rferl--2020-10-09--Armenian, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Due In Moscow For Nagorno-Karabakh Talks

The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan are set to hold their first high-level talks after nearly two weeks of clashes over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region , boosting hopes that a cease-fire could be brokered in Moscow .
The meeting follows an invitation from President Vladimir Putin , with the Russian leader calling for a halt to military action in Nagorno-Karabakh .
France , which along with Russia and the United States is part of a group mediating the two countries ' long-simmering conflict , said there was a chance of a breakthrough but that it was far from certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and intense work with his counterparts from Baku and Yerevan , '' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said .
`` Both sides responded .
The foreign ministers ( Zohrab Mnatsakanian of Armenia and Jeyhun Bayramov of Azerbaijan ) are on their way to Moscow , and today they will begin their work with Russian Foreign Minister [ Sergei ] Lavrov .
We expect this meeting to begin at 15:00 Moscow time , '' Peskov said .
Peskov added that Putin does not intend to meet with the two foreign ministers .
`` Work precisely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned now , '' Peskov told journalists .
Putin has called for a pause in hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone in order for the two sides to exchange prisoners and the bodies of people killed .
Putin raised the possibility of a pause in the fighting after a series of telephone conversations with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian , the Kremlin ’ s press service said in a statement on October 8 .
The French presidency said on October 9 that Armenia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to end the fighting , with a deal expected late in the day or on October 10 .
`` We are moving towards a truce tonight or tomorrow , but it 's still fragile , '' President Emmanuel Macron 's office said in a statement to AFP .
U.S. , Russian , and French officials have been holding talks in Geneva to try to halt the fighting and avert a wider war in the South Caucasus .
The three powers are co-chairs of the OSCE 's Minsk Group that has been mediating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bayramov had been due to attend the session on October 8 , but no information was available about the results of his meeting , according to Reuters , which said no direct talks have been scheduled between Armenia and Azerbaijan .
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was also part of the diplomat effort on October 8 .
He spoke by telephone with his Azerbaijani counterpart , Prime Minister Ali Asadov , to underscore the importance of stabilizing the situation and restarting negotiations seeking a political and diplomatic settlement , according to TASS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army of the unrecognized separatist region said on October 9 that intense fighting is in progress in the southern sector of the Nagorno-Karabakh .
On October 8 , Armenia accused Azerbaijan of shelling a historic cathedral in territory controlled by ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh .
Residents of the town of Shushi ( known as Susa in Azeri ) said that the Holy Savior Cathedral sustained exterior and interior damage after being hit twice within several hours .
An RFE/RL correspondent reported that women and children were inside the cathedral at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was injured .
Three Russian journalists were reportedly wounded in the second attack .
One of them was said to be hospitalized in critical condition .
Also known as the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral , the 19th-century building is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church .
It is perched on a strategic cliff top in Shushi just a few kilometers south of Stepanakert -- Nagorno-Karabakh ’ s largest city .
Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry denied attacking the cathedral , saying its army `` does n't target historical , cultural , especially religious buildings and monuments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces had attacked several Azerbaijani towns and villages the night before , causing casualties .
The fighting marks the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict since a shaky cease-fire was reached in 1994 .
Yerevan and Baku accuse each other of expanding the hostilities beyond Nagorno-Karabakh and of targeting civilians .
Nagorno-Karabakh 's military says 350 of its soldiers have been killed since September 27 .
Azerbaijan , which is backed by Turkey , has n't provided details about its military losses .
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yerevan-backed ethnic Armenian forces since the 1994 cease-fire brought an end to the separatist war that broke out during the late 1980s .
With reporting by Reuters and TASS


rferl--2020-10-10--Russia Says Azerbaijan, Armenia Agree On Cease-Fire In Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on October 10 that Azerbaijan and Armenia have agree to a cease-fire from noon on October 10 and “ substantive ” peace talks aimed at ending the latest bout of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh .
The announcement came early on October 10 after 12 hours of talks in Moscow between the Russian foreign minister and the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan .
Lavrov said the cease-fire would allow for the exchange of prisoners and the bodies of people who have been killed in clashes over the last two weeks in and around Nagorno-Karabakh .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be an intermediary in the talks , he said .
The sides said the talks would be “ substantive negotiations with the aim of reaching a peaceful settlement as soon as possible.
” As the foreign ministers began their session on October 9 , Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said he was giving Armenia a `` last chance '' to resolve the conflict peacefully .
“ The conflict is now being settled by military means and political means will come next , ” he warned , saying nearly three decades of international talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress , we have n't been given back an inch of the occupied lands.
” Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan .
But it has been under the control of Yerevan-backed ethnic Armenian forces since a 1994 cease-fire brought an end to the separatist war that broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed .
Since then , Nagorno-Karabakh has been populated and governed by ethnic Armenians , leaving hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from the region as internally displaced war refugees for more than a quarter century .
Zaur Shiriyev , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crisis Group , says there is a “ very visible lack of support ” from the Azerbaijani population for going back to peace talks in the hope of returning the internally displaced people to their homes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh .
Shiriyev says Azerbaijanis “ demand ” from Aliyev “ not to return to ‘ fruitless ’ talks , but to continue the war , which finally promises real results.
” “ Therefore , the international calls for ceasefire are broadly seen as an attempt to disrupt Baku ’ s success and do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Shiriyev says .
The hostilities -- the largest escalation of the decades-old conflict since a shaky cease-fire was reached in 1994 -- have increased concern that a wider conflict could drag in regional power Turkey , which is Azerbaijan 's closest ally , and Russia , which has a defense pact with Armenia .
The defense forces of Nagorno-Karabakh 's de facto government said on October 9 there was intense fighting to the south of Stepanakert , the region ’ s largest city .
The previous day , Armenia accused Azerbaijan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strategic clifftop in Shushi ( known as Susa in Azeri ) , just a few kilometers south of Stepanakert .
Residents of the town said the Holy Savior Cathedral sustained exterior and interior damage after being hit twice within several hours .
Also known as the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral , the 19th century building is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church .
Russia 's Health Ministry said two Russians wounded in shelling were airlifted to Moscow on October 9 and were in satisfactory condition .
With reporting by Reuters , TASS , AFP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and RFE/RL ’ s Azerbaijani and Armenian Services

Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed to a cease-fire aimed at ending the worst fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh in years.
The deal was in danger of collapsing within hours of coming into effect amid reports of ongoing artillery and drone strikes.
But Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisian told reporters in the evening that the truce in the conflict zone, for the most part, had held.
"The truce mainly holds despite Azerbaijani military provocations in some areas," Hovhannisian said late on October 10. "All provocations were given a commensurate response."
The two sides agreed to the cease-fire early on October 10 after talks in Moscow brokered by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The cease-fire was supposed to come into effect at 12 noon local time. In addition to a cessation of hostilities, it also calls for the International Committee of the Red Cross to take part in the exchange of prisoners and other aspects of the cease-fire.
The agreement also calls for the return of the bodies of those killed in and around Nagorno-Karabakh since the latest fighting broke out on September 27. Hundreds of soldiers and an unknown number of civilians have been killed since then.
According to the cease-fire agreement, relaunched peace talks are to be mediated by the co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group -- Russia, France, and the United States.
The agreement says the existing format of negotiations will remain in place and will not be changed over time.
Overnight and in the hours before the cease-fire was due to come into force, there were scattered reports of fighting and accusations from both sides.
Immediately after the cease-fire was supposed to take effect, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of violating the deal in two separate locations along the front lines.
Meanwhile, an Armenian defense spokeswoman said Azerbaijani forces attacked a town on the eastern side of the breakaway region.
Earlier, Armenia and Azerbaijan both confirmed the outlines of the deal, saying it called for "substantive negotiations with the aim of reaching a peaceful settlement as soon as possible."
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan. But it has been under the control of Yerevan-backed ethnic Armenian forces since a 1994 cease-fire brought an end to a separatist war that broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed.
Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh has been populated and governed by ethnic Armenians, leaving hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from the region as internally displaced war refugees in Baku and other parts of Azerbaijan for more than a quarter century.
On October 9, as the foreign ministers from Yerevan and Baku began their talks in Moscow, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said he was giving Armenia a "last chance" to resolve the conflict peacefully.
"The conflict is now being settled by military means and political means will come next," he warned, saying nearly three decades of international talks "haven't yielded an inch of progress, we haven't been given back an inch of the occupied lands."
Zaur Shiriyev, a South Caucasus analyst for the International Crisis Group, said there was a "very visible lack of support" from the Azerbaijani population for going back to peace talks in the hope of returning the internally displaced people to their homes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a post to Twitter, Shiriyev said Azerbaijanis "demand" from Aliyev that he "not to return to 'fruitless' talks, but to continue the war, which finally promises real results."
"Therefore, the international calls for cease-fire are broadly seen as an attempt to disrupt Baku's success and do not find support in the Azerbaijani public," Shiriyev says.
The latest fighting is the biggest escalation in the conflict since the shaky 1994 cease-fire. The violence has increased concern that a wider conflict could drag in regional power Turkey, which is Azerbaijan's closest ally, and Russia, which has a defense pact with Armenia.
The defense forces of Nagorno-Karabakh's de facto government said on October 9 that there was intense fighting to the south of Stepanakert, the region’s largest city.
The previous day, Armenia accused Azerbaijan of shelling a historic cathedral perched on a strategic clifftop in Shushi (known as Susa in Azeri), just a few kilometers south of Stepanakert.
Residents of the town said the Holy Savior Cathedral sustained exterior and interior damage after being hit twice within several hours.
Also known as the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, the 19th century building is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Russia's Health Ministry said two Russians wounded in shelling were airlifted to Moscow on October 9 and were in satisfactory condition.
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani and Armenian services


rferl--2020-10-09--Watchdogs Call For Safe Conditions For Reporters Covering Unrest In Kyrgyzstan

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) is calling on the Kyrgyz authorities and opposition groups to guarantee a safe environment for journalists covering the postelection unrest in Kyrgyzstan after several were attacked or obstructed .
The Paris-based media freedom watchdog said in a statement on October 9 it had registered at least seven incidents over the previous days in which reporters were targeted by member of the security forces and protesters , including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty ( RFE/RL ) journalists .
“ Journalists must not become scapegoats for this post-electoral unrest , ” said Jeanne Cavelier , the head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Central Asia desk .
Unrest has gripped Kyrgyzstan since a disputed parliamentary election on October 4 whose results have been annulled by the Central Asian country ’ s Central Election Commission .
Several RFE/RL journalists have been attacked by both police and protesters as they were reporting live from demonstrations in the capital , Bishkek , and the cities of Talas and Osh .
RSF cited an incident in which a police officer confiscated the phone of a reporter for the independent online news agency 24.kg as he was providing live coverage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to Cavelier , the authorities should open investigations into each reported attack on a journalist and make “ every effort ” to shed light on the attacks .
On October 6 , the Committee to Protect Journalists ( CPJ ) also called on the Kyrgyz authorities to create safe conditions for members of the press covering the postelection unrest , saying independent news “ is essential to the public during these chaotic and quickly moving events.
” It noted that several journalists were also attacked while covering the vote .

A former top FBI counterintelligence agent pleaded guilty to charges related to his work for notorious Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, changing his plea after federal prosecutors filed new, reduced charges of conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Russia by working for the billionaire industrialist.
The move by Charles McGonigal, made on August 15 before a federal judge in New York City, ends a prosecution that had stunned the FBI, where McGonigal had investigated Russian influence operations for years while climbing the bureau’s ranks.
The 55-year-old also still faces a separate set of foreign agent charges in Washington, D.C., related to work he did for Albanian officials.
McGonigal, who retired as head counterintelligence in the FBI's New York bureau in 2018, was originally indicted in January by a grand jury on more serious charges of money laundering and violating U.S. sanctions.
Prosecutors alleged that McGonigal and a former Russian diplomat with whom he was associated, were paid more than $200,000 to do work for Deripaska, a wealthy Russian metals tycoon who has long been seen as a Kremlin insider. Deripaska was hit with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2018.
U.S. authorities said McGonigal was hired to dig up negative information on Vladimir Potanin, a rival oligarch to Deripaska. McGonigal and the former diplomat, Sergei Shestakov, also worked to try and get Deripaska removed from U.S. sanctions lists.
Shestakov has pleaded not guilty to the more serious charges than had been originally filed against McGonigal.
They "attempted to conceal Deripaska's involvement by, among other means, not directly naming Deripaska in electronic communications, using shell companies as counterparties in the contract that outlined the services to be performed, using a forged signature on that contract, and using the same shell companies to send and receive payment from Deripaska," the Justice Department said in a press release after McGonigal entered his plea.
McGonigal could receive up to five years in prison when he is sentenced in December.
The separate case filed in Washington, D.C., by federal prosecutors centers on work McGonigal allegedly did on behalf of a former Albanian intelligence officer, for which he was paid $225,000.
McGonigal also allegedly lied to the FBI about his contacts with foreign nationals and foreign travel while he was still employed by the bureau.
Deripaska also faces charges of violating U.S. sanctions through real estate deals and a complicated scheme under which he allegedly arranged for his girlfriend to travel to the United States to give birth to two of their children.


rferl--2020-10-09--Iran Urged To Halt Executions Ahead Of World Day Against The Death Penalty

Ahead of the World Day against the Death Penalty on October 10 , Iranian and international human rights and media freedom groups denounced the use of capital punishment in Iran -- the world 's second most prolific executioner after China .
The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) and Iran ’ s Defenders of Human Rights Center ( DHRC ) launched a campaign using the # notoexecution hashtag on social media to “ save the lives of Iranian journalists and other prisoners of conscience.
” In a report published on October 8 , the International Federation for Human Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in Paris , said Iran executed at least 251 people last year and 190 more in the first nine months of 2020 .
Calling the use of the death penalty in Iran `` an indelible stain on the human rights record of the Islamic Republic , '' the FIDH said that many of the death sentences have been “ issued and executed without required legal procedures and observing the standards of a fair trial . ''
`` The government can make concrete progress towards the abolition of this outdated and brutal practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran is bound , '' said FIDH Secretary-General Adilur Rahman Khan .
Iran ’ s Islamic criminal law provides for the death penalty for many crimes .
According to the FIDH , Iranian women are subject to capital punishment “ as a result of the discriminatory nature of several laws that directly concern them.
” Members of the lesbian , gay , bisexual , and transgender ( LGBT ) community can also face the death penalty “ because of the criminalization of certain same-sex conduct , which is punishable by death in Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that members of the country 's ethnic minorities , including Kurds , Arabs , and Baloch , as well as religious minorities such as Sunni Muslims and Baha'is , are also being targeted .
In a statement on October 9 , RSF and DHRC also urged the Iranian authorities to end executions , which they said “ often target prisoners of conscience , including journalists.
” “ Iranians have been fighting for years for the death penalty to be removed from the penal code .
It is now urgent for the international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Nobel peace prize laureate and DHRC President Shirin Ebadi said .
According to the statement , at least 20 journalists , citizen-journalists , and bloggers have been sentenced to death in Iran in the past 20 years .
It said around 30 people are currently waiting in Iranian prisons for their death sentences to be carried out , including opposition journalist and activist Ruhollah Zam , who was sentenced in June .
Iran ’ s execution of 27-year-old wrestler Navid Afkari in September sparked an international outcry .
Afkari was convicted of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-government protests in 2018 -- charges he has denied .

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


rferl--2020-10-09--Pakistan Blocks TikTok Over 'Immoral' Content

Pakistan 's telecom regulator says it has blocked the Chinese-owned video app TikTok for failing to filter `` immoral and indecent '' content .
The ban comes in view of `` complaints from different segments of society , ” the Pakistani Telecommunication Authority ( PTA ) said on October 9 .
TikTok had been warned to filter such content , but the application failed to abide by the instructions , the PTA said .
The regulator said it would review its ban , subject to a satisfactory mechanism by TikTok to moderate unlawful content .
TikTok said it was committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video-sharing application is offered .
`` We have been in regular communication with the PTA and continue to work with them .
We are hopeful to reach a conclusion that helps us continue to serve the country ’ s vibrant and creative online community , '' the company said .
TikTok , owned by Chinese-based ByteDance , has come under increasing scrutiny as its popularity surged across the world , including among Pakistani youth , who account for around 70 percent of the conservative country ’ s population .
Usama Khilji , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolo Bhi , called the PTI 's decision “ a travesty to democratic norms and fundamental rights as guaranteed by the constitution . ''
The TikTok app “ is used by millions of people , and is a source of income for thousands of content creators , especially those coming from smaller towns and villages , ” he said .
TikTok ’ s ban in Pakistan comes months after the Singapore-based live-streaming platform Bigo Live was blocked for the same reason and video-sharing platform YouTube was warned to filter out “ vulgarity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen by media freedom and human rights activists as an attempt to restrict the free flow of information online .
With reporting by dpa and Reuters

Pakistan's telecom regulator says it has blocked the Chinese-owned video app TikTok for failing to filter "immoral and indecent" content.
The ban comes in view of "complaints from different segments of society,” the Pakistani Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said on October 9.
TikTok had been warned to filter such content, but the application failed to abide by the instructions, the PTA said.
The regulator said it would review its ban, subject to a satisfactory mechanism by TikTok to moderate unlawful content.
TikTok said it was committed to following the law in markets where the video-sharing application is offered.
"We have been in regular communication with the PTA and continue to work with them. We are hopeful to reach a conclusion that helps us continue to serve the country’s vibrant and creative online community," the company said.
TikTok, owned by Chinese-based ByteDance, has come under increasing scrutiny as its popularity surged across the world, including among Pakistani youth, who account for around 70 percent of the conservative country’s population.
Usama Khilji, director of the Pakistani digital rights group Bolo Bhi, called the PTI's decision “a travesty to democratic norms and fundamental rights as guaranteed by the constitution."
The TikTok app “is used by millions of people, and is a source of income for thousands of content creators, especially those coming from smaller towns and villages,” he said.
TikTok’s ban in Pakistan comes months after the Singapore-based live-streaming platform Bigo Live was blocked for the same reason and video-sharing platform YouTube was warned to filter out “vulgarity and hate speech."
These moves were seen by media freedom and human rights activists as an attempt to restrict the free flow of information online.
With reporting by dpa and Reuters


rferl--2020-10-09--Cathedral In Nagorno-Karabakh Shelled As Azerbaijani Districts Also Attacked

A cathedral in Azerbaijan 's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh was damaged in fighting on October 8 .
Armenia has blamed @ @ @ @ @ any religious sites .
Districts across Azerbaijan have also come under attack from the Armenian @ @ @ @ @ between the two sides , which resulted in a war in the 1990s , flared @ @ @ @ @ .

A cathedral in Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh was damaged in fighting on October 8. Armenia has blamed Azerbaijan, which denies targeting any religious sites. Districts across Azerbaijan have also come under attack from the Armenian side. The violent conflict between the two sides, which resulted in a war in the 1990s, flared up again on September 27.


rferl--2020-10-09--Violence Breaks Out In Bishkek Amid Kyrgyz Political Chaos

A rally in Kyrgyzstan 's capital turned violent on October 9 after supporters of Sadyr Japarov , who is jockeying @ @ @ @ @ began throwing stones and bottles .
Tilek Toktogaziev , a leader of the Ata-Meken party @ @ @ @ @ post of deputy prime minister , was seen being carried away with a head injury @ @ @ @ @ in political chaos since the results of the October 4 parliamentary elections , widely seen @ @ @ @ @ .

A rally in Kyrgyzstan's capital turned violent on October 9 after supporters of Sadyr Japarov, who is jockeying to become prime minister, began throwing stones and bottles. Tilek Toktogaziev, a leader of the Ata-Meken party and a contender for the post of deputy prime minister, was seen being carried away with a head injury. The country has been in political chaos since the results of the October 4 parliamentary elections, widely seen as rigged, were annulled.


rferl--2020-10-09--Denmark Supports EU Sanctions Against Moscow Over Navalny Poisoning

Denmark says it will join European Union ( EU ) sanctions to be imposed against Russia over the poisoning of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny with a chemical agent from the Soviet-style Novichok group .
Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod told journalists in Moscow on October 9 that his country `` strongly condemns the attempt on the life of Aleksei Navalny by means of [ a ] chemical agent , which happened in Russia . ''
Kofod emphasized after talks with his Russian counterpart , Sergei Lavrov , that the poisoning of Navalny has been independently confirmed by labs in Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) '' We demand that a transparent , comprehensive , and thorough investigation be conducted to find out who has tried to kill Aleksei Navalny , so that no one goes unpunished , '' Kofod added .
Lavrov , however , rejected Kofod 's comments , reiterating Moscow 's stance that the Kremlin had nothing to do with the incident and that Russia had not received any proof from Germany , where Navalny was flown after falling deathly ill in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We 've heard declarations , threats , and warnings that sanctions would be imposed , and the persons who would be exposed to these punishments for the poisoning of Aleksei Navalny have been named .
We are no longer surprised that the European Union is acting without due process of law , '' Lavrov said .
Outspoken Kremlin critic Navalny collapsed aboard a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20 and spent nearly three weeks in an induced coma .
After 48 hours in a hospital in Omsk , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any poisoning , Navalny was transferred to the Charite hospital in Berlin , Germany .
Doctors there found traces of a Novichok-like nerve agent in his body .
After being discharged from the hospital , Navalny said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind his poisoning , sparking an angry reaction from Russian officials .
The Kremlin has accused Western leaders of launching a disinformation campaign over Navalny 's illness .
With reporting by Interfax and RIA Novosti

Denmark says it will join European Union (EU) sanctions to be imposed against Russia over the poisoning of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny with a chemical agent from the Soviet-style Novichok group.
Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod told journalists in Moscow on October 9 that his country "strongly condemns the attempt on the life of Aleksei Navalny by means of [a] chemical agent, which happened in Russia."
Kofod emphasized after talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that the poisoning of Navalny has been independently confirmed by labs in Germany, Sweden, and France, as well as by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
"We demand that a transparent, comprehensive, and thorough investigation be conducted to find out who has tried to kill Aleksei Navalny, so that no one goes unpunished," Kofod added.
Lavrov, however, rejected Kofod's comments, reiterating Moscow's stance that the Kremlin had nothing to do with the incident and that Russia had not received any proof from Germany, where Navalny was flown after falling deathly ill in Siberia, that the 44-year-old was poisoned.
"We've heard declarations, threats, and warnings that sanctions would be imposed, and the persons who would be exposed to these punishments for the poisoning of Aleksei Navalny have been named. We are no longer surprised that the European Union is acting without due process of law," Lavrov said.
Outspoken Kremlin critic Navalny collapsed aboard a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20 and spent nearly three weeks in an induced coma.
After 48 hours in a hospital in Omsk, where Russian doctors said they found no trace of any poisoning, Navalny was transferred to the Charite hospital in Berlin, Germany.
Doctors there found traces of a Novichok-like nerve agent in his body.
After being discharged from the hospital, Navalny said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind his poisoning, sparking an angry reaction from Russian officials.
The Kremlin has accused Western leaders of launching a disinformation campaign over Navalny's illness.
With reporting by Interfax and RIA Novosti


rferl--2020-10-09--Kyrgyz Lawmakers Plan Vote On New Prime Minister Under State Of Emergency

BISHKEK -- Lawmakers in Kyrgyzstan have told RFE/RL that members of parliament will gather on October 10 at the Kyrgyz presidential residence outside of Bishkek to discuss embattled President Sooronbai Jeenbekov ’ s call for a state of emergency and to vote on a new prime minister .
The meeting was scheduled after Jeenbekov on October 9 ordered a state of emergency and fresh clashes broke out in the capital between rival factions trying to gain power following the ouster of the government amid mass demonstrations earlier in the week .
Meanwhile , reports said armored vehicles and military trucks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roads outside of Bishkek after the state of emergency came into effect on the evening of October 9 .
Tilek Toktogaziev , one of the contenders for the post of deputy prime minister , was among five people injured when supporters of former President Almazbek Atambaev clashed with a group that backs rival politician Sadyr Japarov .
Demonstrators who seized government buildings on October 6 had released Atambaev from a detention center where he was serving an 11-year sentence after being convicted on corruption charges in June .
Japarov was designated by several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister on October 6 after he was released from a prison where he was serving a lengthy sentence on kidnapping charges Japarov previously had been a senior member of the Kyrgyz government and an adviser to former President Kurmanbek Bakiev .
RFE/RL correspondents at the scene of the clashes report that Japarov ’ s supporters hurled stones and other debris at Atambaev and his supporters -- including Toktogaziev and Omurbek Babanov .
Babanov has been proposed by several parties as Kyrgyzstan ’ s next prime minister .
RFE/RL correspondents also reported hearing several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s associate Kunduz Joldubaeva said unknown individuals shot at Atambaev ’ s car , but the former president was not hurt .
But Toktogaziev and several other injured people were rushed to hospital .
Toktogaziev ’ s supporters told RFE/RL that he sustained a head injury when he apparently was struck by object that had been thrown .
Hours earlier , Atambaev had called upon President Jeenbekov to resign “ peacefully.
” The turmoil marks a third time in 15 years that protesters have moved to topple a government in Kyrgyzstan , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the poorest to emerge from the former Soviet Union .
A senior State Department official described what 's happening in Kyrgyzstan as “ a clear indication that media and civil society have progressed more , in terms of democratic norms , than many other countries in the region.
” “ I think it 's fair to say that the Kyrgyz Republic has in the past had historically more free and more fair elections than the other countries in the region and I think the reaction that you 're seeing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reflection of the expectations that the Kyrgyz people have for a democratic future , ” the official told reporters on October 9 .
A decree signed by Jeenbekov on October 9 introduced a state of emergency in Bishkek from 8 p.m. on October 9 until 8 a.m. on October 21 .
The order calls for Deputy Interior Minister Almazbek Orozaliev to act as the commandant responsible for law and order in Bishkek during the state of emergency .
The decree also says vehicles and the movement of people in Bishkek will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It did not give further details .
But it says mass gatherings and demonstrations , as well as public events , are banned in Bishkek during the state of emergency .
Jeenbekov on October 9 also met with the newly appointed chief of staff of the country ’ s armed forces , Taalaibek Omuraliev .
Jeenbekov reportedly asked Omuraliev to help quell the unrest and maintain peace .
It was n't immediately clear whether police and the military would comply with the order .
The unrest that has gripped Kyrgyzstan was sparked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during parliamentary elections on October 4 that handed victory to pro-government parties .
Opposition parties have refused to accept the officials results .
Thousands of demonstrators have spilled into the streets , and opposition supporters seized government buildings on October 6 .
Opposition groups thus far have forced the cabinet to resign and for the election commission to annul the results of the October 4 vote .
But they have so far failed to agree on who would lead a provisional government .
The Central Election Commission ( BShK ) says repeat elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cancellation of the results from the previous vote .
`` Therefore , the Central Election Commission will schedule repeat parliamentary elections sometime before the deadline to do so on November 6 , '' the BShK press service said .
Early on October 9 , Jeenbekov said he was ready to resign once a new cabinet is appointed to end the power vacuum and chaos .
Jeenbekov also signed decrees on October 9 officially dismissing the outgoing government and Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov , who announced his resignation in the wake of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissing chief of the State Committee for National Security ( UKMK ) Orozbek Opumbaev .
The former Soviet republic 's outgoing parliament has not convened or appointed an interim leader .
The presidents of Kazakhstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , and Uzbekistan issued a joint statement on October 9 calling for Kyrgyz political groups to join a dialogue and peacefully resolve the crisis .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and Interfax

BISHKEK -- Lawmakers in Kyrgyzstan have told RFE/RL that members of parliament will gather on October 10 at the Kyrgyz presidential residence outside of Bishkek to discuss embattled President Sooronbai Jeenbekov’s call for a state of emergency and to vote on a new prime minister.
The meeting was scheduled after Jeenbekov on October 9 ordered a state of emergency and fresh clashes broke out in the capital between rival factions trying to gain power following the ouster of the government amid mass demonstrations earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, reports said armored vehicles and military trucks with troops have been seen on the roads outside of Bishkek after the state of emergency came into effect on the evening of October 9.
Tilek Toktogaziev, one of the contenders for the post of deputy prime minister, was among five people injured when supporters of former President Almazbek Atambaev clashed with a group that backs rival politician Sadyr Japarov.
Demonstrators who seized government buildings on October 6 had released Atambaev from a detention center where he was serving an 11-year sentence after being convicted on corruption charges in June.
Japarov was designated by several parties as Kyrgyzstan’s acting prime minister on October 6 after he was released from a prison where he was serving a lengthy sentence on kidnapping charges
WATCH: Violence Breaks Out In Bishkek
Japarov previously had been a senior member of the Kyrgyz government and an adviser to former President Kurmanbek Bakiev.
RFE/RL correspondents at the scene of the clashes report that Japarov’s supporters hurled stones and other debris at Atambaev and his supporters -- including Toktogaziev and Omurbek Babanov.
Babanov has been proposed by several parties as Kyrgyzstan’s next prime minister.
RFE/RL correspondents also reported hearing several gunshots during the clashes. Atambaev’s associate Kunduz Joldubaeva said unknown individuals shot at Atambaev’s car, but the former president was not hurt.
But Toktogaziev and several other injured people were rushed to hospital.
Toktogaziev’s supporters told RFE/RL that he sustained a head injury when he apparently was struck by object that had been thrown.
Hours earlier, Atambaev had called upon President Jeenbekov to resign “peacefully.”
The turmoil marks a third time in 15 years that protesters have moved to topple a government in Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian nation of 6.5 million that is one of the poorest to emerge from the former Soviet Union.
A senior State Department official described what's happening in Kyrgyzstan as “a clear indication that media and civil society have progressed more, in terms of democratic norms, than many other countries in the region.”
“I think it's fair to say that the Kyrgyz Republic has in the past had historically more free and more fair elections than the other countries in the region and I think the reaction that you're seeing on the streets of the Kyrgyz Republic is a reflection of the expectations that the Kyrgyz people have for a democratic future,” the official told reporters on October 9.
A decree signed by Jeenbekov on October 9 introduced a state of emergency in Bishkek from 8 p.m. on October 9 until 8 a.m. on October 21.
The order calls for Deputy Interior Minister Almazbek Orozaliev to act as the commandant responsible for law and order in Bishkek during the state of emergency.
The decree also says vehicles and the movement of people in Bishkek will be restricted and a curfew will be introduced. It did not give further details.
But it says mass gatherings and demonstrations, as well as public events, are banned in Bishkek during the state of emergency.
Jeenbekov on October 9 also met with the newly appointed chief of staff of the country’s armed forces, Taalaibek Omuraliev.
Jeenbekov reportedly asked Omuraliev to help quell the unrest and maintain peace. It wasn't immediately clear whether police and the military would comply with the order.
The unrest that has gripped Kyrgyzstan was sparked by allegations of vote buying and impropriety during parliamentary elections on October 4 that handed victory to pro-government parties.
Opposition parties have refused to accept the officials results. Thousands of demonstrators have spilled into the streets, and opposition supporters seized government buildings on October 6.
SPECIAL REPORT: The Matraimov Kingdom
Opposition groups thus far have forced the cabinet to resign and for the election commission to annul the results of the October 4 vote. But they have so far failed to agree on who would lead a provisional government.
The Central Election Commission (BShK) says repeat elections must be scheduled within one month of the cancellation of the results from the previous vote.
"Therefore, the Central Election Commission will schedule repeat parliamentary elections sometime before the deadline to do so on November 6," the BShK press service said.
Early on October 9, Jeenbekov said he was ready to resign once a new cabinet is appointed to end the power vacuum and chaos.
Jeenbekov also signed decrees on October 9 officially dismissing the outgoing government and Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov, who announced his resignation in the wake of the protests.
He also signed a decree dismissing chief of the State Committee for National Security (UKMK) Orozbek Opumbaev.
The former Soviet republic's outgoing parliament has not convened or appointed an interim leader.
The presidents of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan issued a joint statement on October 9 calling for Kyrgyz political groups to join a dialogue and peacefully resolve the crisis.
With reporting by AP, AFP, and Interfax


rferl--2020-10-09--Azerbaijan's Aliyev Warns Moscow Talks 'Last Chance' For Armenia

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says he is giving Armenia a `` last chance '' to resolve a conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh as his country will reclaim the territory `` either via peace or by war . ''
Speaking in a televised address to the nation on October 9 as the countries began their first high-level talks after nearly two weeks of clashes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh , Aliyev said Baku was giving Armenia “ a chance to settle the conflict peacefully , ” though he is not willing to make concessions to Armenia .
“ The conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and political means will come next , ” he warned , saying nearly three decades of international talks “ have n't yielded an inch of progress ; we have n't been given back an inch of the occupied lands.
” Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan .
But it has been under the control of Yerevan-backed ethnic Armenian forces since a 1994 cease-fire brought an end to the separatist war that broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed .
Since then , Nagorno-Karabakh has been populated and governed by ethnic Armenians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the region as internally displaced war refugees for more than a quarter century .
Zaur Shiriyev , a South Caucasus analyst for the International Crisis Group , says there is a “ very visible lack of support ” from the Azerbaijani population for going back to peace talks in the hope of returning the country 's internally displaced people to their homes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh .
Shiriyev says Azerbaijanis “ demand ” from Aliyev “ not to return to ‘ fruitless ’ talks , but to continue the war , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the international calls for cease-fire are broadly seen as an attempt to disrupt Baku ’ s success and do not find support in the Azerbaijani public , ” Shiriyev says .
Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh erupted on September 27 .
The fighting , which has involved the use of heavy artillery , warplanes , and drones , has continued despite numerous international calls for a cease-fire .
Aliyev 's fiery speech came as the foreign ministers of the two countries prepared to sit down with their Russian counterpart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Moscow .
“ It has begun , '' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Facebook , posting a picture of the three ministers sitting at a table .
Russia 's Interfax news agency reported the talks lasted more than two hours .
The hostilities -- the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict since a shaky cease-fire was reached in 1994 -- have increased concern that a wider conflict could drag in regional power Turkey , which is Azerbaijan 's closest ally , and Russia , which has a defense pact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Akar said on October 9 that Azerbaijan 's offensive would not stop until Armenia withdrew its own forces and other fighters he said it had brought to the region .
`` Until the occupation is over , until the terrorists and mercenaries are taken out of there , nobody should expect our Azeri brothers to stop , '' Akar said .
In an October 9 interview with CNN , Aliyev called on countries to “ stay away ” from the conflict so that it does n't escalate into a wider war .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Baku and for playing “ a stabilizing role in the region and in particular in the situation with respect to the Armenia-Azerbaijan-Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
” Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged a pause in hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone in order for the two sides to exchange prisoners and the bodies of those killed in the fighting .
Putin raised the possibility of a pause in the fighting after a series of telephone conversations with Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian , the Kremlin ’ s press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader did not intend to meet with the visiting Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers .
Meanwhile , the French presidency said that Armenia and Azerbaijan were moving `` towards a truce '' to end the fighting , with a deal expected late in the day or on October 10 .
`` We are moving towards a truce tonight or tomorrow but it 's still fragile , '' President Emmanuel Macron 's office told AFP .
France , along with Russia and the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called Minsk Group that has been mediating in the conflict since the early 1990s .
Officials from the three countries have been holding talks in Geneva to try to halt the fighting and avert a wider war in the South Caucasus .
Meanwhile , the defense forces of Nagorno-Karabakh 's de facto government said on October 9 there was intense fighting to the south of Stepanakert , the region ’ s largest city .
The previous day , Armenia accused Azerbaijan of shelling a historic cathedral perched on a strategic clifftop in Shushi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just a few kilometers south of Stepanakert .
Residents of the town said the Holy Savior Cathedral sustained exterior and interior damage after being hit twice within several hours .
Also known as the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral , the 19th century building is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church .
Russia 's Health Ministry said two Russians wounded in shelling were airlifted to Moscow on October 9 and are in satisfactory condition .
With reporting by Reuters , TASS , AFP , and AP

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says he is giving Armenia a "last chance" to resolve a conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh as his country will reclaim the territory "either via peace or by war."
Speaking in a televised address to the nation on October 9 as the countries began their first high-level talks after nearly two weeks of clashes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, Aliyev said Baku was giving Armenia “a chance to settle the conflict peacefully,” though he is not willing to make concessions to Armenia.
“The conflict is now being settled by military means and political means will come next,” he warned, saying nearly three decades of international talks “haven't yielded an inch of progress; we haven't been given back an inch of the occupied lands.”
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan. But it has been under the control of Yerevan-backed ethnic Armenian forces since a 1994 cease-fire brought an end to the separatist war that broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed.
Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh has been populated and governed by ethnic Armenians, leaving hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from the region as internally displaced war refugees for more than a quarter century.
Zaur Shiriyev, a South Caucasus analyst for the International Crisis Group, says there is a “very visible lack of support” from the Azerbaijani population for going back to peace talks in the hope of returning the country's internally displaced people to their homes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.
Shiriyev says Azerbaijanis “demand” from Aliyev “not to return to ‘fruitless’ talks, but to continue the war, which finally promises real results.”
“Therefore, the international calls for cease-fire are broadly seen as an attempt to disrupt Baku’s success and do not find support in the Azerbaijani public,” Shiriyev says.
Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh erupted on September 27. The fighting, which has involved the use of heavy artillery, warplanes, and drones, has continued despite numerous international calls for a cease-fire.
Aliyev's fiery speech came as the foreign ministers of the two countries prepared to sit down with their Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, for Russia-mediated talks in Moscow.
“It has begun," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Facebook, posting a picture of the three ministers sitting at a table.
Russia's Interfax news agency reported the talks lasted more than two hours.
The hostilities -- the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict since a shaky cease-fire was reached in 1994 -- have increased concern that a wider conflict could drag in regional power Turkey, which is Azerbaijan's closest ally, and Russia, which has a defense pact with Armenia.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on October 9 that Azerbaijan's offensive would not stop until Armenia withdrew its own forces and other fighters he said it had brought to the region.
"Until the occupation is over, until the terrorists and mercenaries are taken out of there, nobody should expect our Azeri brothers to stop," Akar said.
In an October 9 interview with CNN, Aliyev called on countries to “stay away” from the conflict so that it doesn't escalate into a wider war.
He also praised Turkey for providing diplomatic support to Baku and for playing “a stabilizing role in the region and in particular in the situation with respect to the Armenia-Azerbaijan-Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged a pause in hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone in order for the two sides to exchange prisoners and the bodies of those killed in the fighting.
Putin raised the possibility of a pause in the fighting after a series of telephone conversations with Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, the Kremlin’s press service said in a statement on October 8.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader did not intend to meet with the visiting Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers.
Meanwhile, the French presidency said that Armenia and Azerbaijan were moving "towards a truce" to end the fighting, with a deal expected late in the day or on October 10.
"We are moving towards a truce tonight or tomorrow but it's still fragile," President Emmanuel Macron's office told AFP.
France, along with Russia and the United States, is cochair of the OSCE's so-called Minsk Group that has been mediating in the conflict since the early 1990s.
Officials from the three countries have been holding talks in Geneva to try to halt the fighting and avert a wider war in the South Caucasus.
Meanwhile, the defense forces of Nagorno-Karabakh's de facto government said on October 9 there was intense fighting to the south of Stepanakert, the region’s largest city.
The previous day, Armenia accused Azerbaijan of shelling a historic cathedral perched on a strategic clifftop in Shushi (known as Susa in Azeri), just a few kilometers south of Stepanakert.
Residents of the town said the Holy Savior Cathedral sustained exterior and interior damage after being hit twice within several hours.
Also known as the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, the 19th century building is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Russia's Health Ministry said two Russians wounded in shelling were airlifted to Moscow on October 9 and are in satisfactory condition.
With reporting by Reuters, TASS, AFP, and AP


rferl--2020-10-10--Russian Police Detain Dozens Amid Continuing Protests in Khabarovsk

Police in Khabarovsk have detained dozens of protesters as demonstrators persisted in their public opposition to the Kremlin 's abrupt @ @ @ @ @ .
The Far Eastern city on the Chinese border has seen regular protests since Governor @ @ @ @ @ July on decades-old murder-related charges and taken to Moscow .
Furgal has denied the accusations @ @ @ @ @ were engineered by his opponents with help from the Kremlin .
Thousands of protesters marched @ @ @ @ @ 10 , and police moved to detain about 30 after the protesters began setting up @ @ @ @ @ square .
Later in the evening , several hundred protesters again gathered on the main @ @ @ @ @ police that the demonstration was n't authorized .

Police in Khabarovsk have detained dozens of protesters as demonstrators persisted in their public opposition to the Kremlin's abrupt sacking of the regional governor.
The Far Eastern city on the Chinese border has seen regular protests since Governor Sergei Furgal was arrested in July on decades-old murder-related charges and taken to Moscow.
Furgal has denied the accusations, which his supporters say were engineered by his opponents with help from the Kremlin.
Thousands of protesters marched across the city on October 10, and police moved to detain about 30 after the protesters began setting up tents on Khabarovsk's central square.
Later in the evening, several hundred protesters again gathered on the main square, defying warnings from police that the demonstration wasn't authorized.


rferl--2020-10-10--Russia Reports New Daily Record For Coronavirus Cases

Russia has reported a new daily record in coronavirus cases as authorities struggle to cope with surging cases in Moscow and elsewhere .
The October 10 announcement mirrors similar increases reported in other European countries .
The government 's national task force reported 12,846 new cases over the previous 24 hours , bringing the number of cumulative cases to nearly 1.3 million .
Many of the new cases have been reported in the capital , Moscow .
Russia currently has the world 's fourth-highest caseload after the United States , India , and Brazil .
The number of new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but officials have been reluctant to reimpose tough new restrictions .
In Moscow , many residents have been ignoring orders to wear masks in public .
Moscow employers , public and private , will be forced to have at least 30 percent of their workers work remotely as of October 12 .
As in other countries , local and national Russian officials had eased some COVID-related restrictions over the summer , as case numbers appeared to plateau , and medical facilities coped with existing cases .
The Kremlin , meanwhile , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine , with regulators approving it for use before conducting crucial Phase III testing or releasing data publicly .
President Vladimir Putin said this week that around 50 people in his inner circle , including staff and family , had been vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine .

Russia has reported a new daily record in coronavirus cases as authorities struggle to cope with surging cases in Moscow and elsewhere.
The October 10 announcement mirrors similar increases reported in other European countries.
The government's national task force reported 12,846 new cases over the previous 24 hours, bringing the number of cumulative cases to nearly 1.3 million. Many of the new cases have been reported in the capital, Moscow.
Russia currently has the world's fourth-highest caseload after the United States, India, and Brazil.
The number of new cases has been growing steadily since early September, but officials have been reluctant to reimpose tough new restrictions.
In Moscow, many residents have been ignoring orders to wear masks in public. Moscow employers, public and private, will be forced to have at least 30 percent of their workers work remotely as of October 12.
As in other countries, local and national Russian officials had eased some COVID-related restrictions over the summer, as case numbers appeared to plateau, and medical facilities coped with existing cases.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, has aggressively promoted the development of a new vaccine, with regulators approving it for use before conducting crucial Phase III testing or releasing data publicly.
President Vladimir Putin said this week that around 50 people in his inner circle, including staff and family, had been vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine.


rferl--2020-10-10--Britain Becomes Latest Country To Recall Ambassador From Belarus

Britain has recalled its ambassador to Belarus , joining a growing number of European countries who have pulled their diplomats amid the continuing impasse over the August presidential election in Minsk .
Foreign Minister Dominic Raab made the announcement late October 9 , saying the move to recall Jacqueline Perkins was made in protest at Minsk 's expulsion of diplomats from Poland and Lithuania .
London 's recall of its ambassador follows similar moves by Bulgaria , the Czech Republic , Slovakia , as well as Poland and the three Baltic states .
Belarus began ordering out ambassadors from European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions against Belarusian officials accused of election fraud and human rights abuses .
Mass protests erupted in Belarus after election officials declared President Alyaksandr Lukashenka had been reelected the August 9 vote .
Opposition leaders and some former Belarusian election officials , however , say the tally was rigged in Lukashenka 's favor , and have called for new elections , something Lukashenka has refused to endorse .
Some countries have declared Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , the opposition leader who fled to neighboring Lithuania after threats against her family , to be the rightful @ @ @ @ @ @

Britain has recalled its ambassador to Belarus, joining a growing number of European countries who have pulled their diplomats amid the continuing impasse over the August presidential election in Minsk.
Foreign Minister Dominic Raab made the announcement late October 9, saying the move to recall Jacqueline Perkins was made in protest at Minsk's expulsion of diplomats from Poland and Lithuania.
London's recall of its ambassador follows similar moves by Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, as well as Poland and the three Baltic states.
Belarus began ordering out ambassadors from European Union member states after the EU imposed sanctions against Belarusian officials accused of election fraud and human rights abuses.
Mass protests erupted in Belarus after election officials declared President Alyaksandr Lukashenka had been reelected the August 9 vote.
Opposition leaders and some former Belarusian election officials, however, say the tally was rigged in Lukashenka's favor, and have called for new elections, something Lukashenka has refused to endorse.
Some countries have declared Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition leader who fled to neighboring Lithuania after threats against her family, to be the rightful winner of the August election.


rferl--2020-10-10--Kyrgyz Lawmakers Meet Amid Political Crisis; Ex-President Atambaev Detained

BISHKEK – Kyrgyz security forces arrested former President Almazbek Atambaev as lawmakers met to discuss a new government amid continuing turmoil over disputed parliamentary elections .
The move against Atambaev , announced by the State Security Committee on October 10 , came with tensions soaring in the Kyrgyz capital and followed a call for a state of emergency from the current , embattled president , Sooronbai Jeenbekov .
Armored military vehicles were seen in some parts of Bishkek , a day after clashes broke out between rival factions vying for power following the flawed October 4 election .
The turmoil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that protesters have toppled a government in the Central Asian nation of 6.5 million , one of the poorest to emerge from the former Soviet Union .
The unrest was sparked by allegations of vote buying and impropriety during the elections in which pro-government parties were initially declared winners .
Opposition parties refused to accept the results , and thousands of demonstrators spilled onto the streets , and demonstrators seized government buildings .
Opposition groups then forced the cabinet to resign and the election commission to annul the results .
But they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a provisional government .
Lawmakers gathered at the presidential palace on October 10 to try and reach agreement on forming a new government , and to decide whether to approve Jeenbekov ’ s state-of-emergency order .
Amid the turmoil of the past week , Atambaev , who was president immediately before Jeenbekov , was released by demonstrators earlier in the week from a detention center where he was serving a sentence on corruption charges .
After his release , Atambaev called upon Jeenbekov to resign .
Jeenbekov , however , said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointed .
On October 9 , Atambaev ’ s supporters clashed with a group that backs a rival politician , Tilek Toktogaziev , who is a contender for the post of deputy prime minister .
Five people were injured in the scuffles , including Toktogaziev .
In a statement on October 10 , the State Security Committee said Atambaev and two aides were detained on allegations of inciting mass unrest .
No further details were released , however , and it was unclear where he was being held .
Another rival politician , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as acting prime minister after he too was released from prison .
He previously had been a senior member of the government and an adviser to another former president , Kurmanbek Bakiev , who has been living in Belarus for some years .
At the October 9 clash , RFE/RL correspondents said that Japarov ’ s supporters hurled stones and other debris at Atambaev and his supporters .
Gunshots were also heard during the clashes .
An Atambaev associate said unknown individuals shot at Atambaev ’ s car , but the former president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters , meanwhile , told RFE/RL that he sustained a head injury when he apparently was struck by an object that had been thrown , and he was taken to a hospital .
A senior U.S. State Department official , who spoke on condition of anonymity , tried to put the dispute , and the turmoil , in a positive light , calling it “ a clear indication that media and civil society have progressed more , in terms of democratic norms , than many other countries in the region.
” The official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic elections , saying they were `` historically more free and more fair '' than in other neighboring countries .
`` I think the reaction that you 're seeing on the streets of the Kyrgyz Republic is a reflection of the expectations that the Kyrgyz people have for a democratic future , '' the official told reporters on October 9 .
The state-of-emergency decree signed by Jeenbekov took effect at 8 p.m. on October 9 .
The decree restricted movement of vehicles and people in Bishkek and imposed a curfew .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as public events .
Jeenbekov on October 9 also met with the newly appointed chief of staff of the country 's armed forces asking him to help quell the unrest .
It was n't immediately clear whether police and the military would comply with the order .
The Central Elections Commission , meanwhile , said repeat elections must be scheduled by November 9 .
But it declined to announce a date .
Jeenbekov signed decrees dismissing the outgoing government and Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov , who announced his resignation .
He also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for National Security .
The presidents of Kazakhstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , and Uzbekistan have issued a joint statement calling for Kyrgyz political groups to peacefully resolve the crisis .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and Interfax

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan’s divided parliament has controversially appointed Sadyr Japarov as new prime minister, just days after the convicted kidnapper was sprung from prison during turmoil over the Central Asian country’s disputed parliamentary elections.
Political unrest has gripped Kyrgyzstan since a parliamentary election on October 4 was tainted by allegations of vote-buying and fraud that benefited status quo parties, sparking angry street protests that resulted in the Central Elections Commission canceling the results and rival political forces vying for control.
The October 10 vote to approve Japarov came a day after embattled President Sooronbai Jeenbekov declared a state of emergency and put troops on the streets of the capital in response to unrest and violence during a week of whipsaw political developments.
The state of emergency did little to stop clashes on the streets of Bishkek on October 9 as supporters of Japarov hurled stones and bottles at rival parties backing former president Almazbek Atambaev and another prime minister candidate, Omurbek Babanov.
As he was leaving the unrest, shots were fired at Atambaev’s car.
But on October 10, Kyrgyz security forces arrested Atambaev on charges of organizing riots.
Just like Japarov, demonstrators who seized government buildings after the election had released Atambaev from a detention center where he was serving an 11-year sentence after being convicted on corruption charges in June.
Jeenbekov came to power in 2017 with support from Atambaev but the two fell out soon afterwards.
Hours after Atambaev was jailed again, Jeenbekov's allies in parliament gathered for an extraordinary session at Jeenbekov’s official residence outside of Bishkek after parliament was ransacked by protesters earlier in the week.
Only 51 members in the 120-seat parliament were present, but the deputy speaker of parliament said a quorum of 62 deputies had been reached after including individuals who obtained power-of-attorney documents from absent lawmakers.
It was not immediately clear if the vote was legal.
Japarov said after the vote that he would retain all government ministers who were still serving in an acting capacity after the previous prime minister, Kubatbek Boronov, was forced to resign on October 6 amid angry street demonstrations.
Japarov said he expected Jeenbekov to honor a pledge to resign once a government had been formed, which the president made as clashes between rival groups escalated earlier in the week.
"I met with [President] Sooronbai [Jeenbekov]. He said he would resign and leave. If you [lawmakers]. approve the government's program and makeup, then he said he would submit his [resignation] letter and leave," Japarov said at his confirmation.
There was no immediate comment from the president, but the events appeared to have strengthened his hand against opposition forces. Earlier on October 10, he sacked top security officials who had either supported his opponents or failed to intervene when the opposition earlier in the week claimed it was seizing power.
'Critical Mass'
Erica Marat, an associate professor at the National Defense University in Washington, said Jeenbekov and Japarov may have outmaneuvered their rivals but they will continue to face political headwinds.
"The grassroots mobilization isn’t going anywhere. There will continue to be protests and attempts to at least hold another round of elections, now free of voter buying," she told RFE/RL. "There is a critical mass of pro-reform politicians that will continue to challenge the status quo again and again."
In another twist in developments, Japarov could become acting president as well. Under the law, if the president steps down, his responsibilities go to the speaker of parliament, but in the absence of a speaker of parliament, the next in line is the prime minister.
Myktybek Abdyldayev of the Bir Bol (Unity) party, who was elected parliamentary speaker on October 6, resigned on October 10 and only a deputy speaker, Mirlan Bakirov, was approved.
"In case of the president’s resignation, the parliamentary speaker should perform their duties in conformity with the constitution, but as he has stepped down too, they are assumed by the prime minister," Bakirov told the TASS news agency.
A populist politician, Japarov has a checkered history.
He previously was a senior member of the Kyrgyz government and had been an adviser to former President Kurmanbek Bakiev, who has been living in exile in Belarus since being overthrown in 2010.
Until supporters broke him out of jail on October 6, he was serving an 11.5-year sentence after being convicted in 2017 of taking a government official hostage and other crimes. A court struck down the verdict this week during the unrest.
The turmoil marks a third time in 15 years that protesters have moved to topple a government in Kyrgyzstan, a nation of 6.5 million people that is one of the poorest former Soviet republics.
With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-10-10--Azerbaijan, Armenia Agree On Nagorno-Karabakh Cease-Fire, Continued Fighting Reported

Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed to a cease-fire aimed at ending the worst fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh in years , but the deal was in danger of collapsing amid new reports of artillery and drone strikes .
The two sides had agreed to the cease-fire early on October 10 , after hours of talks in Moscow brokered by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov .
In addition to halting the fighting , the deal , which was supposed to take effect at 12 p.m. local time , called for the exchange of prisoners and the bodies of people killed in clashes over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nagorno-Karabakh .
Hundreds of soldiers and an unknown number of civilians are believed to have been killed in the fighting .
Overnight and in the hours leading up to the deadline , there were scattered reports of fighting , and accusations from both sides .
And in the hours immediately after the deal was supposed to take effect , Azerbaijan accused Armenia of violating it in two separate locations along the borders with Nagorno-Karabakh .
An Armenian defense spokeswoman , meanwhile , said Azerbaijani forces attacked a town on the eastern border of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both released statements confirming the outlines of the deal , which called for involving the International Committee of the Red Cross in `` substantive negotiations with the aim of reaching a peaceful settlement as soon as possible . ''
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan .
But it has been under the control of Yerevan-backed ethnic Armenian forces since a 1994 cease-fire brought an end to a separatist war that broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed .
Since then , Nagorno-Karabakh has been populated and governed by ethnic Armenians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region as internally displaced war refugees for more than a quarter of a century .
On October 9 , as the foreign ministers began their talks in Moscow , Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said he was giving Armenia a `` last chance '' to resolve the conflict peacefully .
`` The conflict is now being settled by military means and political means will come next , '' he warned , saying nearly three decades of international talks `` have n't yielded an inch of progress , we have n't been given back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan .
But it has been under the control of Yerevan-backed ethnic Armenian forces since a 1994 cease-fire brought an end to a separatist war that broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed .
Since then , Nagorno-Karabakh has been populated and governed by ethnic Armenians , leaving hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from the region as internally displaced war refugees for more than a quarter century .
Zaur Shiriyev , a South Caucasus analyst for the International Crisis Group , said there was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Azerbaijani population for going back to peace talks in the hope of returning the internally displaced people to their homes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh .
In a post to Twitter , Shiriyev said Azerbaijanis `` demand '' from Aliyev that he `` not to return to 'fruitless ' talks , but to continue the war , which finally promises real results . ''
`` Therefore , the international calls for cease-fire are broadly seen as an attempt to disrupt Baku 's success and do not find support in the Azerbaijani public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hostilities -- among the largest escalations since 1994 -- have increased concern that a wider conflict could drag in regional power Turkey , which is Azerbaijan 's closest ally , and Russia , which has a defense pact with Armenia .
The defense forces of Nagorno-Karabakh 's de facto government said on October 9 that there was intense fighting to the south of Stepanakert , the region ’ s largest city .
The previous day , Armenia accused Azerbaijan of shelling a historic cathedral perched on a strategic clifftop in Shushi ( known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few kilometers south of Stepanakert .
Residents of the town said the Holy Savior Cathedral sustained exterior and interior damage after being hit twice within several hours .
Also known as the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral , the 19th century building is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church .
Russia 's Health Ministry said two Russians wounded in shelling were airlifted to Moscow on October 9 and were in satisfactory condition .
With reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Azerbaijani and Armenian services


rferl--2020-10-10--At Least Two Pakistani Soldiers Killed By Militant Attack In South Waziristan

Officials in Pakistan say militants have killed at least two Pakistani soldiers in an attack in a tribal district known @ @ @ @ @ told RFE/RL that the attack took place in the Mana Mandra area of Shawal Tehsil @ @ @ @ @ said four Pakistani soldiers were also wounded .
There was no immediate claim of responsibility @ @ @ @ @ Pakistani Taliban militants from the banned group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan ( TTP ) have claimed @ @ @ @ @ in the past .
South Waziristan , located in Pakistan ’ s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa @ @ @ @ @ militant stronghold until recent years .
Pakistani military officials claim their operations in South Waziristan @ @ @ @ @ the Taliban fighters and other militant groups .

Officials in Pakistan say militants have killed at least two Pakistani soldiers in an attack in a tribal district known as South Waziristan.
Officials told RFE/RL that the attack took place in the Mana Mandra area of Shawal Tehsil on October 10. They said four Pakistani soldiers were also wounded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Pakistani Taliban militants from the banned group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have claimed responsibility for similar attacks there in the past.
South Waziristan, located in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, had been a militant stronghold until recent years.
Pakistani military officials claim their operations in South Waziristan have cleared the area of the Taliban fighters and other militant groups.


rferl--2020-10-10--Tajikistan's Autocratic Leader Rahmon Seen Extending Rule As Voters Head To Polls

Voters in Tajikistan are heading to the polls in a presidential election on October 11 that is expected to extend authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon ’ s rule over the impoverished Central Asian nation for another seven years .
In power since 1992 , Rahmon has won four consecutive presidential elections , none of which were deemed free or fair by Western monitors , and is the only post-Soviet dictator in power longer than Belarus 's Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
The election comes as Tajikistan ’ s economic woes deepen amid the COVID-19 pandemic as hundreds of thousands of migrant workers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not available at home , halting a flow of remittances needed to fuel the local economy .
The 68-year-old Rahmon is running against four other little-known candidates that represent pro-government parties in the country ’ s rubber-stamp parliament .
They are widely seen as little more than a facade to give the vote the appearance of competition .
The election will be the first since Rahmon 's most-influential political rival , the Islamic Renaissance Party ( IRPT ) , was outlawed .
The country 's Supreme Court banned the IRPT as a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the party leaders and officials have been imprisoned , while others fled the country amid a clampdown .
The Social Democratic Party , the only genuine political opposition group inside the country , is boycotting the election .
With a suppressed opposition and Rahmon ’ s tight grip on the country , the vote is unlikely to result in the turmoil currently engulfing neighboring Kyrgyzstan , which is lurching through its third political upheaval in under two decades after disputed parliamentary elections earlier this month .
Rahmon ’ s nomination in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside to allow his eldest son , Rustam Emomali , to run for office .
In April , Emomali , 32 , was made the speaker of the upper house of parliament , a role that positions him to take over for his father if he is unable to fulfill his duties .
Emomali also continues to hold the lucrative position of mayor of the capital , Dushanbe .
Speculation about Emomali ’ s succession initially began in 2016 , when Tajikistan amended its constitution to lower the age threshold for presidential candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The move was seen as being aimed at paving the way for Emomali to run for president .
The amendments also gave Rahmon the exclusive right to run for office an unlimited number of times .
How The Tajik President Has Managed To Stay In Power For Nearly Three Decades Further securing his dominant position in the country , parliament gave Rahmon the title of the Leader of the Nation in December 2015 , a status that grants him lifelong immunity from prosecution .
The October 11 vote marks the second nationwide vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the country held parliamentary polls that produced another rubber-stamp legislature dominated by Rahmon 's People ’ s Democratic Party .
Polls are scheduled to open at 6 a.m. local time in 3,375 polling stations across the country , with nearly 5 million eligible voters registered to cast their ballots .
The polls will close at 8 p.m. local time .

Voters in Tajikistan cast ballots in a presidential election on October 11 that is expected to extend authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon’s rule over the impoverished Central Asian nation for another seven years.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) reported that more than 70 percent of eligible voters had participated in the election by midafternoon, more than the 50 percent needed to validate the election.
Authorities organized concerts, food giveaways, and other enticements aimed at getting out the vote. Some voters were brought to polling stations by bus. Instances of ballot stuffing were reported.
First official results are expected on October 12.
In power since 1992, Rahmon has won four consecutive presidential elections, none of which were deemed free or fair by Western monitors, and is the only post-Soviet autocrat in power longer than Belarus's Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
The election comes as Tajikistan’s economic woes deepen amid the COVID-19 pandemic as hundreds of thousands of migrant workers are unable to travel to Russia for jobs not available at home, halting a flow of remittances needed to fuel the local economy.
The 68-year-old Rahmon was running against four little-known candidates that represent pro-government parties in the country’s rubber-stamp parliament. They are widely seen as little more than a facade to give the vote the appearance of competition.
Rahmon cast his ballot in the morning in Dushanbe and declined to speak with journalists.
'No Point In Voting'
Elsewhere in Dushanbe, ballot fraud was reported. RFE/RL video appeared to show two men stuffing ballots into voting urns at a polling station in the Tajik capital.
The election was the first since Rahmon's most-influential political rival, the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT), was outlawed. The country's Supreme Court banned the IRPT as a "terrorist" organization in 2015. Many of the party leaders and officials have been imprisoned, while others fled the country amid a clampdown.
The Social Democratic Party, the only genuine political opposition group inside the country, boycotted the election.
Party leader Rahmatillo Zoirov told RFE/RL that there was no point in voting because "even if one votes against all the candidates, the CEC will pronounce its own numbers and results."
With a suppressed opposition and Rahmon’s tight grip on the country, the vote is unlikely to result in the turmoil currently engulfing neighboring Kyrgyzstan, which is lurching through its third political upheaval in under two decades after disputed parliamentary elections earlier this month.
Rahmon’s nomination in late August ended speculation that he may step aside to allow his eldest son, Rustam Emomali, to run for office.
In April, Emomali, 32, was made the speaker of the upper house of parliament, a role that positions him to take over for his father if he is unable to fulfill his duties.
Emomali also continues to hold the lucrative position of mayor of the capital, Dushanbe.
Speculation about Emomali’s succession initially began in 2016, when Tajikistan amended its constitution to lower the age threshold for presidential candidates from 35 years to 30 years. The move was seen as being aimed at paving the way for Emomali to run for president.
The amendments also gave Rahmon the exclusive right to run for office an unlimited number of times.
How The Tajik President Has Managed To Stay In Power For Nearly Three Decades
Further securing his dominant position in the country, parliament gave Rahmon the title of the Leader of the Nation in December 2015, a status that grants him lifelong immunity from prosecution.
The October 11 vote marks the second nationwide vote in Tajikistan this year. In March, the country held parliamentary polls that produced another rubber-stamp legislature dominated by Rahmon's People’s Democratic Party.
Voting opened at 6 a.m. local time in 3,375 polling stations across the country, with nearly 5 million eligible voters registered to cast their ballots.


rferl--2020-10-10--Lukashenka Meets With Jailed Belarusian Opposition Leaders

Belarusian state media have reported that strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka met with jailed Belarusian opposition leaders in a detention center run by the country 's KGB security service -- ostensibly to discuss plans for constitutional reforms .
The meeting saw Lukashenka sit down with political opponents that he has jailed for months in order to talk about his political course ahead .
`` I am trying to convince not only your supporters but the whole of society that one needs to look at things more broadly , '' Lukashenka said in a video excerpt from the meeting that was broadcast by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate president of Belarus after he claimed a landslide victory in an August election that has been widely criticized as fraudulent .
The results have been contested by his main rival , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , as well as opposition figures across the country .
A photo posted by Lukashenka 's press service on the Telegram messenger app showed him sitting at an oval table with prisoners who included Viktar Babaryka , a banker once seen as Lukashenka ’ s toughest rival in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running and jailed .
Others in the picture include Lilia Vlasova , a lawyer who is a member of the opposition 's Coordination Council , and the Belarusian-American political analyst Vitali Shkliarov .
All look pale and unsmiling .
Belarusian opposition figures described the visit as a sign of weakness from Lukashenka .
Tsikhanouskaya , who has taken refuge in Lithuania , wrote on social media on October 10 that Lukashenka had `` acknowledged the existence of political prisoners whom he used to call criminals . ''
But she said `` you ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Tsikhanouskaya also said she was allowed on October 10 to have her first phone call in four months with her jailed husband , video blogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski .
Tsikhanouskaya only stood as a presidential candidate against Lukashenka after the jailing of her husband by Belarusian authorities eliminated his possibility of running in the election .
Paval Latushka , a former Belarusian diplomat who became a member of the opposition 's Coordination Council , wrote on social media that the October 10 meeting in the detention center `` showed we are on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` forced to sit down for talks with those he himself put behind bars . ''
In a brief video excerpt , Lukashenka told the political prisoners : `` You ca n't rewrite the constitution on the street . ''
He was referring to mass demonstrations that have continued across the country since election officials announced a tally showing Lukashenka with about 80 percent of the August vote .
October 10 also saw the latest protest against Lukashenka -- a now regular event in which women hold peaceful marches , often carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TASS , and Interfax

Belarusian state media have reported that strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka met with jailed Belarusian opposition leaders in a detention center run by the country's KGB security service -- ostensibly to discuss plans for constitutional reforms.
The meeting saw Lukashenka sit down with political opponents that he has jailed for months in order to talk about his political course ahead.
"I am trying to convince not only your supporters but the whole of society that one needs to look at things more broadly," Lukashenka said in a video excerpt from the meeting that was broadcast by state television.
The European Union and the United States have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate president of Belarus after he claimed a landslide victory in an August election that has been widely criticized as fraudulent.
The results have been contested by his main rival, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, as well as opposition figures across the country.
A photo posted by Lukashenka's press service on the Telegram messenger app showed him sitting at an oval table with prisoners who included Viktar Babaryka, a banker once seen as Lukashenka’s toughest rival in the August elections but who was prevented from running and jailed.
Others in the picture include Lilia Vlasova, a lawyer who is a member of the opposition's Coordination Council, and the Belarusian-American political analyst Vitali Shkliarov. All look pale and unsmiling.
Belarusian opposition figures described the visit as a sign of weakness from Lukashenka.
Tsikhanouskaya, who has taken refuge in Lithuania, wrote on social media on October 10 that Lukashenka had "acknowledged the existence of political prisoners whom he used to call criminals." But she said "you can't have dialogue in a prison cell."
Tsikhanouskaya also said she was allowed on October 10 to have her first phone call in four months with her jailed husband, video blogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski.
Tsikhanouskaya only stood as a presidential candidate against Lukashenka after the jailing of her husband by Belarusian authorities eliminated his possibility of running in the election.
Paval Latushka, a former Belarusian diplomat who became a member of the opposition's Coordination Council, wrote on social media that the October 10 meeting in the detention center "showed we are on the right track.”
Latushka said Lukashenka was "forced to sit down for talks with those he himself put behind bars."
In a brief video excerpt, Lukashenka told the political prisoners: "You can't rewrite the constitution on the street." He was referring to mass demonstrations that have continued across the country since election officials announced a tally showing Lukashenka with about 80 percent of the August vote.
October 10 also saw the latest protest against Lukashenka -- a now regular event in which women hold peaceful marches, often carrying flowers.
With reporting by AFP, TASS, and Interfax