rferl--2020-12-11--Lawmakers From Georgia's Ruling Party Begin New Parliament Without Opposition

TBILISI -- Lawmakers of Georgia 's ruling Georgian Dream party have started the new parliamentary session amid a boycott by opposition members who insist that October 31 parliamentary elections were rigged .
President Salome Zurabishvili opened the first sitting of the new parliament on December 11 by calling on all Georgian political forces and society as a whole to end the climate of confrontation `` as the country needs depolarization , solidarity , and unity . ''
`` We are tired of endless cursing , insults , and the neglect of Georgian and Caucasian manners !
Hatred is leaving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time when it most needs to mobilize its national energy to meet the challenges , '' Zurabishvili said , addressing the absent representatives of opposition parties .
`` The public 's patience has run out ... .
It has been almost 30 years since independence was restored and the Soviet empire ended , and we are building a state .
Thirty years is the age of maturity -- for both the person and the state .
It is time to break the vicious circle and move on , '' she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meanwhile , gathered in the building of the Student Youth Palace near parliament , where they signed a joint memorandum to confirm their decision to give up their parliamentary mandates in protest and demand that electoral officials cancel the election results .
The Central Election Commission has announced final results showing that Georgian Dream , founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili , captured 48.22 percent of the vote .
The opposition United National Movement bloc had 27.18 percent and European Georgia was third with 3.79 percent .
Six other smaller opposition parties also crossed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The opposition parties have insisted that the elections were rigged and demand that new polls be held in 2021 .
Four rounds of U.S.- and EU-brokered talks between the ruling Georgian Dream and opposition parties to find a compromise on the issue have failed to yield any results so far .
U.S .
Ambassador Kelly Degnan was present among other guests invited to the parliamentary session on December 11 .

TBILISI -- Lawmakers of Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party have started the new parliamentary session amid a boycott by opposition members who insist that October 31 parliamentary elections were rigged.
President Salome Zurabishvili opened the first sitting of the new parliament on December 11 by calling on all Georgian political forces and society as a whole to end the climate of confrontation "as the country needs depolarization, solidarity, and unity."
"We are tired of endless cursing, insults, and the neglect of Georgian and Caucasian manners! Hatred is leaving the country fragmented, vulnerable, and weak at a time when it most needs to mobilize its national energy to meet the challenges," Zurabishvili said, addressing the absent representatives of opposition parties.
"The public's patience has run out.... It has been almost 30 years since independence was restored and the Soviet empire ended, and we are building a state. Thirty years is the age of maturity -- for both the person and the state. It is time to break the vicious circle and move on," she added.
Representatives from the opposition parties, meanwhile, gathered in the building of the Student Youth Palace near parliament, where they signed a joint memorandum to confirm their decision to give up their parliamentary mandates in protest and demand that electoral officials cancel the election results.
The Central Election Commission has announced final results showing that Georgian Dream, founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, captured 48.22 percent of the vote. The opposition United National Movement bloc had 27.18 percent and European Georgia was third with 3.79 percent.
Six other smaller opposition parties also crossed the 1 percent threshold to enter parliament.
The opposition parties have insisted that the elections were rigged and demand that new polls be held in 2021.
Four rounds of U.S.- and EU-brokered talks between the ruling Georgian Dream and opposition parties to find a compromise on the issue have failed to yield any results so far.
U.S. Ambassador Kelly Degnan was present among other guests invited to the parliamentary session on December 11.


rferl--2020-12-11--'Failed By The System': Women In Eastern Ukraine At 'Heightened Risk' Of Gender-Based Violence

Amnesty International says women in the conflict-affected regions of Ukraine ’ s east are at `` heightened risk '' of gender-based violence , despite `` significant developments '' in the country 's legislation .
The London-based human rights watchdog said in a report published on December 11 that the situation for women in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has been `` aggravated and intensified . ''
`` From Amnesty International ’ s research , it is clear that the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine has had an across-the-board impact on the causes and forms of domestic violence , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Donetsk and Luhansk regions , '' the report says .
Such violence is also more frequently hidden in these areas due to “ the military presence , a lack of security , the absence or erosion of the rule of law , and the pervasiveness of actual or perceived impunity for the perpetrators , ” it added .
Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 13 , 200 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014 .
The conflict has left some 2.7 million people living within 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact line that separates the government-controlled territories from the separatist-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk .
Amnesty International says its report , titled Not A Private Matter : Domestic And Sexual Violence Against Women In Eastern Ukraine , focuses on the government-controlled territories because it has not been able to access the separatist-held areas .
The report highlights the case of Oksana Mamchenko , a divorcee with 12 children from Kramatorsk , the Ukrainian government 's provisional administrative center in the Donetsk region , which shows the difficulties a woman can face when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Repeated attempts to lodge a complaint of physical and verbal abuse against her former husband with a local police officer in 2018 and 2019 were left unanswered .
The complaint was finally registered when Mamchenko reported the inaction of local police to the authorities in Kyiv , after which she was finally able to obtain a restraining order against her now ex-husband .
Mamchenko cited perceived police inaction , lack of support from “ society and relatives , ” and financial insecurity as the main reasons why victims of domestic or sexual violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is necessary to kill your fear and act no matter what .
When you manage to get rid of the false shame , it is much easier to go ahead with your life , '' she told RFE/RL .
Out of 27 cases of domestic violence recorded by the group , 10 of the women did not report the abuse because “ they did not expect an effective response from the authorities , a belief often cemented by their previous experiences of being failed by the systems which should have protected them.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amnesty International 's research group in Ukraine , told RFE/RL that when women did call the police , in three cases the police officers did not register the complaints .
In eight cases , women had to call repeatedly , sometimes for months , to get their complaints registered .
In three other cases , police persuaded the women to withdraw their complaints after registering them , Dontsova said .
In addition to domestic violence , women in conflict areas have continued to experience sexual violence from military personnel in various forms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incidents and obtaining justice , according to Amnesty International .
The group says it has used the available built-in search engine to check the State Register of Court Decisions for cases of sexual violence committed by military personnel between 2017 and 2019 in Donetsk and Luhansk -- and found only one documented case that made it to court .
Despite new laws and measures to address gender-based violence , and the current media attention and debates on social media , violence against women remains a “ widespread yet deeply hidden phenomenon ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which cited a 2018 study that estimated that more than 1 million Ukrainian women per year suffer from physical , sexual , or emotional violence in their families .
Amnesty International ’ s report is calling on Ukrainian lawmakers to pass reforms to ensure that every single instance of domestic violence , including the first incident , is a criminal offense under national law .
It also says that allegations and reports of domestic violence committed by military and law enforcement personnel should be investigated by the police and not by their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the jurisdiction of civil courts .
Meanwhile , the government should “ express a clear and firm public commitment to prioritize work on preventing and combating gender-based and domestic violence and promote ‘ zero tolerance ’ to such violence at all levels of government and in the society at large .
”

Amnesty International says women in the conflict-affected regions of Ukraine’s east are at "heightened risk" of gender-based violence, despite "significant developments" in the country's legislation.
The London-based human rights watchdog said in a report published on December 11 that the situation for women in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has been "aggravated and intensified."
"From Amnesty International’s research, it is clear that the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine has had an across-the-board impact on the causes and forms of domestic violence, and the effectiveness of the institutional response to it in Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the report says.
It is necessary to kill your fear and act no matter what. When you manage to get rid of the false shame, it is much easier to go ahead with your life."
Such violence is also more frequently hidden in these areas due to “the military presence, a lack of security, the absence or erosion of the rule of law, and the pervasiveness of actual or perceived impunity for the perpetrators,” it added.
Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 13, 200 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.
The conflict has left some 2.7 million people living within 20 kilometers along both sides of the so-called contact line that separates the government-controlled territories from the separatist-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Amnesty International says its report, titled Not A Private Matter: Domestic And Sexual Violence Against Women In Eastern Ukraine, focuses on the government-controlled territories because it has not been able to access the separatist-held areas.
The report highlights the case of Oksana Mamchenko, a divorcee with 12 children from Kramatorsk, the Ukrainian government's provisional administrative center in the Donetsk region, which shows the difficulties a woman can face when calling local authorities about an incident.
Amnesty International says it found only one documented case of sexual violence committed by military personnel between 2017 and 2019 in Donetsk and Luhansk that made it to court.
Repeated attempts to lodge a complaint of physical and verbal abuse against her former husband with a local police officer in 2018 and 2019 were left unanswered.
The complaint was finally registered when Mamchenko reported the inaction of local police to the authorities in Kyiv, after which she was finally able to obtain a restraining order against her now ex-husband.
Mamchenko cited perceived police inaction, lack of support from “society and relatives,” and financial insecurity as the main reasons why victims of domestic or sexual violence often refrain from lodging complaints.
“It is necessary to kill your fear and act no matter what. When you manage to get rid of the false shame, it is much easier to go ahead with your life," she told RFE/RL.
Out of 27 cases of domestic violence recorded by the group, 10 of the women did not report the abuse because “they did not expect an effective response from the authorities, a belief often cemented by their previous experiences of being failed by the systems which should have protected them.”
Yulia Dontsova, a member of Amnesty International's research group in Ukraine, told RFE/RL that when women did call the police, in three cases the police officers did not register the complaints.
In eight cases, women had to call repeatedly, sometimes for months, to get their complaints registered. In three other cases, police persuaded the women to withdraw their complaints after registering them, Dontsova said.
In addition to domestic violence, women in conflict areas have continued to experience sexual violence from military personnel in various forms, and they face similar barriers in reporting the incidents and obtaining justice, according to Amnesty International.
The group says it has used the available built-in search engine to check the State Register of Court Decisions for cases of sexual violence committed by military personnel between 2017 and 2019 in Donetsk and Luhansk -- and found only one documented case that made it to court.
Despite new laws and measures to address gender-based violence, and the current media attention and debates on social media, violence against women remains a “widespread yet deeply hidden phenomenon” in Ukraine, according to Amnesty International, which cited a 2018 study that estimated that more than 1 million Ukrainian women per year suffer from physical, sexual, or emotional violence in their families.
Amnesty International’s report is calling on Ukrainian lawmakers to pass reforms to ensure that every single instance of domestic violence, including the first incident, is a criminal offense under national law.
It also says that allegations and reports of domestic violence committed by military and law enforcement personnel should be investigated by the police and not by their seniors, and should be subject to the jurisdiction of civil courts.
Meanwhile, the government should “express a clear and firm public commitment to prioritize work on preventing and combating gender-based and domestic violence and promote ‘zero tolerance’ to such violence at all levels of government and in the society at large.”


rferl--2020-12-12--ICC Prosecutor Asks For Full Probe Into Possible War Crimes In Ukraine Conflict

The International Criminal Court 's ( ICC ) chief prosecutor said December 11 that a preliminary probe found possible war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine which warrant a full investigation by The Hague-based judges .
After a six-year preliminary investigation , prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement that “ there is a reasonable basis at this time to believe that a broad range of conduct constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity ” have been committed during the Ukraine conflict .
Russia occupied and illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ousted pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovich .
Russia has also backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014 .
Without naming suspects or delving into details of the alleged crimes , Bensouda said that her preliminary investigation found three “ broad clusters of victimization.
” She said these were crimes committed during hostilities , during detentions , and crimes committed in Crimea .
“ My Office furthermore found that these crimes , committed by the different parties to the conflict , were also sufficiently grave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both in quantitative and qualitative terms , ” she said .
Although Ukraine is not a member of the ICC , it accepted the world court ’ s jurisdiction in 2014 to investigate the crackdown on Maidan protesters and later extended the jurisdiction to cover conflicts in Crimea and eastern Ukraine .
Russia is not a member of the court and does not accept its jurisdiction .
The ICC only takes cases when member states do not or can not prosecute them in domestic courts , a situation which Bensouda said applied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from an investigation .
Bensouda said the next step would be to ask judges at the ICC for permission to open a full-blown probe .
She did not provide a timeframe of when this would happen , but noted that the ICC ’ s capacity and resources are stretched thin .
Ukraine welcomed the prosecutor ’ s announcement , describing it as an “ historic decision.
” “ International justice may not be served fast , but it is surely inevitable .
One day Russian criminals will face trial , ” Ukrainian Foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was no immediate comment from Russia , which in the past has dismissed the ICC and denies involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine .
The ICC was set up in 2002 to probe the world 's worst crimes .
With reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters .

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor has said that a preliminary probe found possible war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine that warrant a full investigation by The Hague-based judges.
After a six-year preliminary investigation, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement on December 11 that "there is a reasonable basis at this time to believe that a broad range of conduct constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity" had been committed during the Ukraine conflict.
Russia occupied and annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014, following the Euromaidan demonstrations that ousted pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovich. Russia has also backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014.
Without naming suspects or delving into details of the alleged crimes, Bensouda said that her preliminary investigation found three "broad clusters of victimization."
She said these were crimes committed during hostilities, during detentions, and crimes committed in Crimea.
"My office furthermore found that these crimes, committed by the different parties to the conflict, were also sufficiently grave to warrant investigation by my office, both in quantitative and qualitative terms," she said.
Although Ukraine is not a member of the ICC, it accepted the world court's jurisdiction in 2014 to investigate the crackdown on Euromaidan protesters and later extended the jurisdiction to cover conflicts in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Russia is not a member of the court and does not accept its jurisdiction.
The ICC only takes cases when member states do not or cannot prosecute them in domestic courts, a situation that Bensouda said applied to the potential cases that would likely arise from an investigation.
Bensouda said the next step would be to ask judges at the ICC for permission to open a full-blown probe.
She did not provide a time frame of when this would happen, but noted that the ICC's capacity and resources were stretched thin.
Ukraine welcomed the prosecutor's announcement, describing it as a "historic decision."
"International justice may not be served fast, but it is surely inevitable. One day Russian criminals will face trial," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.
There was no immediate comment from Russia, which in the past has dismissed the ICC and denies involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
The ICC was set up in 2002 to probe the world's worst crimes.
With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters.


rferl--2020-12-11--Iran Protests Turkish President's Reciting Of 'Meddlesome' Verses

Iran ’ s Foreign Ministry summoned Turkey ’ s ambassador on December 11 to protest remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a visit to Azerbaijan .
Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Turkish Ambassador Derya Ors was summoned following Erdogan ’ s “ meddlesome and unacceptable ” remarks in Azerbaijan 's capital , Baku .
“ The Turkish ambassador was informed that the era of territorial claims and warmongering and expansionist empires is over , ” the ministry posted on its website .
“ Iran does not allow anyone to meddle in its territorial integrity.
” During a visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a parade celebrating Azerbaijan ’ s resumption of control over parts of its Nagorno-Karabakh region and adjacent districts following a military conflict with neighboring Armenia , Erdogan read parts of an Azeri-Iranian poem about the division of Azerbaijan 's territory between Russia and Iran in the 19th century .
Turkey has become a close ally of Azerbaijan , helping it in the war with Armenia that ended with a cease-fire last month .
Iran ’ s three northwestern provinces have predominantly ethnic-Azeri populations , and Tehran has been concerned about separatist tendencies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very similar to Turkish , but most observe Shi'ite Islam , Iran 's state religion .
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif posted on Twitter that Erdogan “ was not informed that what he ill-recited in Baku refers to the forcible separation of areas…from [ the ] Iranian motherland.
” Iran ’ s state ISNA news agency said the poem Erdogan recited is “ one of the separatist symbols of pan-Turkism.
” Turkey 's Foreign Ministry also summoned Iran 's ambassador to Ankara and protested the claims about Erdogan , the Turkish state-owned Anadolu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP , Reuters , dpa , ISNA , and AFP

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


rferl--2020-12-11--Council Of Europe Urges Bosnia To Act To Avoid Migrant Crisis

The Council of Europe 's Human Rights Commissioner is raising alarm about a humanitarian crisis unfolding in northwestern Bosnia where up to 3,500 migrants may end up sleeping rough in cold weather .
Dunja Mijatovic said in a letter to Bosnian officials on December 11 that a lack of action and coordination between the country 's various governments risks having grave consequences for migrants and asylum seekers left without housing , food , and medical care .
There are up to 10,000 migrants in Bosnia now , a quarter of whom sleep rough in the woods , abandoned buildings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the poorest countries in Europe , has few resources to provide for them .
Mijatovic also called for fast-track procedures for asylum-seekers , an end to anti-migrant rhetoric , and more comprehensive care to be provided for nearly 500 unaccompanied migrant children in Bosnia , including access to education .
Bosnia has become a transit route for migrants and refugees from Asia , the Middle East , and North Africa since European Union countries shut their borders to new arrivals in 2015 .
Many have made their way to Bosnia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member Croatia to the west .
In October , the authorities in the northwestern town of Bihac closed its biggest migrant center and moved hundreds of people to the already full Lipa camp some 75 kilometers away .
The International Organization for Migration ( IOM ) , which oversees all migrant facilities in Bosnia , on December 11 stopped funding the Lipa camp because the authorities have failed to ensure the necessary conditions to make it suitable for winter .
IOM head Peter Van der Auweraert told N1 local television that the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some 1,500 people from the camp , otherwise they would have to join another 1,500 people already sleeping rough .
The EU has provided Bosnia with 60 million euros ( $ 70 million ) in emergency funding , mostly for migrant centers .
With reporting by Reuters and AP

The Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner is raising alarm about a humanitarian crisis unfolding in northwestern Bosnia where up to 3,500 migrants may end up sleeping rough in cold weather.
Dunja Mijatovic said in a letter to Bosnian officials on December 11 that a lack of action and coordination between the country's various governments risks having grave consequences for migrants and asylum seekers left without housing, food, and medical care.
There are up to 10,000 migrants in Bosnia now, a quarter of whom sleep rough in the woods, abandoned buildings, and by roadsides. Ethnically divided Bosnia, one of the poorest countries in Europe, has few resources to provide for them.
Mijatovic also called for fast-track procedures for asylum-seekers, an end to anti-migrant rhetoric, and more comprehensive care to be provided for nearly 500 unaccompanied migrant children in Bosnia, including access to education.
Bosnia has become a transit route for migrants and refugees from Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa since European Union countries shut their borders to new arrivals in 2015. Many have made their way to Bosnia's northwest hoping to cross into EU member Croatia to the west.
In October, the authorities in the northwestern town of Bihac closed its biggest migrant center and moved hundreds of people to the already full Lipa camp some 75 kilometers away.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), which oversees all migrant facilities in Bosnia, on December 11 stopped funding the Lipa camp because the authorities have failed to ensure the necessary conditions to make it suitable for winter.
IOM head Peter Van der Auweraert told N1 local television that the government needed to provide an alternative center for some 1,500 people from the camp, otherwise they would have to join another 1,500 people already sleeping rough.
The EU has provided Bosnia with 60 million euros ($70 million) in emergency funding, mostly for migrant centers.
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-12-11--Work Resumes On Controversial Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, Gazprom Says

Work has resumed in Baltic Sea waters off the German coast on the controversial Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline , project managers said in a statement on December 11 .
The statement said the pipe-laying vessel Fortuna is laying a 2.6-kilometer section of the pipe “ in the German Exclusive Economic Zone.
” The same day , Germany ’ s Authority of Waterways and Shipping Management warned mariners to avoid the construction area for the rest of the month , saying that “ anchoring or fishing is not permitted in the area of the planned pipeline.
” Work on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ double Russian natural-gas deliveries to Germany , has been suspended since late 2019 after the United States approved asset freezes and visa restrictions on companies involved in the project .
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has harshly criticized Germany and other European countries for relying on Russia for energy .
Other nations , including Poland , Ukraine , and the Baltic states also oppose the pipeline , arguing that Moscow has a record of using its energy supplies to exert political pressure .
The U.S. Embassy in Berlin on December 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ construction of the pipeline .
`` Now is the time for Germany and the EU to call for a moratorium for the pipeline 's construction , '' Robin Quinville , charge d'affaires at the embassy , told the newspaper Handelsblatt on December 5 .
This would send a clear signal that Europe `` no longer accepts Russia 's sustained malevolent behavior , '' she said .
Russia ’ s state-controlled Gazprom has a majority stake in the project , while Germany ’ s Wintershall and Uniper groups , joint Dutch-British oil major Shell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austria ’ s OMV are also participating .
Russia has pledged to complete the project using its own resources despite U.S. opposition .
The pipeline still has 16 kilometers left to be built in German waters and another 60 kilometers in the Danish section .
Russia , which initially expected to complete the pipeline in early 2020 , has accused the United States of using energy sanctions as a `` weapon '' to open new markets for its oil and gas industry .
After the U.S. sanctions were passed , Russian President Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be completed by early 2021 .
The first phase of the project , Nord Stream 1 , began operation in 2011 .
With reporting by dpa , AP , and AFP

Work has resumed in Baltic Sea waters off the German coast on the controversial Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline, project managers said in a statement on December 11.
The statement said the pipe-laying vessel Fortuna is laying a 2.6-kilometer section of the pipe “in the German Exclusive Economic Zone.”
The same day, Germany’s Authority of Waterways and Shipping Management warned mariners to avoid the construction area for the rest of the month, saying that “anchoring or fishing is not permitted in the area of the planned pipeline.”
Work on the $11 billion pipeline, which will double Russian natural-gas deliveries to Germany, has been suspended since late 2019 after the United States approved asset freezes and visa restrictions on companies involved in the project.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has harshly criticized Germany and other European countries for relying on Russia for energy. Other nations, including Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic states also oppose the pipeline, arguing that Moscow has a record of using its energy supplies to exert political pressure.
Infographic: Nord Stream Gas Pipelines
The U.S. Embassy in Berlin on December 5 called on the German government to halt construction of the pipeline.
"Now is the time for Germany and the EU to call for a moratorium for the pipeline's construction," Robin Quinville, charge d'affaires at the embassy, told the newspaper Handelsblatt on December 5.
This would send a clear signal that Europe "no longer accepts Russia's sustained malevolent behavior," she said.
Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom has a majority stake in the project, while Germany’s Wintershall and Uniper groups, joint Dutch-British oil major Shell, France’s Engie, and Austria’s OMV are also participating.
Russia has pledged to complete the project using its own resources despite U.S. opposition. The pipeline still has 16 kilometers left to be built in German waters and another 60 kilometers in the Danish section.
Russia, which initially expected to complete the pipeline in early 2020, has accused the United States of using energy sanctions as a "weapon" to open new markets for its oil and gas industry.
After the U.S. sanctions were passed, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped the pipeline would be completed by early 2021.
The first phase of the project, Nord Stream 1, began operation in 2011.
With reporting by dpa, AP, and AFP


rferl--2020-12-11--Georgia's Opposition Boycotts Opening Of Parliament

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Lawmakers of Georgia @ @ @ @ @ started a new session of parliament on December 11 amid a boycott by the opposition @ @ @ @ @ elections were rigged .

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Lawmakers of Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party started a new session of parliament on December 11 amid a boycott by the opposition who insisted the last parliamentary elections were rigged.


rferl--2020-12-11--Kyrgyzstan 'Ready To Closely Work' With U.S. After 'Meddling' Accusation

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan 's Foreign Ministry appears to be trying to calm simmering tensions with the United States after a senior official criticized the top U.S. diplomat in Bishkek for his statements on the Central Asian nation 's problems with corruption .
About a dozen activists gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek on December 11 in support of U.S .
Ambassador Donald Lu after the deputy chairman of the Kyrgyz parliament , Mirlan Bakirov , accused the U.S. diplomat of `` meddling in Kyrgyzstan ’ s internal affairs '' because of his statements regarding disputed parliamentary elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matraimov , a wealthy and influential political player in the Central Asian nation .
Bakirov ’ s comments came after the U.S. Treasury Department announced on December 9 that it had slapped sanctions on Matraimov for his role in a vast corruption and money-laundering scheme that saw hundreds of millions of dollars funneled out of the country .
Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry spokesman Nurlan Suerkulov said on December 11 that `` Kyrgyzstan is ready to closely work along with the United States and other countries against corruption . ''
`` The Kyrgyz side is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and proposal to cooperate in that direction ... .
Along with that , we think that such cooperation , as any other ties , must be carried out in frames of current legal norms and principles of interstate relations , one of which is noninterference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state , '' Suerkulov added .
On December 5 , Lu criticized proven cases of vote buying during controversial October 4 parliamentary elections that led to mass protests which ousted the government , led to the resignation of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country .
`` This has been like a Hollywood mafia movie .
But you don ’ t yet know how the movie will end , '' he said of the situation , adding that while the government has taken some steps in the battle against graft , `` they are not enough . ''
The sanctions against Matraimov fall under the Magnitsky Act , a piece of legislation passed by the United States in 2012 that penalizes individuals responsible for committing human rights violations or acts of significant corruption .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Kyrgyz Service , the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project ( OCCRP ) , and the Kyrgyz news site Kloop , implicated Matraimov in a corruption scheme involving the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars out of Kyrgyzstan by Chinese-born Uyghur businessman Aierken Saimaiti , who was assassinated in Istanbul in November 2019 .
Matraimov is one of three brothers from what is rumored to be one of the wealthiest and most-powerful families in Kyrgyzstan .
He was a key financial backer for political parties and presidents , including Jeenbekov and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the controversial October 4 parliamentary elections along with a party called Birimdik , which listed Jeenbekov 's brother among its ranks .
The $ 700 million scheme involved a company controlled by Matraimov bribing officials to skirt around customs fees and regulations , as well as engaging in money laundering , “ allowing for maximum profits , ” the U.S. Treasury Department said .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a December 10 tweet said sanctions had also been imposed against Matraimov 's wife , Uulkan Turgunova .
Records leaked from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he had named Matraimov as one of two people who would be responsible should something happen to him , according to a subsequent report by RFE/RL .
The other individual was Khabibula Abdukadyr -- a Chinese-born Uyghur cargo magnate with a Kazakh passport for whom Saimaiti said he had laundered money .
Kyrgyz authorities said in October , following Matraimov 's arrest , that the tycoon had agreed to pay about 2 billion soms ( $ 23.5 ) million in damages to the state , and that 80 million soms ( almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its account .
Matraimov and his family have denied any links to Saimaiti or corruption in the Kyrgyz customs service , and filed a libel suit over the investigation , demanding hundreds of millions of dollars from RFE/RL ’ s Kyrgyz Service , known locally as Radio Azattyk , its former correspondent Ali Toktakunov , Kloop , and the 24.kg online newspaper as compensation for the alleged damages .
The hearing into the lawsuit was scheduled to resume on December 11 but because Judge Jyldyz Ismailova did not show up , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Toktakunov , who has received death threats in connection with the reporting , which has triggered street protests in Kyrgyzstan following its publication last year , said to RFE/RL on December 11 that since Matraimov accepted responsibility and agreed to compensate the financial damage to the state treasury , the lawsuit he filed must be withdrawn .

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry appears to be trying to calm simmering tensions with the United States after a senior official criticized the top U.S. diplomat in Bishkek for his statements on the Central Asian nation's problems with corruption.
About a dozen activists gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek on December 11 in support of U.S. Ambassador Donald Lu after the deputy chairman of the Kyrgyz parliament, Mirlan Bakirov, accused the U.S. diplomat of "meddling in Kyrgyzstan’s internal affairs" because of his statements regarding disputed parliamentary elections in October and the arrest of Raimbek Matraimov, a wealthy and influential political player in the Central Asian nation.
Bakirov’s comments came after the U.S. Treasury Department announced on December 9 that it had slapped sanctions on Matraimov for his role in a vast corruption and money-laundering scheme that saw hundreds of millions of dollars funneled out of the country.
Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry spokesman Nurlan Suerkulov said on December 11 that "Kyrgyzstan is ready to closely work along with the United States and other countries against corruption."
"The Kyrgyz side is grateful to the U.S. for its goodwill and proposal to cooperate in that direction.... Along with that, we think that such cooperation, as any other ties, must be carried out in frames of current legal norms and principles of interstate relations, one of which is noninterference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state," Suerkulov added.
On December 5, Lu criticized proven cases of vote buying during controversial October 4 parliamentary elections that led to mass protests which ousted the government, led to the resignation of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, and caused a deep political crisis in the country.
"This has been like a Hollywood mafia movie. But you don’t yet know how the movie will end," he said of the situation, adding that while the government has taken some steps in the battle against graft, "they are not enough."
The sanctions against Matraimov fall under the Magnitsky Act, a piece of legislation passed by the United States in 2012 that penalizes individuals responsible for committing human rights violations or acts of significant corruption.
Last year, a joint investigation by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), and the Kyrgyz news site Kloop, implicated Matraimov in a corruption scheme involving the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars out of Kyrgyzstan by Chinese-born Uyghur businessman Aierken Saimaiti, who was assassinated in Istanbul in November 2019.
Matraimov is one of three brothers from what is rumored to be one of the wealthiest and most-powerful families in Kyrgyzstan.
He was a key financial backer for political parties and presidents, including Jeenbekov and the Mekenim Kyrgyzstan party, which dominated the controversial October 4 parliamentary elections along with a party called Birimdik, which listed Jeenbekov's brother among its ranks.
The $700 million scheme involved a company controlled by Matraimov bribing officials to skirt around customs fees and regulations, as well as engaging in money laundering, “allowing for maximum profits,” the U.S. Treasury Department said.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a December 10 tweet said sanctions had also been imposed against Matraimov's wife, Uulkan Turgunova.
Records leaked from the Turkish investigation into Saimaiti's killing showed that he had named Matraimov as one of two people who would be responsible should something happen to him, according to a subsequent report by RFE/RL.
The other individual was Khabibula Abdukadyr -- a Chinese-born Uyghur cargo magnate with a Kazakh passport for whom Saimaiti said he had laundered money.
Kyrgyz authorities said in October, following Matraimov's arrest, that the tycoon had agreed to pay about 2 billion soms ($23.5) million in damages to the state, and that 80 million soms (almost $1 million) had been transferred to its account.
Matraimov and his family have denied any links to Saimaiti or corruption in the Kyrgyz customs service, and filed a libel suit over the investigation, demanding hundreds of millions of dollars from RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Radio Azattyk, its former correspondent Ali Toktakunov, Kloop, and the 24.kg online newspaper as compensation for the alleged damages.
The hearing into the lawsuit was scheduled to resume on December 11 but because Judge Jyldyz Ismailova did not show up, the hearing was postponed to an unspecified time.
Toktakunov, who has received death threats in connection with the reporting, which has triggered street protests in Kyrgyzstan following its publication last year, said to RFE/RL on December 11 that since Matraimov accepted responsibility and agreed to compensate the financial damage to the state treasury, the lawsuit he filed must be withdrawn.
With reporting by Akipress


rferl--2020-12-11--Russia Probes Mass Die-Off Of Endangered Caspian Seals

Russian authorities say they are investigating the death of more than 270 endangered seals that were discovered washed up on the shores of the Caspian Sea .
At least 272 dead Caspian seals have been found between December 6 and December 10 at a number of locations in the North Caucasus region of Daghestan , the regional branch of the state fisheries agency Rosrybolovstvo said on December 11 .
Most of the marine mammals were found between Daghestan ’ s capital , Makhachkala , and the mouth of the River Sulak , a spokesperson told TASS , adding that more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A team from the Russian Academy of Sciences has arrived from Moscow to help conduct a probe .
Earlier , Rosrybolovstvo ’ s press service said the mass die-off may have been caused by a viral or bacterial infection as well as unfavorable weather conditions .
The Caspian seal is the only mammal living in the Caspian Sea , the world 's largest inland body of water .
The endemic species has for decades suffered from overhunting and industrial pollution in the sea , and their number is now estimated at less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in the early 20th century .
Listed as a threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ’ s ( IUCN ) since 2008 , the seal was included in Russia ’ s Red Data Book of endangered and rare species this year .
The Caspian Sea , shared by five riparian states -- Russia , Kazakhstan , Azerbaijan , Iran , and Turkmenistan -- boasts vast oil and gas reserves .
Pollution from hydrocarbon extraction and declining water levels are posing a threat to many local species and putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk .
Based on reporting by AFP and TASS

Russian authorities say they are investigating the death of more than 270 endangered seals that were discovered washed up on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
At least 272 dead Caspian seals have been found between December 6 and December 10 at a number of locations in the North Caucasus region of Daghestan, the regional branch of the state fisheries agency Rosrybolovstvo said on December 11.
Most of the marine mammals were found between Daghestan’s capital, Makhachkala, and the mouth of the River Sulak, a spokesperson told TASS, adding that more dead seals could yet be discovered.
A team from the Russian Academy of Sciences has arrived from Moscow to help conduct a probe.
Earlier, Rosrybolovstvo’s press service said the mass die-off may have been caused by a viral or bacterial infection as well as unfavorable weather conditions.
The Caspian seal is the only mammal living in the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water.
The endemic species has for decades suffered from overhunting and industrial pollution in the sea, and their number is now estimated at less than 70,000, down from more than 1 million in the early 20th century.
Listed as a threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) since 2008, the seal was included in Russia’s Red Data Book of endangered and rare species this year.
The Caspian Sea, shared by five riparian states -- Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkmenistan -- boasts vast oil and gas reserves.
Pollution from hydrocarbon extraction and declining water levels are posing a threat to many local species and putting the future of the sea itself at risk.
Based on reporting by AFP and TASS


rferl--2020-12-11--Suicide Bomber Injures Six People In Russia's North Caucasus

CHERKESSK , Russia -- Officials say a suicide bomber has set off a device in the North Caucasus region of Karachai-Cherkessia , killing himself and injuring six police officers .
Russia 's National Anti-Terrorist Committee ( NAK ) said on December 11 the wounded , including the deputy chief of the regional Interior Ministry ’ s investigative unit , Asker Abdurazakov , sustained shrapnel wounds after a man approached a police station in the village of Uchkeken and detonated a bomb at around noon local time .
Some media reports said that there were two explosions , of which one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police station , but it did not result in any casualties .
When police officers and investigators gathered at the site , the man then set off a second device as he chanted `` God is great ! ''
in Arabic .
The attacker died at the scene , the statement says .
Rashid Temrezov , head of Karachai-Cherkessia , said later in the day that the situation was under control .
Karachai-Cherkessia is one of several autonomous republics making up Russia 's restive , mostly Muslim-populated North Caucasus , which has long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radicals who have mounted frequent attacks against police , public officials , and moderate Muslims in the region .
However , rights activists have criticized security officials and police in the region -- which also includes the volatile republics of Chechnya , Daghestan , Ingushetia , and Kabardino-Balkaria -- for abuse of power , human rights violations , fabricating criminal cases , torture , and extrajudicial killings .
Based on reporting by Izvestia and Interfax

CHERKESSK, Russia -- Officials say a suicide bomber has set off a device in the North Caucasus region of Karachai-Cherkessia, killing himself and injuring six police officers.
Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee (NAK) said on December 11 the wounded, including the deputy chief of the regional Interior Ministry’s investigative unit, Asker Abdurazakov, sustained shrapnel wounds after a man approached a police station in the village of Uchkeken and detonated a bomb at around noon local time.
Some media reports said that there were two explosions, of which one took place several hours earlier near the police station, but it did not result in any casualties. When police officers and investigators gathered at the site, the man then set off a second device as he chanted "God is great!" in Arabic.
The attacker died at the scene, the statement says.
Rashid Temrezov, head of Karachai-Cherkessia, said later in the day that the situation was under control.
Karachai-Cherkessia is one of several autonomous republics making up Russia's restive, mostly Muslim-populated North Caucasus, which has long been plagued by criminal violence and Islamic radicals who have mounted frequent attacks against police, public officials, and moderate Muslims in the region.
However, rights activists have criticized security officials and police in the region -- which also includes the volatile republics of Chechnya, Daghestan, Ingushetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria -- for abuse of power, human rights violations, fabricating criminal cases, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
Based on reporting by Izvestia and Interfax


rferl--2020-12-12--Russia 'Looking To Counter' U.S. Sanctions Against Iran

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow continues to reject U.S. sanctions against Iran , has put its money where its mouth is by increasing trade with Tehran , and that Moscow will continue to look for new ways to counter the punitive measures .
`` We do not just refuse to recognize unilateral sanctions , but support Iran with specific measures , '' Lavrov told Iranian state television in an interview on December 12 .
`` Perhaps we are doing more than anyone else .
In terms of figures , this amounts to billions of dollars . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 8 percent in the first half of the year , and that `` we do not have such indicators actually with anyone else , when trade is growing and not decreasing amid coronavirus restrictions . ''
Russia 's top diplomat added that he was convinced that `` we will be looking for new methods of ignoring the sanctions ' negative economic effect . ''
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to increase pressure on Iran in its last weeks of office before President-elect Joe Biden 's inauguration .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Iran 's envoy to the Huthi rebels in Yemen in what was seen as an attempt to force the Tehran-backed militants to negotiate a peace deal to end an ongoing civil war in which Iranian archenemy Saudi Arabia is heavily involved .
Iran recently announced plans to increase its uranium-enrichment capabilities in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers .
In 2018 the United States abandoned the agreement , under which Tehran curtailed its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief .
Based on reporting by TASS and AFP


rferl--2020-12-12--Ukraine To Get $300 Million Loan To Help Impoverished Families Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

The World Bank has approved a new loan for Ukraine intended to help the country hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak provide support for low-income families .
The $ 300 million loan , which was approved late on December 11 , comes as the international financial institution has projected that the poverty level in Ukraine could reach 23 percent by the end of the year .
`` The new funds will help finance Ukraine 's COVID-19 social protection emergency response by introducing fast cash transfers to individuals and households who have lost their jobs or income sources because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
The funds will be added to an earlier , $ 150 million loan released in April .
Ukraine 's has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic , with more than 885,000 cases of infection and nearly 15,000 deaths .
The continuing spread of the coronavirus recently led the government to impose harsh new restrictions , including bans on mass gatherings and the closure of schools and restaurants .
Similar lockdown measures in June caused Ukraine 's economy to fall by more than 11 percent .
Earlier this month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 100 million project aimed at promoting socioeconomic recovery and development in government-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine , where a Russian-backed separatist conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014 still simmers .
The World Bank has also recently announced plans to help Ukraine purchase COVID-19 vaccines .

The World Bank has approved a new loan for Ukraine intended to help the country hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak provide support for low-income families.
The $300 million loan, which was approved late on December 11, comes as the international financial institution has projected that the poverty level in Ukraine could reach 23 percent by the end of the year.
"The new funds will help finance Ukraine's COVID-19 social protection emergency response by introducing fast cash transfers to individuals and households who have lost their jobs or income sources because of the pandemic," the bank said in a statement.
The funds will be added to an earlier, $150 million loan released in April.
Ukraine's has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 885,000 cases of infection and nearly 15,000 deaths. The continuing spread of the coronavirus recently led the government to impose harsh new restrictions, including bans on mass gatherings and the closure of schools and restaurants.
Similar lockdown measures in June caused Ukraine's economy to fall by more than 11 percent.
Earlier this month, the World Bank signed off on a $100 million project aimed at promoting socioeconomic recovery and development in government-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine, where a Russian-backed separatist conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014 still simmers.
The World Bank has also recently announced plans to help Ukraine purchase COVID-19 vaccines.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-12-12--Iran Executes Opposition Journalist Ruhollah Zam

Iran has executed dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam , whose online work helped inspire nationwide economic protests in 2017 .
The semiofficial ISNA news agency reported on December 12 that Tehran 's Revolutionary Prosecutor 's Office announced Zam 's execution by hanging .
The execution comes days after Iran 's judiciary announced the Supreme Court had upheld a death sentence against the 47-year-old journalist , drawing international condemnation .
Following confirmation that the execution had been carried out , the international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) tweeted that it was `` outraged at this new crime of Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ali Khamenei `` the mastermind of this execution . ''
Zam was sentenced to death by a Revolutionary Court in June following what RSF called a `` grossly unfair '' trial .
He was convicted of `` corruption on Earth , '' a charge often leveled in cases involving espionage or attempts to overthrow Iran 's government .
Zam 's website , AmadNews , and a channel he created on the popular messaging app Telegram , had informed people about the 2017 protests , which began over economic hardship and spread nationwide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran since postelection mass unrest in 2009 and set the stage for similar turmoil in November 2019 .
More than 20 people were killed during the unrest and thousands were arrested .
AmadNews was suspended on Telegram in 2018 but later continued under a different name .
Zam had been living and working in exile in Paris before being arrested in October 2019 under still unclear circumstances .
Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) said it had `` trapped '' the activist in a `` complex operation using intelligence deception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the operation took place .
Zam , whom the Paris-based RSF described as a `` very controversial figure both in Iran and in the Iranian diaspora , '' appeared in televised confessions admitting his wrongdoings and offering an apology for his past activities .
He had previously denied allegations he incited violence but openly admitted that AmadNews 's mission was to take down the government .
Iran regularly forces confessions from prisoners , often under duress or torture .


rferl--2020-12-12--Current Time Journalist Held At Minsk Airport, Belongings Seized

Belarusian security agents have seized the computer and documents of a journalist at Minsk 's airport after briefly holding him @ @ @ @ @ Roman Vasyukovich , a correspondent for Current Time , the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL @ @ @ @ @ said some of his possessions were seized at the airport without explanation .
After being @ @ @ @ @ , Vasyukovich said he was released but his laptop was seized for examination of `` @ @ @ @ @ has been covering the near-daily protests in Belarus against strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the wake @ @ @ @ @ election .
Security forces have violently cracked down on the protest movement , with more @ @ @ @ @ to the United Nations .
There have also been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment @ @ @ @ @ died .
Since August , at least 373 journalists have been arrested , six of @ @ @ @ @ the UN said earlier this month .
In October , the Belarusian Foreign Ministry revoked @ @ @ @ @ and other foreign media in an attempt to stifle reporting .

Belarusian security agents have seized the computer and documents of a journalist at Minsk's airport after briefly holding him upon arrival from Ukraine.
Roman Vasyukovich, a correspondent for Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, said some of his possessions were seized at the airport without explanation.
After being held for about an hour, Vasyukovich said he was released but his laptop was seized for examination of "extremist" content.
Vasyukovich has been covering the near-daily protests in Belarus against strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the wake of August's disputed presidential election.
Security forces have violently cracked down on the protest movement, with more than 27,000 detentions, according to the United Nations. There have also been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment, and several people have died.
Since August, at least 373 journalists have been arrested, six of whom are currently detained, the UN said earlier this month.
In October, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry revoked media accreditation from Current Time and other foreign media in an attempt to stifle reporting.


rferl--2020-12-13--Russian Umar Kremlev Elected Head Of Ailing World Boxing Body AIBA

Umar Kremlev of Russia was elected president of the troubled International Boxing Association ( AIBA ) on December 12 , vowing to restore the body ’ s Olympic status .
Kremlev won 57 percent of the vote in a five-candidate contest involving 155 national federations to become the new head of the sports body that represents amateur boxing worldwide .
His selection came despite the concerns of Olympic officials about his candidacy .
The International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) last year stripped AIBA of its right to run boxing at the Tokyo Games , postponed by a year to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid concerns over the integrity of Olympic bouts , governance , and finance .
The boxing competition at the Tokyo Olympics is instead being organized by the IOC Boxing Task Force .
Kremlev , who is also the Russian boxing federation chief , said after his selection that his priority will be to eliminate AIBA ’ s debt and strengthen its governance structures in order to get the body reinstated by the IOC in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024 .
`` Let me make it clear : the path to rebuilding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not happen overnight , '' he said .
`` It will not happen overnight .
We have to unite together and work with one mission , and one mission alone : rebuilding the credibility and trust that AIBA once had in the minds of sports people worldwide and that includes , of course , restoring AIBA 's Olympic status , ” the 38 year old said .
Kremlev will complete the presidential term of Gafur Rakhimov , an Uzbek businessman who U.S. authorities allege is involved with international heroin trafficking .
Rakhimov has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP , AP , and dpa .

Umar Kremlev of Russia has been elected president of the troubled International Boxing Association (AIBA), vowing to restore the body’s Olympic status.
Kremlev won 57 percent of the vote in a five-candidate contest on December 12 involving 155 national federations to become the new head of the sports body that represents amateur boxing worldwide.
His selection came despite the concerns of Olympic officials about his candidacy.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year stripped AIBA of its right to run boxing at the Tokyo Games, postponed by a year to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, amid concerns over the integrity of Olympic bouts, governance, and finance.
The boxing competition at the Tokyo Olympics is instead being organized by the IOC Boxing Task Force.
Kremlev, who is also the Russian boxing federation chief, said after his selection that his priority will be to eliminate AIBA’s debt and strengthen its governance structures in order to get the body reinstated by the IOC in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
"Let me make it clear: the path to rebuilding AIBA is not easy. It will not happen overnight," he said.
"It will not happen overnight. We have to unite together and work with one mission, and one mission alone: rebuilding the credibility and trust that AIBA once had in the minds of sports people worldwide and that includes, of course, restoring AIBA's Olympic status," the 38-year-old said.
Kremlev will complete the presidential term of Gafur Rakhimov, an Uzbek businessman who U.S. authorities allege is involved with international heroin trafficking. Rakhimov has denied wrongdoing.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and dpa


rferl--2020-12-12--Armenia, Azerbaijan Trade Accusations For Nagorno-Karabakh Cease-Fire Violations

Armenia has accused Baku of violating a cease-fire agreement in the conflict over Azerbaijan 's Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Armenia ’ s Defense Ministry said Azerbaijani forces attacked positions held by ethnic Armenian forces , the so-called Karabakh Defense Army , in Nagorno-Karabakh in the southern Hadrut district on December 12 .
Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry issued a statement accusing the Armenian military of staging a `` provocation '' and insisted that the cease-fire agreement was holding .
Karabakh Defense Army officials said three of its fighters were wounded in clashes on December 11 .
Russian peacekeepers monitoring the cease-fire agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but did not assign blame .
`` Small-arms shooting was recorded in the Hadrut district , '' a spokesman for the peacekeeping force told journalists .
`` Through direct communications lines , the sides were promptly informed of our demand to completely observe the cease-fire regime . ''
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the December 11 incident was a `` terrorist attack '' committed by `` either Armenian gunmen or what is left of the Armenian Army '' in Nagorno-Karabakh .
Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan , but it and some surrounding areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnic Armenian forces for decades .
In September , Azerbaijan launched a military campaign that enabled Baku to regain control of large parts of the territory .
In November , a Russia-brokered cease-fire agreement was reached , and some 2,000 Russian peacekeeping forces have been deployed to the conflict zone .
Peace talks on the conflict have been coordinated by the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) .
French co-Chairman Stephane Visconti said in Baku on December 12 that Minsk Group mediators were ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We are ready to work on your proposals and look for an acceptable option for the sides , '' Visconti told Aliyev .
Visconti added that the recent developments had produced `` an absolutely new situation '' in the region , `` which could bring about stability . ''
With reporting by TASS , AP , and dpa

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that there can be no advancement in the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unless there is an improvement in the treatment of women in the country.
Speaking to reporters on August 15, the two-year anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of power in Kabul, Blinken said the United States continues to work to hold the Taliban accountable for the commitments that it's made, particularly when it comes to the rights of women and girls.
"We've been very clear with the Taliban -- and dozens of countries around the world have been very clear -- that the path to any more normal relationship between the Taliban and other countries will be blocked unless and until the rights of women and girls among other things are actually supported," Blinken said.
No country has recognized the Taliban-led government, and the United States has avoided direct economic engagement in part over the treatment of women and girls, who have seen their rights drastically curbed by the hard-line Islamists. This includes a ban on women working in local and international nongovernmental organizations and a ban on education beyond the sixth grade.
The Taliban stormed back to power in August 2021 after President Joe Biden withdrew U.S. troops under the terms of an agreement reached in February 2020 between the Taliban and the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
Blinken defended the pullout and said the United States was not focused on other priorities.
"The decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was an incredibly difficult one, but also the right one," Blinken said. "We ended America's longest war. For the first time in 20 years, we don't have another generation of young Americans going to fight and die."
A number of international human rights organizations earlier on August 15 called the Taliban's two years of rule shameful and worrying.
Amnesty International and several other international human rights organizations demanded in a statement an effective response to the situation, noting the Taliban's strict decrees against human rights in Afghanistan, especially against women and girls.
The organizations said in a statement that in the past two years, the Taliban has increasingly imposed harmful policies against women and girls and religious and ethnic minorities that clearly violate Afghanistan's obligations under international human rights law.
The Taliban has previously rejected reports on the treatment of women as propaganda of international organizations. The militant group's leaders have said they have strengthened all the rights of women in Afghanistan in light of Islamic principles.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban, said in an interview with the AP marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country that the Taliban views its rule of Afghanistan as open-ended and as drawing legitimacy from Islamic law. He also suggested a ban on female education will remain in place.
Female activist Soheila Yousefi calls the situation alarming and wants the world to pay attention.
"The international community should take serious action in this regard because the world chose to be silent in these two years and did not take any practical steps. Our request is that they should look at the current situation in Afghanistan, then take a serious and comprehensive review."
The Taliban did not respond to Radio Azadi's questions before the release of the report, but the rulers have spoken of strengthening human rights in Afghanistan, especially the rights of women and girls, according to Islamic principles.
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-12-12--Russia Reports Successful Test Of Submarine-Launched Bulava ICBMs

Russia has successfully conducted a test-firing of four intercontinental ballistic missiles ( ICBMs ) , the country 's Defense Ministry @ @ @ @ @ said on December 12 that the Vladimir Monomakh strategic nuclear submarine launched four Bulava ICBMs @ @ @ @ @ the Sea of Okhotsk , off Russia 's Far East coast .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ warheads hit their targets in the Arkhangelsk region some 5,500 kilometers away .
Defense Minister @ @ @ @ @ was the final event of large-scale exercises of Russia 's strategic nuclear forces that began @ @ @ @ @ exercises included the launch of a ground-based ICBM and the test-firing of cruise missiles from @ @ @ @ @ .
Based on reporting by AP and TASS

Russia has successfully conducted a test-firing of four intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), the country's Defense Ministry has said.
The ministry said on December 12 that the Vladimir Monomakh strategic nuclear submarine launched four Bulava ICBMs from an underwater position in the Sea of Okhotsk, off Russia's Far East coast.
According to the report, all the dummy warheads hit their targets in the Arkhangelsk region some 5,500 kilometers away.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the test-firing was the final event of large-scale exercises of Russia's strategic nuclear forces that began on December 9.
The exercises included the launch of a ground-based ICBM and the test-firing of cruise missiles from Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic bombers.
Based on reporting by AP and TASS


rferl--2020-12-12--Switzerland Puts Sanctions On Belarus's Lukashenka, Officials Over Protest Crackdown

Switzerland has become the latest country to freeze the financial assets of Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
The Swiss government @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenka , his son Viktar , and 13 other Belarusians connected with the Lukashenka regime @ @ @ @ @ or transiting through Switzerland .
The sanctioned officials are all believed to be involved in @ @ @ @ @ that have swept Belarus since the disputed August 9 presidential election .
`` Switzerland is @ @ @ @ @ tensions and is calling for dialogue between the Belarus government and civil society , '' @ @ @ @ @ announcing the sanctions .
Official results of that poll gave Lukashenka a sixth presidential term @ @ @ @ @ been widely criticized as rigged .
Since the election , the opposition has held regular @ @ @ @ @ have been met with harsh repression by the police .
According to the United Nations @ @ @ @ @ have been detained .
There have also been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ and Deutche Welle

Switzerland has become the latest country to freeze the financial assets of Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
The Swiss government announced on December 12 that Lukashenka, his son Viktar, and 13 other Belarusians connected with the Lukashenka regime had been banned from entering or transiting through Switzerland.
The sanctioned officials are all believed to be involved in the violent suppression of protests that have swept Belarus since the disputed August 9 presidential election.
"Switzerland is deeply concerned by the ongoing tensions and is calling for dialogue between the Belarus government and civil society," the Swiss government said in announcing the sanctions.
Official results of that poll gave Lukashenka a sixth presidential term, but the election has been widely criticized as rigged.
Since the election, the opposition has held regular protests, most of which have been met with harsh repression by the police.
According to the United Nations, more than 27,000 people have been detained. There have also been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment.
Based on reporting by Reuters and Deutche Welle


rferl--2020-12-12--Iran Executes Opposition Journalist Ruhollah Zam In 'Barbaric' Act

Iran has executed dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam , a former exile in France whose online work helped inspire nationwide economic protests in 2017 .
The semiofficial ISNA news agency reported on December 12 that Tehran 's Revolutionary Prosecutor 's Office announced Zam 's execution by hanging , causing a chorus of international outrage .
The execution comes days after Iran 's judiciary announced the Supreme Court had more than a month ago upheld a death sentence against the 47-year-old journalist .
France condemned the execution , which it described as a `` serious attack on freedom of speech and freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barbaric and unacceptable act . ''
Media rights group Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) tweeted that it was `` outraged at this new crime of Iranian justice '' and considered Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei `` the mastermind of this execution . ''
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said that Iran 's government had now joined `` the company of criminal gangs and violent extremists who silence journalists by murdering them . ''
Amnesty International said the execution `` shows the extent of Iran 's brutal tactics to repress dissent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a Revolutionary Court in June following what RSF called a `` grossly unfair '' trial .
He was convicted of `` corruption on Earth , '' a charge often leveled in cases involving espionage or attempts to overthrow Iran 's government .
Zam 's website , AmadNews , and a channel he created on the popular messaging app Telegram , had informed people about the 2017 protests , which began over economic hardship and spread nationwide .
The protests represented the biggest challenge to Iran since postelection mass unrest in 2009 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 2019 .
More than 20 people were killed during the unrest and thousands were arrested .
AmadNews was suspended on Telegram in 2018 but later continued under a different name .
Zam had been living and working in exile in Paris before being arrested in October 2019 under still unclear circumstances .
Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) said it had `` trapped '' the activist in a `` complex operation using intelligence deception . ''
It did not say where the operation took place .
Zam , whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very controversial figure both in Iran and in the Iranian diaspora , '' appeared in televised confessions admitting his wrongdoings and offering an apology for his past activities .
He had previously denied allegations he incited violence but openly admitted that AmadNews 's mission was to take down the government .
Iran regularly forces confessions from prisoners , often under duress or torture .


rferl--2020-12-13--Belarusian Opposition Stages Scattered Marches, Rallies Around Minsk, Other Cities

MINSK -- Opposition demonstrators have staged scattered marches and rallies in the Belarusian capital and other cities as they pressed efforts to pressure strongman leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka to make political concessions .
The December 13 actions in Minsk and elsewhere came as opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was scheduled to appear at events in Germany , as part of her efforts to rally international support for Belarus 's beleaguered opposition .
The country has been roiled by unprecedented political opposition since early August when Lukashenka was declared victor of a presidential election that opposition leaders said was flawed .
Activists have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of demonstrations and rallies .
Still , the only hints of concession that Lukashenka has shown are suggestions he has made about drafting a new constitution .
In contrast to past weekend demonstration , Minsk authorities did not shutter the subway system on December 13 , and no major Internet disruptions were reported .
The human rights group Vyasna reported at least 28 people had been detained by mid-afternoon .
Many of Belarus 's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country , including Tsikhanouskaya , who says she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , the European Union , and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenka as the winner of the vote .

MINSK -- Security forces in Belarus detained scores of people as opposition demonstrators staged scattered marches and rallies in Minsk and other cities on December 13 to pressure strongman leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka to make political concessions.
The human rights group Vyasna said that nearly 300 people were detained during the protests–with most of the arrests reported in Minsk. Officials said more than 300 people were detained.
Scores of marches took place across the country, with numbers at each rally ranging from dozens to several hundred. The dispersed protests are part of a recent strategy adopted by the opposition as a way of decentralizing the movement and making it more difficult for police to round up activists.
Some protesters marched in outlying residential areas of Minsk, waving white-and-red flags, a symbol of the opposition, and chanting "Long Live Belarus.”
The demonstrations came as opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was in Berlin, ahead of a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on December 14.
Speaking at an event at Berlin’s cathedral, she said she would continue to rally international support for Belarus' beleaguered opposition.
"The most important task of this visit is to stop violence and lawlessness against Belarusians," she said.
From Germany, Tsikhanouskaya will travel to Brussels for talks with EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell and members of the EU Parliament, before receiving the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov Human Rights Prize on December 16.
Belarus has been roiled by unprecedented political opposition since early August when Lukashenka was declared victor of a presidential election that opposition leaders said was flawed.
Activists have defied often violent police tactics and organized weeks of demonstrations and rallies.
Still, the only hints of concession that Lukashenka has shown are suggestions he has made about drafting a new constitution.
Police have violently cracked down on the postelection protests, with more than 27,000 detentions, according to the UN. There have also been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment, and several people have died.
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
Many of Belarus's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country, including Tsikhanouskaya, who says she won the August election.
The United States, the European Union, and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenka as the winner of the vote.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Lukashenka and his allies citing election rigging and a violent police crackdown.
With reporting by AFP, dpa, and Reuters.


rferl--2020-12-13--Azerbaijan Says Four Soldiers Killed Amid Cease-Fire Violations In Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijani defense officials say four soldiers have been killed since a cease-fire last month ended large-scale clashes with ethnic Armenian forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh region .
The Defense Ministry statement on December 13 gave few details as to when or where the deaths took place , saying only they occurred in an area that Azerbaijani forces took control of in the fighting that formally ended on November 10 .
A day earlier , both Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations over heavy new fighting and new violations of the Russian-brokered cease-fire , which occurred in the southern Hadrut district .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 13 by Azerbaijan occurred in the Hadrut region .
Armenia 's Foreign Ministry , meanwhile , accused Azerbaijan of `` gross violations '' of the cease-fire but gave no further details .
And a day earlier , Armenia ’ s Defense Ministry accused Azerbaijani forces of attacking positions held by ethnic Armenian forces near Hadrut .
The Karabakh Defense Army , the fighting force of the ethnic Armenian administration that controlled Nagorno-Karabakh until last month 's cease-fire , said earlier that three of its fighters were wounded in clashes on December 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the territory and some surrounding areas have been controlled by ethnic Armenian forces since the early 1990s .
The two sides have skirmished regularly over the years , but in September , Azerbaijan launched a military offensive that resulted in Baku regaining control of the surrounding districts , and much of Nagorno-Karabakh itself .
The sides agreed to a Russian-brokered cease-fire in early November , resulting in in the deployment of 2,000 Russian peacekeeping forces to the conflict zone .
Russian peacekeepers acknowledged violations in Hadrut on both December 11 and 12 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Azerbaijan has reported 2,783 of its soldiers killed in the latest bout of fighting .
Armenia has not released a final death toll for its military , but Nagorno-Karabakh military officials have said at least 2,317 soldiers had been killed .

Azerbaijani defense officials say four soldiers have been killed since a cease-fire last month ended large-scale clashes with ethnic Armenian forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The Defense Ministry statement on December 13 gave few details as to when or where the deaths took place, saying only they occurred in an area that Azerbaijani forces took control of in the fighting that formally ended on November 10.
A day earlier, both Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations over heavy new fighting and new violations of the Russian-brokered cease-fire, which occurred in the southern Hadrut district.
It was unclear if the deaths announced on December 13 by Azerbaijan occurred in the Hadrut region.
Armenia's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, accused Azerbaijan of "gross violations" of the cease-fire but gave no further details. And a day earlier, Armenia’s Defense Ministry accused Azerbaijani forces of attacking positions held by ethnic Armenian forces near Hadrut.
The Karabakh Defense Army, the fighting force of the ethnic Armenian administration that controlled Nagorno-Karabakh until last month's cease-fire, said earlier that three of its fighters were wounded in clashes on December 11.
Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, but the territory and some surrounding areas have been controlled by ethnic Armenian forces since the early 1990s.
The two sides have skirmished regularly over the years, but in September, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive that resulted in Baku regaining control of the surrounding districts, and much of Nagorno-Karabakh itself.
The sides agreed to a Russian-brokered cease-fire in early November, resulting in in the deployment of 2,000 Russian peacekeeping forces to the conflict zone.
Russian peacekeepers acknowledged violations in Hadrut on both December 11 and 12, but did not assign blame.
Overall, Azerbaijan has reported 2,783 of its soldiers killed in the latest bout of fighting.
Armenia has not released a final death toll for its military, but Nagorno-Karabakh military officials have said at least 2,317 soldiers had been killed.
With reporting by TASS


rferl--2020-12-13--Kyrgyz Protest Violence Against Women After Acquittals In Rape Of Schoolgirl

Kyrgyz are aghast at rampant gender-based violence and impunity in the courts , illustrated by the recent acquittal of men accused in the repeated rape of a 13-year-old girl .
On December 12 , a march was held in Kyrgyzstan 's capital , Bishkek , as part of an annual 16-day UN campaign against gender-based violence around the world .
The march , held in subfreezing temperatures , came a day after a court acquitted two of three suspects in the rape of a schoolgirl in the Issyk-Kul region .
One of the suspects received a light sentence of 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell asleep several times during the trial .
The girl , who had to have an abortion after becoming pregnant from one of the rapists , remains in a psychological trauma center .
According to her family , the three men raped her for six months , filmed her , and threatened that they would show the videos to her classmates .
`` I never even thought that my daughter 's life would turn out so that her future would simply be trampled upon , '' the girl ’ s father told Current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA .
`` It turns out that there is no justice .
My daughter says she wants to die . ''
Violence against women is rampant in Kyrgyzstan .
Kloop , an independent Kyrgyz news site , cited a study showing one-quarter of women suffer from domestic violence .
An astonishing 83 percent of women have experienced psychological , physical , or sexual violence in the family at least once , according to one study .
One survey showed that one in three women in Kyrgyzstan believes that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beat his wife , such as for leaving the house without his permission , burning food , refusing sexual acts , or not doing household chores .
In recent years , Kyrgyzstan has taken steps on paper to deter domestic violence , including adopting a stronger domestic-violence law .
However , domestic violence is a misdemeanor rather than a criminal offense , and often goes lightly or completely unpunished , according to Human Rights Watch .
In a report released on December 10 , the American Bar Association said that Kyrgyzstan 's legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actively impedes their access to justice .
`` Women in Kyrgyzstan who survive gender-based violence face barriers to accessing justice and are often denied justice entirely , '' the association of lawyers and legal professionals said .
`` This is evidenced by the rarity of investigation and prosecution of domestic-violence complaints , the shaming of survivors who speak out , and the many obstacles that survivors face in the judicial system . ''
With reporting by Current Time and Kloop

Kyrgyz are aghast at rampant gender-based violence and impunity in the courts, illustrated by the recent acquittal of men accused in the repeated rape of a 13-year-old girl.
On December 12, a march was held in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, as part of an annual 16-day UN campaign against gender-based violence around the world.
The march, held in subfreezing temperatures, came a day after a court acquitted two of three suspects in the rape of a schoolgirl in the Issyk-Kul region.
One of the suspects received a light sentence of 7 1/2 years from the judge, who fell asleep several times during the trial.
The girl, who had to have an abortion after becoming pregnant from one of the rapists, remains in a psychological trauma center.
According to her family, the three men raped her for six months, filmed her, and threatened that they would show the videos to her classmates.
"I never even thought that my daughter's life would turn out so that her future would simply be trampled upon," the girl’s father told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "It turns out that there is no justice. My daughter says she wants to die."
Violence against women is rampant in Kyrgyzstan. Kloop, an independent Kyrgyz news site, cited a study showing one-quarter of women suffer from domestic violence. An astonishing 83 percent of women have experienced psychological, physical, or sexual violence in the family at least once, according to one study.
One survey showed that one in three women in Kyrgyzstan believes that there are justified reasons for a husband to beat his wife, such as for leaving the house without his permission, burning food, refusing sexual acts, or not doing household chores.
In recent years, Kyrgyzstan has taken steps on paper to deter domestic violence, including adopting a stronger domestic-violence law. However, domestic violence is a misdemeanor rather than a criminal offense, and often goes lightly or completely unpunished, according to Human Rights Watch.
In a report released on December 10, the American Bar Association said that Kyrgyzstan's legal system fails to protect women and instead actively impedes their access to justice.
"Women in Kyrgyzstan who survive gender-based violence face barriers to accessing justice and are often denied justice entirely," the association of lawyers and legal professionals said.
"This is evidenced by the rarity of investigation and prosecution of domestic-violence complaints, the shaming of survivors who speak out, and the many obstacles that survivors face in the judicial system."
With reporting by Current Time and Kloop


rferl--2020-12-13--Russian Kremlev Elected Head Of Ailing World Boxing Body AIBA

Umar Kremlev of Russia has been elected president of the troubled International Boxing Association ( AIBA ) , vowing to restore the body ’ s Olympic status .
Kremlev won 57 percent of the vote in a five-candidate contest on December 12 involving 155 national federations to become the new head of the sports body that represents amateur boxing worldwide .
His selection came despite the concerns of Olympic officials about his candidacy .
The International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) last year stripped AIBA of its right to run boxing at the Tokyo Games , postponed by a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , amid concerns over the integrity of Olympic bouts , governance , and finance .
The boxing competition at the Tokyo Olympics is instead being organized by the IOC Boxing Task Force .
Kremlev , who is also the Russian boxing federation chief , said after his selection that his priority will be to eliminate AIBA ’ s debt and strengthen its governance structures in order to get the body reinstated by the IOC in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024 .
`` Let me make it clear : the path to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not happen overnight , '' he said .
`` It will not happen overnight .
We have to unite together and work with one mission , and one mission alone : rebuilding the credibility and trust that AIBA once had in the minds of sports people worldwide and that includes , of course , restoring AIBA 's Olympic status , '' the 38-year-old said .
Kremlev will complete the presidential term of Gafur Rakhimov , an Uzbek businessman who U.S. authorities allege is involved with international heroin trafficking .
Rakhimov has denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , AP , and dpa