rferl--2020-08-05--Beirut's Devastating Blast Linked To Seized Russian-Owned Cargo Ship

Media reports say a large supply of ammonium nitrate that exploded on August 4 at a warehouse in the port of Beirut was likely unloaded there years earlier from a cargo ship that had been seized from its Russian owner , businessman Igor Grechushkin .
Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi told a local TV station the blast that killed more than 100 people and injured thousands across the city appeared to be caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate .
Fahmi said the highly explosive fertilizer had been stored at the dockside warehouse since it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 .
Prime Minister Hassan Diab said around 2,750 tons of seized ammonium nitrate had been stored in the warehouse for six years without safety measures .
Diab said those responsible for the safety breach would be held responsible .
Lebanon 's General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim also has said that the `` highly explosive material '' had been stored in the warehouse since it had been confiscated years earlier .
Based on that timeline and the size of the cargo , media reports say the ship was likely the MV Rhosus -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its seizure by Grechushkin .
A businessman from the Siberian city of Khabarovsk , Grechushkin currently lives in Cyprus .
The MV Rhosus was initially confiscated by Lebanese authorities in 2013 under an order by local inspectors in Beirut after it had entered the port due to technical problems , according to lawyers involved in a court case over its seizure .
Boris Prokoshev , who was MV Rhosus 's captain at the time , confirmed in an August 5 interview with RFE/RL that the vessel had been owned by Grechushkin in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vessel had been transporting ammonium nitrate from Georgia 's Black Sea port of Batumi to Mozambique when it experienced technical problems that forced it to stop in Beirut .
Prokoshev also told RFE/RL the MV Rhosus was a very old vessel that sank two or three years ago because nobody was maintaining the ship .
Prokoshev said Grechushkin still owes tens of thousands of U.S. dollars in unpaid wages to him and other crew members .
He said all of his attempts to sue Grechushkin in Russia have failed because the businessman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports in Russia and Moldova on August 5 said the MV Rhosus had been sailing under the flag of Moldova when it arrived in Beirut .
Odessitua.com website 's reported that most of the ship 's crew had been Ukrainian sailors who were temporarily stranded in Beirut in 2013 after Grechushkin ran out of funds to pay their salaries or for the ship 's fees .
Prokoshev described being stranded in Lebanon with the ship 's other unpaid crew members as a form of `` incarceration , '' saying that Grechushkin had left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
He also blamed Lebanese authorities for the massive explosion on August 4 .
`` They should have gotten get rid of the vessel right away instead of confiscating it and demanding fees for harboring it , '' Prokoshev told RFE/RL .
`` Secondly , we are talking about ammonium nitrate here .
They could have used it for their [ agricultural ] fields .
Nobody was claiming it , which means it belonged to nobody , '' Prokoshev said .
Lebanon 's LBCI-TV reported on August 5 that , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the explosion was started accidentally by welders who were closing off a gap that allowed unauthorized entry into the warehouse .
LBCI said sparks from a welder 's torch are thought to have ignited fireworks stored in a warehouse , which in turn detonated the nearby cargo of ammonium nitrate that had been unloaded from the MV Rhosus years earlier .
Independent experts say orange clouds that followed the massive blast on August 4 were likely from toxic nitrogen dioxide gas that is released after an explosion involving nitrates .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Red Cross was coordinating with Lebanon 's Health Ministry for morgues to take victims because hospitals were overwhelmed .
With thousands of injured in hospitals and many other people still buried under debris on August 5 , the death toll was expected to rise .
Beirut 's governor , Marwan Abboud , said on August 5 that as many as 250,000 people lost their homes as a result of the enormous explosion .
He said authorities have launched a massive humanitarian operation to provide food , water , and shelter to those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Siberia Desk of RFE/RL 's Russian Service , AP , Mediazona , Rossiiskaya Gazeta , and Point.md

The death toll from a massive explosion that ripped across Beirut has climbed to 137 as investigators searched the wreckage of the port of the Lebanese capital for clues to the cause of the blast.
The huge August 4 blast also left dozens missing and at least 5,000 wounded, a Lebanese Health Ministry spokesperson said on August 6.
The explosion obliterated part of the port and caused damage over a wide radius in the heart of the city, prompting fears the final death toll could be much higher.
Officials have blamed the blast on a large stockpile of ammonium nitrate -- a component of fertilizer that is potentially explosive -- that was stored for years in unsafe conditions at the port.
The government on August 5 ordered port officials to be placed under house arrest.
Media reports say the ammonium nitrate that exploded was likely unloaded there years earlier from a cargo ship that had been seized from its Russian owner, businessman Igor Grechushkin.
Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi said on August 5 that the blast appeared to be caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate.
Fahmi said the highly explosive fertilizer had been stored at the dockside warehouse since it was confiscated from a cargo ship in 2014.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the seized ammonium nitrate had been stored in the warehouse for six years without safety measures.
Diab said those responsible for the safety breach would be held responsible.
Lebanon's General Security chief, Abbas Ibrahim, has also said that the "highly explosive material" had been stored in the warehouse since it had been confiscated years earlier.
Based on that timeline and the size of the cargo, media reports say the ship was likely the MV Rhosus -- which had been owned at the time of its seizure by Grechushkin.
A businessman from the Siberian city of Khabarovsk, Grechushkin currently lives in Cyprus.
The MV Rhosus was initially confiscated by Lebanese authorities in 2013 under an order by local inspectors in Beirut after it had entered the port due to technical problems, according to lawyers involved in a court case over its seizure.
Boris Prokoshev, who was MV Rhosus's captain at the time, confirmed in an August 5 interview with RFE/RL that the vessel had been owned by Grechushkin in 2013.
Prokoshev also confirmed reports that the vessel had been transporting ammonium nitrate from Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi to Mozambique when it experienced technical problems that forced it to stop in Beirut.
Prokoshev also told RFE/RL the MV Rhosus was a very old vessel that sank two or three years ago because nobody was maintaining the ship.
Prokoshev said Grechushkin still owes tens of thousands of U.S. dollars in unpaid wages to him and other crew members. He said all of his attempts to sue Grechushkin in Russia have failed because the businessman no longer resides in Russia.
Media reports in Russia and Moldova on August 5 said the MV Rhosus had been sailing under the flag of Moldova when it arrived in Beirut.
Odessitua.com website's reported that most of the ship's crew had been Ukrainian sailors who were temporarily stranded in Beirut in 2013 after Grechushkin ran out of funds to pay their salaries or for the ship's fees.
Prokoshev described being stranded in Lebanon with the ship's other unpaid crew members as a form of "incarceration," saying that Grechushkin had left the crew without any financial or other support.
He also blamed Lebanese authorities for the massive explosion on August 4.
"They should have gotten get rid of the vessel right away instead of confiscating it and demanding fees for harboring it," Prokoshev told RFE/RL.
"Secondly, we are talking about ammonium nitrate here. They could have used it for their [agricultural] fields. Nobody was claiming it, which means it belonged to nobody," Prokoshev said.
Lebanese authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire that led to the massive explosion. They have not yet announced what they think was the definitive cause of that fire.
However, Lebanon's LBCI-TV reported on August 5 that, according to preliminary information, the fire that set off the explosion was started accidentally by welders who were closing off a gap that allowed unauthorized entry into the warehouse.
LBCI said sparks from a welder's torch are thought to have ignited fireworks stored in a warehouse, which in turn detonated the nearby cargo of ammonium nitrate that had been unloaded from the MV Rhosus years earlier.
Independent experts say orange clouds that followed the massive blast on August 4 were likely from toxic nitrogen dioxide gas that is released after an explosion involving nitrates.
In the devastated city on August 5, the Red Cross was coordinating with Lebanon's Health Ministry for morgues to take victims because hospitals were overwhelmed.
With thousands of injured in hospitals and many other people still buried under debris on August 5, the death toll was expected to rise.
Beirut's governor, Marwan Abboud, said on August 5 that as many as 250,000 people lost their homes as a result of the enormous explosion.
He said authorities have launched a massive humanitarian operation to provide food, water, and shelter to those who've been displaced.
With reporting by the Siberia Desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service, AP, Mediazona, Rossiiskaya gazeta, and Point.md


rferl--2020-08-05--Russian Actor, Kremlin Critic Yefremov Pleads Not Guilty In Deadly DUI Case

Russian actor and outspoken Kremlin critic Mikhail Yefremov pleaded not guilty to killing a person while driving under the influence as his high-profile trial started in Moscow on August 5 .
`` I can not plead guilty because I do not remember anything , '' Yefremov told the court on August 5 .
If convicted , Yefremov , who in recent years has been criticizing the Kremlin in his one-man performances , may face up to 12 years in prison .
Police say Yefremov was inebriated when he drove his car at high speed into an oncoming lane in central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hitting another car .
Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident , but the driver of the other vehicle , identified as 57-year-old Sergei Zakharov , was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later .
After Zakharov was pronounced dead , Yefremov was charged with `` causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence '' and later placed under house arrest .
Authorities later said that medical tests confirmed that Yefremov had traces of drugs , including cocaine , in his blood at the moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 56-year-old Yefremov satirizing President Vladimir Putin and his policies have been very popular in recent years .
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax

Russian actor and outspoken Kremlin critic Mikhail Yefremov pleaded not guilty to killing a person while driving under the influence as his high-profile trial started in Moscow on August 5.
"I cannot plead guilty because I do not remember anything," Yefremov told the court on August 5.
If convicted, Yefremov, who in recent years has been criticizing the Kremlin in his one-man performances, may face up to 12 years in prison.
Police say Yefremov was inebriated when he drove his car at high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow on the evening of June 8, hitting another car.
Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident, but the driver of the other vehicle, identified as 57-year-old Sergei Zakharov, was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later.
After Zakharov was pronounced dead, Yefremov was charged with "causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence" and later placed under house arrest.
Authorities later said that medical tests confirmed that Yefremov had traces of drugs, including cocaine, in his blood at the moment of the accident.
Performances by the 56-year-old Yefremov satirizing President Vladimir Putin and his policies have been very popular in recent years.
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-08-05--In Nod To Russia, U.S. Condemns Foreign Military Involvement In Libya

WASHINGTON -- The United States has said it is “ deeply troubled ” by growing violence in Libya and called on foreign powers to end their proxy war in the troubled North African nation .
“ We strongly oppose foreign military involvement , including the use of mercenaries and private military contractors , by all sides ” in Libya , White House national-security adviser Robert O ’ Brien said in a statement on August 4 .
The U.S. military has accused Moscow of supplying Russian mercenaries and military hardware to Libya in an attempt to gain a foothold in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that Russia is using the Vagner Group , a private Russia paramilitary organization believed to be close to the Kremlin , as a `` proxy ” in Libya to establish a long-term presence on the Mediterranean Sea .
Russia has been helping Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar 's self-styled Libyan National Army ( LNA ) in the east of the country in its fight against the UN-recognized Government of National Accord ( GNA ) based in the capital , Tripoli .
France , Egypt , and the United Arab Emirates also back Haftar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has deployed troops , drones , and Syrian rebel mercenaries to Libya , supports the government in Tripoli , alongside Qatar and Italy .
Ankara 's intervention in Libya in January turned the tide of the war by rolling back Haftar 's offensive against Tripoli .
O ’ Brien said President Donald Trump has spoken with “ several ” world leaders over the past few weeks to discuss the deteriorating situation in Libya .
O ’ Brien said the action of foreign powers in Libya poses “ grave threats to regional stability and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling on foreign powers to allow Libya ’ s National Oil Corporation , the nation ’ s main source of revenue , to resume its work .
Oil is being illegally exported from the country , depriving the struggling government of cash to repair its economy .
The United States is also calling for a cease-fire and for countries to respect a UN arms embargo .
Libya has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the country 's longtime dictator , Colonel Muammar Qaddafi , in 2011 @

WASHINGTON -- The United States has said it is “deeply troubled” by growing violence in Libya and called on foreign powers to end their proxy war in the troubled North African nation.
“We strongly oppose foreign military involvement, including the use of mercenaries and private military contractors, by all sides” in Libya, White House national-security adviser Robert O’Brien said in a statement on August 4.
The U.S. military has accused Moscow of supplying Russian mercenaries and military hardware to Libya in an attempt to gain a foothold in the North African country.
The Pentagon has said that Russia is using the Vagner Group, a private Russia paramilitary organization believed to be close to the Kremlin, as a "proxy” in Libya to establish a long-term presence on the Mediterranean Sea.
Russia has been helping Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east of the country in its fight against the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital, Tripoli.
France, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates also back Haftar’s forces.
Turkey, which has deployed troops, drones, and Syrian rebel mercenaries to Libya, supports the government in Tripoli, alongside Qatar and Italy.
Ankara's intervention in Libya in January turned the tide of the war by rolling back Haftar's offensive against Tripoli.
O’Brien said President Donald Trump has spoken with “several” world leaders over the past few weeks to discuss the deteriorating situation in Libya.
O’Brien said the action of foreign powers in Libya poses “grave threats to regional stability and global commerce.”
The United States is calling on foreign powers to allow Libya’s National Oil Corporation, the nation’s main source of revenue, to resume its work.
Oil is being illegally exported from the country, depriving the struggling government of cash to repair its economy.
The United States is also calling for a cease-fire and for countries to respect a UN arms embargo.
Libya has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the country's longtime dictator, Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, in 2011.


rferl--2020-08-05--Belarus Authorities Cancel Opposition Campaigning Ahead Of Election

Belarusian authorities have again canceled campaign events by presidential contender Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya ahead of the August 9 election , claiming that repair work needed to be carried out where the political rallies were to be held .
In the city of Slutsk , located 100 kilometers south of the capital , Minsk , local authorities on August 4 said there was an “ urgent ” need for repair work at an event place and announced that a planned opposition rally was canceled .
Riot police and plainclothes officers then detained at least 17 people as hundreds of opposition supporters gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Viasna human rights center .
Among those detained was the editor of a local news website .
Tsikhanouskaya was also forced to cancel a rally in the city of Salihorsk , scheduled for the evening of August 4 after the one in Slutsk .
Local authorities in Salihorsk , about 130 kilometers south of Minsk , brought excavators to dig up the ground at a stadium where the rally was to be held and told campaign organizers that the event was canceled .
Police then dispersed people who had come to the rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One day earlier , authorities in the city of Stolbtsy disrupted a meeting organized by Tikhanouskaya 's campaign by driving construction equipment to the local stadium .
Analysts say Belarusian authorities ca n't cancel Tikhanouskaya 's rallies because they are legal , but they can use construction and other pretexts as an excuse to disrupt campaign events and claim they are unauthorized .
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's 26 years of authoritarian rule looks increasingly vulnerable ahead of the August 9 presidential election , although most analysts say he will likely win through a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energized opposition .
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters have attended daily rallies in recent weeks in support of Tsikhanouskaya , a 37-year-old political novice backed by disqualified presidential candidates .
The lead-up to the vote has been marred by dubious disqualifications and an unprecedented scale of detentions and other persecution against a backdrop of a pandemic and pro-democracy protests .
With about 6.8 million eligible voters , Belarus began early voting on August 4 ; it will continue through August 8 .
However , most voters are expected to cast their ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Commission said on August 5 that turnout on August 4 was just under 5 percent of all eligible voters .

Belarusian authorities have again canceled campaign events by presidential contender Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya ahead of the August 9 election, claiming that repair work needed to be carried out where the political rallies were to be held.
In the city of Slutsk, located 100 kilometers south of the capital, Minsk, local authorities on August 4 said there was an “urgent” need for repair work at an event place and announced that a planned opposition rally was canceled.
Riot police and plainclothes officers then detained at least 17 people as hundreds of opposition supporters gathered for the political rally, according the Vyasna human rights center. Among those detained was the editor of a local news website.
Tsikhanouskaya was also forced to cancel a rally in the city of Salihorsk, scheduled for the evening of August 4 after the one in Slutsk.
Local authorities in Salihorsk, about 130 kilometers south of Minsk, brought excavators to dig up the ground at a stadium where the rally was to be held and told campaign organizers that the event was canceled.
Police then dispersed people who had come to the rally and arrested at least five people.
The day before, authorities in the city of Stolbtsy disrupted a meeting organized by Tikhanouskaya's campaign by driving construction equipment to the local stadium.
Analysts say the authorities can't cancel Tikhanouskaya's rallies because they are legal, but they can use construction and other pretexts as an excuse to disrupt campaign events and claim they are unauthorized.
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's 26 years of authoritarian rule looks increasingly vulnerable ahead of the August 9 presidential election, although most analysts say he will likely win through a combination of fraud and repression against an energized opposition.
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters have attended daily rallies in recent weeks in support of Tsikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old political novice backed by disqualified presidential candidates.
The lead-up to the vote has been marred by dubious disqualifications and an unprecedented scale of detentions and other persecution against a backdrop of a pandemic and pro-democracy protests.
With about 6.8 million eligible voters, Belarus began early voting on August 4; it will continue through August 8.
However, most voters are expected to cast their ballots on August 9. The Central Election Commission said on August 5 that turnout on August 4 was just under 5 percent of all eligible voters.


rferl--2020-08-04--Thousands In Pakistan Mark Anniversary Of India's Move On Kashmir

Thousands of people rallied in Pakistan 's major cities on August 5 to mark the date a year ago when neighboring India scrapped the special status of territory under its administration in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir .
Political leaders , trade unions , councils for lawyers , and rights activists attended the rallies to condemn what they called a `` repressive Indian decision . ''
Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi led the largest rally in the capital , Islamabad , where protesters chanted anti-India slogans and urged world powers to intervene on behalf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region .
The Indian government announced on August 5 , 2019 , that it was changing the status of territory under its control in Kashmir -- a Himalayan valley controlled in parts by New Delhi and Islamabad but claimed by both in its entirety .
Islamabad rejects what it sees as an annexation of Kashmir by India , which in turn opposes Islamabad 's position that the region 's fate should be decided through a plebiscite conducted by the United Nations .
Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India , suspended a cross-border bus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to New Delhi 's move .
`` The Indian move in Kashmir is the worst rights violation , '' Alvi said .
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the world to intervene against the move that he says has made 8 million Muslims prisoners in their own homes .
On August 4 , Pakistan 's cabinet approved a new map showing the entire Kashmir region as part of Pakistan and renamed a major road in Islamabad Srinagar Highway , after the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir .
Khan , addressing the nation on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new national map had been approved by the cabinet and will be the official map of Pakistan .
The new map marks the Himalayan region as “ Indian illegally occupied '' Jammu-Kashmir , clearly stating it is disputed territory awaiting final status to be decided by UN resolutions .
Khan said the Kashmiri people have a right of self-determination .
But he said this promise has not been honored by the international community .
The map will be used in educational institutions across Pakistan .
India responded by calling the map “ an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ untenable claims ” to Indian territory .
The status of Kashmir has been a key dispute between Pakistan and India since the two split in 1947 after British colonial rule .
The nuclear-armed rivals each control part of Kashmir and have fought three of their four wars over the region -- including major conflicts in 1947 and 1965 , and a limited conflict in 1999 .
India accuses Pakistan of sending militants across the Line Of Control that is the region 's de facto border to commit violence .
New Delhi also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kashmir -- charges that Islamabad denies .
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s decision to change the status of Kashmir led to a weeks-long clampdown in the region and well-documented human rights abuses .
Indian and Pakistani soldiers have traded gunfire across the highly militarized Line Of Control almost daily for more than a year , killing dozens of civilians and soldiers on both sides .
With reporting by AFP and dpa

Dozens of people were wounded in a grenade attack at a rally in Pakistan as the country marked the first anniversary of neighboring India’s decision to revoke the special status of territory under its administration in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
At least 39 people were injured in the grenade attack on a rally organized by a hard-line Islamic party in the port city of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh Province.
The attack, which left at least one person in critical condition, was claimed by Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army, a separatist group that has become active in the recent months.
The attack took place as thousands of people rallied in Pakistan's major cities on August 5 as political leaders, trade unions, councils for lawyers, and rights activists attended the protests to condemn what they called a "repressive Indian decision."
Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi led the largest rally in the capital, Islamabad, where protesters chanted anti-India slogans and urged world powers to intervene on behalf of residents in the Muslim-majority Indian administered region.
The Indian government announced on August 5, 2019, that it was revoking the semi-autonomous status of territory under its control in Kashmir -- a Himalayan valley controlled in parts by New Delhi and Islamabad but claimed by both in its entirety.
Islamabad rejects what it sees as an annexation of Kashmir by India, which in turn opposes Islamabad's position that the region's fate should be decided through a plebiscite conducted by the United Nations (UN).
Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India, suspended a cross-border bus service, and halted bilateral trade in response to New Delhi's move.
"The Indian move in Kashmir is the worst rights violation," Alvi said.
Indian authorities deployed troops and curbed public movement on August 5 to stop potential protests in Kashmir.
The UN Security Council was briefed behind closed doors on the situation in Kashmir on August 5 at the request of China, which is India's rival and a close ally to Pakistan.
"China is seriously concerned about the current situation in Kashmir and the relevant military actions. We oppose unilateral actions that will complicate the situation," China's mission to the United Nations in New York said in a statement.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the world to intervene against the move that he says has made 8 million Muslims prisoners in their own homes.
On August 4, Pakistan's cabinet approved a new map showing the entire Kashmir region as part of Pakistan and renamed a major road in Islamabad Srinagar Highway, after the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir.
Khan, addressing the nation on August 4 alongside Qureshi, said the new national map had been approved by the cabinet and will be the official map of Pakistan. https://twitter.com/pakpmo/status/1290652496499793920?s=21
The new map marks the Himalayan region as “Indian illegally occupied" Jammu-Kashmir, clearly stating it is disputed territory awaiting final status to be decided by UN resolutions.
Khan said the Kashmiri people have a right of self-determination. But he said this promise has not been honored by the international community.
The map will be used in educational institutions across Pakistan.
India responded by calling the map “an exercise in political absurdity" that establishes “untenable claims” to Indian territory.
The status of Kashmir has been a key dispute between Pakistan and India since the two split in 1947 after British colonial rule. The nuclear-armed rivals each control part of Kashmir and have fought three of their four wars over the region -- including major conflicts in 1947 and 1965, and a limited conflict in 1999.
India accuses Pakistan of sending militants across the Line Of Control that the region's de-facto border to commit violence.
New Delhi also accuses Pakistan of supporting militants in Indian-administered Kashmir -- charges that Islamabad denies.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to change the status of Kashmir led to a weeks-long clampdown in the region and well-documented human rights abuses.
Indian and Pakistani soldiers have traded gunfire across the highly militarized Line Of Control almost daily for more than a year, killing dozens of civilians and soldiers on both sides.
With reporting by AFP, dpa, Reuters, and Dawn


rferl--2020-08-06--U.S. To Seek UN Vote On Iran Arms Embargo Next Week

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States plans to hold a United Nations Security Council vote next week to extend an arms embargo on Iran , setting the stage for a crisis at the international body amid heightened Middle East tensions .
`` There are nations lining up to sell weapons that will destabilize the Middle East , put Israel at risk , put Europe at risk , risk American lives as well , '' Pompeo told reporters on August 5 .
`` We 're not going to let it happen.
” The U.S.-drafted resolution seeks to extend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is set to be progressively eased beginning on October 18 under a Security Council resolution that enshrined the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers .
In the Security Council , veto-wielding Russia and China have said they oppose extending the arms embargo and have questioned Washington ’ s right to use a disputed legal move to force a return of UN sanctions on Iran .
If the Security Council doesn ’ t prevent Iran from buying and selling weapons when the embargo ends , Washington has said it will trigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions on Iran .
Pompeo and Iran hard-liners in Washington claim the United States remains a participant in the accord because it was listed as such in the 2015 resolution , and can therefore bring back sanctions since Iran has not fully complied with its nuclear commitments .
The U.S. position is likely to be fraught with difficultly because the United States quit the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran .
In response , Iran gradually started breaching its nuclear commitments .
Russia and China , as well as European allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have questioned the U.S. claim it is still a participant able to trigger the snapback mechanism .
Britain , France , and Germany are concerned about the arms embargo being lifted but have said they are trying to reach a compromise out of concern Iran will completely exit the nuclear deal and act on threats to pull out of a key nonproliferation treaty .
With reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters

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.
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But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-08-05--Russia Says Fighter Intercepted U.S. Surveillance Planes Over Black Sea

Russia says a fighter jet intercepted two U.S. military surveillance planes in the Black Sea -- the latest in a series of midair encounters between U.S. , NATO , and Russian forces .
Military officials told the state TASS news agency on August 5 that the Su-27 jet met the U.S. planes in international waters in the Black Sea .
`` The Russian fighter jet crew approached the aircraft at a safe distance and identified them as an RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft of the U.S. Air Force and an R-8A Poseidon , the U.S. Navy 's maritime patrol aircraft , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no immediate confirmation of the incident from U.S. or NATO officials , though civilian radar-tracking sites showed U.S. aircraft in the Black Sea region on August 5 , not far from Ukraine 's Crimea Peninsula .
Crimea was annexed by Russian in 2014 , a move that few foreign countries have recognized .
The peninsula is home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet and multiple military installations .
U.S. and NATO jets routinely intercept Russian surveillance and strategic bomber aircraft off NATO member countries and U.S. airspace over the Pacific and Atlantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are routine and considered nonthreatening .
In May , a NATO official told RFE/RL that Russian military aircraft activity in the Black Sea and other parts of Europe had increased since 2014 .
Last year , the official said that NATO aircraft took to the skies 290 times to escort or shadow Russian military aircraft across Europe .

Russia says a fighter jet intercepted two U.S. military surveillance planes in the Black Sea -- the latest in a series of midair encounters between U.S., NATO, and Russian forces.
Military officials told the state TASS news agency on August 5 that the Su-27 jet met the U.S. planes in international waters in the Black Sea.
"The Russian fighter jet crew approached the aircraft at a safe distance and identified them as an RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft of the U.S. Air Force and an R-8A Poseidon, the U.S. Navy's maritime patrol aircraft," the Defense Ministry said.
There was no immediate confirmation of the incident from U.S. or NATO officials, though civilian radar-tracking sites showed U.S. aircraft in the Black Sea region on August 5, not far from Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
Crimea was forcibly annexed by Russian in 2014, a move that few foreign countries have recognized. The peninsula is home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet and multiple military installations.
U.S. and NATO jets routinely intercept Russian surveillance and strategic bomber aircraft off NATO member countries and U.S. airspace over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The vast majority of incidents are routine and considered nonthreatening.
In May, a NATO official told RFE/RL that Russian military aircraft activity in the Black Sea and other parts of Europe had increased since 2014.
Last year, the official said that NATO aircraft took to the skies 290 times to escort or shadow Russian military aircraft across Europe.
With reporting by TASS


rferl--2020-08-05--Moscow Threatens 'Sad Consequences' After Belarus Arrests Russian Mercenaries Near Minsk

Russia has issued a thinly veiled threat against Belarus over the detention of 33 Russian mercenaries who were arrested at gunpoint near the capital , Minsk , last week .
Dmitry Medvedev , the deputy head of Russia 's Security Council , said the incident could have grave consequences for bilateral relations .
His remarks came just days before Belarus holds a crucial presidential election in which longtime President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is seeking to extend his 26 years in office .
Medvedev said the Belarusian leadership had turned bilateral ties into `` small change in the election campaign.
” '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's very sad , ” said Medvedev , who previously served as Russian president and prime minister .
`` And it will entail sad consequences , too . ''
The mercenaries ' arrest , and the circumstances of their presence in Belarus , has ratcheted up tensions in the run-up to the August 9 presidential vote .
Lukashenka is facing one of the most serious challenges to his tenure , with masses of Belarusians attending campaign rallies organized by his challengers .
Belarusian authorities have charged the arrested Russians with plotting to stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying they were only in Belarus because they missed a connecting flight to another country .
In a speech on August 4 , Lukashenka lashed out at the Russian mercenaries , suggesting they were plotting a `` colored revolution '' in Belarus -- a reference to the popular upheavals that have rocked Georgia , Ukraine , and Kyrgyzstan over the past two decades .
The Russians were reportedly employed by a private military firm owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin , a Kremlin-connected businessman who has been indicted in the United States for meddling @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Russia has issued a thinly veiled threat against Belarus over the detention of 33 Russian mercenaries who were arrested at gunpoint near the capital, Minsk, last week.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia's Security Council, said the incident could have grave consequences for bilateral relations.
His remarks came just days before Belarus holds a crucial presidential election in which longtime President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is seeking to extend his 26 years in office.
Medvedev said the Belarusian leadership had turned bilateral ties into "small change in the election campaign.”
"It's not only offensive, it's very sad,” said Medvedev, who previously served as Russian president and prime minister. "And it will entail sad consequences, too."
The mercenaries' arrest, and the circumstances of their presence in Belarus, has ratcheted up tensions in the run-up to the August 9 presidential vote.
Lukashenka is facing one of the most serious challenges to his tenure, with masses of Belarusians attending campaign rallies organized by his challengers.
Belarusian authorities have charged the arrested Russians with plotting to stage riots. Russia has demanded their release, saying they were only in Belarus because they missed a connecting flight to another country.
In a speech on August 4, Lukashenka lashed out at the Russian mercenaries, suggesting they were plotting a "colored revolution" in Belarus -- a reference to the popular upheavals that have rocked Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan over the past two decades.
The Russians were reportedly employed by a private military firm owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Kremlin-connected businessman who has been indicted in the United States for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
With reporting by Interfax


rferl--2020-08-05--Nearly Dozen Killed In Roadside Bombing In Northern Afghanistan

An Afghan official says at least 11 people have been killed in a roadside bombing in the country 's north .
Ahmad Javid Besharat , the spokesman for the police of Baghlan Province , said the bomb struck a vehicle carrying the bodyguards and family members of a former provincial official .
Mahbubullah Ghafari , a former member of the provincial council , was unhurt in the blast .
Besharat said Ghafari was on his way from the provincial capital , Pul-e Khumri , to the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif when the bomb struck one of his vehicles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack , although similar incidents in the past have been blamed on the Taliban .
The Taliban has intensified attacks across the country , particularly in the north , where Afghan forces are more exposed .
Last month , Taliban fighters stormed the offices of Afghanistan ’ s main intelligence agency in the northern province of Samangan , killing 11 security personnel and wounding dozens of others , mostly civilians .
The Taliban continues to stage regular attacks across Afghanistan despite signing an initial peace deal with the United States in February .

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


rferl--2020-08-05--COVID-19: 10 Million Afghans Said To Have Virus; Russian Regional Leader Tests Positive

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 700,000 , with more than 18.5 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
The Health Ministry estimates that nearly a third of the population -- or 10 million people -- has been infected with the coronavirus .
Health Minister Ahmad Jawad Osmani told reporters on August 5 that the survey was based on antibody tests carried out on around 9,500 people across the country with technical support from the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population of 32 million had contracted the virus , with the highest infection rate in the capital , Kabul where more than half of the city 's 5 million people are believed to have been infected .
Afghanistan , which has poor health infrastructure and has been wracked by decades of war , has only limited testing capacity .
Officially , the country only has 36,829 positive cases and 1,294 deaths as of August 5 , although the real numbers are believed to be much higher .
`` A second wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world and we can not be an exception , '' Osmani said .
`` We will use the findings of this survey to better prepare ourselves for a possible second wave . ''
The virus entered Afghanistan in February as thousands of migrants and refugees returned from neighboring Iran , one of the region 's worst-hit countries .
Osmani said a survey on the mortality rate of the coronavirus in Afghanistan was under way .
The head of the region of Kalmykia , Batu Khasikov , has announced that he has tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement posted on Facebook on August 5 , which appears to have been recorded in a hospital room , Khasikov said he was progressing `` easily '' through the recovery process .
`` Let me tell you , there is nothing good about this illness .
But I am easily going through it as my immunity system allows me to do so , '' Khasikov said .
`` When I learned about the positive test results , I , of course , thought about my relatives -- my parents , first of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remotely and asked the region 's residents to follow lockdown restrictions to avoid contracting COVID-19 .
He also said that it was too early to talk about lifting coronavirus restrictions imposed in Kalmykia in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease .
Kalmykia is a region on Russia 's southern steppes near the Caspian Sea .
Kalmyks , a Mongol-speaking and predominantly Buddhist ethnic group , make up a majority of the 270,000 people living there .
According to Kalmyk authorities , 2,839 coronavirus cases have been registered in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 .
With reporting by AFP and dpa

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 700,000, with more than 18.5 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Afghanistan
The Health Ministry estimates that nearly a third of the population -- or 10 million people -- has been infected with the coronavirus.
Health Minister Ahmad Jawad Osmani told reporters on August 5 that the survey was based on antibody tests carried out on around 9,500 people across the country with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The survey estimated that some 31.5 percent of the population of 32 million had contracted the virus, with the highest infection rate in the capital, Kabul where more than half of the city's 5 million people are believed to have been infected.
Afghanistan, which has poor health infrastructure and has been wracked by decades of war, has only limited testing capacity.
Officially, the country only has 36,829 positive cases and 1,294 deaths as of August 5, although the real numbers are believed to be much higher.
"A second wave of the infection is happening everywhere in the world and we cannot be an exception," Osmani said. "We will use the findings of this survey to better prepare ourselves for a possible second wave."
The virus entered Afghanistan in February as thousands of migrants and refugees returned from neighboring Iran, one of the region's worst-hit countries.
Osmani said a survey on the mortality rate of the coronavirus in Afghanistan was under way.
Russia
The head of the region of Kalmykia, Batu Khasikov, has announced that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
In a video statement posted on Facebook on August 5, which appears to have been recorded in a hospital room, Khasikov said he was progressing "easily" through the recovery process.
"Let me tell you, there is nothing good about this illness. But I am easily going through it as my immunity system allows me to do so," Khasikov said. "When I learned about the positive test results, I, of course, thought about my relatives -- my parents, first of all."
Khsikov said he continued working remotely and asked the region's residents to follow lockdown restrictions to avoid contracting COVID-19.
He also said that it was too early to talk about lifting coronavirus restrictions imposed in Kalmykia in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease.
Kalmykia is a region on Russia's southern steppes near the Caspian Sea.
Kalmyks, a Mongol-speaking and predominantly Buddhist ethnic group, make up a majority of the 270,000 people living there.
According to Kalmyk authorities, 2,839 coronavirus cases have been registered in the region -- including 40 people who have died from COVID-19.
With reporting by AFP and dpa


rferl--2020-08-05--Independent Election Monitors Detained In Belarus During Early Voting

MINSK -- Independent observers who 've been monitoring early voting in the Belarusian presidential election have been detained across the country after documenting numerous violations of the election law .
An election-monitoring campaign called Honest People said on August 5 that their observers had registered 2,056 violations of the election law in Minsk and other cities on August 4 -- the first day of early voting .
It said the violations included blocking independent observers from polling stations and from monitoring whether voting boxes are properly sealed before being taken away for the vote count .
The Human Rights Defenders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August 5 that police detained independent observers at polling stations across the country .
The group said election officials had been calling the police and claiming that the observers `` meddled '' in the election process .
Detained observers include activists Inna Dabratvor and Natallya Mankouskaya in Minsk , as well as Andrey Kyashanyuk , Halina Mahuchaya , and two other unidentified independent observers in the eastern city of Vitsebsk .
Election observer Yaralsau Nyadasekin was also detained in the town of Smalyavichy near Minsk .
A monitoring group called Right To Vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from entering polling stations in Minsk and other cities .
Observers in the eastern city of Mahilyou were also briefly detained on August 4 while trying to monitor early voting .
The Minsk-based Vyasna ( Spring ) human rights center said one of the organizers and leaders of the Honest People campaign , Illya Shapatkouski , was detained on August 4 -- with the authorities claiming he was suspected of being involved in an embezzlement case launched against Belgazprombank .
The Honest People campaign was initiated by former Belgazprombank chief Viktar Babaryka , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested in June after he expressed his intention to run for president .
Babaryka was viewed as a potentially strong rival of incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
Babaryka was charged with money laundering , bribery , and tax evasion .
He rejects the charges as politically motivated .
Lukashenka 's 26 years of authoritarian rule looks increasingly vulnerable ahead of the August 9 vote .
But many analysts say he is likely win through a combination of fraud and the repression of an energized opposition .
The Central Election Commission said on August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of early voting was just under 5 percent of the country 's 6.8 million eligible voters .

MINSK -- Independent observers who've been monitoring early voting in the Belarusian presidential election have been detained across the country after documenting numerous violations of the election law.
An election-monitoring campaign called Honest People said on August 5 that their observers had registered 2,056 violations of the election law in Minsk and other cities on August 4 -- the first day of early voting.
It said the violations included blocking independent observers from polling stations and from monitoring whether voting boxes are properly sealed before being taken away for the vote count.
The Human Rights Defenders for a Fair Election campaign said on August 5 that police detained independent observers at polling stations across the country.
The group said election officials had been calling the police and claiming that the observers "meddled" in the election process.
Detained observers include activists Inna Dabratvor and Natallya Mankouskaya in Minsk, as well as Andrey Kyashanyuk, Halina Mahuchaya, and two other unidentified independent observers in the eastern city of Vitsebsk.
Election observer Yaralsau Nyadasekin was also detained in the town of Smalyavichy near Minsk.
A monitoring group called Right To Vote -- 2020 said its observers were blocked from entering polling stations in Minsk and other cities.
Observers in the eastern city of Mahilyou were also briefly detained on August 4 while trying to monitor early voting.
The Minsk-based Vyasna (Spring) human rights center said one of the organizers and leaders of the Honest People campaign, Illya Shapatkouski, was detained on August 4 -- with the authorities claiming he was suspected of being involved in an embezzlement case launched against Belgazprombank.
The Honest People campaign was initiated by former Belgazprombank chief Viktar Babaryka, who along with his son Eduard was arrested in June after he expressed his intention to run for president.
Babaryka was viewed as a potentially strong rival of incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Babaryka was charged with money laundering, bribery, and tax evasion. He rejects the charges as politically motivated.
Lukashenka's 26 years of authoritarian rule looks increasingly vulnerable ahead of the August 9 vote.
But many analysts say he is likely win through a combination of fraud and the repression of an energized opposition.
The Central Election Commission said on August 5 that turnout on the first day of early voting was just under 5 percent of the country's 6.8 million eligible voters.


rferl--2020-08-05--Prosecutor Denies Ban On Women's Cycling In Iranian City

The prosecutor in the northeastern Iranian province of Khorasan Razavi has denied that women in the provincial capital , Mashhad , have been banned from cycling .
Prosecutor Mohammad Hossein Doroody was quoted on August 5 by the semiofficial ISNA news agency as saying that the judiciary had not issued any ban in this regard .
His comments came a day after Mehdi Roozbehaneh , the head of the province 's cycling board , said a ban on women 's cycling in public places in Khorasan Razavi had come into effect following a decision by the province 's Islamic morality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mashhad is home to the shrine of the eighth Imam of the Shi ' a .
The city ’ s Friday Prayer leader , Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda , is known for his hard-line views , including his opposition to concerts and more freedoms for women .
He has spoken against women 's cycling in the past .
However , Roozbehaneh said the cycling board was working to remove the ban for women who observe the compulsory hijab rule that requires them to cover their hair and body in public .
Many women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing number of them have in recent years flouted the rule by wearing small scarves and short and tight coats .
`` We are trying to ensure that women who observe their hijab and adhere to the norms given the religious nature of Mashhad will not face any problem regarding cycling , '' Roozbehaneh was quoted as saying by Iranian media .
Roozbehaneh blamed the ban on women who had not fully respected the hijab rule while cycling .
`` These restrictions were caused by people who , without properly respecting the hijab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been cycling and attracting a lot of attention , '' he said .
The ban comes days after reports in the Iranian media that some members of the cycling board of the city of Sabzevar , also located in Khorasan Razavi Province , resigned in protest at a decision by the city 's own Islamic morality authority to ban women from riding bikes .
In 2016 , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a religious pronouncement -- a fatwa -- that women cycling in public was `` haram , '' or forbidden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforced .
In many cities , including Tehran , an increasing number of women have been riding bikes in recent years despite opposition by hard-liners .
In 2019 , a judiciary spokesman said women 's cycling was not banned provided religious rules were respected .
Since the 1979 revolution and the creation of an Islamic republic , Iran 's clerical establishment has enforced Islamic laws that deny women equal rights in areas such as divorce and inheritance while also setting guidelines for their appearance and behavior in public .


rferl--2020-08-05--Death Toll Rises In Beirut Blast Linked To Seized Russian-Owned Ship

The death toll from a massive explosion that ripped across the Lebanese capital has climbed to 135 as investigators search the wreckage of the port of Beirut for clues to the cause of the blast .
Lebanon 's health minister told a local TV station on August 5 that some 5,000 people were wounded and dozens were still missing from the explosion at a warehouse in the port on August 4 .
Officials have blamed the blast on a large stockpile of ammonium nitrate -- a component of fertilizer that is potentially explosive -- that was stored for years in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government on August 5 ordered port officials to be placed under house arrest .
Media reports say the ammonium nitrate that exploded was likely unloaded there years earlier from a cargo ship that had been seized from its Russian owner , businessman Igor Grechushkin .
Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi told a local TV station the blast appeared to be caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate .
Fahmi said the highly explosive fertilizer had been stored at the dockside warehouse since it was confiscated from a cargo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diab said the seized ammonium nitrate had been stored in the warehouse for six years without safety measures .
Diab said those responsible for the safety breach would be held responsible .
Lebanon 's General Security chief , Abbas Ibrahim , has also said that the `` highly explosive material '' had been stored in the warehouse since it had been confiscated years earlier .
Based on that timeline and the size of the cargo , media reports say the ship was likely the MV Rhosus -- which had been owned at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A businessman from the Siberian city of Khabarovsk , Grechushkin currently lives in Cyprus .
The MV Rhosus was initially confiscated by Lebanese authorities in 2013 under an order by local inspectors in Beirut after it had entered the port due to technical problems , according to lawyers involved in a court case over its seizure .
Boris Prokoshev , who was MV Rhosus 's captain at the time , confirmed in an August 5 interview with RFE/RL that the vessel had been owned by Grechushkin in 2013 .
Prokoshev also confirmed reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nitrate from Georgia 's Black Sea port of Batumi to Mozambique when it experienced technical problems that forced it to stop in Beirut .
Prokoshev also told RFE/RL the MV Rhosus was a very old vessel that sank two or three years ago because nobody was maintaining the ship .
Prokoshev said Grechushkin still owes tens of thousands of U.S. dollars in unpaid wages to him and other crew members .
He said all of his attempts to sue Grechushkin in Russia have failed because the businessman no longer resides in Russia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ August 5 said the MV Rhosus had been sailing under the flag of Moldova when it arrived in Beirut .
Odessitua.com website 's reported that most of the ship 's crew had been Ukrainian sailors who were temporarily stranded in Beirut in 2013 after Grechushkin ran out of funds to pay their salaries or for the ship 's fees .
Prokoshev described being stranded in Lebanon with the ship 's other unpaid crew members as a form of `` incarceration , '' saying that Grechushkin had left the crew without any financial or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities for the massive explosion on August 4 .
`` They should have gotten get rid of the vessel right away instead of confiscating it and demanding fees for harboring it , '' Prokoshev told RFE/RL .
`` Secondly , we are talking about ammonium nitrate here .
They could have used it for their [ agricultural ] fields .
Nobody was claiming it , which means it belonged to nobody , '' Prokoshev said .
Lebanese authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire that led to the massive explosion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ think was the definitive cause of that fire .
However , Lebanon 's LBCI-TV reported on August 5 that , according to preliminary information , the fire that set off the explosion was started accidentally by welders who were closing off a gap that allowed unauthorized entry into the warehouse .
LBCI said sparks from a welder 's torch are thought to have ignited fireworks stored in a warehouse , which in turn detonated the nearby cargo of ammonium nitrate that had been unloaded from the MV Rhosus years earlier .
Independent experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blast on August 4 were likely from toxic nitrogen dioxide gas that is released after an explosion involving nitrates .
In the devastated city on August 5 , the Red Cross was coordinating with Lebanon 's Health Ministry for morgues to take victims because hospitals were overwhelmed .
With thousands of injured in hospitals and many other people still buried under debris on August 5 , the death toll was expected to rise .
Beirut 's governor , Marwan Abboud , said on August 5 that as many as 250,000 people lost their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion .
He said authorities have launched a massive humanitarian operation to provide food , water , and shelter to those who 've been displaced .
With reporting by the Siberia Desk of RFE/RL 's Russian Service , AP , Mediazona , Rossiiskaya gazeta , and Point.md


rferl--2020-08-05--Belarusian Authorities Cancel Opposition Campaigning Ahead Of Election

Belarusian authorities have again canceled campaign events by presidential contender Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya ahead of the August 9 election , claiming that repair work needed to be carried out where the political rallies were to be held .
In the city of Slutsk , located 100 kilometers south of the capital , Minsk , local authorities on August 4 said there was an “ urgent ” need for repair work at an event place and announced that a planned opposition rally was canceled .
Riot police and plainclothes officers then detained at least 17 people as hundreds of opposition supporters gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vyasna human rights center .
Among those detained was the editor of a local news website .
Tsikhanouskaya was also forced to cancel a rally in the city of Salihorsk , scheduled for the evening of August 4 after the one in Slutsk .
Local authorities in Salihorsk , about 130 kilometers south of Minsk , brought excavators to dig up the ground at a stadium where the rally was to be held and told campaign organizers that the event was canceled .
Police then dispersed people who had come to the rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The day before , authorities in the city of Stolbtsy disrupted a meeting organized by Tikhanouskaya 's campaign by driving construction equipment to the local stadium .
Analysts say the authorities ca n't cancel Tikhanouskaya 's rallies because they are legal , but they can use construction and other pretexts as an excuse to disrupt campaign events and claim they are unauthorized .
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's 26 years of authoritarian rule looks increasingly vulnerable ahead of the August 9 presidential election , although most analysts say he will likely win through a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energized opposition .
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters have attended daily rallies in recent weeks in support of Tsikhanouskaya , a 37-year-old political novice backed by disqualified presidential candidates .
The lead-up to the vote has been marred by dubious disqualifications and an unprecedented scale of detentions and other persecution against a backdrop of a pandemic and pro-democracy protests .
With about 6.8 million eligible voters , Belarus began early voting on August 4 ; it will continue through August 8 .
However , most voters are expected to cast their ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission said on August 5 that turnout on August 4 was just under 5 percent of all eligible voters .


rferl--2020-08-04--Grenade Attack Hits Rally As Pakistan Marks Kashmir Anniversary

Dozens of people were wounded in a grenade attack at a rally in Pakistan as the country marked the first anniversary of neighboring India ’ s decision to revoke the special status of territory under its administration in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir .
At least 39 people were injured in the grenade attack on a rally organized by a hard-line Islamic party in the port city of Karachi , the provincial capital of Sindh Province .
The attack , which left at least one person in critical condition , was claimed by Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army , a separatist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent months .
The attack took place as thousands of people rallied in Pakistan 's major cities on August 5 as political leaders , trade unions , councils for lawyers , and rights activists attended the protests to condemn what they called a `` repressive Indian decision . ''
Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi led the largest rally in the capital , Islamabad , where protesters chanted anti-India slogans and urged world powers to intervene on behalf of residents in the Muslim-majority Indian administered region .
The Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that it was revoking the semi-autonomous status of territory under its control in Kashmir -- a Himalayan valley controlled in parts by New Delhi and Islamabad but claimed by both in its entirety .
Islamabad rejects what it sees as an annexation of Kashmir by India , which in turn opposes Islamabad 's position that the region 's fate should be decided through a plebiscite conducted by the United Nations ( UN ) .
Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India , suspended a cross-border bus service , and halted bilateral trade in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The Indian move in Kashmir is the worst rights violation , '' Alvi said .
Indian authorities deployed troops and curbed public movement on August 5 to stop potential protests in Kashmir .
The UN Security Council was briefed behind closed doors on the situation in Kashmir on August 5 at the request of China , which is India 's rival and a close ally to Pakistan .
`` China is seriously concerned about the current situation in Kashmir and the relevant military actions .
We oppose unilateral actions that will complicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the United Nations in New York said in a statement .
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the world to intervene against the move that he says has made 8 million Muslims prisoners in their own homes .
On August 4 , Pakistan 's cabinet approved a new map showing the entire Kashmir region as part of Pakistan and renamed a major road in Islamabad Srinagar Highway , after the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir .
Khan , addressing the nation on August 4 alongside Qureshi , said the new national map had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the official map of Pakistan .
https : //twitter.com/pakpmo/status/1290652496499793920 ?
s=21 The new map marks the Himalayan region as “ Indian illegally occupied '' Jammu-Kashmir , clearly stating it is disputed territory awaiting final status to be decided by UN resolutions .
Khan said the Kashmiri people have a right of self-determination .
But he said this promise has not been honored by the international community .
The map will be used in educational institutions across Pakistan .
India responded by calling the map “ an exercise in political absurdity '' that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territory .
The status of Kashmir has been a key dispute between Pakistan and India since the two split in 1947 after British colonial rule .
The nuclear-armed rivals each control part of Kashmir and have fought three of their four wars over the region -- including major conflicts in 1947 and 1965 , and a limited conflict in 1999 .
India accuses Pakistan of sending militants across the Line Of Control that the region 's de-facto border to commit violence .
New Delhi also accuses Pakistan of supporting militants in Indian-administered Kashmir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s decision to change the status of Kashmir led to a weeks-long clampdown in the region and well-documented human rights abuses .
Indian and Pakistani soldiers have traded gunfire across the highly militarized Line Of Control almost daily for more than a year , killing dozens of civilians and soldiers on both sides .
With reporting by AFP , dpa , Reuters , and Dawn


rferl--2020-08-06--Moscow Court Finds 'New Greatness' Youth Activists Guilty On Extremism Charges

MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has convicted seven members of the so-called New Greatness movement on charges of `` organizing an extremist group intending to carry out crimes of extremist character . ''
Judge Aleksandr Maslov announced the guilty verdicts at the Lyublino District Court on August 6 .
The court was expected to announce sentences later in the day .
The seven convicted defendants are Pyotr Karamzin , Dmitry Poltetayev , Ruslan Kostylenkov , Vyacheslav Kryukov , Anna Pavlikova , Maria Dubovik , and Maksim Roshchin .
Dozens of people gathered in front of the court building on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused .
Police detained three activists who had worn police uniforms while staging a protest performance in front of the court building , In their protest , the activists cut the throat of a mannequin with a knife -- sending out a spray of fake blood while one of the protesters chanted : `` It is an act of sacrifice taking place here ! ''
On July 14 , the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Kostylenkov , 27 , to 7 1/2 years in prison ; Karamzin , 34 , to 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to six years .
The prosecutor also requested that the four other defendants be handed suspended sentences ranging from four to 6 1/2 years .
All of the defendants were arrested in 2018 and charged with creating an extremist group with the intention of overthrowing Russian President Vladimir Putin 's government .
Critics say the case against them was fabricated by Russia ’ s security services .
The rights group Memorial describes the seven as political prisoners .
Pavlikova was 17 at the time of her arrest .
She spent several months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Moscow and other cities .
The defendants say they had turned their online chat group , which was critical of Russia 's government , into a political movement called New Greatness at the suggestion of one group member .
Later , it was revealed that the man who proposed the idea , wrote the movement 's charter , and rented premises for gatherings was a special agent of Russia 's Federal Security Service ( FSB ) .
In April 2019 , another member of the group , Pavel Rebrovsky , was sentenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleaded guilty and cut deals with investigators .
Another group member , Sergei Gavrilov , fled to Ukraine in October 2019 .
He has asked for political asylum in Ukraine .

MOSCOW -- Seven members of the so-called New Greatness movement have been handed sentences ranging from 7 years in prison to 4-year suspended sentences.
The Lyublino district court in Moscow on August 6 convicted all seven defendants on charges of "organizing an extremist group intending to carry out crimes of extremist character."
Judge Aleksandr Maslov sentenced 27-year-old Vyacheslav Kostylenkov to 7 years in prison, 34-year-old Pyotr Karamzin to 6 1/2 years in jail, and 22-year-old Vyacheslav Kryukov to 6 years in prison.
The other defendants -- Maksim Roshchin, Dmitry Poletayev, Maria Dubovik, and Anna Pavlikova -- were handed suspended prison terms between 4 and 6 1/2 years.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty.
Earlier on August 6, dozens of people gathered in front of the court building to show support for the accused.
Police detained three activists who had worn police uniforms while staging a protest performance in front of the court building,
In their protest, the activists cut the throat of a mannequin with a knife -- sending out a spray of fake blood while one of the protesters chanted: "It is an act of sacrifice taking place here!"
On July 14, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Kostylenkov, 27, to 7 1/2 years in prison; Karamzin, 34, to 6 1/2 years; and Kryukov, 22, to six years.
The prosecutor also requested that the four other defendants be handed suspended sentences ranging from four to 6 1/2 years.
All of the defendants were arrested in 2018 and charged with creating an extremist group with the intention of overthrowing Russian President Vladimir Putin's government.
Critics say the case against them was fabricated by Russia’s security services.
The rights group Memorial describes the seven as political prisoners.
Pavlikova was 17 at the time of her arrest. She spent several months under house arrest, which sparked protests in Moscow and other cities.
The defendants say they had turned their online chat group, which was critical of Russia's government, into a political movement called New Greatness at the suggestion of one group member.
Later, it was revealed that the man who proposed the idea, wrote the movement's charter, and rented premises for gatherings was a special agent of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
In April 2019, another member of the group, Pavel Rebrovsky, was sentenced to 29 months in prison.
Earlier, group member Rustam Rustamov received a suspended 18-month prison sentence.
Both pleaded guilty and cut deals with investigators.
Another group member, Sergei Gavrilov, fled to Ukraine in October 2019. He has asked for political asylum in Ukraine.


rferl--2020-08-06--In Belarus, Tsikhanouskaya's Campaign Chief Detained, 'Warned' Ahead Of Election

MINSK -- Maryya Maroz , the campaign chief for Belarusian opposition presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , was briefly detained by authorities in Minsk on August 6 and `` warned '' of possible repercussions for staging what authorities called `` unsanctioned '' rallies .
Tsikhanouskaya 's campaign press secretary , Hanna Krasulina , told RFE/RL that Maroz was stopped and detained by several men who introduced themselves as police officers from the Interior Ministry , near the entrance of the Lithuanian Embassy in Minsk .
Maroz , who was released shortly after the incident , said the men were officers from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fight Against Organized Crime and Extremism .
Maroz said the men transported her to the Interior Ministry 's directorate where they `` warned '' her about `` responsibility '' for organizing `` unsanctioned public events '' before they released her .
Tsikhanouskaya has managed to gather tens of thousands of supporters at rallies in Minsk and in other towns and cities across Belarus in recent weeks .
Incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's 26 years of authoritarian rule in Belarus look increasingly vulnerable ahead of the August 9 election .
But many analysts say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fraud and the repression of an energized opposition .
Early voting started on August 4 .
Opposition politicians , rights activists , and critics of Lukashenka have called on citizens to refrain from early voting , charging that it gives Lukashenka loyalists more opportunities to rig the election results .
The Belarusian Central Election Commission said on August 5 that turnout during the first two days of early voting was 12.75 percent of the country 's 6.8 million eligible voters .

MINSK -- A Minsk rally for Belarusian opposition presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has been canceled, just hours after the candidate's campaign chief was detained and "warned" by authorities not to stage what they called "unsanctioned" gatherings.
The rally had been scheduled for the evening of August 6 at the People's Friendship Park in Minsk.
But the candidate's press secretary, Hanna Krasulina, announced shortly before the rally was due to begin that the campaign was informed by e-mail that an event celebrating Belarusian railroad workers had been scheduled at the same location.
"They're not allowing us to hold a rally at a single venue in Minsk, same as in Slutsk and Soligorsk," Krasulina said.
"These actions by the authorities are completely unlawful," Krasulina said. "We have appealed this decision with the Prosecutor-General's Office, the Central Election Commission, and the Minsk City Executive Committee. But we won't provoke people."
Earlier on August 6, Tsikhanouskaya's campaign chief Maryya Maroz was briefly detained by authorities in Minsk and "warned" of possible repercussions for staging "unsanctioned" rallies.
Krasulina told RFE/RL that Maroz was stopped and detained by several men near the entrance of the Lithuanian Embassy in Minsk.
Maroz said the men were officers from the Interior Ministry's Directorate on the Fight Against Organized Crime and Extremism.
She said the men transported her to the Interior Ministry's directorate where they "warned" her about "responsibility" for organizing "unsanctioned public events" before they released her.
Meanwhile, Belarusian authorities on August 6 continued to detain other members of Tsikhanouskaya's campaign team and her supporters in towns and cities across Belarus.
They include campaign event coordinator Andrey Khilchyk, who was arrested by police in the southeastern city of Homel, and Dzmitry Tsit, a campaign representative in the western city of Hrodna.Khilchyk was coordinating Tsikhanouskaya rallies scheduled for August 7 and August 8.
Tsikhanouskaya has managed to gather tens of thousands of supporters at rallies in Minsk and in other towns and cities across Belarus in recent weeks.
Belarus Votes For President Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
Incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's 26 years of authoritarian rule in Belarus look increasingly vulnerable ahead of the August 9 election.
But many analysts say he is likely win through a combination of fraud and the repression of an energized opposition.
Early voting started on August 4.
Opposition politicians, rights activists, and critics of Lukashenka have called on citizens to refrain from early voting, charging that it gives Lukashenka loyalists more opportunities to rig the election results.
The Belarusian Central Election Commission said on August 5 that turnout during the first two days of early voting was 12.75 percent of the country's 6.8 million eligible voters.
With reporting by tut.by