detectors manned by police.
Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, is seeking a sixth term in the upcoming election.
Tsikhanouskaya has said that she decided to take part in the poll after her husband, popular vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was jailed after he expressed his intention to run for presidency last month.
The rally comes after Belarusian authorities linked Tsikhanouski and other jailed opposition politicians with a probe launched against 33 contractors from the private Russian military company Vagner, who were detained and allegedly wanted to destabilize the country ahead of the August presidential election.
The Investigative Committee of Belarus said earlier on July 30 that Tsikhanouski was charged with "committing actions to incite social hatred and the assault of law enforcement officers."
The statement added that Tsikhanouski, along with veteran opposition politician Mikalay Statkevich, who was also jailed in the runup to the polls, and several unnamed individuals, were charged with preparing mass disorder, a crime that may be punished by up to eight years in prison.
"As a result of a check of operative information received from special services, 33 citizens of the Russian Federation, servicemen of the Vagner private military company... were detained on suspicion of committing the aforementioned crime," the statement added.
Tsikhanouskaya rejected the new accusations against her husband.
Addressing the rally in her support, she said: "No one will believe that these hitmen have been dispatched here specifically for the elections."
Earlier in the day, security officials warned candidates in the upcoming presidential election to beware of possible "provocations" during the campaign as authorities opened a criminal probe into the 33 contractors from Vagner.
Andrey Raukou, the chief of the Belarusian Security Council, said he met on July 30 with Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Syarhey Cherachan, Hanna Kanapatskaya, Andrey Dzmitryyeu, and parliamentary Chairwoman Natallya Kachanava, who represented incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka, to inform the candidates about "additional security measures at public events."
Raukou added that in addition to detaining 33 Russian citizens on July 29, "upwards of up to 200 militants" remain at large in Belarus and efforts to locate them continue as a probe was launched into what officials said were the "preparation of terrorist acts" in Belarus by the suspects.
The Vagner Group is a Russian paramilitary organization believed to be run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, an influential Russian businessman close to President Vladimir Putin. Its fighters have turned up in conflicts in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and Africa.
Neighboring Ukraine said on July 30 that it was initiating an extradition request for some of the mercenaries, who it believes have fought alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said on July 30 that it had separately summoned Russian Ambassador Dmitry Mezentsev and the acting head of the Ukrainian Embassy in Belarus, Petro Vrublevskiy, to discuss the situation.
The ministry said “the Russian ambassador has been asked for detailed explanations regarding the goals and other aspects of the arrival and stay in our country of this organized group of persons, many of whom have proven combat experience.”
“Taking into account the confirmed information on the participation of a number of detainees in combat activities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine (against Ukrainian armed forces) as well as the Ukrainian origin and Ukrainian citizenship of some of them, Petro Vrublevskiy was asked to provide the relevant information for a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the reasons for their presence in Belarus,” the ministry said.
Moscow vehemently rejected Minsk’s claims, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing allegations that "organizations from Russia are sending some people to destabilize the situation in Belarus" as "nothing but insinuations."
Ambassador Mezentsev said that the detained Russian men were transiting through Belarus and were en route to a "third country."
According to Raukou, it is not known who exactly sent the militants as the investigation continues and the 33 Russian citizens are interrogated.
Tsikhanouskaya told journalists after the meeting with Raukou that all events for her campaign will proceed as planned despite the warning.
Belarusian authorities said they found the suspects at a health resort near Minsk overnight on July 29, after receiving information that more than 200 Russian military contractors had arrived days earlier in Belarus to "destabilize the situation in the country ahead of the election.”
Another suspect was detained in the south of the country, according to the BelTA news agency, which also published a list of the 33 Russian citizens, aged between 24 and 55, who had been apprehended.
In 2018, the U.S. State Department blacklisted Vagner along with more than 30 other Russian companies and individuals with ties to military and intelligence agencies.
Separately, Veranika Tsapkala, the wife of former potential presidential candidate Valer Tsapkala, who had to flee the country with their children for safety reasons, said on July 30 that her sister had been kidnapped by unknown individuals.
Tsapkala said on July 30 that unknown individuals wearing civilian clothes "kidnapped" her sister in a parking lot in Minsk earlier in the day and took her away. Her whereabouts are currently unknown.
Later, it turned out that her sister, Natallya Leanyuk, was briefly detained by police for questioning in a probe launched against Valer Tsapkala following a lawsuit filed by a Turkish businessman who accused him of bribery and insult.


rferl--2020-07-30--Belarusian Presidential Campaigner's Sister Briefly Detained For Questioning

MINSK -- A sister of Veranika Tsapkala , the wife of former potential presidential candidate Valer Tsapkala , says she was briefly detained for questioning after she disappeared , raising fears she had been kidnapped .
Natallya Leanyuk said on July 30 that she was approached by three men in civilian clothes near Belgazprombank where she works earlier in the day and presented with a subpoena ordering her to come in for questioning .
The men then took her to the police where she was questioned regarding a probe launched against Valer Tsapkala after a Turkish businessman , Sedat Igdeci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him of bribery and insult .
Valer Tsapkala had to flee the country with his children for safety reasons earlier this month .
Leanyuk says she was released by the police after the questioning .
Leanyuk 's employer , Belgazprombank , used to be led by Viktar Babaryka , who was arrested and charged with embezzlement last month after he announced his intention to take part in an August 9 presidential election .
Earlier in the day , Veranika Tsapkala , who remained in Belarus to assist an opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kidnapped '' by unknown men in civilian clothes .
Tsapkala also said that she had been summoned to the Directorate on the Fight Against Organized Crime for what she said was to `` testify against my husband . ''
`` I consider this as political pressure imposed on me , my husband , and on our election campaign , '' Tsapkala said .

MINSK -- A sister of Veranika Tsapkala, the wife of former potential presidential candidate Valer Tsapkala, says she was briefly detained for questioning after she disappeared, raising fears she had been kidnapped.
Natallya Leanyuk said on July 30 that she was approached by three men in civilian clothes near Belgazprombank where she works earlier in the day and presented with a subpoena ordering her to come in for questioning.
The men then took her to the police where she was questioned regarding a probe launched against Valer Tsapkala after a Turkish businessman, Sedat Igdeci filed a lawsuit against the politician accusing him of bribery and insult.
Valer Tsapkala had to flee the country with his children for safety reasons earlier this month.
Leanyuk says she was released by the police after the questioning.
Leanyuk's employer, Belgazprombank, used to be led by Viktar Babaryka, who was arrested and charged with embezzlement last month after he announced his intention to take part in an August 9 presidential election.
Earlier in the day, Veranika Tsapkala, who remained in Belarus to assist an opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya's campaign, said her sister was "kidnapped" by unknown men in civilian clothes.
Tsapkala also said that she had been summoned to the Directorate on the Fight Against Organized Crime for what she said was to "testify against my husband."
"I consider this as political pressure imposed on me, my husband, and on our election campaign," Tsapkala said.


rferl--2020-07-30--Ex-Trump Adviser Says Putin Living In A 'Bubble,' Out Of Fresh Ideas To Move Russia Forward

WASHINGTON -- A former senior foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump said U.S. policy toward Russia continues to be hamstrung by partisan politics but that Moscow also needs to change its behavior for bilateral relations to improve .
Fiona Hill , who served as the top Russia adviser in the National Security Council until July 2019 and authored a book on President Vladimir Putin , also said the Kremlin leader may be slowly losing touch with his population after more than 20 years in power .
In an video discussion hosted by the Wilson Center think tank in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia remains the subject of “ endless ” conspiracy theories and congressional hearings over its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election , which makes it tough for the administration to pursue progress on key bilateral issues .
“ We can ’ t keep living in this frame of 2016 forever , ” said Hill , who is now a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution .
`` National security issues should not be partisan , they should not be politicized because they affect all of us , and the risks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too high . ''
Hill , however , said Russia continues to view the relationship with the United States as a geopolitical competition and carries out “ tactical operations ” that undermine bilateral relations .
Russia has supported separatists in eastern Ukraine , backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his nation ’ s nine-year civil war , and helped Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar in his fight for control of the North African country .
The conflicts at times have resembled proxy wars among world powers .
“ The more that we are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the less we can move forward on addressing big issues ” like nuclear nonproliferation , climate change , and the coronavirus , she said .
Hill said the United States has been trying to “ stabilize and professionalize ” the relationship with Russia in recent years through meetings between foreign policy , defense , and intelligence officials .
If Russia wants to restore its seat at the table with global powers , it needs to stop “ kicking the hell out of everybody ” under the table , she said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become complacent after two decades in power and questioned whether he can adapt to the changes taking place inside the country .
“ He is in something of a bubble .
I don ’ t want to say that he has lost his edge , but I do think he has kind of lost a little bit of the feel of what is going on domestically , and that is inevitable , ” she said .
She called changes to the Russian Constitution that elevated the primacy of the Russian language and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russians approved the changes -- which also included an amendment that allows Putin to potentially rule until 2036 -- in a June vote that was marred by irregularities .
Hill said that Putin had been cautious earlier in his political career to avoid issues that might spark ethnic or religious divisions .
“ He is obviously fairly confident that he can pander right now to this larger [ ethnic Russian ] base , and I worry about this .
I worry that is a failure to see how things have evolved , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of “ fresh ideas ” to move Russia forward this decade , running the risk that his “ brand ” becomes stale , she said .
The Kremlin ’ s current foreign policy is not the answer to that problem , she said .
“ [ Putin ] keeps saying he is going to do something for the country , but mud wrestling with the United States from here to perpetuity isn ’ t really doing something for the country , ” she said .
Hill said Putin could seek to interfere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discord if he thinks he will derive greater benefits from doing so .
High voter turnout and more `` civil discourse '' between Democrats and Republicans would reduce the impact of any Russian interference , she said .

WASHINGTON -- A former senior foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump said U.S. policy toward Russia continues to be hamstrung by partisan politics but that Moscow also needs to change its behavior for bilateral relations to improve.
Fiona Hill, who served as the top Russia adviser in the National Security Council until July 2019 and authored a book on President Vladimir Putin, also said the Kremlin leader may be slowly losing touch with his population after more than 20 years in power.
In an video discussion hosted by the Wilson Center think tank in Washington on July 29, Hill lamented that Russia remains the subject of “endless” conspiracy theories and congressional hearings over its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, which makes it tough for the administration to pursue progress on key bilateral issues.
“We can’t keep living in this frame of 2016 forever,” said Hill, who is now a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution. "National security issues should not be partisan, they should not be politicized because they affect all of us, and the risks of something getting out of control are far too high."
Hill, however, said Russia continues to view the relationship with the United States as a geopolitical competition and carries out “tactical operations” that undermine bilateral relations.
Russia has supported separatists in eastern Ukraine, backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his nation’s nine-year civil war, and helped Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar in his fight for control of the North African country. The conflicts at times have resembled proxy wars among world powers.
“The more that we are in this tactical mud wrestling fight with Russia, the less we can move forward on addressing big issues” like nuclear nonproliferation, climate change, and the coronavirus, she said.
Hill said the United States has been trying to “stabilize and professionalize” the relationship with Russia in recent years through meetings between foreign policy, defense, and intelligence officials.
If Russia wants to restore its seat at the table with global powers, it needs to stop “kicking the hell out of everybody” under the table, she said.
The Russia analyst said she thinks that Putin has become complacent after two decades in power and questioned whether he can adapt to the changes taking place inside the country.
“He is in something of a bubble. I don’t want to say that he has lost his edge, but I do think he has kind of lost a little bit of the feel of what is going on domestically, and that is inevitable,” she said.
She called changes to the Russian Constitution that elevated the primacy of the Russian language and Orthodox religion as “very dangerous.”
Russians approved the changes -- which also included an amendment that allows Putin to potentially rule until 2036 -- in a June vote that was marred by irregularities.
Hill said that Putin had been cautious earlier in his political career to avoid issues that might spark ethnic or religious divisions.
“He is obviously fairly confident that he can pander right now to this larger [ethnic Russian] base, and I worry about this. I worry that is a failure to see how things have evolved,” she said.
Putin seems to be out of “fresh ideas” to move Russia forward this decade, running the risk that his “brand” becomes stale, she said.
The Kremlin’s current foreign policy is not the answer to that problem, she said.
“[Putin] keeps saying he is going to do something for the country, but mud wrestling with the United States from here to perpetuity isn’t really doing something for the country,” she said.
Hill said Putin could seek to interfere in the 2020 U.S. election to sow discord if he thinks he will derive greater benefits from doing so.
High voter turnout and more "civil discourse" between Democrats and Republicans would reduce the impact of any Russian interference, she said.


rferl--2020-07-30--Russian Oligarchs Find Way To Bypass U.S. Sanctions Through Secrecy Of Art Sales

Two Russian oligarchs have been able to bypass U.S. sanctions barring them from U.S. financial systems by taking advantage of lax laws governing high-priced art purchases in the United States , according to a congressional report released on July 29 following a two-year investigation .
The report details how investigators traced more than $ 18 million in art purchases at U.S. auction houses and private sales back to three shell companies linked to Russian brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg .
The secret nature of high-value art sales in which buyers often remain anonymous has given the Rotenbergs access to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Russia ’ s 2014 annexation of Crimea , the report found .
The Rotenbergs , who are close to Russian President Vladimir Putin , made a fortune through contracts related to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi , Russia .
Their U.S. assets were frozen in March 2014 under sanctions designed to punish Putin and his close associates over the annexation of Crimea .
The sanctions also barred U.S. companies from doing business with them .
The report , issued by the U.S. Senate ’ s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sanctions by moving money through shell companies and investing it in the high-value art .
The shell companies moved at least $ 91 million through the U.S. financial system after the sanctions were imposed , the report found .
U.S. auction houses acknowledged that they never ask for the identity of the buyer in purchases made by an intermediary , the report found .
The report called this a loophole that exempts art sales from financial safeguards aimed at stopping money laundering .
`` It is alarming and completely unacceptable that common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the financing of terrorism do not apply if someone is purchasing a multimillion-dollar piece of art , ” said Senator Tom Carper ( Democrat-Delaware ) , the committee ’ s top Democrat .
The investigation found that the Rotenbergs attempted to conceal the activity by hiding behind Moscow-based art adviser and dealer Gregory Baltser , a naturalized U.S. citizen .
Baltser ’ s attorneys categorically denied the allegations , writing in a statement quoted by Politico that neither Baltser nor his agency “ has ever , at any time , represented or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arkady Rotenberg.
” The Rotenbergs could not be reached for comment , according to the Associated Press and Politico .
The New York Times quoted a representative of the Rotenbergs as saying they had never circumvented sanctions .
There are now calls for legislative remedies that would end the secretive nature of art purchases , including an amendment to the Bank Secrecy Act to add businesses handling transactions involving high-value art .
The Rotenbergs are the only sanctioned individuals the panel says it could confidently determine were benefiting from U.S. art sales , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tip of the iceberg , ” the report said .
The report also points to new anti-money laundering rules the European Union adopted for expensive art deals requiring the verification of the identity of the buyer and seller in transactions over $ 10,000 .
With reporting by AP , Politico , and The New York Times

Two Russian oligarchs have been able to bypass U.S. sanctions barring them from U.S. financial systems by taking advantage of lax laws governing high-priced art purchases in the United States, according to a congressional report released on July 29 following a two-year investigation.
The report details how investigators traced more than $18 million in art purchases at U.S. auction houses and private sales back to three shell companies linked to Russian brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg.
The secret nature of high-value art sales in which buyers often remain anonymous has given the Rotenbergs access to the U.S. economy despite sanctions imposed against them after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, the report found.
The Rotenbergs, who are close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, made a fortune through contracts related to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Their U.S. assets were frozen in March 2014 under sanctions designed to punish Putin and his close associates over the annexation of Crimea. The sanctions also barred U.S. companies from doing business with them.
The report, issued by the U.S. Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said the Rotenbergs found a way to bypass the sanctions by moving money through shell companies and investing it in the high-value art. The shell companies moved at least $91 million through the U.S. financial system after the sanctions were imposed, the report found.
U.S. auction houses acknowledged that they never ask for the identity of the buyer in purchases made by an intermediary, the report found. The report called this a loophole that exempts art sales from financial safeguards aimed at stopping money laundering.
"It is alarming and completely unacceptable that common sense regulations designed to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism do not apply if someone is purchasing a multimillion-dollar piece of art,” said Senator Tom Carper (Democrat-Delaware), the committee’s top Democrat.
The investigation found that the Rotenbergs attempted to conceal the activity by hiding behind Moscow-based art adviser and dealer Gregory Baltser, a naturalized U.S. citizen. Baltser’s attorneys categorically denied the allegations, writing in a statement quoted by Politico that neither Baltser nor his agency “has ever, at any time, represented or transacted in any way with Boris or Arkady Rotenberg.”
The Rotenbergs could not be reached for comment, according to the Associated Press and Politico. The New York Times quoted a representative of the Rotenbergs as saying they had never circumvented sanctions.
There are now calls for legislative remedies that would end the secretive nature of art purchases, including an amendment to the Bank Secrecy Act to add businesses handling transactions involving high-value art.
The Rotenbergs are the only sanctioned individuals the panel says it could confidently determine were benefiting from U.S. art sales, but they are likely “only the tip of the iceberg,” the report said.
The report also points to new anti-money laundering rules the European Union adopted for expensive art deals requiring the verification of the identity of the buyer and seller in transactions over $10,000.
With reporting by AP, Politico, and The New York Times


rferl--2020-07-31--Ukraine Reiterates Determination For Justice In Talks With Iran Over Downed Passenger Jet

Ukraine has reiterated its determination to bring Iran to justice for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner shortly after takeoff in Tehran during talks on compensation over the January air disaster that killed 176 people .
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told journalists in Kyiv on July 31 that talks with an Iranian delegation were `` constructive '' and that Tehran 's readiness for the negotiations to establish the circumstances of the tragedy , bring the individuals responsible for it to justice , and pay compensation was an important move .
`` Iran has agreed to fulfill all of its obligations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is a party .
This means that we can build the relevant work constructively , '' Kuleba said .
According to Kuleba , the sides agreed upon a framework for the negotiation process , which will be held on several levels , with investigators , technical experts , and lawyers communicating `` to determine all the circumstances , including legal and technical nuances . ''
`` At this point the amount of the compensation remains unclear .
The amount can not be established right away as all involved factors must be considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , noting that if it becomes apparent that Iran is delaying the negotiation process , Kyiv will be ready for an `` alternative scenario to ensure the payment of compensation by other possible means . ''
He did not elaborate .
Iran has admitted that its forces downed the Ukraine International Airlines ( UIA ) passenger jet on January 8 , saying they mistook it for a missile amid heightened tensions with the United States .
All 176 people on board , including 57 Canadians , were killed .
The aircraft was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Iraqi air bases housing U.S. forces in retaliation for the U.S. drone killing of a senior Iranian commander .
Data extraction from the jet ’ s black boxes is being carried out in Paris .
Canada 's Transportation Safety Board said on July 23 that the download and preliminary analysis of the cockpit voice and flight data was finished , though the investigation continues .
Iran ’ s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the probe , which is being observed by Canadian , U.S. , Swedish , and British experts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aircraft manufacturer Boeing , and engine maker Safran .
With reporting by Ukrayinska Pravda and gordonua.com

Ukraine has reiterated its determination to bring Iran to justice for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner shortly after takeoff in Tehran during talks on compensation over the January air disaster that killed 176 people.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told journalists in Kyiv on July 31 that talks with an Iranian delegation were "constructive" and that Tehran's readiness for the negotiations to establish the circumstances of the tragedy, bring the individuals responsible for it to justice, and pay compensation was an important move.
"Iran has agreed to fulfill all of its obligations under the international aviation conventions to which it is a party. This means that we can build the relevant work constructively," Kuleba said.
According to Kuleba, the sides agreed upon a framework for the negotiation process, which will be held on several levels, with investigators, technical experts, and lawyers communicating "to determine all the circumstances, including legal and technical nuances."
"At this point the amount of the compensation remains unclear. The amount cannot be established right away as all involved factors must be considered when establishing it," the minister said, noting that if it becomes apparent that Iran is delaying the negotiation process, Kyiv will be ready for an "alternative scenario to ensure the payment of compensation by other possible means."
He did not elaborate.
Iran has admitted that its forces downed the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) passenger jet on January 8, saying they mistook it for a missile amid heightened tensions with the United States. All 176 people on board, including 57 Canadians, were killed.
The aircraft was shot down hours after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi air bases housing U.S. forces in retaliation for the U.S. drone killing of a senior Iranian commander.
Data extraction from the jet’s black boxes is being carried out in Paris. Canada's Transportation Safety Board said on July 23 that the download and preliminary analysis of the cockpit voice and flight data was finished, though the investigation continues.
Iran’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the probe, which is being observed by Canadian, U.S., Swedish, and British experts, as well as by representatives from UIA, aircraft manufacturer Boeing, and engine maker Safran.
With reporting by Ukrayinska Pravda and gordonua.com


rferl--2020-07-31--Iran's Khamenei Rejects Talks With U.S. Over Missile, Nuclear Programs

Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled out negotiations with Washington over Tehran 's ballistic missile and nuclear programs , calling the United States `` Iran 's main enemy . ''
`` America 's brutal sanctions on Iran are aimed at collapsing our economy ... ..Their aim is to limit our influence in the region and to halt our missile and nuclear capabilities , '' Khamenei said on July 31 in a live speech on state television .
`` Relying on national capabilities and cutting our dependence on oil exports will help us to resist America 's pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington and Tehran have been on the rise since President Donald Trump in May 2018 pulled the United States out of a landmark 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers under which Iran pledge to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief .
Trump has called the accord , signed by the administration of his predecessor , Barack Obama , `` the worst deal ever . ''
Washington then reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran as part of what it calls a “ maximum pressure ” campaign .
In response , Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During his speech , Khamenei also criticized the Europeans for failing to salvage the 2015 deal .
`` They have inflicted a blow on Iran 's economy by hollow promises , '' Khamenei said in a televised speech , referring to efforts by Britain , France , and Germany to salvage the 2015 deal .
The Trump administration says it wants Tehran to negotiate a wider deal to further curb Iran 's nuclear work , halt its missile program , and limit the Islamic republic 's regional influence .
Washington is also pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons embargo on Tehran that is due to expire in October .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , and AFP

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


rferl--2020-07-31--Amnesty Says Iran Has Ignored Pleas By Prison Officials For Essential Virus Resources

Amnesty International says it has obtained several leaked documents signed by officials at Iran ’ s Prisons Organization that reveal that the Iranian government has ignored repeated pleas by senior prison officials for additional resources to control the spread of the coronavirus in the country ’ s overcrowded correctional facilities .
The letters raise an alarm over serious shortages of protective equipment , disinfectant products , and essential medical devices , the London-based rights group said in a statement released on July 31 .
Amnesty said the letters `` stand in stark contrast '' to public statements by the adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asghar Jahangir , who has lauded Iran 's `` exemplary '' initiatives to protect prisoners from the pandemic .
`` Overcrowding , poor ventilation , lack of basic sanitation and medical equipment , and deliberate neglect of prisoners ’ health problems are making Iranian prisons a perfect breeding ground for COVID-19 , '' Amnesty warned .
Iran has been struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic since February when the first cases were officially confirmed .
According to official figures , over 16,500 Iranians have died of COVID-19 , while the number of infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed to be much higher .
In recent weeks , Iran has reported a surge in COVID-19 fatalities and infections .
The head of the health-care office of the Prisons Organization first submitted a letter to Iran ’ s Ministry of Health on February 29 .
Four follow-up letters were submitted in March , May , June , and early in July , and these have been seen by Amnesty International .
`` These official letters provide damning evidence of the government ’ s appalling failure to protect prisoners .
Requests for urgently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and medical devices have been ignored for months , '' said Diana Eltahawy , Amnesty International ’ s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa .
The rights group said it had `` received distressing reports of prisoners displaying COVID-19 symptoms being neglected for days , even when they have preexisting heart and lung problems , diabetes , or asthma . ''
Earlier this month , imprisoned human rights activist Narges Mohammadi said she and her cellmates in prison in Zajan , some 330 kilometers west of the capital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar to those of COVID-19 .
In March , Iran ’ s judiciary announced that it had ordered the temporary release of tens of thousands of prisoners to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in crowded jails .
In mid-July , the judiciary issued new guidelines to facilitate a second round of leaves .
However , Amnesty International says hundreds of prisoners of conscience have been excluded from these measures , including human rights defenders , environmentalists , and foreign and dual nationals .
“ We once again call on Iranian authorities to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by immediately and unconditionally releasing all those detained for the peaceful exercise of their rights , ” Eltahawy said .
The rights group also called on Iran to ensure access to adequate food , water , health care , and hygiene for all prisoners .


rferl--2020-07-31--Afghanistan Facing Humanitarian Disaster Amid Pandemic, Continued Violence, U.S. Watchdog Finds

Millions more Afghans are being pushed into poverty by the coronavirus pandemic , which has overwhelmed the war-wracked country 's basic health-care system and exacerbated food insecurity , a U.S. watchdog said on July 30 .
The pandemic 's devastating effect , combined with the continued high levels of violence , has brought one of the world 's poorest countries to the brink , the office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction ( SIGAR ) said in its quarterly report , warning that the country `` is headed for a humanitarian disaster . ''
The virus entered Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from neighboring Iran , which at the time was the region 's worst-hit nation for the virus .
Since then , Afghanistan has been ravaged by COVID-19 , the illness caused by the coronavirus .
`` The economic shock of the pandemic -- including increased unemployment , food-supply disruptions due to border closures , and rising food prices -- has exacerbated Afghans ' food insecurity , already impacted by the ongoing conflict and high poverty levels , '' said SIGAR , which collates expert and media reports and conducts its own analysis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people were either in a crisis or an emergency state of food insecurity , the report warned .
Prices of essential commodities like wheat flour , cooking oil , sugar , and pulses have steadily risen over the past few months .
`` At the same time , the purchasing power of casual labor has dropped significantly , '' the report noted .
SIGAR said Afghanistan had likely entered a recession because of the pandemic , with the economy projected to shrink by up to 10 percent in 2020 .
`` Experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will fall into poverty , pushing the poverty rate from 55 percent to 80 percent , '' the report says .
Afghanistan has almost 36,500 confirmed infections , with nearly 1,300 deaths .
SIGAR said that number may `` vastly undercount '' the true toll of the virus and pointed to research showing up to 90 percent of possible cases are not being tested .
`` Testing remains limited , but nearly 43 percent of samples test positive , one of the highest rates in the world , '' the report warns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ urban areas , with Kabul becoming the epicenter of the virus .
Virus-related border closures have seen customs revenues plunge , with sustainable domestic revenues down 23.4 percent in the first two quarters of 2020 , compared to the same period last year , SIGAR said .
The report acknowledged that Taliban violence has remained above `` historic norms '' for most of the second quarter of this year and the security situation had not improved following the signing of a landmark peace deal between the Taliban and the United States in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above historic norms for the majority of the reporting period , '' SIGAR said , citing NATO 's Resolute Support mission .
The militants continued attacks on government security checkpoints and bombings , pausing online for a three-day cease-fire over the Eid al-Fitr holiday in late May and a current cease-fire for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on July 28 said more than 10,000 government forces had been killed or wounded since the U.S.-Taliban deal was signed .
With reporting by AFP and dpa

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


rferl--2020-07-31--Reporters Without Borders Calls For Investigation Into Killing Of Pakistani Journalist

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) has called for an independent investigation into the death of a newspaper reporter who covered local corruption in Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan .
Anwar Jan Kethran was shot dead by two gunmen as he was returning home on July 23 in Barkhan , a city in the northeast of the province , RSF said in a news release on July 30 .
His family has accused Abdur Rehman Kethran , the provincial food and population minister , of ordering his murder .
They say the minister had told the reporter to “ stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage of corruption .
“ Everything indicates that Anwar Jan Kethran was killed because he informed the public about allegedly corrupt practices by local officials , ” said Daniel Bastard , the head of RSF ’ s Asia-Pacific desk .
“ We therefore urge Balochistan First Minister Jam Kamal Khan to conduct an independent investigation into this murder so that both perpetrators and instigators can be quickly brought to justice.
” The family also was told to “ stay quiet ” or face “ consequences.
” The family has filed a complaint with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusation against the minister ’ s bodyguards .
Kethran was killed two days after Matiullah Jan , a journalist known for his criticism of the military , was abducted in Islamabad just days before he was due to appear before the Supreme Court on a contempt charge in connection with a tweet critical of Pakistan 's judges and military .
Jan was handcuffed , hooded , and tortured before being released 12 hours later , RSF said .
He was among several Pakistani journalists who have been briefly detained in recent months , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for an independent investigation into the death of a newspaper reporter who covered local corruption in Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan.
Anwar Jan Kethran was shot dead by two gunmen as he was returning home on July 23 in Barkhan, a city in the northeast of the province, RSF said in a news release on July 30.
His family has accused Abdur Rehman Kethran, the provincial food and population minister, of ordering his murder. They say the minister had told the reporter to “stay away from journalism” because of his coverage of corruption.
“Everything indicates that Anwar Jan Kethran was killed because he informed the public about allegedly corrupt practices by local officials,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “We therefore urge Balochistan First Minister Jam Kamal Khan to conduct an independent investigation into this murder so that both perpetrators and instigators can be quickly brought to justice.”
The family also was told to “stay quiet” or face “consequences.”
The family has filed a complaint with the Balochistan paramilitary forces that includes an accusation against the minister’s bodyguards.
Kethran was killed two days after Matiullah Jan, a journalist known for his criticism of the military, was abducted in Islamabad just days before he was due to appear before the Supreme Court on a contempt charge in connection with a tweet critical of Pakistan's judges and military.
Jan was handcuffed, hooded, and tortured before being released 12 hours later, RSF said. He was among several Pakistani journalists who have been briefly detained in recent months, allegedly by the military's spy agency.


rferl--2020-07-31--U.S. Adds Materials To Metals Sanctions Against Iran

The United States has expanded sanctions against Iran ’ s metals industry , adding 22 materials to the U.S. sanctions regime , a move that allows Washington to blacklist any company or entity that transfers the materials to Iran .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement in a statement on July 30 , calling it a `` major expansion '' of the Iran metals-related sanctions administered by the State Department .
Pompeo said the 22 specific materials listed were used in connection with Iran 's nuclear , military , or ballistic-missile programs , which “ pose a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Pompeo also said he was firm in his determination that Iran 's elite security force , the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) , controls Iran 's construction sector .
As a result , sanctions may still be imposed on those who knowingly transfer certain materials to or from Iran to be used in connection with Iran ’ s construction sector , Pompeo said .
The materials he said he had determined are used in connection with Iran 's nuclear , military , or ballistic-missile programs included aluminum powder with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a key ingredient in solid-fuel propellants used to launch missiles .
Tensions between Tehran and Washington have been on the rise since the United States withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed crippling sanctions that have battered the Iranian economy .
The United States pulled out of the nuclear agreement in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions as part of what it calls a “ maximum pressure ” campaign on Iran .
In response , Iran gradually started breaching its nuclear commitments .
Pompeo also has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extend an arms embargo on Iran .
The United States has formally asked the council to extend the embargo , which is set to be progressively eased beginning in October under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 , which enshrined the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers .
Veto-wielding Russia and China have questioned Washington ’ s right to use a disputed legal move to force a return of UN sanctions on Iran .
The United States has said that allowing the embargo to expire would cause instability in the Middle East @


rferl--2020-07-31--Pakistani Shelling Kills 15 Afghan Civilians, Kabul Says, After Clashes At Closed Border

Cross-border shelling by Pakistan killed at least 15 civilians in Afghanistan on July 31 , prompting Kabul to put its ground and air forces on alert .
The shelling came after clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at the closed Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing , where people were waiting to cross on both sides of the border to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha .
The Afghan Defense Ministry on July 31 said that the country ’ s chief of army staff had ordered the armed forces to respond with full force if the artillery attacks by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the neighboring countries .
Pakistani security officials said a protest against the closure of the border for daily commute turned violent at the Chaman area on the other side of Spin Boldak in Pakistan ’ s Balochistan Province , but no live ammunition had been used .
However , activists blamed Pakistani security forces for opening fire on protesters and shelling into Afghanistan where people were also protesting .
`` If the Pakistani military continues its rocket attacks on Afghan territory , they will face retaliation by the Afghan Army , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
Pakistan 's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters that the matter had been taken up with Afghan authorities and hoped it would be resolved amicably .
The 2,430-kilometer-long Afghan-Pakistan border was created in 1893 between then-British India and the Emirate of Afghanistan .
Clashes between neighboring states along the de facto border known as the Durand Line rarely occur , but relations are considered tense .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Radio Mashaal , Reuters , and dpa


rferl--2020-07-31--New Bill Backing Reform In Ukraine Seeks To Show U.S. 'Will Stand By Its Friend'

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to provide military assistance and reform support to Ukraine over the next five years , underscoring the widespread congressional backing for the nation despite repeated disappointments as it battles Russia-backed forces .
The Ukraine Security Partnership Act submitted on July 30 authorizes up to $ 300 million per year in foreign military aid to Ukraine , including lethal weapons , subject to meeting reform criteria .
The act also calls for the State Department to set up a working group on Ukraine with European allies to prioritize economic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a special envoy to Kyiv for peace talks .
While Ukraine has made progress on many reforms over the years , it has struggled at times due to endemic corruption and pushback by influential oligarchs .
The legislation comes a year after President Donald Trump recalled his ambassador to Kyiv and temporarily withheld military support to Ukraine , sparking a partisan impeachment trial that led to the departure of special envoy Kurt Volker and damaged U.S.-Ukrainian relations .
The impeachment trial derailed a planned White House meeting between Trump and newly elected Ukrainian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security Partnership Act gets the U.S.-Ukraine relationship back on track by increasing our security assistance for Kyiv as the United States continues to support their steps towards political reform and helps counter Russian aggression abroad , ” Chris Murphy ( Democrat-Connecticut ) , one of the bill ’ s six co-sponsors , said in a statement .
The bill 's sponsors describe Ukraine as a bulwark against Russian “ malign influence ” and of “ vital ” importance to U.S. security interests .
Ukraine has demonstrated itself as a “ valuable ” security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq , demonstrating it is not just a recipient of aid .
The co-sponsors also include Senator Jim Risch ( Republican-Idaho ) , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ; Senator Bob Menendez ( Democrat-New Jersey ) , the committee ’ s ranking Democratic member ; Rob Portman ( Republican-Ohio ) ; John Barrasso ( Republican-Wyoming . )
; and Jeanne Shaheen ( Democrat-New Hampshire ) .
The United States has given Ukraine more than $ 3 billion in aid , including more than $ 1.6 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annexed its Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backed separatists fighting in its eastern regions .
The war , sparked by the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych , Ukraine ’ s pro-Moscow president , has resulted in the deaths of more than 14,000 Ukrainians and devastated the nation ’ s economy .
The war continues to the present day , despite calls for cease-fires .
“ This legislation demonstrates to Ukraine , and to Russia , that the United States will stand by its friend throughout its democratic transition and in defense of its sovereignty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strengthen Ukraine ’ s defenses through military training and equipment and enhanced U.S. and European diplomatic support , ” the senators said in a news release announcing the bill .
The legislation calls for U.S. military aid to help bolster Ukraine ’ s navy so it can better defend its Black Sea territory .
The Black Sea borders three NATO allies and is of strategic importance to the United States .
The legislation authorizes the secretary of state to supply such lethal aid as anti-ship , anti-tank , and anti-aircraft weapons .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Russia , that the United States will stand by its friend throughout its democratic transition and in defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity , ” Risch said in the statement .
Part of the aid is contingent upon progress on defense industry reform , including strengthening civilian control of the military , increasing the transparency of procurement , and enhancing efficiency at state-owned arms manufacturers .
Ukraine ’ s military-industrial complex has suffered from widespread corruption and mismanagement over the years , industry analysts and civil society groups have said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ukroboronprom , the state-owned military holding that consists of more than 100 companies , including manufacturers and design firms .
The United States has been advising Ukraine on its reform of the defense industry .

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to provide military assistance and reform support to Ukraine over the next five years, underscoring the widespread congressional backing for the nation despite repeated disappointments as it battles Russia-backed forces.
The Ukraine Security Partnership Act submitted on July 30 authorizes up to $300 million per year in foreign military aid to Ukraine, including lethal weapons, subject to meeting reform criteria.
The act also calls for the State Department to set up a working group on Ukraine with European allies to prioritize economic and policy reform assistance and to again appoint a special envoy to Kyiv for peace talks.
While Ukraine has made progress on many reforms over the years, it has struggled at times due to endemic corruption and pushback by influential oligarchs.
The legislation comes a year after President Donald Trump recalled his ambassador to Kyiv and temporarily withheld military support to Ukraine, sparking a partisan impeachment trial that led to the departure of special envoy Kurt Volker and damaged U.S.-Ukrainian relations. The impeachment trial derailed a planned White House meeting between Trump and newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“The Ukraine Security Partnership Act gets the U.S.-Ukraine relationship back on track by increasing our security assistance for Kyiv as the United States continues to support their steps towards political reform and helps counter Russian aggression abroad,” Chris Murphy (Democrat-Connecticut), one of the bill’s six co-sponsors, said in a statement.
The bill's sponsors describe Ukraine as a bulwark against Russian “malign influence” and of “vital” importance to U.S. security interests. Ukraine has demonstrated itself as a “valuable” security partner that has sent troops to support U.S. efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, demonstrating it is not just a recipient of aid.
The co-sponsors also include Senator Jim Risch (Republican-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Senator Bob Menendez (Democrat-New Jersey), the committee’s ranking Democratic member; Rob Portman (Republican-Ohio); John Barrasso (Republican-Wyoming.); and Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat-New Hampshire).
The United States has given Ukraine more than $3 billion in aid, including more than $1.6 billion in military assistance, since Russia forcibly annexed its Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backed separatists fighting in its eastern regions.
The war, sparked by the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s pro-Moscow president, has resulted in the deaths of more than 14,000 Ukrainians and devastated the nation’s economy. The war continues to the present day, despite calls for cease-fires.
“This legislation demonstrates to Ukraine, and to Russia, that the United States will stand by its friend throughout its democratic transition and in defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This bill will strengthen Ukraine’s defenses through military training and equipment and enhanced U.S. and European diplomatic support,” the senators said in a news release announcing the bill.
The legislation calls for U.S. military aid to help bolster Ukraine’s navy so it can better defend its Black Sea territory. The Black Sea borders three NATO allies and is of strategic importance to the United States.
The legislation authorizes the secretary of state to supply such lethal aid as anti-ship, anti-tank, and anti-aircraft weapons.
“This legislation demonstrates to Ukraine, and to Russia, that the United States will stand by its friend throughout its democratic transition and in defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Risch said in the statement.
Part of the aid is contingent upon progress on defense industry reform, including strengthening civilian control of the military, increasing the transparency of procurement, and enhancing efficiency at state-owned arms manufacturers.
Ukraine’s military-industrial complex has suffered from widespread corruption and mismanagement over the years, industry analysts and civil society groups have said.
The government is currently undertaking the reform of Ukroboronprom, the state-owned military holding that consists of more than 100 companies, including manufacturers and design firms.
The United States has been advising Ukraine on its reform of the defense industry.


rferl--2020-07-31--Afghan Government To Release 500 Taliban Prisoners As Three-Day Cease-Fire Starts

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has ordered the release of an additional 500 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture as a three-day cease-fire proposed by the Taliban and agreed to by the Afghan government took effect on July 31 .
During a televised speech , Ghani said he had now released 4,600 Taliban prisoners out of the 5,000 pledged in a landmark agreement signed with the United States and the Taliban in February .
However , Ghani said he has `` no authority '' under the country 's constitution to release the remaining 400 inmates on the Taliban list because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he would summon a consultative Loya Jirga -- a traditional grand assembly of elders -- to decide the fate of the remaining 400 .
The Afghan president also called on the Taliban to enter into peace talks as soon as possible .
`` The fate of the remaining prisoners will be discussed and finalized during the negotiations , '' Ghani added .
The Taliban says it has freed all 1,000 prisoners it had pledged in the agreement with Washington .
The two foes earlier this week announced a halt in hostilities for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 31 , raising hopes that the long-delayed intra-Afghan peace talks could begin next week .
But on the eve of the 72-hour cease-fire , at least nine people were killed in the explosion in Pul-e-Alam , capital of eastern Logar Province .
The bomb went off in the central Azadi ( Liberty ) Square in the city , which was packed with people shopping for Eid celebrations , according to local officials and eyewitnesses .
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that all the victims were civilians , with many women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said nine people had been killed and 40 more were injured but noted that these figures were provisional .
Some reports said as many as 18 people were killed .
Provincial police spokesman Shahpoor Ahmadzai said the attack had targeted a police checkpoint and that there were security forces among the victims .
Government forces have gathered in the city to prepare for security measures ahead of the Eid celebrations , Ahmadzai said .
He said the civilian casualties were mainly in cars that had stopped at a checkpoint .
There was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Taliban denied involvement .
Interior Ministry spokesman Tarek Arian , however , said the militant group “ certainly can not claim it is not behind such incidents . ''
Meanwhile , the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan , Zalmay Khalilzad , is trying to revive peace talks with visits to Pakistan and the Afghan capital , as well as in Qatar , where the Taliban maintains a political office .
With reporting by AP , dpa , and AFP


rferl--2020-07-31--U.S. Calls On Belarus To Hold Free Elections, Expresses Regret Over Lack Of OSCE Observers

The United States called on Belarus on July 30 to conduct its upcoming presidential election in a free and fair manner as it expressed disappointment over the lack of Western observers to monitor the vote .
Belarus will hold a presidential election on August 9 in what is shaping up to be a tough race for incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka , an authoritarian leader who has been in power since 1994 .
Belarus , whose elections consistently have been deemed neither free nor fair by Western observers since the late 1990s , did not invite the Organization for Security and Cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to monitor the vote .
“ We deeply regret that the OSCE will not have the opportunity to send observers to see this election , ” George Kent , who serves as deputy assistant secretary overseeing policy toward Belarus , told RFE/RL in an interview on July 30 .
The senior State Department official said the United States has “ raised the issue of having observers , as well as our desire to see the elections conducted freely and fairly.
” Lukashenka has cracked down on the opposition during the campaign , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including activists and bloggers – as well as some candidates .
Nonetheless , opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya still attracted tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in Minsk on July 30 as her campaign gathers steam .
Tsikhanouskaya joined the race after her husband , a candidate , was arrested .
Kent said the United States has expressed concern over the detainment and harassment of journalists and has raised the topic with Belarusian officials .
“ We do raise these issues because I think they are at the core of any successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the press is critical , he said .
Citizens need information so they can make decisions about their society .
The conduct and the outcome of the elections could have a profound impact on Minsk ’ s relationship with foreign countries , including the United States .
Washington imposed sanctions on Belarus in the 2000s over human rights abuses , including a crackdown on political opponents .
While some of the sanctions were eased after Belarus released political prisoners , their full removal requires “ additional steps in opening and democratizing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinions , ” Kent said .
The easing of sanctions enabled the United States to ship earlier this year its first tanker of oil to Belarus .
A second tanker is currently on its way .
Another step forward in warming relations will come next month when the countries are expected to exchange ambassadors for the first time in 12 years .
The new Belarusian ambassador to the United States will arrive in the middle of August , while the U.S. Senate is expected to confirm Julie Fisher , a top State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. ambassador to Belarus after her hearing on August 5 .
Belarus , wedged largely between NATO nations and Russia , has historically had close ties to its large neighbor to the east .
Russia has propped up the economy of Belarus with cheap oil and gas exports .
However , the bilateral relationship has been strained ever since Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula , raising concerns in Belarus about its own sovereignty .
Minsk has since rebuffed efforts by Moscow to consummate a planned union state that was first conceived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the United States wants Belarus to remain a sovereign nation and that Minsk should have the right to choose its own geopolitical trajectory .
Warmer ties with the United States and its allies should not preclude a friendly relationship with Russia , he said .
“ Even as the U.S. has looked to normalize our relationship , we do not expect nor do we pressure Belarus to make a choice between East and West .
That would be a false choice , ” Kent said .

The United States called on Belarus on July 30 to conduct its upcoming presidential election in a free and fair manner as it expressed disappointment over the lack of Western observers to monitor the vote.
Belarus will hold a presidential election on August 9 in what is shaping up to be a tough race for incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka, an authoritarian leader who has been in power since 1994.
Belarus, whose elections consistently have been deemed neither free nor fair by Western observers since the late 1990s, did not invite the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in time to monitor the vote.
“We deeply regret that the OSCE will not have the opportunity to send observers to see this election,” George Kent, who serves as deputy assistant secretary overseeing policy toward Belarus, told RFE/RL in an interview on July 30.
The senior State Department official said the United States has “raised the issue of having observers, as well as our desire to see the elections conducted freely and fairly.”
Lukashenka has cracked down on the opposition during the campaign, with the arrest of hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers – as well as some candidates.
Nonetheless, opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya still attracted tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in Minsk on July 30 as her campaign gathers steam. Tsikhanouskaya joined the race after her husband, a candidate, was arrested.
Kent said the United States has expressed concern over the detainment and harassment of journalists and has raised the topic with Belarusian officials.
“We do raise these issues because I think they are at the core of any successful society,” he said.
Freedom of the press is critical, he said. Citizens need information so they can make decisions about their society.
The conduct and the outcome of the elections could have a profound impact on Minsk’s relationship with foreign countries, including the United States.
Washington imposed sanctions on Belarus in the 2000s over human rights abuses, including a crackdown on political opponents.
While some of the sanctions were eased after Belarus released political prisoners, their full removal requires “additional steps in opening and democratizing to give Belarusians the chance to express their opinions,” Kent said.
The easing of sanctions enabled the United States to ship earlier this year its first tanker of oil to Belarus. A second tanker is currently on its way.
Another step forward in warming relations will come next month when the countries are expected to exchange ambassadors for the first time in 12 years.
The new Belarusian ambassador to the United States will arrive in the middle of August, while the U.S. Senate is expected to confirm Julie Fisher, a top State Department official for Europe, as the new U.S. ambassador to Belarus after her hearing on August 5.
Belarus, wedged largely between NATO nations and Russia, has historically had close ties to its large neighbor to the east. Russia has propped up the economy of Belarus with cheap oil and gas exports.
However, the bilateral relationship has been strained ever since Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, raising concerns in Belarus about its own sovereignty.
Minsk has since rebuffed efforts by Moscow to consummate a planned union state that was first conceived more than 20 years ago.
Kent said the United States wants Belarus to remain a sovereign nation and that Minsk should have the right to choose its own geopolitical trajectory. Warmer ties with the United States and its allies should not preclude a friendly relationship with Russia, he said.
“Even as the U.S. has looked to normalize our relationship, we do not expect nor do we pressure Belarus to make a choice between East and West. That would be a false choice,” Kent said.


rferl--2020-07-31--U.S. Appeals Court Overturns Boston Marathon Bomber's Death Sentence

A U.S. federal appeals court has overturned the death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , an ethnic Chechen and naturalized U.S. citizen convicted in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing .
The 1st U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston on July 31 ordered a new trial over what penalty Tsarnaev should receive for the death-penalty-eligible crimes he was convicted of , finding that the judge who oversaw the case did not sufficiently vet jurors for biases .
A federal jury found Tsarnaev guilty of all 30 counts he faced and sentenced him to death in 2015 just over two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off two homemade pressure-cooker bombs near the Boston Marathon 's finish line on April 15 , 2013 , killing three people and wounding more than 260 others .
His brother , Tamerlan Tsarnaev , died in a gunbattle with police a few days after the bombings .
The three-judge panel at the appeals court in Boston issued its decision more than six months after arguments were heard in the case .
In a brief filed with the court in December 2018 , Tsarnaev ’ s lawyers argued that it was impossible for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same city where the deadly terrorist attack took place .
They also pointed to social media posts from two jurors suggesting they harbored strong opinions even before the 2015 trial started .
Tsarnaev admitted at his sentencing that he was “ guilty of this attack , along with my brother . ''
`` I am sorry for the lives I have taken , for the suffering that I have caused you , for the damage I have done , irreparable damage , '' he said .
Based on reporting by AP and @

A U.S. federal appeals court has overturned the death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, an ethnic Chechen and naturalized U.S. citizen convicted in a bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon that killed three people.
The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston on July 31 ordered a new trial to determine what penalty Tsarnaev should receive, finding that the judge who oversaw the case did not sufficiently vet jurors for biases.
A federal jury found Tsarnaev, 27, guilty of all 30 counts he faced and sentenced him to death in 2015 just over two years after he and his older brother set off two homemade pressure-cooker bombs near the Boston Marathon's finish line on April 15, 2013. In addition to killing three people, the bombing injured more than 260 others.
Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died in a gunbattle with police a few days after the bombings.
The appeals court in Boston issued its decision more than six months after arguments were heard in the case.
All three judges on the panel agreed that the death sentence should be overturned. But Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson, who wrote the opinion, noted that Tsarnaev “will spend his remaining days locked up in prison, with the only matter remaining being whether he will die by execution.”
Tsarnaev’s lawyers have argued repeatedly that it was impossible for their client to get a fair trial in Boston, where the terrorist attack took place. They pushed to move the trial out of the city, arguing the pervasive media coverage and the number of people touched by the attack would taint the jury pool.
The judge disagreed, saying he believed a fair and impartial jury could be found.
Tsarnaev’s lawyers also pointed to social-media posts from two jurors suggesting they harbored strong opinions even before the trial started.
Tsarnaev admitted at his sentencing that he and his brother were guilty and he apologized.
"I am sorry for the lives I have taken, for the suffering that I have caused you, for the damage I have done, irreparable damage," he said.
Tsarnaev currently is serving his sentence at a high-security prison in Florence, Colorado.
His lawyers acknowledged at the beginning of his trial that he and his brother set off the bombs but argued that Dzhokar Tsarnaev was less culpable than his brother, who they said was the mastermind behind the attack.
Prosecutors told jurors that the men carried out the attack to punish the United States for its wars in Muslim countries.
The mother of Krystle Campbell, who was killed in the attack, expressed outrage at the appeals court's decision.
“It’s just terrible that he’s allowed to live his life. It’s unfair. He didn’t wake up one morning and decide to do what he did. He planned it out. He did a vicious, ugly thing,” Patricia Campbell told The Boston Globe.
Former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officer Dic Donohue, who was severely injured in the gunfight with the brothers, said he had expected the ruling.
“In any case, he won’t be getting out and hasn’t been able to harm anyone since he was captured," he wrote on Twitter.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and The Boston Globe


rferl--2020-07-31--Russia Opens Criminal Case Against Opposition Politician Over Anti-Kremlin Rallies

MOSCOW -- Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against Yulia Galymina , an opposition Moscow city councillor and outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin , over her involvement in anti-Kremlin rallies .
Galyamina repeatedly violated rules on public assembly when she organized and staged unsanctioned protests , rallies , and pickets , the Investigative Committee said on July 31 .
If found guilty , she could face up to five years in prison and a ban from running for office for up to five years .
Galyamina told RFE/RL that the case had been launched to “ pressure ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ appalling and reprehensible , ” saying it was aimed at “ silencing a major dissenting voice and threatening to ban her political activities.
” Demonstrations of more than one person require advance consent from the Russian authorities .
Galyamina has been involved in a campaign against what she described as Putin 's illegal plans to remain in power .
The campaign planned a peaceful rally on July 15 in central Moscow against constitutional reforms that gave Putin the option to remain in power for another 16 years .
Dozens of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Law enforcement officials also searched the homes of Galyamina and other opposition activists ahead of the demonstration .
Galyamina is accused of participating in several other peaceful rallies , including protests against electoral violations in Moscow in the summer of 2019 .

MOSCOW -- Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against Yulia Galyamina, an opposition member of a Moscow district council and an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, over her involvement in anti-Kremlin rallies.
Galyamina repeatedly violated rules on public assembly when she organized and staged unsanctioned protests, rallies, and pickets, the Investigative Committee said on July 31.
If found guilty, she could face up to five years in prison and a ban from running for office for up to five years.
Galyamina told RFE/RL that the case had been launched to “pressure” her.
Amnesty International condemned the case as “appalling and reprehensible,” saying it was aimed at “silencing a major dissenting voice and threatening to ban her political activities.”
Demonstrations of more than one person require advance consent from the Russian authorities.
Galyamina has been involved in a campaign against what she described as Putin's illegal plans to remain in power.
The campaign planned a peaceful rally on July 15 in central Moscow against constitutional reforms that gave Putin the option to remain in power for another 16 years.
Dozens of people were detained by police during the protest.
Law enforcement officials also searched the homes of Galyamina and other opposition activists ahead of the demonstration.
Galyamina is accused of participating in several other peaceful rallies, including protests against electoral violations in Moscow in the summer of 2019.