rferl--2020-08-28--Russia Fires Outspoken Chief Of Anti-Doping Agency

The outspoken chief of Russia ’ s Anti-Doping Agency ( RUSADA ) has been fired , a move that the World Anti-Doping Agency said only reinforced its ongoing concerns about the agency .
Yury Ganus , who headed the agency for three years , has been a fierce critic of Russian sports authorities , saying there is not enough being done to clean sports of performance-enhancing drug use .
The decision to remove Ganus was made “ unanimously , '' the president of Russia 's Olympic Committee , Stanislav Pozdnyakov , said a news conference on August 28 .
Mikhail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was appointed acting head of the body .
Ganus , 56 , was forced from his role after the Russian Olympic body in July published an audit of RUSADA that exposed alleged financial violations .
Ganus denounced his dismissal , calling it a “ wrong decision.
” “ They wanted to make [ this decision ] and they made it .
In terms of the overall goals and all , it ’ s a mistake , ” he told the Interfax news agency .
Ganus and the RUSADA management say the audit was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and bears the “ probable signs of deliberate fabrication of false evidence.
” Ganus also said Russia ’ s Olympic body could have used the audit to gather confidential information about how the agency investigates doping cases .
During Ganus ’ s tenure , RUSADA assisted some high-profile investigations into Russian athletes and sports officials .
Ganus ’ s deputy Margarita Pakhnotskaya resigned earlier this week .
WADA said in a statement issued after Ganus was dismissed that it continues to have doubts about RUSADA ’ s autonomy .
The Montreal-based organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-doping officials “ remain safe from interference in their operational decisions and activities.
” The organization said it was in contact with RUSADA and other relevant authorities “ to get further clarifications on the latest developments ” and would provide an update later .
WADA had said in a statement on August 5 that it was “ extremely concerned ” to learn of the recommendation by RUSADA ’ s supervisory board to Ganus .
WADA said the recommendation raised questions about the legal process and the motives behind the recommendation .
Russia has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 report commissioned by WADA found evidence of mass doping among Russian track and field athletes .
RUSADA was suspended in the wake of the report but was conditionally reinstated in September 2018 .
In December 2019 , WADA banned Russia for four years from major global sporting events , including the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar .
That ban came after WADA found Moscow had provided it with doctored laboratory data .
RUSADA has appealed and the case will be heard by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP , AP , Reuters , Interfax , and dpa

The outspoken chief of Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has been fired, a move that the World Anti-Doping Agency said only reinforced its ongoing concerns about the agency.
Yury Ganus, who headed the agency for three years, has been a fierce critic of Russian sports authorities, saying there is not enough being done to clean sports of performance-enhancing drug use.
The decision to remove Ganus was made “unanimously," the president of Russia's Olympic Committee, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, said a news conference on August 28.
Mikhail Bukhanov, a lawyer with RUSADA, was appointed acting head of the body.
Ganus, 56, was forced from his role after the Russian Olympic body in July published an audit of RUSADA that exposed alleged financial violations.
Ganus denounced his dismissal, calling it a “wrong decision.”
“They wanted to make [this decision] and they made it. In terms of the overall goals and all, it’s a mistake,” he told the Interfax news agency.
Ganus and the RUSADA management say the audit was conducted in secret, ignored important evidence, and bears the “probable signs of deliberate fabrication of false evidence.”
Ganus also said Russia’s Olympic body could have used the audit to gather confidential information about how the agency investigates doping cases. During Ganus’s tenure, RUSADA assisted some high-profile investigations into Russian athletes and sports officials.
Ganus’s deputy Margarita Pakhnotskaya resigned earlier this week.
WADA said in a statement issued after Ganus was dismissed that it continues to have doubts about RUSADA’s autonomy. The Montreal-based organization said it was “critical” that anti-doping officials “remain safe from interference in their operational decisions and activities.”
The organization said it was in contact with RUSADA and other relevant authorities “to get further clarifications on the latest developments” and would provide an update later.
WADA had said in a statement on August 5 that it was “extremely concerned” to learn of the recommendation by RUSADA’s supervisory board to Ganus. WADA said the recommendation raised questions about the legal process and the motives behind the recommendation.
Russia has been embroiled in sporting scandals since a 2015 report commissioned by WADA found evidence of mass doping among Russian track and field athletes.
RUSADA was suspended in the wake of the report but was conditionally reinstated in September 2018.
In December 2019, WADA banned Russia for four years from major global sporting events, including the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
That ban came after WADA found Moscow had provided it with doctored laboratory data.
RUSADA has appealed and the case will be heard by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport in November.
With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, Interfax, and dpa


rferl--2020-08-28--Monsoon Rains Kill Dozens In Pakistan

Monsoon Rains Kill Dozens In Pakistan

Dozens of people have been killed across Pakistan in accidents and floods caused by heavy monsoon rains that hit parts of the country for a fifth straight day , officials said on August 28 .
Precipitation reached record levels in the commercial capital Karachi , where emergency crews used boats to evacuate people trapped in flooded streets of the city of 15 million people .
The country ’ s meteorological service said about 76 centimeters of rain had fallen on Karachi since August 23 .
Surrounding towns and villages in the south of the country were also impacted .
Forty-seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Karachi in rain-related incidents .
At least 16 others died in overnight flash floods in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , authorities said .
In the eastern province of Punjab , four workers were killed when a warehouse roof collapsed on August 28 , local officials said .
The monsoon season in Pakistan lasts from June to September .
This year , the monsoon rains are lashing Pakistan at a time when authorities are trying to contain the spread of the coronavirus , which has caused more than 6,283 deaths since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Dozens of people have been killed across Pakistan in accidents and floods caused by heavy monsoon rains that hit parts of the country for a fifth straight day, officials said on August 28.
Precipitation reached record levels in the commercial capital Karachi, where emergency crews used boats to evacuate people trapped in flooded streets of the city of 15 million people.
The country’s meteorological service said about 76 centimeters of rain had fallen on Karachi since August 23. Surrounding towns and villages in the south of the country were also impacted.
Forty-seven people have so far been killed in Karachi in rain-related incidents. At least 16 others died in overnight flash floods in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities said.
In the eastern province of Punjab, four workers were killed when a warehouse roof collapsed on August 28, local officials said.
The monsoon season in Pakistan lasts from June to September. This year, the monsoon rains are lashing Pakistan at a time when authorities are trying to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which has caused more than 6,283 deaths since the country reported its first case in February.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP


rferl--2020-08-28--Kazakh Activists Punished For Attending Commemoration Of Rights Figure Who Died In Custody

Dozens of Kazakh activists were given short jail sentences or fines for attending a commemoration of prominent civil rights campaigner Dulat Aghadil , who died in custody in February .
At least seven people were found guilty for attending an unsanctioned rally and sentenced to up to 15 days in detention this week , relatives and rights defenders said .
Among those jailed were activists Alma Nurysheva and Alsan Hasanonov , who were sentenced by a court in Aqmala Province on August 27 .
Their trials took place via a video link .
The same court ordered several other activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and $ 400 .
Kazakh human rights defenders say “ dozens ” of activists from Nur-Sultan , Almaty , Aqtau , Oskemen , and Semei cities have gone on trial in recent days .
At least 100 people attended the commemoration on August 8 in Aghadil ’ s home village of Talapker in the Aqmola Province .
They walked from Aghadil ’ s family home to the village cemetery where he was buried to commemorate the civil rights campaigner .
Aghadil , 43 , died under mysterious circumstances while being held in pretrial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late February , just one day after being arrested for failing to comply with a court order to report to local police .
Authorities said Aghadil died from a heart attack , but his family and fellow rights defenders say he had no history of heart issues .
Rallies were held in Nur-Sultan and other cities in February and March to demand a thorough investigation into his death .

Dozens of Kazakh activists were given short jail sentences or fines for attending a commemoration of prominent civil rights campaigner Dulat Aghadil, who died in custody in February.
At least seven people were found guilty for attending an unsanctioned rally and sentenced to up to 15 days in detention this week, relatives and rights defenders said.
Among those jailed were activists Alma Nurysheva and Alsan Hasanonov, who were sentenced by a court in Aqmala Province on August 27. Their trials took place via a video link.
The same court ordered several other activists to pay fines ranging between $200 and $400.
Kazakh human rights defenders say “dozens” of activists from Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Aqtau, Oskemen, and Semei cities have gone on trial in recent days.
At least 100 people attended the commemoration on August 8 in Aghadil’s home village of Talapker in the Aqmola Province.
They walked from Aghadil’s family home to the village cemetery where he was buried to commemorate the civil rights campaigner.
Aghadil, 43, died under mysterious circumstances while being held in pretrial detention in the capital, Nur-Sultan, in late February, just one day after being arrested for failing to comply with a court order to report to local police.
Authorities said Aghadil died from a heart attack, but his family and fellow rights defenders say he had no history of heart issues.
Rallies were held in Nur-Sultan and other cities in February and March to demand a thorough investigation into his death.


rferl--2020-08-28--At Least 15 Afghan Civilians Killed In Two Separate Attacks

Afghan officials say at least 15 civilians have been killed in two separate roadside bomb blasts in the southern province of Kandahar .
The first explosion killed 12 civilians , including three children , when the vehicle they were traveling in hit an explosive device in Spin Boldak district on the morning of August 28 , Kandahar governor 's spokesman , Ahmad Bahir Ahmadi , told RFE/RL .
He said the blast was so strong that officials were having difficulty identifying some of the victims .
A few hours later , a second bomb hit a vehicle traveling on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the vehicle and two children were killed in the blast .
Another child was wounded .
Ahmadi blamed the attacks on the Taliban .
The Taliban have not commented on the incident , but they usually deny involvement in bombings that cause civilian casualties .
In Kabul , President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attacks and called on the Taliban to stop planting bombs on roads and attacking civilians .
In a statement , Ghani reiterated his calls on the Taliban to cease violence and start face-to-face talks with the Afghan government as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February aimed at ending conflict in the country .
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has documented more than 1,280 Afghan civilian deaths during the first half of 2020 -- mainly as a result of fighting between government forces and the Taliban .

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--2020-08-28--Germany Mulls Russia Response As Navalny's Condition Remains 'Serious'

The Berlin hospital treating Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny after a suspected poisoning says the Kremlin critic is still in an induced coma but his condition is stable and his symptoms are improving .
Charite Hospital said August 28 that the 44-year-old remains in an intensive-care unit and on a ventilator , describing his condition as serious but not life-threatening .
Navalny fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20 , forcing the plane he was traveling on to make an emergency landing in Omsk , where he spent two days in the hospital before being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renowned German hospital have concluded that Navalny was poisoned by the group of active substances called cholinesterase inhibitors .
Cholinesterase are a group of chemicals that are found in several drugs as well as in some pesticides and nerve agents .
He is being treated with the antidote atropine .
“ While his condition remains serious , there is no immediate danger to his life , ” Charite said in a statement .
“ However , due to the severity of the patient ’ s poisoning , it remains too early to gauge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team says he was deliberately poisoned and the Kremlin had a role , an accusation the Russian government has denied .
Russian doctors said their tests did not find any trace of poison while they treated Navalny .
Navalny ’ s suspected poisoning has prompted Western governments to call for full transparency , with policymakers mulling a number of responses if the Kremlin is confirmed to have had a role .
So far , Russian officials have brushed aside allegations Navalny was deliberately poisoned and shown little indication they plan to fully investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer news conference on August 28 , German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that once there is more clarity on what happened to Navalny , Germany will try to ensure a “ European reaction ” against those responsible .
`` We will try that , once we have more clarity on the circumstances , '' Merkel told reporters , noting that a coordinated response was taken after the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain in March 2018 .
“ We have an obligation to do everything so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
`` It was right and good that Germany said we were prepared ... to take in Mr. Navalny .
And now we will try to get this cleared up with the possibilities we have , which are indeed limited.
” Omid Nouripour , a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag , Germany 's lower house of parliament , said that it is time for Germany to `` wake up '' regarding its relations with Russia in the wake of Navalny ’ s suspected poisoning .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this country seeing the systematic way of attacks on people who are not like-minded with the Kremlin , '' Nouripour told RFE/RL by telephone , pointing to a long line of Kremlin opponents injured or killed in Russia and abroad .
`` My government asked for investigations , common investigations with Russia , '' Nouripour said .
`` This is wishful [ thinking ] .
I would love to see that , but I do not see that coming . ''
Nord Stream 2 Pipeline He called for Germany to reconsider its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Nord Stream 2 pipeline , a contentious underwater Baltic Sea pipeline that will bring gas from Russia to Germany .
`` I think that the question of Nord Stream is a question of [ political ] will , '' he added .
But Merkel rejected the idea that the Navalny case should be linked to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline “ Our opinion is that Nord Stream 2 should be completed , '' she said .
“ I do n't think it is appropriate to link this business-operated project with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navalny can recover , Nouripour said that dialogue with Russia must continue .
But he also said that Russia should face consequences for its actions .
He called for Western European countries to coordinate their response , saying that `` the most important thing is to keep the European Union together and to make us strong when it comes to resilience to the hybrid warfare that a lot of countries in Europe are suffering from.
” Kremlin-controlled Gazprom is seeking to complete the last 160 kilometers of the contentious pipeline along the bottom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany , despite U.S. sanctions aimed at preventing it from doing so .
Merkel has strongly opposed U.S. extraterritorial sanctions .
The Green Party ’ s view on foreign-policy questions is increasingly pertinent in Germany , where the party consistently polls second behind Merkel ’ s conservatives ahead of federal elections scheduled for the second half of next year .
That could put the Greens in a position to join a future government .
Based on an interview conducted by RFE/RL ’ s Rikard Jozwiak , with additional reporting by Reuters , dpa @ @ @

The Berlin hospital treating Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny after a suspected poisoning says the Kremlin critic is still in an induced coma but his condition is stable and his symptoms are improving.
Charite Hospital said August 28 that the 44-year-old remains in an intensive-care unit and on a ventilator, describing his condition as serious but not life-threatening.
Navalny fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20, forcing the plane he was traveling on to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where he spent two days in the hospital before being evacuated to Germany.
Doctors at the renowned German hospital have concluded that Navalny was poisoned by the group of active substances called cholinesterase inhibitors. Cholinesterase are a group of chemicals that are found in several drugs as well as in some pesticides and nerve agents. He is being treated with the antidote atropine.
“While his condition remains serious, there is no immediate danger to his life,” Charite said in a statement. “However, due to the severity of the patient’s poisoning, it remains too early to gauge potential long-term effects.”
Navalny’s team says he was deliberately poisoned and the Kremlin had a role, an accusation the Russian government has denied. Russian doctors said their tests did not find any trace of poison while they treated Navalny.
Navalny’s suspected poisoning has prompted Western governments to call for full transparency, with policymakers mulling a number of responses if the Kremlin is confirmed to have had a role.
So far, Russian officials have brushed aside allegations Navalny was deliberately poisoned and shown little indication they plan to fully investigate the case.
Speaking at her annual summer news conference on August 28, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that once there is more clarity on what happened to Navalny, Germany will try to ensure a “European reaction” against those responsible.
"We will try that, once we have more clarity on the circumstances," Merkel told reporters, noting that a coordinated response was taken after the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain in March 2018.
“We have an obligation to do everything so that this can be cleared up,” she said. "It was right and good that Germany said we were prepared...to take in Mr. Navalny. And now we will try to get this cleared up with the possibilities we have, which are indeed limited.”
Omid Nouripour, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, said that it is time for Germany to "wake up" regarding its relations with Russia in the wake of Navalny’s suspected poisoning.
"I hope that the people will wake up in this country seeing the systematic way of attacks on people who are not like-minded with the Kremlin," Nouripour told RFE/RL by telephone, pointing to a long line of Kremlin opponents injured or killed in Russia and abroad.
"My government asked for investigations, common investigations with Russia," Nouripour said. "This is wishful [thinking]. I would love to see that, but I do not see that coming."
Nord Stream 2 Pipeline
He called for Germany to reconsider its dealings with Russia on such projects as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a contentious underwater Baltic Sea pipeline that will bring gas from Russia to Germany.
"I think that the question of Nord Stream is a question of [political] will," he added.
But Merkel rejected the idea that the Navalny case should be linked to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
“Our opinion is that Nord Stream 2 should be completed," she said. “I don't think it is appropriate to link this business-operated project with the Navalny question."
Expressing hope that Navalny can recover, Nouripour said that dialogue with Russia must continue. But he also said that Russia should face consequences for its actions.
He called for Western European countries to coordinate their response, saying that "the most important thing is to keep the European Union together and to make us strong when it comes to resilience to the hybrid warfare that a lot of countries in Europe are suffering from.”
Kremlin-controlled Gazprom is seeking to complete the last 160 kilometers of the contentious pipeline along the bottom of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, despite U.S. sanctions aimed at preventing it from doing so.
Merkel has strongly opposed U.S. extraterritorial sanctions.
The Green Party’s view on foreign-policy questions is increasingly pertinent in Germany, where the party consistently polls second behind Merkel’s conservatives ahead of federal elections scheduled for the second half of next year. That could put the Greens in a position to join a future government.
Based on an interview conducted by RFE/RL’s Rikard Jozwiak, with additional reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP


rferl--2020-08-28--Dozens Of Journalists Detained Covering Protests In Belarus

MINSK -- Around 50 journalists , including six from RFE/RL , were detained while covering postelection protests in Minsk on August 27 , in the latest intimidation of the press in Belarus as authorities widen a crackdown .
More than 260 people were detained during August 27 protests in central Minsk , according to a list compiled by the human rights center Vyasna .
The Belarusian Association of Journalists said about 50 journalists were detained , but most were released after police checked their documents .
However , four journalists who refused to hand over their smartphones for police to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unauthorized protest , the Belarusian Association of Journalists said .
A Swedish journalist will also be deported .
A total of six journalists working either for RFE/RL 's Belarus Service or Current Time -- the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA -- were among those detained while covering demonstrations in two different Minsk locations on August 27 .
All were eventually released .
Andrey Yaroshevich , a freelance camera operator working for Current Time , was among those charged with an administrative offense that can result in a fine or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case was temporarily dropped after a court appearance on August 28 because police failed to properly fill out forms .
“ Authorities are treating the media in an increasingly arbitrary manner .
Not only are they refusing to accredit journalists , but they are using a variety of pretexts to detain fully credentialed journalists and prevent them from reporting what they see , ” said RFE/RL ’ s Acting President Daisy Sindelar .
“ We are also alarmed that authorities have threatened to bring arbitrary charges against journalists who refuse police orders to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is blatant retaliation , and an outrageous breach of norms and laws . ''
The detentions came after nearly three weeks of protests against the official results of the August 9 election -- which gave President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a landslide victory .
Demonstrators and opposition leaders are contesting those results , charging that the vote was rigged in Lukashenka 's favor .
The demonstrations have been met with a brutal police crackdown , with widespread evidence of beatings and torture of detained protesters .
The leading opposition candidate , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least six people have been killed in the crackdown and dozens of protesters have gone missing after being detained by authorities .
But the roundup of journalists who are covering the crisis appears to signal a new strategy by Belarusian authorities .
Demonstrators on August 27 first assembled in the capital 's Freedom Square to continue their calls for Lukashenka 's resignation and fresh elections .
The demonstration later moved to Independence Square , where police dispersed a crowd of about 1,000 and detained more than 260 people .
The Interior Ministry says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and transported to a police station where officers checked whether they had valid accreditation to work legally in the country .
Belarus has received international criticism for the way its August 9 election was conducted , and for the harsh treatment of postelection demonstrators .
The official vote tally showed that Tsikhanouskaya finished a distant second to Lukashenka .
But she says she is the rightful winner of the vote .
Belarusian prosecutors have jailed two leading members of Tsikhanouskaya 's recently formed Coordination Council .
Other leading opposition figures also have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities in Minsk have called a `` criminal investigation . ''
The Coordination Council 's stated aim is to negotiate with Lukashenka 's government for new elections , the release of political prisoners , and a peaceful transition of power .

MINSK -- Around 50 journalists, including six from RFE/RL, were detained while covering postelection protests in Minsk on August 27, in the latest intimidation of the press in Belarus as authorities widen a crackdown.
More than 260 people were detained during August 27 protests in central Minsk, according to a list compiled by the human rights center Vyasna. The Belarusian Association of Journalists said about 50 journalists were detained, but most were released after police checked their documents.
However, four journalists who refused to hand over their smartphones for police to check were charged with participating in an unauthorized protest, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said. A Swedish journalist will also be deported.
A total of six journalists working either for RFE/RL's Belarus Service or Current Time -- the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA -- were among those detained while covering demonstrations in two different Minsk locations on August 27. All were eventually released.
Andrey Yaroshevich, a freelance camera operator working for Current Time, was among those charged with an administrative offense that can result in a fine or a jail sentence. However, his case was temporarily dropped after a court appearance on August 28 because police failed to properly fill out forms.
“Authorities are treating the media in an increasingly arbitrary manner. Not only are they refusing to accredit journalists, but they are using a variety of pretexts to detain fully credentialed journalists and prevent them from reporting what they see,” said RFE/RL’s Acting President Daisy Sindelar. “We are also alarmed that authorities have threatened to bring arbitrary charges against journalists who refuse police orders to surrender photos and other information. This is blatant retaliation, and an outrageous breach of norms and laws."
The detentions came after nearly three weeks of protests against the official results of the August 9 election -- which gave President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a landslide victory.
Demonstrators and opposition leaders are contesting those results, charging that the vote was rigged in Lukashenka's favor.
The demonstrations have been met with a brutal police crackdown, with widespread evidence of beatings and torture of detained protesters.
The leading opposition candidate, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, told the European Parliament this week that at least six people have been killed in the crackdown and dozens of protesters have gone missing after being detained by authorities.
But the roundup of journalists who are covering the crisis appears to signal a new strategy by Belarusian authorities.
Demonstrators on August 27 first assembled in the capital's Freedom Square to continue their calls for Lukashenka's resignation and fresh elections. The demonstration later moved to Independence Square, where police dispersed a crowd of about 1,000 and detained more than 260 people.
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
The Interior Ministry says detained journalists were put on a minibus and transported to a police station where officers checked whether they had valid accreditation to work legally in the country.
Belarus has received international criticism for the way its August 9 election was conducted, and for the harsh treatment of postelection demonstrators.
The official vote tally showed that Tsikhanouskaya finished a distant second to Lukashenka. But she says she is the rightful winner of the vote.
Belarusian prosecutors have jailed two leading members of Tsikhanouskaya's recently formed Coordination Council. Other leading opposition figures also have been summoned for questioning as part of what authorities in Minsk have called a "criminal investigation."
The Coordination Council's stated aim is to negotiate with Lukashenka's government for new elections, the release of political prisoners, and a peaceful transition of power.
With reporting by Current Time


rferl--2020-08-28--EU Ministers Agree On Belarus Sanctions, OSCE Offers To Mediate

European Union foreign ministers have agreed to impose sanctions on up to 20 senior Belarusian officials suspected of involvement in election fraud and a brutal crackdown against protesters since the country 's disputed August 9 presidential election .
EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Berlin on August 28 did not rule out that Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka will at some point be among those named on the sanctions list if the country doesn ’ t cease human rights violations .
Meanwhile , the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) offered on August 28 to mediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who charge that the presidential election was rigged in favor of Lukashenka .
Belarus ’ s authoritarian president has faced nearly three weeks of unprecedented protests since the election gave him a landslide victory .
More than 7,000 people have been detained , hundreds injured , and at least three killed .
More large-scale protests are planned over the weekend .
“ We need to send a signal , ” Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics told RFE/RL after the meeting in Berlin , adding that sanctions against 20 individuals would not be enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start by a smaller number…we keep the option open that we can add more names if things get worse.
” EU diplomats are not naming who may be put on the sanctions list , saying every step will follow legal and formal procedures .
Asked if Lukashenka is on the list , Sweden ’ s foreign minister said that EU diplomats are using the term “ high political level ” to describe who the sanctions will target .
`` Our wording is 'high political level , ' '' Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to have an option to gradually expand the list in the future.
” The EU foreign ministers were seeking in Berlin to gain political endorsements for a proposed sanctions list .
Their agreement on the list allows for formal approval of EU sanctions against targeted individuals .
Western countries are trying to find a political solution to end the crisis in Belarus , which has raised concerns Lukashenka will unleash a bloody crackdown or Russia may intervene in the event of instability in its neighbor .
Linde is also the incoming OSCE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional security organization at the beginning of next year .
Current OSCE chair , Albanian Foreign Minister Edi Rama , told a special session of the Vienna-based body on August 28 that the situation is `` deeply alarming ” as he urged Belarus to allow a delegation to visit the country .
In a letter to Belarus earlier this month , Rama offered the OSCE 's help to mediate in the crisis .
Linde told RFE/RL that there was political support for an OSCE visit to Belarus to support an open and constructive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is almost a uniform backing for the initiative by the current and the next chairs of OSCE -- in other words Albania and Sweden -- to try to arrange a visit to Minsk in order to facilitate a dialogue between the opposition and the regime , ” Linde said .
As an OSCE participating state , Belarus has committed `` to holding genuinely democratic elections and to upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms , '' EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell and Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a joint statement .
Lukashenka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` diplomatic war '' against Belarus , claiming that Western powers are seeking to foment a “ color revolution.
” He also put the military on high alert , using the army to intimidate protesters while accusing NATO of amassing forces near the Belarus-Poland border in recent weeks .
The alliance has denied it poses any threat .
The authoritarian president continued his tirades against the West on August 28 , trying to tie his own fate as Belarus ’ s ruler to Russia ’ s security .
`` Belarus is just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` Unlike Hitler , who sent his army to Moscow , they are trying to destroy the government in place here and replace it with a new one that will ask another country for military assistance and deploy troops . ''
Russia , a historical ally that wields some influence over Minsk through financial and political levers , has warned the EU and the United States against interfering in Belarusian affairs .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a state television interview broadcast on August 27 that Russia has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers who could be sent into Belarus to stop the protests .
He said the Russian security force would be used only if the situation gets out of control , `` if extremists , hiding behind political slogans , cross certain boundaries and start looting , setting fire to cars , homes , banks , attempting to seize administrative buildings , and so on . ''
Western Warnings In response , European leaders and the United States warned Russia against intervening in Belarus .
`` I have heard many times from Russia the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affair for Belarus and they do not want external interference .
I suppose it 's also valid for themselves , '' EU foreign affairs high representative Borrell said .
`` It is solely for the Belarusian people to determine their own future , '' he added , urging Russia to `` respect the wishes and democratic choices of the Belarusian people . ''
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun on August 28 said in a statement that it is `` clear to the world '' that the recent presidential election in Belarus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not a contest between East and West , and certainly not a contest between Russia and the United States , '' Biegun tweeted .
`` This is a battle between a ruler and his own people.
” Asked about the statements from Russia , Latvia ’ s Foreign Minister Rinkevics told RFE/RL that it would be a “ huge mistake ” for Russia to intervene militarily in Belarus .
“ I think that would be a huge mistake from their own ( Russia ’ s ) perspective , because in that case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Belarusian people , ” he said .
Linde said it is important to realize that there isn ’ t anti-Russian sentiment in Belarus .
“ The opposition is -- on the contrary -- saying that they want to maintain good relations with Russia , ” the Swedish foreign minister said .
Deploying Russian forces to Belarus would be a mistake , said Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , the self-exiled former presidential candidate who has become an unlikely leader of the Belarusian opposition .
`` This is our internal problem , an internal issue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Tsikhanouskaya told RFE/RL .
Tsikhanouskaya spoke with RFE/RL on August 28 from the Lithuanian capital Vilnius , where she fled amid threats to her family .
With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Berlin , RFE/RL 's Belarus Service , Current Time , Reuters , AP , TASS , Interfax , dpa , AFP , and Tut.by

BERLIN -- European Union foreign ministers have agreed to impose sanctions on up to 20 senior Belarusian officials suspected of involvement in election fraud and a brutal crackdown against protesters since the country's disputed August 9 presidential election.
The ministers did not rule out that Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka will be among those named on the sanctions list if the country doesn’t cease human rights violations.
Meanwhile, on August 28, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) offered to mediate between Lukashenka's government and opposition leaders who charge that the presidential election was rigged in favor of Lukashenka.
In another diplomatic gesture on August 28, the missions of the United States, the EU, Switzerland, and Britain issued a joint statement saying they stand in solidarity with the people of Belarus and their determination to seek democratic change.
The statement condemned “brutal and disproportionate use of force by the law enforcement authorities against peaceful protesters and ordinary citizens” and urged the Belarusian authorities to stop the violence and threats to use military force and release all people unlawfully detained.
Belarus has experienced nearly three weeks of unprecedented protests since the election gave Lukashenka a landslide victory. More than 7,000 people have been detained, hundreds have been injured, and at least three killed. More large-scale protests are planned over the weekend.
EU diplomats are not naming who may be put on the sanctions list, saying every step will follow legal and formal procedures.
Asked if Lukashenka is on the list, Sweden’s foreign minister said that EU diplomats are using the term “high political level” to describe those whom the sanctions will target.
“We have also decided to have an option to gradually expand the list in the future,” Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told RFE/RL.
The EU foreign ministers were seeking in Berlin to gain political endorsements for a proposed sanctions list. Their agreement on the list allows for the formal approval of EU sanctions against targeted individuals.
Western countries are trying to find a political solution to end the crisis, which has raised concerns Lukashenka will unleash a bloody crackdown or Russia may intervene.
Current OSCE chair, Albanian Foreign Minister Edi Rama, told a special session of the Vienna-based body on August 28 that the situation is "deeply alarming” as he urged Belarus to allow a delegation to visit the country.
Linde, who is incoming chair of the OSCE, told RFE/RL that there was political support for an OSCE visit to Belarus to support an open and constructive dialogue in the country.
“There is almost a uniform backing for the initiative by the current and the next chairs of the OSCE -- in other words Albania and Sweden -- to try to arrange a visit to Minsk in order to facilitate a dialogue between the opposition and the regime,” Linde said.
Lukashenka has accused the West of waging a "diplomatic war" against Belarus, claiming that Western powers are seeking to foment a "color revolution." He also put the military on high-alert, using the army to intimidate protesters while accusing NATO of amassing forces near the Belarus-Poland border in recent weeks. The alliance has denied it poses any threat.
Lukashenka continued his tirades against the West on August 28, trying to tie his own fate as Belarus’s ruler to Russia’s security.
"Belarus is just a springboard to Russia, as always," he said.
"Unlike Hitler, who sent his army to Moscow, they are trying to destroy the government in place here and replace it with a new one that will ask another country for military assistance and deploy troops."
Deploying Russian forces to Belarus would be a mistake, said Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the self-exiled former presidential candidate who has become an unlikely leader of the Belarusian opposition.
"This is our internal problem, an internal issue that Belarusians must resolve with the Belarusian government," Tsikhanouskaya told RFE/RL from Vilnius, where she fled amid threats to her family.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun on August 28 said it is "clear to the world" that the recent presidential election in Belarus was "fraudulent."
"This is not a contest between East and West, and certainly not a contest between Russia and the United States," Biegun tweeted. "This is a battle between a ruler and his own people."
With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Berlin, RFE/RL's Belarus Service, Current Time, Reuters, AP, TASS, Interfax, dpa, AFP, and Tut.by


rferl--2020-08-29--Rescue Efforts Continue Amid Flooding In Afghanistan And Pakistan

Rescuers are continuing to search for victims of flash flooding that has left hundreds dead in Afghanistan and Pakistan .
@ @ @ @ @ August 29 that about 160 people had been killed in 13 , mostly northern , @ @ @ @ @ by the flooding .
In neighboring Pakistan , at least 96 people were reported killed @ @ @ @ @ concentrated in the southeastern part of the country .
`` This is unprecedented [ rainfall @ @ @ @ @ previous records , '' Murad Ali Shah , chief minister of Sindh Province , told @ @ @ @ @ August 27 alone , Karachi received 230 millimeters of rain .
At least 2 million @ @ @ @ @ affected by the flooding , with some neighborhoods virtually inaccessible because of the high water @ @ @ @ @ Defense Ministry said security forces were helping with recovery efforts , while NATO issued a @ @ @ @ @ also assisting .
The monsoon season in the region lasts from June to September .
@ @ @ @ @ AP


rferl--2020-08-29--Russia's Khabarovsk Holds 50th Protest In Defense Of Arrested Ex-Governor

KHABAROVSK , Russia -- Locals in the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk have held their 50th protest against the @ @ @ @ @ ’ s popular former governor , Sergei Furgal .
According to local media , `` @ @ @ @ @ in the August 29 demonstration in the center of the city , while the authorities @ @ @ @ @ 1,200 people .
Protesters continued to demand that Furgal , who was sent to Moscow @ @ @ @ @ of involvement in several murders more than a decade ago , be returned to the @ @ @ @ @ fair trial '' by jury .
There were no reports of arrests or other conflicts @ @ @ @ @ The protests highlight growing discontent in the Far East over what demonstrators see as Moscow-dominated @ @ @ @ @ views and interests .
The pro-Furgal demonstrations have attracted tens of thousands of protesters on @ @ @ @ @ July 11 .

KHABAROVSK, Russia -- Locals in the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk have held their 50th protest against the July arrest of the region’s popular former governor, Sergei Furgal.
According to local media, "thousands" of people participated in the August 29 demonstration in the center of the city, while the authorities estimated the crowd at about 1,200 people.
Protesters continued to demand that Furgal, who was sent to Moscow following his arrest on suspicion of involvement in several murders more than a decade ago, be returned to the Khabarovsk region for "a fair trial" by jury.
There were no reports of arrests or other conflicts between protesters and police.
The protests highlight growing discontent in the Far East over what demonstrators see as Moscow-dominated policies that often neglect their views and interests.
The pro-Furgal demonstrations have attracted tens of thousands of protesters on weekends since they started on July 11.


rferl--2020-08-29--Iranian Father Jailed For Nine Years For Beheading Teenage Daughter In 'Honor' Killing

An Iranian man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for beheading his 14-year-old daughter with an ax in a so-called `` honor '' killing that prompted widespread outrage in the country .
The ruling was announced on August 28 in the northern province of Gilan , the ILNA news agency reported , adding that the girl ’ s mother called for the verdict to be reviewed and changed to `` execution . ''
`` Despite the judicial authorities ' insistence on a 'special handling ' of the case , the verdict has terrified me and my family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mother , told ILNA .
Dashti said she now fears for the lives of the rest of her family .
Iranian President Hassan Rohani expressed regret following the girl 's killing on May 21 and called for the speedy passage of several antiviolence bills .
According to Iranian media reports , the victim , Romina , ran away after her father refused to give permission for her to marry a man 15 years her senior .
But Romina was detained by authorities and taken home despite having pleaded with a judge that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned .
When Romina returned home , her father decapitated her in her sleep in their family home in Gilan .
The man Romina wanted to marry was sentenced to two years in prison , local media reported , without specifying the charge .
In Iran , “ honor ” killings are only punishable by up to 10 years in prison .
Otherwise , murder is punishable by a life sentence or death sentence .
Based on reporting by dpa 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--2020-08-29--Belarus Revokes Accreditation Of Journalists Covering Postelection Protests

MINSK -- The government of Belarus has revoked the accreditations of a number of journalists who have been covering the country 's unrest following the disputed August 9 presidential election .
The interagency commission on preventing terrorism and extremism of the Belarusian Security Council on August 29 canceled the accreditations of four journalists from RFE/RL 's Belarus Service , one journalist from Current Time , two from the BBC , two from AFP , two from the German television channel ARD , and two from Reuters .
A total of 17 journalists had their accreditations canceled , the Belarus Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected were Ales Dashchynski , Aleh Hruzdzilovich , Alyaksandra Dynko , and Uladizislau Hrydzin .
The journalist from Current Time was Raman Vasiukovich .
No reason for the government 's decision was provided .
`` Stripping our journalists of accreditation on grounds of 'extremism ' is a desperate and ominous move by an authoritarian government to stifle the independent media and ruthlessly control the availability of credible information inside Belarus , '' said acting RFE/RL President Daisy Sindelar .
`` It 's a violation of international standards and an assault on the Belarusian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters journalist Tatyana Melnichuk told RFE/RL that she had been informed that her accreditation had been revoked via a telephone call from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry .
`` They told us that our accreditation , like the accreditations of the BBC journalists , had been revoked and that we had to return them today or on Monday , '' Melnichuk said .
`` They didn ’ t give any reason . ''
The U.S. Embassy in Minsk issued a statement on August 29 expressing concern about `` the continued targeting of journalists '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restraint . ''
`` We stand by our long-term commitment to support Belarus ' sovereignty and territorial integrity , as well as the aspirations of the Belarusian people to choose their leaders and to choose their own path , free from external intervention , '' the statement said .
Around 50 journalists were detained while covering postelection protests in Minsk on August 27 .
More than 260 people were detained during the protests in central Minsk , according to a list compiled by the human rights center Vyasna .
The Belarusian Association of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but most were released after police checked their documents .
However , four journalists who refused to hand over their smartphones for police to check were charged with participating in an unauthorized protest , the Belarusian Association of Journalists said .
A Swedish journalist will also be deported .
A total of six journalists working either for RFE/RL 's Belarus Service or Current Time -- the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA -- were among those detained while covering demonstrations in two different Minsk locations on August 27 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hrydzin , Dashchynski , Hruzdzilovich , and Andrey Rabchyk and Current Time reporter Vasiukovich and cameraman Andrey Yaroshevich were among the journalists detained , the Belarusian Association of Journalists said .
Yaroshevich , a freelance camera operator working for Current Time , was among those charged with an administrative offense that can result in a fine or a jail sentence .
However , his case was temporarily dropped after a court appearance on August 28 because police failed to properly fill out forms .
Yaroshevich was previously a photographer for Belarusian State Television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who went on strike , eventually leaving his job , to protest the police violence that erupted after the August 9 election .
The detentions came after nearly three weeks of protests against the official results of the election , which gave President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a landslide victory .
Demonstrators and opposition leaders are contesting those results , charging that the vote was rigged in Lukashenka 's favor .
During their detention , RFE/RL journalists were searched by police , who appeared to be looking for recording equipment .
Their laptops and cameras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open the photo galleries and other information on their mobile phones .
In at least one case , a journalist was told to delete images of riot police .
When Hrydzin , an accredited photographer , refused to surrender his photos , police threatened him with new administrative charges .
“ Authorities are treating the media in an increasingly arbitrary manner .
Not only are they refusing to accredit journalists , but they are using a variety of pretexts to detain fully credentialed journalists and prevent them from reporting what they see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement on August 28 .
“ We are also alarmed that authorities have threatened to bring arbitrary charges against journalists who refuse police orders to surrender photos and other information , ” she said .
“ This is blatant retaliation , and an outrageous breach of norms and laws . ''
Journalists from TUT.BY , BelaPAN , Belsat , TASS , the Associated Press , and other media were also detained .
Most were later released .
News organizations are also facing a reduction of Internet access affecting more than 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RFE/RL 's Belarus Service .
Numerous bloggers remain in prison , including Ihar Losik , who consults for RFE/RL 's Belarus Service on digital strategy .
His detention in Zhodzina prison outside of Minsk has been extended to October 25 .
Protesters are planning another mass demonstration in Minsk on August 30 .
`` Our journalists will of course be there , '' said Sindelar , `` and we call on the government to stop targeting the media and -- at the barest minimum -- to respect the rights of the journalists it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been met with a brutal police crackdown , with widespread evidence of beatings and torture of detained protesters .
The leading opposition candidate , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , told the European Parliament this week that at least six people have been killed in the crackdown and dozens of protesters have gone missing after being detained by authorities .
But the roundup of journalists who are covering the crisis appears to signal a new strategy by Belarusian authorities .

MINSK – Belarusian authorities stripped accreditations from at least 17 journalists from major foreign news organizations who have been covering the country’s turmoil following the disputed presidential election. Two Moscow-based reporters with the Associated Press were also deported.
The move, taken on August 29 by a commission of the national Security Council, was a major escalation by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s government as it continues to face popular protest and international condemnation for the August 9 election, and for the harsh police crackdown on opposition protesters.
In Minsk, meanwhile, thousands of people, mainly women, marched through the city center, in the latest demonstration of opposition to Lukashenka.
The crowds sang and chanted “Sasha, You’re Fired!" – a reference to Lukashenka. Some protesters carried signs that said “Fight like a girl!” and "This is our city!"
No arrests or violence was reported, though at one moment, protesters faced off with riot police who blocked the crowd’s progress.
The journalists targeted includes employees of major Western news organizations, including RFE/RL, the BBC, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence-France Presse, Germany’s ARD television, Deutsche Welle, and Radio France. Without accreditations, journalists are not legally permitted to gather news within the country.
The RFE/RL journalists affected were Ales Dashchynski, Aleh Hruzdzilovich, Alyaksandra Dynko, and Uladizislau Grydzin. Raman Vasiukovich, a journalist from Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, was also among those whose accreditation was revoked.
No reason for the government’s decision was provided.
The Belarus Association of Journalists reported 17 journalists had their accreditations canceled. Two Russian citizens working for the Associated Press were also deported.
'A Desperate And Ominous Move'
Journalists from Russian state-run and state-funded news media, such as the TASS news agency, Vesti TV, or the RT channel, did not appear affected by the accreditation decision. A live feed of Russia’s main state TV channel from Minsk made mention of the other reporters’ being stripped of accreditations, a group that also included several Russian citizens.
"Stripping our journalists of accreditation on grounds of 'extremism' is a desperate and ominous move by an authoritarian government to stifle the independent media and ruthlessly control the availability of credible information inside Belarus,” acting RFE/RL President Daisy Sindelar said in a statement. "It's a violation of international standards and an assault on the Belarusian people who rely on us."
Four journalists from RFE/RL’s Belarus Service were hit by the move, and one from Current Time, the Russian-language TV network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. Others include two from the BBC, two from AP, two from AFP, two from ARD, and two from Reuters.
Many of those affected are Belarusian citizens.
BBC journalist Tatyana Melnichuk told RFE/RL that she had been informed that her accreditation had been revoked via a telephone call from the Foreign Ministry.
"They told us that our accreditation...had been revoked and that we had to return them today or on Monday," Melnichuk said. "They didn’t give any reason."
U.S. Calls For 'Restraint'
The U.S. Embassy in Minsk called on Belarusian authorities to "demonstrate restraint."
"We stand by our long-term commitment to support Belarus’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the aspirations of the Belarusian people to choose their leaders and to choose their own path, free from external intervention," the statement said.
A spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the revocation of press credentials.
"Instead of intimidating and hindering media in reporting, the authorities should focus on reflecting on and addressing the desires and aspirations of the Belarusian population as expressed in an unprecedented and peaceful way over the last few weeks," spokesman Peter Stano said in a statement.
Two days earlier, around 50 journalists were detained while covering postelection protests in Minsk; the group included employees from Belarusian outlets such as TUT.BY, BelaPAN, and Belsat.
In all, more than 260 people were detained during at the time, according to the human rights center Vyasna.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists said most of the journalists detained at the time were released after police checked their documents.
Four journalists who refused to hand over their smartphones for police to check were charged with participating in an unauthorized protest, the association said. A Swedish journalist will also be deported, it added.
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
The detentions came after nearly three weeks of protests against the official results of the election, which gave Lukashenka a landslide victory.
Demonstrators and opposition leaders are contesting those results, charging that the vote was rigged in Lukashenka's favor.
During their detention on August 27, RFE/RL journalists were searched by police, who appeared to be looking for recording equipment. Their laptops and cameras were seized, and they were ordered to open the photo galleries and other information on their mobile phones. In at least one case, a journalist was told to delete images of riot police.
One RFE/RL photographer was threatened with misdemeanor charges if he refused to comply with police orders.
Meanwhile, many websites of news organizations have seen curtailed access within Belarus amid reports that of sporadic Internet access.
Several bloggers also remain in prison, including a consultant for RFE/RL's Belarus Service on digital strategy. His detention in Zhodzina prison outside of Minsk has been extended to October 25.
Protesters, who are planning another demonstration in Minsk on August 30, have been largely defiant despite a brutal police crackdown, and widespread evidence of beatings and torture of detained protesters.
The leading opposition candidate, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, told the European Parliament this week that at least six people have been killed in the crackdown and dozens of protesters have gone missing after being detained by authorities.
With reporting by Current Time


rferl--2020-08-29--Belarus Revokes Accreditation Of At Least 17 Journalists Covering Postelection Turmoil

MINSK – Belarusian authorities stripped accreditations from at least 17 journalists from major foreign news organizations who have been covering the country ’ s turmoil following the disputed presidential election .
Two Moscow-based reporters with the Associated Press were also deported .
The move , taken on August 29 by a commission of the national Security Council , was a major escalation by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka ’ s government as it continues to face popular protest and international condemnation for the August 9 election , and for the harsh police crackdown on opposition protesters .
In Minsk , meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marched through the city center , in the latest demonstration of opposition to Lukashenka .
The crowds sang and chanted “ Sasha , You ’ re Fired ! ''
– a reference to Lukashenka .
Some protesters carried signs that said “ Fight like a girl !
” and `` This is our city ! ''
No arrests or violence was reported , though at one moment , protesters faced off with riot police who blocked the crowd ’ s progress .
The journalists targeted includes employees of major Western news organizations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press , Reuters , Agence-France Presse , Germany ’ s ARD television , Deutsche Welle , and Radio France .
Without accreditations , journalists are not legally permitted to gather news within the country .
No reason for the government ’ s decision was provided .
The Belarus Association of Journalists reported 17 journalists had their accreditations canceled .
Two Russian citizens working for the Associated Press were also deported .
Journalists from Russian state-run and state-funded news media , such as the TASS news agency , Vesti TV , or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the accreditation decision .
A live feed of Russia ’ s main state TV channel from Minsk made mention of the other reporters ’ being stripped of accreditations , a group that also included several Russian citizens .
`` Stripping our journalists of accreditation on grounds of 'extremism ' is a desperate and ominous move by an authoritarian government to stifle the independent media and ruthlessly control the availability of credible information inside Belarus , ” acting RFE/RL President Daisy Sindelar said in a statement .
`` It 's a violation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarusian people who rely on us . ''
Four journalists from RFE/RL ’ s Belarus Service were hit by the move , and one from Current Time , the Russian-language TV network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA .
Others include two from the BBC , two from AP , two from AFP , two from ARD , and two from Reuters .
Many of those affected are Belarusian citizens .
Reuters journalist Tatyana Melnichuk told RFE/RL that she had been informed that her accreditation had been revoked via a telephone call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told us that our accreditation , like the accreditations of the BBC journalists , had been revoked and that we had to return them today or on Monday , '' Melnchuk said .
`` They didn ’ t give any reason . ''
The U.S. Embassy in Minsk called on Belarusian authorities to `` demonstrate restraint . ''
`` We stand by our long-term commitment to support Belarus ’ sovereignty and territorial integrity , as well as the aspirations of the Belarusian people to choose their leaders and to choose their own path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statement said .
A spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the revocation of press credentials .
`` Instead of intimidating and hindering media in reporting , the authorities should focus on reflecting on and addressing the desires and aspirations of the Belarusian population as expressed in an unprecedented and peaceful way over the last few weeks , '' spokesman Peter Stano said in a statement .
Two days earlier , around 50 journalists were detained while covering postelection protests in Minsk ; the group included employees from Belarusian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Belsat .
In all , more than 260 people were detained during at the time , according to the human rights center Vyasna .
The Belarusian Association of Journalists said most of the journalists detained at the time were released after police checked their documents .
Four journalists who refused to hand over their smartphones for police to check were charged with participating in an unauthorized protest , the association said .
A Swedish journalist will also be deported , it added .
The detentions came after nearly three weeks of protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which gave Lukashenka a landslide victory .
Demonstrators and opposition leaders are contesting those results , charging that the vote was rigged in Lukashenka 's favor .
During their detention on August 27 , RFE/RL journalists were searched by police , who appeared to be looking for recording equipment .
Their laptops and cameras were seized , and they were ordered to open the photo galleries and other information on their mobile phones .
In at least one case , a journalist was told to delete images of riot police .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he refused to comply with police orders .
Meanwhile , many websites of news organizations have seen curtailed access within Belarus amid reports that of sporadic Internet access .
Several bloggers also remain in prison , including a consultant for RFE/RL 's Belarus Service on digital strategy .
His detention in Zhodzina prison outside of Minsk has been extended to October 25 .
Protesters , who are planning another demonstration in Minsk on August 30 , have been largely defiant despite a brutal police crackdown , and widespread evidence of beatings and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition candidate , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , told the European Parliament this week that at least six people have been killed in the crackdown and dozens of protesters have gone missing after being detained by authorities .


rferl--2020-08-30--Senior French Military Officer Detained Over Reported Ties With Russian Secret Services

A senior French military officer is under investigation for “ security breaches , ” the country ’ s defense minister @ @ @ @ @ Europe 1 reported that a lieutenant colonel serving on a NATO base in Italy is @ @ @ @ @ ultra-sensitive ” documents to the Russian secret services .
Speaking on the radio station on @ @ @ @ @ Minister Florence Parly said a judicial procedure had been launched against a French senior military @ @ @ @ @ ’ s military has taken “ necessary protective measures ” after the alleged breaches .
@ @ @ @ @ have not provided further details about the case .
Europe 1 reported that the man @ @ @ @ @ s secret services about 10 days ago as he prepared to return to Italy after @ @ @ @ @ in custody in Paris , it said .

A senior French military officer is under investigation for “security breaches,” the country’s defense minister has said.
French radio Europe 1 reported that a lieutenant colonel serving on a NATO base in Italy is suspected of having transmitted “ultra-sensitive” documents to the Russian secret services.
Speaking on the radio station on August 30, French Defense Minister Florence Parly said a judicial procedure had been launched against a French senior military officer and that the country’s military has taken “necessary protective measures” after the alleged breaches.
Parly or the Defense Ministry have not provided further details about the case.
Europe 1 reported that the man was detained by France’s secret services about 10 days ago as he prepared to return to Italy after his vacations.
He remained in custody in Paris, it said.
Based on reporting by Europe 1


rferl--2020-08-30--Afghan President Names Reconciliation Council Members To Push Talks With Taliban

KABUL -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has revealed the names of the appointed members and leaders of the country ’ s High Council for National Reconciliation , a body tasked with leading peace negotiations with the Taliban .
Political figures , including current and former officials , leaders of political parties , and renowned religious leaders are among the more than 40 council members approved by Ghani , according to a presidential decree issued late on August 29 .
The list includes former mujahedin leaders Abdul Rasul Sayyaf and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar , as well as civil-society activist Safia Sediqqi and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointed women was named the deputy of council head Abdullah Abdullah , the former chief executive officer of Afghanistan 's unity government .
Former President Hamid Karzai was also named but he rejected the appointment in a statement on August 30 , saying he declines to be part of any government structure .
The High Council for National Reconciliation is to oversee a 21-member negotiating team appointed by Ghani in March to conduct face-to-face talks with the Taliban .
The talks are part of an agreement reached between the militants and the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end nearly 19 years of war in Afghanistan .
On August 26 , the Taliban announced it had formed a new 20-member department responsible for Taliban representation at both the intra-Afghan talks and further negotiations with the United States .
The beginning of the planned peace talks has faced some serious challenges , including the issue of the release of prisoners .
The internationally recognized government in Kabul has recently reversed a decision to release the last 320 Taliban prisoners it is holding until the insurgents free more captured soldiers .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held by them before the government resumes the release of the remaining 320 Taliban prisoners , ” Javid Faisal , spokesman for the Afghan National Security Council , tweeted on August 29 .
With reporting by dpa , TOLOnews , and AP


rferl--2020-08-30--Mass Arrests Made During Postelection Protest In Minsk

MINSK -- Belarusian police have started detaining protesters streaming into the center of the capital for a march against longtime authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
Thousands of people on August 30 converged toward Minsk 's Independence Square , which was previously cordoned off by security forces , for what was called a Peace and Independence March .
Riot police blocked crowds from advancing in several areas of the city , and detained a number of protesters near Independence Square and elsewhere .
The peaceful protesters were carried away into prisoner transport vehicles as other demonstrators shouted `` shame . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protests and strikes over a disputed presidential election that has given Lukashenka a new six-year term .
The protests have posed the greatest challenge yet to Lukashenka 's 26-year rule .
Ahead of the planned march , the Interior Ministry has warned citizens not to take part in the unauthorized rally , while Minsk police recommended journalists covering the rally to stay at least 100 meters away from the protesters “ for their own safety.
” On previous Sundays , tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Minsk over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have been rigged in favor of Lukashenka , who claimed a landslide victory .
Anti-government demonstrations held over the past few days have been disbanded and participants detained by riot police .
Amid Western condemnation of the vote and the harsh police crackdown on opposition protesters , the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart planned face-to-face talks in Moscow in the coming weeks .
The two leaders have recently spoken on the phone several times amid the ongoing political crisis in Belarus , including on August 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 66th birthday .
Both sides reaffirmed their intention to strengthen and expand their neighborly alliance , according to the Kremlin .
On August 29 , a crowd estimated at up to 10,000 people , mainly women , marched through the city center , singing and chanting “ Sasha , You ’ re Fired !
” -- a reference to Lukashenka .
A total of 29 protesters were detained in Minsk and elsewhere in Belarus that day , according to the Interior Ministry .
Meanwhile , the national Security Council stripped accreditations from at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations who have been covering the country ’ s turmoil .
The Foreign Ministry said the decision was taken for security reasons .
Acting RFE/RL President Daisy Sindelar denounced “ a desperate and ominous move by an authoritarian government to stifle the independent media and ruthlessly control the availability of credible information inside Belarus.
” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned “ these clear attacks on media freedom , ” while the U.S. Embassy in Minsk called on the Belarusian authorities to “ demonstrate restraint.
” “ We stand by our long-term commitment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territorial integrity , as well as the aspirations of the Belarusian people to choose their leaders and to choose their own path , free from external intervention , ” the statement said .
A spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that instead of “ intimidating and hindering media in reporting , ” the authorities should “ focus on reflecting on and addressing the desires and aspirations of the Belarusian population.
” A week ago , public anger drew at least 100,000 demonstrators in the capital despite a brutal police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beatings and torture of those detained .
The leading opposition candidate , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , has told the European Parliament that at least six people have been killed in the crackdown and dozens of protesters have gone missing after being detained by authorities .

MINSK -- Tens of thousands of Belarusians streamed into the center of the capital to demand Alyaksandr Lukashenka step down as the defiant, longtime authoritarian ruler turned 66.
Waving banned red-and-white flags that have long been a symbol of opposition to Lukashenka’s rule, the protesters marched toward Minsk's Independence Square on August 30, ignoring an earlier Interior Ministry call not to assemble.
They chanted, “Happy birthday, rat” and “Leave” as they gathered outside the presidential palace where Lukashenka is currently staying. Many carried anti-Lukashenka signs, while one group carried a black coffin. Lukashenka last week described the protesters as “rats.”
The BelaPAN news agency put the number of protesters in Minsk at more than 100,000.
Riot police blocked the crowds from advancing in several areas of the city and detained at least 125 protesters near Independence Square and elsewhere, according to the Interior Ministry.
Several armored vehicles were brought into Minsk and parked near the presidential residency "to strengthen the security of personnel," the Interior Ministry said.
Lukashenka has shown no intention of negotiating with the protesters, who he claims are influenced by outside forces.
Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti posted a photograph of Lukashenka carrying an automatic weapon inside the palace grounds earlier in the day. RIA Novosti said the photograph was sent by Lukashenka’s press secretary.
It is the second time since the protests began that Lukashenka has released photos of himself armed with heavy guns.
Rigged Vote
Belarus has been rocked by three weeks of protests and strikes after the nation’s election commission claimed Lukashenka won a new six-year term in a landslide victory.
The opposition claimed the election was marred by irregularities and rigged in Lukashenka’s favor.
Belarusian presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya attracted tens of thousands of supporters to her rallies across the country in the run-up to election day, underscoring the growing disillusion with Lukashenka’s Soviet-style rule.
However, the election committee claimed Tsikhanouskaya won only about 10 percent of the vote to Lukashenka’s 80 percent, angering voters and pushing them to take to the streets.
Unlike in the past, mass arrests and police torture in the days following the election failed to stem the protests, raising questions about whether Lukashenka can hold on to power.
Thousands of people, mainly women, took to the streets on August 29 to protest Lukashenka’s rule and tried to break through a line of riot police.
Tsikhanouskaya told the European Parliament that at least six people have been killed in the crackdown and dozens of protesters have gone missing after being detained by authorities.
Ahead of the planned August 30 protest, the Interior Ministry warned citizens not to take part in the unauthorized rally, a call that was widely ignored.
In an attempt to stifle global coverage of the protests, the Belarusian authorities days earlier stripped accreditation from at least 17 journalists representing major foreign news organizations, including RFE/RL.
The West has condemned the vote and the harsh police crackdown on opposition protesters, forcing Lukashenka to look to Moscow for support.
The Kremlin announced on August 30 that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenka plan to hold face-to-face talks in Moscow in the coming weeks.
Putin also congratulated Lukashenka on his birthday during a phone call. The two leaders have spoken by phone several times since the protests began.
Both sides reaffirmed their intention to strengthen and expand their neighborly alliance, according to the Kremlin's readout of the call.
With additional reporting by Current Time


rferl--2020-08-30--Pompeo Raises U.S. Concern About Chinese Investment In Ukraine In Call With Zelenskiy

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy about U.S. concerns over China ’ s attempt to purchase a Ukrainian engine manufacturer , the State Department said on August 29 .
Pompeo raised concerns over “ malign ” Chinese investment in Ukraine , including Beijing ’ s efforts to acquire the Motor Sich engine manufacturer , in a telephone call on August 26 with Zelenskiy , spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement .
The United States has previously lobbied against the possible sale of the strategic company and its advanced technology to China .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ late last year that there were U.S. companies studying the possible purchase of Motor Sich , one of the world ’ s top makers of aircraft engines for the defense industry .
“ There are some serious American and other companies interested in Motor Sich , ” William Taylor said in an interview on December 26 , 2019 with Ukrainian media outlets prior to leaving his post on January 2 .
He did not disclose the names of the American companies .
Motor Sich is privately owned by its chief executive , Vyacheslav @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell the bulk of his shares to Chinese companies , but the deal has yet to receive Ukrainian government approval .
Ortagus said Pompeo and Zelenskiy also discussed the situation in Belarus , Ukraine ’ s efforts to combat COVID-19 , attempts to reach a diplomatic resolution to Russia 's aggression in eastern Ukraine , and the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty in Crimea .
Pompeo also congratulated Ukraine on the country ’ s Independence Day on August 24 and emphasized that the United States will continue to stand with the Ukrainian people “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , foster economic growth , attract foreign investment , and eliminate endemic corruption that constrains Ukraine ’ s potential .
”

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy about U.S. concerns over China’s attempt to purchase a Ukrainian engine manufacturer, the State Department said on August 29.
Pompeo raised concerns over “malign” Chinese investment in Ukraine, including Beijing’s efforts to acquire the Motor Sich engine manufacturer, in a telephone call on August 26 with Zelenskiy, spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
The United States has previously lobbied against the possible sale of the strategic company and its advanced technology to China.
The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Ukraine said late last year that there were U.S. companies studying the possible purchase of Motor Sich, one of the world’s top makers of aircraft engines for the defense industry.
“There are some serious American and other companies interested in Motor Sich,” William Taylor said in an interview on December 26, 2019 with Ukrainian media outlets prior to leaving his post on January 2.
He did not disclose the names of the American companies.
Motor Sich is privately owned by its chief executive, Vyacheslav Bohuslayev. He reportedly has agreed to sell the bulk of his shares to Chinese companies, but the deal has yet to receive Ukrainian government approval.
Ortagus said Pompeo and Zelenskiy also discussed the situation in Belarus, Ukraine’s efforts to combat COVID-19, attempts to reach a diplomatic resolution to Russia's aggression in eastern Ukraine, and the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty in Crimea.
Pompeo also congratulated Ukraine on the country’s Independence Day on August 24 and emphasized that the United States will continue to stand with the Ukrainian people “in order to advance the rule of law, foster economic growth, attract foreign investment, and eliminate endemic corruption that constrains Ukraine’s potential.”