rferl--2020-05-15--German Energy Regulator Deals Fresh Blow To Nord Stream 2 Project

Germany ’ s energy regulator has declined to grant an exemption of rules governing the EU 's internal gas market to the operators of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to carry gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea .
The Federal Network Agency , Bundesnetzagentur , said on May 15 that the section of the pipeline that runs through German territory is not exempt from the EU gas directive under which production , transport , and distribution of energy should be independently organized .
The agency said a waiver could only have been granted to the Nord Stream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completed by May 23 last year .
The consortium , which is led by Russia ’ s state-run Gazprom but also includes Western partners , said it disagreed with the decision , reiterating that while not physically complete the project had been economically functional .
A spokesman said legal action was being considered .
The dispute won ’ t affect the construction of the 1,230-kilometer pipeline , which is already long behind schedule , but is related to its operation once it is running .
The $ 11 billion project has a capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural gas a year .
It is more than 90 percent complete with about 160 kilometers of pipeline remaining to be laid along the Baltic Sea floor near Denmark .
The U.S. Congress passed a bill in December 2019 that allowed Washington to impose sanctions on any vessel that helps Russia complete the pipeline , forcing Western-owned ships to stop work .
The United States opposes Nord Stream 2 , saying it would strengthen Russia ’ s hold on Western Europe ’ s energy market and allow the Kremlin to avoid exports through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue .
Russia claims Washington is seeking to block the project with the goal of exporting more U.S. liquefied natural gas to Europe .

Germany’s energy regulator has declined to grant an exemption of rules governing the EU's internal gas market to the operators of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to carry gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
The Federal Network Agency, Bundesnetzagentur, said on May 15 that the section of the pipeline that runs through German territory is not exempt from the EU gas directive under which production, transport, and distribution of energy should be independently organized.
The agency said a waiver could only have been granted to the Nord Stream 2 consortium if the pipeline had been completed by May 23 last year.
The consortium, which is led by Russia’s state-run Gazprom but also includes Western partners, said it disagreed with the decision, reiterating that while not physically complete the project had been economically functional. A spokesman said legal action was being considered.
The dispute won’t affect the construction of the 1,230-kilometer pipeline, which is already long behind schedule, but is related to its operation once it is running.
The $11 billion project has a capacity to export 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year. It is more than 90 percent complete with about 160 kilometers of pipeline remaining to be laid along the Baltic Sea floor near Denmark.
The U.S. Congress passed a bill in December 2019 that allowed Washington to impose sanctions on any vessel that helps Russia complete the pipeline, forcing Western-owned ships to stop work.
The United States opposes Nord Stream 2, saying it would strengthen Russia’s hold on Western Europe’s energy market and allow the Kremlin to avoid exports through Ukraine, depriving Kyiv of much-needed transit revenue.
Russia claims Washington is seeking to block the project with the goal of exporting more U.S. liquefied natural gas to Europe.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-05-15--Pompeo Says U.S. Begins Shipping Oil To Belarus As Ties With Minsk Improve

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the first shipment of U.S. crude oil to Belarus will depart this week .
It is the latest step in warming relations and expanding trade ties between the two countries and comes as negotiations between Belarus and Russia over the price and supply of oil became contentious .
Pompeo said on May 15 that the deal strengthens Belarusian sovereignty and independence and “ demonstrates that the United States is ready to deliver trade opportunities for American companies interested in entering the Belarusian market.
” It also fulfills a commitment the United States made to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- the first visit to the country by a sitting U.S. secretary of state since 1994 .
Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei confirmed the shipment , saying he did so “ with satisfaction.
” A spokesman for the Belarusian state petrochemicals concern Belneftekhim told reporters the tanker will leave Beaumont , Texas , on May 17 and is expected to reach the port of Klaipeda in Lithuania in early June .
Pompeo ’ s statement said the United States stands ready to meet the needs of countries that , like Belarus , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on supply diversification and trade rooted in the U.S. commercial values of free enterprise , the rule of law , and transparent deals free of corruption.
” The United States also urged Belarus to build on the progress it has made to increase the access of U.S. businesses to its market and undertake reforms necessary to join the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) , he added .
The oil shipment is part of a competitive deal by United Energy Trading with assistance from U.S. firm Getka and their Polish partner UNIMOT @ @ @ @

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the first shipment of U.S. crude oil to Belarus will depart this week.
It is the latest step in warming relations and expanding trade ties between the two countries and comes as negotiations between Belarus and Russia over the price and supply of oil became contentious.
Pompeo said on May 15 that the deal strengthens Belarusian sovereignty and independence and “demonstrates that the United States is ready to deliver trade opportunities for American companies interested in entering the Belarusian market.”
It also fulfills a commitment the United States made to Belarus when Pompeo visited Minsk in February -- the first visit to the country by a sitting U.S. secretary of state since 1994.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei confirmed the shipment, saying he did so “with satisfaction.”
A spokesman for the Belarusian state petrochemicals concern Belneftekhim told reporters the tanker will leave Beaumont, Texas, on May 17 and is expected to reach the port of Klaipeda in Lithuania in early June.
Pompeo’s statement said the United States stands ready to meet the needs of countries that, like Belarus, “want to benefit from enhanced energy security based on supply diversification and trade rooted in the U.S. commercial values of free enterprise, the rule of law, and transparent deals free of corruption.”
The United States also urged Belarus to build on the progress it has made to increase the access of U.S. businesses to its market and undertake reforms necessary to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), he added.
The oil shipment is part of a competitive deal by United Energy Trading with assistance from U.S. firm Getka and their Polish partner UNIMOT, Pompeo said.
With reporting by Interfax


rferl--2020-05-15--Sarajevo Mass For Pro-Nazi WWII Collaborators Draws Widespread Condemnation

The Catholic Churches of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia , despite widespread condemnation , are planning to hold a public mass on May 16 in Sarajevo for Croatia 's pro-Nazi collaborators and civilians killed by communist partisans at the end of World War II .
The commemoration , usually held every May near the southern Austrian town of Bleiburg , was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The Bosnian and Croatian churches have stepped in and are organizing the event under the auspices of the Croatian parliament , which in 2016 reintroduced state sponsorship of the commemoration after having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was rehabilitating the Nazi-allied Ustasha regime .
Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljic is due to hold the mass in the cathedral of the Bosnian capital .
All three members of Bosnia 's tripartite presidency , along with most political parties and nongovernmental organizations , as well as the Serbian Orthodox Church , Jewish leaders , and the U.S. and Israeli embassies have condemned the event .
Eric Nelson , the U.S. ambassador to Bosnia , told RFE/RL on May 15 that commemorations should `` focus on remembrance , not revisionism . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II , it is important for everyone to focus on two values of democracy -- reconciliation and interreligious dialogue , '' Nelson said .
The U.S. Embassy in Bosnia called `` on those organizing the Bleiburg commemoration in Bosnia and Herzegovina to refrain from historical revisionism and retrograde rhetoric . ''
The Israeli Embassy said on Twitter that `` the state of Israel stands firm and raises its voice against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war-time Independent State of Croatia ( NDH ) controlled by the Nazi-backed Ustasha included Bosnia and parts of Serbia .
The Ustasha persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs , Jews , and anti-Nazi Croatians .
At the end of the war , the Ustasha , accompanied by civilians and Slovenian and Serbian collaborators , fled towards Austria , but British forces there refused their surrender .
Bosnia 's Jewish leaders , Jakob Finci and Boris Kozemjakin , sent a protest letter to Puljic , warning that the event `` will commemorate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our fathers , our grandfathers , and all our innocent fellow citizens killed by the fascist NDH . ''
Meanwhile , the Simon Wiesenthal Center urged the Bosnian government to ban the memorial mass .
Honoring “ the genocidal Ustasha state ( NDH ) is not only an insult to its victims and their families , but also to all those who opposed the crimes committed by the Ustasha , ” the Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement on May 14 .
Archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Sarajevo , Hrizostom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sarajevo inhabitants , Serbs , Jews , Roma , and other people opposing the Ustasha movement were killed '' during the war .
`` You are holding a mass for those who committed those crimes , '' Hrizostom said in a letter to Puljic .
But the cardinal rejected the accusations and said that praying for the victims ' souls did not mean approval of their acts .
The number of people caught and executed by Communist leader Josip Broz Tito 's partisans in the Bleiburg border region between Austria and Slovenia is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent historians put it at tens of thousands .
Anti-fascist NGOs called for a peaceful march during the mass .
With reporting by AFP and AP

The Catholic Churches of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, despite widespread condemnation, are planning to hold a public mass on May 16 in Sarajevo for Croatia's pro-Nazi collaborators and civilians killed by communist partisans at the end of World War II.
The commemoration, usually held every May near the southern Austrian town of Bleiburg, was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bosnian and Croatian churches have stepped in and are organizing the event under the auspices of the Croatian parliament, which in 2016 reintroduced state sponsorship of the commemoration after having revoked it in 2012 amid criticism that it was rehabilitating the Nazi-allied Ustasha regime.
Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljic is due to hold the mass in the cathedral of the Bosnian capital.
All three members of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, along with most political parties and nongovernmental organizations, as well as the Serbian Orthodox Church, Jewish leaders, and the U.S. and Israeli embassies have condemned the event.
Eric Nelson, the U.S. ambassador to Bosnia, told RFE/RL on May 15 that commemorations should "focus on remembrance, not revisionism."
"Especially this year, when we mark the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, it is important for everyone to focus on two values of democracy -- reconciliation and interreligious dialogue," Nelson said.
The U.S. Embassy in Bosnia called "on those organizing the Bleiburg commemoration in Bosnia and Herzegovina to refrain from historical revisionism and retrograde rhetoric."
The Israeli Embassy said on Twitter that "the state of Israel stands firm and raises its voice against all attempts of revisionism."
The war-time Independent State of Croatia (NDH) controlled by the Nazi-backed Ustasha included Bosnia and parts of Serbia. The Ustasha persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, and anti-Nazi Croatians.
At the end of the war, the Ustasha, accompanied by civilians and Slovenian and Serbian collaborators, fled towards Austria, but British forces there refused their surrender.
Bosnia's Jewish leaders, Jakob Finci and Boris Kozemjakin, sent a protest letter to Puljic, warning that the event "will commemorate...the butchers of our mothers, our fathers, our grandfathers, and all our innocent fellow citizens killed by the fascist NDH."
Meanwhile, the Simon Wiesenthal Center urged the Bosnian government to ban the memorial mass.
Honoring “the genocidal Ustasha state (NDH) is not only an insult to its victims and their families, but also to all those who opposed the crimes committed by the Ustasha,” the Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement on May 14.
Archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Sarajevo, Hrizostom, recalled that "more than 10,000 Sarajevo inhabitants, Serbs, Jews, Roma, and other people opposing the Ustasha movement were killed" during the war.
"You are holding a mass for those who committed those crimes," Hrizostom said in a letter to Puljic.
But the cardinal rejected the accusations and said that praying for the victims' souls did not mean approval of their acts.
The number of people caught and executed by Communist leader Josip Broz Tito's partisans in the Bleiburg border region between Austria and Slovenia is subject to historical debate, but many independent historians put it at tens of thousands.
Anti-fascist NGOs called for a peaceful march during the mass.
With reporting by AFP and AP


rferl--2020-05-15--Russia's Soccer Union Says Premier League Season To Resume On June 21

Russia 's Soccer Union has decided the country 's top league will resume play , albeit in empty stadiums , on June 21 , three months after the season was suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak .
The country 's executive committee took the decision on May 15 .
When the season was suspended in mid-March , there were eight rounds of matches remaining in the 16-team top-flight league .
The national championship 's second and third divisions ( FNL and PFL ) will not return to play and their results as of March 17 will be counted as final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glad that we resume the season at the best dates for the current situation -- in the penultimate week of June .
This will allow all players to prepare for their return to the field and play the season in a short , but reasonable time , '' said Russian Premier League President Sergei Pryadki .
The Soccer Union also decided that up to five replacements of players will be allowed per match instead of the usual three .
Decisions on the places for the matches will be determined by the situation regarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globe have been looking at ways to get athletes back into competition while keeping them safe .
Germany 's top football league , the Bundesliga , will restart its season on May 16 with the final nine rounds played without spectators .
In South Korea , the football league season restarted on May 8 after several weeks off .
North American sports leagues such as basketball 's NBA and hockey 's NHL are still studying ways to finish their 2019-20 seasons , while baseball 's MLB has yet to start its season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 .
Japan was forced to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics until 2021 because of the pandemic .

Russia's Soccer Union has decided the country's top league will resume play, albeit in empty stadiums, on June 21, three months after the season was suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The country's executive committee took the decision on May 15. When the season was suspended in mid-March, there were eight rounds of matches remaining in the 16-team top-flight league.
The national championship's second and third divisions (FNL and PFL) will not return to play and their results as of March 17 will be counted as final, it added.
“I am glad that we resume the season at the best dates for the current situation -- in the penultimate week of June. This will allow all players to prepare for their return to the field and play the season in a short, but reasonable time," said Russian Premier League President Sergei Pryadki.
The Soccer Union also decided that up to five replacements of players will be allowed per match instead of the usual three. Decisions on the places for the matches will be determined by the situation regarding the outbreak.
Sports leagues around the globe have been looking at ways to get athletes back into competition while keeping them safe.
Germany's top football league, the Bundesliga, will restart its season on May 16 with the final nine rounds played without spectators.
In South Korea, the football league season restarted on May 8 after several weeks off.
North American sports leagues such as basketball's NBA and hockey's NHL are still studying ways to finish their 2019-20 seasons, while baseball's MLB has yet to start its season, which was slated to begin on March 26.
Japan was forced to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics until 2021 because of the pandemic.


rferl--2020-05-15--U.S. Afghan Envoy Says New Date For Intra-Afghan Talks Sought

U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad says a new date for intra-Afghan peace talks is under discussion and it would be best if the discussions began while a significant number of American troops were still in Afghanistan .
Speaking to reporters on a conference call on May 15 , Khalilzad also said that he will travel soon to push for a de-escalation in violence and for the release of prisoners .
He added that the United States has heard positive things about the formation of an inclusive Afghan government .
Disagreements over the composition of the government and the pace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kabul and the Taliban to end more than 18 years of war .
The talks were to begin on March 10 under a landmark deal signed in February between the United States and the militant group .
The Taliban has ramped up attacks in recent weeks despite a pledge to reduce violence , a tactic that may be employed to strengthen its negotiating position .
Meanwhile , Islamic State ( IS ) militants also continue to conduct deadly attacks on Afghan security forces and civilians .
Khalilzad acknowledged that the U.S.-Taliban agreement does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces .
The Western-backed government in Kabul was not a party to the deal .
Khalilzad ’ s comments came three days after attacks on a maternity hospital in Kabul and a funeral ceremony in Nangarhar Province that killed at least 56 people .
No group has claimed responsibility for the hospital attack , which killed 24 people , including two babies , and the Taliban have denied it was behind the incident .
Extremist IS militants claimed credit for the other attack .
Khalilzad reiterated that the current U.S. view is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Afghan officials say they see it differently .
Though he did not mention Khalilzad by name , Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh said some people were naive for accepting Taliban lies and blaming the `` fictional '' IS faction in Afghanistan for the hospital attack .
“ Neither the Taliban hands nor their stained consciousness can be washed of the blood of women , babies & other innocent in the latest senseless carnage , ” Saleh , a former intelligence chief , said on Twitter .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ordered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Taliban and other militant groups following the two attacks on May 12 .
He accused all militant groups of ignoring repeated calls to reduce violence .
Khalilzad said earlier on Twitter that IS opposes peace between the Afghan government and the Taliban and “ seeks to encourage sectarian war as in Iraq and Syria.
” “ Rather than falling into the [ Islamic State 's ] trap and delay peace or create obstacles , Afghans must come together to crush this menace and pursue a historic peace opportunity , ” the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. position would help revive peace efforts or alter Ghani ’ s calculation to start an offensive .
The Taliban , which has denied involvement in either attack , reacted to Ghani 's statement on May 13 by saying it was `` fully prepared '' to repel any military offensive .
In the first attack , three gunmen stormed a maternity hospital in Kabul ’ s mostly Shi'ite neighborhood of Dasht-e Barchi before security forces killed them .
At least 24 people , including babies , women , and nurses , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) , is located has been frequently targeted by IS militants .
`` What I saw in the maternity hospital demonstrates it was a systematic shooting of the mothers , '' said Frederic Bonnot , MSF ’ s head in Afghanistan , who visited the facility after the attack .
`` They went through the rooms in the maternity [ ward ] , shooting women in their beds .
It was methodical , ” he added .
The same day , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police commander in the eastern province of Nangarhar , killing at least 32 people .
The core peace plan is for U.S. and foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan following an intra-Afghan deal in exchange for guarantees from the Taliban not to allow the country to become a haven for transnational terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Al-Qaeda aiming to strike abroad .
The United States is continuing its drawdown of troops from Afghanistan , and the Pentagon expects to meet a timeline agreed with the Taliban , a Pentagon spokesman said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still going forward , '' Jonathan Hoffman said during a press briefing .

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--2020-05-16--Serbia Deploys Army To 'Secure' Three Migrant Camps

Serbia has deployed troops near a town not far from the border with Croatia where hundreds of migrants are located @ @ @ @ @ European Union .
In a statement issued on May 16 , the Serbian Defense Ministry @ @ @ @ @ sent the troops to `` secure '' three migrant camps near the western town of @ @ @ @ @ 1,500 people , mostly from Syria , Afghanistan , and Pakistan .
Vucic said he @ @ @ @ @ the local population from alleged harassment and robberies committed by the migrants .
He told @ @ @ @ @ a state of emergency imposed to fight the coronavirus spread in Serbia was lifted earlier @ @ @ @ @ started venturing outside the camps , committing `` petty crimes and illegal entries into houses @ @ @ @ @ that people are feeling unsafe , '' Vucic said .
There are an estimated 4,000 @ @ @ @ @ one of the main transit routes through the Balkans for people fleeing wars and poverty @

Serbia has deployed troops near a town not far from the border with Croatia where hundreds of migrants are located, hoping to reach the European Union.
In a statement issued on May 16, the Serbian Defense Ministry said that President Aleksandar Vucic sent the troops to "secure" three migrant camps near the western town of Sid that are housing some 1,500 people, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
Vucic said he ordered the deployment to protect the local population from alleged harassment and robberies committed by the migrants.
He told TV Prva that, after a state of emergency imposed to fight the coronavirus spread in Serbia was lifted earlier this month, the migrants started venturing outside the camps, committing "petty crimes and illegal entries into houses."
"Because of that people are feeling unsafe," Vucic said.
There are an estimated 4,000 migrants stranded in Serbia, one of the main transit routes through the Balkans for people fleeing wars and poverty.
Based on reporting by AP


rferl--2020-05-16--Tajik Parliament Speaker Released After Pneumonia Treatment

The speaker of the lower house of parliament in Tajikistan has been released from hospital after being treated , according to the Health Ministry , for pneumonia amid earlier denials by several deputies that he had contracted coronavirus .
In a short statement issued on May 15 , the Tajik Health Ministry said Mahmadtoir Zokirzoda had been discharged the same day from hospital in the capital , Dushanbe , after successfully being treated for pneumonia .
However , an earlier statement from the ministry -- that was briefly removed -- said Zokirzoda had been admitted to hospital back on May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had become infected with the coronavirus , although several deputies denied this .
The 63-strong Majlisi Namoyandagon is dominated by President Emomali Rahmon ’ s People ’ s Democratic Party ( PDP ) .
Tajikistan has confirmed more than 1,100 cases of coronavirus , and 33 deaths from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
Tajikistan did not officially register a coronavirus case until April 30 , just ahead of a mission by the World Health Organization to the country .
Still , many in the country doubt the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation .

The speaker of the lower house of parliament in Tajikistan has been released from hospital after being treated, according to the Health Ministry, for pneumonia amid earlier denials by several deputies that he had contracted coronavirus.
In a short statement issued on May 15, the Tajik Health Ministry said Mahmadtoir Zokirzoda had been discharged the same day from hospital in the capital, Dushanbe, after successfully being treated for pneumonia.
However, an earlier statement from the ministry -- that was briefly removed -- said Zokirzoda had been admitted to hospital back on May 5 for pneumonia.
That sparked rumors he had become infected with the coronavirus, although several deputies denied this.
The 63-strong Majlisi Namoyandagon is dominated by President Emomali Rahmon’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Tajikistan has confirmed more than 1,100 cases of coronavirus, and 33 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Tajikistan did not officially register a coronavirus case until April 30, just ahead of a mission by the World Health Organization to the country.
Still, many in the country doubt the data and believe the government has been underreporting the situation.


rferl--2020-05-16--Iranian-French Academic Sentenced To Six Years In Iran

An Iranian court has sentenced a French-Iranian academic to six years in prison on national-security charges , her lawyer said on May 16 .
The lawyer for Fariba Adelkhah told Reuters said he would appeal the ruling , and said , if it was accepted , the sentence could be lowered to five years in prison .
In January , Iran dropped spying charges against Adelkhah but she remained in jail on other security-related charges , her lawyer told Reuters in March .
Adelkhah is a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris and an expert on Iran and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 2019 along with fellow researcher Roland Marchal .
Adelkhah was accused of `` propaganda against the system '' and `` colluding to commit acts against national security . ''
Marchal , who was accused of `` colluding to commit acts against national security , '' was allowed to return home to France in March after being released in a prisoner swap between Paris and Tehran .
Iran , which does not recognize dual citizenship , had repeatedly rejected calls from Paris to release the two .
The country has arrested dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ espionage charges .
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP

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


rferl--2020-05-16--Iran’s OPEC Governor, A Key Oil Strategist, Dies At 68

Iran 's longtime OPEC governor , Hossein Kazempour Ardebili , has died from a brain hemorrhage two weeks after falling into a coma .
The Iranian Oil Ministry ’ s Shana news agency reported on May 16 that Ardebili died in a Tehran hospital .
He was 68 .
Ardebili served as Iran ’ s governor to the OPEC oil cartel for nearly 20 years , conducting negotiations with other key oil players such as rival Saudi Arabia .
Alongside his close ally , Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh , Ardebili was one of the country ’ s main strategists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been Iran ’ s representative to OPEC since 2013 , after previously holding the position from 1995 to 2008 .
In a career spanning the life of the Islamic Republic , Ardebili also held positions in the 1980s as minister of commerce , deputy foreign minister for the economy , and deputy oil minister for international affairs .
From 1990 to 1995 he served as ambassador to Japan .
Iran has the world 's fourth-biggest oil reserves and second-largest natural-gas reserves .
But its economy has been battered by sanctions imposed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled Washington out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 .
Washington 's imposition of a full line of sanctions in November 2018 targeted key Iranian economic spheres -- including the banking and oil sectors -- and denied the government its main source of revenue while making international trade increasingly difficult .


rferl--2020-05-16--11 Afghan Soldiers Killed In Attacks On Security Checkpoints

Afghan officials say the Taliban has killed at least 11 government soldiers in separate attacks on security checkpoints in the @ @ @ @ @ soldiers were killed in an overnight attack on a checkpoint in the eastern province of @ @ @ @ @ Rahman Qaderi said on May 16 .
Paktia police chief Sultan Dawood Sultan said at @ @ @ @ @ killed in the clashes .
Abdul Rahman Zurmati , the district governor of Samkani district @ @ @ @ @ abducted 12 civilians accused of collaborating with the government .
On May 14 , the @ @ @ @ @ in Paktia , killing at least five people and injuring dozens of others .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ of Ghor , Taliban fighters reportedly overran a checkpoint in the provincial capital Firozkoh , @ @ @ @ @ Abdul Hazem Nateghi , a member of the provincial council , said the militants took @ @ @ @ @ The Taliban did not comment on the incidents .
The Taliban has ramped up attacks @ @ @ @ @ a peace agreement with the United States in February .


rferl--2020-05-16--Thousands Protest Sarajevo Mass Honoring Pro-Nazi WWII Collaborators

Thousands of Bosnians have staged a protest against a public mass held in the capital , Sarajevo , to honor Croatia 's pro-Nazi collaborators and civilians killed by communist partisans at the end of World War II .
The Catholic Churches of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia , despite widespread condemnation , held the mass at the Sarajevo Cathedral on May 16 .
Only 20 people were allowed to attend the mass because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Several hundred meters away from the cathedral , a crowd of several thousand protesters held a rally and blocked traffic .
The commemoration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austrian town of Bleiburg , was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The Bosnian and Croatian churches stepped in and organized the event under the auspices of the Croatian parliament , which in 2016 reintroduced state sponsorship of the commemoration after having revoked it in 2012 amid criticism that it was rehabilitating the Nazi-allied Ustasha regime .
Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljic , who held the mass , earlier rejected the accusations and said that praying for the victims ' souls did not mean approval of their acts .
`` No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims for whom we pray today , '' Puljic said during the mass .
`` We want to see a halt to double standards in respecting the victims of hatred and massacre . ''
The protesters in Sarajevo , who rallied despite a ban on public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic , sang songs linked to the anti-Nazi struggle .
`` Death to fascism , freedom to the people ! ''
they chanted .
The mass and protest ended without any major incidents .
All three members of Bosnia 's tripartite presidency along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as the Serbian Orthodox Church , Jewish leaders , and the U.S. and Israeli embassies had voiced their condemnation ahead of the event .
Eric Nelson , the U.S .
Ambassador to Bosnia , told RFE/RL on May 15 that commemorations should `` focus on remembrance , not revisionism . ''
`` Especially this year , when we mark the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II , it is important for everyone to focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and interreligious dialogue , '' Nelson said .
The U.S. Embassy in Bosnia had called `` on those organizing the Bleiburg commemoration in Bosnia and Herzegovina to refrain from historical revisionism and retrograde rhetoric . ''
The Israeli Embassy had said on Twitter that `` the state of Israel stands firm and raises its voice against all attempts of revisionism . ''
The wartime Independent State of Croatia ( NDH ) controlled by the Nazi-backed Ustasha included Bosnia and parts of Serbia .
The Ustasha persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the end of the war , the Ustasha , accompanied by civilians and Slovenian and Serbian collaborators , fled toward Austria , but British forces there refused their surrender .
Bosnia 's Jewish leaders , Jakob Finci and Boris Kozemjakin , had sent a protest letter to Puljic , warning that the event `` will commemorate ... the butchers of our mothers , our fathers , our grandfathers and all our innocent fellow citizens killed by the fascist NDH . ''
Meanwhile , the Simon Wiesenthal Center had urged the Bosnian government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the genocidal Ustasha state ( NDH ) is not only an insult to its victims and their families , but also to all those who opposed the crimes committed by the Ustasha , ” the Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement on May 14 .
The archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Sarajevo , Hrizostom , recalled on May 14 that `` more than 10,000 Sarajevo inhabitants , Serbs , Jews , Roma , and other people opposing the Ustasha movement were killed '' during the war .
`` You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed those crimes , '' Hrizostom said in a letter to Puljic .
The number of people caught and executed by Communist leader Josip Broz Tito 's partisans in the Bleiburg border region between Austria and Slovenia is being debated , but independent historians put it at tens of thousands .
With reporting by AFP and AP

Thousands of Bosnians have staged a protest against a public mass held in the capital, Sarajevo, to honor Croatia's pro-Nazi collaborators and civilians killed by communist partisans at the end of World War II.
The Catholic Churches of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, despite widespread condemnation, held the mass at the Sarajevo Cathedral on May 16.
Only 20 people were allowed to attend the mass because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Several hundred meters away from the cathedral, a crowd of several thousand protesters held a rally and blocked traffic.
The commemoration, usually held every May near the southern Austrian town of Bleiburg, was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bosnian and Croatian churches stepped in and organized the event under the auspices of the Croatian parliament, which in 2016 reintroduced state sponsorship of the commemoration after having revoked it in 2012 amid criticism that it was rehabilitating the Nazi-allied Ustasha regime.
Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljic, who held the mass, earlier rejected the accusations and said that praying for the victims' souls did not mean approval of their acts.
"No one has the right to neglect the victims for whom we pray today," Puljic said during the mass. "We want to see a halt to double standards in respecting the victims of hatred and massacre."
The protesters in Sarajevo, who rallied despite a ban on public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, sang songs linked to the anti-Nazi struggle.
"Death to fascism, freedom to the people!" they chanted.
The mass and protest ended without any major incidents.
All three members of Bosnia's tripartite presidency along with most political parties and nongovernmental organizations as well as the Serbian Orthodox Church, Jewish leaders, and the U.S. and Israeli embassies had voiced their condemnation ahead of the event.
Eric Nelson, the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia, told RFE/RL on May 15 that commemorations should "focus on remembrance, not revisionism."
"Especially this year, when we mark the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, it is important for everyone to focus on two values of democracy -- reconciliation and interreligious dialogue," Nelson said.
'Retrograde Rhetoric'
The U.S. Embassy in Bosnia had called "on those organizing the Bleiburg commemoration in Bosnia and Herzegovina to refrain from historical revisionism and retrograde rhetoric."
The Israeli Embassy had said on Twitter that "the state of Israel stands firm and raises its voice against all attempts of revisionism."
The wartime Independent State of Croatia (NDH) controlled by the Nazi-backed Ustasha included Bosnia and parts of Serbia. The Ustasha persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, and anti-Nazi Croatians.
At the end of the war, the Ustasha, accompanied by civilians and Slovenian and Serbian collaborators, fled toward Austria, but British forces there refused their surrender.
Bosnia's Jewish leaders, Jakob Finci and Boris Kozemjakin, had sent a protest letter to Puljic, warning that the event "will commemorate... the butchers of our mothers, our fathers, our grandfathers and all our innocent fellow citizens killed by the fascist NDH."
Meanwhile, the Simon Wiesenthal Center had urged the Bosnian government to ban the memorial mass.
Honoring “the genocidal Ustasha state (NDH) is not only an insult to its victims and their families, but also to all those who opposed the crimes committed by the Ustasha,” the Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement on May 14.
The archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Sarajevo, Hrizostom, recalled on May 14 that "more than 10,000 Sarajevo inhabitants, Serbs, Jews, Roma, and other people opposing the Ustasha movement were killed" during the war.
"You are holding a mass for those who committed those crimes," Hrizostom said in a letter to Puljic.
The number of people caught and executed by Communist leader Josip Broz Tito's partisans in the Bleiburg border region between Austria and Slovenia is being debated, but independent historians put it at tens of thousands.
With reporting by AFP and AP


rferl--2020-05-16--Return Of Crimea 'Difficult And Slow Process,' Says Ukraine's Parliament Speaker

The speaker of the Ukrainian parliament says efforts to return control of Crimea to Kyiv are part of `` a difficult and slow process , '' that Ukraine is determined to resolve .
Dmytro Razumkov , head of the Verkhovna Rada , made the remarks in an interview with RFE/RL 's Ukrainian Service that was published on May 16 .
Russia forcibly took over Crimea in March 2014 after Russian forces seized control of strategic sties on the Black Sea peninsula and organized a referendum that was not recognized by the international community .
Shortly thereafter , Russia began supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donetsk and Luhansk .
The conflict in eastern Ukraine has left around 13,000 people dead , tens of thousands more injured , and uprooted well over 1 million Ukrainians , according to UN and Ukrainian officials .
The West has sanctioned Russia for its seizure of Crimea and its support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine .
Moscow denies supplying fighters , weapons , and financing to the separatists , despite mounting evidence to the contrary .
It also claims that the referendum in Crimea was legitimate , and has ruled out handing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kyiv would not abandon efforts to return Crimea to Ukrainian control , nor efforts to regain control of separatist-controlled areas of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions , also known as the Donbas .
`` It is a difficult and slow process , but at the same time we can take this issue off the agenda and [ can not quit ] trying to resolve it in all sorts of ways on various levels and neither can we lose means of communication with the occupied territories -- both Donbas and Crimea , '' Razumkov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donbas who have accepted passports offered by Russia often had no choice , Razumkov explained .
`` There are many -- very many -- people who were , are , and will remain citizens of Ukraine .
The conditions they find themselves in force them to take steps you are referring to [ taking Russian citizenship ] .
But , you know , God forbid we ever had to find out what it is like in their shoes , '' Razumkov said .
U.S. and other Western officials have condemned Russia 's move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all residents of Donetsk and Luhansk as running counter to efforts to achieve peace .

The speaker of the Ukrainian parliament says efforts to return control of Crimea to Kyiv are part of "a difficult and slow process," that Ukraine is determined to resolve.
Dmytro Razumkov, head of the Verkhovna Rada, made the remarks in an interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that was published on May 16.
Russia forcibly took over Crimea in March 2014 after Russian forces seized control of strategic sties on the Black Sea peninsula and organized a referendum that was not recognized by the international community.
Shortly thereafter, Russia began supporting separatists in two eastern Ukrainian regions, Donetsk and Luhansk. The conflict in eastern Ukraine has left around 13,000 people dead, tens of thousands more injured, and uprooted well over 1 million Ukrainians, according to UN and Ukrainian officials.
The West has sanctioned Russia for its seizure of Crimea and its support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow denies supplying fighters, weapons, and financing to the separatists, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. It also claims that the referendum in Crimea was legitimate, and has ruled out handing control back to Ukraine.
Razumkov said Kyiv would not abandon efforts to return Crimea to Ukrainian control, nor efforts to regain control of separatist-controlled areas of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, also known as the Donbas.
"It is a difficult and slow process, but at the same time we can take this issue off the agenda and [cannot quit] trying to resolve it in all sorts of ways on various levels and neither can we lose means of communication with the occupied territories -- both Donbas and Crimea," Razumkov said.
Ukrainians in separatist-controlled areas of Donbas who have accepted passports offered by Russia often had no choice, Razumkov explained.
"There are many -- very many -- people who were, are, and will remain citizens of Ukraine. The conditions they find themselves in force them to take steps you are referring to [taking Russian citizenship]. But, you know, God forbid we ever had to find out what it is like in their shoes," Razumkov said.
U.S. and other Western officials have condemned Russia's move to fast-track the granting of citizenship to all residents of Donetsk and Luhansk as running counter to efforts to achieve peace.


rferl--2020-05-16--Iranian-French Academic Sentenced To Six Years In Prison In Iran

An Iranian court has sentenced a French-Iranian academic to six years in prison on security charges , her lawyer said .
The lawyer for Fariba Adelkhah said on May 16 that his client was sentenced to five years for `` colluding to commit acts against national security '' and one year for `` propaganda against the system . ''
Her lawyer , Said Dehghan , said they would appeal the ruling .
France condemned the sentencing and demanded Adelkhah 's immediate release .
`` This sentencing is not based on any serious element or fact and is thus a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement on May 16 .
`` We are urging Iranian authorities to immediately release Mrs Adelkhah . ''
Adelkhah and her French colleague and partner , Roland Marchal , were arrested together in June 2019 .
Marchal , who was accused of `` colluding to commit acts against national security , '' was allowed to return home to France in March after being released in a prisoner swap between Paris and Tehran .
In January , Iran dropped spying charges against 61-year-old Adelkhah but she remained in Tehran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adelkhah is a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris and an expert on Iran and Shi'ite Islam .
Iran , which does not recognize dual citizenship , had repeatedly rejected calls from Paris to release Adelkhah .
Adelkhah has been weakened by a 49-day hunger strike between late December and February , her lawyer said .
The country has arrested dozens of dual nationals in recent years on alleged espionage charges .
Iranian authorities have not provided any solid evidence to back their claims .
Marchal is not the only foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a prisoner swap in recent months .
In February , Iran released an unidentified German national in exchange for Iranian Ahmad Khalili , who was in custody for circumventing U.S. sanctions .
In December , Tehran freed U.S. academic Xiyue Wang in exchange for scientist Massud Soleimani .
Iran has said it is open to further prisoner swaps .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP


rferl--2020-05-17--Afghan President Ghani, Political Rival Abdullah Agree On Power-Sharing Deal

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah , both of whom claimed to have won Afghanistan 's presidential election in September , have reached a power-sharing agreement under which Abdullah will lead the government 's efforts to reach a peace deal with the Taliban .
Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi tweeted an image of the two signing off on the agreement in Kabul on May 17 .
Sediqqi wrote that Abdullah will lead the Afghan High Peace Council and that members of his team would be included in the government .
The agreement ends a political crisis that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to broker a peace deal ending more than 18 years of war with the Taliban .
Ahead of the signing , a source told the Reuters news agency that the two leaders would each have a 50 percent share in the government .
In his tweet , Sidiqqi said that more information regarding the deal would be forthcoming .
Abdullah served as Afghanistan 's chief executive alongside Ghani for six years under a U.S.-brokered power-sharing deal that followed a disputed presidential election in 2014 .
Abdullah refused to recognize the results of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marred by low voter turnout and allegations of fraud .
After election officials in December declared Ghani the winner by a large enough margin to avoid a runoff vote , Abdullah declared himself president , although the international community recognized Ghani 's victory .
Disagreements over the composition of the government have contributed to the delay in negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban to end fighting .
The talks were to begin on March 10 under a deal signed in February between the United States and the militant group .
U.S. envoy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a new date for intra-Afghan peace talks was under discussion .


rferl--2020-05-17--Turkmenistan Pardons 1,402 Prisoners

Turkmenistan Pardons 1,402 Prisoners

Turkmenistan ’ s authoritarian president , Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov , has pardoned 1,402 prisoners .
State media reported following a government @ @ @ @ @ that 1,192 citizens and 210 foreign nationals who `` sincerely regretted their criminal deeds '' @ @ @ @ @ .
The prisoners will reportedly be released ahead of the Night of Power , the @ @ @ @ @ year on May 19 .
There was no mention of what basis the list of @ @ @ @ @ The names of the offenders , which articles of the Criminal Code they were sentenced @ @ @ @ @ of their sentence was served were also not published .
As in previous years , @ @ @ @ @ ensure the pardoned receive employment , although the country is believed to have a rising @ @ @ @ @ growth .
Turkmenistan is one of the world ’ s most isolated and repressive countries @ @ @ @ @ to be filled with hundreds of political prisoners , dozens of whom have been held @ @ @ @ @ conditions , according to human rights groups .

Turkmenistan’s authoritarian president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, has pardoned 1,402 prisoners.
State media reported following a government cabinet meeting on May 15 that 1,192 citizens and 210 foreign nationals who "sincerely regretted their criminal deeds" would be released from prisons.
The prisoners will reportedly be released ahead of the Night of Power, the holiest Muslim night celebrated this year on May 19.
There was no mention of what basis the list of the pardoned was prepared. The names of the offenders, which articles of the Criminal Code they were sentenced under, and how much of their sentence was served were also not published.
As in previous years, Berdymukhammedov ordered local officials to ensure the pardoned receive employment, although the country is believed to have a rising unemployment rate and slowing economic growth.
Turkmenistan is one of the world’s most isolated and repressive countries.
Its prisons are believed to be filled with hundreds of political prisoners, dozens of whom have been held incommunicado for years under harsh conditions, according to human rights groups.


rferl--2020-05-18--Pakistan Detains Three Over 'Honor Killing' Of Teenage Girls

Pakistani police have detained three people over the killing of two teenage girls shot dead after video of them with a man surfaced on the Internet , officials say .
Those arrested include two close relatives of the girls , as well as the person who allegedly shot the mobile phone video , police in the North Waziristan tribal district said on May 18 .
A relative suspected of carrying out the killing is still at large , district police chief Shafiullah Gandapur told RFE/RL .
The two girls , said to be aged 16 and 18 , were shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hundreds of women are killed every year in Pakistan in so-called honor killings for violating conservative Pakistani traditions on love , marriage , and public behavior .
Police have come under mounting pressure to investigate these crimes , which include acid attacks , blinding , and murder by relatives of victims .
In the latest reported case of honor killings , a Pakistani women 's rights activist exiled in the United States , Gulalai Ismail , said the fact that police in North Waziristan filed a case the day after the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for women in Pakistan ’ s tribal areas .
`` In such crimes , time is of the essence , '' Ismail said .
`` And if this is delayed , like seven such murders that happened earlier this month , the incident is swiftly swept under the carpet , with many passed off as suicide or natural deaths . ''

Pakistani police have detained three people over the killing of two teenage girls shot dead after video of them with a man surfaced on the Internet, officials say.
Those arrested include two close relatives of the girls, as well as the person who allegedly shot the mobile phone video, police in the North Waziristan tribal district said on May 18.
A relative suspected of carrying out the killing is still at large, district police chief Shafiullah Gandapur told RFE/RL.
The two girls, said to be aged 16 and 18, were shot dead in North Waziristan on May 14.
Hundreds of women are killed every year in Pakistan in so-called honor killings for violating conservative Pakistani traditions on love, marriage, and public behavior.
Police have come under mounting pressure to investigate these crimes, which include acid attacks, blinding, and murder by relatives of victims.
In the latest reported case of honor killings, a Pakistani women's rights activist exiled in the United States, Gulalai Ismail, said the fact that police in North Waziristan filed a case the day after the two teenagers were killed was a "win” for women in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
"In such crimes, time is of the essence," Ismail said. "And if this is delayed, like seven such murders that happened earlier this month, the incident is swiftly swept under the carpet, with many passed off as suicide or natural deaths."
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-05-18--Putin Acknowledges Acute COVID-19 Problem In Daghestan After Locals Warn Of 'Catastrophe'

President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged a `` complicated '' situation in Russia 's southern republic of Daghestan after a local mufti described the region 's battle against COVID-19 as a `` catastrophe . ''
In a virtual conference with Daghestani officials on May 18 , Putin said the `` danger of coronavirus infection remains throughout the country , and the situation in Daghestan is not easy now . ''
He said that `` experts '' suggested that `` the late treatment of patients for medical care , as well as self-medication at home '' were exacerbating the problem in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 million people .
More than 3,400 people in Daghestan had been infected with the coronavirus , 29 of them fatally , according to official figures early on May 18 .
But many observers , and some Russian officials , question the veracity of the country 's official tallies .
The Daghestani health minister , Dzhamaludin Gadzhiibragimov , has acknowledged that more than 650 more people not counted as COVID-19 victims have died from `` community-acquired pneumonia . ''
They include around 40 doctors and nurses .
Putin said that Daghestan 's health-care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and added that `` people also say that the necessary medical care is not always and not everywhere can be received on time and in full . ''
`` We need to further analyze how the recommendations of sanitary doctors on the regime of self-isolation , on the limitation of mass events , are also being implemented , '' the Russian leader added .
The head of a patient-monitoring group told RFE/RL 's Current Time recently that `` all hospitals are overcrowded '' in Daghestan and cited acute shortages of protective equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top mufti , Akhmad Abdulayev , told Putin via video link on May 18 that `` the scope of the catastrophe is forcing us to appeal to you , '' according to AFP .
`` Please devote your attention to Daghestan . ''
Putin repeated Islamic leaders ' calls for people in the heavily Muslim republic to celebrate at home Eid al-Fitr , which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan .
Russia has been accused of lowering its coronavirus mortality rates by ascribing deaths to pneumonia .
The country has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but only 2,722 deaths by May 18 , placing it fairly low in terms of death rates around the world .
Doctors have reported being overwhelmed and frustrated at the lack of medical supplies .
Republican head Vladimir Vasiliev on May 18 reportedly defended Daghestan 's official coronavirus statistics but pledged to `` clarify '' the death toll among medical professionals .

President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged a "complicated" situation in Russia's southern republic of Daghestan after a local mufti described the region's battle against COVID-19 as a "catastrophe."
In a virtual conference with Daghestani officials on May 18, Putin said the "danger of coronavirus infection remains throughout the country, and the situation in Daghestan is not easy now."
He said that "experts" suggested that "the late treatment of patients for medical care, as well as self-medication at home" were exacerbating the problem in the republic, which is home to about 3 million people.
More than 3,400 people in Daghestan had been infected with the coronavirus, 29 of them fatally, according to official figures early on May 18.
But many observers, and some Russian officials, question the veracity of the country's official tallies.
The Daghestani health minister, Dzhamaludin Gadzhiibragimov, has acknowledged that more than 650 more people not counted as COVID-19 victims have died from "community-acquired pneumonia."
They include around 40 doctors and nurses.
Putin said that Daghestan's health-care system was under a "heavy burden" and added that "people also say that the necessary medical care is not always and not everywhere can be received on time and in full."
"We need to further analyze how the recommendations of sanitary doctors on the regime of self-isolation, on the limitation of mass events, are also being implemented," the Russian leader added.
The head of a patient-monitoring group told RFE/RL's Current Time recently that "all hospitals are overcrowded" in Daghestan and cited acute shortages of protective equipment and problems diagnosing COVID-19.
Daghestan's top mufti, Akhmad Abdulayev, told Putin via video link on May 18 that "the scope of the catastrophe is forcing us to appeal to you," according to AFP. "Please devote your attention to Daghestan."
Putin repeated Islamic leaders' calls for people in the heavily Muslim republic to celebrate at home Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Russia has been accused of lowering its coronavirus mortality rates by ascribing deaths to pneumonia.
The country has more than 290,000 registered cases of COVID-19 but only 2,722 deaths by May 18, placing it fairly low in terms of death rates around the world.
Doctors have reported being overwhelmed and frustrated at the lack of medical supplies.
Republican head Vladimir Vasiliev on May 18 reportedly defended Daghestan's official coronavirus statistics but pledged to "clarify" the death toll among medical professionals.
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-05-18--Russian Plans To Move Ahead On Second Gas Pipeline To China

Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom says it has launched feasibility studies for the construction of a second gas pipeline to China that would more than double the volumes it could deliver there .
Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller said on May 18 that a Power of Siberia 2 pipeline might carry up to 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to energy-hungry China .
The pipeline might pass through Mongolia , Miller said , without mentioning a potential date for construction .
Russia has been looking for years to diversify its export markets away from Europe to the Asia-Pacific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of European states have meanwhile taken a hard look at their own energy dependence on Russia , particularly with political fallout from Russia 's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 complicating the West 's relations with Moscow .
In December 2019 , Gazprom started pumping gas to northeastern China via its 2,000-kilometer-plus Power of Siberia pipeline in eastern Siberia .
Gazprom in 2014 signed a $ 400 billion contract with the China National Petroleum Corporation ( CNPC ) to supply 38 billion cubic meters per year through the Power of Siberia over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipeline taps gas fields in eastern Russia , a second project would link up to fields in western Russia such as the ones on the Yamal Peninsula .
The Yamal Peninsula , which holds Russia ’ s largest gas reserves , already feeds Gazprom ’ s EU customers .
Power of Siberia 2 would also connect Russia ’ s key production centers in western and eastern Siberia .
Based on reporting by AFP and TASS

Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom says it has launched feasibility studies for the construction of a second gas pipeline to China that would more than double the volumes it could deliver there.
Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller said on May 18 that a Power of Siberia 2 pipeline might carry up to 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to energy-hungry China.
The pipeline might pass through Mongolia, Miller said, without mentioning a potential date for construction.
Russia has been looking for years to diversify its export markets away from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China.
A number of European states have meanwhile taken a hard look at their own energy dependence on Russia, particularly with political fallout from Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 complicating the West's relations with Moscow.
In December 2019, Gazprom started pumping gas to northeastern China via its 2,000-kilometer-plus Power of Siberia pipeline in eastern Siberia.
Gazprom in 2014 signed a $400 billion contract with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to supply 38 billion cubic meters per year through the Power of Siberia over 30 years.
But while the first pipeline taps gas fields in eastern Russia, a second project would link up to fields in western Russia such as the ones on the Yamal Peninsula.
The Yamal Peninsula, which holds Russia’s largest gas reserves, already feeds Gazprom’s EU customers.
Power of Siberia 2 would also connect Russia’s key production centers in western and eastern Siberia.
Based on reporting by AFP and TASS


rferl--2020-05-18--U.S. Tells Russia To Stop 'Inflicting Suffering On Crimean People'

KYIV -- The acting U.S. ambassador to Kyiv , Kristina Kvien , has called on Russia to “ stop its legacy of inflicting suffering on the people of Crimea , '' as Ukraine commemorated the victims of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin 's mass deportation of Crimean Tatars from their homeland in 1944 .
Kvien issued a video statement on Twitter on May 18 , which since 2016 has been marked in Ukraine as the Day of Commemoration of Victims of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatars .
The Crimean Tatars were deported en masse from the Black Sea peninsula in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of collaborating with Nazi Germany .
Seventy years later , in March 2014 , Russia seized Crimea after sending in troops and staging a referendum boycotted by many Crimean Tatars .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised the Crimean Tatars they would be treated well and guaranteed equal rights .
But Crimean Tatars , rights activists , and Western governments say Russia has subjected Crimean Tatars and others who opposed annexation to abuse , discrimination , and politically motivated prosecution on false charges .
In her statement , Kvien said that the deportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` caused unimaginable trauma , suffering , and the death of thousands . ''
`` That trauma and suffering is only deepened by Russia 's modern-day occupation of Crimea , ” the U.S. diplomat added .
The United States “ does not and will not recognize Russia 's purported annexation of Crimea , ” and will remain its Crimea-related sanctions in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine , she said .
Meanwhile , the foreign ministers of Ukraine , Estonia , Georgia , Latvia , Lithuania , and Poland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ aggressive policy towards Ukraine and new repressions ” against Crimean Tatars .
In a statement posted on Facebook , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy commemorated the 76th anniversary of the mass deportation by saying Crimea will one day “ return to Ukraine '' and that `` Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians [ will ] return to their homes . ''
Starting on May 18 , 1944 , some 250,000 people were put on trains -- most of them in the space of two days -- and sent to Central Asia .
Tens of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were left on the barren steppe with few resources .
Crimean Tatars were not allowed to return to Crimea until the late 1980s , when Mikhail Gorbachev made reforms in the years before the disintegration of the Soviet Union .

KYIV -- The acting U.S. ambassador to Kyiv, Kristina Kvien, has called on Russia to “stop its legacy of inflicting suffering on the people of Crimea," as Ukraine commemorated the victims of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's mass deportation of Crimean Tatars from their homeland in 1944.
Kvien issued a video statement on Twitter on May 18, which since 2016 has been marked in Ukraine as the Day of Commemoration of Victims of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatars.
The Crimean Tatars were deported en masse from the Black Sea peninsula in May 1944, after Stalin accused them of collaborating with Nazi Germany.
Seventy years later, in March 2014, Russia seized Crimea after sending in troops and staging a referendum boycotted by many Crimean Tatars.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised the Crimean Tatars they would be treated well and guaranteed equal rights.
But Crimean Tatars, rights activists, and Western governments say Russia has subjected Crimean Tatars and others who opposed annexation to abuse, discrimination, and politically motivated prosecution on false charges.
In her statement, Kvien said that the deportation of the Crimean Tatars 76 years ago "caused unimaginable trauma, suffering, and the death of thousands."
"That trauma and suffering is only deepened by Russia's modern-day occupation of Crimea,” the U.S. diplomat added.
The United States “does not and will not recognize Russia's purported annexation of Crimea,” and will remain its Crimea-related sanctions in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine, she said.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland issued a joint statement condemning Russia's “aggressive policy towards Ukraine and new repressions” against Crimean Tatars.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy commemorated the 76th anniversary of the mass deportation by saying Crimea will one day “return to Ukraine" and that "Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians [will] return to their homes."
Starting on May 18, 1944, some 250,000 people were put on trains -- most of them in the space of two days -- and sent to Central Asia. Tens of thousands died during the journey or after they were left on the barren steppe with few resources.
Crimean Tatars were not allowed to return to Crimea until the late 1980s, when Mikhail Gorbachev made reforms in the years before the disintegration of the Soviet Union.


rferl--2020-05-18--Defense Witnesses At Whelan Trial In Moscow Fail To Show Due To Coronavirus

Defense witnesses in the trial of Paul Whelan , who is charged with espionage , have not shown up to a court hearing because of the coronavirus outbreak .
Whelan 's lawyer , Vladimir Zherebenkov , said that three defense witnesses did not come to the courtroom as the trial resumed on May 18 .
The 50-year-old Whelan , who also holds British , Canadian , and Irish citizenship , was arrested in Moscow in December 2018 .
Prosecutors claim that a flash disc in his possession contained classified information .
He faces up to 20 years in prison if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against him , calling them political in nature , and has accused guards of mistreating him .
The former U.S. Marine has said he traveled to Moscow to attend a wedding .
`` Because of the coronavirus , the witness did not show up .
We expected that three [ witnesses ] would be here today , but nobody came .
I called one of them and he explained that he had been in contact [ with a coronavirus-infected person ] and is currently in quarantine .
I think many are uneager to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not want to play Russian roulette and risk their lives , '' Zherebenkov said .
He added that the trial was adjourned until May 20 .
The trial is being held behind closed doors because the evidence includes classified materials and because of measures taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax

Defense witnesses in the trial of Paul Whelan, who is charged with espionage, have not shown up to a court hearing because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Whelan's lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said that three defense witnesses did not come to the courtroom as the trial resumed on May 18.
The 50-year-old Whelan, who also holds British, Canadian, and Irish citizenship, was arrested in Moscow in December 2018. Prosecutors claim that a flash disc in his possession contained classified information. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Whelan vehemently denies the allegations against him, calling them political in nature, and has accused guards of mistreating him. The former U.S. Marine has said he traveled to Moscow to attend a wedding.
"Because of the coronavirus, the witness did not show up. We expected that three [witnesses] would be here today, but nobody came. I called one of them and he explained that he had been in contact [with a coronavirus-infected person] and is currently in quarantine. I think many are uneager to come because they are in self-isolation and do not want to play Russian roulette and risk their lives," Zherebenkov said.
He added that the trial was adjourned until May 20.
The trial is being held behind closed doors because the evidence includes classified materials and because of measures taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-05-18--Iranian Officials Say Minimal Damage At Ancient Jewish Site After Allegations Of Arson Attack

Iranian officials say a revered ancient Jewish site in the west central province of Hamedan , where the biblical queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai are believed to have been buried , has sustained minimal damage following a fire reported over the weekend .
The cause of the incident on May 15 , which U.S.-based Jewish groups have condemned as an “ anti-Semitic ” attack , is still not clear .
Authorities have said that the incident is being investigated .
Speaking on May 17 as he visited the site , the head of Tehran ’ s Jewish community Homayoun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mordechai is “ completely intact , ” adding that the incident has been “ magnified and exaggerated ” by the enemies of the Islamic republic .
“ Religious minorities , especially Jews , live in this country under the shadow of the Islamic Republic and all-round support from the government , and are grateful for the services of the government and the system , ” he was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Mehr news agency .
Ali Malmir , head of Hamedan ’ s Cultural Heritage and Tourism department , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the main tomb of Esther and Mordechai by a “ limited fire ” in a nearby building which was immediately extinguished .
He also said that some of the wires and a carpet in the side building were burned , while adding that the restoration of the site will start this week .
He said that the cause of the fire will be announced as soon as determined .
Hamedan ’ s prosecutor , Hassan Khanjani , told the semiofficial ISNA news agency over the weekend that police had not reached a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that no arrests have been made so far .
The official comments come following condemnations by Jewish groups who said the fire at the ancient Jewish site , which is on Iran ’ s cultural heritage list , was an act of anti-Semitism .
Iran ’ s official government news agency published a report on May 16 saying an individual was caught on CCTV while trying to enter the holy site on May 15 , the day after the anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel , to “ perform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report was later removed without an explanation .
“ Disturbing reports from # Iran that the tomb of Esther & Mordechai , a holy Jewish site , was set afire overnight , ” tweeted Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt on May 15 , without providing details about the source of the reports .
U.S. Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr also “ strongly ” condemned the attack , which he noted came after a threat to the site in February when a Basij group warned that it would destroy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a consulate of Palestine to protest against a peace plan released by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump .
`` Iran 's regime is the world 's chief state sponsor of # Antisemitism , '' Carr said on Twitter .
The Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement issued on May 16 that it had received reports about the “ arson attack ” directly from Iranian activists .
“ Historically , Muslims safeguarded Jewish holy sites from Persia to Morocco , including the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai .
But all that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorist movements they have spawned .
In recent years there have been annual anti-Semitic protests at the Holy Site where Jews have come to pray peacefully for hundreds of years , ” the human rights organization said , while calling on world leaders to condemn the “ cowardly anti-Semitic attack and Iran ’ s serial anti-Semitic policies .
The Islamic republic , home to the Middle East ’ s largest population of Jews , does not recognize the state of Israel .
Iran holds annual anti-Israeli rallies on Quds Day , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muslim fasting month of Ramadan .
This year 's Quds Day rallies will not be held due to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 67,000 Iranians and infected more than 120,000 , according to official numbers .
Real figures are believed to be significantly higher .
Iranian President Hassan Rohani has said that in the capital , Tehran , Quds Day participants will drive in their vehicles rather than march through the streets to avoid spreading the coronavirus .
In areas considered to be low risk , participants will be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , local media has reported .


rferl--2020-05-18--Georgian Opposition Politician Remanded In Pretrial Detention, Calls Charges False

TBILISI -- The Tbilisi City Court has remanded opposition figure Giorgi Rurua in pretrial detention on an illegal weapon possession charge that threatens to disrupt a foreign-brokered deal with the ruling party on election reforms .
The court 's May 18 ruling was met with harsh criticism by opposition politicians , who along with Rurua have called the charge fake and believe it is politically motivated .
Gigi Ugulava , the leader of the opposition European Georgia-Movement for Freedom party , who himself was released from prison last week after President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned him and another opposition politician in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election reforms , said that `` without Rurua 's release , the deal can not be considered implemented.
” Salome Samadashvili of the United National Movement opposition party said that “ while Rurua remains in custody , the opposition will not support the agreement ” with the ruling Georgian Dream party .
Rurua , the founder and a shareholder of the opposition-aligned Mtavari Arkhi TV , was arrested on November 18 and charged with the illegal purchase , possession , and carrying of a firearm .
Opposition parties insist that Rurua ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 , after Zurabishvili pardoned Ugulava , who once served as Tbilisi mayor , and former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili , who leads the opposition Victorious Georgia party , many thought that Rurua also would be released , which would meet the demands by the opposition , who had threatened to abandon the agreement if `` political prisoners '' were not freed .
Georgia ’ s opposition parties claim the release was a condition of the March 8 deal , which the governing Georgian Dream party denies .
Opposition parties insisted that Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and demanded it be changed to a proportional system ahead of parliamentary elections set for October .
Under the March 8 memorandum of understanding facilitated by U.S. and European Union officials , parliament should consist of 120 members elected through a proportional voting system , while 30 members would be elected through a majority system .
The electoral threshold for proportional elections will be set at 1 percent and a capping mechanism will mean that no single party receiving less than 40 percent of the votes cast will be allowed to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Under the current electoral system , 73 of 150 parliamentary seats are claimed by candidates who finish first in district races .
The remaining seats are distributed proportionally to the national share of the vote that a party wins .
This led to Georgian Dream , led by billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili , winning 76 percent of the legislature 's seats even though it won just less than half of the popular vote .

TBILISI -- The Tbilisi City Court has remanded opposition figure Giorgi Rurua in pretrial detention on an illegal weapon possession charge that threatens to disrupt a foreign-brokered deal with the ruling party on election reforms.
The court's May 18 ruling was met with harsh criticism by opposition politicians, who along with Rurua have called the charge fake and believe it is politically motivated.
Gigi Ugulava, the leader of the opposition European Georgia-Movement for Freedom party, who himself was released from prison last week after President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned him and another opposition politician in a move to salvage the deal on election reforms, said that "without Rurua's release, the deal cannot be considered implemented.”
Salome Samadashvili of the United National Movement opposition party said that “while Rurua remains in custody, the opposition will not support the agreement” with the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Rurua, the founder and a shareholder of the opposition-aligned Mtavari Arkhi TV, was arrested on November 18 and charged with the illegal purchase, possession, and carrying of a firearm. Opposition parties insist that Rurua’s arrest was politically motivated.
On May 15, after Zurabishvili pardoned Ugulava, who once served as Tbilisi mayor, and former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who leads the opposition Victorious Georgia party, many thought that Rurua also would be released, which would meet the demands by the opposition, who had threatened to abandon the agreement if "political prisoners" were not freed.
Georgia’s opposition parties claim the release was a condition of the March 8 deal, which the governing Georgian Dream party denies.
Opposition parties insisted that Georgia's electoral system unfairly favored Georgian Dream, and demanded it be changed to a proportional system ahead of parliamentary elections set for October.
Under the March 8 memorandum of understanding facilitated by U.S. and European Union officials, parliament should consist of 120 members elected through a proportional voting system, while 30 members would be elected through a majority system.
The electoral threshold for proportional elections will be set at 1 percent and a capping mechanism will mean that no single party receiving less than 40 percent of the votes cast will be allowed to hold a majority of seats in parliament.
Under the current electoral system, 73 of 150 parliamentary seats are claimed by candidates who finish first in district races. The remaining seats are distributed proportionally to the national share of the vote that a party wins.
This led to Georgian Dream, led by billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, winning 76 percent of the legislature's seats even though it won just less than half of the popular vote.