rferl--2020-05-07--Russian Court Upholds Decision To Extend Detention Of Prominent Gulag Historian

PETROZAVODSK , Russia -- A court in Russia has upheld a lower-court decision to extend the detention of Yury Dmitriyev , a Russian historian and prominent Gulag researcher , who is being tried on charges of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter , which he and his supporters deny .
The Supreme Court of the northwestern region of Karelia on May 7 rejected Dmitriyev 's appeal and remanded him in custody at least until June 25 while his trial continues behind closed doors .
Dmitriyev 's supporters have said the charges were brought against him because of his research into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's glorification of the Soviet past .
The 64-year-old heads the Karelia branch of the Moscow-based human rights group Memorial , whose decades-long efforts to expose the extent of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin 's crimes have met with opposition from the government of President Vladimir Putin .
On May 6 , dozens of Russian scholars , historians , writers , poets , opposition politicians , artists , and actors signed an open letter asking the Karelia Supreme Court to release Dmitriyev , expressing concerns over the researcher 's health as cases of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center where he is being held .
The European Union has called on the Russian authorities to release Dmitriyev and reconsider the charges against him .
Dmitriyev was arrested in 2016 on child-pornography charges based on photographs of his adopted daughter that authorities found on his computer .
He has proclaimed his innocence , contending that the images were not pornographic and were made at the request of social workers concerned about the child ’ s development .
He says the case is an attempt to thwart his research into extrajudicial executions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquitted Dmitriyev in April 2018 , but the Karelia Supreme Court subsequently upheld an appeal by prosecutors and ordered a new trial .
The historian was rearrested in June 2018 and is currently on trial on the more severe charge of `` violent acts of a sexual nature committed against a person under 14 years of age '' -- again referring to his adopted daughter .

PETROZAVODSK, Russia -- A court in Russia has upheld a lower-court decision to extend the detention of Yury Dmitriyev, a Russian historian and prominent Gulag researcher, who is being tried on charges of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter, which he and his supporters deny.
The Supreme Court of the northwestern region of Karelia on May 7 rejected Dmitriyev's appeal and remanded him in custody at least until June 25 while his trial continues behind closed doors.
A lower court extended Dmitriyev's detention until June 25 in late March.
Dmitriyev's supporters have said the charges were brought against him because of his research into a side of history that complicates the Kremlin's glorification of the Soviet past.
The 64-year-old heads the Karelia branch of the Moscow-based human rights group Memorial, whose decades-long efforts to expose the extent of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's crimes have met with opposition from the government of President Vladimir Putin.
On May 6, dozens of Russian scholars, historians, writers, poets, opposition politicians, artists, and actors signed an open letter asking the Karelia Supreme Court to release Dmitriyev, expressing concerns over the researcher's health as cases of coronavirus infection have been found in the detention center where he is being held.
The European Union has called on the Russian authorities to release Dmitriyev and reconsider the charges against him.
Dmitriyev was arrested in 2016 on child-pornography charges based on photographs of his adopted daughter that authorities found on his computer.
He has proclaimed his innocence, contending that the images were not pornographic and were made at the request of social workers concerned about the child’s development. He says the case is an attempt to thwart his research into extrajudicial executions in Karelia under Stalin.
A local court acquitted Dmitriyev in April 2018, but the Karelia Supreme Court subsequently upheld an appeal by prosecutors and ordered a new trial.
The historian was rearrested in June 2018 and is currently on trial on the more severe charge of "violent acts of a sexual nature committed against a person under 14 years of age" -- again referring to his adopted daughter.


rferl--2020-05-07--Media Watchdog Condemns 'Wave Of Violence' Against Ukrainian Journalists

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) is urging Ukrainian authorities to enforce legislation penalizing violence against journalists after a reporter was assaulted by officers in Kyiv last week while he was filming an anti-lockdown protest .
In a statement on May 7 , the Paris-based media-freedom watchdog says the incident came amid `` many other cases of threats and acts of aggression and intimidation ” against journalists since a public-health emergency was declared in parts of Ukraine on March 20 .
`` It is unacceptable for the police to join in the wave of violence that Ukrainian journalists have suffered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Jeanne Cavelier , the head of RSF ’ s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk .
`` This trend threatens the foundations of Ukrainian democracy and must be urgently reversed , ” she added .
During reporter Bohdan Kutepov ’ s live coverage of an April 29 protest outside government headquarters in Kyiv for the online TV Hromadske , a policeman was heard telling him : `` Either you take your camera or I break it . ''
Kutepov was filming the demonstrators from a nearby park , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed him to the ground , damaging some of his equipment , RSF said , adding that the National Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident as an `` abuse of authority . ''
The investigation “ must be conducted with complete transparency , and the law providing for specific sanctions in cases of obstruction of journalists and threats and violence against them must be applied in an exemplary fashion , '' Cavelier said .
According to RSF , another assault on the media took place on the evening of May 1 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a group of youths while covering respect for lockdown measures in the northeastern city of Kharkiv .
Ukraine is ranked 96th out of 180 countries in RSF ’ s 2020 World Press Freedom Index .

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is urging Ukrainian authorities to enforce legislation penalizing violence against journalists after a reporter was assaulted by officers in Kyiv last week while he was filming an anti-lockdown protest.
In a statement on May 7, the Paris-based media-freedom watchdog says the incident came amid "many other cases of threats and acts of aggression and intimidation” against journalists since a public-health emergency was declared in parts of Ukraine on March 20.
"It is unacceptable for the police to join in the wave of violence that Ukrainian journalists have suffered since the start of the public-health crisis," said Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.
"This trend threatens the foundations of Ukrainian democracy and must be urgently reversed,” she added.
During reporter Bohdan Kutepov’s live coverage of an April 29 protest outside government headquarters in Kyiv for the online TV Hromadske, a policeman was heard telling him: "Either you take your camera or I break it."
Kutepov was filming the demonstrators from a nearby park, but the police ordered him to leave and then pushed him to the ground, damaging some of his equipment, RSF said, adding that the National Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident as an "abuse of authority."
The investigation “must be conducted with complete transparency, and the law providing for specific sanctions in cases of obstruction of journalists and threats and violence against them must be applied in an exemplary fashion," Cavelier said.
According to RSF, another assault on the media took place on the evening of May 1, when freelancer Mykyta Knysh was physically attacked by a group of youths while covering respect for lockdown measures in the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
Ukraine is ranked 96th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2020 World Press Freedom Index.


rferl--2020-05-07--Iran Says Two 'Terrorist Cells' Destroyed In Western Parts Of The Country

Iran ’ s Intelligence Ministry says it has tracked down and dismantled two “ terrorist cells ” in the Western part of the country .
The ministry said in a statement issued late on May 6 and quoted by Iranian news agencies that the terrorists affiliated with “ separatist groups ” had entered Iran from neighboring areas to carry out acts of terror and sabotage .
It said its forces arrested 16 members of the groups and confiscated their arms , including two AK-47 rifles , as well as some ammunition .
`` The ringleader of this terrorist group is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a certain Arab country , '' the semiofficial Fars news agency quoted the ministry as saying .
The claims could not be verified independently .
Iranian media said some of those arrested had been involved in killing civilians and extortion from manufacturers and traders in the west of the country .
“ One of the terrorist teams had [ killed ] the child of a supporter of the [ clerical ] establishment , ” the reports said without providing more details .
Earlier this week , Iranian media reported that three members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( IRGC ) , including a colonel , were killed in a shoot-out with unknown gunmen near the country ’ s Western border with Iraq .
The reports said “ several counterrevolutionaries ” were also killed in the fighting near the Kurdish town of Divandarreh , about 60 kilometers from the Iraqi border .
No details were given on the affiliation of the gunmen .
The area has seen occasional fighting between Iranian forces and Kurdish separatists , as well as militants linked to the Islamic State extremist group .
Based on reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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--2020-05-07--COVID-19: Moscow Cases 'Likely Three Times Higher' Than Official Toll; Pakistan To Lift Virus Lockdo

COVID-19: Moscow Cases 'Likely Three Times Higher' Than Official Toll; Pakistan To Lift Virus Lockdown

The global death toll from the coronavirus has passed 260,000 with more than 3.7 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Russia 's number of coronavirus cases has seen a record daily surge with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin warning that the actual number of cases in the capital alone is likely three times higher than the official tally .
Officials said on May 7 that there had been 11,231 new infections in the previous 24 hours , the highest daily total to date , bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than former European hotspots such as Germany and France .
In Moscow , the epicenter of Russia 's outbreak with more than half of the country 's total positive tests and deaths , Sobyanin said screening indicates that 2-2.5 percent of Muscovites have contracted the coronavirus , meaning there could be about 300,000 infections in the city , compared with the current reported figure of just under 93,000 .
`` We should never lose optimism .
How soon we come out from this situation will largely depend on ourselves , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to predict the future , but my personal opinion is that we will not be able to return to full-fledged life without restrictions soon , '' Sobyanin said on state television channel Rossia 24 , adding that wearing face masks and gloves will become mandatory on public transport in Moscow beginning on May 12 .
Sobyanin said that confirmed cases were rising in the capital because authorities had sharply increased testing and that the situation had actually somewhat stabilized .
Russia says it has carried out more than 4.8 million coronavirus tests across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll , which remains far lower than in many countries , rose to 1,625 after 88 people died overnight , according to a pandemic task force .
By comparison , France , with a similar number of confirmed infections , has reported almost 26,000 deaths .
Russia 's relatively low official death rate has triggered criticism that the authorities may be covering up the real toll of the outbreak by failing to correctly identify coronavirus deaths as such , accusations that have been rejected by authorities .
But Russian officials say the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the world , allowing authorities to better prepare for the pandemic .
Russia now has the fifth-largest number of cases in the world , according to a running tally by the John Hopkins University in the United States .
The residents of Moscow , which is in its sixth week of a lockdown , must stay at home except when buying food and medicine .
They must obtain a digital permit to travel anywhere by public or private transport .
President Vladimir Putin has voiced support for a plan put forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown restrictions in the capital after May 12 , allowing certain industrial activities to resume .
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says the country 's five-week coronavirus lockdown will be lifted on May 9 despite a record rise in the number of cases in the country .
Khan argued in a televised address on May 7 that the decision was made because Pakistan 's large number of poor people and laborers can no longer afford to live under a lockdown .
Nearly 40 percent of Pakistan 's 212 million people live in poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ending this lockdown now , '' Khan said .
`` We know that we 're doing it at a time when our curve is going up ... but it is not edging up as we were expecting . ''
Pakistan , which has 24,500 official coronavirus cases with 564 fatalities , on May 7 saw its highest single-day increase of 1,523 cases .
Khan said shops and restaurants will reopen from May 9 .
However , train services , flights , and attendance at schools will remain suspended till May 15 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Separately , Planning Minister Asad Umer said key economic sectors including agriculture , construction , manufacturing , and retail would reopen .
Pakistan 's health authorities have been struggling to cope with the steady increase in infections , although the country is estimated to be still weeks away from the peak of the outbreak .
Thousands of Pakistanis are also testing positive after returning home from overseas , raising concerns of a further spread of the virus .
Afghanistan ’ s health minister has tested positive for the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confirmed cases in the country passed 3,500 .
Ferozuddin Feruz “ showed symptoms of COVID-19 in the past few days and was isolated at home , ” the spokesman , Wahidullah Mayar , said on May 7 , adding that the minister ’ s health condition is “ stable.
” A total of 3,563 infections with the coronavirus have been recorded in Afghanistan so far , including 106 deaths .
The actual numbers are likely to be significantly higher as few tests are being carried out in the war-ravaged country .
Serbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency and curfew , which were introduced in mid-March to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic .
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told lawmakers on May 6 that Serbia has met all the conditions set by the World Health Organization for relaxing the measures .
`` For more than a week , fewer than 5 percent of those tested in Serbia have been infected with the coronavirus , which is the most important condition to lift the state of emergency , '' Brnabic said .
After Serbia declared its state of emergency the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. to 5 a.m. , along with several weekend curfews lasting from Thursday evening until Monday morning .
Since mid-April , people older than 65 had been forbidden from going out for a month , except for a one-hour daily walk .
Serbia has confirmed almost 10,000 virus cases so far , including more than 200 deaths .
The figures for new cases have been decreasing in recent days .
The country relaxed some measures earlier this week , reopening restaurants and cafes as well as resuming public transport , following repeated noisy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and resorted to banging tin pans and drums to vent their anger at the government 's moves .
President Aleksandar Vucic on May 4 said Serbia would hold parliamentary and local elections on June 21 .
The polls had been scheduled for April 26 but were postponed when the state of emergency was declared .
Opposition parties have indicated they will boycott the elections over accusations that there will not be a level playing field for the campaign .
Many Serbs have accused Vucic , in power since 2012 , of oppressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruption , and cronyism .
Vucic has denied the accusations .
Kazakhstan has marked Defender of the Fatherland Day without a trademark military parade this year because of the coronavirus outbreak in the country .
President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev on May 7 congratulated the Central Asian nation on a day that has been celebrated with military parades each year to commemorate the founding of the Kazakh armed forces in 1992 .
All other events linked to marking the day -- concerts , exhibitions , lectures , Q & A sessions -- are being held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large groups of people from gathering .
Health authorities said on May 7 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had reached 4,530 , including 30 deaths , the most in the region .
In neighboring Kyrgyzstan , authorities in the capital , Bishkek , suspended the operation of the Main Children 's Hospital after several patients and medical personnel tested positive for COVID-19 .
Deputy Health Minister Nurbolot Usonbaev said on May 7 that the hospital had stopped accepting new patients while those accepted earlier were being tested for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of May 7 , there were 895 coronavirus cases registered in the country , of which 12 cases had been fatal .
In Uzbekistan , health authorities said on May 7 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country was 2,266 , including 10 deaths .
In Tajikistan , the latest figures are 379 cases , including 8 deaths .
The fifth nation in the region , Turkmenistan , has not reported a single coronavirus case .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) says it is still working on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation on the ground in one of the world 's most tightly run countries .
Experts are skeptical of the claim that there are no cases given the lack of transparency and an independent media in the country .
Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus , face masks are banned , and citizens are punished for publicly discussing the global pandemic .
Further clouding the situation , authorities have set up three quarantine zones around the country in a bid to prevent the spread of what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus , and COVID-19 test results are unknown , even if they are performed .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan , Kazakh , Uzbek , Kyrgyz , and Tajik services ; RFE/RL 's Radio Mashaal and RFE/RL 's Radio Free Afghanistan ; AP , AFP , Reuters , dpa , and TASS

The global death toll from the coronavirus has passed 260,000 with more than 3.7 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Russia
Russia's number of coronavirus cases has seen a record daily surge with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin warning that the actual number of cases in the capital alone is likely three times higher than the official tally.
Officials said on May 7 that there had been 11,231 new infections in the previous 24 hours, the highest daily total to date, bringing the national total to just over 177,000, more than former European hotspots such as Germany and France.
In Moscow, the epicenter of Russia's outbreak with more than half of the country's total positive tests and deaths, Sobyanin said screening indicates that 2-2.5 percent of Muscovites have contracted the coronavirus, meaning there could be about 300,000 infections in the city, compared with the current reported figure of just under 93,000.
"We should never lose optimism. How soon we come out from this situation will largely depend on ourselves, on our discipline. I do not want to predict the future, but my personal opinion is that we will not be able to return to full-fledged life without restrictions soon," Sobyanin said on state television channel Rossia 24, adding that wearing face masks and gloves will become mandatory on public transport in Moscow beginning on May 12.
Sobyanin said that confirmed cases were rising in the capital because authorities had sharply increased testing and that the situation had actually somewhat stabilized.
Russia says it has carried out more than 4.8 million coronavirus tests across the country.
Russia's official death toll, which remains far lower than in many countries, rose to 1,625 after 88 people died overnight, according to a pandemic task force.
By comparison, France, with a similar number of confirmed infections, has reported almost 26,000 deaths.
Russia's relatively low official death rate has triggered criticism that the authorities may be covering up the real toll of the outbreak by failing to correctly identify coronavirus deaths as such, accusations that have been rejected by authorities.
But Russian officials say the outbreak in their country started later than in parts of the world, allowing authorities to better prepare for the pandemic. Russia now has the fifth-largest number of cases in the world, according to a running tally by the John Hopkins University in the United States.
The residents of Moscow, which is in its sixth week of a lockdown, must stay at home except when buying food and medicine. They must obtain a digital permit to travel anywhere by public or private transport.
President Vladimir Putin has voiced support for a plan put forward by Sobyanin to gradually begin lifting some lockdown restrictions in the capital after May 12, allowing certain industrial activities to resume.
Pakistan
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says the country's five-week coronavirus lockdown will be lifted on May 9 despite a record rise in the number of cases in the country.
Khan argued in a televised address on May 7 that the decision was made because Pakistan's large number of poor people and laborers can no longer afford to live under a lockdown. Nearly 40 percent of Pakistan's 212 million people live in poverty.
"We're deciding that we are ending this lockdown now," Khan said. "We know that we're doing it at a time when our curve is going up...but it is not edging up as we were expecting."
Pakistan, which has 24,500 official coronavirus cases with 564 fatalities, on May 7 saw its highest single-day increase of 1,523 cases.
Khan said shops and restaurants will reopen from May 9. However, train services, flights, and attendance at schools will remain suspended till May 15. Shopping malls will also remain closed, he said.
Separately, Planning Minister Asad Umer said key economic sectors including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and retail would reopen.
Pakistan's health authorities have been struggling to cope with the steady increase in infections, although the country is estimated to be still weeks away from the peak of the outbreak.
Thousands of Pakistanis are also testing positive after returning home from overseas, raising concerns of a further spread of the virus.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s health minister has tested positive for the coronavirus, his spokesman says, as the number of confirmed cases in the country passed 3,500.
Ferozuddin Feruz “showed symptoms of COVID-19 in the past few days and was isolated at home,” the spokesman, Wahidullah Mayar, said on May 7, adding that the minister’s health condition is “stable.”
A total of 3,563 infections with the coronavirus have been recorded in Afghanistan so far, including 106 deaths.
The actual numbers are likely to be significantly higher as few tests are being carried out in the war-ravaged country.
Serbia
Serbia's parliament has lifted a state of emergency and curfew, which were introduced in mid-March to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told lawmakers on May 6 that Serbia has met all the conditions set by the World Health Organization for relaxing the measures.
"For more than a week, fewer than 5 percent of those tested in Serbia have been infected with the coronavirus, which is the most important condition to lift the state of emergency," Brnabic said.
After Serbia declared its state of emergency the authorities imposed a daily curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., along with several weekend curfews lasting from Thursday evening until Monday morning.
Since mid-April, people older than 65 had been forbidden from going out for a month, except for a one-hour daily walk.
Serbia has confirmed almost 10,000 virus cases so far, including more than 200 deaths.
The figures for new cases have been decreasing in recent days.
The country relaxed some measures earlier this week, reopening restaurants and cafes as well as resuming public transport, following repeated noisy protests by Serbs who were stuck at home and resorted to banging tin pans and drums to vent their anger at the government's moves.
President Aleksandar Vucic on May 4 said Serbia would hold parliamentary and local elections on June 21.
The polls had been scheduled for April 26 but were postponed when the state of emergency was declared.
Opposition parties have indicated they will boycott the elections over accusations that there will not be a level playing field for the campaign.
Many Serbs have accused Vucic, in power since 2012, of oppressing political opponents, stifling media freedoms, corruption, and cronyism.
Vucic has denied the accusations.
Central Asia
Kazakhstan has marked Defender of the Fatherland Day without a trademark military parade this year because of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev on May 7 congratulated the Central Asian nation on a day that has been celebrated with military parades each year to commemorate the founding of the Kazakh armed forces in 1992.
All other events linked to marking the day -- concerts, exhibitions, lectures, Q&A sessions -- are being held online or broadcast on television to prevent large groups of people from gathering.
Health authorities said on May 7 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had reached 4,530, including 30 deaths, the most in the region.
In neighboring Kyrgyzstan, authorities in the capital, Bishkek, suspended the operation of the Main Children's Hospital after several patients and medical personnel tested positive for COVID-19.
Deputy Health Minister Nurbolot Usonbaev said on May 7 that the hospital had stopped accepting new patients while those accepted earlier were being tested for the coronavirus.
Usonbaev also said that, as of May 7, there were 895 coronavirus cases registered in the country, of which 12 cases had been fatal.
In Uzbekistan, health authorities said on May 7 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country was 2,266, including 10 deaths.
In Tajikistan, the latest figures are 379 cases, including 8 deaths.
The fifth nation in the region, Turkmenistan, has not reported a single coronavirus case.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is still working on a possible visit to Turkmenistan to assess the situation on the ground in one of the world's most tightly run countries.
Experts are skeptical of the claim that there are no cases given the lack of transparency and an independent media in the country.
Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus, face masks are banned, and citizens are punished for publicly discussing the global pandemic.
Further clouding the situation, authorities have set up three quarantine zones around the country in a bid to prevent the spread of what they call "infectious diseases."
People with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus, and COVID-19 test results are unknown, even if they are performed.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan, Kazakh, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik services; RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan; AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa, and TASS


rferl--2020-05-08--COVID-19: Pakistan Coronavirus Cases Surge Past 25,000 As Government Set To Ease Lockdown

The global death toll from the coronavirus has reached nearly 270,000 with more than 3.8 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Coronavirus cases in Pakistan surged past 25,000 on May 8 , officials said , just hours before Islamabad was due to ease its lockdown measures .
Authorities recorded 1,574 new cases in the last 24 hours , bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 25,837 -- one of the highest rates in the region after Iran , which has reported more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of some 220 million people , has suffered 594 deaths due to COVID-19 .
Despite the climbing figures , Prime Minister Imran Khan has said Pakistan will ease its lockdown beginning May 9 , amid fears for the country 's economy as it sinks into recession .
Khan said the easing of restrictions , aimed at helping the country 's most impoverished citizens , would be lifted in phases .
Small markets and shops will be the first to open , with restricted hours , while big malls and other spaces that attract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Schools will stay shut until mid-July and a decision on reopening intercity transport would be made at a later , unspecified , date .
Khan warned people that the epidemic could get out of control if they did not take precautions .
He added that restrictions could be restored if the outbreak worsens .
Russia has registered 10,669 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours , bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 187,859 .
It was the sixth consecutive day that cases had risen by more than 10,000 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily rise of 11,231 .
The coronavirus crisis response center also reported 98 new fatalities from COVID-19 , bringing the total death toll in Russia to 1,723 .
Russia 's relatively low official death rate has triggered criticism that the authorities may be covering up the real toll of the outbreak by failing to correctly identify coronavirus deaths as such , accusations that have been rejected by authorities .
But Russian officials say the outbreak in their country started later than in other parts of the world , allowing authorities to better prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fifth-largest number of cases in the world , according to a running tally by the Johns Hopkins University in the United States .
The residents of Moscow , which is in its sixth week of lockdown , must stay at home except when buying food and medicine .
They must obtain a digital permit to travel anywhere by public or private transport .
President Vladimir Putin has voiced support for a plan put forward by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to gradually begin lifting some lockdown restrictions in the capital after May 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , and TASS

The global death toll from the coronavirus has reached nearly 270,000 with more than 3.8 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Pakistan
Coronavirus cases in Pakistan surged past 25,000 on May 8, officials said, just hours before Islamabad was due to ease its lockdown measures.
Authorities recorded 1,574 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 25,837 -- one of the highest rates in the region after Iran, which has reported more than 103,000.
Pakistan, with a population of some 220 million people, has suffered 594 deaths due to COVID-19.
Despite the climbing figures, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said Pakistan will ease its lockdown beginning May 9, amid fears for the country's economy as it sinks into recession.
Khan said the easing of restrictions, aimed at helping the country's most impoverished citizens, would be lifted in phases.
Small markets and shops will be the first to open, with restricted hours, while big malls and other spaces that attract large crowds will remain closed for now.
Schools will stay shut until mid-July and a decision on reopening intercity transport would be made at a later, unspecified, date.
Khan warned people that the epidemic could get out of control if they did not take precautions. He added that restrictions could be restored if the outbreak worsens.
Russia
Russia has registered 10,669 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 187,859.
It was the sixth consecutive day that cases had risen by more than 10,000, but down on the May 7 record daily rise of 11,231.
The coronavirus crisis response center also reported 98 new fatalities from COVID-19, bringing the total death toll in Russia to 1,723.
Russia's relatively low official death rate has triggered criticism that the authorities may be covering up the real toll of the outbreak by failing to correctly identify coronavirus deaths as such, accusations that have been rejected by authorities.
But Russian officials say the outbreak in their country started later than in other parts of the world, allowing authorities to better prepare for the pandemic. Russia now has the fifth-largest number of cases in the world, according to a running tally by the Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
The residents of Moscow, which is in its sixth week of lockdown, must stay at home except when buying food and medicine. They must obtain a digital permit to travel anywhere by public or private transport.
President Vladimir Putin has voiced support for a plan put forward by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to gradually begin lifting some lockdown restrictions in the capital after May 12, allowing certain industrial activities to resume.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and TASS


rferl--2020-05-08--Earthquake Rattles Iranian Capital

Earthquake Rattles Iranian Capital

An earthquake shook Iran ’ s capital early on May 8 , killing at least one person and causing some residents fearful of aftershocks to leave their homes for the safety of the streets .
The U.S. Geological Survey said that the shallow 4.6 magnitude quake hit at 00:48 am local time near the city of Damavand , about 55 kilometers east of Tehran .
Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Twitter that the earthquake claimed the life of one person and injured seven others .
Jahanpour called on people to `` keep calm '' and to follow safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing at more than 5,600 meters , is the highest peak in Iran .
Iran sits on top of major tectonic plates and experiences frequent seismic activity .
A 7.3-magnitude quake in the western province of Kermanshah killed 620 people in November 2017 .
In 2003 , a 6.6-magnitude quake destroyed the ancient mud-brick city of Bam in Iran ’ s southeast , killing at least 31,000 people .
Iran 's deadliest quake was a 7.4-magnitude tremor in 1990 that killed 40,000 people , injured 300,000 others , and left half a million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa


rferl--2020-05-08--U.S. Accuses Russia Of Inflaming Libya Conflict, Sending Syrian Fighters

The United States has accused Russia of worsening the situation in war-torn Libya and funneling Syrian mercenaries to support Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar in his battle to capture the capital , Tripoli .
The comments from top State Department officials on May 7 came a day after a UN report confirmed between 800 and 1,200 military contractors from Russia ’ s Vagner Group are actively fighting alongside Haftar ’ s self-styled Libyan National Army that controls eastern Libya .
The report from a UN panel monitoring Libya sanctions said the Russian private security firm , which is believed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has `` acted as an effective force multiplier '' for Haftar ’ s command as they fight the internationally recognized Government of National Accord based in the west of the North African country .
Russian support to Haftar `` has led to a significant escalation of the conflict and a worsening of the humanitarian situation in Libya , '' said Chris Robinson , a State Department official who focuses on Russia .
The Vagner Group is “ often misleadingly referred to as a Russian private security company , but in fact it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kremlin uses as a low-cost and low-risk instrument to advance its goals , '' Robinson told reporters .
Libya has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the North African country ’ s longtime dictator Colonel Muammar Qaddafi in 2011 .
The report said forces affiliated with the Government of National Accord had captured arms `` typical of the weaponry observed being used by [ Vagner ] operatives elsewhere in eastern Ukraine and Syria.
” It also said Vagner forces use equipment typical of the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` very heavy and advanced weapons '' the Vagner Group wields in Libya indicates it is not a private company .
Moscow has denied the Russian state is responsible for any deployments .
Libya ’ s conflict has drawn in multiple regional actors , with Russia , France , Egypt , Jordan , and the United Arab Emirates backing Haftar ’ s command .
Turkey , which deployed troops , drones , and Syrian rebel mercenaries to Libya in January , supports the government in Tripoli alongside Qatar and Italy .
The UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been recruiting Syrians to fight in Libya since at least the beginning of 2020 .
Jim Jeffrey , the U.S. special envoy for Syria , told reporters the United States believes Russia is working with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer militia fighters and equipment to Libya .
`` We know that , certainly the Russians are working with Assad to transfer militia fighters , possibly [ a ] third country , possibly Syrian , to Libya , as well as equipment , '' he said .
Henry Wooster , a State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged Russia to wield its influence to get Haftar ’ s eastern government and the UN-recognized government in the west of the country to return to talks .
Previous rounds of peace talks in France , Italy , Russia , and Germany have failed to yield a breakthrough to end the fighting .
Western diplomats have blamed Haftar ’ s intransigence coupled with his belief that he can control all of oil-rich Libya through a military solution for the failure of talks .
But Russia , too , has been unable or unwilling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warlord to push for a cease-fire .
Asked if Haftar 's foreign supporters could persuade him to halt his offensive on Tripoli given recent battlefield setbacks , Wooster said : `` I don ’ t think that in the near-term offing , at least in the foreseeable future , there ’ s any likely prospect whatsoever that that would happen.
” '' For as long as there is an objective they can meet through Haftar as an instrument , we don ’ t see them backing down , '' Wooster said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conflict to de-escalate , but its position is complicated by the mixed signals it has sent .
In April 2019 , U.S. President Donald Trump praised Haftar after a phone call .
Haftar is also backed by Jordan , Egypt , and the United Arab Emirates , close U.S. regional partners who view the strongman as a blunt force to counter Islamist militias and political groups aligned with the Tripoli government .
But Wooster said that the United States does not support Haftar and opposes his offensive on Tripoli , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda that have taken advantage of the chaos .
With reporting by AFP and Reuters

The United States has accused Russia of worsening the situation in war-torn Libya and funneling Syrian mercenaries to support Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar in his battle to capture the capital, Tripoli.
The comments from top State Department officials on May 7 came a day after a UN report confirmed between 800 and 1,200 military contractors from Russia’s Vagner Group are actively fighting alongside Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army that controls eastern Libya.
The report from a UN panel monitoring Libya sanctions said the Russian private security firm, which is believed to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has "acted as an effective force multiplier" for Haftar’s command as they fight the internationally recognized Government of National Accord based in the west of the North African country.
Russian support to Haftar "has led to a significant escalation of the conflict and a worsening of the humanitarian situation in Libya," said Chris Robinson, a State Department official who focuses on Russia.
The Vagner Group is “often misleadingly referred to as a Russian private security company, but in fact it's an instrument of the Russian government which the Kremlin uses as a low-cost and low-risk instrument to advance its goals," Robinson told reporters.
Libya has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the North African country’s longtime dictator Colonel Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
The report said forces affiliated with the Government of National Accord had captured arms "typical of the weaponry observed being used by [Vagner] operatives elsewhere in eastern Ukraine and Syria.” It also said Vagner forces use equipment typical of the Russian military.
Robinson told reporters that the "very heavy and advanced weapons" the Vagner Group wields in Libya indicates it is not a private company.
Moscow has denied the Russian state is responsible for any deployments.
Libya’s conflict has drawn in multiple regional actors, with Russia, France, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates backing Haftar’s command.
Turkey, which deployed troops, drones, and Syrian rebel mercenaries to Libya in January, supports the government in Tripoli alongside Qatar and Italy.
Recruiting Syrians
The UN panel said that a Russian company has been recruiting Syrians to fight in Libya since at least the beginning of 2020.
Jim Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, told reporters the United States believes Russia is working with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer militia fighters and equipment to Libya.
"We know that, certainly the Russians are working with Assad to transfer militia fighters, possibly [a] third country, possibly Syrian, to Libya, as well as equipment," he said.
Henry Wooster, a State Department official in charge of North Africa, urged Russia to wield its influence to get Haftar’s eastern government and the UN-recognized government in the west of the country to return to talks.
Previous rounds of peace talks in France, Italy, Russia, and Germany have failed to yield a breakthrough to end the fighting.
Western diplomats have blamed Haftar’s intransigence coupled with his belief that he can control all of oil-rich Libya through a military solution for the failure of talks. But Russia, too, has been unable or unwilling to fully leverage its relationship with the warlord to push for a cease-fire.
Asked if Haftar's foreign supporters could persuade him to halt his offensive on Tripoli given recent battlefield setbacks, Wooster said: "I don’t think that in the near-term offing, at least in the foreseeable future, there’s any likely prospect whatsoever that that would happen.”
"For as long as there is an objective they can meet through Haftar as an instrument, we don’t see them backing down," Wooster said.
The United States has urged all sides of the conflict to de-escalate, but its position is complicated by the mixed signals it has sent.
In April 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump praised Haftar after a phone call. Haftar is also backed by Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, close U.S. regional partners who view the strongman as a blunt force to counter Islamist militias and political groups aligned with the Tripoli government.
But Wooster said that the United States does not support Haftar and opposes his offensive on Tripoli, adding that it is a distraction from fighting extremist groups such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda that have taken advantage of the chaos.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters


rferl--2020-05-09--Congressmen Raise Questions About Taliban's Commitment To February Agreement

The top members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee say an increase in violence in Afghanistan has raised questions about the Taliban ’ s commitment to an agreement it signed with the United States in February .
Representatives Eliot L. Engel ( Democrat-New York ) , chairman of the committee , and Michael T. McCaul ( Republican-Texas ) say the “ dramatic increase ” in violence in Afghanistan is an “ unacceptable violation ” of the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement signed February 29 .
“ The Taliban ’ s continued attacks on Afghan forces make us question whether the Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards peace , and prevent negotiations from moving forward , ” Engel and McCaul said in a joint statement on May 8 .
The violence has coincided with the rapid spread of the coronavirus , and Engel and McCaul said that it has prevented Afghans from focusing on the health crisis .
Engel and McCaul called on all parties to stop attacks immediately , agree to a cease-fire , and support the road to peace .
Their comments follow U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper 's statement on May 5 that the Taliban were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that he also believed the Afghan government was not living up to its commitment .
The Afghan government was not part of the February agreement between the United States and the Taliban , but the deal called for Kabul to release 5,000 Taliban fighters as a confidence-building measure ahead of intra-Afghan talks .
The deal paves the way for the withdrawal of all international troops from Afghanistan within 14 months .
In addition to an exchange of prisoners , it is intended to lead to peace talks between the Afghan government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict .
But attacks by Taliban militants have increased since the deal was signed .
The latest attack by Taliban militants killed a provincial police chief and two others in a roadside bomb attack in Khost Province in Afghanistan ’ s southeast , officials said on May 8 .
Khost police chief Sayed Ahmad Babazai was leading an operation against the militants in the province when he was hit by the bomb on May 7 , Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said .
Babazai ’ s secretary and one of his bodyguards were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another policeman was severely wounded in the incident .
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack .
It comes as the U.S. peace envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said on May 7 that he had talked to Taliban leaders in Qatar about a reduction in violence and a range of other issues related to the February agreement .
With reporting by dpa and Reuters

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--2020-05-08--Russia's New Coronavirus Cases Top 10,000 For Sixth Straight Day

Russia registered more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases for the sixth day in a row -- an indication the spread of the virus inside the country remains serious despite a stringent lockdown -- as the Communist party leader called for the release of non-violent criminals from prison .
Russia ’ s coronavirus crisis response center reported 10,669 new coronavirus cases on May 8 , bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 187,859 , the fifth highest in the world .
The May 8 increase was below the national record set the previous day of 11,231 .
Moscow , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s cases and deaths , announced on May 7 that a citywide lockdown would be extended until the end of the month as new cases continued to rise .
The city has handed out more than 35,000 violations of the quarantine as it seeks to encourage people to stay home .
Moscow Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said May 8 that city residents will be required to wear masks in public places starting May 12 .
Residents not wearing masks inside public transport will be fined 5,000 rubles ( $ 68 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia 's Communist Party and a member of the lower house of parliament , sent a letter to President Vladimir Putin requesting he give amnesty to some prisoners serving their first sentence for minor , nonviolent crimes that are not corruption-related .
Zyuganov cited the pandemic as a reason .
Russian activists have warned that the roughly 875,000 people held in the nation ’ s prisons and pretrial-detention facilities -- and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them -- could be in particular danger from the spread of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of prisoners in recent years , many facilities remain overcrowded .
Disproportionate numbers of prisoners suffer from chronic illnesses , including tuberculosis , hepatitis , and HIV infection .
COVID-19 is particularly deadly for those with preexisting conditions .
Russia ’ s coronavirus crisis response center reported 98 new fatalities on May 8 from COVID-19 , bringing the nation 's death toll to 1,723 .
The death tally in Moscow surpassed 1,000 .
Russia ’ s death rate from COVID-19 remains relatively low , triggering criticism that the authorities may be covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by failing to correctly identify coronavirus deaths as such , accusations that have been rejected by authorities .
Russian officials say the outbreak in their country started later than in parts of the world , allowing authorities to better prepare for the pandemic .
Based on reporting by Reuters , AFP , and TASS

Russia registered more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases for the sixth day in a row -- an indication the spread of the virus inside the country remains serious despite a stringent lockdown -- as the Communist party leader called for the release of nonviolent criminals from prison.
Russia’s coronavirus crisis response center reported 10,669 new coronavirus cases on May 8, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 187,859, the fifth highest in the world. The May 8 increase was below the national record set the previous day of 11,231.
Moscow, which has the lion's share of the nation’s cases and deaths, announced on May 7 that a citywide lockdown would be extended until the end of the month as new cases continued to rise. The city has handed out more than 35,000 violations of the quarantine as it seeks to encourage people to stay home.
Moscow Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said May 8 that city residents will be required to wear masks in public places starting May 12. Residents not wearing masks inside public transport will be fined 5,000 rubles ($68).
Gennady Zyuganov, the leader of Russia's Communist Party and a member of the lower house of parliament, sent a letter to President Vladimir Putin requesting he give amnesty to some prisoners serving their first sentence for minor, nonviolent crimes that are not corruption-related. Zyuganov cited the pandemic as a reason.
Russian activists have warned that the roughly 875,000 people held in the nation’s prisons and pretrial-detention facilities -- and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them -- could be in particular danger from the spread of the virus.
Although Russia has significantly reduced the number of prisoners in recent years, many facilities remain overcrowded. Disproportionate numbers of prisoners suffer from chronic illnesses, including tuberculosis, hepatitis, and HIV infection. COVID-19 is particularly deadly for those with preexisting conditions.
Russia’s coronavirus crisis response center reported 98 new fatalities on May 8 from COVID-19, bringing the nation's death toll to 1,723. The death tally in Moscow surpassed 1,000.
Russia’s death rate from COVID-19 remains relatively low, triggering criticism that the authorities may be covering up the real toll of the outbreak by failing to correctly identify coronavirus deaths as such, accusations that have been rejected by authorities.
Russian officials say the outbreak in their country started later than in parts of the world, allowing authorities to better prepare for the pandemic.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and TASS


rferl--2020-05-08--Six Pakistani Security Personnel Killed In Roadside Bomb Attack

Six Pakistani security personnel , including an officer , were killed in a roadside bomb attack near the South Asian @ @ @ @ @ Iran .
Pakistan ’ s Inter-Services Public Relations ( ISPR ) , the military ’ @ @ @ @ @ May 8 that the security forces were returning from patrolling duty when an improvised explosive @ @ @ @ @ their reconnaissance vehicle .
The ISPR statement said the incident happened 14 kilometers from Pakistan @ @ @ @ @ in the Kech district within the Balochistan Province .
One officer and five soldiers were @ @ @ @ @ No group so far claimed responsibility for the blast .
Balochistan is Pakistan 's largest @ @ @ @ @ bordering both Afghanistan and Iran .
It is home to ethnic Baloch separatists as well @ @ @ @ @ the area .
Parts of the province are also believed to be the sanctuaries of @ @ @ @ @ in the region have killed dozens of Pakistani officers and citizens over the past year @

Six Pakistani security personnel, including an officer, were killed in a roadside bomb attack near the South Asian nation’s border with Iran.
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said May 8 that the security forces were returning from patrolling duty when an improvised explosive device (IED) hit their reconnaissance vehicle.
The ISPR statement said the incident happened 14 kilometers from Pakistan’s border with Iran in the Kech district within the Balochistan Province. One officer and five soldiers were killed in the attack.
No group so far claimed responsibility for the blast.
Balochistan is Pakistan's largest and most volatile province, bordering both Afghanistan and Iran.
It is home to ethnic Baloch separatists as well as several sectarian groups in the area. Parts of the province are also believed to be the sanctuaries of the Afghan Taliban.
Bombings in the region have killed dozens of Pakistani officers and citizens over the past year.


rferl--2020-05-08--Armenian Parliamentarians Exchange Blows After Coronavirus Aid Criticism

YEREVAN -- Armenian parliamentarians from opposing parties exchanged blows amid a disagreement over the government ’ s economic response to the coronavirus crisis .
During a debate on May 8 , Edmon Marukian , the leader of the Bright Armenia opposition faction , accused the ruling My Step faction loyal to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian of failing to help ordinary citizens amid the economic shutdown .
The opposition has called for larger cash payments to citizens .
Marukian 's criticism triggered angry remarks from My Step lawmakers , including Sasun Mikaelian .
Displeased by what he heard , Marukian stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech and approached Mikaelian , who stood up from this seat .
The two threw punches at each other before it was broken up by other members of parliament .
“ No matter how hard you hit me , I will continue to speak up , ” Marukian stated once he returned to the podium .
`` The [ 2018 ] revolution took place also to establish a culture of debate here in this parliament , ” he said , referring to the events that brought Pashinian to power two years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cool the tension in the chamber , soon interrupted Marukian ’ s speech to announce a break .
Pashinian later condemned the fistfight , but blamed the opposition lawmaker for picking the quarrel .
Pashinian said Marukian ’ s decision to step down from the podium indicated he was intent on fighting .
“ Having watched the video of the incident , I can not but describe what happened as a miserable provocation , ” said Pashinian .
However , Pashinian also lamented that his party members “ give in to provocations.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 and 43 deaths .
The government has imposed a nationwide lockdown .
The nation ’ s economy is dependent on international tourism and remittances from citizens working abroad .
The spread of the coronavirus has decimated leisure travel as countries seal their borders and put many migrant laborers out of work .
The Armenian government has passed over a dozen measures to support domestic businesses and individuals impacted by the pandemic .
The assistance includes , among other things , government-subsidized bank loans to businesses and individual entrepreneurs ; small one-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partial subsidies for utility and other bills .
Mikaelian wasn ’ t the only member of My Step that expressed anger with Marukian during the May 8 debate .
Babken Tunian accused the Bright Armenia leader of handing out his mobile phone number to citizens displeased with the government ’ s economic response to the coronavirus .
Tunian said he was inundated with phone calls .
Marukian said Tunian gave out his own number to the public after he cast doubt over the number of people dissatisfied with the government .
“ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask questions [ about government assistance ] , you arrogantly accuse us of telling lies , you claim that no one calls us , ” Marukian said .

YEREVAN -- Armenian parliamentarians from opposing parties exchanged blows amid a disagreement over the government’s economic response to the coronavirus crisis.
During a debate on May 8, Edmon Marukian, the leader of the Bright Armenia opposition faction, accused the ruling My Step faction loyal to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian of failing to help ordinary citizens amid the economic shutdown.
The opposition has called for larger cash payments to citizens.
Marukian's criticism triggered angry remarks from My Step lawmakers, including Sasun Mikaelian. Displeased by what he heard, Marukian stepped down from the podium midway through his speech and approached Mikaelian, who stood up from this seat. The two threw punches at each other before it was broken up by other members of parliament.
“No matter how hard you hit me, I will continue to speak up,” Marukian stated once he returned to the podium.
"The [2018] revolution took place also to establish a culture of debate here in this parliament,” he said, referring to the events that brought Pashinian to power two years ago.
Parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan, seeking to cool the tension in the chamber, soon interrupted Marukian’s speech to announce a break.
Pashinian later condemned the fistfight, but blamed the opposition lawmaker for picking the quarrel. Pashinian said Marukian’s decision to step down from the podium indicated he was intent on fighting.
“Having watched the video of the incident, I cannot but describe what happened as a miserable provocation,” said Pashinian.
However, Pashinian also lamented that his party members “give in to provocations.”
COVID-19 Spread
Armenia has more than 3,000 registered cases of COVID-19 and 43 deaths. The government has imposed a nationwide lockdown.
The nation’s economy is dependent on international tourism and remittances from citizens working abroad. The spread of the coronavirus has decimated leisure travel as countries seal their borders and put many migrant laborers out of work.
The Armenian government has passed over a dozen measures to support domestic businesses and individuals impacted by the pandemic.
The assistance includes, among other things, government-subsidized bank loans to businesses and individual entrepreneurs; small one-time payments to socially vulnerable groups; and partial subsidies for utility and other bills.
Mikaelian wasn’t the only member of My Step that expressed anger with Marukian during the May 8 debate.
Babken Tunian accused the Bright Armenia leader of handing out his mobile phone number to citizens displeased with the government’s economic response to the coronavirus.
Tunian said he was inundated with phone calls.
Marukian said Tunian gave out his own number to the public after he cast doubt over the number of people dissatisfied with the government.
“When we say that people call us and ask questions [about government assistance], you arrogantly accuse us of telling lies, you claim that no one calls us,” Marukian said.


rferl--2020-05-08--Georgia Summons Ambassador To Ukraine Back To Tbilisi After Saakashvili Appointment

KYIV -- Georgia summoned its ambassador to Ukraine back to Tbilisi in a sign of its displeasure over Kyiv ’ s decision to name Mikheil Saakashvili to a government reform body .
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said May 8 that the nation ’ s ambassador to Ukraine , Teimuraz Sharashenidze , will be recalled to Tbilisi for consultations .
The decision comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy named Saakashvili , the controversial former Georgian president , to head the executive committee of Ukraine ’ s National Reform Council .
Ukraine ’ s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kateryna Zelenko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and called on Tbilisi not to make its reform agenda hostage to the health of their bilateral relations .
`` These [ reform ] challenges require new approaches and new solutions from the Ukrainian government .
Mikheil Saakashvili is a citizen of Ukraine .
He has extensive experience and significant achievements in implementing reforms , ” Zelenko told RFE/RL ’ s Ukrainian Service .
Ukraine ’ s National Reform Council was created in 2014 to carry out strategic planning and coordinate reforms .
Zelenskiy campaigned last year on a reform agenda , winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Saakashvili , 52 , served as Georgia ’ s president from 2004 until 2013 , during which he carried out political and economic reforms that were praised by some in the West .
However , he was criticized , especially later in his two-year term , for an authoritarian style of ruling .
His party , United National Movement , was defeated in the 2012 parliamentary elections by Georgian Dream , a coalition formed by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili , a critic of the then-president .
Saakashvili left Georgia shortly after his presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of his party were arrested .
In January 2018 , a Georgian court convicted him in absentia of covering up evidence in the case of the killing of a Georgian banker and sentenced him to three years in prison .
In June 2018 , another court convicted him of abuse of power and sentenced him to six years in prison .
Saakashvili has denied all the accusations and says the charges are politically motivated .
In 2015-2016 , Saakashvili served as governor of Ukraine ’ s Odesa region .
When he resigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Petro Poroshenko , of corruption .
Poroshenko , in turn , stripped Saakashvili of his Ukrainian citizenship .
As one of his first acts as president last year , Zelenskiy restored Saakashvili ’ s Ukrainian citizenship , facilitating Saakashvili ’ s return to Ukraine .
Last month , Zelenskiy proposed appointing Saakashvili as deputy prime minister in charge of reform , but his candidacy was not put to a vote in parliament .

KYIV -- Georgia summoned its ambassador to Ukraine back to Tbilisi in a sign of its displeasure over Kyiv’s decision to name Mikheil Saakashvili to a government reform body.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said May 8 that the nation’s ambassador to Ukraine, Teimuraz Sharashenidze, will be recalled to Tbilisi for consultations.
The decision comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy named Saakashvili, the controversial former Georgian president, to head the executive committee of Ukraine’s National Reform Council.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kateryna Zelenko said Kyiv needs Saakashvili’s experience and called on Tbilisi not to make its reform agenda hostage to the health of their bilateral relations.
"These [reform] challenges require new approaches and new solutions from the Ukrainian government. Mikheil Saakashvili is a citizen of Ukraine. He has extensive experience and significant achievements in implementing reforms,” Zelenko told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service.
Ukraine’s National Reform Council was created in 2014 to carry out strategic planning and coordinate reforms. Zelenskiy campaigned last year on a reform agenda, winning the April 2019 vote by a landslide.
Saakashvili, 52, served as Georgia’s president from 2004 until 2013, during which he carried out political and economic reforms that were praised by some in the West. However, he was criticized, especially later in his two-year term, for an authoritarian style of ruling.
His party, United National Movement, was defeated in the 2012 parliamentary elections by Georgian Dream, a coalition formed by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a critic of the then-president. Saakashvili left Georgia shortly after his presidential term ended in late 2013 as some members of his party were arrested.
In January 2018, a Georgian court convicted him in absentia of covering up evidence in the case of the killing of a Georgian banker and sentenced him to three years in prison. In June 2018, another court convicted him of abuse of power and sentenced him to six years in prison.
Saakashvili has denied all the accusations and says the charges are politically motivated.
In 2015-2016, Saakashvili served as governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region. When he resigned, he accused Zelenskiy’s predecessor, Petro Poroshenko, of corruption. Poroshenko, in turn, stripped Saakashvili of his Ukrainian citizenship.
As one of his first acts as president last year, Zelenskiy restored Saakashvili’s Ukrainian citizenship, facilitating Saakashvili’s return to Ukraine.
Last month, Zelenskiy proposed appointing Saakashvili as deputy prime minister in charge of reform, but his candidacy was not put to a vote in parliament.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-05-08--Taliban Militants Kill Afghan Regional Police Chief In Latest Attack

Taliban militants have killed a provincial police chief and two others in a roadside bomb attack in Khost Province in Afghanistan ’ s southeast , officials said on May 8 .
Khost police chief Sayed Ahmad Babazai was leading an operation against the militants in the western part of the province when he was hit by the bomb late on May 7 , Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said .
Babazai ’ s secretary and one of his bodyguards were also killed in the explosion , local officials confirmed .
Another policeman was severely wounded in the incident .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack .
It comes as the U.S. peace envoy for Afghanistan , Zalmay Khalilzad , said on May 7 that he had talked to Taliban leaders in Qatar about a `` reduction in violence '' and a range of other issues related to the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement signed in February .
The deal paves the way for the withdrawal of all international troops from Afghanistan within 14 months .
In addition to an exchange of prisoners , it is intended to lead to peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction , the Taliban has not launched any attacks on international troops since the agreement , but have increased attacks on Afghan government forces .
Based on reporting by dpa and Reuters


rferl--2020-05-08--Belarus To Hold Presidential Election In August Despite Pandemic

Belarus has announced that the next presidential election will be held on August 9 as the country ’ s authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka sought to play down the risks of the coronavirus pandemic .
The election date was approved by the lower house of the parliament on May 8 .
Lukashenka , who has led the former Soviet country since 1994 , has expressed intentions to seek reelection to a sixth term .
Lukashenka said in November 2019 that he could also stand in 2025 , while adding : `` I wo n't cling onto my seat with my cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who will run against Lukashenka .
Opposition politician Yury Gubarevich criticized the decision to go ahead with the election , saying : `` The date of August 9 practically knocks out all political opponents [ to Lukashenka ] .
” The campaign will fall at `` the height of the coronavirus epidemic , '' making it hard to gather signatures of support for candidates , he wrote on Facebook .
Belarus has reported 20,168 coronavirus cases and 116 deaths as of May 8 .
However , the country has not imposed a lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenka has repeatedly claimed the coronavirus is no worse than other winter bugs .
He has also offered dubious tips on avoiding the virus , recommending drinking vodka and taking steam baths .
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa

Belarus has announced that the next presidential election will be held on August 9 as the country’s authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka sought to play down the risks of the coronavirus pandemic.
The election date was approved by the lower house of the parliament on May 8.
Lukashenka, who has led the former Soviet country since 1994, has expressed intentions to seek reelection to a sixth term.
Lukashenka said in November 2019 that he could also stand in 2025, while adding: "I won't cling onto my seat with my cold dead hands."
Belarus abolished presidential-term limits in a referendum in 2004.
It's unclear who will run against Lukashenka.
Opposition politician Yury Gubarevich criticized the decision to go ahead with the election, saying: "The date of August 9 practically knocks out all political opponents [to Lukashenka].”
The campaign will fall at "the height of the coronavirus epidemic," making it hard to gather signatures of support for candidates, he wrote on Facebook.
Belarus has reported 20,168 coronavirus cases and 116 deaths as of May 8. However, the country has not imposed a lockdown and continues to hold public events.
Lukashenka has repeatedly claimed the coronavirus is no worse than other winter bugs. He has also offered dubious tips on avoiding the virus, recommending drinking vodka and taking steam baths.
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa


rferl--2020-05-09--Belarus Pushes Aside COVID-19 Fears To Hold Victory Day Parade

Crowds are gathering in the capital of the former Soviet republic of Belarus for a military parade on May 9 marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany 's defeat in World War II despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
Post-Soviet Belarus is the only European state that has resisted strict and sweeping national restrictions on movement and its longtime president , Alyaksandr Lukashenka , has downplayed the pandemic as a `` psychosis . ''
“ Belarus celebrates this significant date at a difficult time , '' Lukashenka said in a statement on May 9 .
`` However , our current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losses that befell the heroic generation that saved the world from the brown plague . ''
The parade was expected to attract thousands of spectators , with grandstands at the site designed to hold 11,000 people .
One hundred and sixty-seven police checkpoints were set up around the venue .
Images of the rehearsals for the commemorations showed large crowds of unmasked officials and participants hoisting national symbols and marching together at the scene of the event in the capital .
Lukashenka earlier this week called on leaders of other countries to attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling on leaders of other countries , at least countries of the former [ Soviet ] Union , to gather in Minsk , which is the right thing to do , '' Lukashenka said on May 5 .
Russia will be represented by its ambassador to Belarus , Dmitry Mezentsev , at the parade , Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said , despite Russia 's decision to cancel its own plans for a massive gathering to mark the end of what it calls the Great Patriotic War .
`` Holding a Victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Belarus 's sovereign right , which we respect , '' Rudenko told Interfax .
The Belarusian parade is to include more than 3,000 members of the armed forces , 185 military vehicles and 42 aircraft , state news agency BelTA reported .
Activists from the Youth Bloc group turned up at a rehearsal of the parade carrying a mock coffin and dancing to protest the continuation of such a gathering in the face of the pandemic .
Their stunt was meant to echo Ghana 's `` dancing pallbearers , '' an Internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus emerged from central China months ago .
Victory Day is the most important national holiday in Belarus and other former Soviet states .
Russia decided to cancel its parade through Red Square in Moscow over concern about the spread of the coronavirus , which has infected nearly 188,000 Russians and left at least 1,723 dead .
The Minsk parade has raised the concern of the World Health Organization ’ s ( WHO ) , which has called on the country ’ s authorities to impose social-distancing measures and avoid large public gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease caused by the coronavirus .
Belarus currently has more than 21,101 registered coronavirus cases , including 121 deaths , but Lukashenka has publicly dismissed concerns about the dangers of COVID-19 several times .

MINSK -- Thousands of people jammed the center of the Belarusian capital to watch soldiers and military units march as part of celebrations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, celebrations that took place despite serious concerns about the coronavirus.
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who brushed aside warnings from the World Health Organization and criticism from many Belarusian political figures, made passing reference to the coronavirus in his public address during the May 9 events.
“Belarus celebrates this significant date at a difficult time," he said. "However, our current difficulties are dimmed by the hardships and losses that befell the heroic generation that saved the world from the brown plague” -- a reference to the Nazis.
Victory Day has long been a major secular holiday in Belarus, as in Russia and some other former Soviet republics. Fading memories, however, have changed the way the war's end is marked from country to country. Ill will among Russia's neighbors following Moscow's interference in Ukraine in 2014 has also changed how countries mark the day.
This year, with the countries that normally hold Victory Day parades canceling due to spiking infection and death rates, Lukashenka has downplayed the pandemic as a "psychosis," vowing to go ahead with celebrations.
Live Stream From RFE/RL's Belarus Service
The country has more than 20,000 confirmed infections, and the death toll is nearly 200. Experts in and outside of Belarus believe the figures are widely undercounted.
Thousands of soldiers and dozens of military units goose-stepped through Minsk’s center, past reviewing stands and thousands who lined the parade route.
Some people appeared to be wearing masks, but few observed social distancing -- standing some distance one another to minimize the possibility of infections -- as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder on risers.
Lukashenka earlier this week called on leaders of other countries to attend the event.
"I am publicly calling on leaders of other countries, at least countries of the former [Soviet] Union, to gather in Minsk, which is the right thing to do," Lukashenka said on May 5.
The fact that Belarus went forward with its parade, while Russian leader Vladimir Putin, whose country faces skyrocketing infection rates, was seen in some places as a pointed message directed at Moscow.
Russian politicians, meanwhile, downplayed and even criticized the invitation and Lukashenka’s decision to go forward with the parade.
Russia was represented in the official ceremonies by its ambassador to Belarus and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said Belarus's decision to hold the event was its "sovereign right, which we respect."
Activists from the Youth Bloc group turned up at a rehearsal of the parade carrying a mock coffin and dancing to protest the continuation of such a gathering in the face of the pandemic.
Their stunt was meant to echo Ghana's "dancing pallbearers," an Internet meme that has become popular since the coronavirus emerged from central China months ago.
Victory Day is the most important national holiday in Belarus and other former Soviet states.
The Kremlin canceled the parade through Red Square over concern about the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected nearly 188,000 Russians and left at least 1,723 dead.
The Minsk parade raised the concern of the World Health Organization, which called on the country’s authorities to impose social-distancing measures and avoid large public gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
With reporting by Interfax, BelTA, dpa