rferl--2020-10-22--RSF Urges UN To Address 'Violent Crackdown' On Journalists In Belarus

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) has formally asked the United Nations to condemn the `` unprecedented violent crackdown '' on journalists as well as censorship in Belarus following a presidential election in August that has triggered nationwide protests and international scorn .
RSF said it had referred the crackdown on press freedom in Belarus to three UN human rights experts on October 22 and called on them to `` make every possible effort to get the Belarusian authorities to guarantee that all abuses against journalists and media and all obstacles to the freedom to inform cease at once .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for all violations of journalists ' rights to be thoroughly and impartially investigated , `` including at the international level . ''
Those responsible should be prosecuted in compliance with international standards , the group told the three UN special rapporteurs -- on freedom of opinion and expression ; on torture and other cruel , inhuman , or degrading treatment or punishment ; and on the situation of human rights in Belarus .
Protests against Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka have been ongoing since the disputed presidential election on August 9 that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A subsequent crackdown by the authorities has resulted in several deaths , hundreds of injuries , and more than 10,000 arrests .
The authorities have also `` violently and relentlessly suppressed the freedom to inform for more than three months , although this is a key moment for democracy and the rule of law in Belarus , '' said Paul Coppin , the head of RSF 's legal unit .
The crackdown on journalists included `` widespread and arbitrary arrests and imprisonment , prolonged detentions , beatings , deportations , and withdrawal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that the authorities also disconnected the Internet and restricted access to news sites and electronic messaging services .
RSF said it had reported hundreds of violations of journalists ' rights since the election , including 290 detentions .
Seven journalists are currently in jail .
Ruled by Lukashenka for 26 years , Belarus is ranked 153rd out of 180 countries in RSF 's 2020 World Press Freedom Index .

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has formally asked the United Nations to condemn the "unprecedented violent crackdown" on journalists as well as censorship in Belarus following a presidential election in August that has triggered nationwide protests and international scorn.
RSF said it had referred the crackdown on press freedom in Belarus to three UN human rights experts on October 22 and called on them to "make every possible effort to get the Belarusian authorities to guarantee that all abuses against journalists and media and all obstacles to the freedom to inform cease at once."
The Paris-based media-freedom watchdog is also calling for all violations of journalists' rights to be thoroughly and impartially investigated, "including at the international level."
Those responsible should be prosecuted in compliance with international standards, the group told the three UN special rapporteurs -- on freedom of opinion and expression; on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; and on the situation of human rights in Belarus.
Protests against Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka have been ongoing since the disputed presidential election on August 9 that the opposition and Western governments say was rigged. A subsequent crackdown by the authorities has resulted in several deaths, hundreds of injuries, and more than 10,000 arrests.
The authorities have also "violently and relentlessly suppressed the freedom to inform for more than three months, although this is a key moment for democracy and the rule of law in Belarus," said Paul Coppin, the head of RSF's legal unit.
The crackdown on journalists included "widespread and arbitrary arrests and imprisonment, prolonged detentions, beatings, deportations, and withdrawal of accreditation," RSF said, adding that the authorities also disconnected the Internet and restricted access to news sites and electronic messaging services.
RSF said it had reported hundreds of violations of journalists' rights since the election, including 290 detentions.
Seven journalists are currently in jail.
Ruled by Lukashenka for 26 years, Belarus is ranked 153rd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2020 World Press Freedom Index.


rferl--2020-10-22--Civil Rights Activist Badly Beaten By Unknown Assailants In Russia

ULYANOVSK , Russia -- A lawyer and civil right activist says he has been attacked and severely beaten by unknown @ @ @ @ @ of Ulyanovsk .
Almaz Kuchembayev told RFE/RL that he was attacked on October 21 as @ @ @ @ @ from his office late on October 21 .
Kuchembayev said the men used pepper spray @ @ @ @ @ the attack , in which he suffered a broken nose and multiple head injuries that @ @ @ @ @ an active member of a group uniting local lawyers and architects who fight against the @ @ @ @ @ mansions in Ulyanovsk , said he believed the attack was planned and connected to his @ @ @ @ @ .
Police were called to the scene , where they launched an investigation .
Ulyanovsk @ @ @ @ @ of Moscow .

ULYANOVSK, Russia -- A lawyer and civil right activist says he has been attacked and severely beaten by unknown assailants in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk.
Almaz Kuchembayev told RFE/RL that he was attacked on October 21 as he made his way home from his office late on October 21.
Kuchembayev said the men used pepper spray and an iron rod in the attack, in which he suffered a broken nose and multiple head injuries that required stitches.
Kuchembayev, an active member of a group uniting local lawyers and architects who fight against the illegal construction of buildings and mansions in Ulyanovsk, said he believed the attack was planned and connected to his professional and civil rights activities.
Police were called to the scene, where they launched an investigation.
Ulyanovsk is about 800 kilometers east of Moscow.


rferl--2020-10-22--Uzbek Company Starts Paying Overdue Salaries After Mass Protests

The Uzbek company Enter Engineering has started paying overdue salaries to workers after they rioted over the back wages owed from the construction of a large gas-to-liquid facility .
An official who identified himself as a member of the company 's special group investigating the mass protest told RFE/RL on October 22 that the workers ' salaries are being paid off .
Several workers confirmed to RFE/RL that they had received their overdue salaries for the past three months .
On October 21 , thousands of workers at the facility under construction in the Guzor district rioted , storming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by RFE/RL from the site showed ransacked offices with broken furniture and computers .
Some workers from the facility told RFE/RL then that Uzbek National Guard , security troops , and police were brought to the Guzor district to break up the riot .
Information about casualties was not made public .
One of the workers told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that the riots started after Enter Engineering failed to provide employees with food on the evening on October 20 , which added to the workers ' ongoing frustration over unpaid salaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the riots started after workers were unable to open the massive door to the cafeteria due to a malfunction of its electronic locking system .
On October 22 , a worker told RFE/RL that , besides overdue salaries and food issues , one of the main reasons for the riot was quarantine restrictions that postponed regular workers ' shifts , forcing them to stay at the facility 's construction site for long periods without seeing their families .
The Prosecutor-General 's Office spokesman , Hayot Shamsutdinov , told reporters that the situation @ @ @ @

The Uzbek company Enter Engineering has started paying overdue salaries to workers after they rioted over the back wages owed from the construction of a large gas-to-liquid facility.
An official who identified himself as a member of the company's special group investigating the mass protest told RFE/RL on October 22 that the workers' salaries are being paid off. Several workers confirmed to RFE/RL that they had received their overdue salaries for the past three months.
On October 21, thousands of workers at the facility under construction in the Guzor district rioted, storming the facility's administration building.
Video obtained by RFE/RL from the site showed ransacked offices with broken furniture and computers.
Some workers from the facility told RFE/RL then that Uzbek National Guard, security troops, and police were brought to the Guzor district to break up the riot.
Information about casualties was not made public.
One of the workers told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that the riots started after Enter Engineering failed to provide employees with food on the evening on October 20, which added to the workers' ongoing frustration over unpaid salaries.
An official from the Tashkent-based firm said the riots started after workers were unable to open the massive door to the cafeteria due to a malfunction of its electronic locking system.
On October 22, a worker told RFE/RL that, besides overdue salaries and food issues, one of the main reasons for the riot was quarantine restrictions that postponed regular workers' shifts, forcing them to stay at the facility's construction site for long periods without seeing their families.
The Prosecutor-General's Office spokesman, Hayot Shamsutdinov, told reporters that the situation was being investigated.


rferl--2020-10-22--Human Rights Watchdogs Urge Turkmenistan To Release Lawyer Allaberdyev

Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) says 10 human rights organizations have urged the Turkmen authorities to `` immediately and unconditionally release '' Pygambergeldy Allaberdyev , a lawyer `` imprisoned on bogus charges that appear to be in retaliation for his alleged ties to activists abroad .
In its October 22 statement , HRW said the authorities of Turkmenistan `` should quash '' Allaberdyev 's conviction .
Allaberdyev , a lawyer with a government oil- and gas-production office in the western city of Balkanabat , was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of hooliganism and intentional infliction of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and charges against Allaberdyev , and the surrounding circumstances , clearly suggest that the case is political , '' said Rachel Denber , HRW 's deputy Europe and Central Asia director .
`` The authorities should release him immediately and annul his conviction , '' she added .
The 10 groups that demanded Allaberdyev 's release are the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee , Crude Accountability , the Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights , the Democratic Civil Union of Turkmenistan , Freedom Files , HRW , the Memorial Human Rights Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights , and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights .
The Moscow-based Memorial human rights center and the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation said earlier that the 48-year-old Allaberdyev was arrested on September 7 and accused of having links to Turkmen activists residing abroad who recently staged a number of rallies in the United States , Turkey , and Northern Cyprus to protest against constitutional amendments in the tightly controlled Central Asian state .
Police detained Allaberdyev after a man attacked him near a grocery store in Balkanabat and accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the human rights groups that later , an officer from the National Security Ministry interrogated Allaberdyev about his alleged connections with activists involved in the Turkmen protest movement abroad .
Government critics and human rights groups say Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has suppressed dissent and made few changes in the restrictive country since he came to power after the death of autocrat Saparmurat Niyazov in 2006 .

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says 10 human rights organizations have urged the Turkmen authorities to "immediately and unconditionally release" Pygambergeldy Allaberdyev, a lawyer "imprisoned on bogus charges that appear to be in retaliation for his alleged ties to activists abroad.
In its October 22 statement, HRW said the authorities of Turkmenistan "should quash" Allaberdyev's conviction.
Allaberdyev, a lawyer with a government oil- and gas-production office in the western city of Balkanabat, was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of hooliganism and intentional infliction of moderate bodily harm.
"The trial and charges against Allaberdyev, and the surrounding circumstances, clearly suggest that the case is political," said Rachel Denber, HRW's deputy Europe and Central Asia director.
"The authorities should release him immediately and annul his conviction," she added.
The 10 groups that demanded Allaberdyev's release are the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Crude Accountability, the Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights, the Democratic Civil Union of Turkmenistan, Freedom Files, HRW, the Memorial Human Rights Center, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights.
The Moscow-based Memorial human rights center and the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation said earlier that the 48-year-old Allaberdyev was arrested on September 7 and accused of having links to Turkmen activists residing abroad who recently staged a number of rallies in the United States, Turkey, and Northern Cyprus to protest against constitutional amendments in the tightly controlled Central Asian state.
Police detained Allaberdyev after a man attacked him near a grocery store in Balkanabat and accused him of hooliganism.
But sources told the human rights groups that later, an officer from the National Security Ministry interrogated Allaberdyev about his alleged connections with activists involved in the Turkmen protest movement abroad.
Allaberdyev denied all the allegations.
Government critics and human rights groups say Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has suppressed dissent and made few changes in the restrictive country since he came to power after the death of autocrat Saparmurat Niyazov in 2006.


rferl--2020-10-23--Russia Cites 'Hope,' Challenges To Reaching New START Extension With U.S.

The Kremlin says a possible one-year extension of the New START arms-control treaty beyond its current expiration in February would be aimed at buying time for the two sides to reach a new agreement instead of prolonging the current accord .
President Vladimir Putin 's spokesman , Dmitry Peskov , also reiterated on October 23 Moscow 's insistence that the U.S. side `` avoid any extra conditions '' in the current bid for a 12-month extension .
`` It 's necessary to agree first , it 's necessary to avoid any extra conditions , '' Peskov said .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in the near future and that at least this [ year ] can be secured for difficult talks . ''
Reports this week have suggested the gap between the two sides was narrowing since Washington last week rejected Moscow 's offer to unconditionally extend for a year the last major U.S.-Russian arms-control treaty .
U.S. officials said on October 20 that they were prepared `` immediately '' to meet with their Russian counterparts to finalize a deal to extend New START by one year after Moscow said it backed a U.S. proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period if Washington did the same and made no other demands .
`` Hope has now emerged , '' Peskov told Russian television on October 22 , adding Moscow was looking to agree on the extension by the end of the year .
`` But this is not the hope that the treaty will live on .
Rather , this is hope that we 'll be able to try to discuss its further viability . ''
The RIA Novosti news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying the two sides still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2010 to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( START I ) that went into effect in 1994 , New START imposes limits on the two countries ' strategic nuclear arsenals .
Its terms say it can be extended for five years , which Moscow has said it is ready to do without preconditions .
A possible extension of the accord -- even by one year -- would mark a rare bright spot in the strained relationship between the two countries , while failure to extend it would remove the main pillar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The White House , which has already withdrawn from other arms-control treaties because it accused Moscow of violating them and felt the agreements benefited Russia more than the United States , has called for China to join Moscow and Washington to find a replacement for New START .
China , which has a small fraction of the nuclear weapons that Russia and the United States possess , has rejected the idea .
`` We appreciate the Russian Federation 's willingness to make progress on the issue of nuclear arms control , '' State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement on October 20 .
`` The United States is prepared to meet immediately to finalize a verifiable agreement .
We expect Russia to empower its diplomats to do the same , '' Ortagus added .
The United States and its allies have accused Russia of violating the now-defunct Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces ( INF ) Treaty between Moscow and Washington .
Washington has also unilaterally exited Open Skies , a treaty that permitted the United States and Russia to conduct reconnaissance flights over each others territory .
With reporting by Reuters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The Kremlin says a possible one-year extension of the New START arms-control treaty beyond its current expiration in February would be aimed at buying time for the two sides to reach a new agreement instead of prolonging the current accord.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, also reiterated on October 23 Moscow's insistence that the U.S. side "avoid any extra conditions" in the current bid for a 12-month extension.
"It's necessary to agree first, it's necessary to avoid any extra conditions," Peskov said. "We hope such an expert meeting will take place in the near future and that at least this [year] can be secured for difficult talks."
Reports this week have suggested the gap between the two sides was narrowing since Washington last week rejected Moscow's offer to unconditionally extend for a year the last major U.S.-Russian arms-control treaty.
U.S. officials said on October 20 that they were prepared "immediately" to meet with their Russian counterparts to finalize a deal to extend New START by one year after Moscow said it backed a U.S. proposal to freeze its nuclear-warhead totals over the period if Washington did the same and made no other demands.
"Hope has now emerged," Peskov told Russian television on October 22, adding Moscow was looking to agree on the extension by the end of the year. "But this is not the hope that the treaty will live on. Rather, this is hope that we'll be able to try to discuss its further viability."
The RIA Novosti news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying the two sides still were not close to agreement.
Signed in 2010 to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) that went into effect in 1994, New START imposes limits on the two countries' strategic nuclear arsenals.
Its terms say it can be extended for five years, which Moscow has said it is ready to do without preconditions.
A possible extension of the accord -- even by one year -- would mark a rare bright spot in the strained relationship between the two countries, while failure to extend it would remove the main pillar maintaining the nuclear balance between them.
The White House, which has already withdrawn from other arms-control treaties because it accused Moscow of violating them and felt the agreements benefited Russia more than the United States, has called for China to join Moscow and Washington to find a replacement for New START.
China, which has a small fraction of the nuclear weapons that Russia and the United States possess, has rejected the idea.
"We appreciate the Russian Federation's willingness to make progress on the issue of nuclear arms control," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement on October 20.
"The United States is prepared to meet immediately to finalize a verifiable agreement. We expect Russia to empower its diplomats to do the same," Ortagus added.
The United States and its allies have accused Russia of violating the now-defunct Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between Moscow and Washington.
Washington has also unilaterally exited Open Skies, a treaty that permitted the United States and Russia to conduct reconnaissance flights over each others territory.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, RIA Novosti, and Interfax


rferl--2020-10-23--Russian Minister Says Toxic Algae Caused Death Of Marine Life In Kamchatka

Russia 's minister of natural resources says the mass death of marine life off the coast of the Kamchatka region in the Far East is due to `` natural causes '' and excluded any manmade causes .
Dmitry Kobylkin said in a televised interview on October 23 that the mass death was caused by `` toxic algae . ''
`` We have not found any leaks of oil products or any other types of extreme excesses that could lead to the death of aquatic organisms , '' Kobylkin said .
According to Kobylkin , a special scientific expedition next year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might have caused the outflux of toxins from the algae .
In late September , residents of local settlements and surfers complained that the waters near the Kamchatka Peninsula had changed color and a large number of marine animals , such as octopuses , sea urchins , starfish , and others , started dying en mass .
The residents also complained that they experienced sore throats and eyes inflammations after swimming in the area .
Meanwhile , environmental group Greenpeace warned of an ecological disaster in the area .
Greenpeace activists who travelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yellowish foam on the ocean 's surface in several places .
The World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF ) conservation group said the pollution appeared to be caused by a highly soluble substance .
Russia 's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case over the pollution , saying in a statement that they were treating a bloom of naturally occurring algae as the most likely cause .
It said in a statement that elevated levels of phenols -- an oil product -- in water were not critical and had been found in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 1970 .
Based on reporting by Rossia-24 , TASS , Interfax , and Reuters

Russia's minister of natural resources says the mass death of marine life off the coast of the Kamchatka region in the Far East is due to "natural causes" and excluded any manmade causes.
Dmitry Kobylkin said in a televised interview on October 23 that the mass death was caused by "toxic algae."
"We have not found any leaks of oil products or any other types of extreme excesses that could lead to the death of aquatic organisms," Kobylkin said.
According to Kobylkin, a special scientific expedition next year will work on finding causes of what might have caused the outflux of toxins from the algae.
In late September, residents of local settlements and surfers complained that the waters near the Kamchatka Peninsula had changed color and a large number of marine animals, such as octopuses, sea urchins, starfish, and others, started dying en mass.
The residents also complained that they experienced sore throats and eyes inflammations after swimming in the area.
Meanwhile, environmental group Greenpeace warned of an ecological disaster in the area.
Greenpeace activists who travelled to the site said they had found yellowish foam on the ocean's surface in several places. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) conservation group said the pollution appeared to be caused by a highly soluble substance.
Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case over the pollution, saying in a statement that they were treating a bloom of naturally occurring algae as the most likely cause.
It said in a statement that elevated levels of phenols -- an oil product -- in water were not critical and had been found in the Avacha Bay on Kamchatka's southern coast since 1970.
Based on reporting by Rossia-24, TASS, Interfax, and Reuters


rferl--2020-10-23--Ahead Of U.S. Talks, Azerbaijan Accused Of Cluster-Bombing 'Residential Areas'

International watchdog group Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) has accused Azerbaijan of `` repeatedly '' using widely banned cluster munitions in residential areas in Nagorno-Karabakh since its war with Armenian forces over the enclave dramatically escalated last month .
HRW on October 23 cited four such incidents based on `` an on-site investigation '' in the breakaway Azerbaijani territory , which is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians and has been at the heart of post-Soviet Europe 's longest running `` frozen conflict . ''
The latest accusation of Baku 's use of the banned weapons came just hours ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers .
Hundreds of people have been killed since fighting flared on September 27 , raising fears of a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in Turkey , which backs Azerbaijan , and Russia , a key player in the region that has a military treaty with Armenia .
Optimism that the talks in Washington might quell the fighting appeared to dim on October 22 as the two sides engaged in new battles while leaders in Baku and Yerevan hardened their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caucasus archfoes that both collapsed quickly after being agreed upon .
Cluster munitions are banned due to their unpredictable effects across a widespread area , as well as long-term dangers from unexploded submunitions .
They can be dropped from the air or fired from the ground .
Both the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides have denied using cluster bombs while accusing the other of firing them .
HRW said it had not verified Azerbaijan 's claims that the Armenian side had used cluster munitions , .
HRW said its observers personally inspected `` remnants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remnants of submunitions that exploded , as well as dud submunitions '' fired by Azerbaijani forces at several locations in Stepanakert .
Until recently , Stepanakert ( Xankandi in Azeri ) housed around 55,000 of the mountainous region 's 150,000 or so people , but the city has been devastated by artillery and other fire in the current fighting .
HRW said it also saw photographs of similar evidence from at least one other town .
`` The continued use of cluster munitions -- particularly in populated areas -- shows flagrant disregard for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quoted its arms-division director , Stephen Goose , who is also chairman of the Cluster Munition Coalition campaign to eradicate the weapons , as saying .
`` Cluster munitions should never be used by anyone under any circumstances , much less in cities , due to the foreseeable and unacceptable harm to civilians , '' he added .
Both sides also have denied targeting civilians , but rights groups have warned against the use of banned munitions such as cluster bombs .
Amnesty International said on October 5 that its experts identified cluster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Azerbaijani forces into residential areas of Stepanakert in the early days of this flare-up .
`` The use of cluster bombs in any circumstances is banned under international humanitarian law , so their use to attack civilian areas is particularly dangerous and will only lead to further deaths and injuries , '' London-based Amnesty International said in a statement .
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian are due to meet separately with Pompeo in Washington on October 23 .
It is not known if the two ministers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the talks .
Pompeo has said he will tell them that `` the right path forward is to cease the conflict , tell them to deescalate , that every country should stay out -- provide no fuel for this conflict , no weapons systems , no support . ''
Russian President Vladimir Putin said recently that he believed nearly 5,000 people had been killed in the latest fighting .
`` I very much hope that our American partners will act in unison with us and will help the settlement , '' Putin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Ilham Aliyev has demanded promises that Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts controlled by ethnic Armenians be returned to Azerbaijan .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , and Interfax

Azerbaijani and ethnic Armenian forces continued to clash in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on October 23 as the top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on the decades-long conflict over the breakaway region.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian met separately with Pompeo at the State Department. Pompeo made no substantive remarks after greeting the ministers.
Pompeo "emphasized the need to end the violence and protect civilians," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement after the talks.
Pompeo also stressed the importance of the sides entering substantive negotiations under the auspices of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Ortagus said. The United States, France, and Russia are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group, set up in the early 1990s to find a resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
After his meeting with Pompeo, Mnatsakanian told reporters "very good" as he exited the State Department, adding that work on a cease-fire would continue, according to Reuters.
Bayramov said he told Pompeo that the "Armenian occupation" of Nagorno-Karabakh must end.
"We are committed to finding a political solution [to] the conflict and ready to resume substantive talks immediately," Bayramov said in a statement after the talks quoted by AFP.
"Armenia must stop avoiding meaningful negotiations and choose lasting peace," he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who was asked about the talks during an impromptu press conference at the White House, said "really good progress is being made." He noted that there were a lot of people originally from Armenia living in the United States and "they are great people and we are going to help them."
New Battles
The meeting in Washington occurred as heavy fighting continued over Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory located inside Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians, as well as surrounding areas controlled by Armenian forces.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the two countries have hardened their positions in recent days despite two Russian-brokered cease-fires between the Caucasus archfoes that both collapsed quickly after being agreed upon.
The two sides traded accusations about the fresh violence on October 23 that was said to include some shelling of residential areas.
At least some 1,000 people have been reported killed since fighting erupted on September 27, raising fears of a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in Turkey, which backs Azerbaijan, and Russia, a key player in the region that has a military treaty with Armenia.
Armenian forces and the Azerbaijani military claim to have inflicted devastating losses on the other side, but reports from the opposing sides are often contradictory and hard to verify.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 22 that Moscow believed nearly 5,000 people had been killed cumulatively in the fighting.
Shortly before the Washington talks were due to start, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated demands Turkey become one of the Minsk Group co-chairs, a position that has also been put forward by Azerbaijan.
"Turkey believes it has just as much right as Russia to be involved here for peace," he told reporters.
The Minsk Group hasn't "yielded any result thus far," Erdogan said after Friday Prayers. "Azerbaijan is making its rightful demand and saying that if Armenia proposes Russia, we propose Turkey."
"I hope we [Turkey and Russia] will take successful steps in the future as well for a solution in Syria and Libya as well as on the Azerbaijan-Armenia issue and achieve a settlement in these matters," Erdogan said.
The United States, France, and Russia have rebuffed calls from Turkey to play a more direct role, with Pompeo appearing last week to send a veiled message to Ankara suggesting it was inflaming a "dangerous" situation by arming and publicly backing Baku's actions.
'Cluster Munitions'
Earlier on October 23, international watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Azerbaijan of "repeatedly" using widely banned cluster munitions in residential areas in Nagorno-Karabakh.
HRW cited four such incidents based on "an on-site investigation" in the breakaway Azerbaijani territory, which is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians and has been at the heart of post-Soviet Europe's longest running "frozen conflict."
Cluster munitions are banned due to their unpredictable effects across a widespread area, as well as long-term dangers from unexploded submunitions. They can be dropped from the air or fired from the ground.
Both the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides have denied using cluster bombs while accusing the other of firing them.
HRW said it had not verified Azerbaijan's claims that the Armenian side had used cluster munitions.
HRW said its observers personally inspected "remnants of the rockets, impacts, and remnants of submunitions that exploded, as well as dud submunitions" fired by Azerbaijani forces at several locations in Stepanakert.
Until recently, Stepanakert housed around 55,000 of the mountainous region's 150,000 or so people, but the city has been devastated by artillery and other fire in the current fighting.
Azerbaijan denounced the Amnesty statement, insisting that the Azerbaijani army is not deliberately targeting civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Internationally recognized as part of mainly Muslim Azerbaijan, the mountainous territory of Nagorno-Karabakh has been controlled by mainly Christian ethnic Armenians, backed by Yerevan, since a 1994 cease-fire.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and Interfax


rferl--2020-10-23--Russian Actor, Kremlin Critic Yefremov's Eight-Year Prison Term Cut By Six Months

MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has cut by six months the eight-year prison term of actor Mikhail Yefremov , an outspoken Kremlin critic , who was sentenced for killing a person while driving under influence of alcohol .
The Moscow City Court late on October 22 ruled that Yefremov 's sentence could be shortened because he paid financial compensation to the relatives of Sergei Zakharov , the man whom he killed in an auto accident in June .
Yefremov 's lawyers said the ruling will be appealed .
Moscow 's Presnensky district court sentenced Yefremov on September 8 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilty of `` causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence . ''
Police say Yefremov was inebriated when he drove his car at high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow on the evening of June 8 , hitting Zakharov 's car .
Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident , but the 57-year-old Zakharov was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later .
After Zakharov was pronounced dead , Yefremov was charged and placed under house arrest .
Authorities later said that medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs , including cocaine , in his blood at the moment of the accident .
Performances by the 56-year-old Yefremov satirizing President Vladimir Putin and his policies have proven popular among Russians in recent years .

MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has cut by six months the eight-year prison term of actor Mikhail Yefremov, an outspoken Kremlin critic, who was sentenced for killing a person while driving under influence of alcohol.
The Moscow City Court late on October 22 ruled that Yefremov's sentence could be shortened because he paid financial compensation to the relatives of Sergei Zakharov, the man whom he killed in an auto accident in June.
Yefremov's lawyers said the ruling will be appealed.
Moscow's Presnensky district court sentenced Yefremov on September 8 to eight years in prison after finding him guilty of "causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence."
Police say Yefremov was inebriated when he drove his car at high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow on the evening of June 8, hitting Zakharov's car.
Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident, but the 57-year-old Zakharov was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later.
After Zakharov was pronounced dead, Yefremov was charged and placed under house arrest.
Authorities later said that medical tests confirmed that Yefremov had traces of drugs, including cocaine, in his blood at the moment of the accident.
Performances by the 56-year-old Yefremov satirizing President Vladimir Putin and his policies have proven popular among Russians in recent years.


rferl--2020-10-23--Armenia's Main Opposition Leader Freed On Bail

Armenia 's main opposition party leader has been released on bail nearly a month after his detention in a vote-buying case he calls politically motivated .
Gagik Tsarukian , a wealthy businessman and leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party ( BHK ) , has been accused of electoral bribery during the 2017 parliamentary elections .
He was released from detention on October 22 on a bail of 100 million drams ( $ 206,000 ) .
Calls for the release of the head of Armenia 's largest parliamentary opposition force grew after the outbreak of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenian forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 27 .
BHK figures and other opposition politicians said his release would strengthen national unity in the face of what Armenia views as an existential threat against Nagorno-Karabakh , a territory located inside Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians .
The oligarch was taken into custody on September 25 , just over three months after the parliament dominated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 's allies stripped him of his parliamentary immunity and allowed prosecutors to launch a criminal investigation against him .
Pashinian , a reformist pressing an anti-corruption campaign , came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mass popular protests .
The National Security Service ( HAATs ) claims Tsarukian `` created and led an organized group '' that bought more than 17,000 votes for BHK during parliamentary elections held in 2017 .
The electoral fraud probe has led to the indictment of 14 individuals , among them two former BHK parliament deputies , and the questioning of more than 160 other people .
Tsarukian and his party maintain that Pashinian ordered the criminal proceedings in response to the BHK leader 's calls for the government 's resignation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivated .
In June , a Yerevan court refused to allow Tsarukian 's pretrial arrest .
But that decision was overturned weeks later in July by Armenia 's Court of Appeals , which ordered a lower court to hold another hearing .
A judge at that lower court sanctioned Tsarukian 's pretrial arrest on September 25 .
The same judge agreed to grant him bail .
Defense lawyers claim prosecutors have pushed for Tsarukian 's arrest despite producing no proof that their client has pressured witnesses or obstructed the HAATs investigation .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cabinet formed following anti-government protests that led to the peaceful fall of longtime President Serzh Sarkisian in April 2018 .

Armenia's main opposition party leader has been released on bail nearly a month after his detention in a vote-buying case he calls politically motivated.
Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman and leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), has been accused of electoral bribery during the 2017 parliamentary elections.
He was released from detention on October 22 on a bail of 100 million drams ($206,000).
Calls for the release of the head of Armenia's largest parliamentary opposition force grew after the outbreak of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenian forces over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27.
BHK figures and other opposition politicians said his release would strengthen national unity in the face of what Armenia views as an existential threat against Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory located inside Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians.
The oligarch was taken into custody on September 25, just over three months after the parliament dominated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's allies stripped him of his parliamentary immunity and allowed prosecutors to launch a criminal investigation against him.
Pashinian, a reformist pressing an anti-corruption campaign, came to power in 2018 in the wake of mass popular protests.
The National Security Service (HAATs) claims Tsarukian "created and led an organized group" that bought more than 17,000 votes for BHK during parliamentary elections held in 2017.
The electoral fraud probe has led to the indictment of 14 individuals, among them two former BHK parliament deputies, and the questioning of more than 160 other people.
Tsarukian and his party maintain that Pashinian ordered the criminal proceedings in response to the BHK leader's calls for the government's resignation. Pashinian denies that the case is politically motivated.
In June, a Yerevan court refused to allow Tsarukian's pretrial arrest. But that decision was overturned weeks later in July by Armenia's Court of Appeals, which ordered a lower court to hold another hearing.
A judge at that lower court sanctioned Tsarukian's pretrial arrest on September 25. The same judge agreed to grant him bail.
Defense lawyers claim prosecutors have pushed for Tsarukian's arrest despite producing no proof that their client has pressured witnesses or obstructed the HAATs investigation.
The BHK was part of Pashinian's first cabinet formed following anti-government protests that led to the peaceful fall of longtime President Serzh Sarkisian in April 2018.


rferl--2020-10-23--U.S. Says Russian Hackers Targeted State, Local Governments Ahead Of Election

Russian state-sponsored hackers have targeted dozens of U.S. state and local government networks in recent weeks and stolen data from at least two servers , the U.S. government says .
In an advisory released on October 22 , the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) described a range of activity from Russian-backed hackers since at least September .
The agencies said that to date , there was no indication the hackers intentionally disrupted aviation , education , elections , or government operations .
`` However , the actor may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to influence U.S. policies and actions , or to delegitimize '' state and local governments , the agencies said .
The advisory did not mention who was targeted , saying only the campaign was against `` a wide variety of U.S .
targets . ''
It said the hackers -- identified as Berserk Bear , Energetic Bear , Dragonfly , and other names -- had successfully compromised network infrastructure and stolen data from at least two servers .
The warning comes less than two weeks before the November 3 election and as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts by foreign countries to spread false information or interfere in the election .
The United States has said that Russia , which interfered in the 2016 election by hacking Democratic Party e-mail accounts and through social-media campaigns , is trying to interfere again this year .
However , U.S. officials say that Americans can be confident in the electoral process and that it would be extremely difficult for malign cyber-actors to influence vote tallies in any meaningful way .
The alert comes after U.S. officials on October 21 claimed both Iran and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were attempting to influence public opinion ahead of the election .
The announcement at a rare news conference underscored the concern within the U.S. government about efforts by foreign countries to spread false information meant to suppress voter turnout and undermine Americans ' confidence in the vote .
U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said Iran had been sending spoofed e-mails designed to intimidate voters , create social unrest , and damage President Donald Trump .
He said Iran was responsible for intimidating e-mails sent to Democratic voters in at least four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The voter-intimidation operation apparently used e-mail addresses obtained from state voter-registration lists , which include party affiliation and home addresses and can include e-mail addresses and phone numbers .
It was n't clear if the information was hacked or obtained another way , such as through criminal networks on the dark web .
Some voter information is publicly available .
Ratcliffe said that U.S. intelligence had not observed the same action from Russia , but that `` we are aware that they have obtained some voter information just as they did in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have denied the U.S. claims .

Russian state-sponsored hackers have targeted dozens of U.S. state and local government networks in recent weeks and stolen data from at least two servers, the U.S. government says.
In an advisory released on October 22, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) described a range of activity from Russian-backed hackers since at least September.
The agencies said that to date, there was no indication the hackers intentionally disrupted aviation, education, elections, or government operations.
"However, the actor may be seeking access to obtain future disruption options, to influence U.S. policies and actions, or to delegitimize" state and local governments, the agencies said.
The advisory did not mention who was targeted, saying only the campaign was against "a wide variety of U.S. targets."
It said the hackers -- identified as Berserk Bear, Energetic Bear, Dragonfly, and other names -- had successfully compromised network infrastructure and stolen data from at least two servers.
The warning comes less than two weeks before the November 3 election and as U.S. authorities are on high alert for efforts by foreign countries to spread false information or interfere in the election.
The United States has said that Russia, which interfered in the 2016 election by hacking Democratic Party e-mail accounts and through social-media campaigns, is trying to interfere again this year.
However, U.S. officials say that Americans can be confident in the electoral process and that it would be extremely difficult for malign cyber-actors to influence vote tallies in any meaningful way.
The alert comes after U.S. officials on October 21 claimed both Iran and Russia had obtained U.S. voter information and were attempting to influence public opinion ahead of the election.
The announcement at a rare news conference underscored the concern within the U.S. government about efforts by foreign countries to spread false information meant to suppress voter turnout and undermine Americans' confidence in the vote.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said Iran had been sending spoofed e-mails designed to intimidate voters, create social unrest, and damage President Donald Trump.
He said Iran was responsible for intimidating e-mails sent to Democratic voters in at least four battleground states, including Florida and Pennsylvania.
The voter-intimidation operation apparently used e-mail addresses obtained from state voter-registration lists, which include party affiliation and home addresses and can include e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
It wasn't clear if the information was hacked or obtained another way, such as through criminal networks on the dark web. Some voter information is publicly available.
Ratcliffe said that U.S. intelligence had not observed the same action from Russia, but that "we are aware that they have obtained some voter information just as they did in 2016."
Both Iran and Russia have denied the U.S. claims.


rferl--2020-10-22--EU, U.K. Slap Sanctions On Two Russians Over Bundestag Cyberattacks

The European Union and Great Britain have imposed sanctions against the head of Russia 's GRU military intelligence agency , a unit within the agency , and one of its officers for their involvement in a 2015 cyberattack on Germany 's lower house of parliament .
The EU Official Journal on October 22 published the names of the targeted individuals and entity that the bloc said `` are responsible for or were involved '' in the cyberattack on the Bundestag 's information system in April and May 2015 .
During the attack , the system 's operations were disrupted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of data was stolen , and the e-mail accounts of several members of parliament , including Chancellor Angela Merkel 's , were `` affected , '' the EU said .
The British government announced shortly afterward that it would apply the EU sanctions , with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab saying in a statement that his country `` stands shoulder to shoulder with Germany and our European partners to hold Russia to account for cyberattacks designed to undermine Western democracies . ''
The entity targeted by an asset freeze is a unit within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center ( GTsSS ) , also known as military unit 26165 , whose officers took part in the cyberattack against the Bundestag , according to the EU .
The individuals hit by asset freezes and travel bans include GTsSS officer Dmitry Badin , who the EU said was part of the team that conducted the cyberattack .
The EU also targeted Igor Kostyukov , saying that as head of the GRU he is responsible for cyberattacks carried out by the GTsSS .
The bloc also noted that military intelligence officers of the GTsSS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Wi-Fi network of The Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in April 2018 .
Kostyukov has already been put under sanctions by the EU for his role in the near-fatal poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter , Yulia , in Britain in 2018 German prosecutors have issued a warrant for Badin , who was already being sought by U.S. authorities and is believed to be part of the hacker group known as APT28 , or Fancy Bear .
In May , Merkel said that Berlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of `` Russian forces '' in the 2015 cyberattacks in which documents from her own parliamentary office were reportedly stolen and called the actions `` outrageous . ''
The EU used its sanctions regime in relation to cyberattacks targeting the bloc or its member states for the first time in July .
The council 's latest decision means that a total of eight people -- six Russian citizens and two Chinese citizens – and four entities -- two Russian , one Chinese , and one North Korean -- have been targeted by restrictive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Union and Britain imposed asset freezes and travel bans against six senior Russian officials and one entity for the `` attempted assassination '' of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny in August .
A Kremlin-connected businessman , Yevgeny Prigozhin , was also hit over his alleged role in Libya 's civil war .

The European Union and Great Britain have imposed sanctions against the head of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, a unit within the agency, and one of its officers for their involvement in a 2015 cyberattack on Germany's lower house of parliament.
The EU Official Journal on October 22 published the names of the targeted individuals and entity that the bloc said "are responsible for or were involved" in the cyberattack on the Bundestag's information system in April and May 2015.
During the attack, the system's operations were disrupted for several days, a "significant" amount of data was stolen, and the e-mail accounts of several members of parliament, including Chancellor Angela Merkel's, were "affected," the EU said.
The British government announced shortly afterward that it would apply the EU sanctions, with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab saying in a statement that his country "stands shoulder to shoulder with Germany and our European partners to hold Russia to account for cyberattacks designed to undermine Western democracies."
The entity targeted by an asset freeze is a unit within the GRU's 85th Main Special Service Center (GTsSS), also known as military unit 26165, whose officers took part in the cyberattack against the Bundestag, according to the EU.
The individuals hit by asset freezes and travel bans include GTsSS officer Dmitry Badin, who the EU said was part of the team that conducted the cyberattack.
The EU also targeted Igor Kostyukov, saying that as head of the GRU he is responsible for cyberattacks carried out by the GTsSS.
The bloc also noted that military intelligence officers of the GTsSS also took part in the attempted hacking of the Wi-Fi network of The Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in April 2018.
Kostyukov has already been put under sanctions by the EU for his role in the near-fatal poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Britain in 2018
German prosecutors have issued a warrant for Badin, who was already being sought by U.S. authorities and is believed to be part of the hacker group known as APT28, or Fancy Bear.
In May, Merkel said that Berlin had "hard evidence" of involvement of "Russian forces" in the 2015 cyberattacks in which documents from her own parliamentary office were reportedly stolen and called the actions "outrageous."
Moscow has denied any involvement.
The EU used its sanctions regime in relation to cyberattacks targeting the bloc or its member states for the first time in July.
The council's latest decision means that a total of eight people -- six Russian citizens and two Chinese citizens – and four entities -- two Russian, one Chinese, and one North Korean -- have been targeted by restrictive measures.
A week ago, the European Union and Britain imposed asset freezes and travel bans against six senior Russian officials and one entity for the "attempted assassination" of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny in August. A Kremlin-connected businessman, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was also hit over his alleged role in Libya's civil war.


rferl--2020-10-23--U.S. Sanctions Russian Research Institution Tied to Malware That Targets Industrial Systems

The United States has sanctioned a Russian government research institute connected to the development of a computer malware capable of targeting industrial safety systems and causing catastrophic damage .
The U.S. Treasury Department announced on October 23 that the Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics -- also known by its Russian acronym TsNIIKhM -- has been added to the sanctions list .
It said the institute is “ connected to the destructive Triton malware ” designed to target and manipulate industrial safety systems that provide for the safe emergency shutdown of industrial processes at critical infrastructure facilities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cyber actors behind the Triton malware have been referred to by the private cybersecurity industry as “ the most dangerous threat activity publicly known , ” the Treasury Department said in a news release .
“ The Russian Government continues to engage in dangerous cyber activities aimed at the United States and our allies , ” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin .
“ This administration will continue to aggressively defend the critical infrastructure of the United States from anyone attempting to disrupt it.
” The Treasury Department said the malware was deployed using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Middle East in August 2017 in an attack against an unidentified petrochemical facility .
TsNIIKhM was “ responsible for building customized tools that enabled the attack , ” the department said .
The attack raised concern among the cybersecurity community when it was made public because , unlike typical intrusions aimed at stealing data or holding data for ransom , it appeared aimed at causing physical damage to the facility by disabling its safety system .
“ Researchers who investigated the cyberattack and the malware reported that Triton was designed to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had the capability to cause significant physical damage and loss of life , ” the Treasury Department said .
It added that in 2019 the attackers behind the Triton malware were reported to be probing at least 20 electric utilities in the United States for vulnerabilities .
The press office of the Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to an e-mail from RFE/RL seeking comment .
Russia routinely denies allegations linking it to cyberattacks .
The sanctions ban Americans or U.S.-based organizations from doing business with the designated institution and freeze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurisdiction .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP .

The United States has placed sanctions on a Russian government research institute connected to the development of computer malware capable of targeting industrial safety systems and causing catastrophic damage.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced on October 23 that the Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics ( TsNIIKhM) had been added to the sanctions list.
It said the institute was "connected to the destructive Triton malware" designed to target and manipulate industrial safety systems that provide for the safe emergency shutdown of industrial processes at critical infrastructure facilities in order to protect human life.
The cyber-actors behind the Triton malware have been referred to by the private cybersecurity industry as "the most dangerous threat activity publicly known," the Treasury Department said in a news release.
"The Russian Government continues to engage in dangerous cyberactivities aimed at the United States and our allies," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. "This administration will continue to aggressively defend the critical infrastructure of the United States from anyone attempting to disrupt it."
Responding to the U.S. accusations, the Russian Embassy in Washington said Moscow did not conduct offensive cyberoperations.
"We call on the United States to abandon the vicious practice of unfounded accusations," Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said on Facebook.
The Treasury Department said the malware was deployed using phishing techniques against a U.S. partner in the Middle East in August 2017 in an attack against an unidentified petrochemical facility. TsNIIKhM was "responsible for building customized tools that enabled the attack," the department said.
The attack raised concern among the cybersecurity community when it was made public because, unlike typical intrusions aimed at stealing data or holding data for ransom, it appeared aimed at causing physical damage to the facility by disabling its safety system.
"Researchers who investigated the cyberattack and the malware reported that Triton was designed to give the attackers complete control of infected systems and had the capability to cause significant physical damage and loss of life," the Treasury Department said.
It added that in 2019 the attackers behind the Triton malware were reported to be probing at least 20 electric utilities in the United States for vulnerabilities.
The sanctions ban Americans or U.S.-based organizations from doing business with the designated institution and freeze any assets it might have in U.S. jurisdiction.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP


rferl--2020-10-23--Bulgaria, Kosovo, North Macedonia Join U.S. Initiative To Block Chinese Equipment In 5G Network

Bulgaria , Kosovo , and North Macedonia on October 23 signed declarations with the United States on the security of 5G wireless communications networks under which they committed to protect their 5G networks from “ untrusted ” Chinese tech companies such as Huawei .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took part in separate signing ceremonies on October 23 over videoconference from the State Department .
The move makes Bulgaria , Kosovo , and North Macedonia members of Washington 's so-called Clean Network initiative aimed at ensuring trustworthy companies build 5G networks .
“ With today ’ s historic signing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has joined the Clean Network , and joins a growing coalition of countries and companies committed to protecting their 5G networks from untrusted vendors , ” the U.S. Embassy in Sofia said on Twitter .
The U.S. embassies in Pristina and Skopje also tweeted about the signing ceremonies .
The initiative involves states and telecommunications companies that work together to protect their national interests and the privacy of their citizens from `` the aggressive intervention of malicious players , such as the Chinese Communist Party , '' the State Department said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expansion of equipment made by the Chinese company Huawei in the telecommunications networks of the countries that join the initiative .
The United States says the Chinese Communist Party could use Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE to collect data and spy on other countries and private companies .
Beijing and the Chinese firms have denied the accusations .
Beyond Bulgaria , Kosovo , North Macedonia , and Slovakia , which also joined the initiative on October 23 , the list of countries that joined thus far includes Romania , Greece , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Estonia , Denmark , and Latvia .
Pompeo said secure networks for 5G technologies “ will allow all interested operators to be trained to work in such a way as to ensure secure networks not only for Bulgaria , but also for EU and NATO member states . ''
The expansion of 5G networks promises to create a critical infrastructure that will enable everything from self-driving cars to remote surgery and more automated manufacturing .
The EU sees it as the linchpin of its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintains that it is urgent that trustworthy companies build these “ information arteries.
” The declarations “ note that all countries share a responsibility to undertake a careful and balanced approach to network security and the evaluation of 5G components and software providers.
” It says that to “ promote a vibrant and robust 5G ecosystem , ” the United States and Bulgaria believe that a “ rigorous evaluation of suppliers and supply chains should take into account the rule of law ; the security environment ; ethical supplier practices ; and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and best practices.
” Specifically , this includes determining whether the network hardware and software suppliers are subject to control , without independent judicial review , by a foreign government ; whether the suppliers have transparent ownership ; whether they committed to innovation and respect for intellectual property rights ; and whether they have a record of ethical corporate behavior .
Undersecretary for Economic Growth , Energy , and the Environment Keith Krach said the declaration between the United States and Kosovo shows that `` Kosovo is a very honest strategic partner '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proof of the friendship between our two countries . ''
North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said the document was very important to the country , which as a candidate for EU membership , has an obligation to `` harmonize national policies '' for the development of communications networks .
`` This memorandum is vital for prosperity , national security , and economic development , '' Zaev said .
In the economic normalization agreement signed on September 4 by Kosovo and Serbia , the two countries pledged to ban the use of 5G @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States is communicating with many countries to oppose their cooperation with Huawei and its 5G network .
Washington has blacklisted the company for posing a threat to national security and using its technology to spy on behalf of the Chinese government .

Bulgaria, Kosovo, and North Macedonia have signed declarations with the United States on the security of 5G wireless communications networks under which they committed to protect their networks from "untrusted" Chinese tech companies such as Huawei.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took part in separate signing ceremonies on October 23 by videoconference from the State Department. The move makes Bulgaria, Kosovo, and North Macedonia members of Washington's so-called Clean Network initiative aimed at ensuring trustworthy companies build 5G networks.
"With today's historic signing of a 5G security memorandum, Bulgaria has joined the Clean Network, and joins a growing coalition of countries and companies committed to protecting their 5G networks from untrusted vendors," the U.S. Embassy in Sofia said on Twitter.
The U.S. embassies in Pristina and Skopje also tweeted about the signing ceremonies.
The initiative involves states and telecommunications companies that work together to protect their national interests and the privacy of their citizens from "the aggressive intervention of malicious players, such as the Chinese Communist Party," the State Department said.
The Clean Network also aims to limit the expansion of equipment made by the Chinese company Huawei in the telecommunications networks of the countries that join the initiative.
The United States says the Chinese Communist Party could use Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE to collect data and spy on other countries and private companies. Beijing and the Chinese firms have denied the accusations.
Beyond Bulgaria, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Slovakia, which also joined the initiative on October 23, the list of countries that joined thus far includes Romania, Greece, the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, and Latvia.
Pompeo said secure networks for 5G technologies "will allow all interested operators to be trained to work in such a way as to ensure secure networks not only for Bulgaria, but also for EU and NATO member states."
The expansion of 5G networks promises to create a critical infrastructure that will enable everything from self-driving cars to remote surgery and more automated manufacturing. The EU sees it as the linchpin of its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and of achieving technology autonomy.
The United States maintains that it is urgent that trustworthy companies build these "information arteries."
The declarations "note that all countries share a responsibility to undertake a careful and balanced approach to network security and the evaluation of 5G components and software providers."
It says that to "promote a vibrant and robust 5G ecosystem," the United States and Bulgaria believe that a "rigorous evaluation of suppliers and supply chains should take into account the rule of law; the security environment; ethical supplier practices; and a supplier's compliance with security standards and best practices."
Specifically, this includes determining whether the network hardware and software suppliers are subject to control, without independent judicial review, by a foreign government; whether the suppliers have transparent ownership; whether they committed to innovation and respect for intellectual property rights; and whether they have a record of ethical corporate behavior.
U.S. Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach said the declaration between the United States and Kosovo showed that "Kosovo is a very honest strategic partner" and described the ceremony as "strong proof of the friendship between our two countries."
North Macedonia's prime minister, Zoran Zaev, said the document was very important to the country, which as a candidate for EU membership has an obligation to "harmonize national policies" for the development of communications networks.
"This memorandum is vital for prosperity, national security, and economic development," Zaev said.
In the economic normalization agreement signed on September 4 by Kosovo and Serbia, the two countries pledged to ban the use of 5G devices provided by "untrusted" vendors.
The United States is communicating with many countries to oppose their cooperation with Huawei and its 5G network.
Washington has blacklisted the company for posing a threat to national security and using its technology to spy on behalf of the Chinese government.


rferl--2020-10-23--Thousands Rally In Budapest To Protect Arts University

BUDAPEST -- Around 10,000 people have marched through the Hungarian capital to rally for the autonomy of the University of Theater and Film Arts ( SZFE ) .
Students , retirees , and other protesters carried torches and banners with slogans like `` Art is free '' and `` Free country , free university '' on October 23 , as the country celebrated the anniversary of its 1956 uprising against Soviet rule .
The march ended in front of the SZFE building that students have been occupying for weeks .
A sweeping overhaul ordered by right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest step in his attempt to reshape Hungary 's public life to fit his own nationalist and culturally conservative agenda .
The government forced a transfer of control of the public institution to a private foundation as of September 1 and a new board of trustees to guide key decisions at the storied SZFE .
The SZFE management and a number of top professors , including Enyedi , have resigned in protest of the government 's move , while a group of students has been barricaded inside the university since September 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and AFP

BUDAPEST -- Around 10,000 people have marched through the Hungarian capital to rally for the autonomy of the University of Theater and Film Arts (SZFE).
Students, retirees, and other protesters carried torches and banners with slogans like "Art is free" and "Free country, free university" on October 23, as the country celebrated the anniversary of its 1956 uprising against Soviet rule.
The march ended in front of the SZFE building that students have been occupying for weeks.
A sweeping overhaul ordered by right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the 155-year-old university is seen as the latest step in his attempt to reshape Hungary's public life to fit his own nationalist and culturally conservative agenda.
The government forced a transfer of control of the public institution to a private foundation as of September 1 and a new board of trustees to guide key decisions at the storied SZFE.
The SZFE management and a number of top professors, including Enyedi, have resigned in protest of the government's move, while a group of students has been barricaded inside the university since September 1.
With reporting by dpa, Reuters, and AFP


rferl--2020-10-23--Tusk Blasts Hungarian PM's Vision Of Democracy, Says Belarus Opposition 'Close To Victory'

The head of the European center-right European People ’ s Party ( EPP ) says Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ’ s vision of `` illiberal democracy '' is in fact spearheading the creation of a `` degenerate democracy '' in his country .
In an interview with RFE/RL on October 23 , EPP President Donald Tusk also praised the peaceful protest movement in Belarus , which he said is `` really close ” to winning its fight against Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
On Hungary , Tusk said `` this attempt to build a new ideology , which is called by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means in fact 'degenerate democracy . '
'' “ To put it simply : democracy without the rule of law and freedom of speech , it 's not a democracy at all , ” Tusk said , adding that the “ same negative trends ” can be witnessed in his native Poland .
The EPP , the European Parliament ’ s biggest grouping , suspended Hungary ’ s ruling party Fidesz from its ranks in 2019 over concerns about the rule-of-law backsliding in Hungary as well as attacks against the European Commission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended indefinitely , means that Fidesz is no longer present at the grouping ’ s meetings and its voting rights have been stripped .
In September , European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova caused a stir in Budapest after she said in an interview with a German news magazine that `` Orban likes to say he is building an illiberal democracy .
I would say he is building an ill democracy . ''
Orban , a right-wing nationalist , has repeatedly clashed with EU leaders over his moves to increase state control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A so-called Article 7 procedure against Hungary to probe whether it is undermining European legal standards and democratic values is ongoing .
In his interview with RFE/RL , Tusk said he believed that the democratic opposition in Belarus is `` really close to victory.
” Tusk , a former Polish prime minister and ex-European Council president , formed a student branch of Poland ’ s Solidarity movement that is credited with inspiring a revolutionary wave in the 1980s that toppled communist rule across Central and Eastern Europe .
“ I still remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the communist time in Poland .
I still remember , you know , people on the streets , the riot police beating the people , etc .
But at the same time , I remember how efficient the nonviolent movement can be .
And this is the phenomenon also of Belarus , ” Tusk said .
“ Almost all the leaders I 've met in the last few months are aware of the fact that Lukashenka will lose this battle .
If not this battle , then for sure , this war against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
The EU ’ s involvement in the political crisis in Belarus “ is not only a moral obligation…but also a very rational political calculation , ” he added .
However , Radoslaw Sikorski , the former Polish foreign minister under Tusk and a current European Parliament member , is not optimistic about the Belarus opposition ’ s near-term chances .
Sikorski , speaking to a conference organized by the Kennan Institute on October 23 , highlighted that it took years for Solidarity to win in Poland and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise of Mikhail Gorbachev to power in the Soviet Union , played a significant role in the outcome .
Sikorski said Russian President Vladimir Putin will not let Belarus slip from his sphere of influence as the country is an important “ corridor ” from Western Europe to Moscow .
“ Belarus is seen by the Russians as even more vital territorially and geostrategically than Ukraine .
Any kind of solution [ to the standoff ] will have to respect , and should actually respect , Russia ’ s red line , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militaries are integrated .
Sikorski said Putin prefers a weakened Lukashenka or someone even more pro-Russian from the Belarusian elite .
Nationwide protests against Lukashenka have been ongoing since a disputed presidential election on August 9 that the opposition and Western governments say was rigged .
A crackdown by authorities has resulted in several deaths , hundreds of injuries , more than 10,000 arrests , and what Reporters Without Borders this week called an “ unprecedented violent ” attack on journalists and censorship of information in Belarus .
The European Union has imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarusian officials for their alleged role in the repression of protesters and the opposition , as well as fraud during the August vote .
And on October 12 , the EU foreign ministers gave a “ political green light ” to prepare a new sanctions package that will include Lukashenka .
Kenneth Yalowitz , the former U.S. ambassador to Belarus from 1994-1997 , told the Kennan Institute conference that “ it 's very , very hard to break the will of an authoritarian government simply using economic sanctions.
” He pointed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had in bringing about a change of policy or regime in Iran and Venezuela through economic sanctions .
Yalowitz also said that the security forces are still on Lukashenka ’ s side as they fear “ popular tribunals ” should he lose power .
`` He ’ s a Stalinist .
He understands ‘ how many divisions do they have and how many do I have , ’ and he still has a lot more .
So , I think he ’ s going to survive this in a very weakened state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Todd Prince in Washington .

The head of the European center-right European People's Party (EPP) says Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's vision of "illiberal democracy" is in fact spearheading the creation of a "degenerate democracy" in his country.
In an interview with RFE/RL on October 23, EPP President Donald Tusk also praised the peaceful protest movement in Belarus, which he said was "really close" to winning its fight against Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
On Hungary, Tusk said that "this attempt to build a new ideology, which is called by Viktor Orban an 'illiberal democracy,' means in fact 'degenerate democracy.'"
"To put it simply: democracy without the rule of law and freedom of speech, it's not a democracy at all," Tusk said, adding that the "same negative trends" can be seen in his native Poland.
The EPP, the European Parliament's biggest grouping, suspended Hungary's ruling party Fidesz from its ranks in 2019 over concerns about the rule-of-law backsliding in Hungary as well as attacks against the European Commission.
The suspension, which this year was extended indefinitely, means that Fidesz is no longer present at the grouping's meetings and its voting rights have been stripped.
In September, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova caused a stir in Budapest after she said in an interview with a German news magazine that "Orban likes to say he is building an illiberal democracy. I would say he is building an ill democracy."
Orban, a right-wing nationalist, has repeatedly clashed with EU leaders over his moves to increase state control of the judiciary, media, and academia.
A so-called Article 7 procedure against Hungary to probe whether it is undermining European legal standards and democratic values is ongoing.
Lukashenka 'Will Lose'
In his interview with RFE/RL, Tusk said he believed that the democratic opposition in Belarus is "really close to victory.”
Tusk, a former Polish prime minister and ex-European Council president, formed a student branch of Poland's Solidarity movement that is credited with inspiring a revolutionary wave in the 1980s that toppled communist rule across Central and Eastern Europe.
"I still remember when I was a young rebel during the communist time in Poland. I still remember, you know, people on the streets, the riot police beating the people, etc. But at the same time, I remember how efficient the nonviolent movement can be. And this is the phenomenon also of Belarus," Tusk said.
"Almost all the leaders I've met in the last few months are aware of the fact that Lukashenka will lose this battle. If not this battle, then for sure, this war against his nation and the Belarus civil society," he said.
The EU's involvement in the political crisis in Belarus "is not only a moral obligation...but also a very rational political calculation," he added.
However, Radoslaw Sikorski, the former Polish foreign minister under Tusk and a current European Parliament member, is not optimistic about the Belarusian opposition's near-term chances.
Sikorski, speaking to a conference organized by the Kennan Institute on October 23, highlighted that it took years for Solidarity to win in Poland and that "external parameters," namely the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev to power in the Soviet Union, played a significant role in the outcome.
Sikorski said Russian President Vladimir Putin will not let Belarus slip from his sphere of influence as the country is an important "corridor" from Western Europe to Moscow.
"Belarus is seen by the Russians as even more vital territorially and geostrategically than Ukraine. Any kind of solution [to the standoff] will have to respect, and should actually respect, Russia's red line," he said, pointing out that the two countries' militaries are integrated.
Sikorski said Putin prefered a weakened Lukashenka or someone even more pro-Russian from the Belarusian elite.
Nationwide protests against Lukashenka have been ongoing since a disputed presidential election on August 9 that the opposition and Western governments say was rigged.
A crackdown by authorities has resulted in several deaths, hundreds of injuries, more than 10,000 arrests, and what Reporters Without Borders this week called an "unprecedented violent" attack on journalists and censorship of information in Belarus.
The European Union has imposed asset freezes and visa bans on 40 Belarusian officials for their alleged role in the repression of protesters and the opposition, as well as fraud during the August vote.
And on October 12, the EU foreign ministers gave a "political green light" to prepare a new sanctions package that will include Lukashenka.
Kenneth Yalowitz, the former U.S. ambassador to Belarus in 1994-97, told the Kennan Institute conference that "it's very, very hard to break the will of an authoritarian government simply using economic sanctions."
He pointed to the lack of success the United States has had in bringing about a change of policy or regime in Iran and Venezuela through economic sanctions.
Yalowitz also said that the security forces were still on Lukashenka's, side as they fear "popular tribunals" should he lose power.
"He's a Stalinist. He understands 'how many divisions do they have and how many do I have,' and he still has a lot more. So, I think he’s going to survive this in a very weakened state," Yalowitz said.
With reporting by Todd Prince in Washington.


rferl--2020-10-23--New Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Says Russia Remains 'Major Partner'

Kyrgyzstan 's newly appointed Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev says that the recent political upheaval that toppled the Central Asian nation 's government and prompted the president to resign wo n't impact relations with Russia , its `` major partner and ally . ''
Speaking in Moscow after holding talks with his Russian counterpart , Sergei Lavrov , on October 23 , Kazakbaev told reporters that the new government will continue to `` support close contacts on all levels and strengthen political dialogue '' with Russia .
`` We confirm our commitment to further strengthening of the traditions of friendship , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nations , our common move towards widening of the allied ties , and ... strategic partnership between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation , '' Kazakbaev said during his first trip since he took the post as the country 's top diplomat on October 15 .
Kyrgyzstan has seen weeks of chaos after allegations of vote-buying and other improprieties marred October 4 parliamentary elections .
Mass protests over the results , which handed victory mainly to parties aligned with President Sooronbai Jeebekov 's government , ousted the cabinet and led to Jeenbekov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been approved by parliament as prime minister .
He also took over the powers of the president when the seat became vacant .
Kazakbaev said that efforts to eradicate corruption among officials in Kyrgyzstan is one of the main tasks of the new government , adding that those suspected of being involved in graft are being weeded out .
The dramatic developments in Kyrgyzstan have been closely watched by Russia , which maintains a military base in the former Soviet republic .
Lavrov said he and Kazakbaev had discussed `` all aspects of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our readiness to support the political dialogue , deepening , and strengthening of our bilateral trade and economic cooperation , and the widening of the inter-regional collaboration . ''
The election results were annulled and new parliamentary and presidential votes are expected to be held in early 2021 .
Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 22 called the developments in Kyrgyzstan “ unfortunate , '' adding that Russia had done `` a lot '' to keep Kyrgyzstan stable , referring to hundreds of millions of dollars invested in the country and the hiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With reporting by Interfax and TASS

Kyrgyzstan's newly appointed Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev says that the recent political upheaval that toppled the Central Asian nation's government and prompted the president to resign won't impact relations with Russia, its "major partner and ally."
Speaking in Moscow after holding talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on October 23, Kazakbaev told reporters that the new government will continue to "support close contacts on all levels and strengthen political dialogue" with Russia.
"We confirm our commitment to further strengthening of the traditions of friendship, mutual respect, and trust between our nations, our common move towards widening of the allied ties, and... strategic partnership between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation," Kazakbaev said during his first trip since he took the post as the country's top diplomat on October 15.
Kyrgyzstan has seen weeks of chaos after allegations of vote-buying and other improprieties marred October 4 parliamentary elections.
Mass protests over the results, which handed victory mainly to parties aligned with President Sooronbai Jeebekov's government, ousted the cabinet and led to Jeenbekov's resignation.
Sadyr Japarov has since been approved by parliament as prime minister. He also took over the powers of the president when the seat became vacant.
Kazakbaev said that efforts to eradicate corruption among officials in Kyrgyzstan is one of the main tasks of the new government, adding that those suspected of being involved in graft are being weeded out.
The dramatic developments in Kyrgyzstan have been closely watched by Russia, which maintains a military base in the former Soviet republic.
Lavrov said he and Kazakbaev had discussed "all aspects of our bilateral cooperation" and "confirmed our readiness to support the political dialogue, deepening, and strengthening of our bilateral trade and economic cooperation, and the widening of the inter-regional collaboration."
The election results were annulled and new parliamentary and presidential votes are expected to be held in early 2021.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 22 called the developments in Kyrgyzstan “unfortunate," adding that Russia had done "a lot" to keep Kyrgyzstan stable, referring to hundreds of millions of dollars invested in the country and the hiring of Kyrgyz migrant workers in Russia.
With reporting by Interfax and TASS


rferl--2020-10-23--Acting Kyrgyz President Signs Law That Will Delay Vote, Paves Way For Changes Allowing Him To Run

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan ’ s acting President Sadyr Japarov has signed changes to the elections law that will delay parliamentary and presidential votes , a move the convicted kidnapper 's critics call a power grab .
Japarov moved quickly , signing the changes into law late on October 22 , just hours after parliament approved them to pave the way for further legal changes that would allow him to run for the presidency .
The Central Asian nation plunged into chaos earlier this month after accusations of vote-buying and other improprieties during parliamentary elections on October 4 prompted massive street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convicted of kidnapping a rival and sentenced to 11 1/2 years in 2017 , was released from prison in Bishkek by protesters on October 6 in the wake of the rallies , which resulted in the ouster of the government , and led the parliamentary speaker and President Sooronbai Jeenbekov to step down .
Parliament named Japarov the new prime minister and handed over presidential powers after Jeenbekov left office on October 16 .
Under the current law , Japarov can not run for the presidency as acting presidents are forbidden from participating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 changes , which mean a rerun of the disputed parliamentary vote wo n't take place as scheduled on December 20 , give lawmakers until January 10 , 2021 to adopt constitutional reforms that will pave the way for Japarov to run .
The constitutional reforms must be completed by January 21 and new parliamentary elections held after the reform is complete but before June 1 , 2021 , according to the new law .
Several lawmakers , politicians , and civil rights groups called Japarov 's move an attempt to `` usurp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism , saying all of the reforms `` will be in the people 's interests '' and that presidential and parliamentary elections will held before March .
Japarov has advocated for downsizing the legislature , altering the electoral system , abolishing the post of prime minister , and introducing a stronger presidential system .

BISHKEK-- Kyrgyzstan’s acting President Sadyr Japarov has signed changes to the elections law that will delay parliamentary and presidential votes, a move the convicted kidnapper's critics call a power grab.
Japarov moved quickly, signing the changes into law late on October 22, just hours after parliament approved them to pave the way for further legal changes that would allow him to run for the presidency.
The Central Asian nation plunged into chaos earlier this month after accusations of vote-buying and other improprieties during parliamentary elections on October 4 prompted massive street protests.
Japarov, who had been convicted of kidnapping a rival and sentenced to 11 1/2 years in 2017, was released from prison in Bishkek by protesters on October 6 in the wake of the rallies, which resulted in the ouster of the government, and led the parliamentary speaker and President Sooronbai Jeenbekov to step down.
Parliament named Japarov the new prime minister and handed over presidential powers after Jeenbekov left office on October 16.
Under the current law, Japarov cannot run for the presidency as acting presidents are forbidden from participating in a presidential poll.
The October 23 changes, which mean a rerun of the disputed parliamentary vote won't take place as scheduled on December 20, give lawmakers until January 10, 2021 to adopt constitutional reforms that will pave the way for Japarov to run.
The constitutional reforms must be completed by January 21 and new parliamentary elections held after the reform is complete but before June 1, 2021, according to the new law.
Several lawmakers, politicians, and civil rights groups called Japarov's move an attempt to "usurp" power, but Japarov rejected the criticism, saying all of the reforms "will be in the people's interests" and that presidential and parliamentary elections will held before March.
Japarov has advocated for downsizing the legislature, altering the electoral system, abolishing the post of prime minister, and introducing a stronger presidential system.


rferl--2020-10-23--Russia Cites Challenges To Reaching New START Extension With U.S.


rferl--2020-10-23--Pompeo Meets Armenian, Azerbaijani Ministers Amid Fresh Nagorno-Karabakh Clashes

Azerbaijani and ethnic Armenian forces continued to clash in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on October 23 as the top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on the decades-long conflict over the breakaway region .
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian met separately with Pompeo at the State Department .
Pompeo made no substantive remarks after greeting the ministers .
Pompeo `` emphasized the need to end the violence and protect civilians , '' State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement after the talks .
Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entering substantive negotiations under the auspices of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , Ortagus said .
The United States , France , and Russia are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group , set up in the early 1990s to find a resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue .
After his meeting with Pompeo , Mnatsakanian told reporters `` very good '' as he exited the State Department , adding that work on a cease-fire would continue , according to Reuters .
Bayramov said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of Nagorno-Karabakh must end .
`` We are committed to finding a political solution [ to ] the conflict and ready to resume substantive talks immediately , '' Bayramov said in a statement after the talks quoted by AFP .
`` Armenia must stop avoiding meaningful negotiations and choose lasting peace , '' he said .
U.S. President Donald Trump , who was asked about the talks during an impromptu press conference at the White House , said “ really good progress is being made.
” He noted that there are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States and “ they are great people and we are going to help them.
” The meeting in Washington occurred as heavy fighting continued over Nagorno-Karabakh , a territory located inside Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians , as well as surrounding areas controlled by Armenian forces .
Meanwhile , the leaders of the two countries have hardened their positions in recent days despite two Russian-brokered cease-fires between the Caucasus archfoes that both collapsed quickly after being agreed upon .
The two sides traded accusations about the fresh violence on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some shelling of residential areas .
At least some 1,000 people have been reported killed since fighting erupted on September 27 , raising fears of a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in Turkey , which backs Azerbaijan , and Russia , a key player in the region that has a military treaty with Armenia .
Armenian forces and the Azerbaijani military claim to have inflicted devastating losses on the other side , but reports from the opposing sides are often contradictory and hard to verify .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,000 people had been killed cumulatively in the fighting .
Shortly before the Washington talks were due to start , Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reiterated demands Turkey become one of the Minsk Group co-chairs , a position that has also been put forward by Azerbaijan .
`` Turkey believes it has just as much right as Russia to be involved here for peace , '' he told reporters .
The Minsk Group has n't `` yielded any result thus far , '' Erdogan said after Friday prayers .
`` Azerbaijan is making its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposes Russia , we propose Turkey . ''
`` I hope we [ Turkey and Russia ] will take successful steps in the future as well for a solution in Syria and Libya as well as on the Azerbaijan-Armenia issue and achieve a settlement in these matters , '' Erdogan said .
The United States , France , and Russia have rebuffed calls from Turkey to play a more direct role , with Pompeo appearing last week to send a veiled message to Ankara suggesting it was inflaming a `` dangerous '' situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions .
Earlier on October 23 , international watchdog Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) accused Azerbaijan of `` repeatedly '' using widely banned cluster munitions in residential areas in Nagorno-Karabakh .
HRW cited four such incidents based on `` an on-site investigation '' in the breakaway Azerbaijani territory , which is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians and has been at the heart of post-Soviet Europe 's longest running `` frozen conflict . ''
Cluster munitions are banned due to their unpredictable effects across a widespread area , as well as long-term dangers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped from the air or fired from the ground .
Both the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides have denied using cluster bombs while accusing the other of firing them .
HRW said it had not verified Azerbaijan 's claims that the Armenian side had used cluster munitions .
HRW said its observers personally inspected `` remnants of the rockets , impacts , and remnants of submunitions that exploded , as well as dud submunitions '' fired by Azerbaijani forces at several locations in Stepanakert .
Until recently , Stepanakert housed around 55,000 of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the city has been devastated by artillery and other fire in the current fighting .
Azerbaijan denounced the Amnesty statement , insisting that the Azerbaijani army is not deliberately targeting civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh .
Internationally recognized as part of mainly Muslim Azerbaijan , the mountainous territory of Nagorno-Karabakh has been controlled by mainly Christian ethnic Armenians , backed by Yerevan , since a 1994 cease-fire .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , and Interfax