rferl--2020-12-04--20 Potential Kyrgyz Presidential Candidates Submit Fees And Signatures

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan 's Central Election Commission ( BShK ) says 20 potential candidates for the January 10 presidential election have submitted the required fees and signatures from their supporters to register for the vote .
The commission made the announcement on December 4 after the deadline expired at midnight for candidates to submit the 1 million-som ( $ 11,800 ) fee and a petition with at least 30,000 signatures from supporters .
The BShK will now check the validity of the signatures on the petitions before announcing the final list of presidential candidates on December 15 .
Initially , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their intentions to take part in the early presidential poll .
The early presidential election was called after a political crisis caused by mass protests in early October over the outcome of parliamentary elections led to the resignation of the government and prompted President Sooronbai Jeenbekov to step down .
Amid the October demonstrations , Sadyr Japarov was released from prison , where he had been serving a sentence for kidnapping a political rival .
H e was later voted prime minister by lawmakers and took over presidential powers following Jeenbekov 's resignation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duties as acting president and prime minister to become eligible to seek the presidency , because Kyrgyz law does not allow anyone serving as president in an interim capacity to run in an election for the post .

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission (BShK) says 20 potential candidates for the January 10 presidential election have submitted the required fees and signatures from their supporters to register for the vote.
The commission made the announcement on December 4 after the deadline expired at midnight for candidates to submit the 1 million-som ($11,800) fee and a petition with at least 30,000 signatures from supporters.
The BShK will now check the validity of the signatures on the petitions before announcing the final list of presidential candidates on December 15.
Initially, 65 potential candidates officially informed BShK about their intentions to take part in the early presidential poll.
The early presidential election was called after a political crisis caused by mass protests in early October over the outcome of parliamentary elections led to the resignation of the government and prompted President Sooronbai Jeenbekov to step down.
Amid the October demonstrations, Sadyr Japarov was released from prison, where he had been serving a sentence for kidnapping a political rival. H e was later voted prime minister by lawmakers and took over presidential powers following Jeenbekov's resignation.
In mid-November, Japarov suspended his duties as acting president and prime minister to become eligible to seek the presidency, because Kyrgyz law does not allow anyone serving as president in an interim capacity to run in an election for the post.


rferl--2020-12-04--Turkmenistan Quietly Removes Curbs On Women Seeking Driver's Licenses

ASHGABAT -- The traffic police directorate in Ashgabat has says it has started accepting applications from women looking to get or extend their driver 's licenses almost two years after imposing unannounced constraints on female drivers in the male-dominated Central Asian country .
RFE/RL correspondents reported from the Turkmen capital that , without any official announcement , the change was implemented as of December 1 , ending a campaign that had started with arbitrary stops , the issuance of citations , and on-the-spot confiscations of licenses from female drivers .
But over the past four days , women in Ashgabat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the documentation needed -- including forms , passports , medical reports , marriage certificates , confirmations of permanent addresses , car-ownership papers , and vehicle technical certificates -- to get or renew their licenses as soon as possible after word of the change began to spread .
Some people told RFE/RL that they were racing to file their applications as rumor spread that they will be accepted only until December 12 , while others said they were told by police that each application will be decided by an unspecified special commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment on the issue .
Women in Turkmenistan have been fighting against the campaign ever since it began in early 2019 .
Some filed lawsuits with local courts and turned to the country 's ombudsman , saying that the Turkmen Constitution guarantees equal rights for men and women .
In October , around 100 women staged a rally , an extraordinary event in the tightly controlled Central Asian nation , in the northeastern region of Lebap , demanding that their driver 's licenses be renewed .
At the time , local officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has ruled the country with a iron fist and has established a pervasive cult of personality since becoming Turkmenistan ’ s leader in 2006 after the death of his autocratic predecessor Saparmurat Niyazov .
Government critics and human rights groups say Berdymukhammedov has suppressed dissent and made few changes in the restrictive country during his reign .
Several years ago , traffic police in the former Soviet republic forced all car owners in Ashgabat to paint their vehicles white saying it was Berdymukhammedov 's favorite color .

ASHGABAT -- The traffic police directorate in Ashgabat has says it has started accepting applications from women looking to get or extend their driver's licenses almost two years after imposing unannounced constraints on female drivers in the male-dominated Central Asian country.
RFE/RL correspondents reported from the Turkmen capital that, without any official announcement, the change was implemented as of December 1, ending a campaign that had started with arbitrary stops, the issuance of citations, and on-the-spot confiscations of licenses from female drivers.
But over the past four days, women in Ashgabat said they have been collecting en masse all of the documentation needed -- including forms, passports, medical reports, marriage certificates, confirmations of permanent addresses, car-ownership papers, and vehicle technical certificates -- to get or renew their licenses as soon as possible after word of the change began to spread.
Some people told RFE/RL that they were racing to file their applications as rumor spread that they will be accepted only until December 12, while others said they were told by police that each application will be decided by an unspecified special commission.
Ashgabat police officials were not available for comment on the issue.
Women in Turkmenistan have been fighting against the campaign ever since it began in early 2019.
Some filed lawsuits with local courts and turned to the country's ombudsman, saying that the Turkmen Constitution guarantees equal rights for men and women.
In October, around 100 women staged a rally, an extraordinary event in the tightly controlled Central Asian nation, in the northeastern region of Lebap, demanding that their driver's licenses be renewed. At the time, local officials promised to look into the situation.
Authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has ruled the country with a iron fist and has established a pervasive cult of personality since becoming Turkmenistan’s leader in 2006 after the death of his autocratic predecessor Saparmurat Niyazov.
Government critics and human rights groups say Berdymukhammedov has suppressed dissent and made few changes in the restrictive country during his reign.
Several years ago, traffic police in the former Soviet republic forced all car owners in Ashgabat to paint their vehicles white saying it was Berdymukhammedov's favorite color.


rferl--2020-12-04--'Suicide Note' Found In Mouth Of Antigay Ultranationalist Who Died In Russian Prison, Say Investigat

'Suicide Note' Found In Mouth Of Antigay Ultranationalist Who Died In Russian Prison, Say Investigators

MOSCOW -- Investigators say they found a `` suicide note '' in the mouth of a notorious Russian antigay ultranationalist , Maksim Martsinkevich , whose death in September sparked allegations of foul play .
A lawyer for Martsinkevich 's family , Aleksei Mikhalchik , said on December 3 that the late ultranationalist 's father had received an official letter from the Investigative Committee noting that his request to launch a probe into his son 's death had been rejected as the written message found in his son 's mouth proved that the death was a suicide .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a piece of paper wrapped in plastic .
In the note , Martsinkevich wrote that he had nothing to do with unspecified murders that he had confessed to and which he had testified about against his former associates .
Martsinkevich 's parents have alleged that their son was killed or driven to suicide and filed a police complaint over his death in an attempt to have it fully investigated .
The Investigative Committee twice has refused to launch a probe since Martsinkevich was found dead in a solitary confinement cell in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The committee said at the time that its investigators found two other suicide notes in Martsinkevich ’ s belongings addressed to his girlfriend and his relatives .
The previous decisions not to launch a probe were canceled by the Investigative Committee 's Investigative Directorate for unknown reasons .
The 36-year-old was a leader of the neo-Nazi group Format 18 and known by his nickname , Tesak ( Machete ) .
Officials have hinted that he may have been driven to suicide by a confession in connection with ethnically charged killings in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible life sentence .
Martsinkevich had since said in prison that he had abandoned his neo-Nazi views .
In addition to his Format 18 activities , Martsinkevich founded a homophobic group called Occupy Pedophilia whose aim was to `` cure '' homosexuals .
Russian authorities opened an investigation against him after several videos showing Martsinkevich and his followers humiliating and beating gays circulated on the Internet in 2013 .
Martsinkevich fled to Cuba but authorities there arrested him for a visa violation in January 2014 and repatriated him to Russia .
In late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found Martsinkevich guilty of robbery and hooliganism and sentenced him to 10 years in prison .
Before that , Martsinkevich had been convicted three times on extremism charges .
Kremlin critics have said the government used Martsinkevich 's group to counter opposition protests .
With reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS

MOSCOW -- Investigators say they found a "suicide note" in the mouth of a notorious Russian antigay ultranationalist, Maksim Martsinkevich, whose death in September sparked allegations of foul play.
A lawyer for Martsinkevich's family, Aleksei Mikhalchik, said on December 3 that the late ultranationalist's father had received an official letter from the Investigative Committee noting that his request to launch a probe into his son's death had been rejected as the written message found in his son's mouth proved that the death was a suicide.
According to the Investigative Committee, the message was written on a piece of paper wrapped in plastic. In the note, Martsinkevich wrote that he had nothing to do with unspecified murders that he had confessed to and which he had testified about against his former associates.
Martsinkevich's parents have alleged that their son was killed or driven to suicide and filed a police complaint over his death in an attempt to have it fully investigated.
The Investigative Committee twice has refused to launch a probe since Martsinkevich was found dead in a solitary confinement cell in the west-central Russian city of Chelyabinsk in mid-September.
The committee said at the time that its investigators found two other suicide notes in Martsinkevich’s belongings addressed to his girlfriend and his relatives.
The previous decisions not to launch a probe were canceled by the Investigative Committee's Investigative Directorate for unknown reasons.
The 36-year-old was a leader of the neo-Nazi group Format 18 and known by his nickname, Tesak (Machete).
Officials have hinted that he may have been driven to suicide by a confession in connection with ethnically charged killings in the mid-2000s, for which Martsinkevich faced a possible life sentence.
Martsinkevich had since said in prison that he had abandoned his neo-Nazi views.
In addition to his Format 18 activities, Martsinkevich founded a homophobic group called Occupy Pedophilia whose aim was to "cure" homosexuals.
Russian authorities opened an investigation against him after several videos showing Martsinkevich and his followers humiliating and beating gays circulated on the Internet in 2013.
Martsinkevich fled to Cuba but authorities there arrested him for a visa violation in January 2014 and repatriated him to Russia.
In late December 2018, a court in Moscow found Martsinkevich guilty of robbery and hooliganism and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
Before that, Martsinkevich had been convicted three times on extremism charges.
Kremlin critics have said the government used Martsinkevich's group to counter opposition protests.
With reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS


rferl--2020-12-04--Pussy Riot Member Jailed For Protest Against Police In Moscow

MOSCOW -- A member of the Pussy Riot protest group has been sentenced to 20 days in jail for taking part in a protest performance in Moscow last week .
Lawyer Mansur Gilmanov said late on December 3 that Rita Flores , also known as Margarita Konovalova , was found guilty of repeatedly violating the law on public gatherings .
He added that the court ’ s ruling will be appealed .
Maria Alyokhina , a member of the protest group , said earlier on December 3 that police detained Flores after she was taken to a Moscow hospital overnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On November 28 , Flores , Alyokhina , and artist Farkhad Israfilli-Gelman staged a protest performance called Fragile !
Handle With Care !
not far from the State History Museum near Red Square .
In the performance , two women in Russian national costumes tied Israfilli-Gelman , who was wearing a riot police uniform , to a light pole with packing tape .
The event highlighted several cases against protesters who received prison terms last year for throwing plastic cups and plastic bottles at police during the dispersal of rallies in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on November 28 and Alyokhina on December 2 .
The two were charged with violating the law on public gatherings .
Their trials are pending as well .
With reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS

MOSCOW -- A member of the Pussy Riot protest group has been sentenced to 20 days in jail for taking part in a protest performance in Moscow last week.
Lawyer Mansur Gilmanov said late on December 3 that Rita Flores, also known as Margarita Konovalova, was found guilty of repeatedly violating the law on public gatherings. He added that the court’s ruling will be appealed.
Maria Alyokhina, a member of the protest group, said earlier on December 3 that police detained Flores after she was taken to a Moscow hospital overnight to be treated for an unspecified illness.
On November 28, Flores, Alyokhina, and artist Farkhad Israfilli-Gelman staged a protest performance called Fragile! Handle With Care! not far from the State History Museum near Red Square.
In the performance, two women in Russian national costumes tied Israfilli-Gelman, who was wearing a riot police uniform, to a light pole with packing tape.
The event highlighted several cases against protesters who received prison terms last year for throwing plastic cups and plastic bottles at police during the dispersal of rallies in the Russian capital.
Police briefly detained Israfilli-Gelman on November 28 and Alyokhina on December 2. The two were charged with violating the law on public gatherings. Their trials are pending as well.
With reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS


rferl--2020-12-04--Hungary's Orban Says He Won't Budge In EU Budget Dispute Over 'Rule Of Law' Clause

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reiterated on December 4 that Budapest will not accept a clause on observing the rule of law attached to the European Union 's budget and coronavirus-recovery fund , prompting Brussels to warn both Hungary and Poland that the bloc is ready to proceed without them .
Poland and Hungary are blocking about 1.8 trillion euros ( $ 2.2 trillion ) worth of EU funds , including some 750 billion euros due to be disbursed soon to help pull the 27-country bloc out of a double-dip recession caused by a second surge in coronavirus infections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermining the independence of the judiciary , media , and nongovernmental organizations , and risk losing access to tens of billions of euros because of the newly introduced rule-of-law clause .
Orban told public radio that an explanatory declaration attached to the regulations , which prompted a senior Polish government member to say Poland might accept the package , would be unacceptable to Budapest .
`` For us this solution , attaching some statement like a reminder on a sticky note attached on a piece of paper , it wo n't work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that these two things should be separated . ''
Budapest and Warsaw have said they would act and vote together on the rule of law issue , and Orban said he would stick to that agreement .
He said there was no rush to get an agreement on the EU budget this year , adding if the EU does not have an agreement by January , it will have one later .
`` Leave the legal status quo unchanged and everything will go smoothly and quickly , '' he said .
The block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly delay the adoption of the EU 's 1.8-trillion-euro ( $ 2.1-trillion ) plan .
However , EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni warned the two countries that the EU is ready to `` go on '' without them if they do not drop their opposition .
`` Of course we will not surrender to a veto , this should be very clear to Hungary and Poland , but I am still confident that we will overcome this veto , '' Gentiloni told the Rome Med 2020 conference on December 4 .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member states that we will go on without them , but I am confident that we will at the end make the agreement happen , '' he added .
On December 3 , EU sources confirmed media reports that plans were under way to allow the other 25 member states to green-light the virus aid , circumventing the two countries ' opposition .
Gentiloni said the fact that Germany , the EU 's most powerful economy , currently holds the bloc 's rotating presidency may be `` a good advantage in looking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to dominate a December 10-11 EU summit in Brussels .
With reporting by Reuters and dpa

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reiterated on December 4 that Budapest will not accept a clause on observing the rule of law attached to the European Union's budget and coronavirus-recovery fund, prompting Brussels to warn both Hungary and Poland that the bloc is ready to proceed without them.
Poland and Hungary are blocking about 1.8 trillion euros ($2.2 trillion) worth of EU funds, including some 750 billion euros due to be disbursed soon to help pull the 27-country bloc out of a double-dip recession caused by a second surge in coronavirus infections.
Both countries are under EU investigation for undermining the independence of the judiciary, media, and nongovernmental organizations, and risk losing access to tens of billions of euros because of the newly introduced rule-of-law clause.
Orban told public radio that an explanatory declaration attached to the regulations, which prompted a senior Polish government member to say Poland might accept the package, would be unacceptable to Budapest.
"For us this solution, attaching some statement like a reminder on a sticky note attached on a piece of paper, it won't work," Orban said. "Hungary insists that these two things should be separated."
Budapest and Warsaw have said they would act and vote together on the rule of law issue, and Orban said he would stick to that agreement.
He said there was no rush to get an agreement on the EU budget this year, adding if the EU does not have an agreement by January, it will have one later.
"Leave the legal status quo unchanged and everything will go smoothly and quickly," he said.
The block by Warsaw and Budapest will most likely significantly delay the adoption of the EU's 1.8-trillion-euro ($2.1-trillion) plan.
However, EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni warned the two countries that the EU is ready to "go on" without them if they do not drop their opposition.
"Of course we will not surrender to a veto, this should be very clear to Hungary and Poland, but I am still confident that we will overcome this veto," Gentiloni told the Rome Med 2020 conference on December 4.
"I think we are very clear towards these member states that we will go on without them, but I am confident that we will at the end make the agreement happen," he added.
On December 3, EU sources confirmed media reports that plans were under way to allow the other 25 member states to green-light the virus aid, circumventing the two countries' opposition.
Gentiloni said the fact that Germany, the EU's most powerful economy, currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency may be "a good advantage in looking for a solution."
The budget dispute is expected to dominate a December 10-11 EU summit in Brussels.
With reporting by Reuters and dpa


rferl--2020-12-04--U.S. Withdraws Some Staff From Embassy In Iraq Amid Tensions With Iran

The United States is partially withdrawing some staff from its embassy in Baghdad as tensions with Iran and Iraqi militia groups spike .
U.S .
Ambassador Mathew Tueller confirmed on December 3 a “ temporary reduction ” in staff at the mission following recent media reports of the change .
In a video posted on the U.S. Embassy 's Facebook page , Tueller said he and a core team of diplomats and military advisers would continue to carry out duties for the `` foreseeable future . ''
It was unclear how many of the several hundred diplomats at the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The drawdown comes as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Iran ahead of a transition to President-elect Joe Biden , who has said he will try to revive diplomacy with Tehran upon entering the White House in January .
Biden is expected to try to rejoin the Iran nuclear accord that Trump quit in 2018 and work with allies to strengthen its terms , if Tehran first resumes compliance .
Tension have spiked across the region following last week ’ s assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh near Tehran .
Iran has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , raising the possibility that Iran or one of its regional proxies will retaliate .
U.S. officials have also voiced concern that Iran or allied Iraqi militia may carry out retaliatory action on the first anniversary of a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general , Qasem Soleimani , and senior Iraqi militia leaders near Baghdad 's airport on January 3 .
The partial withdrawal from the embassy is taking place against the backdrop of the Trump administration last month ordering a reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September , the Trump administration warned Iraq that it would close its embassy in Baghdad in response to repeated rocket and other attacks by Iranian-backed militias on American and allied interests in the country .
With reporting by AP 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--2020-12-04--Russian Physicist Working On Hypersonic Aircraft Arrested For High Treason

A Russian court has ordered the arrest of a physicist specializing in hypersonic aircraft on suspicion of high treason .
@ @ @ @ @ international conferences and projects involving hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft , the Interfax news agency reported on @ @ @ @ @ sources .
`` According to the investigation , Gubanov handed over secret aviation development data @ @ @ @ @ news agency reported , citing another source .
The closed-door court ordered Gubanov to be @ @ @ @ @ .
The scientist is said to be a lecturer at the Moscow Institute of Physics @ @ @ @ @ hypersonic aircraft and missiles as providing a strategically important military advantage .
In October , @ @ @ @ @ had successfully test-launched a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile that flew more than eight times the @ @ @ @ @ what President Vladimir Putin hailed as a “ big event ” for the country .
@ @ @ @ @ Russian Service , dpa , TASS , and Interfax

A Russian court has ordered the arrest of a physicist specializing in hypersonic aircraft on suspicion of high treason.
Anatoly Gubanov took part in international conferences and projects involving hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft, the Interfax news agency reported on December 3, citing unnamed sources.
"According to the investigation, Gubanov handed over secret aviation development data abroad," the TASS news agency reported, citing another source.
The closed-door court ordered Gubanov to be held in detention until February.
The scientist is said to be a lecturer at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.
Russia views hypersonic aircraft and missiles as providing a strategically important military advantage.
In October, the Russian military said it had successfully test-launched a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile that flew more than eight times the speed of sound, in what President Vladimir Putin hailed as a “big event” for the country.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, dpa, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-12-03--Jourova: EU To Impose A 'Cost' For   Spreaders Of Fake News, Such As Russia

BRUSSELS -- European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova says the EU 's executive arm will propose sanctioning entities who spread disinformation -- especially `` foreign actors '' from such countries as Russia and China -- in an effort to `` impose a cost '' on those putting out fake news .
Jourova told RFE/RL in an interview to coincide with the release of the European Democracy Action Plan on December 3 the bloc must crack down on the spread of disinformation , especially for those who repeatedly do so .
`` The producers [ of disinformation ] do not pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that it should not go without any price , so that 's why we will be considering how to apply the sanctions and the costs , '' she said .
`` We will deal especially with the foreign influence and foreign actors , '' she added .
Jourova said sanctions will should follow the EU 's cybersanction regime , which was used for the first time this year to freeze assets and introduce visa bans on offenders -- primarily Russian , Chinese , and North Korean citizens and companies -- that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Task Force , a division of the European External Action Service , which monitors Russian disinformation , has identified 10,000 examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation since it started monitoring in 2015 .
When asked whether Russian media companies such as RT and Sputnik can be targeted in the future , Jourova said she did n't want to specify at the moment , but added that `` it can be governmental or nongovernmental actors , whoever will be identified , using very good evidence , that they are systematic producers or promoters of disinformation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baltic states , have already banned Russian media belonging to the Rossia Segodnya ( Russia Today ) media group since it has been linked to Dmitry Kiselyov .
Kiselyov , a TV commentator known for his anti-Western diatribes , is on the European Union 's sanctions list for his role in promoting Kremlin propaganda in support of Russia 's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine .
He heads the state Rossia Segodnya media group , which focuses mainly on Russian news and official propaganda abroad .
Jourova said that Europeans were being inundated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially during the current coronavirus pandemic , that aims to `` harm the people in Europe . ''
Next week the European Union will also propose new , tougher legislation for online platforms such Facebook , Google and Twitter to take more action on the transparency of ad placements and moves against fake accounts .
Jourova said she believes the companies will comply with stricter regulations that increase `` the responsibility and accountability '' of social-media platforms even though so far they have cooperated with Brussels solely on a voluntary basis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone , not only big tech , is to adopt the regulation .
This is what we are going to do next week , '' she said .
`` I think that they know what they can expect from us , that once we adopt the legislation through our very difficult legislative process , which is now ahead of us , we will insist on compliance , '' she added .
The European Democracy Action Plan says that the 27-member bloc `` needs to use more systematically the full range of tools in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence operations and further develop them , including by imposing costs on the perpetrators . ''
It is the first time that the European Commission has suggested in an official document the imposition of sanctions for the spread of disinformation .
The document adds that the plan comes at a time when `` pressure is mounting on democracy , the rule of law , and human rights globally . ''
Warning that information can be `` weaponized by foreign actors , '' the document goes on to say that `` certain third countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have engaged in targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns around COVID‑19 in the EU , its neighborhood , and globally , seeking to undermine democratic debate , exacerbate social polarization , and improve their own image . ''

BRUSSELS -- European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova says the EU's executive arm will propose sanctioning entities who spread disinformation -- especially "foreign actors" from such countries as Russia and China -- in an effort to "impose a cost" on those putting out fake news.
Jourova told RFE/RL in an interview to coincide with the release of the European Democracy Action Plan on December 3 the bloc must crack down on the spread of disinformation, especially for those who repeatedly do so.
"The producers [of disinformation] do not pay any price for that. And I think that it should not go without any price, so that's why we will be considering how to apply the sanctions and the costs," she said.
"We will deal especially with the foreign influence and foreign actors," she added.
Jourova said sanctions will should follow the EU's cybersanction regime, which was used for the first time this year to freeze assets and introduce visa bans on offenders -- primarily Russian, Chinese, and North Korean citizens and companies -- that have attacked the bloc.
The East StratCom Task Force, a division of the European External Action Service, which monitors Russian disinformation, has identified 10,000 examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation since it started monitoring in 2015.
When asked whether Russian media companies such as RT and Sputnik can be targeted in the future, Jourova said she didn't want to specify at the moment, but added that "it can be governmental or nongovernmental actors, whoever will be identified, using very good evidence, that they are systematic producers or promoters of disinformation."
Some EU countries, notably the Baltic states, have already banned Russian media belonging to the Rossia Segodnya (Russia Today) media group since it has been linked to Dmitry Kiselyov.
Kiselyov, a TV commentator known for his anti-Western diatribes, is on the European Union's sanctions list for his role in promoting Kremlin propaganda in support of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
He heads the state Rossia Segodnya media group, which focuses mainly on Russian news and official propaganda abroad.
Jourova said that Europeans were being inundated with "an avalanche" of misinformation, especially during the current coronavirus pandemic, that aims to "harm the people in Europe."
Next week the European Union will also propose new, tougher legislation for online platforms such Facebook, Google and Twitter to take more action on the transparency of ad placements and moves against fake accounts.
Jourova said she believes the companies will comply with stricter regulations that increase "the responsibility and accountability" of social-media platforms even though so far they have cooperated with Brussels solely on a voluntary basis.
"The only efficient way to force anyone, not only big tech, is to adopt the regulation. This is what we are going to do next week," she said.
"I think that they know what they can expect from us, that once we adopt the legislation through our very difficult legislative process, which is now ahead of us, we will insist on compliance," she added.
The European Democracy Action Plan says that the 27-member bloc "needs to use more systematically the full range of tools in its toolbox for countering foreign interference and influence operations and further develop them, including by imposing costs on the perpetrators."
It is the first time that the European Commission has suggested in an official document the imposition of sanctions for the spread of disinformation.
The document adds that the plan comes at a time when "pressure is mounting on democracy, the rule of law, and human rights globally."
Warning that information can be "weaponized by foreign actors," the document goes on to say that "certain third countries (in particular Russia and China) have engaged in targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns around COVID‑19 in the EU, its neighborhood, and globally, seeking to undermine democratic debate, exacerbate social polarization, and improve their own image."


rferl--2020-12-04--Ukraine's Parliament Restores Anti-Corruption Legislation Annulled By Highest Court

Ukraine ’ s parliament voted on December 4 to reimpose penalties for officials who provide false information about their incomes , defying an earlier ruling from the nation ’ s highest court .
Ukraine 's Constitutional Court in October annulled key parts of the nation 's anti-corruption legislation , sparking a widespread backlash at home and abroad .
The decision threatened Western financial aid to Kyiv and visa-free travel to Europe Union countries .
The nation ’ s highest court declared unconstitutional a provision that required officials to submit electronic asset declarations .
It also struck down legislation that made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ukraine has suffered from widespread corruption for decades that has held back foreign investment and economic growth .
The prior legislation , passed after the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests that pushed Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovuych from power , helped combat the problem by exposing and punishing those officials involved in graft .
The new bill passed by parliament on December 4 is less severe .
According to its provisions , an official who deliberately conceals assets worth between 1.3 million and 9 million hryvnya ( $ 46,000 and $ 318,000 ) can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1,500 to $ 1,800 ) or sentenced to between 150 and 240 hours of community service .
Those who fail to declare assets worth over 9 million hryvnya will face a fine of between 51,000 and 85,000 hryvnya ( $ 1,800 to $ 3,000 ) and between 150 and 240 hours of community service or up to two years of “ restrictions of freedom ” that do not include imprisonment .
Additionally , any official convicted of hiding income can be banned from holding public office for up to three years Based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post

Ukraine’s parliament voted on December 4 to reimpose penalties for officials who provide false information about their incomes, defying an earlier ruling from the nation’s highest court.
Ukraine's Constitutional Court in October annulled key parts of the nation's anti-corruption legislation, sparking a widespread backlash at home and abroad. The decision threatened Western financial aid to Kyiv and visa-free travel to Europe Union countries.
The nation’s highest court declared unconstitutional a provision that required officials to submit electronic asset declarations. It also struck down legislation that made providing false income information a criminal offense.
Ukraine has suffered from widespread corruption for decades that has held back foreign investment and economic growth. The prior legislation, passed after the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests that pushed Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovuych from power, helped combat the problem by exposing and punishing those officials involved in graft.
The new bill passed by parliament on December 4 is less severe.
According to its provisions, an official who deliberately conceals assets worth between 1.3 million and 9 million hryvnya ($46,000 and $318,000) can be fined between 42,500 and 51,000 hryvnya ($1,500 to $1,800) or sentenced to between 150 and 240 hours of community service.
Those who fail to declare assets worth over 9 million hryvnya will face a fine of between 51,000 and 85,000 hryvnya ($1,800 to $3,000) and between 150 and 240 hours of community service or up to two years of “restrictions of freedom” that do not include imprisonment.
Additionally, any official convicted of hiding income can be banned from holding public office for up to three years
Based on reporting by AP and the Kyiv Post


rferl--2020-12-04--Iran Violating 2015 Nuclear Deal Again With Use Of Advanced Centrifuges, Reuters Reports

Iran plans to install more advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges at an underground plant in breach of its troubled deal with major powers , Reuters reported on December 4 , citing a UN nuclear watchdog report .
The confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report obtained by Reuters said Iran plans to install three more clusters of advanced IR-2m centrifuges in the underground plant at Natanz , located about 300 kilometers south of the capital , Tehran .
According to its 2015 nuclear deal with major powers , Iran can only use the less-efficient , first-generation IR-1 centrifuges at the underground plant .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cluster of IR-2m machines at Natanz and is planning to install two more clusters , Reuters reported , citing the document .
The breach is the latest in a series of violations by Iran of the nuclear deal in response to President Donald Trump 's withdrawal from the agreement and his reimposition of punishing economic sanctions .
Tehran says its breaches can quickly be reversed if Washington 's moves are undone .
President-elect Joe Biden , who takes office on January 20 , said he is willing to rejoin the nuclear agreement if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said later on December 4 that Iran was `` desperately '' signaling its willingness to return to the negotiating table to get sanctions relief , though he did not back his claim with any proof .
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-12-04--Bulgaria To Close 28 Facilities For Mentally Ill, Handicapped After European Criticism

Bulgaria said it will close 28 facilities for the mentally ill and handicapped after harsh criticism by the Council of @ @ @ @ @ Office issued a statement on December 4 saying it planned to close the facilities by @ @ @ @ @ , as well as violence against patients and misuse of medication .
A Council of @ @ @ @ @ called on Bulgaria to stop using chains at mental health facilities to restrain individuals , @ @ @ @ @ ” The committee said in its report that its delegation had visited several facilities and @ @ @ @ @ pushing , punching , and kicking ” patients .

Bulgaria said it will close 28 facilities for the mentally ill and handicapped after harsh criticism by the Council of Europe.
The Prosecutor-General's Office issued a statement on December 4 saying it planned to close the facilities by 2027 due to poor conditions, as well as violence against patients and misuse of medication.
A Council of Europe committee on December 2 called on Bulgaria to stop using chains at mental health facilities to restrain individuals, calling it “totally unacceptable.”
The committee said in its report that its delegation had visited several facilities and heard allegations of staff "pushing, punching, and kicking” patients.
Based on reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-12-04--Helga Schmid, German Diplomat And Iran Deal Negotiator, Picked As New OSCE Chief

German diplomat Helga Schmid , a key participant in the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran , was appointed secretary-general of @ @ @ @ @ Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , becoming the first woman to head the post @ @ @ @ @ Albania , which chairs the organization , made the announcement on Twitter on December 4 @ @ @ @ @ foreign ministers of all 57 OSCE member countries .
Schmid , 59 , has been @ @ @ @ @ the EU diplomatic service since 2016 .
She previously served as the German Embassy 's @ @ @ @ @ 1990s .
The Vienna-based regional security organization plays an important role in resolving conflicts in @ @ @ @ @ post-Soviet region and Western Balkans .
Its mandate also includes election monitoring as well as @ @ @ @ @ and freedom of the press .
Schmid takes over the OSCE at a tough time @ @ @ @ @ faces crises in Belarus , Ukraine , and in Nagorno-Karabakh , where Armenian and Azerbaijani @ @ @ @ @ on reporting by dpa and AP

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--2020-12-04--Russian Military Court Of Appeals Upholds Prison Sentence For Prominent Bashkir Activist

VLASIKHA , Russia -- A Russian military appeals court has upheld the sentence of Airat Dilmukhametov , a prominent opposition activist from the Republic of Bashkortostan who was sentenced to nine years in prison on extremism charges .
The court in the town of Vlasikha near Moscow on December 4 rejected the appeal filed by Dilmukhametov , who has insisted that the case against him is politically motivated .
The charge against Dilmukhametov stems from a video statement he made in 2018 urging the creation of a `` real '' federation in Russia with more autonomous rights given to ethnic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights and regional autonomy are especially sensitive in Bashkortostan -- with its sizable populations of Tatars , Bashkirs , and ethnic Russians -- particularly since President Vladimir Putin ordered an end to the ability of Russia 's ethnic regions and republics to mandate regional language instruction in schools .
Dilmukhametov was arrested in March 2019 ; in August of this year , he was convicted of issuing public calls to violate Russia 's territorial integrity and for making public calls for extremism and to support terrorism .
The extremism and terrorism charges are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for incarcerating several Bashkirs on charges of belonging to a banned Islamic group and his public statements about a conflict between local residents and workers from Chechnya in the village of Temas .
In May , the Supreme Court of the Russian Republic of Bashkortostanbanned a group , called Bashqort , which for years has promoted Bashkir language and culture as well as equal rights for ethnic Bashkirs .

VLASIKHA, Russia -- A Russian military appeals court has upheld the sentence of Airat Dilmukhametov, a prominent opposition activist from the Republic of Bashkortostan who was sentenced to nine years in prison on extremism charges.
The court in the town of Vlasikha near Moscow on December 4 rejected the appeal filed by Dilmukhametov, who has insisted that the case against him is politically motivated.
The charge against Dilmukhametov stems from a video statement he made in 2018 urging the creation of a "real" federation in Russia with more autonomous rights given to ethnic republics and regions.
Debates over ethnic rights and regional autonomy are especially sensitive in Bashkortostan -- with its sizable populations of Tatars, Bashkirs, and ethnic Russians -- particularly since President Vladimir Putin ordered an end to the ability of Russia's ethnic regions and republics to mandate regional language instruction in schools.
Dilmukhametov was arrested in March 2019; in August of this year, he was convicted of issuing public calls to violate Russia's territorial integrity and for making public calls for extremism and to support terrorism.
The extremism and terrorism charges are linked to his criticism of regional authorities for incarcerating several Bashkirs on charges of belonging to a banned Islamic group and his public statements about a conflict between local residents and workers from Chechnya in the village of Temas.
In May, the Supreme Court of the Russian Republic of Bashkortostanbanned a group, called Bashqort, which for years has promoted Bashkir language and culture as well as equal rights for ethnic Bashkirs.


rferl--2020-12-04--Montenegrin Lawmakers Approve Government, End Three Decades Of Socialist Party Rule

PODGORICA -- Montenegrin lawmakers have approved a new cabinet after a coalition comprised of pro-Serb , center-right and green parties @ @ @ @ @ in the first transfer of power in three decades .
A total of 41 deputies @ @ @ @ @ to support Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic 's government on December 4 .
The coalition narrowly @ @ @ @ @ Djukanovic 's Democratic Party of Socialists ( DPS ) , which had never before lost @ @ @ @ @ a 62-year-old university professor and political newcomer , has promised to make `` significant progress @ @ @ @ @ to join the European Union .
The country has been a NATO member since 2017 @

PODGORICA -- Montenegrin lawmakers have approved a new cabinet after a coalition comprised of pro-Serb, center-right and green parties won an election, ushering in the first transfer of power in three decades.
A total of 41 deputies of 81 in parliament voted to support Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic's government on December 4.
The coalition narrowly edged former Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which had never before lost an election.
Krivokapic, a 62-year-old university professor and political newcomer, has promised to make "significant progress" in Montenegro's talks to join the European Union.
The country has been a NATO member since 2017.


rferl--2020-12-04--Kazakhstan Accused Of Using Baseless Tax Claims To Pressure Rights Groups

Several international rights watchdogs have accused Kazakh authorities of launching a pressure campaign on human rights organizations by making baseless claims about tax improprieties .
Amnesty International , Front Line Defenders , Human Rights Watch , and International Partnership for Human rights said in a joint statement on December 3 that tax authorities in Kazakhstan since mid-October had notified at least 13 human rights groups in the country , alleging that they had incorrectly completed declaration forms relating to foreign income , a requirement of a controversial and heavily criticized law introduced in 2016 .
Failure to fill out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine of 555,600 tenges ( some $ 1,300 ) and a suspension of activities , with a greater fine and a ban on activities for a repeat offense within a year .
The statement by the international human rights organizations called on the Kazakh authorities to `` immediately drop these unfounded complaints against independent civil society organizations and live up to their international human rights obligations to respect , protect , promote , and fulfill human rights , including the right to freedom of association . ''
“ Targeting over a dozen prominent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violations is more than gross overreach by Kazakhstan tax authorities , ” said Marie Struthers , Eastern Europe and Central Asia director at Amnesty International .
`` It is a cynical attempt to silence independent and critical voices precisely when these voices matter the most.
” Those under government attack include leading human rights groups in Kazakhstan , such as the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law ; the International Legal Initiative ; Qadyr Qasiyet ; and Echo Public Foundation .
The groups work on human rights and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental rights to freedom of expression and media freedom .
“ It is of particular concern that the increased targeting coincides with the upcoming parliamentary election in January 2021 , ” said Andrew Anderson , executive director at Front Line Defenders .
“ The targeting of human rights defenders will have a chilling effect on civil society , obstructing the important role of independent watchdogs in ensuring respect for human rights in the context of the elections , independent monitoring during the election campaign and election day.
” The groups also expressed concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without due process of law .
The targeted organizations in Kazakhstan have only 10 days after a fine is imposed to file a court appeal .

Several international rights watchdogs have accused Kazakh authorities of launching a pressure campaign on human rights organizations by making baseless claims about tax improprieties.
Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders, Human Rights Watch, and International Partnership for Human rights said in a joint statement on December 3 that tax authorities in Kazakhstan since mid-October had notified at least 13 human rights groups in the country, alleging that they had incorrectly completed declaration forms relating to foreign income, a requirement of a controversial and heavily criticized law introduced in 2016.
Failure to fill out the forms in a timely manner carries a fine of 555,600 tenges (some $1,300) and a suspension of activities, with a greater fine and a ban on activities for a repeat offense within a year.
The statement by the international human rights organizations called on the Kazakh authorities to "immediately drop these unfounded complaints against independent civil society organizations and live up to their international human rights obligations to respect, protect, promote, and fulfill human rights, including the right to freedom of association."
“Targeting over a dozen prominent human rights groups with alleged financial reporting violations is more than gross overreach by Kazakhstan tax authorities,” said Marie Struthers, Eastern Europe and Central Asia director at Amnesty International. "It is a cynical attempt to silence independent and critical voices precisely when these voices matter the most.”
Those under government attack include leading human rights groups in Kazakhstan, such as the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law; the International Legal Initiative; Qadyr Qasiyet; and Echo Public Foundation. The groups work on human rights and other issues, ranging from election monitoring and environmental rights to freedom of expression and media freedom.
“It is of particular concern that the increased targeting coincides with the upcoming parliamentary election in January 2021,” said Andrew Anderson, executive director at Front Line Defenders.
“The targeting of human rights defenders will have a chilling effect on civil society, obstructing the important role of independent watchdogs in ensuring respect for human rights in the context of the elections, independent monitoring during the election campaign and election day.”
The groups also expressed concern that the tax authorities can impose penalties without due process of law. The targeted organizations in Kazakhstan have only 10 days after a fine is imposed to file a court appeal.


rferl--2020-12-04--Rights Groups Urge Tajik Government To Stop Harassing Exiled Dissident's Family

Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee have urged Tajik officials `` to stop harassing '' the family of exiled opposition activist Fakhruddin Saidmukhidinov .
In a joint statement issued in December 4 , the rights watchdogs said Tajik authorities summoned , interrogated , and threatened Saidmukhidinov 's relatives in late-November , `` apparently to force him to cease his online criticism of the government . ''
`` The Tajik government has severely curbed free speech in the country and left no space for any criticism by targeting opposition political figures and activists , lawyers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Hugh Williamson , HRW 's Europe and Central Asia director .
`` The authorities should immediately stop harassing Saidmukhidinov ’ s relatives over his activism , '' he added .
Saidmukhidinov , who has resided in an unspecified European Union country since 2016 , is a supporter of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan ( IRPT ) , an opposition party that was labeled a terrorist organization and banned by Tajik authorities in 2015 .
Saidmukhidinov 's online articles have been critical of the Tajik government 's ongoing crackdown on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups ' joint statement cites Saidmukhidinov as saying that Tajikistan ’ s State Committee for National Security summoned his brother and father on November 19 , where they were interrogated and threatened for five hours .
The interrogators told the two men that Saidmukhidinov should cease all his online activities , shut down his social media accounts , and publicly apologize to Saimuddin Yatimov , the head of the country ’ s feared security services .
In addition , the security officials told Saidmukhidinov 's father and brother that the activist had taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dimension Implementation Meeting ( HDIM ) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) in 2016 and 2017 , calling them “ anti-state conferences '' where Saidmukhidinov sat right next to `` traitors.
” According to Saidmukhidinov , the officials told his father that “ they will bring him back , but they [ the family ] will never see him again.
” Saidmukhidinov ’ s family members were threatened by officials in a similar way in December 2019 .
“ By targeting critical voices abroad , the Tajik @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom of expression in Europe and elsewhere , ” said Gunnar Ekelove-Slydal , acting secretary general of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee .
`` The time is overdue for the European Union and others to implement meaningful measures to counter the Tajik human rights crisis.
” Many rights activists and opposition politicians have fled Tajikistan in recent years , fearing for their safety .
Tajik government has targeted critics abroad by murdering , abducting , and extraditing them , as well as by imposing pressure on exiled critics ’ relatives in Tajikistan .

Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee have urged Tajik officials "to stop harassing" the family of exiled opposition activist Fakhruddin Saidmukhidinov.
In a joint statement issued in December 4, the rights watchdogs said Tajik authorities summoned, interrogated, and threatened Saidmukhidinov's relatives in late-November, "apparently to force him to cease his online criticism of the government."
"The Tajik government has severely curbed free speech in the country and left no space for any criticism by targeting opposition political figures and activists, lawyers, journalists, and relatives of peaceful dissidents," said Hugh Williamson, HRW's Europe and Central Asia director.
"The authorities should immediately stop harassing Saidmukhidinov’s relatives over his activism," he added.
Saidmukhidinov, who has resided in an unspecified European Union country since 2016, is a supporter of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), an opposition party that was labeled a terrorist organization and banned by Tajik authorities in 2015.
Saidmukhidinov's online articles have been critical of the Tajik government's ongoing crackdown on dissent and political opposition.
The rights groups' joint statement cites Saidmukhidinov as saying that Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security summoned his brother and father on November 19, where they were interrogated and threatened for five hours.
The interrogators told the two men that Saidmukhidinov should cease all his online activities, shut down his social media accounts, and publicly apologize to Saimuddin Yatimov, the head of the country’s feared security services.
In addition, the security officials told Saidmukhidinov's father and brother that the activist had taken part in two conferences with the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2016 and 2017, calling them “anti-state conferences" where Saidmukhidinov sat right next to "traitors.”
According to Saidmukhidinov, the officials told his father that “they will bring him back, but they [the family] will never see him again.”
Saidmukhidinov’s family members were threatened by officials in a similar way in December 2019.
“By targeting critical voices abroad, the Tajik regime is posing a tangible threat to freedom of expression in Europe and elsewhere,” said Gunnar Ekelove-Slydal, acting secretary general of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. "The time is overdue for the European Union and others to implement meaningful measures to counter the Tajik human rights crisis.”
Many rights activists and opposition politicians have fled Tajikistan in recent years, fearing for their safety. Tajik government has targeted critics abroad by murdering, abducting, and extraditing them, as well as by imposing pressure on exiled critics’ relatives in Tajikistan.


rferl--2020-12-04--Clear Road Ahead? Turkmenistan Quietly Removes Curbs On Women Wanting To Drive


rferl--2020-12-04--'Suicide Note' Found In Mouth Of Antigay Ultranationalist Who Died In Russian Prison, Investigators

'Suicide Note' Found In Mouth Of Antigay Ultranationalist Who Died In Russian Prison, Investigators Say


rferl--2020-12-04--U.S. Withdraws Some Staff From Embassy In Iraq Amid Iran Tensions


rferl--2020-12-05--Iran Supreme Court To Retry Three Men Sentenced To Death Over 2019 Protests

Iran ’ s Supreme Court has said it will review the cases of three young men sentenced to death over links to anti-government protests in November 2019 .
`` The case will be reviewed in another tribunal , '' the court ’ s website said on December 5 , without providing further details .
The men were sentenced earlier in 2020 , after being found guilty of `` collusion to endanger national security '' and `` destroying and setting fire to public property with the aim of confronting the political system of the Islamic republic , '' according to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s judiciary suspended the men ’ s executions , amid public anger and condemnations .
The men , identified as Amirhossein Moradi , Mohammad Rajabi , and Saeed Tamjidi -- all in their 20s -- were arrested during the protests over gasoline price hikes that quickly turned political , with protesters demanding that top officials step down .
Human rights advocates had said the death sentences initially handed to the three men had been aimed at intimidating future protesters .
Rights groups said at least some 300 people were killed and up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that rocked more than 100 towns and cities across Iran .
They accused Iranian authorities of brutally cracking down on demonstrators .
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters


rferl--2020-12-05--Moscow Begins Mass COVID-19 Vaccination, With Doctors, Teachers First In Line

Moscow has begun distributing the domestically developed vaccine Sputnik V via 70 clinics across the city , authorities said , marking Russia ’ s first mass immunization against COVID-19 .
The December 5 announcement by Moscow ’ s coronavirus task force comes as critics say the vaccine has yet to complete the advanced studies needed to ensure its effectiveness and safety in line with established scientific protocols .
Russian authorities say the vaccine would first be made available to health workers , teachers , and social workers because they ran the highest risk of exposure to the virus .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or breastfeeding women , and those who have had a respiratory illness for the past two weeks are barred from vaccination in the initial rollout in Moscow .
The age for those receiving shots is capped at 60 .
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on December 4 that `` over the first five hours , 5,000 people signed up for the jab.
” The government says the vaccine will be free to all Russian citizens and that inoculation will be voluntary .
The Sputnik V vaccine is administered in two injections , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 days after the first .
The Russian government gave a regulatory approval to Sputnik V in early August , but the move drew considerable criticism from experts , because at the time the vaccine only had been tested on several dozen people .
President Vladimir Putin said at the time that the early vaccine recipients included one of his daughters .
On December 2 , Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that more than 100,000 people in Russia have been given the shots .
Russia reported a record high of 28,782 new COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Moscow , taking the national total to 2,431,731 since the pandemic began .
Authorities confirmed 508 deaths related to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours , pushing the official national death toll to 42,684 .

Moscow has begun distributing the domestically developed vaccine Sputnik-V via 70 clinics across the city, authorities said, marking Russia's first mass immunization against COVID-19.
The December 5 announcement by Moscow's coronavirus task force comes as critics say the vaccine has yet to complete the advanced studies needed to ensure its effectiveness and safety in line with established scientific protocols.
Russian authorities say the vaccine would first be made available to health workers, teachers, and social workers because they ran the highest risk of exposure to the virus.
People with certain underlying health conditions, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those who have had a respiratory illness for the past two weeks are barred from vaccination in the initial rollout in Moscow. The age for those receiving shots is capped at 60.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on December 4 that "over the first five hours, 5,000 people signed up for the jab."
The government says the vaccine will be free to all Russian citizens and that inoculation will be voluntary. The Sputnik-V vaccine is administered in two injections, with the second dose expected to be given 21 days after the first.
The Russian government gave a regulatory approval to Sputnik-V in early August, but the move drew considerable criticism from experts, because at the time the vaccine only had been tested on several dozen people.
President Vladimir Putin said at the time that the early vaccine recipients included one of his daughters.
On December 2, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that more than 100,000 people in Russia had been given the shots.
Russia reported a record high of 28,782 new COVID-19 cases on December 5, including 7,993 in Moscow, taking the national total to 2,431,731 since the pandemic began.
Authorities confirmed 508 deaths related to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, pushing the official national death toll to 42,684.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP


rferl--2020-12-05--Serbian Orthodox Church Head Hospitalized For COVID-19 Month After Predecessor Died

The acting head of the Serbian Orthodox Church was hospitalized on December 4 after testing positive for coronavirus , the @ @ @ @ @ said .
Bishop Hrizostom was admitted to a hospital in the nation ’ s capital @ @ @ @ @ The church did not release information about the condition of the 68-year-old ’ s health @ @ @ @ @ of the church after Patriarch Irinej died of COVID-19 last month .
Hrizostom presided over @ @ @ @ @ , who was 90 years old .
Metropolitan Amfilohije , the head of the Serbian @ @ @ @ @ died of COVID-19 in October .
Irinej lead the funeral services for Amfilohije .

The acting head of the Serbian Orthodox Church was hospitalized on December 4 after testing positive for the coronavirus, the church’s information service said.
Bishop Hrizostom was admitted to a hospital in the nation’s capital, Belgrade, it said. The church did not release information about the condition of the 68-year-old.
Hrizostom became interim leader of the church after Patriarch Irinej died of COVID-19 last month. Hrizostom presided over the funeral services of Irinej, who was 90 years old.
Metropolitan Amfilohije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, died of COVID-19 in October.
Irinej led the funeral services for Amfilohije.


rferl--2020-12-06--Romanians Vote In Parliamentary Elections 'Crucial' For Country's Future Course

Romania ’ s ruling pro-Western liberals appear poised to win parliamentary elections on December 6 despite losing ground lately to their leftist opponents amid an erosion of support prompted by an uneven handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
The National Liberal Party ( PNL ) minority government took over after the collapse of the Social Democratic Party ( PSD ) cabinet last year following a string of corruption scandals and massive public protests .
The liberals , led by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban , had the support of a little more than 28 percent of voters in the latest opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with some 23 percent .
However , PSD has been narrowing the gap since October , when the liberals had almost 35 percent compared to the social democrats ’ less than 22 percent .
The December 2 poll by IMAS put the center-right alliance of Save Romania Union and Liberty , Unity , and Solidarity Party ( USR-PLUS ) – a relatively new actor on Romania ’ s political scene – in the third place with 18 percent , a score showing their growing influence despite losing a couple of percentage points since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poorest European Union members , initially handled the coronavirus pandemic with success despite a health care system marred by an acute lack of modern facilities , an exodus of medical personnel , and endemic corruption .
Quick measures employed by Orban ’ s government that included a two-month state of emergency in the spring limited the number of infections and fatalities but put the economy under huge stress .
However , a new spike in infections after the summer was not met with the same decisiveness .
And the health care network , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was quickly overwhelmed , with daily infections exploding and deaths piling up to 12,000 as of December 4 .
Gutted by decades of neglect , Romania ’ s overstrained health care system also suffered from mismanagement and corruption , systemic faults that culminated in a fire on November 14 at a hospital in the eastern city of Piatra Neamt that killed 10 COVID-19 patients in intensive care .
The fire sparked a political storm , with the PNL , which runs the Health Ministry , and the PSD , in control of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tragedy .
The PNL and their ally , President Klaus Iohannis , have also come under criticism from the leftist opposition and some medical experts for failing to declare a second state of emergency in order not to hamper the upcoming parliamentary poll , while closing schools and much of the hospitality sector .
For their part , Orban ’ s liberals and Iohannis have argued that local polls held in September proved that safety and distancing measures worked , allowing for a smooth election that gave liberals and the USR-PLUS substantial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The government so far has favored night-time curfews and local restrictions to try to stem the effects of the pandemic 's second surge .
Turnout is expected to be low on December 6 – an estimated 40 percent – despite repeated and increasingly vocal appeals by Orban and Iohannis – a former leader of the PNL .
The two are warning Romanians that absenteeism and lack of interest could lead to a repeat result of the previous election in 2016 when the PSD – the heir to the Communist Party -- won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 percent , allowing the left to unleash an all-out assault on the judiciary and the rule of law that brought tens of thousands of Romanians into the streets and prompted stark warnings from the EU and the United States .
However , the situation is different now , journalist and political commentator Cristian Pantazi told RFE/RL .
“ PSD ’ s electoral pool mainly consists of elderly people and those living in rural areas of the eastern and southern Romania – the main categories most likely to avoid going to the polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Despite corruption and poverty , Romania remains staunchly pro-EU and pro-American , with Orban and Iohannis promising to launch a modernization campaign long delayed in the three decades since the fall of communism and keeping the country on a pro-Western path .
But PSD , which has dominated Romanian politics for most of last 30 years , remains a force to be reckoned with .
Although weakened by the imprisonment last year on corruption charges of its former leader Liviu Dragnea and removed from power through a no-confidence vote last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party organizations .
The PSD also dominates most of the local administration in rural areas , where it relies on a group of rich , influential , and arguably corrupt “ local barons ” whose left-wing credentials remain questionable but whose power is indispensable for PSD .
The new PSD leader , Marcel Ciolacu , who has carefully distanced himself from Dragnea , has accused Orban ’ s government of `` incompetence '' and failing to keep the spread of the coronavirus under control .
`` The real virus that Romania is facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said in a recent news conference .
Almost 19 million voters will elect 136 senators and 329 deputies .
The polls open at 7 a.m. local time and close at 9 p.m .
Some 4 million Romanians who live in Western Europe have traditionally voted against PSD , which they perceive as corrupt and in many cases the very reason why they left the country .
The diaspora proved crucial in last year ’ s elections for the European Parliament , which dealt a defeat to PSD .
However , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote amid widespread anti-coronavirus restrictions .
So far , almost 40,000 have registered for mail voting .
Orban has said that a high turnout is “ crucial ” for Romania to continue on its Western path .
If PNL and USR-PLUS manage to garner a majority and form a center-right government , possibly with backing from the ethnic Hungarian party UDMR , they will have a full four years to implement the promised reforms without having to face other scheduled elections and enjoying the support of Iohannis , whose second and final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The stakes in the elections are huge , '' Orban said in a recent interview .

BUCHAREST -- Romania’s leftist Social Democrats (PSD) are pulling away from the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL), according to partial results in the country’s parliamentary elections reported by the Central Electoral Bureau on December 6.
With 95 percent of the vote counted, the PSD had 29.8 percent of the vote in the Chamber of Deputies and 30.2 percent the Senate. The pro-European PNL had 25.1 percent in the Chamber of Deputies and 25.5 percent in the Senate, results posted by the bureau showed.
The center-right alliance Save Romania Union-Liberty, Unity, and Solidarity Party (USR-PLUS) was third with 14.5 percent in the Chamber of Deputies and 15 percent in the Senate, the partial returns showed.
Most surprising, however, was the radical right-wing Alliance for the Romanians Union -- a party founded last year by a pro-Bessarabia activist and promoter of the idea of a single Romanian state including Moldova. It received 8.6 percent in the Chamber of Deputies and 8.8 percent in the Senate, according to the partial results.
The elections in the EU member state were considered key to determining whether the pro-European liberals will gain enough support to embark on their badly needed reformist agenda despite mixed results in their handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Voters chose 136 senators and 329 deputies, a little over a year after the PNL minority government took over after the collapse of the PSD cabinet following a string of corruption scandals and massive public protests.
The liberals, led by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, and President Klaus Iohannis, a former leader of the PNL, had sought to assuage concerns about the pandemic to urge voters to come out in large numbers.
But Romanians appeared wary of the pandemic and disillusioned with Romania's political class, with turnout only at around 32 percent, lower than in the 2016 parliamentary elections.
Romania, one of the poorest European Union members, initially handled the coronavirus pandemic with unexpected success despite a health-care system marred by an acute lack of modern facilities, an exodus of medical personnel, and endemic corruption.
However, a new spike in infections after the summer was not met with the same decisiveness. And the health-care network, still reeling from the first wave, was quickly overwhelmed.
Despite corruption and poverty, Romania remains staunchly pro-EU and pro-American, with Orban and Iohannis promising to launch a modernization campaign long delayed in the three decades since the fall of communism.
But the PSD, the heir to the Communist Party and the political force that has dominated Romanian politics for most of last 30 years, remains an adversary to be reckoned with.
The PSD's landslide victory in 2016 allowed it to unleash an all-out assault on the judiciary and the rule of law that brought tens of thousands of Romanians into the streets and prompted stark warnings from the EU and the United States.
Although weakened by the imprisonment last year on corruption charges of its former leader Liviu Dragnea and removed from power through a no-confidence vote last year, the PSD has the largest network of party organizations.
The PSD also dominates most of the local administration in rural areas, where it relies on a group of rich, influential, and arguably corrupt “local barons” whose left-wing credentials remain questionable but whose power is indispensable for the PSD.
The new leader of the PSD, Marcel Ciolacu, who has carefully distanced himself from Dragnea, has accused Orban’s government of "incompetence" and failing to keep the spread of the coronavirus under control.
Some 4 million Romanians who live in Western Europe have traditionally voted against the PSD, which they perceive as corrupt and in many cases the very reason why they left the country.
The diaspora proved crucial in last year’s elections for the European Parliament, which dealt a defeat to the PSD.


rferl--2020-12-05--Kyrgyzstan Lifts COVID-19 Foreigner Entry Ban At Airports

Kyrgyzstan has announced it is lifting coronavirus restrictions to allow citizens of foreign countries entry to the Central Asian nation @ @ @ @ @ December 5 , the Foreign Ministry said foreign visitors can arrive at the international airports @ @ @ @ @ and Issyk-Kul .
The requirement for entry is a negative PCR coronavirus test taken within @ @ @ @ @ test has expired , visitors are able to take a new one at the airport @ @ @ @ @ in the spring to combat the pandemic and later began allowing limited entry to citizens @ @ @ @ @ deemed coronavirus outbreaks were stable .
As part of the order lifting border restrictions , @ @ @ @ @ election observers would be allowed into the country for next year ’ s presidential and @ @ @ @ @ election is scheduled to take place on January 10 , 2021 , while no date @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary poll .
Health officials have reported 75,000 infections and 1,290 deaths in Kyrgyzstan since @ @ @ @ @ .
With reporting by AFP and Kloop

Kyrgyzstan has announced it is lifting coronavirus restrictions to allow citizens of foreign countries entry to the Central Asian nation.
In a statement on December 5, the Foreign Ministry said foreign visitors can arrive at the international airports of Manas, Osh, and Issyk-Kul.
The requirement for entry is a negative PCR coronavirus test taken within 72 hours. If the test has expired, visitors are able to take a new one at the airport.
Kyrgyzstan implemented border restrictions in the spring to combat the pandemic and later began allowing limited entry to citizens from countries where it had deemed coronavirus outbreaks were stable.
As part of the order lifting border restrictions, the Foreign Ministry said international election observers would be allowed into the country for next year’s presidential and parliamentary votes.
The presidential election is scheduled to take place on January 10, 2021, while no date has been set for the parliamentary poll.
Health officials have reported 75,000 infections and 1,290 deaths in Kyrgyzstan since the beginning of the pandemic.
With reporting by AFP and Kloop


rferl--2020-12-05--Several Detained As Monthslong Protests In Khabarovsk Continue

Several protesters have been detained at a rally in Khabarovsk in Russia ’ s Far East as locals continued for @ @ @ @ @ opposition to the arrest of the regional governor .
Braving subfreezing temperatures , about 150 @ @ @ @ @ march through the city center .
Six people were detained for violating protests laws , @ @ @ @ @ , reported .
Earlier in the week , a journalist was arrested for covering a @ @ @ @ @ beaten and persecuted and , we , grandmothers , are dragged to the courts .
@ @ @ @ @ the police and the authorities , '' one of the protesters , Galina , told @ @ @ @ @ dwindled since thousands rallied over the summer against the arrest of Governor Sergei Furgal in @ @ @ @ @ .
Furgal has denied the accusations , which his supporters say were engineered by his @ @ @ @ @ Kremlin .

Several protesters have been detained at a rally in Khabarovsk in Russia’s Far East as locals continued for a 148th day to voice opposition to the arrest of the regional governor.
Braving subfreezing temperatures, about 150 people attended the December 5 march through the city center.
Six people were detained for violating protests laws, OVD-Info, a rights group, reported. Earlier in the week, a journalist was arrested for covering a protest.
"Journalists are beaten and persecuted and, we, grandmothers, are dragged to the courts. It's a shame on the police and the authorities," one of the protesters, Galina, told RFE/RL.
Protest attendance has dwindled since thousands rallied over the summer against the arrest of Governor Sergei Furgal in July on decades-old murder-related charges.
Furgal has denied the accusations, which his supporters say were engineered by his opponents with help from the Kremlin.


rferl--2020-12-05--Armenian PM Given Resignation Ultimatum At Protest

A rally of Armenian opposition parties in central Yerevan attracted thousands on December 5 and protesters gave Prime Minister Nikol @ @ @ @ @ 8 to resign or face nationwide acts of civil disobedience .
The protesters in central @ @ @ @ @ traitor '' and `` Armenia without Nikol , ” and waved the flags of Armenia @ @ @ @ @ plunged into political crisis in the wake of a Moscow-brokered deal struck on November 10 @ @ @ @ @ between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces that left thousands dead on both sides .
While @ @ @ @ @ peace deal he signed was “ bad for us , ” he has defended it @ @ @ @ @ .

A rally of Armenian opposition parties in central Yerevan attracted thousands on December 5 and protesters gave Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian until noon on December 8 to resign or face nationwide acts of civil disobedience. The protesters in central Yerevan chanted "Nikol the traitor" and "Armenia without Nikol,” and waved the flags of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia was plunged into political crisis in the wake of a Moscow-brokered deal struck on November 10, ending a 44-day war between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces that left thousands dead on both sides. While Pashinian has acknowledged that the peace deal he signed was “bad for us,” he has defended it as Armenia's only option.