rferl--2020-07-03--Religious Court Rules To Strip Rogue Russian Priest Of His Rank

YEKATERINBURG , Russia -- An ultraconservative , coronavirus-denying Russian priest who took control of a convent in the Urals with help from Cossack guards last month has been stripped off his religious rank .
The Diocesan Court in the Sverdlovsk region on July 3 ruled that Schema-Hegumen Sergiy ( Nikolai Romanov ) , had shown disobedience toward Russian Orthodox Church authorities and therefore must be punished .
The decision must still be approved by the leader of Russian Orthodox Church , Patriarch Kirill .
Father Sergiy , the abbot of a men ’ s monastery in the Sverdlovsk region , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the Sredneuralsk Women ’ s Monastery by force with help from Cossack guards .
He is known for his public praising of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin , and for denying the coronavirus , which he calls a Western plot .
Father Sergiy also publicly condemned the Russian Orthodox Church 's order in April to stop church services to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus .
Weeks later , the Yekaterinburg diocese barred him from preaching and launched a probe into his conduct , citing his stance on the coronavirus and his interference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , he refused to follow the diocese 's ruling and continued to preach .
After forcibly taking over the convent in June , Father Sergiy issued several political statements saying that constitutional amendments offered by President Vladimir Putin `` would legalize a slave-owning system . ''
`` That means we will voluntarily legalize the power of the future Antichrist and his slaves .
I call on all peoples of Russia -- do not go to voting stations ! ''
Father Sergiy said in one statement last month .
Russian voters overwhelmingly approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 1 .
Among other things , the constitutional amendments allow for Putin , a 67-year-old former KGB officer who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister for more than 20 years , to stay in power until 2036 if he chooses to run again after his current term ends in 2024 .
With reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS

YEKATERINBURG, Russia -- An ultraconservative, coronavirus-denying Russian priest who took control of a convent in the Urals with help from Cossack guards last month has been stripped off his religious rank.
The Diocesan Court in the Sverdlovsk region on July 3 ruled that Schema-Hegumen Sergiy (Nikolai Romanov), had shown disobedience toward Russian Orthodox Church authorities and therefore must be punished.
The decision must still be approved by the leader of Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill.
Father Sergiy, the abbot of a men’s monastery in the Sverdlovsk region, made headlines last month after he took over the Sredneuralsk Women’s Monastery by force with help from Cossack guards.
He is known for his public praising of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, and for denying the coronavirus, which he calls a Western plot.
Father Sergiy also publicly condemned the Russian Orthodox Church's order in April to stop church services to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus. Weeks later, the Yekaterinburg diocese barred him from preaching and launched a probe into his conduct, citing his stance on the coronavirus and his interference with church policy during the pandemic.
Still, he refused to follow the diocese's ruling and continued to preach.
After forcibly taking over the convent in June, Father Sergiy issued several political statements saying that constitutional amendments offered by President Vladimir Putin "would legalize a slave-owning system."
"That means we will voluntarily legalize the power of the future Antichrist and his slaves. I call on all peoples of Russia -- do not go to voting stations!" Father Sergiy said in one statement last month.
Russian voters overwhelmingly approved the amendments in a vote that ended on July 1.
Among other things, the constitutional amendments allow for Putin, a 67-year-old former KGB officer who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister for more than 20 years, to stay in power until 2036 if he chooses to run again after his current term ends in 2024.
With reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS


rferl--2020-07-03--At Least 22 Sikh Pilgrims Die In Pakistani Train Crash

At least 22 people have been killed and several others injured after a train hit a van carrying Sikh pilgrims in northeastern Pakistan .
Officials said the crash , involving an express train , occurred on July 3 at an unmanned railway crossing near the city of Sheikhupura in Punjab Province .
Police said the pilgrims were residents of the northwestern city of Peshawar , home to most of the nearly 40,000 members of Pakistan 's Sikh minority .
They were traveling from Nankana Sahib , one of the Sikh religion 's main sites , when the accident happened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying there were up to 26 people travelling in the van .
All the victims belonged to the same family , according to some media reports .
Women and children were said to be among the casualties .
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed sorrow and said Pakistan 's railway safety would be reviewed .
Train accidents are common in Pakistan , including frequent collisions between vehicles and trains .
In February , 19 people were reported killed after a train crashed into a bus carrying passengers at an unmanned railway crossing in southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP , Reuters , and dpa

At least 22 people have been killed and several others injured after a train hit a van carrying Sikh pilgrims in northeastern Pakistan.
Officials said the crash, involving an express train, occurred on July 3 at an unmanned railway crossing near the city of Sheikhupura in Punjab Province.
Police said the pilgrims were residents of the northwestern city of Peshawar, home to most of the nearly 40,000 members of Pakistan's Sikh minority.
They were traveling from Nankana Sahib, one of the Sikh religion's main sites, when the accident happened.
The Dawn newspaper quoted Sheikhupura police as saying there were up to 26 people travelling in the van.
All the victims belonged to the same family, according to some media reports.
Women and children were said to be among the casualties.
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed sorrow and said Pakistan's railway safety would be reviewed.
Train accidents are common in Pakistan, including frequent collisions between vehicles and trains.
In February, 19 people were reported killed after a train crashed into a bus carrying passengers at an unmanned railway crossing in southern Pakistan.
With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and dpa


rferl--2020-07-03--Putin Signs Decree On Constitutional Amendments, Changes Take Effect July 4

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that will bring into force a sweeping package of constitutional amendments that among other things open a path for him to stay in power until 2036 , if he chooses to take part in two more presidential elections .
According to the decree , signed on July 3 , the amendments will take effect on July 4 .
`` The citizens of Russia have made their choice , and in accordance with this decision , I have signed a decree to officially publish the constitution to include the amendments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with officials .
He also signaled further changes for Russia , saying that some of the proposed constitutional amendments that were not included in the package approved in the plebiscite should be considered as the basis for new laws .
`` It is practically impossible to squeeze everything into the constitution , '' he said .
`` And that is not necessary .
Suggestions that came from people and could not be included in the constitution , but which are of value to society , must be put into action either as laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package included more than 200 amendments , more than 600 modifications were proposed during the brief discussion period between January and March .
Putin signed the decree hours after the Central Election Commission ( CEC ) announced the final results of a national vote held between June 25 and July 1 .
The Kremlin has hailed the landslide victory that saw almost 78 percent of ballots approving the package of more than 200 changes to the constitution as `` a triumphant referendum on trust in President Vladimir Putin.
” But reports of irregularities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of activists and journalists seeking to monitor the vote , have prompted calls from the West for an immediate investigation .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Western concerns about the vote , saying that Russia `` has been and will remain committed , first and foremost , to national sovereignty . ''
“ We are not ready to take these so-called concerns into account and will not do so , '' he told the state news agency TASS .
The Kremlin has said the amendments are necessary for the country ’ s stability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics charge they are a bid for the 67-year-old to secure power for life .
The most-controversial among more than 200 amendments in the package is one that resets Putin ’ s term-limit clock to zero , opening the way for him to run for reelection when his current six-year term expires in 2024 , and again in 2030 .
In addition to enabling Putin to seek additional terms , the amendments broaden the powers of the parliament in the formation of the government and redistribute some authority among various government structures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian law over international law , ban same-sex marriages , describe a “ belief in God ” as a core national value , define the Russian language as `` the language of the state-forming ethnicity , '' and make it `` impossible to alienate parts of the Russian Federation . ''
The vote came amid growing discontent in Russia over the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic , and as polls have shown a decline in Putin ’ s popularity in recent years .
His approval rating sank to a low of 59 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the independent Levada Center polling agency .
Putin , a longtime KGB officer during the Soviet era , has been president or prime minister of Russia since 1999 .

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that will bring into force a sweeping package of constitutional amendments that among other things open a path for him to stay in power until 2036, if he chooses to take part in two more presidential elections.
According to the decree, signed on July 3, the amendments will take effect on July 4.
"The citizens of Russia have made their choice, and in accordance with this decision, I have signed a decree to officially publish the constitution to include the amendments," Putin said during a televised meeting with officials.
He also signaled further changes for Russia, saying that some of the proposed constitutional amendments that were not included in the package approved in the plebiscite should be considered as the basis for new laws.
"It is practically impossible to squeeze everything into the constitution," he said. "And that is not necessary. Suggestions that came from people and could not be included in the constitution, but which are of value to society, must be put into action either as laws or bylaws."
Although the final package included more than 200 amendments, more than 600 modifications were proposed during the brief discussion period between January and March.
Putin signed the decree hours after the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the final results of a national vote held between June 25 and July 1.
The Kremlin has hailed the landslide victory that saw almost 78 percent of ballots approving the package of more than 200 changes to the constitution as "a triumphant referendum on trust in President Vladimir Putin.”
But reports of irregularities at some polling stations, and intimidation of activists and journalists seeking to monitor the vote, have prompted calls from the West for an immediate investigation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Western concerns about the vote, saying that Russia "has been and will remain committed, first and foremost, to national sovereignty."
“We are not ready to take these so-called concerns into account and will not do so," he told the state news agency TASS.
The Kremlin has said the amendments are necessary for the country’s stability and security, while Putin’s critics charge they are a bid for the 67-year-old to secure power for life.
The most-controversial among more than 200 amendments in the package is one that resets Putin’s term-limit clock to zero, opening the way for him to run for reelection when his current six-year term expires in 2024, and again in 2030.
In addition to enabling Putin to seek additional terms, the amendments broaden the powers of the parliament in the formation of the government and redistribute some authority among various government structures.
They also explicitly state the priority of Russian law over international law, ban same-sex marriages, describe a “belief in God” as a core national value, define the Russian language as "the language of the state-forming ethnicity," and make it "impossible to alienate parts of the Russian Federation."
The vote came amid growing discontent in Russia over the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, and as polls have shown a decline in Putin’s popularity in recent years. His approval rating sank to a low of 59 percent during the spring, according to the independent Levada Center polling agency.
Putin, a longtime KGB officer during the Soviet era, has been president or prime minister of Russia since 1999.


rferl--2020-07-04--Iran's President Says Wear Masks, Or Be Denied Public Services

Iranian President Hassan Rohani says Iranians who do not wear masks will be denied public services and workplaces that fail to comply with health protocols will be shut for a week .
Rohani made the comments on July 4 as he announced new steps to try to curb the coronavirus pandemic that was first confirmed in Iran in February .
`` Not wearing a mask is a de facto violation of other people 's rights , '' the Iranian president said , according to the presidential website .
The death toll from the outbreak in the country stood at 11,408 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached 237,878 , according to official figures released by the Health Ministry on July 4 .
The actual number of cases is believed to be significantly higher .
Wearing masks becomes mandatory from July 5 in covered public places , Rohani announced , after tougher curbs were imposed in cities and towns in five provinces where the number of infections are rising after a gradual easing of lockdowns from mid-April .
`` Government employees should not serve people who do not wear masks and employees who do not wear them should be considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rohani .
Those infected have a `` religious duty '' to notify others , Rohani said , adding : `` Keeping your infection a secret violates the rights of other people . ''
The government website has published photos of Rohani , who is rarely seen wearing a mask , with a face mask .
Days earlier , a photo of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wearing a face mask was published by his website .
The government has in past days called on citizens to wear face masks and a weeklong campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the coronavirus `` is not a joke.
” More than a dozen Iranian soccer players from the domestic Esteghlal and Foolad Khuzestan clubs have tested positive for the coronavirus , Iranian media reported on July 4 .
With reporting by Reuters , dpa , and IRNA

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


rferl--2020-07-03--Rainbow Ice Cream In Spotlight As Putin Calls For Monitoring Of 'Gay Propaganda'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for `` nonaggressive '' public monitoring of what he described as efforts to promote `` nontraditional lifestyles . ''
`` If there is reason to assume that something is propaganda of values not traditional for us , then public organizations that share the official stance of Russia ’ s authorities…should build up public control accordingly , but not aggressively , '' Putin said during a July 3 videoconference with a `` working group '' he had set up to draft amendments to the constitution .
One of the more than 200 amendments that Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage as a union between a man and a woman to enshrine the country 's ban on same-sex marriage in the constitution .
In 2013 , Russia adopted a law outlawing “ gay propaganda ” to minors , which bans any content that presents `` distorted ideas about the equal social value of traditional and nontraditional sexual relations . ''
During the conference , the head of the Women ’ s Union of Russia drew Putin 's attention to an ice cream with the brand-name Rainbow , which uses multicolored advertising vaguely reminiscent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Even indirectly , such things make our children accustomed to that…flag , '' Yekaterina Lakhova said .
`` It would be very good to have a commission to make sure that those values that we enshrined in our constitution were upheld . ''
In an interview with Ekho Moskvy , the vice president of Chistaya Liniya , the company that produces Rainbow ice cream , rejected any association between the product and the LGBT banner .
`` It is a delightfully delicious and high-quality ice cream with various colors based on natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding : `` For us , the rainbow represents the sunshine after rain , the most beautiful natural phenomenon .
We don ’ t see any comparison with the LGBT movement or its symbols . ''
At the same July 3 meeting , Putin also mocked the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for flying a rainbow flag to mark LGBT Pride Month , saying the move `` revealed something about the people that work there . ''
`` Yes , '' the president said .
“ We pass a law banning the propaganda of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let people grow up , become adults , and then decide their own destinies.
” Human rights activists say that homophobic hate crimes have increased in Russia since the 2013 law was passed .
Last year , prominent LGBT activist Yelena Grigoryeva was killed in St. Petersburg after appearing on a hit list published by the homophobic group Saw Against LGBT .
With reporting by RIA Novosti , Ekho Moskvy , and Interfax

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for "nonaggressive" public monitoring of what he described as efforts to promote "nontraditional lifestyles."
"If there is reason to assume that something is propaganda of values not traditional for us, then public organizations that share the official stance of Russia’s authorities…should build up public control accordingly, but not aggressively," Putin said during a July 3 videoconference with a "working group" he had set up to draft amendments to the constitution.
One of the more than 200 amendments that Putin signed into law the same day defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman to enshrine the country's ban on same-sex marriage in the constitution.
In 2013, Russia adopted a law outlawing “gay propaganda” to minors, which bans any content that presents "distorted ideas about the equal social value of traditional and nontraditional sexual relations."
During the conference, the head of the Women’s Union of Russia drew Putin's attention to an ice cream with the brand-name Rainbow, which uses multicolored advertising vaguely reminiscent of the LGBT Pride rainbow flag.
"Even indirectly, such things make our children accustomed to that…flag," Yekaterina Lakhova said. "It would be very good to have a commission to make sure that those values that we enshrined in our constitution were upheld."
In an interview with Ekho Moskvy, the vice president of Chistaya Liniya, the company that produces Rainbow ice cream, rejected any association between the product and the LGBT banner.
"It is a delightfully delicious and high-quality ice cream with various colors based on natural dyes," Armen Beniaminov said, adding: "For us, the rainbow represents the sunshine after rain, the most beautiful natural phenomenon. We don’t see any comparison with the LGBT movement or its symbols."
At the same July 3 meeting, Putin also mocked the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for flying a rainbow flag to mark LGBT Pride Month, saying the move "revealed something about the people that work there."
"Yes," the president said. “We pass a law banning the propaganda of homosexuality among minors. So what? Let people grow up, become adults, and then decide their own destinies.”
Human rights activists say that homophobic hate crimes have increased in Russia since the 2013 law was passed.
Last year, prominent LGBT activist Yelena Grigoryeva was killed in St. Petersburg after appearing on a hit list published by the homophobic group Saw Against LGBT.
With reporting by RIA Novosti, Ekho Moskvy, and Interfax


rferl--2020-07-03--Iran Says It Identified Cause Of Natanz 'Incident' But Won't Disclose It

Iran 's top security body has said the cause of an incident at one of the country ’ s nuclear facilities has been determined , but it declined to release details , citing security reasons .
A building at the Natanz uranium-enrichment plant was damaged in what appeared to be an explosion or fire in the early hours of July 2 , fueling speculation of a possible act of sabotage as Iranian officials struggled to explain what happened .
A spokesperson from Iran ’ s Supreme National Security Council said on July 3 that investigators determined the cause of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Due to some security considerations , the cause and manner of this incident will be announced at a proper time , '' Keyvan Khosravi said , according to state-run Press TV .
Iran 's Atomic Energy Organization on July 2 described the damaged building as an “ industrial shed '' under construction above ground at Natanz .
The affected building was not part of the underground enrichment facility itself , which is protected against air strikes by 7.6 meters of concrete .
U.S. experts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satellite footage to determine the damaged building was a new centrifuge assembly workshop .
Centrifuges are used to produce enriched uranium , which can be used for nuclear fuel at lower levels but also to produce nuclear weapons-grade uranium .
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) have been visiting Natanz to monitor uranium-enrichment activities since Tehran and world powers signed a nuclear agreement in 2015 .
The UN nuclear watchdog said it has been informed about a fire at Natanz and that there was no nuclear or radioactive material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Natanz is under IAEA safeguards , including verification and monitoring .
The United States withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018 , prompting Tehran to progressively break restrictions laid down in the accord .
Under the deal , Iran is allowed to have just over 5,000 of the oldest and least efficient centrifuges at Natanz .
But in response to U.S. sanctions , Iran in November 2019 said it had installed new cascades of advanced centrifuges at Natanz and restarted injecting gas into centrifuges at the underground Fordo facility in violation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran enriches uranium to about 4.5 percent purity -- above the 3.67 percent allowed under the terms of the nuclear deal but far below weapons-grade levels of 90 percent .
Mystery surrounding the incident has been heightened by an online video claiming responsibility for the damage to the building at Natanz from a previously unknown group calling itself Cheetahs of the Homeland .
Hours before the attack , the group sent a video to BBC Persian journalists which said they were a group of “ soldiers from the heart of the regime ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons .
While Iranian officials have sought to downplay the fire , they also appear to be open to the possibility of sabotage backed by foreign powers .
Reuters cited three unidentified Iranian officials as saying they believed the fire was the result of a cyberattack , without citing any evidence .
State news agency IRNA published an editorial on July 2 addressing what it called the possibility of sabotage by `` hostile countries , '' especially Israel and the United States .
Natanz was the target of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is widely believed to have been engineered by the U.S. and Israel to sabotage Iran ’ s nuclear program .
The incident at Natanz comes a week after the Iranian Defense Ministry said there was an explosion at a gas-storage facility near the Parchin military base east of Tehran .
Parchin is suspected of having hosted conventional explosion tests with nuclear applications more than a decade ago , which the Islamic republic denies .
Iranian lawmaker Yaghoub Rezazadeh said on July 4 that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the head of Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salehi have been summoned to the parliament on July 5 to brief members on recent “ incidents ” at Natanz and Parchin .
He said if intelligence services establish that “ sabotage ” caused the incidents , then “ necessary decisions will be made.
” Rezazadeh was also quoted by the official government news agency IRNA as saying that a team comprising members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission will visit the Natanz plant without giving any further details .
The U.S.-based private intelligence firm Stratfor said either incident could `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group acting with or without foreign support , or the result of a U.S. or Israeli cyberattack.
” “ If there is a campaign by the United States , Israel and/or local groups in Iran under way , then Iran is likely to eventually respond in kind , potentially against Western targets in the Persian Gulf , ” Stratfor warned .
With reporting by AFP , AP , Reuters , Press TV , and dpa


rferl--2020-07-04--Serbia Shows Drones Purchased From China To Public For First Time

Serbia has publicly displayed six new military drones purchased from China for the first time .
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was on hand on July 4 at the military airport in Batajnica , near Belgrade , where military officials showcased the drones parked on the tarmac while journalists were given an opportunity to photograph the aircraft .
`` They have a long range , they can shoot at targets from a distance of 9 kilometers and record the terrain , objects of interest to Serbia deep within enemy territory , '' Vucic said , according to Serbian N1 television .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Serbia had agreed to cooperate with Chinese experts on the joint development of technology so that Serbia would be able to develop its own unmanned aircraft of a similar class .
However , Vucic declined to answer RFE/RL ’ s question regarding the cost of the military hardware , saying that all such procurements are secret , not only those made with China .
Along with the six CH92-A drones , Serbia bought 18 missiles for the aircraft some of which were displayed next to them at the presentation .
They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Serbia ’ s arms procurements , especially ones from Russia , have raised eyebrows in both Brussels and Washington .
However , the CH92-A drones are not on the sanctions list , according to Serbia .
Based on reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service and N1

Serbia has publicly displayed six new military drones purchased from China for the first time.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was on hand on July 4 at the military airport in Batajnica, near Belgrade, where military officials showcased the drones parked on the tarmac while journalists were given an opportunity to photograph the aircraft.
"They have a long range, they can shoot at targets from a distance of 9 kilometers and record the terrain, objects of interest to Serbia deep within enemy territory," Vucic said, according to Serbian N1 television.
Vucic told reporters at a news conference that Serbia had agreed to cooperate with Chinese experts on the joint development of technology so that Serbia would be able to develop its own unmanned aircraft of a similar class.
However, Vucic declined to answer RFE/RL’s question regarding the cost of the military hardware, saying that all such procurements are secret, not only those made with China.
Along with the six CH92-A drones, Serbia bought 18 missiles for the aircraft some of which were displayed next to them at the presentation. They are to be used for training and drills.
Serbia’s arms procurements, especially ones from Russia, have raised eyebrows in both Brussels and Washington. However, the CH92-A drones are not on the sanctions list, according to Serbia.
Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service and N1


rferl--2020-07-04--Russia Denies It Is In Talks With U.S. About Expanded G7

Russia is not in talks with the United States about its potential role at an expanded Group of Seven ( G7 ) summit later this year , Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on July 4 .
`` We have not had negotiations of this kind and are not having any , '' Ryabkov told TASS .
Ryabkov ’ s comments countered those of John Sullivan , U.S. ambassador to Russia , who told RBC TV on July 3 that Washington was `` engaged with the Russian Foreign Ministry and with the other G7 governments about whether there is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect of Russia 's return to the group of leading economic powers in May when he announced plans to postpone the meeting until September because of the coronavirus pandemic .
At the same time he said he would expand the list of invitees to include Australia , Russia , South Korea , and India .
Russia was formerly in the group but was expelled in the wake of its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 .
Trump said it was `` common sense '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group , but other G7 countries , including Canada and France , have objected to the idea .
Ryabkov also said an expanded G7 meeting should include China .
`` The idea of the so-called expanded G7 summit is flawed , because it is unclear to us how the authors of that initiative plan to consider the Chinese factor .
Without China , it is just impossible to discuss certain issues in the modern world , '' he said , according to TASS .
Ryabkov also noted that Russia has proposed holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the UN Security Council .
`` This is a completely different format .
We believe that work in that format , including on the most pressing current issues , is optimal , '' Ryabkov said .
Ryabkov said Moscow has continued diplomatic efforts to draw up the agenda of a summit .
“ We have submitted appropriate proposals to other partners in the P5 ( permanent members of the Security Council ) , and we are waiting for their reaction , '' he said .
With reporting by Reuters , dpa , @ @

Russia is not in talks with the United States about its potential role at an expanded Group of Seven (G7) summit later this year, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on July 4.
"We have not had negotiations of this kind and are not having any," Ryabkov told TASS.
Ryabkov’s comments countered those of John Sullivan, U.S. ambassador to Russia, who told RBC TV on July 3 that Washington was "engaged with the Russian Foreign Ministry and with the other G7 governments about whether there is an appropriate role for Russia at the G7."
U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect of Russia's return to the group of leading economic powers in May when he announced plans to postpone the meeting until September because of the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time he said he would expand the list of invitees to include Australia, Russia, South Korea, and India.
Russia was formerly in the group but was expelled in the wake of its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Trump said it was "common sense" to invite President Vladimir Putin to rejoin the group, but other G7 countries, including Canada and France, have objected to the idea.
Ryabkov also said an expanded G7 meeting should include China.
"The idea of the so-called expanded G7 summit is flawed, because it is unclear to us how the authors of that initiative plan to consider the Chinese factor. Without China, it is just impossible to discuss certain issues in the modern world," he said, according to TASS.
Ryabkov also noted that Russia has proposed holding a summit of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
"This is a completely different format. We believe that work in that format, including on the most pressing current issues, is optimal," Ryabkov said.
Ryabkov said Moscow has continued diplomatic efforts to draw up the agenda of a summit.
“We have submitted appropriate proposals to other partners in the P5 (permanent members of the Security Council), and we are waiting for their reaction," he said.
With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and TASS


rferl--2020-07-03--Fire At Power Station, Gas Leak At Petrochemical Plant Are Latest Incidents At Iranian Facilities

Fire broke out at an Iranian power station and chlorine gas leaked at a petrochemical plant on July 4 , two new incidents in a string of fires and explosions in recent weeks at Iranian facilities .
The blaze affected a transformer in the power station in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and was put out by firefighters , said Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi , a spokesman for the state-run power company Tavanir , according to the semiofficial news agency Tasnim .
There were partial power outages , but Mashhadi said electricity had been restored .
The chlorine gas leak occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant near the port of Bandar Imam Khomeini about 60 kilometers south of Ahvaz , the semiofficial ILNA news agency said .
The plant 's spokesman , Massud Shabanlou , told ILNA 70 people were treated for chlorine inhalation and all but two had been released from hospital .
The incidents come two days after fire broke out at the Natanz nuclear facility and less than a week after 19 people were killed in an explosion at a medical clinic in the north of the capital Tehran , which an official said was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also follows an explosion on June 25 at a gas-storage facility near the Parchin military base east of Tehran .
The fire at the Natanz uranium-enrichment plant fueled speculation of a possible act of sabotage as Iranian officials struggled to explain what happened .
Iran 's top security body said on July 3 the cause of the Natanz incident had been determined , but it declined to release details , citing security reasons .
A spokesperson from Iran ’ s Supreme National Security Council said on July 3 that investigators determined the cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hypotheses.
” `` Due to some security considerations , the cause and manner of this incident will be announced at a proper time , '' Keyvan Khosravi said , according to state-run Press TV .
Iran 's Atomic Energy Organization on July 2 described the damaged building as an “ industrial shed '' under construction above ground at Natanz .
The affected building was not part of the underground enrichment facility itself , which is protected against air strikes by 7.6 meters of concrete .
U.S. experts at the James Martin Center for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Studies used satellite footage to determine the damaged building was a new centrifuge assembly workshop .
Centrifuges are used to produce enriched uranium , which can be used for nuclear fuel at lower levels but also to produce nuclear weapons-grade uranium .
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) have been visiting Natanz to monitor uranium-enrichment activities since Tehran and world powers signed a nuclear agreement in 2015 .
The UN nuclear watchdog said it has been informed about a fire at Natanz and that there was no nuclear or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It said Natanz is under IAEA safeguards , including verification and monitoring .
The United States withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018 , prompting Tehran to progressively break restrictions laid down in the accord .
Under the deal , Iran is allowed to have just over 5,000 of the oldest and least efficient centrifuges at Natanz .
But in response to U.S. sanctions , Iran in November 2019 said it had installed new cascades of advanced centrifuges at Natanz and restarted injecting gas into centrifuges at the underground Fordo facility in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IAEA says Iran enriches uranium to about 4.5 percent purity -- above the 3.67 percent allowed under the terms of the nuclear deal but far below weapons-grade levels of 90 percent .
Mystery surrounding the incident has been heightened by an online video claiming responsibility for the damage to the building at Natanz from a previously unknown group calling itself Cheetahs of the Homeland .
Hours before the attack , the group sent a video to BBC Persian journalists which said they were a group of “ soldiers from the heart of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons .
While Iranian officials have sought to downplay the fire , they also appear to be open to the possibility of sabotage backed by foreign powers .
Reuters cited three unidentified Iranian officials as saying they believed the fire was the result of a cyberattack , without citing any evidence .
State news agency IRNA published an editorial on July 2 addressing what it called the possibility of sabotage by `` hostile countries , '' especially Israel and the United States .
Natanz was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2010 that is widely believed to have been engineered by the U.S. and Israel to sabotage Iran ’ s nuclear program .
The incident at Natanz comes a week after the Iranian Defense Ministry said there was an explosion at a gas-storage facility near the Parchin military base east of Tehran .
Parchin is suspected of having hosted conventional explosion tests with nuclear applications more than a decade ago , which the Islamic republic denies .
Iranian lawmaker Yaghoub Rezazadeh said on July 4 that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ali Akbar Salehi have been summoned to the parliament on July 5 to brief members on recent “ incidents ” at Natanz and Parchin .
He said if intelligence services establish that “ sabotage ” caused the incidents , then “ necessary decisions will be made.
” Rezazadeh was also quoted by the official government news agency IRNA as saying that a team comprising members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission will visit the Natanz plant without giving any further details .
The U.S.-based private intelligence firm Stratfor said either incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a domestic group acting with or without foreign support , or the result of a U.S. or Israeli cyberattack.
” “ If there is a campaign by the United States , Israel and/or local groups in Iran under way , then Iran is likely to eventually respond in kind , potentially against Western targets in the Persian Gulf , ” Stratfor warned .
With reporting by AFP , AP , Reuters , Press TV , and dpa


rferl--2020-07-05--Monument To Stalin's Victims Vandalized In Siberia

A monument to victims of political repression has been defaced with paint in the Siberian city of Taishet .
The @ @ @ @ @ city was reported on July 5 and apparently happened late the previous day .
The @ @ @ @ @ which was installed less than a week ago , was made illegible by the vandalism @ @ @ @ @ Soviet dictator Josef Stalin , the infamous gulag camp Taishetlag was located in the region @ @ @ @ @ addition , many prisoners passed through Taishet on their way to gulag camps farther east @ @ @ @ @ President Vladimir Putin has presided over the rehabilitation of Stalin ’ s reputation .
Monuments @ @ @ @ @ many cities across the country , many of them on the private property of the @ @ @ @ @ Federation .
On June 24 , communists unveiled a statue of Stalin in the Nizhny @ @ @ @ @ .
Millions of Soviet citizens were direct and indirect victims of political repression during Stalin @ @ @ @ @

A monument to victims of political repression has been defaced with paint in the Siberian city of Taishet.
The incident in the Irkutsk Oblast city was reported on July 5 and apparently happened late the previous day.
The inscription on the monument, which was installed less than a week ago, was made illegible by the vandalism.
During the rule of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, the infamous gulag camp Taishetlag was located in the region of the city. In addition, many prisoners passed through Taishet on their way to gulag camps farther east.
Critics have charged that President Vladimir Putin has presided over the rehabilitation of Stalin’s reputation.
Monuments to Stalin have appeared in many cities across the country, many of them on the private property of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. On June 24, communists unveiled a statue of Stalin in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast city of Bor.
Millions of Soviet citizens were direct and indirect victims of political repression during Stalin’s 1924-53 reign.


rferl--2020-07-05--Leading Russian Journalists Express Support For Colleague Accused Of 'Justifying Terrorism'

More than 30 independent Russian journalists have issued statements in support of Svetlana Prokopyeva , a journalist in the city of Pskov who is facing up to seven years in prison on charges of “ justifying terrorism.
” The statements were posted on July 4 by the online journal Kholod .
“ It is unacceptable to prosecute journalists for doing their jobs , ” wrote Irina Malkova , editor in chief of the online publication The Bell .
“ It is unacceptable to plant drugs on them , to break their arms , or to put them in prison for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is a freelance contributor to RFE/RL ’ s Russian Service , has been charged in connection with a commentary she published in November 2018 in which she discussed a bombing at the offices of the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) in the northern city of Arkhangelsk .
She noted that the suspected bomber , a teenager who died in the explosion , had posted statements on social media accusing the FSB of falsifying criminal cases .
She argued that political activism under President Vladimir Putin had been severely restricted , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 , prosecutors in the case asked the court to sentence her to six years in prison .
Journalist Ivan Golunov of the website Meduza -- who was himself targeted by a police attempt to plant narcotics on him in June 2019 that fell apart after a massive public outcry -- wrote that the FSB wants people to forget about the Arkhangelsk explosion .
“ Why should we not think about it and try to understand why it happened , ” Golunov wrote .
“ Attempting to understand the reasons that pushed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to the local FSB building is a socially important part of a journalist ’ s work.
” “ Only a sick mind could see Svetlana ’ s words as a ‘ justification of terrorism , ’ ” wrote Viktor Muchnik , the editor in chief of the Tomsk-based TV-2 Internet television station .
“ Svetlana Prokopyeva is a professional , honest journalist and a brave person who must be acquitted .
It is a matter of honor for the journalism community to make sure this happens.
” In a statement on July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described Prokopyeva as “ a highly recognized journalist who was doing the exact opposite of what prosecutors allege.
” “ Svetlana ’ s commentary was an effort to explain a tragedy , ” Sindelar said .
“ The portrayal of her words as ‘ justifying terrorism ’ is a deliberate and politically motivated distortion aimed at silencing her critical voice.
” The case against Prokopyeva has also been criticized by international organizations such as the European Union , Human Rights Watch , the Committee to Protect Journalists , and Reporters Without Borders .

More than 30 independent Russian journalists have issued statements in support of Svetlana Prokopyeva, a journalist in the city of Pskov who is facing up to seven years in prison on charges of “justifying terrorism.”
The statements were posted on July 4 by the online journal Kholod.
“It is unacceptable to prosecute journalists for doing their jobs,” wrote Irina Malkova, editor in chief of the online publication The Bell. “It is unacceptable to plant drugs on them, to break their arms, or to put them in prison for their words or opinions.”
Prokopyeva, who is a freelance contributor to RFE/RL’s Russian Service, has been charged in connection with a commentary she published in November 2018 in which she discussed a bombing at the offices of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in the northern city of Arkhangelsk.
She noted that the suspected bomber, a teenager who died in the explosion, had posted statements on social media accusing the FSB of falsifying criminal cases. She argued that political activism under President Vladimir Putin had been severely restricted, leading some people to despair.
On July 3, prosecutors in the case asked the court to sentence her to six years in prison.
Journalist Ivan Golunov of the website Meduza -- who was himself targeted by a police attempt to plant narcotics on him in June 2019 that fell apart after a massive public outcry -- wrote that the FSB wants people to forget about the Arkhangelsk explosion.
“Why should we not think about it and try to understand why it happened,” Golunov wrote. “Attempting to understand the reasons that pushed a 17-year-old boy to build a bomb and go to the local FSB building is a socially important part of a journalist’s work.”
“Only a sick mind could see Svetlana’s words as a ‘justification of terrorism,’” wrote Viktor Muchnik, the editor in chief of the Tomsk-based TV-2 Internet television station. “Svetlana Prokopyeva is a professional, honest journalist and a brave person who must be acquitted. It is a matter of honor for the journalism community to make sure this happens.”
In a statement on July 3, acting RFE/RL President Daisy Sindelar described Prokopyeva as “a highly recognized journalist who was doing the exact opposite of what prosecutors allege.”
“Svetlana’s commentary was an effort to explain a tragedy,” Sindelar said. “The portrayal of her words as ‘justifying terrorism’ is a deliberate and politically motivated distortion aimed at silencing her critical voice.”
The case against Prokopyeva has also been criticized by international organizations such as the European Union, Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders.


rferl--2020-07-05--Russian Shot Dead Near Vienna Was Reportedly A Kadyrov Critic

A Russian asylum seeker who was shot dead outside the Austrian capital , Vienna , on July 4 was a former Chechen separatist and a critic of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov , sources in the Chechen diaspora told RFE/RL .
The sources said the victim was Mamikhan Umarov , who was known as Anzor of Vienna .
Officials in Austria have said only that the victim was a 43-year-old asylum seeker from the Russian Federation and that he was shot dead in a parking lot outside a shopping center in the Vienna suburb of Gerasdorf .
According to initial reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head and died before ambulances arrived .
A suspect , who was also identified by Austrian authorities only as a Russian citizen , was captured several hours later about 200 kilometers west of the capital in Linz following a large-scale police manhunt .
Police are investigating the incident and trying to determine a motive .
A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Vienna told the state news agency TASS that it had not been contacted in connection with the events .
In interviews and social-media posts , Umarov has said he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former employee of the security service of the former de facto independent Chechen state of Ichkeria .
He frequently accused the Russian security forces of carrying out the assassinations of former Chechen separatists in European countries .
In February , Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov was attacked in Sweden .
He was able to overpower his alleged attacker and hand him over to the authorities .
In March 2019 , the head of the Chechen parliament , Magomed Daduyev , declared a blood feud against Abdurakhmanov .
On January 30 , Chechen blogger Imran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was found dead in the French city of Lille .
He had been stabbed 135 times .
Prosecutors say they have identified a Russian-born man who returned to Chechnya immediately following the killing as the prime suspect in the case .
In August 2019 , Georgian native Zelimkhan Khangoshvili , a former Chechen separatist fighter , was shot dead in Berlin .
A Russian citizen has been arrested in connection with that killing .
Rights groups have accused Kadyrov , who has ruled Chechnya since 2007 , of numerous human rights abuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killings , disappearances , and the targeted killings of political and personal rivals both in Russia and abroad .
With reporting by TASS , APA , and Kurier

A Russian asylum seeker who was shot dead outside the Austrian capital, Vienna, on July 4 was a former Chechen separatist and a critic of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, sources in the Chechen diaspora told RFE/RL.
The sources said the victim was Mamikhan Umarov, who was known as Anzor of Vienna.
Officials in Austria have said only that the victim was a 43-year-old asylum seeker from the Russian Federation and that he was shot dead in a parking lot outside a shopping center in the Vienna suburb of Gerasdorf.
Austrian police said on July 6 that the victim had declined police protection, but did not say when or specify why it was offered.
Austrian media reported that the killing is being considered as a possible political assassination.
Roland Scherscher, the head of the regional intelligence and anti-terrorism authority involved in the case, told the Austria Press Agency that the motive remains unclear, and that a political motive or perhaps an argument are both possible.
According to initial reports, the asylum seeker was shot in the head and died before ambulances arrived.
A suspect, who was also identified by Austrian authorities only as a Russian citizen, was captured several hours later about 200 kilometers west of the capital in Linz following a large-scale police manhunt.
Law enforcement authorities later on July 5 arrested another man they initially thought was a witness. After questioning the man, police arrested him as a suspect. No further details of his identity were disclosed, according to Austrian broadcaster ORF.
Police are investigating the incident and trying to determine a motive. An autopsy is being conducted on the victim, whose application for asylum had been recognized by Austria in 2007.
A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Vienna told the state news agency TASS that it had not been contacted in connection with the events.
In interviews and social-media posts, Umarov has said he was a former mercenary, who served in the security service under the separatist government that controlled Chechnya in the late 1990s between two devastating wars against federal forces. He frequently accused the Russian security forces of carrying out the assassinations of former Chechen separatists in European countries.
Rights groups have accused Kadyrov, who has ruled Chechnya since 2007, of numerous human rights abuses, including kidnappings, tortures, extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and the targeted killings of political and person rivals both in Russia and abroad.
In February, Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov was attacked in Sweden. He was able to overpower his alleged attacker and hand him over to the authorities.
In March 2019, the head of the Chechen parliament, Magomed Daudov, declared a blood feud against Abdurakhmanov.
On January 30, Chechen blogger Imran Aliyev, also a critic of Kadyrov, was found dead in the French city of Lille. He had been stabbed 135 times. Prosecutors say they have identified a Russian-born man who returned to Chechnya immediately following the killing as the prime suspect in the case.
In August 2019, Georgian native Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist fighter, was shot dead in Berlin. Prosecutors in Germany have filed murder charges against a Russian national in that case and accused the Russian government of ordering the killing.
With reporting by TASS, AP, APA, and Kurier


rferl--2020-07-05--Iran Says Fire At Natanz Nuclear Facility Caused Significant Damage

A fire last week at the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran caused significant damage , an Iranian nuclear official said on July 5 in a new assessment of the incident , adding that it could slow down the development and production of advanced centrifuges in the medium term .
Iran ’ s Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behruz Kamalvandi was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying various devices had been damaged or completely destroyed in the July 3 fire .
Kamalvandi added that Iran will replace the building damaged in the fire with a bigger one “ that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the fire at the Natanz facility in central Iran caused no damage to “ current activities of this complex.
” He said it affected an above-ground building described as an industrial shed .
Natanz is the Islamic republic 's main uranium-enrichment center located some 250 kilometers south of Tehran and includes facilities built under some 7.6 meters of concrete to offer protection from air strikes .
The site is one of several Iranian facilities monitored by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) , the UN nuclear watchdog .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 3 the cause of the incident had been determined , but it declined to release details , citing security reasons .
There has been speculation of a possible act of sabotage as Iranian officials struggled to explain what happened .
Iranian officials have not cited a specific country in connection with the incident , but two official notes published in IRNA and other Iranian media warned that any signs of crossing a red line by the United States and Israel must be considered in the `` strategy for dealing with the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gantz was asked on July 5 whether Israel played any role in the Natanz fire .
`` Not every incident that transpires in Iran necessarily has something to do with us , '' Gantz said on Army Radio on July 5 .
He said Israel 's long-standing policy is not to allow Iran access to its nuclear capabilities .
“ That 's the decent thing to do , and it should end there . ''
Israel has said for years that it is `` confident '' that Iran 's nuclear program is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an atomic bomb .
Iran has consistently denied the allegation .
The fire at the Natanz site comes amid other fires and accidents at its petrochemical complexes , regional power plants , and infrastructure .
Two fresh incidents occurred on July 4 -- one at an Iranian power station in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and the other at a petrochemical plant near the port of Bandar Imam Khomeini .
The incidents occurred less than a week after 19 people were killed in an explosion at a medical clinic in the north of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official said was caused by a gas leak .
It also follows an explosion on June 25 at a gas-storage facility near the Parchin military base east of Tehran .
With reporting by Reuters , dpa , and Radio Farda


rferl--2020-07-05--Kosovo Confronts 'New Situation' After Record Daily Deaths From COVID-19

PRISTINA -- Authorities in Kosovo have announced restrictions on movement in the capital , Pristina , and three other cities after a dramatic increase in both new cases of coronavirus infections and deaths in the country .
Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said July 5 that the country is dealing with a “ new situation ” and therefore will restrict movement from 9 p.m. ( 2000 GMT ) to 5 a.m. in Pristina as well as Ferizaj , Vushtrri , and Prizren .
The restrictions will take effect on July 6 , he said on Facebook .
The government also said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to observe new measures requiring early closures and limiting service to terraces and other open-air spaces .
The number of workers at all institutions will be limited to only those essential to run the operations , and health institutions also will be required to postpone all elective medical services .
The new measures are expected to take effect if approved by the government in a vote taking place electronically late on July 5 .
`` We are doing our best to manage the situation , '' Hoti said , adding that he won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of emergency if health professionals suggest it .
Speaking at a news conference , Hoti also said citizens will be continuously informed about the situation and from the Infectious Diseases Clinic to dispel any doubts about the existence of the coronavirus .
`` Based on estimates , 30 percent of Kosovo citizens do not believe that COVID-19 is real , ” he said .
Health Minister Armend Zemaj warned against “ hysterical reactions ” in a comment he posted on Facebook .
`` We currently have the potential to face the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of competent medical professionals , '' Zemaj said .
`` Those who are trying to exploit this situation by creating fog , to cause sabotage in our work , are wrong and only deliberately endanger the health of citizens . ''
The new measures come after Kosovo health institutions reported 17 deaths over the past 48 hours .
Kosovo also recorded more than 300 new COVID-19 infections over the weekend .
The new figures bring the total number of COVID-19 cases in Kosovo to 3,508 , with 75 confirmed deaths .
Health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acute treatment for COVID-19 has increased significantly in recent weeks .
Hoti told journalists that there is a plan to make beds available for COVID-19 patients and purchase more testing devices so the capacity can be increased to 500 tests per day , up from the current 200-350 tests daily .
The president of the Health Workers ' Union , Blerim Syla , said Kosovo is also dealing with a shortage of health-care workers and said those on the job are overworked .

PRISTINA -- Authorities in Kosovo have announced restrictions on movement in the capital, Pristina, and three other cities after a dramatic increase in both new cases of coronavirus infections and deaths in the country.
Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said July 5 that the country is dealing with a “new situation” and therefore will restrict movement from 9 p.m. (2000 GMT) to 5 a.m. in Pristina as well as Ferizaj, Vushtrri, and Prizren. The restrictions will take effect on July 6, he said on Facebook.
The government also said restaurants and bars throughout Kosovo will have to observe new measures requiring early closures and limiting service to terraces and other open-air spaces.
The number of workers at all institutions will be limited to only those essential to run the operations, and health institutions also will be required to postpone all elective medical services.
The new measures are expected to take effect if approved by the government in a vote taking place electronically late on July 5.
"We are doing our best to manage the situation," Hoti said, adding that he won’t hesitate to declare a state of emergency if health professionals suggest it.
Speaking at a news conference, Hoti also said citizens will be continuously informed about the situation and from the Infectious Diseases Clinic to dispel any doubts about the existence of the coronavirus.
"Based on estimates, 30 percent of Kosovo citizens do not believe that COVID-19 is real,” he said.
Health Minister Armend Zemaj warned against “hysterical reactions” in a comment he posted on Facebook.
"We currently have the potential to face the virus. We must behave according to the recommendations of competent medical professionals," Zemaj said. "Those who are trying to exploit this situation by creating fog, to cause sabotage in our work, are wrong and only deliberately endanger the health of citizens."
The new measures come after Kosovo health institutions reported 17 deaths over the past 48 hours. Kosovo also recorded more than 300 new COVID-19 infections over the weekend. The new figures bring the total number of COVID-19 cases in Kosovo to 3,508, with 75 confirmed deaths.
Health officials have said the number of patients requiring acute treatment for COVID-19 has increased significantly in recent weeks.
Hoti told journalists that there is a plan to make beds available for COVID-19 patients and purchase more testing devices so the capacity can be increased to 500 tests per day, up from the current 200-350 tests daily.
The president of the Health Workers' Union, Blerim Syla, said Kosovo is also dealing with a shortage of health-care workers and said those on the job are overworked.


rferl--2020-07-05--Iran Marks Single-Day High Of Coronavirus Deaths

Iran has recorded its highest single-day death toll since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic , reporting 163 deaths in @ @ @ @ @ July 5 .
The total exceeded the previous record of 162 deaths set on June @ @ @ @ @ said 2,560 new infections were recorded in the previous 24 hours .
The Middle Eastern @ @ @ @ @ of 240,438 coronavirus infections and 11,571 fatalities , making it the hardest-hit country in the @ @ @ @ @ new infections has increased markedly in recent days as restrictions imposed in April to curb @ @ @ @ @ have been partially lifted .
President Hassan Rohani said on July 4 that Iranians who @ @ @ @ @ will be denied state services .
Based on reporting by Reuters , AP , and @


rferl--2020-07-06--Israel Launches New Spy Satellite To 'Monitor Iran'

Israel 's Defense Ministry has announced the successful launch of a new spy satellite that the ministry said would provide high-quality surveillance for its military intelligence .
Israel has been building up its surveillance capabilities to monitor enemies such as Iran , whose nuclear program Israel sees as a major threat to its security .
The Defense Ministry said the Ofek-16 satellite was launched at 4 a.m. on July 6 from central Israel by a locally developed Shavit rocket .
It described the Ofek as an “ electro-optical reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities.
” The first images from the satellite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We will continue to strengthen and maintain Israel 's capabilities on every front , in every place , '' Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement .
Israel 's network of satellites allows the country to watch the entire Middle East , including Iran .
Gantz said that “ technological superiority and intelligence capabilities are essential to the security of the state of Israel.
” He didn ’ t give further details on the satellite 's mission , but Israeli public radio said it would be used to monitor Iran 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed on July 6 Israel is taking action to stop the Iranian nuclear threat .
Ashkenazi made the comment in response to a question about a series of mysterious incidents at Iranian facilities , including at Natanz , the Islamic republic 's main uranium-enrichment center .
`` We have a long-term policy over the course of many administrations not to allow Iran to have nuclear abilities , '' The Jerusalem Post quoted the minister as saying at a conference .
`` We take actions that are better left unsaid , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any military dimension .
The main contractor for the Ofek-16 project was the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries , while the satellite 's payload was developed by defense firm Elbit Systems .


rferl--2020-07-06--Afghan Female Politician Wounded In Attack

A female Afghan politician and her driver were wounded in a gun attack in the morning of July 6 , @ @ @ @ @ Logar , local police said .
Gunmen targeted the vehicle carrying Nafisa Hijran , a @ @ @ @ @ Logar ’ s capital , Pul-i-Alam , said Shahpoor Ahmadzai , a spokesman for the @ @ @ @ @ spokesman added that “ Hijran is in stable condition and has been sent to Kabul @ @ @ @ @ one suspect has been arrested and “ investigations are ongoing , ” police said .
@ @ @ @ @ of responsibility for the attack , but militants in Afghanistan often target women who work @ @ @ @ @ in the provinces .
Based on reporting by tolonews.com and 1TV

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


rferl--2020-07-06--Iran Says It Is Negotiating 25-Year Bilateral Deal With China

Iran has been negotiating a 25-year accord with China “ with confidence and conviction , ” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told parliament on July 5 , saying its terms will be announced once the deal is struck .
Zarif insisted there was nothing secret about the prospective deal , which he said was raised publicly in January 2016 when President Xi Jinping visited Tehran .
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also has publicly supported a strategic bilateral partnership with China .
China is Iran 's top trading partner and a key market for Iranian crude oil exports , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Zarif made the comments in his first address to parliament since a new session began in late May after elections that were dominated by hard-liners .
During the session , Zarif was heckled by lawmakers largely over his key role in negotiating a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers , which the U.S. unilaterally abandoned in 2018 before reimposing sanctions .
U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the deal saying it was not decisive enough in ensuring Iran would never be able to develop a nuclear weapon .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would place indefinite curbs on its nuclear program and restrict Tehran 's ballistic missile program .
Iran has gradually rolled back its commitments under the accord since the United States withdrew .
The 2015 deal provided the Islamic republic relief from international sanctions in return for limits on its nuclear program , but Iranian hard-liners staunchly opposed the multilateral agreement , arguing the United States could never be trusted .
Hard-liners in the Iranian parliament also said on July 5 they were seeking to summon Zarif and President Hassan Rohani to respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Several deputies called Rohani a liar as they heckled him continuously .
Lawmaker Mohammed-Taghi Nagh-Ali said during the session that Rohani and Zarif have betrayed the people and “ must therefore be held responsible , '' according to the semiofficial ILNA news agency .
Rohani 's policies have led to the country 's current economic crisis , and his arguments are `` no longer acceptable , '' Nagh-Ali said .
Some 200 members of parliament have tabled a motion to question Rohani .
Since winning their seats in February , hard-liners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Rohani , accusing him of making too many concessions to Western nations and getting little in return .
Rohani argues that U.S. sanctions and the global coronavirus pandemic are behind the economic crisis .
With reporting by Reuters , AFP , and dpa


rferl--2020-07-06--Russian Journalist To Appeal Ruling By Russian Court In Controversial Case

A Russian court has found journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva guilty of “ justifying terrorism ” in a controversial case widely criticized as an attack on freedom of speech .
The court in the western Russian city of Pskov announced its verdict on July 6 and ordered Prokopyeva to pay a fine of 500,000 rubles ( about $ 6,950 ) .
Prokopyeva ’ s supporters in the courtroom shouted `` Shame '' and `` She is not guilty '' as the judge read out the verdict .
Prokopyeva said she will appeal the decision .
`` I wasn ’ t counting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll appeal , '' Prokopyeva told reporters .
`` The biggest success is that I was not forbidden from working in my profession , '' the journalist said .
Prokopyeva , a freelance contributor to RFE/RL 's Russian Service , has maintained her innocence throughout the trial and described the case as an attempt to `` assassinate freedom of speech '' in Russia .
“ Svetlana ’ s conviction means that there is no presumption of innocence , no protections for journalists against the brute force of the state , ” said RFE/RL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case recalls the show trials that were used by Soviet authorities to punish critics .
It is a grim assault against free speech and the mission of an independent press.
” Prosecutors had asked the Second Western District Military Court to sentence Prokopyeva to six years in prison for `` justifying terrorism '' in a commentary she wrote that linked a suicide bombing with the country 's political climate .
Prosecutors had also sought to bar Prokopyeva from journalistic activities for four years .
The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am not afraid to criticize the government , '' Prokopyeva said in her final statement to the court on July 3 .
`` I am not afraid to criticize law enforcement or tell the security organs that they are wrong .
Because I know how really horrific it will become if I don ’ t speak out -- if no one speaks out . ''
She asked the court to take into consideration `` the most basic principles that our society is built upon '' when deciding her fate .
`` I mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a journalist , and the mission of the press , '' she concluded .
`` I did my work .
I did not do anything that was beyond the framework of my professional duty .
And that is not a crime . ''
Prokopyeva was charged in connection with a commentary she wrote in November 2018 , published by the Pskov affiliate of Ekho Moskvy radio .
In the text , she discussed a bombing outside the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) offices in the northern city of Arkhangelsk .
Russian media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who died in the explosion , had posted statements on social media accusing the FSB of tampering with criminal cases .
In her commentary , Prokopyeva linked the teenager 's statements to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin .
She suggested that political activism in the country was severely restricted , leading people to despair .
More than 30 independent Russian journalists have also issued statements in support of Prokopyeva .
In a July 3 statement , European Union spokesman Peter Stano called for the case against Prokopyeva to be dropped , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ever-shrinking space for independent journalists and civil society '' in Russia .
“ We expect the Russian Federation to uphold its international and domestic obligations and to guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms and ensure that journalists are able to work in a safe environment without fear of reprisal , ” he said .
Human Rights Watch called Prokopyeva 's prosecution a violation of freedom of expression , `` but not just hers . ''
`` It sends yet another chilling message that in Russia , raising uncomfortable questions can have severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been giving the media for years , '' the New York-based rights group said .
The case has also drawn criticism from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe , and media rights groups like Reporters Without Borders , the Committee to Protect Journalists , and the European Federation of Journalists .

A Russian court has found journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva guilty of “justifying terrorism” in a controversial case widely criticized as an attack on freedom of speech.
The court in the western Russian city of Pskov announced its verdict on July 6 and ordered Prokopyeva to pay a fine of 500,000 rubles (about $6,950).
Prokopyeva’s supporters in the courtroom shouted "Shame" and "She is not guilty" as the judge read out the verdict.
Prokopyeva said she will appeal the decision. "I wasn’t counting on being found not guilty. We’ll appeal," Prokopyeva told reporters.
"The biggest success is that I was not forbidden from working in my profession," the journalist said.
Prokopyeva, a freelance contributor to RFE/RL's Russian Service, has maintained her innocence throughout the trial and described the case as an attempt to "assassinate freedom of speech" in Russia.
“Svetlana’s conviction means that there is no presumption of innocence, no protections for journalists against the brute force of the state,” said RFE/RL acting President Daisy Sindelar. “Her case recalls the show trials that were used by Soviet authorities to punish critics. It is a grim assault against free speech and the mission of an independent press.”
Prosecutors had asked the Second Western District Military Court to sentence Prokopyeva to six years in prison for "justifying terrorism" in a commentary she wrote that linked a suicide bombing with the country's political climate.
Prosecutors had also sought to bar Prokopyeva from journalistic activities for four years. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to seven years in prison.
"I am not afraid to criticize the government," Prokopyeva said in her final statement to the court on July 3. "I am not afraid to criticize law enforcement or tell the security organs that they are wrong. Because I know how really horrific it will become if I don’t speak out -- if no one speaks out."
She asked the court to take into consideration "the most basic principles that our society is built upon" when deciding her fate.
"I mean freedom of speech, the status of a journalist, and the mission of the press," she concluded. "I did my work. I did not do anything that was beyond the framework of my professional duty. And that is not a crime."
Prokopyeva was charged in connection with a commentary she wrote in November 2018, published by the Pskov affiliate of Ekho Moskvy radio. In the text, she discussed a bombing outside the Federal Security Service (FSB) offices in the northern city of Arkhangelsk.
Russian media have reported that the suspected bomber, who died in the explosion, had posted statements on social media accusing the FSB of tampering with criminal cases.
In her commentary, Prokopyeva linked the teenager's statements to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin. She suggested that political activism in the country was severely restricted, leading people to despair.
More than 30 independent Russian journalists have also issued statements in support of Prokopyeva.
In a July 3 statement, European Union spokesman Peter Stano called for the case against Prokopyeva to be dropped, saying it was an indication of "the ever-shrinking space for independent journalists and civil society" in Russia.
“We expect the Russian Federation to uphold its international and domestic obligations and to guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms and ensure that journalists are able to work in a safe environment without fear of reprisal,” he said.
Human Rights Watch called Prokopyeva's prosecution a violation of freedom of expression, "but not just hers."
"It sends yet another chilling message that in Russia, raising uncomfortable questions can have severe repercussions -- a lesson the authorities have been giving the media for years," the New York-based rights group said.
The case has also drawn criticism from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and media rights groups like Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the European Federation of Journalists.


rferl--2020-07-06--U.K. Sanctions Russian Officials Over Alleged Involvement In Magnitsky Death

Britain has imposed sanctions on more than two dozen Russian individuals in connection with the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky as relations between the two nations remain frayed over what London calls Moscow 's destabilizing acts .
The list of 25 sanctioned Russian officials announced on July 6 includes Aleksandr Bastrykin , the head of the powerful Investigative Committee who is considered a member of President Vladimir Putin ’ s inner circle , as well as judges and prosecutors .
British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab , a former human rights lawyer , said in a tweet on July 6 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have committed the gravest human rights violations ” and will make Britain “ an even stronger force for good in the world , in the years ahead.
” Magnitsky , a lawyer for William Browder -- a U.S.-born investor who now holds British citizenship -- died in a Moscow prison from an untreated illness in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of a $ 230 million tax fraud .
The case attracted international attention amid an intensive lobbying effort by Browder , a well-known investor who made a fortune on Russian stocks .
Over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed Western nations to pass a global Magnitsky Act that would impose sanctions on individuals responsible for committing human rights violations or acts of significant corruption .
The United States passed the Magnitsky Act in 2012 , imposing sanctions on many Russian officials , and widened it in 2016 to include individuals from other nations .
Britain passed the law in 2018 , but said it would hold off imposing sanctions on individuals until it officially left the European Union in 2020 .
The British sanctions list also included Saudi individuals involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as North Korean officials .
The sanctions impose a visa ban and asset freezes on the individuals .
Browder described the British sanctions as a `` huge milestone ” in his decade-long campaign .
The Russian Embassy in London called the British decision “ hostile ” and said Moscow could take “ retaliatory measures ” without elaborating on what those steps could be .
`` In Russia , investigators , prosecutors , and judges carry out their responsibilities independently of executive authorities and are guided by law alone , '' the embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Magnitsky was killed and has lobbied hard against the bills , accusing Browder and his lawyer of crimes , including fraud .
The British sanctions add tension to an already fraught relationship with Russia .
London has accused Russia of `` destabilizing '' activities on its territory , including the 2018 chemical attack that almost killed former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter .
Russia has denied the accusation .
With reporting by AFP , Reuters , and the Financial Times

Britain has imposed sanctions on more than two dozen Russian individuals in connection with the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky as relations between the two nations remain frayed over what London calls Moscow's destabilizing acts.
The list of 25 sanctioned Russian officials announced on July 6 includes Aleksandr Bastrykin, the head of the powerful Investigative Committee who is considered a member of President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, as well as judges and prosecutors.
British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, a former human rights lawyer, said in a tweet on July 6 that the sanctions would “target people who have committed the gravest human rights violations” and will make Britain “an even stronger force for good in the world, in the years ahead.”
Magnitsky, a lawyer for William Browder -- a U.S.-born investor who now holds British citizenship -- died in a Moscow prison from an untreated illness in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of a $230 million tax fraud.
The case attracted international attention amid an intensive lobbying effort by Browder, a well-known investor who made a fortune on Russian stocks.
Over the course of a decade, Browder pushed Western nations to pass a global Magnitsky Act that would impose sanctions on individuals responsible for committing human rights violations or acts of significant corruption.
The United States passed the Magnitsky Act in 2012, imposing sanctions on many Russian officials, and widened it in 2016 to include individuals from other nations.
Britain passed the law in 2018, but said it would hold off imposing sanctions on individuals until it officially left the European Union in 2020.
The British sanctions list also included Saudi individuals involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as well as North Korean officials. The sanctions impose a visa ban and asset freezes on the individuals.
Browder described the British sanctions as a "huge milestone” in his decade-long campaign.
The Russian Embassy in London called the British decision “hostile” and said Moscow could take “retaliatory measures” without elaborating on what those steps could be.
"In Russia, investigators, prosecutors, and judges carry out their responsibilities independently of executive authorities and are guided by law alone," the embassy said.
Russia has long rejected claims that Magnitsky was killed and has lobbied hard against the bills, accusing Browder and his lawyer of crimes, including fraud.
The British sanctions add tension to an already fraught relationship with Russia.
London has accused Russia of "destabilizing" activities on its territory, including the 2018 chemical attack that almost killed former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Russia has denied the accusation.
With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and the Financial Times