themoscowtimes--2020-08-13--Brazil State Signs Deal to Make Russian Vaccine

The vaccine would have to receive Brazilian regulatory approval and complete Phase 3 clinical trials , or large-scale testing in humans , before being produced in Brazil , said officials from the southern state .
The Brazilian state of Parana signed a deal Wednesday to test and produce Russia 's new coronavirus vaccine , though officials stressed they would have to be sure of its safety and effectiveness first .
Production , if it goes ahead , would likely only start in the second half of 2021 , said Jorge Callado , head of the state-run Parana Technology Institute , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Direct Investment Fund ( RDIF ) .
`` This is a very objective memorandum of understanding on technological exchange .
It does not impose obligations , it simply enables us to work together , '' he told a virtual news conference .
He said that under the deal Russia would share the results of Phase 1 and 2 testing with the state .
President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia had approved the vaccine , dubbed `` Sputnik V , '' in a world first , heralding it as a game-changer in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautioned more testing and scrutiny are needed to ensure it is safe and effective .
Brazil has become a popular testing ground for Covid-19 vaccines , since the new coronavirus is still spreading quickly there .
The country has the second-highest number of infections and deaths in the pandemic , after the United States : more than 3.1 million and 104,000 , respectively .
Two experimental vaccines are currently in Phase 3 testing in Brazil , one developed by Oxford University with pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and the other by Chinese laboratory Sinovac Biotech @

The vaccine would have to receive Brazilian regulatory approval and complete Phase 3 clinical trials, or large-scale testing in humans, before being produced in Brazil, said officials from the southern state.
The Brazilian state of Parana signed a deal Wednesday to test and produce Russia's new coronavirus vaccine, though officials stressed they would have to be sure of its safety and effectiveness first.
Production, if it goes ahead, would likely only start in the second half of 2021, said Jorge Callado, head of the state-run Parana Technology Institute, which signed the deal with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
"This is a very objective memorandum of understanding on technological exchange. It does not impose obligations, it simply enables us to work together," he told a virtual news conference.
He said that under the deal Russia would share the results of Phase 1 and 2 testing with the state.
President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia had approved the vaccine, dubbed "Sputnik V," in a world first, heralding it as a game-changer in the pandemic.
But international health officials have cautioned more testing and scrutiny are needed to ensure it is safe and effective.
Brazil has become a popular testing ground for Covid-19 vaccines, since the new coronavirus is still spreading quickly there.
The country has the second-highest number of infections and deaths in the pandemic, after the United States: more than 3.1 million and 104,000, respectively.
Two experimental vaccines are currently in Phase 3 testing in Brazil, one developed by Oxford University with pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and the other by Chinese laboratory Sinovac Biotech.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-13--Belarus Nobel-Winner Alexievich Urges Lukashenko to Go

The 72-year-old author won the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize for her work chronicling the horrors of war and life under the repressive Soviet regime including the 1986 Chernobyl disaster .
Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich condemned police violence against protesters in her country and urged strongman Alexander Lukashenko to go peacefully in an interview published Wednesday .
In her first public reaction to the protests that have broken out across Belarus over Sunday 's disputed presidential election , the writer told Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe that Lukashenko should step down peacefully to prevent a bloody civil war .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before you 've thrown people into a terrible abyss , into the abyss of civil war , '' she appealed to Lukashenko , whom she has long criticized .
`` You just want power and your desire will end up with blood , '' she said , accusing the Belarusian authorities of `` declaring war on their own people . ''
She expressed shock at the `` inhumane , satanic '' actions of riot police , saying this was previously unimaginable and suggesting Minsk may have brought in reinforcements from Russia .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would vote for Lukashenko 's main opposition rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya .
The writer said she understood why Tikhanovskaya , a political novice and until recently a stay-at-home mother , left Belarus on Tuesday for the safety of neighboring Lithuania .
`` She was and remains a symbol of change , of striving for a new life , '' Alexievich said .
`` She did what she could .
I have nothing bad to say about her .
Now let the men take the fore . ''
She said she backed opposition politician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife was on Tikhanovskaya 's campaign team .
Tsepkalo on Wednesday announced a plan to form a political movement called the National Salvation Front to further the opposition cause .
Alexievich expressed her admiration for the Belarusian protesters saying : `` I 've simply fallen in love with my people over the last few weeks . ''
`` These are completely different people , their strength is completely different .
Before I used to be a bit disillusioned — not now . ''

The 72-year-old author won the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize for her work chronicling the horrors of war and life under the repressive Soviet regime including the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich condemned police violence against protesters in her country and urged strongman Alexander Lukashenko to go peacefully in an interview published Wednesday.
In her first public reaction to the protests that have broken out across Belarus over Sunday's disputed presidential election, the writer told Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe that Lukashenko should step down peacefully to prevent a bloody civil war.
"Leave before it's too late, before you've thrown people into a terrible abyss, into the abyss of civil war," she appealed to Lukashenko, whom she has long criticized.
"You just want power and your desire will end up with blood," she said, accusing the Belarusian authorities of "declaring war on their own people."
She expressed shock at the "inhumane, satanic" actions of riot police, saying this was previously unimaginable and suggesting Minsk may have brought in reinforcements from Russia.
Before Sunday's presidential election, Alexievich said she would vote for Lukashenko's main opposition rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
The writer said she understood why Tikhanovskaya, a political novice and until recently a stay-at-home mother, left Belarus on Tuesday for the safety of neighboring Lithuania.
"She was and remains a symbol of change, of striving for a new life," Alexievich said.
"She did what she could. I have nothing bad to say about her. Now let the men take the fore."
She said she backed opposition politician Valery Tsepkalo, a former diplomat whose wife was on Tikhanovskaya's campaign team.
Tsepkalo on Wednesday announced a plan to form a political movement called the National Salvation Front to further the opposition cause.
Alexievich expressed her admiration for the Belarusian protesters saying: "I've simply fallen in love with my people over the last few weeks."
"These are completely different people, their strength is completely different. Before I used to be a bit disillusioned — not now."


themoscowtimes--2020-08-13--Russian Violinist and Conductor Spivakov Rejects Lukashenko Award Over Belarus Crackdown

Spivakov , 75 , condemned the police crackdown in neighboring Belarus in an open letter published by the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper .
More than 6,000 demonstrators have been detained , many with violence , in the days since Sunday ’ s vote in which officials said Lukashenko won by a wide margin .
Renowned Russian conductor and violinist Vladimir Spivakov will return an award from Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko due to police violence against protesters in the days since Belarus ' presidential election .
“ Today , my heart beats in unison with the people of the Republic of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic rights and freedoms , including the right to peaceful protests , ” Spivakov said .
“ Therefore , in the current situation , I have to give up the order that you previously awarded me , ” he wrote to Lukashenko , describing the crackdown as “ tyranny and endless examples of extreme cruelty.
” Lukashenko awarded the Order of Francisc Skorina to Spivakov , the principal conductor and artistic director of the Russian National Philharmonic and the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra , in 2014 .
Several Russian cultural , academic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which recognizes services to art , literature and historical study in Belarus .
“ I ’ m ashamed to wear it because it ’ s associated with your rule .
Your power of ‘ black [ batons ’ ] is your major weakness , ” Spivakov said in the open letter to Lukashenko .
Riot police used rubber bullets , tear gas and stun grenades to break up demonstrations in Minsk and other cities .
They also patrolled residential areas , firing at vehicles and grabbing people hiding inside the entrances of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Authorities in Belarus have confirmed two deaths among protesters .
Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich , winner of the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize , condemned the police violence and urged Lukashenko to go peacefully in her first interview since the protests broke out .
`` Leave before it 's too late , before you 've thrown people into a terrible abyss , into the abyss of civil war , '' she told her longtime foe in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty .
Several Belarusian state television anchors have announced their resignations amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter said “ never in my nightmares could I imagine that the troops and hardware could turn against their people.
” A number of unverified videos showing Belarusian servicemen throwing their uniforms and berets in the trash in solidarity with anti-Lukashenko protesters have also surfaced .

Spivakov, 75, condemned the police crackdown in neighboring Belarus in an open letter published by the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper. More than 6,000 demonstrators have been detained, many with violence, in the days since Sunday’s vote in which officials said Lukashenko won by a wide margin.
Renowned Russian conductor and violinist Vladimir Spivakov will return an award from Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko due to police violence against protesters in the days since Belarus' presidential election.
“Today, my heart beats in unison with the people of the Republic of Belarus, who rightfully demand respect for basic rights and freedoms, including the right to peaceful protests,” Spivakov said.
“Therefore, in the current situation, I have to give up the order that you previously awarded me,” he wrote to Lukashenko, describing the crackdown as “tyranny and endless examples of extreme cruelty.”
Lukashenko awarded the Order of Francisc Skorina to Spivakov, the principal conductor and artistic director of the Russian National Philharmonic and the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra, in 2014. Several Russian cultural, academic and political figures have also received the order, which recognizes services to art, literature and historical study in Belarus.
“I’m ashamed to wear it because it’s associated with your rule. Your power of ‘black [batons’] is your major weakness,” Spivakov said in the open letter to Lukashenko.
Riot police used rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades to break up demonstrations in Minsk and other cities. They also patrolled residential areas, firing at vehicles and grabbing people hiding inside the entrances of apartment blocks, local media reported. Authorities in Belarus have confirmed two deaths among protesters.
Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize, condemned the police violence and urged Lukashenko to go peacefully in her first interview since the protests broke out.
"Leave before it's too late, before you've thrown people into a terrible abyss, into the abyss of civil war," she told her longtime foe in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Several Belarusian state television anchors have announced their resignations amid the crackdown on protesters. One military reporter said “never in my nightmares could I imagine that the troops and hardware could turn against their people.”
A number of unverified videos showing Belarusian servicemen throwing their uniforms and berets in the trash in solidarity with anti-Lukashenko protesters have also surfaced.
AFP contributed reporting.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-13--Jailed Belarus Protester Dies During Crackdown

Riot police have roughly detained thousands at street protests across the country after long-serving leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in Sunday 's poll .
Belarus on Wednesday confirmed the death of a jailed protester as demonstrators took to the streets for a fourth night of clashes with riot police over a disputed presidential election .
The strongman 's opponents accuse him of rigging the election against his main rival , massively popular opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya .
The Belarusian Investigative Committee said in a statement that a 25-year-old man died after he was detained on Sunday for taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Gomel and sentenced to 10 days in prison .
Investigators said the cause of death was unclear , while Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty quoted the man 's mother as saying he had heart problems and was held for hours in a police van .
She said her son , Alexander Vikhor , was not taking part in protests and had gone to meet his girlfriend .
Previously police said one protester died when an explosive device went off in his hand on Monday .
The latest death came as opposition protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence .
In the capital Minsk , several hundred women joined hands to form a human chain , many wearing white and holding flowers .
`` The riot police are beating up people , brutally beating them , and all we can do is come out for such a peaceful protest , '' said 29-year-old protester Darya , who works in advertising .
'Leave before it 's too late' On Wednesday evening , Minsk saw scattered protests in suburbs , with flag-waving opposition supporters blocking roads .
A tight police cordon surrounded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Riot police used rubber bullets and stun grenades to break up protests .
They also patrolled residential areas , firing at vehicles and grabbing people hiding inside the entrances of blocks of flats , local media reported .
Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich , winner of the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize , condemned the police violence and urged Lukashenko to go peacefully in her first interview since the protests broke out .
`` Leave before it 's too late , before you 've thrown people into a terrible abyss , into the abyss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her long-term foe in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty .

Riot police have roughly detained thousands at street protests across the country after long-serving leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in Sunday's poll.
Belarus on Wednesday confirmed the death of a jailed protester as demonstrators took to the streets for a fourth night of clashes with riot police over a disputed presidential election.
The strongman's opponents accuse him of rigging the election against his main rival, massively popular opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
The Belarusian Investigative Committee said in a statement that a 25-year-old man died after he was detained on Sunday for taking part in illegal protests in the southeastern city of Gomel and sentenced to 10 days in prison.
Investigators said the cause of death was unclear, while Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty quoted the man's mother as saying he had heart problems and was held for hours in a police van.
She said her son, Alexander Vikhor, was not taking part in protests and had gone to meet his girlfriend.
Previously police said one protester died when an explosive device went off in his hand on Monday.
The latest death came as opposition protesters took to the streets to condemn police violence.
In the capital Minsk, several hundred women joined hands to form a human chain, many wearing white and holding flowers.
"The riot police are beating up people, brutally beating them, and all we can do is come out for such a peaceful protest," said 29-year-old protester Darya, who works in advertising.
'Leave before it's too late'
On Wednesday evening, Minsk saw scattered protests in suburbs, with flag-waving opposition supporters blocking roads. A tight police cordon surrounded the city centre while metro stations were closed.
Riot police used rubber bullets and stun grenades to break up protests. They also patrolled residential areas, firing at vehicles and grabbing people hiding inside the entrances of blocks of flats, local media reported.
Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize, condemned the police violence and urged Lukashenko to go peacefully in her first interview since the protests broke out.
"Leave before it's too late, before you've thrown people into a terrible abyss, into the abyss of civil war," she told her long-term foe in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-11--Six Months Into the Coronavirus Outbreak, Russia’s Statistics Still Provide More Questions Than Answ

Six Months Into the Coronavirus Outbreak, Russia’s Statistics Still Provide More Questions Than Answers

The death toll from the coronavirus across many Russian regions could be many times higher than official statistics show , analysis of new data by The Moscow Times suggests .
Experts pointed to systemic underreporting of deaths , and highlighted a complex incentive structure and political relationship between the Kremlin and Russia ’ s governors in the regions .
They believe that by discouraging regions from reporting bad news , insisting they keep the virus under control and providing loose guidelines on how to count deaths , Russia has opened the door for regions to falsify , manipulate and delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
Figures published by Russia ’ s statistics agency Rosstat last week show Russia recorded more than three times as many excess fatalities in May and June than the daily Covid-19 death counts published by Russia ’ s pandemic task force and used by politicians and media outlets to assess the spread of the virus .
Across many of Russia ’ s 85 regions , the discrepancy is even wider .
Dozens reported their most deadly May and June — the most recent months for which detailed fatality data is available — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unexplained excess fatalities .
The new information raises fresh questions about how seriously swathes of the country have been affected by the pandemic , and the impact insufficient data could have had on Russia ’ s response .
Russia ’ s coronavirus statistics have come under scrutiny since the beginning of the outbreak , when officials heralded a robust testing regime as the reason for the country ’ s curiously low death rate .
Like other countries , Russia publishes a daily tally of new infections and deaths from the virus .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both a national and regional count are published every morning .
“ In many regions , the statistics have nothing to do with reality at all , ” said Tatiana Mikhailova , a statistician who has been tracking the virus outbreak since the beginning and regularly raises concerns about data .
As the only official source of real-time information on the virus , the daily numbers are nevertheless widely reported on and carry serious weight in assessing the spread of the virus , managing the response and comparing Russia to other countries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the quality is so poor , “ it makes no sense to draw medical , virological , or epidemiological conclusions from them.
” As of Aug. 11 , those figures said Russia had recorded 897,599 infections and 15,131 fatalities — placing Russia fourth and eleventh in the global league tables .
New more detailed information on deaths being published by regional registry offices — with a significant delay — is now starting to show just how wrong Russia ’ s original fatality count is .
The data shows that Russia saw 26,360 excess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the average death tally over the previous five years , while Russia ’ s coronavirus task force reported just 9,303 fatalities from Covid-19 over the same period .
Meanwhile , dozens of regions saw an even wider discrepancy , with a sharp acceleration in deaths during May and June which was only partially — and in some cases not at all — reflected in the official Covid-19 death tally .
Some 27 of Russia ’ s 85 regions reported their most deadly June in a decade , while May also set a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That jump looks even starker against a backdrop of declining mortality rates in recent years .
Not a single region set a 10-year high for fatalities in January , February or March this year , and Russia as a whole saw the lowest number of deaths in a decade over that period .
While many countries have seen jumps in fatalities that exceed their official coronavirus death tolls , experts say there are a number of specific Russia factors at play .
“ Essentially all Russian regions are doing their best to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Mikhail Tamm , a statistician at the Higher School of Economics ( HSE ) .
“ The most innocent way of doing this is to distinguish deaths ‘ from coronavirus ’ and ‘ with coronavirus ’ — where the main cause of death is recorded as some other chronic illness — and then report only the ‘ from coronavirus ’ number as a headline figure.
” Tamm is referring to the four-tier classification guidelines the Russian health system uses to determine precisely how deaths are related to the coronavirus .
Under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main cause of death as : • None Not Covid-19 , but the virus was confirmed in the patient and had a significant impact in triggering “ fatal complications ” from another disease • None Not Covid-19 , the virus was confirmed in the patient but it did not have a significant impact on their death In a policy which runs counter to World Health Organization guidelines — which says all deaths related to Covid-19 should be counted as such “ unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
trauma ) ” — Russian authorities only count deaths assigned to the first two categories as specifically resulting from the coronavirus .
The guidelines have allowed the regions to lower their coronavirus death counts .
“ Moscow gave the regions the opportunity to underreport because all these instructions on how to calculate deaths give a lot of freedom to the regional healthcare systems to underreport the real scale of the epidemic , ” said Nikolay Petrov , a senior research fellow at Chatham House and expert on Russia ’ s regional political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined as the main cause of death in 59 % of Russia ’ s coronavirus-related deaths in April , May and June .
And in more than a quarter of cases , local registry offices said the virus was present “ but did not affect the onset of death in any way.
” Counting all Russia ’ s coronavirus-related deaths , including those where it was deemed not to be the main cause , shows the total is almost a match for the excess fatality data — suggesting the decade-high jump in deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus if Russia counted fatalities differently .
But even looking at the narrowest interpretation of a coronavirus death in the new statistics , where the virus was the main cause and its presence was confirmed through testing , Russia ’ s task force still undercounted fatalities by a third during April , May and June — the only three months for which such data is available .
The broader interpretation of coronavirus-related deaths would have sent Russia ’ s overall mortality rate at the end of June up from the 1.4 % reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Once again , in many regions , the discrepancy is significantly starker , and further complicates understanding the regional aspects of Russia ’ s coronavirus spread , which was already showing major discrepancies .
Even the official mortality rates at the end of June ranged from 0.1 % to 4.8 % in Russia ’ s regions .
But it is now clear that more than 20 were claiming Covid-19 was not the main cause of death in at least half their registered fatalities .
Still , there are plenty of areas across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not accounted for under any of the counting methodologies — raising questions about entire outbreaks that could have been hidden , undetected or misattributed .
Naberezhnye Chelny , a city of 500,000 on the banks of the Kama River , in Tatarstan , is one example .
In May , anecdotal reports began to emerge in local media of a wave of infections and city hospitals filling up .
While the number of official cases in Tatarstan began to creep up , the virus ’ penetration was still officially one of the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capita basis , Tatarstan ranked 72nd of 85 in the number of cases and the republic of almost four million reported just nine coronavirus deaths during the entire month .
As the situation in the city deteriorated , some tried to sound the alarm .
Galimzyan Zaripov , a former head doctor at the city ’ s HIV/AIDS center and representative to the World Congress of Tatars , wrote an open letter highlighting the “ dangerous situation.
” He said there were almost 400 people being treated in hospital for pneumonia and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city officially confirmed only a handful as Covid-19 .
`` We know that the number of cases is thousands , and it is growing every day … official statistics do not show this , but hide it , ” Zaripov wrote .
In the case of Naberezhnye Chelny , a string of data published after Russia ’ s June 24 vote on constitutional change has seemingly vindicated Zaripov .
Many commentators said the Kremlin played down bad news about the virus before the referendum to create a positive mood that would lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw more deaths in May 2020 than in any previous month since 2014 — the earliest The Moscow Times was able to obtain city-level data for .
In June , that record was broken again , with deaths climbing to 56 % above average .
And July saw a new record death count as fatalities came in 60 % above normal — a sharper jump than seen in Moscow and St. Petersburg at the peak of their outbreaks .
Moreover , subsequent antibody testing has also provided evidence of a massive underreported outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every antibody test was coming back negative , but by mid-July , they were found to be present in half of those tested , according to private sector data analyst Alexander Dragan .
Tatarstan as a whole is one of the biggest outliers in Russia ’ s coronavirus statistics and has become the go-to example among statisticians of possible under counting on a drastic scale .
Deaths in June came in 800 above the average level — the highest single toll in any month , not just any June , since a spate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country in 2010 .
Even under the most generous official accounting standards , only 2.6 % of those were officially related to the coronavirus , and Tatarstan has reported the lowest per capita deaths from the virus than any except neighboring Bashkiria , and Russia ’ s two regions still to register an official fatality .
Political analysts and statisticians told The Moscow Times underreporting of the pandemic on a regional level is a given considering the political architecture binding Moscow and the regions .
“ By default , regions do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Petrov .
“ Neither a governor nor the president are eager to get bad news , and so their subordinates try not to come to their bosses with bad news.
” That ’ s partly because the Kremlin judges Russia ’ s regional governors — a large number of which are parachuted-in from outside the region — on their bureaucratic performance , he added .
“ The system doesn ’ t require them to be the best , it requires them to not be very different from the others , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each and every order coming from the center , and to be seen to avoid public scandals.
” Coming to Moscow to ask for help in a time of crisis is “ considered a vulnerability and weakness , ” said political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya .
In the context of the coronavirus , the Kremlin demands governors perform a tricky balancing act — keeping cases low , hospitals within capacity , social unrest down and economic fallout minimal , she added .
“ If a governor has problems , if they have to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kremlin won ’ t be happy.
” Delays in certain statistics coming to light also play a role in Russia ’ s underreporting .
Since the daily toll is the most important number , it matters less what the more detailed information on possible coronavirus deaths and overall all-causes fatality data , which is published around five weeks later , shows .
And even then there is deniability , said Petrov .
“ First , there is no direct evidence that this additional mortality is totally caused by the epidemic .
Second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months later , it doesn ’ t play the political role it would if it came earlier .
That ’ s why they are not afraid of the discrepancies.
” Such real-time underreporting could be hampering the ability of regions to respond to the crisis , however .
“ It wasn ’ t very rational to cheat in some cases , because federal assistance depended on the scale of the problem , ” Petrov adds .
In meetings with prime minister Mikhail Mishustin , governors were more likely to request extra help than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ and Mishustin ’ s response was : ‘ look at what your subordinates reported about the scale of the epidemic .
They reported very low figures , that ’ s why you didn ’ t get as much money.
’ ” These flaws in the ability to track Russia ’ s pandemic in something closer to real-time have led to a gaggle of data scientists and mathematicians turning to internet search trends to build a better understanding of the regional pattern of the epidemic , spot hidden outbreaks and predict future flare-ups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see the epidemic when it is hidden behind the fog of war , and the official numbers do not reflect reality , ” Dragan , wrote in a summary of his methodology and findings into what can be gleaned from looking at Yandex searches in different cities and regions .
By stripping out generic searches , such as “ what are coronavirus symptoms ?
” , and focusing on ultra-specific questions , such as “ temperature of 37.5 degrees celsius , ” “ loss of smell ” or “ infectious diseases hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a specific place can reveal the prevalence of the virus .
“ All the cities where there has been a high outbreak according to official statistics are also shown in search statistics , ” said Boris Ovchinnikov , another data scientist .
Moscow , St. Petersburg , Yekaterinburg and Dagestan , for instance , all saw spikes in search trends at different times that corresponded with their own outbreaks .
The technique can also be used to spot outbreaks otherwise hidden from official statistics .
Naberezhnye Chelny , for instance , saw a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its probable spike in cases .
“ Every place we saw a peak in search queries ... we can see growth in the total death statistics for that specific region , ” Ovchinnikov added , even if an outbreak does not show up in the official daily coronavirus numbers .
Analysts fear that once excess fatality beyond June is published , it could show thousands more fatalities unexplained by the country ’ s official coronavirus death toll .
Many “ regions will show higher death rates in July than in June .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ August as well those statistics could be pretty bad , ” Ovchinnikov said .
The time lag in publishing the numbers , and the lag between a coronavirus infection being confirmed and a patient either fully recovering or succumbing to the disease means there is no data beyond the discredited daily tallies for a significant portion of Russia ’ s pandemic deaths .
More than a third of Russia ’ s regions saw their infection rate peak after June 15 — the two-week cut-off date where a resulting death likely occurred in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The snapshots of information — the tiny number of regions or cities who have independently published data on deaths in July — have raised concerns .
Naberezhnye Chelny , for instance , is seen as a bellwether .
It was one of the first cities in the area to see a spike in search queries for the infection — suggesting its outbreak was among the earliest — and deaths in July were even higher than in June .
The Perm region reported more fatalities in July than in any month since January 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after claiming just eight official coronavirus deaths .
In other areas , the pandemic could still be accelerating .
Ovchinnikov highlights a 1,000-kilometer band across Russia ’ s south , stretching from annexed Crimea to Volgograd as having displayed big increases in Yandex searches for coronavirus-related symptoms in recent weeks .
Meanwhile , other regions have taken extra steps to further delay potentially bad news .
The Sverdlovsk region , where Yekaterinburg is located , usually publishes its all-causes fatality data shortly after the end of the month .
But last week authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be putting out the July information , was switching to a quarterly publishing schedule and promptly deleted all the previous monthly data for 2020 from its website .
It had already seen its worst death count in June for a decade , and its official daily reporting showed a three-fold increase in deaths in July .
As the pandemic wears on , and Russia continues to report more than 5,000 new infections a day , Petrov said he believes competition between the regions and a culture of underreporting will continue .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst , ” he said .
“ And if you started lying , then it ’ s very complicated for you to change your behavior , otherwise you have to explain why there is such a huge difference in numbers .
“ The general trend is to underreport .
The system works like that by default .
”

The death toll from the coronavirus across many Russian regions could be many times higher than official statistics show, analysis of new data by The Moscow Times suggests. Experts pointed to systemic underreporting of deaths, and highlighted a complex incentive structure and political relationship between the Kremlin and Russia’s governors in the regions. They believe that by discouraging regions from reporting bad news, insisting they keep the virus under control and providing loose guidelines on how to count deaths, Russia has opened the door for regions to falsify, manipulate and delay accurate reporting of the spread of the virus. Figures published by Russia’s statistics agency Rosstat last week show Russia recorded more than three times as many excess fatalities in May and June than the daily Covid-19 death counts published by Russia’s pandemic task force and used by politicians and media outlets to assess the spread of the virus. Across many of Russia’s 85 regions, the discrepancy is even wider. Dozens reported their most deadly May and June — the most recent months for which detailed fatality data is available — in a decade, registering hundreds of unexplained excess fatalities. The new information raises fresh questions about how seriously swathes of the country have been affected by the pandemic, and the impact insufficient data could have had on Russia’s response. Counting fatalities Russia’s coronavirus statistics have come under scrutiny since the beginning of the outbreak, when officials heralded a robust testing regime as the reason for the country’s curiously low death rate. Like other countries, Russia publishes a daily tally of new infections and deaths from the virus. The numbers are compiled by local authorities and both a national and regional count are published every morning. “In many regions, the statistics have nothing to do with reality at all,” said Tatiana Mikhailova, a statistician who has been tracking the virus outbreak since the beginning and regularly raises concerns about data. As the only official source of real-time information on the virus, the daily numbers are nevertheless widely reported on and carry serious weight in assessing the spread of the virus, managing the response and comparing Russia to other countries. But Mikhailova told The Moscow Times that the quality is so poor, “it makes no sense to draw medical, virological, or epidemiological conclusions from them.” As of Aug. 11, those figures said Russia had recorded 897,599 infections and 15,131 fatalities — placing Russia fourth and eleventh in the global league tables. New more detailed information on deaths being published by regional registry offices — with a significant delay — is now starting to show just how wrong Russia’s original fatality count is.
The data shows that Russia saw 26,360 excess fatalities in May and June, compared with the average death tally over the previous five years, while Russia’s coronavirus task force reported just 9,303 fatalities from Covid-19 over the same period. Meanwhile, dozens of regions saw an even wider discrepancy, with a sharp acceleration in deaths during May and June which was only partially — and in some cases not at all — reflected in the official Covid-19 death tally. Some 27 of Russia’s 85 regions reported their most deadly June in a decade, while May also set a 10-year high for deaths in 20 regions. That jump looks even starker against a backdrop of declining mortality rates in recent years. Not a single region set a 10-year high for fatalities in January, February or March this year, and Russia as a whole saw the lowest number of deaths in a decade over that period.
While many countries have seen jumps in fatalities that exceed their official coronavirus death tolls, experts say there are a number of specific Russia factors at play. “Essentially all Russian regions are doing their best to artificially suppress the headline death count,” said Mikhail Tamm, a statistician at the Higher School of Economics (HSE). “The most innocent way of doing this is to distinguish deaths ‘from coronavirus’ and ‘with coronavirus’ — where the main cause of death is recorded as some other chronic illness — and then report only the ‘from coronavirus’ number as a headline figure.” Tamm is referring to the four-tier classification guidelines the Russian health system uses to determine precisely how deaths are related to the coronavirus. Under these, local authorities can give the main cause of death as: Covid-19, confirmed by testing
Suspected Covid-19, not confirmed by testing
Not Covid-19, but the virus was confirmed in the patient and had a significant impact in triggering “fatal complications” from another disease
Not Covid-19, the virus was confirmed in the patient but it did not have a significant impact on their death In a policy which runs counter to World Health Organization guidelines — which says all deaths related to Covid-19 should be counted as such “unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to Covid-19 disease (e.g. trauma)” — Russian authorities only count deaths assigned to the first two categories as specifically resulting from the coronavirus. The guidelines have allowed the regions to lower their coronavirus death counts. “Moscow gave the regions the opportunity to underreport because all these instructions on how to calculate deaths give a lot of freedom to the regional healthcare systems to underreport the real scale of the epidemic,” said Nikolay Petrov, a senior research fellow at Chatham House and expert on Russia’s regional political system. Overall, the virus was determined as the main cause of death in 59% of Russia’s coronavirus-related deaths in April, May and June. And in more than a quarter of cases, local registry offices said the virus was present “but did not affect the onset of death in any way.” Counting all Russia’s coronavirus-related deaths, including those where it was deemed not to be the main cause, shows the total is almost a match for the excess fatality data — suggesting the decade-high jump in deaths could be entirely accounted for by the coronavirus if Russia counted fatalities differently.
But even looking at the narrowest interpretation of a coronavirus death in the new statistics, where the virus was the main cause and its presence was confirmed through testing, Russia’s task force still undercounted fatalities by a third during April, May and June — the only three months for which such data is available. The broader interpretation of coronavirus-related deaths would have sent Russia’s overall mortality rate at the end of June up from the 1.4% reported by the task force to 4.2%. Once again, in many regions, the discrepancy is significantly starker, and further complicates understanding the regional aspects of Russia’s coronavirus spread, which was already showing major discrepancies. Even the official mortality rates at the end of June ranged from 0.1% to 4.8% in Russia’s regions. But it is now clear that more than 20 were claiming Covid-19 was not the main cause of death in at least half their registered fatalities.
The Bryansk region, for instance, located on Russia’s border with Belarus and Ukraine, had reported 37 deaths where the coronavirus was the main cause by the end of June. It found another 270 where the virus was present, but was not the main factor — more than seven times as many. That accounting has helped Bryansk report a mortality rate of just 0.6%, when including all coronavirus-related deaths would have sent that to almost 5%. In fact, including all deaths would have more than tripled the headline mortality rates in 19 of the worst-affected regions.
Hidden outbreaks Still, there are plenty of areas across Russia that reported record-breaking fatalities in June not accounted for under any of the counting methodologies — raising questions about entire outbreaks that could have been hidden, undetected or misattributed. Naberezhnye Chelny, a city of 500,000 on the banks of the Kama River, in Tatarstan, is one example. In May, anecdotal reports began to emerge in local media of a wave of infections and city hospitals filling up. While the number of official cases in Tatarstan began to creep up, the virus’ penetration was still officially one of the lowest in the country. On a per capita basis, Tatarstan ranked 72nd of 85 in the number of cases and the republic of almost four million reported just nine coronavirus deaths during the entire month. As the situation in the city deteriorated, some tried to sound the alarm. Galimzyan Zaripov, a former head doctor at the city’s HIV/AIDS center and representative to the World Congress of Tatars, wrote an open letter highlighting the “dangerous situation.” He said there were almost 400 people being treated in hospital for pneumonia and other illnesses that resembled the coronavirus, but the city officially confirmed only a handful as Covid-19. "We know that the number of cases is thousands, and it is growing every day … official statistics do not show this, but hide it,” Zaripov wrote. In the case of Naberezhnye Chelny, a string of data published after Russia’s June 24 vote on constitutional change has seemingly vindicated Zaripov. Many commentators said the Kremlin played down bad news about the virus before the referendum to create a positive mood that would lead to a yes vote. The city saw more deaths in May 2020 than in any previous month since 2014 — the earliest The Moscow Times was able to obtain city-level data for.
In June, that record was broken again, with deaths climbing to 56% above average. And July saw a new record death count as fatalities came in 60% above normal — a sharper jump than seen in Moscow and St. Petersburg at the peak of their outbreaks. Moreover, subsequent antibody testing has also provided evidence of a massive underreported outbreak in the city. In mid-May nearly every antibody test was coming back negative, but by mid-July, they were found to be present in half of those tested, according to private sector data analyst Alexander Dragan. Tatarstan as a whole is one of the biggest outliers in Russia’s coronavirus statistics and has become the go-to example among statisticians of possible under counting on a drastic scale.
Deaths in June came in 800 above the average level — the highest single toll in any month, not just any June, since a spate of devastating wildfires killed tens of thousands across the country in 2010. Even under the most generous official accounting standards, only 2.6% of those were officially related to the coronavirus, and Tatarstan has reported the lowest per capita deaths from the virus than any except neighboring Bashkiria, and Russia’s two regions still to register an official fatality. Broken incentives Political analysts and statisticians told The Moscow Times underreporting of the pandemic on a regional level is a given considering the political architecture binding Moscow and the regions. “By default, regions do not report honestly to the federal center,” said Petrov. “Neither a governor nor the president are eager to get bad news, and so their subordinates try not to come to their bosses with bad news.” That’s partly because the Kremlin judges Russia’s regional governors — a large number of which are parachuted-in from outside the region — on their bureaucratic performance, he added. “The system doesn’t require them to be the best, it requires them to not be very different from the others, to be very fast in reacting to each and every order coming from the center, and to be seen to avoid public scandals.” Coming to Moscow to ask for help in a time of crisis is “considered a vulnerability and weakness,” said political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya. In the context of the coronavirus, the Kremlin demands governors perform a tricky balancing act — keeping cases low, hospitals within capacity, social unrest down and economic fallout minimal, she added. “If a governor has problems, if they have to close businesses or fail to manage somehow, the Kremlin won’t be happy.” Delays in certain statistics coming to light also play a role in Russia’s underreporting. Since the daily toll is the most important number, it matters less what the more detailed information on possible coronavirus deaths and overall all-causes fatality data, which is published around five weeks later, shows. And even then there is deniability, said Petrov. “First, there is no direct evidence that this additional mortality is totally caused by the epidemic. Second, when it comes to the surface months later, it doesn’t play the political role it would if it came earlier. That’s why they are not afraid of the discrepancies.” Such real-time underreporting could be hampering the ability of regions to respond to the crisis, however. “It wasn’t very rational to cheat in some cases, because federal assistance depended on the scale of the problem,” Petrov adds. In meetings with prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, governors were more likely to request extra help than in their phone conferences with Putin, “and Mishustin’s response was: ‘look at what your subordinates reported about the scale of the epidemic. They reported very low figures, that’s why you didn’t get as much money.’” Real-time understanding These flaws in the ability to track Russia’s pandemic in something closer to real-time have led to a gaggle of data scientists and mathematicians turning to internet search trends to build a better understanding of the regional pattern of the epidemic, spot hidden outbreaks and predict future flare-ups. “Search queries are one way to see the epidemic when it is hidden behind the fog of war, and the official numbers do not reflect reality,” Dragan, wrote in a summary of his methodology and findings into what can be gleaned from looking at Yandex searches in different cities and regions. By stripping out generic searches, such as “what are coronavirus symptoms?”, and focusing on ultra-specific questions, such as “temperature of 37.5 degrees celsius,” “loss of smell” or “infectious diseases hospital,” changes in search volume in a specific place can reveal the prevalence of the virus. “All the cities where there has been a high outbreak according to official statistics are also shown in search statistics,” said Boris Ovchinnikov, another data scientist. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Dagestan, for instance, all saw spikes in search trends at different times that corresponded with their own outbreaks. The technique can also be used to spot outbreaks otherwise hidden from official statistics. Naberezhnye Chelny, for instance, saw a spike in search traffic around the time of its probable spike in cases. “Every place we saw a peak in search queries ... we can see growth in the total death statistics for that specific region,” Ovchinnikov added, even if an outbreak does not show up in the official daily coronavirus numbers. Expecting the worst Analysts fear that once excess fatality beyond June is published, it could show thousands more fatalities unexplained by the country’s official coronavirus death toll. Many “regions will show higher death rates in July than in June. And I’m afraid that in August as well those statistics could be pretty bad,” Ovchinnikov said. The time lag in publishing the numbers, and the lag between a coronavirus infection being confirmed and a patient either fully recovering or succumbing to the disease means there is no data beyond the discredited daily tallies for a significant portion of Russia’s pandemic deaths. More than a third of Russia’s regions saw their infection rate peak after June 15 — the two-week cut-off date where a resulting death likely occurred in a month data has been published for. The snapshots of information — the tiny number of regions or cities who have independently published data on deaths in July — have raised concerns. Naberezhnye Chelny, for instance, is seen as a bellwether. It was one of the first cities in the area to see a spike in search queries for the infection — suggesting its outbreak was among the earliest — and deaths in July were even higher than in June.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-13--Thousands Form Human Chains in Belarus After Post-Vote Crackdown

Several thousand men and women , many wearing white and holding flowers and balloons , held hands and walked through the capital Minsk to protest against police brutality during four nights of unrest since Sunday 's vote .
Russia claimed the protests were being orchestrated from abroad to destabilise its ex-Soviet neighbour while European countries condemned police violence and backed fresh sanctions against Lukashenko .
Thousands of protesters formed human chains in Belarus on Thursday in a growing wave of peaceful demonstrations over President Alexander Lukashenko 's disputed re-election and an ensuing brutal police crackdown .
Women in Minsk have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained and beaten by the police .
pic.twitter.com/r0wS01othC The mood was more relaxed than on previous days as protesters strolled along a central street and lined main roads with drivers honking horns in support .
Supporters gave out free hot drinks and biscuits and police kept a low profile .
Similar human chains formed in half a dozen other cities , local media reported , while activists called for further protests at night .
Lukashenko 's opponents accuse him of rigging the election to defeat his main rival , popular opposition candidate Svetlana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country for neighbouring Lithuania .
People came out to contest the vote results and police used stun grenades , rubber bullets , tear gas , water cannon and , in at least one case , live fire to disperse the crowds .
At least two people have died and hundreds have been wounded in the violence while nearly 7,000 have been arrested .
On Thursday , demonstrators held placards reading `` Change ! ''
and `` No violence '' and wore white bracelets , one of the symbols of the opposition movement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the women of our country , are against violence , '' said Yekaterina , a 38-year-old hairdresser wearing a white sweater and jacket and holding a bunch of white flowers .
Maria , a 35-year-old sales assistant , said she came out in her lunch break .
`` We want people to be able to protest peacefully , after all they did n't want anything bad , just a fair count of the votes . ''
A religious procession of various Christian denominations also took place in Minsk while workers at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can we do to help ? '
Russia 's foreign ministry on Thursday denounced what it called `` clear attempts at outside interference '' aiming to destabilise its neighbour .
It said it was `` concerned '' at the `` violations of public order . ''
The leaders of neighbouring Poland and the Baltic states urged Lukashenko to `` terminate the use of force against your people immediately . ''
European Union foreign ministers are set to discuss possible new sanctions on Belarus at an extraordinary meeting on Friday .
`` What can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Twitter in response to a call to help Belarusians .
Prominent Belarusians including Nobel Prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich have condemned the violence and urged Lukashenko , who has ruled Belarus with an iron grip since 1994 , to step down .
The interior ministry said it arrested 700 people at protests on Wednesday , bringing the total number detained since Sunday to more than 6,700 .
After large-scale gatherings in Minsk and other cities on Sunday , the protests have become scattered and smaller as police cordoned off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Interior Ministry said Wednesday that police opened fire on a group of protesters armed with metal rods in the southwestern city of Brest , wounding one .
Officials also confirmed a second death in the unrest , after police said one protester died on Monday when an explosive device went off in his hand .

Several thousand men and women, many wearing white and holding flowers and balloons, held hands and walked through the capital Minsk to protest against police brutality during four nights of unrest since Sunday's vote.
Russia claimed the protests were being orchestrated from abroad to destabilize its ex-Soviet neighbor while European countries condemned police violence and backed fresh sanctions against Lukashenko.
Thousands of protesters formed human chains in Belarus on Thursday in a growing wave of peaceful demonstrations over President Alexander Lukashenko's disputed re-election and an ensuing brutal police crackdown.
Women in Minsk have formed human chains in solidarity with protesters detained and beaten by the police. pic.twitter.com/r0wS01othC
The mood was more relaxed than on previous days as protesters strolled along a central street and lined main roads with drivers honking horns in support.
Supporters gave out free hot drinks and biscuits and police kept a low profile.
Similar human chains formed in half a dozen other cities, local media reported, while activists called for further protests at night.
Lukashenko's opponents accuse him of rigging the election to defeat his main rival, popular opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has left the ex-Soviet country for neighbouring Lithuania.
People came out to contest the vote results and police used stun grenades, rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannon and, in at least one case, live fire to disperse the crowds.
At least two people have died and hundreds have been wounded in the violence while nearly 7,000 have been arrested.
'Change!'
On Thursday, demonstrators held placards reading "Change!" and "No violence" and wore white bracelets, one of the symbols of the opposition movement.
"We want to show that we, the women of our country, are against violence," said Yekaterina, a 38-year-old hairdresser wearing a white sweater and jacket and holding a bunch of white flowers.
Maria, a 35-year-old sales assistant, said she came out in her lunch break.
"We want people to be able to protest peacefully, after all they didn't want anything bad, just a fair count of the votes."
A religious procession of various Christian denominations also took place in Minsk while workers at a several factories reportedly held strikes.
'What can we do to help?'
Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday denounced what it called "clear attempts at outside interference" aiming to destabilize its neighbour.
It said it was "concerned" at the "violations of public order."
The leaders of neighboring Poland and the Baltic states urged Lukashenko to "terminate the use of force against your people immediately."
European Union foreign ministers are set to discuss possible new sanctions on Belarus at an extraordinary meeting on Friday.
"What can we do to help?" US entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Twitter in response to a call to help Belarusians.
Prominent Belarusians including Nobel Prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich have condemned the violence and urged Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron grip since 1994, to step down.
The interior ministry said it arrested 700 people at protests on Wednesday, bringing the total number detained since Sunday to more than 6,700.
After large-scale gatherings in Minsk and other cities on Sunday, the protests have become scattered and smaller as police cordoned off city centres and shut down public transport.
'Inhumane actions'
The Interior Ministry said Wednesday that police opened fire on a group of protesters armed with metal rods in the southwestern city of Brest, wounding one.
Officials also confirmed a second death in the unrest, after police said one protester died on Monday when an explosive device went off in his hand.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-13--Workers at Major Belarus Plants Strike in Growing Protest Against Police Violence

Workers at two major automotive plants and several other companies in Belarus went on strike in protest against police violence following the country ’ s disputed election , local media reported Thursday .
Thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets in the five days since election officials declared strongman Alexander Lukashenko winner in Sunday ’ s polls .
Authorities have detained around 7,000 protesters , using seemingly unprovoked violence in many of the eyewitness videos of detentions shared online .
Crowds of workers were filmed gathering at the state-owned Belarusian Automobile Plant ( BelAZ ) in the town of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state-run Minsk Automobile Plant ( MAZ ) and Minsk Tractor Works ( MTZ ) .
According to the independent news website tut.by , BelAZ employees called for a repeat of the disputed election and for the expulsion of riot police from Zhodino .
The workers were also angry that law enforcement officials have used BelAZ haulage vehicles to detain protesters , tut.by reported .
Zhodino ’ s mayor promised the workers that BelAZ vehicles and riot police would no longer patrol the town 's streets .
Viral videos filmed by workers meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands and cheering when polled about who voted for Lukashenko ’ s main challenger .
The challenger , Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , 37 , claimed victory and urged Lukashenko , 65 , to cede power before fleeing the country this week .
tut.by listed at least 10 other companies where workers gathered to condemn police violence or discuss further steps amid the unrest .

Workers at two major automotive plants and several other companies in Belarus went on strike in protest against police violence following the country’s disputed election, local media reported Thursday. Thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets in the five days since election officials declared strongman Alexander Lukashenko winner in Sunday’s polls. Authorities have detained around 7,000 protesters, using seemingly unprovoked violence in many of the eyewitness videos of detentions shared online.
Belarusians are not to be underestimated. Street protests smaller last night, faced with brutal response from sec forces. So here come the strikes.
This is giant, state-owned BELaz & its workers are shouting 'Go!' - to Lukashenko.
They know they can lose their jobs - at least. https://t.co/WPvnKA5cCv — Sarah Rainsford (@sarahrainsford) August 13, 2020
Crowds of workers were filmed gathering at the state-owned Belarusian Automobile Plant (BelAZ) in the town of Zhodino near Minsk, as well as the state-run Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) and Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ). According to the independent news website tut.by, BelAZ employees called for a repeat of the disputed election and for the expulsion of riot police from Zhodino. The workers were also angry that law enforcement officials have used BelAZ haulage vehicles to detain protesters, tut.by reported. Zhodino’s mayor promised the workers that BelAZ vehicles and riot police would no longer patrol the town's streets.
another state enterprise in Hrodna: "Who voted for #Tsikhanouskaya?" Everybody raises hands!!! pic.twitter.com/U9eQ1zrF23 — Olga Dryndova (@OlgaDryndova) August 13, 2020


themoscowtimes--2020-08-13--Belarus: Days of Post-Election Turmoil

Belarus: Days of Post-Election Turmoil

A crushing re-election victory for Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in disputed polls followed by anti-government protests , violent police repression and the opposition challenger taking refuge in Lithuania — here is a recap of several days of drama in the ex-Soviet country .
On Aug. 9 , 2020 , Lukashenko , 65 , who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994 , runs for a sixth term in presidential elections .
His main rival is the 37-year-old political novice Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , who decided to run for president after her blogger husband Sergei Tikhanovsky was jailed and barred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official exit poll declares Lukashenko the victor .
Tikhanovskaya rejects the results .
Anti-government protests break out that are violently repressed by police , leading to some 3,000 arrests and dozens of injuries .
The next day , the first official results give victory to Lukashenko with 80 % of votes , far ahead of Tikhanovskaya with 10 % .
Tikhanovskaya claims victory and calls on Lukashenko to step down .
Russia , China and Venezuela welcome Lukashenko 's re-election , but other countries and the European Union question the fairness of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For a second night , demonstrators clash with police in Minsk and other cities , leading to some 2,000 arrests .
One man dies when an explosive device goes off in his hand , police say , confirming the first fatality of the post-election protests .
On Aug. 11 a distressed-looking Tikhanovskaya says she has made a `` difficult decision '' to leave her country for Lithuania .
She indicates she is leaving Belarus to be with her two children , who had earlier been taken out of the country for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ releases a video showing Tikhanovskaya urging supporters not to protest , but her allies say it was recorded under pressure .
Fresh protests take place overnight , again harshly repressed .
About 1,000 people are arrested .
The interior ministry on Aug. 12 says police in the city of Brest used firearms against a group of protesters .
Several hundred women , many wearing white and holding flowers , join hands to form a human chain in central Minsk urging an end to police violence .
Officials confirm a second death in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died after he was detained on Aug. 9 for taking part in illegal protests and sentenced to 10 days in prison .
In an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty , Nobel Prize-winning Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich condemns the violence and urges Lukashenko to step down .
On Aug. 13 , after a fourth night of unrest , authorities say they have made 700 fresh arrests , bringing the total to more than 6,700 since the protests began .
European Union ministers are due to hold an extraordinary meeting on Aug. 14 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some in the bloc calling for the re-imposition of sanctions .

A crushing re-election victory for Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in disputed polls followed by anti-government protests seeking to oust him, here is a recap of a week of drama in the ex-Soviet country.
Vote sparks violence
On Aug. 9, 2020, Lukashenko, 65, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, runs for a sixth term in presidential elections.
His main rival is the 37-year-old political novice Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who decided to run for president after her blogger husband Sergei Tikhanovsky was jailed and barred from contesting.
That night, an official exit poll declares Lukashenko the victor. Tikhanovskaya rejects the results.
Anti-government protests break out that are violently repressed by police, leading to some 3,000 arrests and dozens of injuries.
First death
The next day, the first official results give victory to Lukashenko with 80% of votes, far ahead of Tikhanovskaya with 10%.
Tikhanovskaya claims victory and calls on Lukashenko to step down.
Russia, China and Venezuela welcome Lukashenko's re-election, but other countries and the European Union question the fairness of the vote and condemn the crackdown on protests.
For a second night, demonstrators clash with police in Minsk and other cities, leading to some 2,000 arrests.
One man dies when an explosive device goes off in his hand, police say, confirming the first fatality of the post-election protests.
Refuge in Lithuania
On Aug. 11 a distressed-looking Tikhanovskaya says she has made a "difficult decision" to leave her country for Lithuania.
In Minsk, state media releases a video showing Tikhanovskaya urging supporters not to protest, but her allies say it was recorded under pressure.
Second death
Fresh protests take place overnight, again harshly repressed. About 1,000 people are arrested.
The interior ministry on Aug. 12 says police in the city of Brest used firearms against a group of protesters.
Several hundred women, many wearing white and holding flowers, join hands to form a human chain in central Minsk urging an end to police violence.
Officials confirm a second death in the unrest. They say a 25-year-old man died after he was detained on Aug. 9 for taking part in illegal protests and sentenced to 10 days in prison.
On Aug. 13, after a fourth night of unrest, authorities say they have made 700 fresh arrests.
The human chain grows.
Russia accuses outside forces of attempting to destabilize Belarus.
Torture
Witness accounts of the torture of jailed protesters spread.
On the 14th, Tikhanovskaya calls for "peaceful" protests in all cities at the weekend.
Workers in several factories walk off the job.
Lukashenko accuses Poland, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Russian opposition figures of being behind the protests.
At a meeting in Brussels the European Union approves sanctions against those involved in the repression and electoral fraud.
Historic demo
On the 15th, Lukashenko says that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has promised to help maintain security.
On the 16th, tens of thousands of people gather in Minsk, in what is the biggest ever opposition rally in the history of the country.
Lukashenko rejects calls to organize a new election.
He tells workers at the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT) that he is ready to transfer powers under a new constitution within one or two years.
Later in the day, he adds that new presidential elections, one of the key opposition demands, will be held after Belarus adopts a new constitution.
The authorities announce the liberation of more than 2,000 of the 6,700 people arrested up to Aug. 13.
Tikhanovskaya says in a video from exile in Lithuania she is ready to take over the country's leadership. The opposition calls a strike.
Britain, among others, says it does not accept the results of the election and intends to sanction those responsible for the repression.
The European Union announces a summit for Wednesday.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-14--Belarus Sees Walkouts, Protest Calls After 'Bloody' Vote Crackdown

In a video address to supporters , Svetlana Tikhanovskaya accused Lukashenko 's regime of a `` bloody massacre '' in a crackdown on post-election protests , as people detained during the demonstrations began to emerge from jail with harrowing accounts of beatings and torture .
The main challenger in Belarus 's disputed presidential election called for mass weekend rallies and workers were walking off the job on Friday as defiance mounted against strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko .
Crowds of workers started to heed calls from the opposition to walk off the job .
AFP journalists saw hundreds of employees gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Automobile Plant ( MAZ ) and the Minsk Tractor Works ( MTZ ) .
Calls were growing for international action , with Germany throwing its weight behind a drive to level sanctions against Belarus ahead of a meeting Friday of European Union foreign ministers .
`` Belarusians will never want to live with the previous government again .
The majority do not believe in his victory , '' said Tikhanovskaya , who left the country for neighboring Lithuania on Tuesday .
`` I ask the mayors of all cities to organize peaceful mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 16 , '' she said .
Tikhanovskaya and her supporters dispute Lukashenko 's claim to have won Sunday 's election with 80 % of the vote and thousands have taken to the streets of the capital Minsk and other cities over the past six days .
Police have used rubber bullets , stun grenades and , in at least one case , live rounds to disperse the crowds , with hundreds injured .
Officials have confirmed two deaths in the unrest , including one man who died during a demonstration in Minsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being arrested in the southeastern city of Gomel .
At least 6,700 people have been arrested , but in a surprise move on Thursday officials announced they would start releasing detainees and the interior ministry said Friday more than 2,000 had so far been set free .
Detainees emerging from a detention center in Minsk told AFP they had been beaten and deprived of food , water , sleep and medical care .
`` They burned my hands with cigarettes , '' said Maxim Dovzhenko , 25 , who insisted he had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part in protests .
`` They hit me on the head , I am not feeling well , my head is spinning , '' he said before being taken to hospital .
Mikhail Chernenkov , a 43-year-old entrepreneur , said he was given electric shocks and beaten with sticks in a police station , showing AFP his bruised buttocks .
`` This is torture , '' he said , adding that like many others he was forced to sleep outside because cells were overcrowded .
He also said he did not take part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and relatives were waiting outside the detention center , where volunteers were handing out food and blankets .
In a statement , Amnesty International condemned `` a campaign of widespread torture and other ill-treatment by the Belarusian authorities who are intent on crushing peaceful protests by any means . ''
EU foreign ministers were set to meet in Brussels for talks on Belarus , with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying she was `` confident '' they would back sanctions .
German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Chancellor Angela Merkel had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and abuse of peaceful protesters .
`` In our view sanctions against those responsible for human rights violations will have to be discussed , '' he said .
Belarus 's Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said in a call with his Swiss counterpart that Minsk was ready for `` constructive and objective dialogue with foreign partners '' on the election and its aftermath .

The main challenger in Belarus's disputed presidential election called for mass weekend rallies and workers were walking off the job on Friday as defiance mounted against strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko. In a video address to supporters, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya accused Lukashenko's regime of a "bloody massacre" in a crackdown on post-election protests, as people detained during the demonstrations began to emerge from jail with harrowing accounts of beatings and torture.
Unbelievable scenes of the strike in Belarus, with workers from state-owned factories chanting "Resign!" in the streets of Minsk. The opposition didn't even think this was possible two days ago. via @svaboda pic.twitter.com/4RKKmTxD72 — max seddon (@maxseddon) August 14, 2020
Crowds of workers started to heed calls from the opposition to walk off the job. AFP journalists saw hundreds of employees gathered in uniforms and hardhats outside the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) and the Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ). Calls were growing for international action, with Germany throwing its weight behind a drive to level sanctions against Belarus ahead of a meeting Friday of European Union foreign ministers. "Belarusians will never want to live with the previous government again. The majority do not believe in his victory," said Tikhanovskaya, who left the country for neighboring Lithuania on Tuesday. "I ask the mayors of all cities to organize peaceful mass gatherings in every city on Aug. 15 and 16," she said. Tikhanovskaya and her supporters dispute Lukashenko's claim to have won Sunday's election with 80% of the vote and thousands have taken to the streets of the capital Minsk and other cities over the past six days. Police have used rubber bullets, stun grenades and, in at least one case, live rounds to disperse the crowds, with hundreds injured. 'Campaign of widespread torture' Officials have confirmed two deaths in the unrest, including one man who died during a demonstration in Minsk and another who died in custody after being arrested in the southeastern city of Gomel. At least 6,700 people have been arrested, but in a surprise move on Thursday officials announced they would start releasing detainees and the interior ministry said Friday more than 2,000 had so far been set free.
Detainees emerging from a detention center in Minsk told AFP they had been beaten and deprived of food, water, sleep and medical care. "They burned my hands with cigarettes," said Maxim Dovzhenko, 25, who insisted he had been detained even though he was not taking part in protests. "They hit me on the head, I am not feeling well, my head is spinning," he said before being taken to hospital. Mikhail Chernenkov, a 43-year-old entrepreneur, said he was given electric shocks and beaten with sticks in a police station, showing AFP his bruised buttocks. "This is torture," he said, adding that like many others he was forced to sleep outside because cells were overcrowded. He also said he did not take part in the protests. Hundreds of friends and relatives were waiting outside the detention center, where volunteers were handing out food and blankets. In a statement, Amnesty International condemned "a campaign of widespread torture and other ill-treatment by the Belarusian authorities who are intent on crushing peaceful protests by any means." Germany backs EU sanctions EU foreign ministers were set to meet in Brussels for talks on Belarus, with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying she was "confident" they would back sanctions. German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Chancellor Angela Merkel had been "shocked" by the detention and abuse of peaceful protesters. "In our view sanctions against those responsible for human rights violations will have to be discussed," he said. Belarus's Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said in a call with his Swiss counterpart that Minsk was ready for "constructive and objective dialogue with foreign partners" on the election and its aftermath.