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Explosions Hit Ammunition Depot in Crimea; Iran Nuclear Deal; Energy Crunch; 2020 U.S. Election Investigation; U.S. Midterm Primaries; William Ruto Wins Kenyan Presidential Election. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 16, 2022 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Iran responds to an E.U. proposal to revive the nuclear deal.
But can Washington and Tehran reach an agreement?
And explosions rocked Russian annexed Crimea for the second time in a week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These days, Cheney is hard to find. Outside of friendly audiences, at house
parties, which aides attribute to rising threats of violence.
ANDERSON (voice-over): It is primary day in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Republican Trump critic Liz Cheney faces an uphill battle to keep her
congressional seat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ANDERSON: I am Becky Anderson. Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I am in London for you.
Nuclear weapons, oil and war, connecting us today by what is described as the final attempt to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Let me explain.
The European Union is now studying Iran's response to E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's draft on the accord. He calls it a final text.
The United States, who withdrew from the deal in 2018 under then president Donald Trump, set to give its own response. Iran's state news agency
reports that differences remain on three issues. But the U.S. has expressed verbal flexibility on two of them, all resulting in a tense waiting game to
see if the deal can be revived.
Fred Pleitgen tracking the developments today.
We know that Iran is looking for guarantees. If a future U.S. administration withdraws from the deal, the U.S. will, quote, "have to pay
a price." This is one of the three issues outstanding at present but seemingly the most important.
What's kind of compensation are we talking about here for Iran if the U.S. were to withdraw again?
What do we know?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi. Yes, compensation and paying a price. The Iranians have not gone into very much
detail.
One of the things that we understand, one of the things that we know, is when the United States, when the Trump administration pulled out of the
Iran nuclear agreement, the Iranians essentially felt burned by the U.S.
On the one hand, they were losing investments from foreign companies that went into Iran after the JCPOA was put in place. On the other hand they had
already destroyed large parts of their nuclear agreement. They felt like they were losing on two fronts.
That seems to be what a lot of this is aiming at from the Iranian side. They would like, if the United States exits the deal once again, they say
that they understand that they could not prevent the U.S. from doing that again, they would want a longer winding-down period.
They would also want some protection for companies that have gone into Iran, something that didn't happen when the Trump administration pulled
out. Companies wanted to get out as fast as possible and then that maximum sanctions campaign, maximum pressure campaign on the part of the United
States.
Of course, as an answer to that, the Iranians started their maximum enrichment campaign. One of the things they say they want to do now, they
say that they want to take some of their new centrifuges online but not necessarily dismantle or destroy them.
So if the United States get out of a deal again, they could essentially plug right back in and start their maximum enrichment again. They say that
is also a protection for them in case the United States would leave the deal again.
There is very little in the way of details. But it seems like the Iranians simply want to make it more difficult for the United States to exit a deal
and get some guarantees for their side.
ANDERSON: This has been described as the final draft as far as the E.U. is concerned, the 5+1, the European Union involved in these high-stakes
discussions. They're in indirect talks between the U.S. and Tehran at present.
[10:05:00]
ANDERSON: Should this not work, what is plan B as far as Washington is concerned?
Is it clear?
PLEITGEN: Well, the U.S. has always says that it has a plan B. Certainly that would appear to be going further down the maximum sanctions route. We
have seen that from the United States in the past.
We know that the Iranians have said, look, these are the changes they would want to have happen if the U.S. can't agree to this. There will be more
talks if it falls apart. They have had a plan B as well.
In Tehran, they obviously want this agreement to go through. But if it doesn't, they would have a plan B as well.. That is something that we heard
from the Raisi administration, from the Iranian foreign ministry. They say they know it will be tough for them.
But they want this deal. But there are certain red lines for them as well. So it is going to be interesting to see. But one thing I think that we do
need to point out, there is a lot more optimism in the air that we are seeing from the Iranians than I have seen in a long time.
ANDERSON: You make a very good point. To that point, the country's chief advisor to these negotiations tweeted that an agreement was closer than
ever but not yet done, a positive comment.
All right. Thank you for the time being.
In the next hour of CONNECT THE WORLD, we will hear from two very important sides of this conversation. I will talk to Russia's top international
diplomat in Vienna. Remember Russia is incredibly important here. It is a member of the P5 Security Council.
And we will get the view from inside Iran with an expert on Iranian politics. Oil traders closely watching these potential deal talks between
Tehran and the West. An agreement could pave the way for Iranian oil exports to come back to the market.
Now the price of U.S. crude is back to levels not seen since before Russia's invasion of Ukraine and recession fears are still looming that
could affect the demand for crude because the world's largest importer of oil, China, is showing signs of a slowing economy.
CNN's Anna Stewart keeping tabs on oil over the past six months or so. More than that but particularly over the past six months. She is with me now.
We have seen a significant fall in the price of oil.
Why?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's fascinating; $120 in June, over $130 in March. That was post invasion of Ukraine, Russian sanctions, a squeeze
on gas in Europe. At the same time, it is a perfect storm.
Lots of economies around the world are exiting pandemic lockdowns. So it is a supply and demand story. We are still seeing huge record profits from
Saudi Aramco, from BP, from Chevron, ExxonMobil. They might have hit peak profit. Look at where those oil prices are going.
This is largely fears of a global recession. Major economies particularly concerned about China. But that is short term. I thought it was really
interesting. The Saudi Aramco CEO is saying that the company does expect oil demand to grow for the rest of the decade.
That is despite the recessionary outlook now and the fact that companies and countries are all backing away, reversing from dirty energy, looking
for a cleaner transition. But they still see huge demand going forward.
ANDERSON: You could argue that he would say that in an earnings report.
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ANDERSON: -- but I do think it is important that it was a line in that report. Certainly from sources I speak to regularly, the Gulf is still
bullish on demand for oil going forward. But there's not much of an incentive for OPEC to increase output at present.
That's because we are looking at this reduction in demand. To the point we have just been making, if we get these Iranian talks signed, sealed and
delivered -- and that is still a big if -- there will be an increase in supply from the Iranians.
STEWART: And after months of negotiations and pressure, particularly from the United States for OPEC to produce more, bring those prices down, they
offered a slight increase in June.
And look at where we are at now. OPEC is speaking early this month. They actually think the market could tip into surplus this quarter. You have the
recession, the issues of demand in the next couple of quarters.
What if Iran comes back to the market?
What if the war in Ukraine ends?
What if Russian oil is no longer shunned?
That's where you have to look at the longer term outlook here.
ANDERSON: It's fascinating; in defense of members of OPEC+, this has been the narrative. You cannot push us into a corner when we have to look at the
market fundamentals and look forward.
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ANDERSON: Thank you, as ever.
Anna Stewart is in the house.
One issue impacting global oil markets as we have been discussing, is not going away anytime soon at least. It is Russia's war in the Ukraine.
Russian troops made incremental gains in the east while Ukrainian forces push back.
But the Russian military does continue to take its own hits. For the second week in a row, there has been a major explosion on the Russian-occupied
Crimean Peninsula. Once again, Russian military assets appear to be the target. This time, it was an ammunition depot. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Russian officials are claiming sabotage. Ukraine not taking direct responsibility but hinting that it was indeed an attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
David McKenzie is in Ukraine this hour.
Just what do we know at this point?
Certainly we have not had a clear indication, an admission of accountability from the Ukrainians.
But what do they say?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are saying very little about these very dramatic explosions, in the early hours, deep inside Russian-
controlled territory.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCKENZIE (voice-over): Explosions peppering the horizon in Russian occupied Crimea. Just a few miles away, commuters reacting in shock,
filming the blasts with their mobile phones.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
MCKENZIE (voice-over): "Even the bus is moving," they say.
Six kilometers away, the bus is shaking. The blast at an ammunition depot in northern Crimea caused damage to power lines, the power plant, railway
tracks and residential buildings, branded sabotage by Russia's military. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the incident.
But a Ukrainian presidential advisor called it "demilitarization in action."
It is the second major security incident in Crimea in just one week. Last Tuesday, massive explosions at a Russian airbase on Crimea's west coast was
closed to beachgoing tourists, a major psychological blow.
The Russian defense ministry blame that on accidental detonation of ammunition. On the southern battlefield, inspectors from the atomic energy
agency still unable to get into the massive Zaporizhzhya power plant to ensure its safety.
Russian officials are blaming the U.N. for the delay. The U.N. denies that. They say they are ready to provide security and logistics. Russia and
Ukraine blame each other for the dangerous strikes near the plant, which has continued to operate.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday calling on the world to introduce tough sanctions as the response to Russia's, quote, "nuclear blackmail."
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The provocative shelling of the territory of the plant continues. Under cover
of the plant, the invaders are shelling nearby towns and communities. The Russian military hides munitions and equipment at the facilities of the
plant.
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MCKENZIE: But despite those dangers, no signs yet of inspectors being able to negotiate their way into that facility. It is obviously a very dangerous
front line. And on those Crimea blasts, they are dramatic. Whether or not they are militarily significant, that is another question.
That is unclear at this point if this is Ukraine, showing that they are able to strike those supply lines and military assets deep in Russian
territory. But over the last 48 to 72 hours, there has been very intense battles on the eastern front of this campaign.
That is in the Donbas, where even the Ukrainian military admits that the Russian forces have inched ahead in their aims. They are fighting tooth and
nail. But that's part of the campaign in the east that has been grinding on for months now. And it is a very key front to watch -- Becky.
ANDERSON: David McKenzie is on the ground in Kyiv.
David, thank you.
What were the actual reasons that the FBI raided Donald Trump's home?
The U.S. government is not ready to tell you. And they are keeping the reasons under wraps. The details are just ahead.
And we are all look at the political price for Republicans who oppose Donald Trump. One of his biggest critics finds out what voters think. That
comes after this.
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ANDERSON: The U.S. Justice Department is pleading with a judge to keep the reasons for raiding Donald Trump's Florida home under wraps. The department
says that releasing the probable cause document would not only endanger this investigation but future probes as well.
Investigators want to know why the former president had boxes of classified documents after searching his Mar-a-lago estate last week.
Meanwhile, his former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, is due in the state of Georgia for grand jury testimony about his efforts to flip the 2020 election
results in Georgia. He has learned that he is officially a target in that investigation.
CNN's crime and justice reporter Katelyn Polantz has been looking into this case for some time. She joins us now from Washington.
What have you found?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Becky, we are looking at a lot of different investigations here. Rudy Giuliani is in
Georgia, the federal investigations into January 6th, those are separate from this investigation that created this need for a search and seizure at
the former president's home in Florida at Mar-a-lago.
We are learning little by little about what that investigation is. It is about classified documents. In particular, the Justice Department in a
court filing yesterday said that the investigation implicates highly classified materials. That is their words.
So in this court filing, it is a court filing that they put in before a judge in Florida. They said that they want to keep secret more details
about the investigation.
A few other things they let on, they're using live witnesses in this investigation. They hope to bring in additional witnesses in the future.
They don't want to chill any testimony they could get from them.
They are also using a federal grand jury to conduct this criminal probe. Overall, the Justice Department argues, these words, if disclosed, this
affidavit of the search warrant in Florida, would serve as a roadmap to the ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and
likely course in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps.
This is what we are learning about that investigation. And we do know, just from a few minutes ago, the judge has set a hearing for Thursday in Florida
to talk about whether more information can be released about this search and what was behind it at Mar-a-lago.
ANDERSON: That is Donald Trump in the crosshairs, figuratively speaking.
What about what we know about the investigation and the issue with regard to Rudy Giuliani, his former lawyer?
POLANTZ: Right. Our understanding in Georgia is that Rudy Giuliani has been mandated by a judge to get down there and testify before this grand
jury. It is a state grand jury, conducting a probe related to January 6th.
It is about what the president and his advisers were doing after the election to try and overturn his loss in that state and then across the
country. Rudy Giuliani is one of the witnesses there.
[10:20:00]
POLANTZ: Indeed not only is he a witness, he did learn from the Justice Department that he is a target. When we look at that, he now becomes the
closest person to Donald Trump, advising him after the election, to receive word that he is a target of this investigation.
He could potentially face charges on his own. When he shows up to testify, we don't know if he will want to assert his Fifth Amendment privileges. His
lawyer has also indicated that he may want to claim attorney-client privilege and decline to answer questions. We will see how that goes.
ANDERSON: Very busy times. Thank you so much, live in Washington, D.C.
While the U.S. is still simmering over the FBI raid on Mar-a-lago, one of Donald Trump's fiercest critics faces a major challenge at the ballot box.
Republican Liz Cheney is expected to be defeated in her congressional primary by a candidate backed by Trump.
You remember that Liz Cheney broke from most Republicans when she voted to impeach Donald Trump after the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. She
is also the vice chair of the January 6th committee investigating the former president's conduct.
Polls show that Republican voters in her home state of Wyoming want to kick her out of Congress for that. Let's bring in CNN's chief U.S. national
affairs correspondent, Jeff Zeleny. He is in the U.S. state of Wyoming.
How big a deal is this?
Is this the primary issue as voters go to the polls?
ZELENY: Becky, there is no doubt that Liz Cheney is in the fight of her political life. She is not necessarily expecting to win here in Wyoming.
But she is casting this race as much more than her congressional seat. She believes that the future of democracy, the rule of law depends on speaking
out. She has been doing that, to her detriment, politically speaking, in Wyoming.
Voters in her hometown of Wilson, Wyoming, have been voting for the last couple of hours.
What is the future of this storied political family?
Will it end today in Wyoming?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): We have to set aside partisan differences and understand that there's something much bigger at stake here.
ZELENY (voice-over): On the eve of the Wyoming primary, Liz Cheney is in an uphill fight to hold her congressional seat, even as she begins eyeing
the next steps in a bigger battle ahead.
CHENEY: Many people will come up to me and say I never voted for you before but I'm going to do it this time. And I say great and let's keep
that going.
ZELENY (voice-over): A Republican from one of the state's most storied political families, Cheney has become a pariah in her own party and she's
turning to Democrats and independents for last minute lifeline.
ANNETTE LANGLEY, WYOMING VOTER: I never thought I'd vote for Cheney but she has earned my respect.
ZELENY (voice-over): Annette Langley says she is a proud Democrat but she stood in line for nearly an hour today to change parties and vote
Republican.
LANGLEY: She might not win but she needs as much support as possible for doing what she's doing.
ZELENY (voice-over): The odds are long, considering how former President Donald Trump's shadow looms large in Wyoming where the state's rolling
summer beauty has been punctuated by a scorching political campaign between Cheney and Harriet Hageman.
HARRIET HAGEMAN (R-WY), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: We're fed up with Liz Cheney.
ZELENY (voice-over): If the crossover vote doesn't save Cheney, her admirers hope it could help avoid an embarrassing blowout, the Trump would
revel in.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: Liz, you're fired. Get out of here.
ZELENY (voice-over): Mike Sullivan is a former Democratic governor of Wyoming who served three decades ago.
MIKE SULLIVAN (D-WY), FORMER GOVERNOR: Wyoming, always a trailblazer.
ZELENY (voice-over): He planted a Cheney sign in his front yard to send a message for democracy and the rule of law.
SULLIVAN: Without regard to her politics, she has reflected herself as a leader. I think history will prove and she -- her the legacy that she
leaves will be a very impressive and important one.
ZELENY (voice-over): Joe McGinley, a former GOP County Chairman in Casper said he believes some Republicans are afraid to admit their support for
Cheney, fearing the wrath from Trump and his loyalists.
JOE MCGINLEY, CHENEY SUPPORTER: There's a lot of people out there that are supporting Representative Cheney that are just afraid to speak up
unfortunately.
ZELENY (voice-over): The outcome of Tuesday's primary will make clear whether such a hidden Cheney vote exists or if Republicans reward her for
not changing her positions in the face of a brutal campaign.
CHENEY: I will never violate my oath of office. And if you're looking for somebody who will then you need to vote for somebody else on this stage,
because I won't.
ZELENY (voice-over): These days, Cheney is hard to find outside of friendly audiences at house parties, which aides attribute to rising
threats of violence.
[10:25:00]
ZELENY (voice-over): She told CNN last month she was well aware of the headwinds facing her.
CHENEY: I don't intend to lose. But some things are more important than any individual office or political campaign.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY: Those words right there, she says that some things are more important than any individual political campaign. You can sense in that
that she knows what the outcome in Wyoming may be tonight.
Regardless, if she falls short, she still remains the vice chair of the January 6 commission, the committee that is investigating the attack on the
Capitol. Their work continues with hearings beginning again in September. She would hold her congressional seat until early January.
Then the question, what is her next chapter?
She does intend, she says, to try and hold Trump from ever winning the Oval Office again. We will see what form that might take.
Is there a market for that in the U.S. Republican Party?
That is the big question here.
ANDERSON: Her fate as yet undecided. Should she lose, she will join a longish list of Republicans who don't support Donald Trump, who have lost
their seats.
What does this say about the wider story in the electability of Donald Trump going forward, should he decide to stand as a presidential contender
in 2024?
ZELENY: It certainly shows that he still has a firm grip on the Republican Party in the United States. There is no question about it.
Look at the string of primary elections here throughout the summer. The Trump candidates, many of them election deniers, they have won their
primaries. So he does still have a hold on the party.
The question, is that going to keep others from challenging him?
It does not appear so. But it is really too early to know his true strength. There are so many investigations going on, with the FBI, with the
January 6 committee. So his true strength is not quite known.
And he has never had a direct one-on-one challenge. He is certainly popular when he runs against the big field of candidates.
The question is, if someone steps forward to challenge him directly, how does he hold up to that?
But there is no doubt that he domains in firm control of this Republican Party. And Liz Cheney is certainly feeling that here today. Back to you.
ANDERSON: Always a pleasure, sir. Thank you very much for joining us.
Political violence erupts in a country already saddled by devastating drought as Kenya's next president is announced. Supporters of his opponent
take to the streets in protest. And the losing candidate now says that he is ready to fight it out in the courts.
We will also meet two female Afghan judges 12 months after the Taliban takeover. What it means when your law degree and your profession are
reduced to nothing because of your gender. We are back after this.
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[10:30:00]
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ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in London. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD.
Kenya's losing presidential candidate says he will use all constitutional and legal options possible to challenge the outcome of the election.
Speaking earlier today, Raila Odinga formally rejected Monday's announcement by the election commission chairman that his opponent, William
Ruto, beat him by a narrow margin, calling it a travesty.
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RAILA ODINGA, FORMER KENYAN PRESIDENT: In our view, there is neither a legally and (INAUDIBLE) clear winner nor a president-elect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The result sparking protests by Odinga's supporters, some burning tires, as you can see here, in the streets. Authorities had to be
called in to break up fist fights and scuffles at the national tallying center in Nairobi.
Larry Madowo following developments.
This is Odinga country. You and I spoke at this time yesterday, when those results were beginning to trickle out, the atmosphere pretty ugly at one
point.
What's the mood at this stage?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have driven around the city today, Becky, and the mood is subdued, almost as if Odinga supporters here are
resigned to their fate.
This will be the fourth time that Odinga is contesting the outcome of an election and the third time in a row that it's likely going to end up in
court to try to challenge the winner of that election, which is incredible but also familiar territory for him.
He feels that, every time he's run for elections in Kenya, apart from `97, it's been stolen from him. That's why he says he'll pursue every legal and
constitutional avenue available to him to contest that.
That's why he refuses to recognize that William Ruto was elected president of the country according to the figures from the electoral commission.
We were talking yesterday when all this drama was going down. There was a lot of confusion, pandemonium, some fisticuffs at the national tallying
center. So I tried to put it all back together for our viewers to understand.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO (voice-over): Angry scenes inside Kenya's vote tallying center, soldiers forced use batons to bring fighting under control.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- hereby declares that Ruto, William Samoei, has been duly elected as the president.
MADOWO (voice-over): Moments later, deputy president William Ruto was declared the country's next leader, succeeding term limited (INAUDIBLE). A
nervous six-day wait for Kenya's election winner finally over. But a narrow lead contested by candidate Raila Odinga's coalition before it was even
announced.
SAITABAO KANCHORY, ODINGA COALITION: Once we see them, we would want to verify them. Once we verify them, we will be able to know and to tell the
Kenyan people because a result that is not verifiable is not a result.
MADOWO (voice-over): Four election commissioners also disowned the anticipated results moments before the chaos descended at the national
tallying center. Kenyans went to the polls at a critical time for East Africa's largest economy.
MADOWO: Soaring food and fuel prices, high unemployment and post-pandemic stagnation, it was a bitter battle between the friends and foes and friends
and foes again, ending in this, Odinga supporters violently rejecting Ruto's win.
MADOWO (voice-over): Both campaigns accuse the other of corruption but Ruto now promising to work with his rival.
WILLIAM RUTO, PRESIDENT OF KENYA: I would run a transparent, open, democratic government.
And I will work with the opposition to the extent that they provide oversight over my administration.
MADOWO (voice-over): Cheers and jubilation in his hometown but a fierce contest of the results could come next.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO: If Raila Odinga will contest the outcome of that election, he's got seven days to do so, to file a petition at the supreme court of Kenya.
The supreme court will have to hear and determine it in two weeks.
The last time he did so in 2017, the supreme court agreed with him and annulled the election, which is the first time in Africa. So it's hoping
that he's got a similar lack (ph).
However, Becky, he's got a really high bar to clear because Raila Odinga's coalition claims that the electoral commission's vote server was hacked or
there was some illegality that happened there. So he's got to convince the judges that that happened to the extent that it would invalidate the entire
election.
[10:35:00]
MADOWO: And therefore, throw out the winner, William Ruto.
ANDERSON: Larry Madowo on the ground for you in Kenya, always a pleasure, sir, thank you.
One year ago, as the Taliban stormed Kabul into control of Afghanistan, the country's female judges were thrown out of their jobs. CNN correspondent
Salma Abdelaziz spoke to two of those judges about their experiences 12 months after the Taliban changed their lives. This is her report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chaos at Kabul's airport as the Taliban grabbed power. One of the first acts after last year's
takeover, erasing women from public life.
Fawzia Amini is one of those women.
FAWZIA AMINI, FORMER AFGHANISTAN JUDGE: That's a big problem for all of women judges. And that's the very darkest day in our lives.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): She is now safe, living in London but her colleague and friend, Samira -- not her real name -- remains trapped in
Afghanistan.
For security, we are not revealing her identity.
"SAMIRA," FORMER AFGHANISTAN JUDGE (through translator): It was a black day for me I couldn't believe that one day I would be banned from my job.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): These two women were once among the trailblazers of Afghanistan, female Judges that sat on a Court for the elimination of
violence against women. It presided over cases of femicide, sexual assault and early marriage among others.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): It was dangerous work.
In January of 2021, two female supreme court Judges were shot dead by unidentified gunmen.
After the Taliban seized power in August of last year, the Women's Court was shut down. The Judges fired and they tell us their bank accounts
frozen.
The women say they felt afraid and wanted to seek asylum.
AMINI: We are worried about our -- everything -- our situation, our lives, for our security, especially, it was very hard time.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Leading British lawmaker, Baroness Helena Kennedy says her phone was inundated with messages from dozens of desperate Judges.
BARONESS HELENA KENNEDY, MEMBER, HOUSE OF LORDS: It started with receiving these really terrified missives from people, saying, "Please, please help
me."
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Determined to help, Kennedy and her colleagues raised money privately for evacuations, eventually getting 103 women, most
of them judges and their families, out of the country.
But the journey to safety was terrifying. Amini and her family boarded a bus from Kabul to Mazar-i-Sharif, a 12-hour drive, with headlights switched
off.
ABDELAZIZ: Were you scared?
AMINI: Yes. It was very hard for me and my family.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Hidden in her clothes was Amini's greatest treasure, her education.
AMINI: So we had four or five degrees. It's very important for -- it was very important for us. We put on my back in my dresses.
ABDELAZIZ: So you hid your degrees?
AMINI: Yes.
ABDELAZIZ: What?
Did you sew them in the back?
AMINI: Yes.
ABDELAZIZ: You sewed your degrees in the back of your dress?
AMINI: Yes, in my dress, yes.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Amini eventually made it to the U.K. But "Samira" and her family are among roughly 80 other female Judges still in
Afghanistan, some living in hiding.
"SAMIRA" (through translator): My life now, I live like a prisoner. Please help us and don't forget us.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): And with the Women's Court now shuttered, Amini fears for those she once protected.
ABDELAZIZ: Who will defend women now?
AMINI: Not --
ABDELAZIZ: There is no one.
AMINI: No.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Little hope left for the women and girls of Afghanistan -- Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
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ANDERSON: Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.
Ukraine says a vessel carrying more than 23,000 metric tons of wheat has left the country and it's en route for Africa. The shipment will be
delivered to Ethiopia as part of the World Food Programme's response to the drought there. It's expected to arrive in two weeks.
Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi will spend an additional six years in prison on corruption charges, according to state media. That's in
addition to her previous 11-year sentence for other charges. Among the accusations, using charity funds to build herself a new house.
The U.S. government is speeding up the rollout of monkeypox vaccines. It is making almost half a million vaccines available starting next week. Health
officials say they are prioritizing getting vaccines to populations that are most at risk of spreading the virus.
Ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, Serena Williams set to retire after the upcoming U.S. Open. Before that though, she's got a match to play against
last year's U.S. Open champion. And her opponent is talking about that next in "WORLD SPORT."
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