rferl--2020-08-15--Belarusians Gather Near Site Of Protester's Death As Postelection Rallies Continue

MINSK -- Thousands of Belarusians have staged a seventh day of peaceful protests against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's disputed reelection and a harsh crackdown that has drawn international outrage .
Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for peaceful rallies on August 15-16 , after she was forced to leave the country for neighboring Lithuania after disputing Lukashenka ’ s claim to a landslide victory .
Hundreds of people gathered near the Pushkinskaya subway station in the capital , Minsk , in honor of Alyaksandr Taraykouski , a 34-year-old demonstrator who died there on August 10 and whose funeral is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding flowers and holding their fists up as they held a moment of silence .
Passing cars honked in solidarity with the protesters .
Taraykouski 's family urged protesters not to attend the church service and instead gather near the subway station where he died .
At least two people have been killed and thousands detained in protests since the controversial August 9 election that saw Lukashenka , in power since 1994 , declared the winner .
The demonstrators have witnessed unprecedented scenes on the streets of Minsk and other cities , energizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some 6,700 people were detained in the first days afer the election , with those rounded up describing horrible conditions in detention facilities , beatings , and other mistreatment .
More than 2,000 people who were detained during protests have been released .
The gathering in Minsk on August 15 came a day after Tsikhanouskaya urged her supporters to continue ongoing protests into the weekend .
`` Belarusians will never want to live with the previous government again .
The majority do not believe in his victory , '' she said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defend our choice . ''
A `` March for Freedom '' is planned in central Minsk on August 16 .
Scenes of violent detentions and police beatings in the days after the vote morphed into a euphoric sense that change may be possible on August 14 as tens of thousands took to the streets without major police violence , creating what Belarusian political analyst Dzmitry Bolkunets described as the `` beginning of national jubilation . ''
`` Protesters have lost their fear , they are not afraid of reprisals , '' Bolkunets told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA .
Flower-waving women dressed in white , workers striking at state companies , doctors , students , and Belarusians of every stripe are joining protests .
Even some law enforcement officials have gone on strike or refused to work .
During a televised meeting with government officials , Lukashenka on August 14 urged Belarusians not to attend protests , claiming that the opposition wanted `` to use you and your children as cannon fodder . ''
Demonstrators are demanding that the election results be invalidated , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new Central Election Commission , and that all political prisoners be released .
The election commission declared Lukashenka the winner of the election with some 80 percent of the vote .
Tsikhanouskaya says she won 60-70 percent .
WATCH : More than 20,000 peaceful protesters flooded into Minsk 's Independence Square on August 14 to demonstrate against the presidential election and call for an end to police brutality against protesters .
The prime ministers of Estonia , Latvia , and Lithuania earlier called on Belarus to conduct a new , `` free and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 election .
In a joint statement on August 15 , the three Baltic states urged Belarus to refrain from violence and release political prisoners and detained protesters .
They also called for European Union sanctions on those responsible for the violence .
The European Union on August 14 ratcheted up pressure on Lukashenka by agreeing to prepare new sanctions on those responsible for the violence and falsification of the vote .
`` The European Union considers the results to have been falsified and therefore does not accept the results of the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tsikhanouskaya said that she was initiating the creation of a `` Coordination Council '' for a potential transition of power .
With reporting by Current Time and TASS

MINSK -- Thousands of Belarusians have staged a seventh day of peaceful protests against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's disputed reelection and a harsh crackdown that has drawn international outrage.
Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for peaceful rallies on August 15-16, after she was forced to leave the country for neighboring Lithuania after disputing Lukashenka’s claim to a landslide victory.
A few thousand people gathered outside the Minsk studios of Belarusian state radio and television, peacefully chanting slogans as a few soldiers stood on the other side of the perimeter fence.
The protesters urged state-media journalists to "respect" their audiences.
A state television lighting technician, Uladzimer Tsitarenka, told RFE/RL that "nearly 80 percent" of the technical staff were ready to join a general strike to protest the election.
"Everything will be decided on Monday," he said.
Earlier in the day, thousands of people gathered near the Pushkinskaya subway station in the capital, Minsk, in honor of Alyaksandr Taraykouski, a 34-year-old demonstrator who died there on August 10 and whose funeral is being held on August 15.
People held flowers and raised their fists as they held a moment of silence.
Passing cars honked in solidarity with the protesters, who waved national red-and-white flags and chanted Tsikhanouskaya's name.
Taraykouski's family urged protesters not to attend the church service and instead gather near the subway station where he died.
Despite the plea, hundreds gathered outside the church service waving flags and photos of Taraykouski.
Hundreds of others entered the hall, where the ceremony took place, to lay flowers and wreaths.
After the funeral, people were clapping and shouting "Glory to the hero!" and "Long live Belarus!"
At least two people have been killed and thousands detained in protests since the controversial August 9 election that saw Lukashenka, in power since 1994, declared the winner.
The demonstrators have witnessed unprecedented scenes on the streets of Minsk and other cities, energizing opposition to Lukashenka despite a brutal crackdown.
Some 6,700 people were detained in the first days afer the election, with those rounded up describing horrible conditions in detention facilities, beatings, and other mistreatment.
More than 2,000 people who were detained during protests have been released.
Around 5,000 people held a rally in the western city of Hrodna, with protesters waving national flags and holding balloons saying "Lukashenka resign."
During the rally in Hrodna's Lenin Square, protesters chanted "Lukashenka, go away."
The rallies on August 15 came a day after Tsikhanouskaya urged her supporters to continue ongoing protests into the weekend.
"Belarusians will never want to live with the previous government again. The majority do not believe in his victory," she said in a video on August 14. "Defend our choice."
A "March for Freedom" is planned in central Minsk on August 16.
Scenes of violent detentions and police beatings in the days after the vote morphed into a euphoric sense that change may be possible on August 14 as tens of thousands took to the streets without major police violence, creating what Belarusian political analyst Dzmitry Bolkunets described as the "beginning of national jubilation."
"Protesters have lost their fear, they are not afraid of reprisals," Bolkunets told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.
Flower-waving women dressed in white, workers striking at state companies, doctors, students, and Belarusians of every stripe are joining protests. Even some law enforcement officials have gone on strike or refused to work.
The nationwide protests pose the biggest challenge yet to Lukashenka's 26-year rule.
Lukashenka discussed the mass street protests rocking his country with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on August 15 as the strongman faces growing pressure to step down.
The Kremlin said that during their conversation the two leaders agreed that the "problems" in Belarus would be "resolved soon."
During a televised meeting with government officials on August 14, Lukashenka urged Belarusians not to attend the protests, claiming that the opposition wanted "to use you and your children as cannon fodder."
Demonstrators are demanding that the election results be invalidated, that a new election be held under a new Central Election Commission, and that all political prisoners be released.
The election commission declared Lukashenka the winner of the election with some 80 percent of the vote. Tsikhanouskaya says she won 60-70 percent.
WATCH: More than 20,000 peaceful protesters flooded into Minsk's Independence Square on August 14 to demonstrate against the presidential election and call for an end to police brutality against protesters.
The prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania earlier called on Belarus to conduct a new, "free and fair" vote after the disputed August 9 election.
Postelection Crackdown In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
In a joint statement on August 15, the three Baltic states urged Belarus to refrain from violence and release political prisoners and detained protesters.
They also called for European Union sanctions on those responsible for the violence.
The European Union on August 14 ratcheted up pressure on Lukashenka by agreeing to prepare new sanctions on those responsible for the violence and falsification of the vote.
"The European Union considers the results to have been falsified and therefore does not accept the results of the election," EU foreign ministers said.
Tsikhanouskaya said that she was initiating the creation of a "Coordination Council" for a potential transition of power.
With reporting by Current Time and TASS


rferl--2020-08-15--Afghan Peace Negotiator Survives Assassination Attempt

Afghan officials say a member of the government 's team tasked with negotiating with the Taliban has survived an assassination attempt .
A vehicle carrying Fawzia Koofi , a lawmaker and women 's rights activist , was attacked by gunmen late on August 14 along a highway in the Qarabagh district of Kabul Province , said Masoom Stanekzai , Kabul ’ s chief peace negotiator .
Stanekzai said Koofi sustained minor injuries , but that `` she is in good condition and there is nothing to worry about . ''
Koofi , a vocal critic of the Taliban , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team that will lead talks with the militants .
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack , although similar incidents in the past have been blamed on the Taliban .
Abdullah Abdullah , the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation , a body tasked with leading peace negotiations with the Taliban , on August 15 `` strongly condemned the assassination attempt '' on Koofi .
Abdullah called on the government to `` identify and apprehend the culprits and possible motive for the attack . ''
The incident came as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch long-delayed peace talks in Qatar , where the militant group has a political office .
The intra-Afghan talks could start as early as next week .
The breakthrough came after President Ashraf Ghani said he would release 400 Taliban militants , the final part of a major prisoner swap .
The government on August 14 released the first batch of militants , many of whom have been convicted of deadly attacks on Afghans and foreigners .
A deal between the Taliban and the United States signed in February called for Kabul to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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--2020-08-15--Trump Says U.S. Will Seek 'Snapback' Of UN Iran Sanctions Next Week

President Donald Trump said the United States will try to trigger a “ snapback ” of sanction on Iran at the United Nations next week , in a move that could kill the Iran nuclear deal and plunge the United Nations into a diplomatic crisis .
`` We 'll be doing a snapback , '' Trump told reporters on August 15 , one day after the UN Security Council rejected a U.S.-sponsored resolution to extend an arms embargo on Iran .
`` You 'll be watching it next week . ''
When asked whether he would join a Russian-proposed summit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said “ probably not.
” Washington has threatened to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran under a provision , known as snapback , in UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that enshrined the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers .
Russia and China , as well as European signatories to the nuclear pact officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) , have questioned the U.S. right to trigger the snapback mechanism because Trump quit the nuclear deal in 2018 .
The United States claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2015 nuclear accord because it was listed as such in the 2015 resolution and can therefore bring back sanctions , since Iran breached some of its nuclear commitments after the United States exited the deal .
Diplomats and analysts say a U.S. attempt to snapback international sanction on Iran would lead to a messy diplomatic battle that could undermine the UN Security Council and potentially collapse what is left of the nuclear deal .
The United States lost a vote at the UN Security Council on August 14 to extend an international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to be progressively eased beginning on October 18 under the nuclear deal .
The diplomatic blow revealed how isolated Washington is at the UN over the issue -- the resolution failed with only the Dominican Republic joining the United States and two nations voting against , while 11 members including European allies abstained .
Iranian President Hassan Rohani on August 15 said the United States had failed to kill the `` half alive '' 2015 nuclear deal .
`` The United States failed in this conspiracy with humiliation , '' said Rohani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the support of Israel and Arab states in the region worried that the end of the arms embargo will embolden Iran ’ s `` malign '' behavior in the Middle East .
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the UN Security Council 's decision not to extend the arms embargo on Iran will lead to further Middle East instability .
`` The extremist regime in Iran does n't just finance terrorism : it takes an active part in terrorism through its branches around the world and uses it as a political tool .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and international stability , '' Ashkenazi said in a statement on August 15 .
Analysts say the U.S. bid to extend the arms embargo was a cynical effort in order to try to snapback sanctions on Tehran .
Britain , France , and Germany -- all signatories to the JCPOA who have sought to keep it alive -- have expressed worries about the arm embargo ending but opposed the U.S. resolution because they feared it would end the nuclear deal and damage the UN Security Council .
Meanwhile , U.S. allies in Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait out the Trump administration , calculating that former Vice President Joe Biden will win the November presidential election and deescalate tensions with Iran .
Iran has threatened to completely exit the JCPOA and hinted it will pull out of another key nonproliferation treaty if the arms embargo is extended or there is a snapback of sanctions .
Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 14 proposed that the next step should be an online summit gathering China , France , Russia , Britain , the United States , Germany , and Iran to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalation '' at the United Nations over Iran .
`` Further growth of tensions and greater risks of a conflict are the alternative , '' Putin said in a statement posted on the Kremlin ’ s website before the vote .
`` This march of events must be avoided.
” With reporting by AFP 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.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-08-15--New Video Of Belarus Protester's Death Appears To Contradict Official Version Of Events

New video published by the Associated Press on August 15 showing the death of a Belarusian protester appears to contradict the official version of events .
The death of Alyaksandr Taraykouski on August 10 has become a rallying cry for the protest movement against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the wake of a disputed election and harsh crackdown that has drawn international outrage .
The Associated Press published a video made on August 10 , which shows Taraykouski wobbling with a blood-stained shirt before he collapses to the ground several meters from a line of riot police at Pushkinskaya subway station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police then go straight toward him and surround the body of the 34-year-old .
According to the official version of events , an explosive device blew up in Taraykouski ’ s hands as he was trying to throw it at police , but nothing like that can be seen in the video .
Taraykouski ’ s relatives have said they do not believe he had an explosive device .
Earlier , Taraykouski ’ s death from other angles were published on Telegram channels and Euroradio .
Those videos show Taraykouski with his hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of riot police when there is a flash from the direction of the police .
Taraykouski falls to the ground seconds later .
Thousands of protesters on August 15 paid their respects to Taraykouski at a memorial Pushkinskaya subway station , where for days people have laid flowers .
Taraykouski 's family urged protesters not to attend a funeral church service and instead gather near the subway station where he died .
Despite the plea , hundreds gathered outside the church service waving flags and photos of Taraykouski .
Hundreds of others entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , to lay flowers and wreaths .
At least two people have been killed , hundreds injured , and thousands detained in protests since the controversial August 9 election that saw Lukashenka , in power since 1994 , declared the winner .
Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for more peaceful rallies .

New video published by the Associated Press showing the death of a Belarusian protester appears to contradict the official version of events.
The death of Alyaksandr Taraykouski on August 10 has become a rallying cry for the protest movement against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the wake of a disputed election and harsh crackdown that has drawn international outrage.
The Associated Press published a video made on August 10 that shows Taraykouski wobbling with a blood-stained shirt, before he collapses to the ground several meters from a line of riot police at Pushkinskaya subway station in the capital, Minsk.
Riot police then go straight toward him and surround the body of the 34-year-old.
WARNING: Disturbing images
According to the official version of events, an explosive device blew up in Taraykouski's hands as he was trying to throw it at police, but nothing like that can be seen in the video.
Taraykouski’s relatives have said they do not believe he had an explosive device.
Shots of Taraykouski’s death from other angles were published earlier on Telegram channels and Euroradio.
Those videos show Taraykouski with his hands up around 10 meters from a line of riot police, when there is a flash from the direction of the police. Taraykouski falls to the ground seconds later.
Thousands of protesters on August 15 paid their respects to Taraykouski at a memorial near Pushkinskaya subway station, where for days people have laid flowers.
Taraykouski's family urged protesters not to attend a funeral church service and instead gather near the subway station where he died.
Despite the plea, hundreds gathered outside the church service waving flags and photos of Taraykouski.
Hundreds of others entered the hall where the ceremony took place to lay flowers and wreaths.
At least two people have been killed, hundreds injured, and thousands detained in protests since the controversial August 9 election that saw Lukashenka, in power since 1994, declared the winner.
Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for more peaceful rallies.


rferl--2020-08-15--Kyiv Angry Over Belarus's Release Of Alleged Russian Mercenary Group

Kyiv has expressed anger over a decision by Belarus to release a group of alleged Russian mercenaries that was detained near Minsk in late July .
In a post on Facebook on August 15 , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote that Minsk 's decision to send the men back to Russia `` does not correspond to the spirit of relations '' between Ukraine and Belarus .
`` The consequences of this decision will be tragic , '' he added .
Minsk detained 33 Russian citizens on July 29 and accused them of plotting to destabilize the situation in Belarus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
Belarusian authorities identified the men as employees of Russia 's Vagner private military company , which is believed to have ties to Russian military intelligence and has sent fighters to Ukraine , Syria , Libya , Sudan , the Democratic Republic of Congo , and other countries .
Moscow said the men were in Minsk en route to Istanbul before traveling on to `` a third country . ''
Belarus sent 32 of the men to Russia on August 14 .
One of the detainees remains in Belarus because he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian passport .
Ukraine had requested the extradition of 28 of the men , who were suspected of fighting together with Russian-backed separatist formations in parts of eastern Ukraine .
Zelenskiy said he feared the men will reappear in other conflict zones .

Kyiv has expressed anger over a decision by Belarus to release a group of alleged Russian mercenaries that was detained near Minsk in late July.
In a post on Facebook on August 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote that Minsk's decision to send the men back to Russia "does not correspond to the spirit of relations" between Ukraine and Belarus.
"The consequences of this decision will be tragic," he added.
Minsk detained 33 Russian citizens on July 29 and accused them of plotting to destabilize the situation in Belarus in the run-up to the August 9 presidential election.
Belarusian authorities identified the men as employees of Russia's Vagner private military company, which is believed to have ties to Russian military intelligence and has sent fighters to Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other countries.
Moscow said the men were in Minsk en route to Istanbul before traveling on to "a third country."
Belarus sent 32 of the men to Russia on August 14. One of the detainees remains in Belarus because he has Belarusian citizenship, in addition to his Russian passport.
Ukraine had requested the extradition of 28 of the men, who were suspected of fighting together with Russian-backed separatist formations in parts of eastern Ukraine.
Zelenskiy said he feared the men will reappear in other conflict zones.


rferl--2020-08-15--Environmental Activists, Chemical Workers Clash At Protected Site In Russia's Bashkortostan

Dozens of people have been detained at Kushtau Hill in Russia 's Bashkortostan region following clashes between environmental activists and workers of the Bashkir Soda Company ( BSK ) .
Police detained some 50 people on August 15 and transported them by bus to the city of Sterlitamak , some 20 kilometers to the east .
Defense lawyer Garifulla Yapparov told RFE/RL that police said they intended to hold the detainees for 48 hours .
The incident erupted after a coalition of unions representing chemical workers in Bashkortostan , including BSK employees , called a `` flash mob '' near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to block BSK ’ s exploitation of the hill , which is a protected natural resource .
BSK security contractors and OMON riot police clashed with the activists .
About 150 people remain at the encampment , and the BSK security personnel have reportedly left .
One activist told RFE/RL that some of the environmentalists were injured , but this information could not be confirmed .
Activists said tear gas had been used against them .
In 2019 , the company was granted a license to develop the hill for 20 years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said its work in the area will not harm the environment .
`` This is not a protest or a march , but a flash mob , which does not require permission '' from the authorities , organizer Guzel Miroshnichenko said .
`` The goal of this activity is to support BSK workers who might lose their jobs if the factory is shut down because of a handful of hill-huggers , most of whom do not even live in Sterlitamak or the surrounding area . ''
He denounced the activists as `` Wahhabis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations and supporters of the odious [ liberal ] politician [ Aleksei ] Navalny . ''
The pro-BSK flash mob came on the heels of a flash mob organized by the environmentalists on August 9 that attracted more than 3,000 people to the area , including human rights activists from the Human Rights Council of Bashkortostan 's government and members of the group Bashqort , an ethnic Bashkir association that was banned as an `` extremist group '' in May .
That flash mob formed a `` living chain '' that stretched about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , artists , filmmakers , and other intellectuals .
The environmental activists plan to hold an `` ecological clean-up '' of the area on August 16 .

Dozens of people have been detained at Kushtau Hill in Russia's Bashkortostan region following clashes between environmental activists and workers of the Bashkir Soda Company (BSK).
Police detained some 50 people on August 15 and transported them by bus to the city of Sterlitamak, some 20 kilometers to the east.
Defense lawyer Garifulla Yapparov told RFE/RL that police said they intended to hold the detainees for 48 hours.
The incident erupted after a coalition of unions representing chemical workers in Bashkortostan, including BSK employees, called a "flash mob" near an encampment set up earlier by environmentalists to block BSK’s exploitation of the hill, which is a protected natural resource.
BSK security contractors and OMON riot police clashed with the activists.
About 150 people remain at the encampment, and the BSK security personnel have reportedly left.
One activist told RFE/RL that some of the environmentalists were injured, but this information could not be confirmed. Activists said tear gas had been used against them.
In 2019, the company was granted a license to develop the hill for 20 years, despite a public outcry. BSK has said its work in the area will not harm the environment.
"This is not a protest or a march, but a flash mob, which does not require permission" from the authorities, organizer Guzel Miroshnichenko said.
"The goal of this activity is to support BSK workers who might lose their jobs if the factory is shut down because of a handful of hill-huggers, most of whom do not even live in Sterlitamak or the surrounding area."
He denounced the activists as "Wahhabis and nationalists who are members of banned organizations and supporters of the odious [liberal] politician [Aleksei] Navalny."
The pro-BSK flash mob came on the heels of a flash mob organized by the environmentalists on August 9 that attracted more than 3,000 people to the area, including human rights activists from the Human Rights Council of Bashkortostan's government and members of the group Bashqort, an ethnic Bashkir association that was banned as an "extremist group" in May.
That flash mob formed a "living chain" that stretched about four kilometers and included prominent regional academics, artists, filmmakers, and other intellectuals.
The environmental activists plan to hold an "ecological clean-up" of the area on August 16.


rferl--2020-08-15--Belarus's Lukashenka Rejects Foreign Mediation Of Postelection Crisis, Says Russia Promised 'Full As

Belarus's Lukashenka Rejects Foreign Mediation Of Postelection Crisis, Says Russia Promised 'Full Assistance'

MINSK -- A defiant Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has rejected the possibility of foreign mediation in his country 's ongoing postelection crisis , and told military officials that Russia has promised to provide a `` full range of assistance '' if requested .
`` We will not give up the country to anyone , '' he said during a televised meeting with defense officials on August 15 .
`` We do n't need any foreign governments , any intermediaries . ''
The statement came shortly after Lukashenka discussed the crisis with Russian President Vladimir Putin , saying that the unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave Lukashenka a sixth term in office `` is not a threat to just Belarus anymore . ''
Earlier , the leaders of Poland , Estonia , Latvia , and Lithuania offered to help mediate an end to the Belarus crisis .
The phone conversation on August 15 came as Lukashenka faces growing pressure to step down following a disputed election that has triggered unprecedented protests and a harsh government crackdown .
`` The presidents discussed the situation that is unfolding inside and around Belarus , '' Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without providing any details .
The Kremlin said that during their conversation the two leaders `` expressed confidence '' that the `` problems '' in Belarus would be `` resolved soon.
” '' These problems should not be exploited by destructive forces seeking to harm the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries , '' the Kremlin said in its statement .
Lukashenka later in the day told a meeting with military officials that Putin had agreed to provide military assistance to cope with the protests .
`` I agreed with him that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided with a full range of assistance to ensure the security of the Republic of Belarus , '' he said .
He described the phone conversation as `` long and substantial . ''
During the meeting with defense officials , Lukashenka claimed that members of the military had been receiving threats from protesters .
He addressed the protesters directly , saying : `` Do not play with fire !
Our soldiers have enough resources to protect themselves and their families and to ensure the security of the state . ''
He also accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' following mass demonstrations earlier in the week in which thousands of women formed human chains to protest the election .
`` If there are men among you , be men , '' Lukashenka said .
`` If you want to fight and scuffle , go ahead .
But let 's do it man-to-man .
Do n't put forward girls and threaten families . ''
Since the election , the country of some 9.5 million people has been gripped by peaceful protests and strikes , which have often been met by brutal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters have been killed and thousands have been injured and detained .
Meanwhile , thousands of Belarusians staged a seventh day of peaceful protests on August 15 over the August 9 vote and a bloody crackdown that has drawn international outrage .
The nationwide protests pose the biggest challenge yet to Lukashenka ’ s 26-year rule .
Earlier , Lukashenka said he wanted to speak to Putin , warning that street protests were not just a threat to Belarus .
`` There is a need to contact Putin so that I can talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a threat to just Belarus anymore , '' he said , according to BelTA .
Over the years , Lukashenka has cemented his reputation as a political survivor -- weaving between Moscow and the West to leverage Belarus ’ s strategic position -- while in recent years welcoming in Chinese influence and investment to gain space to rebuff Russia .
The postelection turmoil comes after a period of rising tensions between Minsk and Moscow over Russian loans , subsidized energy , and Kremlin efforts to further integrate Belarus through a union-state treaty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his `` victory '' at the polls , his statement implied conditions for Russian support , and Moscow is looking for ways to gain leverage over a weakened Lukashenka , who is desperate for help .
`` Defending Belarus today is no less than defending our entire space , the union state , and an example to others , '' Lukashenka added .
`` If Belarus can not withstand it , this wave will roll there . ''
With reporting by Reuters and AFP

MINSK -- A defiant Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has rejected the possibility of foreign mediation in his country's ongoing postelection crisis, and told military officials that Russia has promised to provide a "full range of assistance" if requested.
"We will not give up the country to anyone," he said during a televised meeting with defense officials on August 15. "We don't need any foreign governments, any intermediaries."
The statement came shortly after Lukashenka discussed the crisis with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that the unrest following the disputed August 9 election that gave Lukashenka a sixth term in office "is not a threat to just Belarus anymore."
Earlier, the leaders of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania offered to help mediate an end to the Belarus crisis.
The phone conversation on August 15 came as Lukashenka faces growing pressure to step down following a disputed election that has triggered unprecedented protests and a harsh government crackdown.
"The presidents discussed the situation that is unfolding inside and around Belarus," Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported, citing Lukashenka's press service, without providing any details.
The Kremlin said that during their conversation the two leaders "expressed confidence" that the "problems" in Belarus would be "resolved soon.”
"These problems should not be exploited by destructive forces seeking to harm the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries," the Kremlin said in its statement.
Lukashenka later in the day told a meeting with military officials that Putin had agreed to provide military assistance to cope with the protests.
"I agreed with him that at our first request we will be provided with a full range of assistance to ensure the security of the Republic of Belarus," he said.
He described the phone conversation as "long and substantial."
During the meeting with defense officials, Lukashenka claimed that members of the military had been receiving threats from protesters.
He addressed the protesters directly, saying: "Do not play with fire! Our soldiers have enough resources to protect themselves and their families and to ensure the security of the state."
He also accused the protesters of hiding behind "girls," following mass demonstrations earlier in the week in which thousands of women formed human chains to protest the election.
"If there are men among you, be men," Lukashenka said. "If you want to fight and scuffle, go ahead. But let's do it man-to-man. Don't put forward girls and threaten families."
Since the election, the country of some 9.5 million people has been gripped by peaceful protests and strikes, which have often been met by brutal force by police. At least two protesters have been killed and thousands have been injured and detained.
Meanwhile, thousands of Belarusians staged a seventh day of peaceful protests on August 15 over the August 9 vote and a bloody crackdown that has drawn international outrage.
Postelection Crackdown In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
The nationwide protests pose the biggest challenge yet to Lukashenka’s 26-year rule.
Earlier, Lukashenka said he wanted to speak to Putin, warning that street protests were not just a threat to Belarus.
"There is a need to contact Putin so that I can talk to him now, because it is not a threat to just Belarus anymore," he said, according to BelTA.
Over the years, Lukashenka has cemented his reputation as a political survivor -- weaving between Moscow and the West to leverage Belarus’s strategic position -- while in recent years welcoming in Chinese influence and investment to gain space to rebuff Russia.
The postelection turmoil comes after a period of rising tensions between Minsk and Moscow over Russian loans, subsidized energy, and Kremlin efforts to further integrate Belarus through a union-state treaty.
While Putin did congratulate Lukashenka on his "victory" at the polls, his statement implied conditions for Russian support, and Moscow is looking for ways to gain leverage over a weakened Lukashenka, who is desperate for help.
"Defending Belarus today is no less than defending our entire space, the union state, and an example to others," Lukashenka added. "If Belarus cannot withstand it, this wave will roll there."
With reporting by Reuters and AFP


rferl--2020-08-15--Thousands Mourn Protester As Belarus's Postelection Rallies Continue

MINSK -- Thousands of Belarusians have staged a seventh day of peaceful protests against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's disputed reelection and a harsh crackdown that has drawn international outrage .
Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for peaceful rallies on August 15-16 , after she was forced to leave the country for neighboring Lithuania after disputing Lukashenka ’ s claim to a landslide victory .
A few thousand people gathered outside the Minsk studios of Belarusian state radio and television , peacefully chanting slogans as a few soldiers stood on the other side of the perimeter fence .
The protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their audiences .
A state television lighting technician , Uladzimer Tsitarenka , told RFE/RL that `` nearly 80 percent '' of the technical staff were ready to join a general strike to protest the election .
`` Everything will be decided on Monday , '' he said .
Earlier in the day , thousands of people gathered near the Pushkinskaya subway station in the capital , Minsk , in honor of Alyaksandr Taraykouski , a 34-year-old demonstrator who died there on August 10 and whose funeral is being held on August 15 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they held a moment of silence .
Passing cars honked in solidarity with the protesters , who waved national red-and-white flags and chanted Tsikhanouskaya 's name .
Taraykouski 's family urged protesters not to attend the church service and instead gather near the subway station where he died .
Despite the plea , hundreds gathered outside the church service waving flags and photos of Taraykouski .
Hundreds of others entered the hall , where the ceremony took place , to lay flowers and wreaths .
After the funeral , people were clapping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ! ''
and `` Long live Belarus ! ''
At least two people have been killed and thousands detained in protests since the controversial August 9 election that saw Lukashenka , in power since 1994 , declared the winner .
The demonstrators have witnessed unprecedented scenes on the streets of Minsk and other cities , energizing opposition to Lukashenka despite a brutal crackdown .
Some 6,700 people were detained in the first days afer the election , with those rounded up describing horrible conditions in detention facilities , beatings , and other mistreatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained during protests have been released .
Around 5,000 people held a rally in the western city of Hrodna , with protesters waving national flags and holding balloons saying `` Lukashenka resign . ''
During the rally in Hrodna 's Lenin Square , protesters chanted `` Lukashenka , go away . ''
The rallies on August 15 came a day after Tsikhanouskaya urged her supporters to continue ongoing protests into the weekend .
`` Belarusians will never want to live with the previous government again .
The majority do not believe in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video on August 14 .
`` Defend our choice . ''
A `` March for Freedom '' is planned in central Minsk on August 16 .
Scenes of violent detentions and police beatings in the days after the vote morphed into a euphoric sense that change may be possible on August 14 as tens of thousands took to the streets without major police violence , creating what Belarusian political analyst Dzmitry Bolkunets described as the `` beginning of national jubilation . ''
`` Protesters have lost their fear , they are not afraid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Time , the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA .
Flower-waving women dressed in white , workers striking at state companies , doctors , students , and Belarusians of every stripe are joining protests .
Even some law enforcement officials have gone on strike or refused to work .
The nationwide protests pose the biggest challenge yet to Lukashenka 's 26-year rule .
Lukashenka discussed the mass street protests rocking his country with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on August 15 as the strongman faces growing pressure to step down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two leaders agreed that the `` problems '' in Belarus would be `` resolved soon . ''
During a televised meeting with government officials on August 14 , Lukashenka urged Belarusians not to attend the protests , claiming that the opposition wanted `` to use you and your children as cannon fodder . ''
Demonstrators are demanding that the election results be invalidated , that a new election be held under a new Central Election Commission , and that all political prisoners be released .
The election commission declared Lukashenka the winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the vote .
Tsikhanouskaya says she won 60-70 percent .
WATCH : More than 20,000 peaceful protesters flooded into Minsk 's Independence Square on August 14 to demonstrate against the presidential election and call for an end to police brutality against protesters .
The prime ministers of Estonia , Latvia , and Lithuania earlier called on Belarus to conduct a new , `` free and fair '' vote after the disputed August 9 election .
In a joint statement on August 15 , the three Baltic states urged Belarus to refrain from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters .
They also called for European Union sanctions on those responsible for the violence .
The European Union on August 14 ratcheted up pressure on Lukashenka by agreeing to prepare new sanctions on those responsible for the violence and falsification of the vote .
`` The European Union considers the results to have been falsified and therefore does not accept the results of the election , '' EU foreign ministers said .
Tsikhanouskaya said that she was initiating the creation of a `` Coordination Council '' for a potential transition of power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TASS


rferl--2020-08-16--Putin Tells Lukashenka Russia Ready 'To Provide Help' Militarily If Needed

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka that Russia is ready to assist Belarus in accordance with a collective military pact , if necessary .
The Kremlin said in the same statement that external pressure was being applied to Belarus .
It did not say by whom .
The two spoke on August 16 for the second time in as many days .
Belarus has been rocked by a week of street protests after protesters accused Lukashenka of rigging a presidential election on August 9 .
Some 7,000 people have been detained by police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds injured and at least two killed as police have used rubber bullets , stun grenades , and , in at least one instance , live ammunition .
Hundreds of those held and subsequently released spoke of brutal beatings they suffered in detention , much of it documented and splashed across social media .
Thousands more remain in detention as international outrage mounts .
Facing the most serious threat ever to his authoritarian rule , Lukashenka spoke with Putin on August 15 , after saying there was `` a threat not only to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chiefs that Putin had offered `` comprehensive help '' to `` ensure the security of Belarus . ''
The Kremlin said the leaders agreed the `` problems '' in Belarus would be `` resolved soon '' and the countries ' ties strengthened .
Based on reporting by Interfax , Reuters , and AFP

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka that Russia is ready to assist Belarus in accordance with a collective military pact, if necessary.
The Kremlin said in the same statement that external pressure was being applied to Belarus. It did not say by whom.
The two spoke on August 16 for the second time in as many days.
Belarus has been rocked by a week of street protests after protesters accused Lukashenka of rigging a presidential election on August 9.
Some 7,000 people have been detained by police across Belarus in the postelection crackdown with hundreds injured and at least two killed as police have used rubber bullets, stun grenades, and, in at least one instance, live ammunition.
Hundreds of those held and subsequently released spoke of brutal beatings they suffered in detention, much of it documented and splashed across social media. Thousands more remain in detention as international outrage mounts.
Facing the most serious threat ever to his authoritarian rule, Lukashenka spoke with Putin on August 15, after saying there was "a threat not only to Belarus."
He later told military chiefs that Putin had offered "comprehensive help" to "ensure the security of Belarus."
The Kremlin said the leaders agreed the "problems" in Belarus would be "resolved soon" and the countries' ties strengthened.
Based on reporting by Interfax, Reuters, and AFP


rferl--2020-08-16--Lukashenka Rules Out Revote As Opposition Gathers For 'National March For Freedom'

People are gathering in Minsk and other cities in Belarus in what organizers are hoping will be the biggest outpouring yet of opposition to the reelection of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka as pressure mounts on the authoritarian leader to step down after 26 years in power .
Lukashenka told a gathering of supporters earlier on August 16 on Independence Square that NATO tanks and planes had been deployed 15 minutes from the Belarusian border and neighboring countries were ordering the country to hold new elections , something he said he refused to do .
He addressed the crowd as the Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenka in a telephone call on August 16 that Russia was ready to provide aid under a military pact if need be , and claimed Belarus was facing unspecified external pressure .
It was their second telephone conversation in as many days .
As Lukashenka spoke , opposition supporters began marching in Minsk , chanting `` Leave ! ''
as they walked down Independence Avenue .
Lukashenka was declared the victor of the August 9 election in a landslide , with the main opposition challenger , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , trailing far behind despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
Tsikhanouskaya , who has since fled to Lithuania , had called for peaceful protests across Belarus on August 15-16 .
Some 7,000 people have been detained by police across Belarus in the postelection crackdown , with hundreds injured and at least two killed as police have used rubber bullets , stun grenades , and , in at least one instance , live ammunition .
Hundreds of those held and subsequently released spoke of brutal beatings they suffered in detention , much of it documented and splashed across social media .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrage mounts .
The pro-Lukashenka rally in Minsk was held just hours before the opposition demonstration , setting the stage for potential confrontation between the two groups .
The independent news site Tut.by reported that government workers and other state employees have been told to show up or face being fired .
Metal fencing around Independence Square was being installed early on August 16 with agricultural vehicles used to close off nearby roads .
Opposition media channels say Lukashenka , a onetime manager of a Soviet-era collective farm , was planning to bus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
Video on social media showed people -- many bused in from other regions -- at the pro-Lukashenka rally chanting , `` We 're for Batka , '' meaning father , the nickname for Lukashenka .
And in a surprise move , Ihar Leshchenya , the Belarusian ambassador to Slovakia , declared solidarity with protesters in an undated video posted by Nasha Niva media late on August 15 .
Other state employees , including police officers and state TV staff , have also come out in support of the protests .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants have been hit by protests and walkouts in the past week .
Meanwhile , thousands came out on August 15 to mourn the death of Alyaksandr Taraykouski who died in Minsk on August 10 during the postelection protests .
Demonstrators heaped flowers at the spot and the crowd chanted `` Thank you ! ''
and raised victory signs .
Police kept a low profile .
Many held up photographs of protesters beaten during the crackdown , while one man stood in his underwear revealing the purple bruises on his thighs , buttocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP published video that appears to contradict the official version of Taraykouski ’ s death .
The video shows Taraykouski wobbling with a blood-stained shirt before he collapses to the ground several meters from a line of riot police at Pushkinskaya subway station in the capital , Minsk .
According to the official version of events , an explosive device blew up in Taraykouski ’ s hands as he was trying to throw it at police , but nothing like that can be seen in the video .
Hours later , thousands turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state-run media coverage of the protests and what they say is the whitewashing of the authorities harsh handling of demonstrators .
The protesters urged state-media journalists to `` respect '' their audiences .
A state television lighting technician , Uladzimer Tsitarenka , told RFE/RL that `` nearly 80 percent '' of the technical staff were ready to join a general strike to protest the election .
`` Everything will be decided on Monday [ August 17 ] , '' he said .
Facing the most serious threat ever to his authoritarian rule , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on August 15 , after saying there was `` a threat not only to Belarus . ''
He later told military chiefs that Putin had offered `` comprehensive help '' to `` ensure the security of Belarus . ''
The Kremlin said the leaders agreed the `` problems '' in Belarus would be `` resolved soon '' and the countries ' ties strengthened .
A rally in support of Lukashenka is due to take place at noon in Minsk on August 16 .
The independent news site Tut.by said government workers and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up or face being fired .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on August 15 urged Lukashenka to `` engage with civil society '' , during a trip to Poland , which has offered to act as a mediator .
Demonstrators are demanding that the election results be invalidated , that a new election be held under a new Central Election Commission , and that all political prisoners be released .
The election commission declared Lukashenka the winner of the election with some 80 percent .
Tsikhanouskaya says she won 60 to 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joint statement on August 15 , the prime ministers of Estonia , Latvia , and Lithuania called on Belarus to conduct a new , `` free and fair '' vote , to refrain from violence , and release political prisoners and detained protesters .
The European Union on August 14 ratcheted up pressure on Lukashenka by agreeing to prepare new sanctions on those responsible for the violence and falsification of the vote .
Tsikhanouskaya said that she was initiating the creation of a “ Coordination Council '' for a potential transition of power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the international community to `` help us in organizing a dialogue with Belarusian authorities.
” With reporting by RFE/RL 's Belarus Service , Current Time , and AFP

MINSK -- Huge crowds gathered in the Belarusian capital in the biggest outpouring yet of opposition to the disputed reelection of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka as pressure mounts for him to step down after 26 years in power.
Some reports estimated the number of protesters assembled near the city's Victory Park at from 100,000 to more than 200,000 people, describing the rally as the largest-ever in Minsk. RFE/RL was unable to independently verify the crowd size.
Protesters were seen carrying the red-and-white flag used by the opposition, and shouting "Tribunal!", "Leave!", "Dismissed!", and "Freedom for political prisoners!"
Opposition demonstrations were also held in cities throughout the country.
The Minsk rally competed with a large pro-Lukashenka demonstration that began two hours earlier about 2 kilometers away, in the central Independence Square. As evening approached, participants in the opposition rally had moved to the grounds where the pro-presidential demonstration was held.
Lukashenka, addressing a crowd of supporters that the Interior Ministry estimated at 65,000 people, claimed that NATO tanks and planes had been deployed 15 minutes from the Belarusian border and neighboring countries were ordering the country to hold new elections, something he said he refused to do.
A NATO spokesperson later denied any troop buildup in Eastern Europe, saying, "NATO's multinational presence in the eastern part of the alliance is not a threat to any country." The statement went on to call on Belarus to respect basic freedoms, including the right to peaceful protest.
The Belarusian president, who opposition protesters say stole the August 9 election that gave him a sixth-straight term, also said that "one cannot rig 80 percent" -- the percentage of the vote officially given to him by the Central Election Commission.
He vowed to never give in to those demanding he step down and hold repeat elections, saying that "if someone wants to surrender the country, I will not allow that, even when I am dead."
He also alleged that the neighboring Baltic states, Poland, and Ukraine were "ordering" a new election, a claim that the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called "an absolute lie."
Lukashenka addressed the crowd as the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had told Lukashenka in a telephone call on August 16 that Russia was ready to provide aid under the terms of the Collective Security Treaty Organization if need be, and claimed Belarus was facing unspecified external pressure.
It was their second telephone conversation in as many days.
Lukashenka was declared the victor of the August 9 election by a landslide, with the main opposition challenger, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, trailing far behind despite drawing huge crowds at campaign rallies across the country.
No election in Belarus under Lukashenka has been deemed free and fair by the West.
Tsikhanouskaya has since gone to Lithuania, but has claimed to be the rightful winner and has called for peaceful protests across Belarus.
Some 7,000 people have been detained by police across Belarus in the postelection crackdown, with hundreds injured and at least two killed as police have used rubber bullets, stun grenades, and, in at least one instance, live ammunition.
Hundreds of those held and subsequently released spoke of brutal beatings they suffered in detention, much of it documented and splashed across social media. Thousands more remain in detention as international outrage mounts.
Maryya Kalesnikava, opposition leader and former campaign manager of barred and jailed opposition candidate Viktar Babaryka, called at the Minsk rally for the release of "all political prisoners and detainees from peaceful and dissenting rallies," saying that more than 4,000 people remained in prison.
"And our main demand: the former president [Lukashenka] must resign!" she said.
Rallies were also held in other Belarusian cities. In Babruysk, more than 1,000 demonstrators unfurled a red-and-white banner that spanned the base of the eastern city's Lenin monument.
In Smalyavichy, northeast of Minsk, protesters marched carrying red-and-white balloons and flags and holding signs saying, "We are for Belarus."
Similar actions took place in the cities of Lahoysk and Nyasvizh.
The independent news site Tut.by reported that government workers and other state employees had been told to show up for the pro-Lukashenka rally or face being fired.
The holding of the two rallies within such a short distance raised concerns that the competing crowds could clash.
Metal fencing around Independence Square was installed early on August 16 with agricultural vehicles used to close off nearby roads.
Opposition media channels say Lukashenka, a onetime manager of a Soviet-era collective farm, was planning to bus people in from other parts of the country.
Video on social media showed people -- many bused in from other regions -- at the pro-Lukashenka rally chanting, "We're for Batka," meaning father, the nickname for Lukashenka.
And in a surprise move, Ihar Leshchenya, the Belarusian ambassador to Slovakia, declared solidarity with protesters in an undated video posted by Nasha Niva media late on August 15. Other state employees, including police officers and state TV staff, have also come out in support of the protests.
Some of the country's biggest state-run industrial plants have been hit by protests and walkouts in the past week.
While giving prayers on August 16, Roman Catholic Pope Francis said his thoughts were with "dear Belarus," and appealed "for dialogue, to rebuke violence and respect justice and rights."
The same day, the Synod of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church called on Belarus's leadership to end the violence, and "bring those who have committed atrocities and cruelty to lawful judgment and condemnation."
Meanwhile, thousands came out on August 15 to mourn the death of Alyaksandr Taraykouski who died in Minsk on August 10 during the postelection protests.
Demonstrators heaped flowers at the spot and the crowd chanted "Thank you!" and raised victory signs. Police kept a low profile.
Many held up photographs of protesters beaten during the crackdown, while one man stood in his underwear revealing the purple bruises on his thighs, buttocks and back.
The memorial came as AP published video that appears to contradict the official version of Taraykouski’s death.
The video shows Taraykouski wobbling with a blood-stained shirt before he collapses to the ground several meters from a line of riot police at Pushkinskaya subway station in the capital, Minsk.
According to the official version of events, an explosive device blew up in Taraykouski’s hands as he was trying to throw it at police, but nothing like that can be seen in the video.
Hours later, thousands turned up at the Minsk headquarters to protest state-run media coverage of the protests and what they say is the whitewashing of the authorities harsh handling of demonstrators.
The protesters urged state-media journalists to "respect" their audiences.
A state television lighting technician, Uladzimer Tsitarenka, told RFE/RL that "nearly 80 percent" of the technical staff were ready to join a general strike to protest the election.
"Everything will be decided on Monday [August 17]," he said.
Facing the most serious threat ever to his authoritarian rule, Lukashenka spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15, after saying there was "a threat not only to Belarus."
He later told military chiefs that Putin had offered "comprehensive help" to "ensure the security of Belarus."
The Kremlin said the leaders agreed the "problems" in Belarus would be "resolved soon" and the countries' ties strengthened.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on August 15 urged Lukashenka to "engage with civil society", during a trip to Poland, which has offered to act as a mediator.
Demonstrators are demanding that the election results be invalidated, that a new election be held under a new Central Election Commission, and that all political prisoners be released.
The election commission declared Lukashenka the winner of the election with some 80 percent. Tsikhanouskaya says she won 60 to 70 percent of the vote.
Tsikhanouskaya said that she was initiating the creation of a “Coordination Council" for a potential transition of power. She’s also called on the international community to "help us in organizing a dialogue with Belarusian authorities.”
With reporting by Current Time, AFP, Interfax, and TASS


rferl--2020-08-17--Iran, EU Reject U.S. Plan To Trigger 'Snapback' Of Sanctions

Iran and the European Union have rejected U.S. President Donald Trump 's plan to trigger a `` snapback '' of sanctions on Iran at the United Nations under a provision of the Iran nuclear deal .
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif , noting that the United States withdrew from the agreement , was quoted by state media on August 16 as saying that the Americans “ know very well that the implementation of the snapback is something illegal and therefore absolutely unacceptable.
” A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell , also speaking on August 16 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement , formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) , it could not be considered a part of it .
`` Given that the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and has not participated in any JCPOA structures or activities subsequently , the U.S. can not be considered as a JCPOA participant .
`` We therefore consider that the U.S. is not in a position to resort to mechanisms reserved for JCPOA participants ( such as the so-called snapback ) . ''
The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the nuclear accord because it was listed as such in a 2015 UN Security Council resolution that enshrined the deal and can therefore bring back sanctions .
It also has noted that since the United States exited the deal Iran breached some of its nuclear commitments .
The UN Security Council on August 14 rejected a U.S. resolution to extend an international arms embargo on Iran , which is set to be progressively eased beginning on October 18 under the nuclear deal .
The United States now wants to force the reinstatement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the snapback mechanism .
`` We 'll be doing a snapback , '' Trump told reporters on August 15 .
`` You 'll be watching it next week . ''
Diplomats and analysts say a U.S. a snapback of all sanction on Iran would lead to a messy diplomatic battle that could undermine the UN Security Council and potentially lead to the complete collapse of the nuclear deal .
Iranian presidential office chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi predicted the U.S. effort would fail .
“ The United States continues to make mistakes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ process as the recent resolution , but with strong political and legal reasoning , ” Vaezi said on August 16 on Twitter .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke by telephone on August 16 to discuss the possibility of a summit on the nuclear deal .
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed holding a summit over teleconference among the leaders of the countries that signed the nuclear deal .
Trump already has said he probably would not join such a summit .
During the phone call Lavrov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , calling it “ a big political and diplomatic achievement aimed at strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime and regional security in the Middle East region , '' according to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement quoted by Interfax .
With reporting by dpa , Reuters , and Interfax


rferl--2020-08-16--Aisultan Nazarbaev, Grandson Of Former Kazakh President, Dies In London

Aisultan Nazarbaev , a grandson of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev who suffered from drug addiction and had run-ins with the law in the United Kingdom , has died in London at the age of 29 .
His mother , former Kazakh parliament speaker Darigha Nazarbaeva , confirmed her son 's death in an August 16 statement .
`` My family is devastated at the loss of our beloved Aisultan and we ask for privacy at this very difficult time , '' she wrote on the Facebook page of the Nursultan Nazarbaev Fund , which she heads .
Aisultan Nazarbaev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kazakhstan 's national soccer federation , but in recent years made news for criticizing the Kazakh authorities and members of his powerful family .
In October 2019 a British court handed him a suspended sentence for assaulting a London police officer earlier that year .
In February he announced that he was seeking asylum in the United Kingdom .
He was the second son of Nazarbaeva and her late ex-husband , Rakhat Aliyev , a critic of Nursultan Nazarbaev who died in 2015 in an Austrian prison while under investigation for murder .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suffering from drug addiction , reportedly died of cardiac arrest .

Aisultan Nazarbaev, a grandson of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev who suffered from drug addiction and had run-ins with the law in the United Kingdom, has died in London at the age of 29.
His mother, former Kazakh parliament speaker Darigha Nazarbaeva, confirmed her son's death in an August 16 statement.
"My family is devastated at the loss of our beloved Aisultan and we ask for privacy at this very difficult time," she wrote on the Facebook page of the Nursultan Nazarbaev Fund, which she heads.
Aisultan Nazarbaev once served as as vice president of Kazakhstan's national soccer federation, but in recent years made news for criticizing the Kazakh authorities and members of his powerful family.
In October 2019 a British court handed him a suspended sentence for assaulting a London police officer earlier that year.
In February he announced that he was seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.
He was the second son of Nazarbaeva and her late ex-husband, Rakhat Aliyev, a critic of Nursultan Nazarbaev who died in 2015 in an Austrian prison while under investigation for murder.
Aisultan Nazarbaev, who in 2017 admitted to suffering from drug addiction, reportedly died of cardiac arrest.


rferl--2020-08-16--Lukashenka Rules Out Repeat Vote As Massive Crowd Turns Out For Opposition

MINSK -- Huge crowds gathered in the Belarusian capital in the biggest outpouring yet of opposition to the disputed reelection of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka as pressure mounts for him to step down after 26 years in power .
Some reports estimated the number of protesters assembled near the city 's Victory Park at from 100,000 to more than 200,000 people , describing the rally as the largest-ever in Minsk .
RFE/RL was unable to independently verify the crowd size .
Protesters were seen carrying the red-and-white flag used by the opposition , and shouting `` Tribunal !
`` , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` , and `` Freedom for political prisoners ! ''
Opposition demonstrations were also held in cities throughout the country .
The Minsk rally competed with a large pro-Lukashenka demonstration that began two hours earlier about 2 kilometers away , in the central Independence Square .
As evening approached , participants in the opposition rally had moved to the grounds where the pro-presidential demonstration was held .
Lukashenka , addressing a crowd of supporters that the Interior Ministry estimated at 65,000 people , claimed that NATO tanks and planes had been deployed 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries were ordering the country to hold new elections , something he said he refused to do .
A NATO spokesperson later denied any troop buildup in Eastern Europe , saying , `` NATO 's multinational presence in the eastern part of the alliance is not a threat to any country . ''
The statement went on to call on Belarus to respect basic freedoms , including the right to peaceful protest .
The Belarusian president , who opposition protesters say stole the August 9 election that gave him a sixth-straight term , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rig 80 percent '' -- the percentage of the vote officially given to him by the Central Election Commission .
He vowed to never give in to those demanding he step down and hold repeat elections , saying that `` if someone wants to surrender the country , I will not allow that , even when I am dead . ''
He also alleged that the neighboring Baltic states , Poland , and Ukraine were `` ordering '' a new election , a claim that the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressed the crowd as the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had told Lukashenka in a telephone call on August 16 that Russia was ready to provide aid under the terms of the Collective Security Treaty Organization if need be , and claimed Belarus was facing unspecified external pressure .
It was their second telephone conversation in as many days .
Lukashenka was declared the victor of the August 9 election by a landslide , with the main opposition challenger , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , trailing far behind despite drawing huge crowds at campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Belarus under Lukashenka has been deemed free and fair by the West .
Tsikhanouskaya has since fled to Lithuania , but has claimed to be the rightful winner and has called for peaceful protests across Belarus .
Some 7,000 people have been detained by police across Belarus in the postelection crackdown , with hundreds injured and at least two killed as police have used rubber bullets , stun grenades , and , in at least one instance , live ammunition .
Hundreds of those held and subsequently released spoke of brutal beatings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it documented and splashed across social media .
Thousands more remain in detention as international outrage mounts .
Maryya Kalesnikava , opposition leader and former campaign manager of barred and jailed opposition candidate Viktar Babaryka , called at the Minsk rally for the release of `` all political prisoners and detainees from peaceful and dissenting rallies , '' saying that more than 4,000 people remained in prison .
`` And our main demand : the former president [ Lukashenka ] must resign ! ''
she said .
Rallies were also held in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1,000 demonstrators unfurled a red-and-white banner that spanned the base of the eastern city 's Lenin monument .
In Smalyavichy , northeast of Minsk , protesters marched carrying red-and-white balloons and flags and holding signs saying , `` We are for Belarus . ''
Similar actions took place in the cities of Lahoysk and Nyasvizh .
The independent news site Tut.by reported that government workers and other state employees had been told to show up for the pro-Lukashenka rally or face being fired .
The holding of the two rallies within such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competing crowds could clash .
Metal fencing around Independence Square was installed early on August 16 with agricultural vehicles used to close off nearby roads .
Opposition media channels say Lukashenka , a onetime manager of a Soviet-era collective farm , was planning to bus people in from other parts of the country .
Video on social media showed people -- many bused in from other regions -- at the pro-Lukashenka rally chanting , `` We 're for Batka , '' meaning father , the nickname for Lukashenka .
And in a surprise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambassador to Slovakia , declared solidarity with protesters in an undated video posted by Nasha Niva media late on August 15 .
Other state employees , including police officers and state TV staff , have also come out in support of the protests .
Some of the country 's biggest state-run industrial plants have been hit by protests and walkouts in the past week .
While giving prayers on August 16 , Roman Catholic Pope Francis said his thoughts were with `` dear Belarus , '' and appealed `` for dialogue , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The same day , the Synod of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church called on Belarus 's leadership to end the violence , and `` bring those who have committed atrocities and cruelty to lawful judgment and condemnation . ''
Meanwhile , thousands came out on August 15 to mourn the death of Alyaksandr Taraykouski who died in Minsk on August 10 during the postelection protests .
Demonstrators heaped flowers at the spot and the crowd chanted `` Thank you ! ''
and raised victory signs .
Police kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographs of protesters beaten during the crackdown , while one man stood in his underwear revealing the purple bruises on his thighs , buttocks and back .
The memorial came as AP published video that appears to contradict the official version of Taraykouski ’ s death .
The video shows Taraykouski wobbling with a blood-stained shirt before he collapses to the ground several meters from a line of riot police at Pushkinskaya subway station in the capital , Minsk .
According to the official version of events , an explosive device blew up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was trying to throw it at police , but nothing like that can be seen in the video .
Hours later , thousands turned up at the Minsk headquarters to protest state-run media coverage of the protests and what they say is the whitewashing of the authorities harsh handling of demonstrators .
The protesters urged state-media journalists to `` respect '' their audiences .
A state television lighting technician , Uladzimer Tsitarenka , told RFE/RL that `` nearly 80 percent '' of the technical staff were ready to join a general strike to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be decided on Monday [ August 17 ] , '' he said .
Facing the most serious threat ever to his authoritarian rule , Lukashenka spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 , after saying there was `` a threat not only to Belarus . ''
He later told military chiefs that Putin had offered `` comprehensive help '' to `` ensure the security of Belarus . ''
The Kremlin said the leaders agreed the `` problems '' in Belarus would be `` resolved soon '' and the countries ' ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo on August 15 urged Lukashenka to `` engage with civil society '' , during a trip to Poland , which has offered to act as a mediator .
Demonstrators are demanding that the election results be invalidated , that a new election be held under a new Central Election Commission , and that all political prisoners be released .
The election commission declared Lukashenka the winner of the election with some 80 percent .
Tsikhanouskaya says she won 60 to 70 percent of the vote .
Tsikhanouskaya said that she was initiating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' for a potential transition of power .
She ’ s also called on the international community to `` help us in organizing a dialogue with Belarusian authorities.
” With reporting by Current Time , AFP , Interfax , and TASS


rferl--2020-08-17--Teachers In Northwestern Pakistan Protest Against School Closures

Hundreds of private schoolteachers rallied in the northwestern Pakistani region of Swat on August 17 to demand an immediate reopening @ @ @ @ @ to stem the spread of the coronavirus .
Last week , the federal government announced @ @ @ @ @ September 15 , but the protesting teachers said there was no point in keeping the @ @ @ @ @ lockdown had already been lifted .
Police arrested several school principals in Swat for opening @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier this month , the Pakistani government lifted the lockdown that had been imposed @ @ @ @ @ decided to keep educational institutions closed .
Private school owners complain that the closure is @ @ @ @ @ the academic time of students .
Hundreds of teachers have lost their jobs since March @ @ @ @

Hundreds of private schoolteachers rallied in the northwestern Pakistani region of Swat on August 17 to demand an immediate reopening of schools that were closed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Last week, the federal government announced that schools will reopen from September 15, but the protesting teachers said there was no point in keeping the schools closed while the nationwide lockdown had already been lifted.
Police arrested several school principals in Swat for opening their schools on August 15.
Earlier this month, the Pakistani government lifted the lockdown that had been imposed on cities in mid-March but decided to keep educational institutions closed.
Private school owners complain that the closure is affecting their business and wasting the academic time of students.
Hundreds of teachers have lost their jobs since March, they say.


rferl--2020-08-17--U.A.E. Says Normalization Deal With Israel Is Not Directed At Iran

The United Arab Emirates ( U.A.E . )
says its agreement to normalize ties with Israel is a `` sovereign decision '' that is `` not directed '' at Iran .
“ We do not accept interference in our decisions , '' the U.A.E .
minister of state for foreign affairs , Anwar Gargash , said on August 17 , a day after the Persian Gulf state said it had summoned Iran 's charge d'affaires in Abu Dhabi and given him a `` strongly worded memo '' in response to comments by Iranian President Hassan Rohani .
Israel and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were establishing full diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered deal that included an Israeli pledge to suspend its controversial plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank .
The deal makes the U.A.E .
the first Gulf Arab state to establish full diplomatic ties and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic relations with Israel .
The move was hailed by several Gulf states but slammed by Iran , Turkey , and the Palestinians .
Rohani said in a speech on August 15 that the U.A.E .
had made a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement and accused the Gulf state of betraying the Palestinian cause .
On August 16 , Israel and the U.A.E .
inaugurated direct telephone services between the two countries following their agreement .
And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on August 17 that his country is preparing for direct flights to the U.A.E .
that would go over Saudi Arabia .


rferl--2020-08-17--Turkish-Russian Joint Patrol Hit By Blast In Northwest Syria

A Turkish military vehicle was damaged by an explosion during a joint patrol with Russian troops in northwest Syria 's Idlib region , but there were no casualties .
The RIA Novosti news agency cited Russia 's Defense Ministry as saying on August 17 that no Russian soldiers were wounded in the incident , which occurred during a patrol along the strategic M4 highway connecting Syria ’ s east and west .
Turkish security officials said there had been an attack that caused material damage but no deaths .
The incident came as the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libya with his Turkish counterpart , Recep Tayyip Erdogan , in a telephone call on August 17 .
Russia and Turkey brokered a cease-fire in Idlib on March 5 , following a months-long Russia-backed offensive by Syrian forces that displaced nearly 1 million people and threatened to send a flood of refugees into Turkey .
As part of the cease-fire deal , Turkish and Russian troops conduct joint patrols in a buffer zone between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces along a section of the M4 highway .
On August 13 , Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been suspended over increasing militant attacks in the area .
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the attacks by “ radicals ” and “ terrorists ” prompted the decision to temporarily halt the joint patrol .
Based on reporting by Reuters , Interfax , and RIA Novosti

A Turkish military vehicle was damaged by an explosion during a joint patrol with Russian troops in northwest Syria's Idlib region, but there were no casualties.
The RIA Novosti news agency cited Russia's Defense Ministry as saying on August 17 that no Russian soldiers were wounded in the incident, which occurred during a patrol along the strategic M4 highway connecting Syria’s east and west.
Turkish security officials said there had been an attack that caused material damage but no deaths.
The incident came as the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflicts in Syria and Libya with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a telephone call on August 17.
Russia and Turkey brokered a cease-fire in Idlib on March 5, following a months-long Russia-backed offensive by Syrian forces that displaced nearly 1 million people and threatened to send a flood of refugees into Turkey.
As part of the cease-fire deal, Turkish and Russian troops conduct joint patrols in a buffer zone between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces along a section of the M4 highway.
On August 13, Russia said the joint military patrols in Idlib had been suspended over increasing militant attacks in the area.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the attacks by “radicals” and “terrorists” prompted the decision to temporarily halt the joint patrol.
Based on reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and RIA Novosti