rferl--2020-11-05--Jury Selection For Khachaturyan Sisters' Trial In Moscow Postponed For Third Time

Jury selection in the high-profile trial of two sisters , Krestina and Angelina Khachaturyan , who along with their youngest sister are accused of killing their father in Moscow in 2018 , has been postponed for third time since early-August .
The sisters ' lawyers said on November 5 , the day when the selection process was scheduled to resume , that the hearing had been moved to December 2 because the two plaintiffs were ill .
The process was already postponed in August and then in October , after some of the participants in the selection process were unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
The Moscow City Court ruled on August 3 that the two sisters will be tried by jury , a procedure allowed under Russian law in the case of serious crimes .
Investigators say that , in July 2018 , Krestina , Angelina , and a third sister , Maria Khachaturyan -- then aged 19 , 18 , and 17 years old , respectively -- killed their father , Mikhail Khachaturyan , at their home on the outskirts of Moscow .
Materials gathered by investigators included substantial evidence of regular sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughters .
The case has attracted widespread attention from the Russian media and civil society and has pitted defenders of conservative values , backed by the Russian Orthodox Church , against women 's rights activists who have been calling for the introduction of legislation on domestic violence as a way to bring alleged perpetrators like Khachaturyan to justice and enable their victims to plead self-defense .
In early December , investigators finalized their indictment against the three sisters and sent it to the Prosecutor 's Office to prepare for trial .
Krestina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premeditation , it concluded , governed by “ a strong personal enmity toward their father ” due to continued physical and sexual abuse .
Later in December , Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktor Grin cited flaws in the investigation and asked officials to reclassify the sisters ’ actions as self-defense , which would pave the way for the women to be set free .
But earlier in July , according to the defense team , Grin confirmed the original murder charges , meaning the case will almost certainly go to trial .
Maria Khachaturyan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place , is being tried separately .
A medical evaluation following the killing found her mentally unsound at the time of the crime , and it was recommended she undergo psychological treatment .
Her trial began behind closed doors at Moscow 's Butyrsky district court on August 10 .
With reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS

Jury selection in the high-profile trial of two sisters, Krestina and Angelina Khachaturyan, who along with their youngest sister are accused of killing their father in Moscow in 2018, has been postponed for third time since early-August.
The sisters' lawyers said on November 5, the day when the selection process was scheduled to resume, that the hearing had been moved to December 2 because the two plaintiffs were ill.
The process was already postponed in August and then in October, after some of the participants in the selection process were unable to do so after testing positive for the coronavirus.
The Moscow City Court ruled on August 3 that the two sisters will be tried by jury, a procedure allowed under Russian law in the case of serious crimes.
Investigators say that, in July 2018, Krestina, Angelina, and a third sister, Maria Khachaturyan -- then aged 19, 18, and 17 years old, respectively -- killed their father, Mikhail Khachaturyan, at their home on the outskirts of Moscow.
Materials gathered by investigators included substantial evidence of regular sexual and physical abuse by Khachaturyan against his daughters.
The case has attracted widespread attention from the Russian media and civil society and has pitted defenders of conservative values, backed by the Russian Orthodox Church, against women's rights activists who have been calling for the introduction of legislation on domestic violence as a way to bring alleged perpetrators like Khachaturyan to justice and enable their victims to plead self-defense.
In early December, investigators finalized their indictment against the three sisters and sent it to the Prosecutor's Office to prepare for trial. Krestina, Angelina, and Maria had acted with premeditation, it concluded, governed by “a strong personal enmity toward their father” due to continued physical and sexual abuse.
Later in December, Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktor Grin cited flaws in the investigation and asked officials to reclassify the sisters’ actions as self-defense, which would pave the way for the women to be set free.
But earlier in July, according to the defense team, Grin confirmed the original murder charges, meaning the case will almost certainly go to trial.
Maria Khachaturyan, who was 17 when the alleged crime took place, is being tried separately. A medical evaluation following the killing found her mentally unsound at the time of the crime, and it was recommended she undergo psychological treatment.
Her trial began behind closed doors at Moscow's Butyrsky district court on August 10.
With reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS


rferl--2020-11-05--Russian Activist Imprisoned In Putin Effigy Case Released After Court Suspends Sentence

PERM , Russia -- A Russian activist who was imprisoned over a satirical video featuring a mannequin of President Vladimir Putin has been released after a court suspended his sentence .
Aleksandr Shabarchin was released from custody after the Perm Krai regional court 's decision was announced on November 5 .
Shabarchin , who took part in the hearing via a video link from a detention center , reiterated that he considers himself not guilty , adding that freedom of expression is not banned in Russia .
Shabarchin and two other men , Danil Vasilyev and Aleksandr Etkin , aka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and charged with disrupting social order by placing an effigy of Putin at Perm 's central Lenin Street in November 2018 .
The effigy had a black-and-white prison robe draped over it with signs saying `` War Criminal '' and `` Liar . ''
In August , a court in Perm sentenced Shabarchin to two years in prison and handed a suspended one-year prison term to Vasilyev .
Etkin was acquitted .
Last month , Amnesty International called Shabarchin a `` prisoner of conscience , imprisoned solely for exercising his right to freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian authorities immediately release him .

PERM, Russia -- A Russian activist who was imprisoned over a satirical video featuring a mannequin of President Vladimir Putin has been released after a court suspended his sentence.
Aleksandr Shabarchin was released from custody after the Perm Krai regional court's decision was announced on November 5.
Shabarchin, who took part in the hearing via a video link from a detention center, reiterated that he considers himself not guilty, adding that freedom of expression is not banned in Russia.
Shabarchin and two other men, Danil Vasilyev and Aleksandr Etkin, aka Kotov, were arrested in January 2019 and charged with disrupting social order by placing an effigy of Putin at Perm's central Lenin Street in November 2018.
The effigy had a black-and-white prison robe draped over it with signs saying "War Criminal" and "Liar."
In August, a court in Perm sentenced Shabarchin to two years in prison and handed a suspended one-year prison term to Vasilyev. Etkin was acquitted.
Last month, Amnesty International called Shabarchin a "prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression," and demanded that Russian authorities immediately release him.


rferl--2020-11-05--Kosovar President Resigns After Confirming War Crimes Charges

Kosovar President Hashim Thaci , a guerrilla leader during the country 's war for independence from Serbia in the 1990s , has resigned after confirming that he has been indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity .
Thaci told a news conference on November 5 in Pristina that his sources had informed him that the Kosovo Specialist Chamber ( KSC ) had confirmed his indictment on the charges and said he was following through on a pledge to step away from his position if he was indicted .
`` As I have pledged , under no circumstances will I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Kosovo to appear before the court .
Therefore , in order to protect the integrity of the presidency of the Republic of Kosovo , the integrity of the state of Kosovo , the integrity and dignity of the citizens of Kosovo , the people of Kosovo , and to respect the partnership with the international community , I resign today , '' Thaci said .
Parliament speaker Vjosa Osmani officially took over the function of acting president .
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor 's Office ( KSC & SPO ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in The Hague .
The KSC is mandated to look into allegations that members of the Kosovo Liberation Army ( UCK ) committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1998-99 war to gain independence from Serbia .
It operates under Kosovar law but is based in the Netherlands to shield witnesses from intimidation .
The SPO in June accused Thaci and other suspects of being `` criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders , '' as well as the `` enforced disappearance of persons , persecution , and torture . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims of Kosovo Albanian , Serb , Roma , and other ethnicities and include political opponents , '' according to the SPO .
Kosovo 's war of independence from Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo .
More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for .
The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia .
Thaci was a commander of the UCK during the war .
He has denied involvement in any war crimes .
Earlier on November 5 , a former speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Kosovo , Kadri Veseli , also confirmed his indictment by the SPO .
On November 4 , another ex-speaker of parliament , former guerrilla commander Jakup Krasniqi , was taken into custody and transferred to The Hague to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity .
Krasniqi was arrested the same day in a special operation by The Hague-based war crimes prosecutors in cooperation with local police in Pristina .
Former UCK member Rexhep Selimi , and Salih Mustafa , one of the founders of the UCK , have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mustafa have already been transferred to The Hague , while Selimi and Veseli are currently on their way to The Netherlands .
It is still unknown when Thaci will leave for The Hague .
Two more suspects , Nesim Haradinaj and Hysen Gucati , are also in detention in The Hague , but their indictment has yet to be confirmed .
Kosovo , which has a largely ethnic Albanian population , declared independence from Serbia in 2008 , a move recognized by many Western states but not by Serbia or its allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP , Reuters , AFP , and dpa

PRISTINA -- Former Kosovar President Hashim Thaci has been transferred to a detention facility in the Netherlands, hours after he resigned to face an indictment at a war crimes court there.
Thaci, a guerrilla leader during the country's war for independence from Serbia in the 1990s, and two other former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) were "transferred to the detention facilities of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers" (KSC) in The Hague, the court said in a statement late on November 5.
Thaci, a commander of the UCK during the 1998-99 war, resigned earlier in the day after learning the KSC had confirmed an indictment for war crimes and crimes against humanity against him.
"As I have pledged, under no circumstances will I allow for the president of the Republic of Kosovo to appear before the court. Therefore, in order to protect the integrity of the presidency of the Republic of Kosovo, the integrity of the state of Kosovo, the integrity and dignity of the citizens of Kosovo, the people of Kosovo, and to respect the partnership with the international community, I resign today," Thaci said.
After officially taking over the function of acting president, parliament speaker Vjosa Osmani called for unity in a video message, saying Kosovo needed "strong leadership and a unified state reaction."
"We have not given up our commitment to consolidate the state and cultivate democratic values. Despite the challenges, we have remained strong in our faith, which I call on you to prove even in these difficult moments," she said.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor's Office (KSC & SPO) is a court of Kosovo, located in The Hague.
The KSC is mandated to look into allegations that members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1998-99 war to gain independence from Serbia.
It operates under Kosovar law but is based in the Netherlands to shield witnesses from intimidation.
The SPO in June accused Thaci and other suspects of being "criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders," as well as the "enforced disappearance of persons, persecution, and torture."
The alleged crimes involved "hundreds of known victims of Kosovo Albanian, Serb, Roma, and other ethnicities and include political opponents," according to the SPO.
Kosovo's war of independence from Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for. The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia.
Kosovo, which has a largely ethnic Albanian population, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by many Western states but not Serbia or its allies Russia and China.
The KSC said on November 5 that a pretrial judge confirmed the indictment against Thaci, and three other former UCK members -- Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi -- on October 26.
Veseli, the former speaker of parliament and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, and Selimi, a Kosovar lawmaker, were also transferred to The Hague on November 5.
Krasniqi, an ex-speaker of parliament and former guerrilla commander, was taken into custody late on November 4 in a special operation by Hague-based war crimes prosecutors in cooperation with local police in Pristina and taken to The Hague.
The KSC said Krasniqi’s initial appearance before the pretrial judge would take place on November 9.
Information about the date of the appearances of Thaci, Veseli, and Selimi is to be announced later.
Salih Mustafa, one of the founders of the UCK, had already been transferred to The Hague to face similar charges.
Two more suspects, Nesim Haradinaj and Hysen Gucati, are also in detention in the Dutch city, but their indictment has yet to be confirmed.
The European Union said it "welcomes the fact that [Thaci] has agreed to cooperate" with the KSC & SPO.
"Full cooperation with these institutions is essential as an important demonstration of Kosovo's commitment to the rule of law, which in turn is a core element for Kosovo's progress on its European path and for EU's engagement with the Western Balkans as a whole," spokesman Peter Stano said in a statement.
Following Thaci's resignation, "we trust the representatives of Kosovo to ensure the continuity of the institutions as spelled out in Kosovo law," he added.
London-based human rights watchdog Amnesty International said the indictment against Thaci "brings hope for thousands of victims of the Kosovo war who have waited for more than two decades to find out the truth about the horrific crimes committed against them and their loved ones."
However, U.S. Representative Eliot Engel (Democrat-New York), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, expressed "serious concerns" about how the KSC & SPO was carrying out its mandate, saying that "it appears to be operating as an ethnic court -- one that only pursues Albanians alleged to have committed crimes."
“I want to be clear: Anyone who commits serious war crimes must be prosecuted, regardless of ethnicity," Engel said in a statement. "But, the vast majority of crimes committed in Kosovo during this period were carried out by [Serbian forces] during its genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing."
Earlier on November 5, a former speaker of parliament and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Kadri Veseli, also confirmed his indictment by the SPO.
On November 4, another ex-speaker of parliament, former guerrilla commander Jakup Krasniqi, was taken into custody and transferred to The Hague to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa, and RFE/RL’s Balkan Service


rferl--2020-11-05--Fighting Over Nagorno-Karabakh Continues As Negotiations Falter

BAKU/YEREVAN -- Azerbaijan and Armenia have both reported fresh fighting in and around the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region , with each side laying blame on the other as hopes for a resumption of cease-fire negotiations between the two sides dwindled .
Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry said Armenian forces continued to launch strikes on Azerbaijani towns and villages on November 5 .
`` During the day on November 4 and overnight into November 5 , Armenian armed forces fired from different directions at the frontline positions of Azerbaijani Army units and at human settlements with various small arms , howitzers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de facto defense ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh , meanwhile , said it had thwarted an attempt by Azerbaijani forces to mount an offensive in the eastern sector of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone .
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule .
They have been governing their own affairs , with support from Armenia , since Azerbaijan 's troops were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994 .
`` Today , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch an offensive using armored vehicles in the eastern sector .
As a result of the measures taken by the Armenian side , the Azerbaijani forces were repelled leaving behind one armored vehicle , one truck , and a large number of bodies , '' it said .
At the same time , Nagorno-Karabakh authorities accused Azerbaijan of launching artillery bombardments on civilian targets in the cities of Martuni and Shushi ( known as Susa in Azeri ) , a strategic town overlooking the region ’ s capital , Stepanakert .
No casualties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major flare-up in the decades-old conflict , regional powers including Russia were said to be considering ways to encourage a halt in fighting that is thought to have killed thousands of people , including many civilians .
Russia brokered the first of the three humanitarian cease-fires to halt ongoing military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh on October 10 .
However , that cease-fire , as well as the two other agreements brokered by France and the United States later last month , collapsed within hours after entering into force .
President Vladimir Putin said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything in its power to make sure that the conflict in the South Caucasus ends as soon as possible . ''
`` We maintain contact with both Armenia and Azerbaijan .
I hope that we will manage to achieve results on a basis acceptable to all those living in the region , '' Putin said at a meeting with religious leaders .
However , Armenia 's Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian told a press briefing in Yerevan on November 5 that , while the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to negotiate a solution to the conflict is continuing its regular activity , no direct high-level contacts are being envisaged .
`` No meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for negotiating the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is being planned at present , '' Mnatsakanian said .
The latest fighting began on September 27 and escalated quickly to involve heavy artillery , rockets , and drones .
Both parties to the conflict have reported casualties , among them civilians .
Russia has estimated as many as 5,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Interfax and TASS

BAKU/YEREVAN -- Azerbaijan and Armenia have both reported fresh fighting in and around the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, with each side laying blame on the other as hopes for a resumption of cease-fire negotiations between the two sides dwindled.
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said Armenian forces continued to launch strikes on Azerbaijani towns and villages on November 5.
"During the day on November 4 and overnight into November 5, Armenian armed forces fired from different directions at the frontline positions of Azerbaijani Army units and at human settlements with various small arms, howitzers, and mortars," it said.
The de facto defense ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh, meanwhile, said it had thwarted an attempt by Azerbaijani forces to mount an offensive in the eastern sector of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule. They have been governing their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994.
"Today, at 10:30 a.m., the enemy tried to launch an offensive using armored vehicles in the eastern sector. As a result of the measures taken by the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani forces were repelled leaving behind one armored vehicle, one truck, and a large number of bodies," it said.
At the same time, Nagorno-Karabakh authorities accused Azerbaijan of launching artillery bombardments on civilian targets in the cities of Martuni and Shushi (known as Susa in Azeri), a strategic town overlooking the region’s capital, Stepanakert. No casualties were reported.
Six weeks into a major flare-up in the decades-old conflict, regional powers including Russia were said to be considering ways to encourage a halt in fighting that is thought to have killed thousands of people, including many civilians.
Russia brokered the first of the three humanitarian cease-fires to halt ongoing military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh on October 10. However, that cease-fire, as well as the two other agreements brokered by France and the United States later last month, collapsed within hours after entering into force.
President Vladimir Putin said on November 4 that Russia "is doing everything in its power to make sure that the conflict in the South Caucasus ends as soon as possible."
"We maintain contact with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. I hope that we will manage to achieve results on a basis acceptable to all those living in the region," Putin said at a meeting with religious leaders.
However, Armenia's Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian told a press briefing in Yerevan on November 5 that, while the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that oversees efforts to negotiate a solution to the conflict is continuing its regular activity, no direct high-level contacts are being envisaged.
"No meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for negotiating the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is being planned at present," Mnatsakanian said.
The latest fighting began on September 27 and escalated quickly to involve heavy artillery, rockets, and drones.
Both parties to the conflict have reported casualties, among them civilians. Russia has estimated as many as 5,000 deaths on both sides.
With reporting by Interfax and TASS


rferl--2020-11-05--Belarus Launches Probes Into Two Administrators Of Popular Telegram Channel

MINSK -- Belarusian authorities have launched investigations into the actions of two administrators of a popular Telegram channel , Nexta-Live , which has been covering ongoing postelection protests in the country .
The Investigative Committee of Belarus said on November 5 that Stsyapan Putsila and Raman Pratasevich are suspected of organizing mass disorders , disrupting the social order , and inciting social hatred .
According to the statement , Putsila and Pratasevich were added to the wanted list .
Their whereabouts are currently unknown .
The probes were launched as Belarus ’ s strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues to face nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August that the opposition and Western governments say was rigged .
Last month , a court in Minsk designated the NEXTA-Live channel and its logo as extremist and instructed the Information Ministry to restrict access to information resources using the name and logo of the Telegram channel , as well as their distribution in the Belarusian segment of the Internet .
NEXTA-Live , which has almost 2 million subscribers , then changed its name and logo , switching from the Latin transliteration of its name to a Cyrillic one .
Also last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists , received the European Parliament 's 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought .
Pratasevich left the NEXTA-Live channel in September .
On November 4 , European Union member states agreed to slap sanctions on Lukashenka , along with 14 other Belarusian officials , in response to a brutal crackdown on the postelection protests .

MINSK -- Belarusian authorities have launched investigations into the actions of two administrators of a popular Telegram channel, Nexta-Live, which has been covering ongoing postelection protests in the country.
The Investigative Committee of Belarus said on November 5 that Stsyapan Putsila and Raman Pratasevich are suspected of organizing mass disorders, disrupting the social order, and inciting social hatred.
According to the statement, Putsila and Pratasevich were added to the wanted list. Their whereabouts are currently unknown.
The probes were launched as Belarus’s strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues to face nationwide protests triggered by a presidential election in August that the opposition and Western governments say was rigged.
Last month, a court in Minsk designated the NEXTA-Live channel and its logo as extremist and instructed the Information Ministry to restrict access to information resources using the name and logo of the Telegram channel, as well as their distribution in the Belarusian segment of the Internet.
NEXTA-Live, which has almost 2 million subscribers, then changed its name and logo, switching from the Latin transliteration of its name to a Cyrillic one.
Also last month, Putsila, along with several Belarusian activists, received the European Parliament's 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
Pratasevich left the NEXTA-Live channel in September.
On November 4, European Union member states agreed to slap sanctions on Lukashenka, along with 14 other Belarusian officials, in response to a brutal crackdown on the postelection protests.


rferl--2020-11-05--UN Expert Slams Limits On Minorities' Rights To Worship, Citing Russia, Iran, Among Others

A top UN expert has urged countries to repeal laws infringing on minorities ’ rights to worship and hold beliefs , singling out Iran , Tajikistan , Afghanistan , Russia , and Moldova , among countries of concern .
Ahmed Shaheed , the UN special investigator on religious freedom , warned in a report seen by the Associated Press on November 4 that `` the failure to eliminate discrimination , combined with political marginalization and nationalist attacks on identities , can propel trajectories of violence and even atrocity crimes . ''
He urged governments to `` repeal all laws that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to freedom of religion or belief '' and to adopt wide-ranging antidiscrimination legislation .
Shaheed said that as many as 21 countries criminalize apostasy -- the renunciation of religion .
In 12 , including Afghanistan and Iran , `` apostasy is in principle punishable by death . ''
Shaheed also highlighted reports of the disproportionate use of terrorist offenses against `` religious or belief minorities . ''
In almost every region of the world , `` religious minorities appear to be at particular risk of being designated 'terrorist groups ' and of having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ` illegal activity ’ charges , '' he said .
In Tajikistan , Shaheed said , `` peaceful religious actors , mostly Muslims , have been detained under the ` Fight Against Extremism ' law for engaging in activities such as promoting religious education or distributing religious literature.
” In Moldova , he said , the emblems of the Falun Gong spiritual movement are included in the state registry of `` Extremist Materials . ''
Shaheed said the right to legal identity and citizenship has also been stripped because of religion and beliefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Witnesses in Russia and Eritrea .
The special rapporteur also slammed China for the treatment of its minority populations , including Uyghurs , Kazakhs , and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities .
The UN estimates that more than 1 million Uyghurs and members of other mostly Muslim indigenous ethnic groups in Xinjiang have been held in so-called reeducation centers that rights groups say amount to brutal concentration camps .
Shaheed also criticized North Korea , which he said `` reportedly employs a sweeping surveillance apparatus to imprison Christians that engage in non-state-sanctioned @ @ @ @ @ @

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


rferl--2020-11-05--Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Hospitalized After Testing Positive For Coronavirus

BELGRADE -- The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church has been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus .
The church said in a statement on November 4 that Patriarch Irinej ’ s condition was discovered during a `` routine testing procedure.
” The 90-year-old spiritual leader remains `` without symptoms and in excellent general health , '' according to the statement , which added that he had been taken to a “ COVID Hospital ” in Belgrade .
The announcement comes three days after Patriarch Irinej led a service during the funeral of Metropolitan Amfilohije , the head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amfilohije died on October 30 at the age of 82 after being hospitalized following a positive test for the coronavirus .
Thousands of people turned out in Podgorica for his funeral in violation of coronavirus measures .
Many mourners were not wearing masks or maintaining social distance .
Representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Islamic religious community also attended , along with public officials such as Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate Zdravko Krivokapic , Parliament Speaker Aleksa Becic , and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic .
The coronavirus has so far infected more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the country ’ s authorities .
Montenegro has reported more than 320 deaths and over 20,000 infections .

BELGRADE -- The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church has been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus.
The church said in a statement on November 4 that Patriarch Irinej’s condition was discovered during a "routine testing procedure.”
The 90-year-old spiritual leader remains "without symptoms and in excellent general health," according to the statement, which added that he had been taken to a “COVID Hospital” in Belgrade.
The announcement comes three days after Patriarch Irinej led a service during the funeral of Metropolitan Amfilohije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro.
Amfilohije died on October 30 at the age of 82 after being hospitalized following a positive test for the coronavirus.
Thousands of people turned out in Podgorica for his funeral in violation of coronavirus measures. Many mourners were not wearing masks or maintaining social distance.
Representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Islamic religious community also attended, along with public officials such as Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate Zdravko Krivokapic, Parliament Speaker Aleksa Becic, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
The coronavirus has so far infected more than 53,000 people and killed 850 in Serbia, according to the country’s authorities.
Montenegro has reported more than 320 deaths and over 20,000 infections.


rferl--2020-11-05--Former Kosovar Parliament Speaker To Face War Crimes Charges In The Hague

A former guerrilla leader and ex-speaker of Kosovo 's parliament has been transferred to The Hague to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity after his arrest during a special operation in Pristina .
The Hague-based war crimes prosecutors in cooperation with local police and the European Union 's rule-of-law mission ( EULEX ) took Jakup Krasniqi into custody on November 4 .
He was later transferred to the detention facilities of the Kosovo Special Chambers ( KSC ) .
“ The arrest was carried out by the Specialist Prosecutor ’ s Office ( SPO ) , pursuant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes and crimes against humanity , and an arrest warrant and transfer order issued by a Pre-Trial Judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers , ” the KSC said in a news release .
Police and investigators spent about 10 hours at Krasniqi ’ s house before taking him into custody .
Krasniqi is a onetime spokesman for the Kosovo Liberation Army ( UCK ) who rose to chair Kosovo 's parliament after independence and even spent time as acting president dating back to 2011 .
The Kosovar government issued a statement about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bearers of institutions , as well as its citizens have consistently set an example of respect and cooperation with local and international justice , '' the government in Pristina said , adding , `` The presumption of innocence must be respected in any case unless there is another decision of the competent court . ''
Krasniqi was questioned by SPO officials in July 2019 .
His wife , Sevdije Krasniqi , told RFE/RL before the arrest that the authorities did not explain the operation and said she did not know why the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's political party , Social Democratic Initiative , responded to the events by saying `` the scenes today are unnecessary and traumatic for the family , '' adding that Krasniqi had always complied with requests from judicial institutions .
The KSC and SPO were set up under Kosovar law outside the country to help probe possible atrocities during and after the Kosovar war of independence in 1998-99 , and their operations are supported by the Kosovo 's police and EULEX .
They are focused on alleged crimes committed by UCK members against ethnic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent separation from Serbia .
Kosovar 's independence war with Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo .
More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for .
The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia .
Last month the KSC and SPO made their first arrest , detaining the former head of the intelligence service of the Kosovo Security Force , Salih Mustafa , on the basis of an arrest warrant and a confirmed indictment issued by a pretrial judge of the KSC @

A former guerrilla leader and ex-speaker of Kosovo's parliament has been transferred to The Hague to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity after his arrest during a special operation in Pristina.
The Hague-based war crimes prosecutors in cooperation with local police and the European Union's rule-of-law mission (EULEX) took Jakup Krasniqi into custody on November 4. He was later transferred to the detention facilities of the Kosovo Special Chambers (KSC).
“The arrest was carried out by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO), pursuant to a confirmed indictment related to war crimes and crimes against humanity, and an arrest warrant and transfer order issued by a Pre-Trial Judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers,” the KSC said in a news release.
Police and investigators spent about 10 hours at Krasniqi’s house before taking him into custody.
Krasniqi is a onetime spokesman for the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) who rose to chair Kosovo's parliament after independence and even spent time as acting president dating back to 2011.
The Kosovar government issued a statement about the arrest and detention.
"Kosovo, the bearers of institutions, as well as its citizens have consistently set an example of respect and cooperation with local and international justice," the government in Pristina said, adding, "The presumption of innocence must be respected in any case unless there is another decision of the competent court."
Krasniqi was questioned by SPO officials in July 2019.
His wife, Sevdije Krasniqi, told RFE/RL before the arrest that the authorities did not explain the operation and said she did not know why the investigators were at their home.
Krasniqi's political party, Social Democratic Initiative, responded to the events by saying "the scenes today are unnecessary and traumatic for the family," adding that Krasniqi had always complied with requests from judicial institutions.
The KSC and SPO were set up under Kosovar law outside the country to help probe possible atrocities during and after the Kosovar war of independence in 1998-99, and their operations are supported by the Kosovo's police and EULEX.
They are focused on alleged crimes committed by UCK members against ethnic minorities and political rivals during Kosovo's violent separation from Serbia.
Kosovar's independence war with Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for. The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia.
Last month the KSC and SPO made their first arrest, detaining the former head of the intelligence service of the Kosovo Security Force, Salih Mustafa, on the basis of an arrest warrant and a confirmed indictment issued by a pretrial judge of the KSC.


rferl--2020-11-04--Iran, Venezuela Look To 'Deepen' Ties

Iran, Venezuela Look To 'Deepen' Ties

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Venezuela at the start of a Latin American tour that will also take him to Cuba and Bolivia .
`` Every high-level visit deepens our strategic alliance , our brotherhood , '' Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza tweeted on November 4 after welcoming his Iranian counterpart upon his arrival in the South American country .
`` Venezuela and Iran have shown solidarity and courage in the face of aggressions , '' Arreaza added , in an apparent reference to U.S. sanctions against both countries .
The sides will discuss ways to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' during Zarif 's visit , according to the Venezuelan news agency AVN .
Tehran has become a crucial ally for Caracas as Washington tightens sanctions meant to force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power .
Juan Guaido was recognized by the United States and other Western countries as the legitimate leader of Venezuela in January 2019 after what most consider a sham election that gave Maduro a new term .
In recent months , Iran has supplied Caracas with humanitarian aid and fuel while Venezuela 's own oil production has plummeted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attend the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Luis Arce , and travel to Cuba , according to Iranian and Venezuelan media .
In August , the United States said it had seized four tankers en route from Iran to Venezuela , and that their cargo was linked to Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) .
Last week , the U.S. Justice Department announced the sale of the seized shipments and said that the proceeds would go to a special fund for victims of state-sponsored terrorism .
With reporting by Reuters and @

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--2020-11-04--Dozens Of Russian Nationalists Stage Anti-Putin March In Siberia

BARNAUL , Russia -- Supporters of Russian nationalist groups have gathered in a Siberian city to protest against President Vladimir Putin as the country marked the annual National Unity Day holiday .
Some 100 activists held the so-called Russian March in the city of Barnaul on November 4 , holding posters reading slogans such as `` Russia is everything , anything else is nothing '' and `` Without Siberia , Russia is a dead land . ''
Some of the protesters criticized Putin for being `` authoritarian '' and expressed support for ongoing protests in the Far Eastern city of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest the region 's governor .
National Unity Day was established in 2005 by Putin as a replacement for Soviet-era commemorations of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution .
For years , Russian officials have tried to promote the holiday , which formally marks a battlefield victory over Polish forces in 1612 , as a way to bolster patriotism .
Right-wing , nationalist , and monarchist groups have used the day to stage xenophobic and anti-immigrant marches in Russian cities , and past holidays have seen scuffles between protesters and riot police .
Past demonstrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This year , authorities in Moscow and most other Russian cities did not permit rallies to be held , citing coronavirus precautions .
Moscow police detained at least 30 nationalist activists who attempted to hold a Russian March despite the ban .
The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church , Patriarch Kirill , marked National Unity Day by laying flowers at a monument on Moscow 's Red Square that commemorates Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky , the leaders of Russian resistance against Polish invaders in the 17th century .

BARNAUL, Russia -- Supporters of Russian nationalist groups have gathered in a Siberian city to protest against President Vladimir Putin as the country marked the annual National Unity Day holiday.
Some 100 activists held the so-called Russian March in the city of Barnaul on November 4, holding posters reading slogans such as "Russia is everything, anything else is nothing" and "Without Siberia, Russia is a dead land."
Some of the protesters criticized Putin for being "authoritarian" and expressed support for ongoing protests in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk against the Kremlin's move to arrest the region's governor.
National Unity Day was established in 2005 by Putin as a replacement for Soviet-era commemorations of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
For years, Russian officials have tried to promote the holiday, which formally marks a battlefield victory over Polish forces in 1612, as a way to bolster patriotism.
Right-wing, nationalist, and monarchist groups have used the day to stage xenophobic and anti-immigrant marches in Russian cities, and past holidays have seen scuffles between protesters and riot police.
Past demonstrations have also failed to garner much turnout.
This year, authorities in Moscow and most other Russian cities did not permit rallies to be held, citing coronavirus precautions.
Moscow police detained at least 30 nationalist activists who attempted to hold a Russian March despite the ban.
The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, marked National Unity Day by laying flowers at a monument on Moscow's Red Square that commemorates Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, the leaders of Russian resistance against Polish invaders in the 17th century.


rferl--2020-11-04--EU Agrees To Extend Sanctions To Lukashenka, 14 Others Over Crackdown In Belarus

European Union member states have agreed to slap sanctions on Alyaksandr Lukashenka , along with 14 other Belarusian officials , in response to a brutal crackdown on postelection protests .
The green light to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Lukashenka and the 14 others was given by envoys from the EU 's 27 member states on November 4 and should be confirmed in the bloc 's official journal on November 6 , sources say .
Lukashenka has been under pressure from constant demonstrations following a disputed presidential election nearly three months ago that the opposition says was rigged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Belarus 's 66-year-old strongman was initially spared inclusion in the EU asset freezes and travel bans imposed last month on 40 Belarusian officials for their alleged role in the repression of protesters and the opposition , as well as fraud during the August 9 vote .
But in mid-October , EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead in principle to prepare a new sanctions package that would include the embattled leader himself .
AFP reported that the EU is also targeting Lukashenka 's son Viktar , who is an acting national-security adviser in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested across Belarus since authorities declared Lukashenka the winner of the August election to give him a sixth consecutive term .
Most of the country 's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country , including presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who considers herself the rightful winner of the vote .
Lukashenka is `` responsible for the violent repression by the state apparatus before and after the 2020 presidential elections , '' according to the sanctions decision seen by AFP .
He is also being held responsible for the exclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` arbitrary arrests and the ill-treatment of peaceful demonstrators , as well as intimidation and violence against journalists.
” The EU has denounced the August election as `` neither free nor fair '' and refused to recognize Lukashenka as Belarus 's legitimate president .
Tsikhanouskaya told Current Time in a Skype interview on November 4 that Lukashenka 's previous term was set to officially end on November 5 , bringing an end to any legitimacy he could claim as a leader of the country .
`` Lukashenka is losing the last element of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some countries may still believe that he still has some kind of legitimacy , that now it is over too , '' she said '' We see how the regime is disintegrating before our very eyes ; mistakes are being made .
And you all know that only together we will win , '' Tsikhanouskaya added .
Speaking from EU-member Lithuania , where she has been living since shortly after the election following threats to her and her family , the opposition leader called on foreign leaders to give their `` maximum support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would like democratic countries to pay even more attention to how human rights in Belarus are infringed upon , on the violence taking place in our country .
And that they talk about it and take all possible appropriate measures , '' she added .

European Union member states have agreed to slap sanctions on Alyaksandr Lukashenka, along with 14 other Belarusian officials, in response to a brutal crackdown on postelection protests.
The green light to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Lukashenka and the 14 others was given by envoys from the EU's 27 member states on November 4 and should be confirmed in the bloc's official journal on November 6, sources say.
Lukashenka has been under pressure from constant demonstrations following a disputed presidential election nearly three months ago that the opposition says was rigged and the West has refused to accept.
Belarus's 66-year-old strongman was initially spared inclusion in the EU asset freezes and travel bans imposed last month on 40 Belarusian officials for their alleged role in the repression of protesters and the opposition, as well as fraud during the August 9 vote.
But in mid-October, EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead in principle to prepare a new sanctions package that would include the embattled leader himself.
AFP reported that the EU is also targeting Lukashenka's son Viktar, who is an acting national-security adviser in Belarus.
Thousands of people have been arrested across Belarus since authorities declared Lukashenka the winner of the August election to give him a sixth consecutive term.
Most of the country's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country, including presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who considers herself the rightful winner of the vote.
Lukashenka is "responsible for the violent repression by the state apparatus before and after the 2020 presidential elections," according to the sanctions decision seen by AFP.
He is also being held responsible for the exclusion of opposition candidates in the vote, "arbitrary arrests and the ill-treatment of peaceful demonstrators, as well as intimidation and violence against journalists.”
The EU has denounced the August election as "neither free nor fair" and refused to recognize Lukashenka as Belarus's legitimate president.
Tsikhanouskaya told Current Time in a Skype interview on November 4 that Lukashenka's previous term was set to officially end on November 5, bringing an end to any legitimacy he could claim as a leader of the country.
"Lukashenka is losing the last element of legitimacy on November 5. And if some countries may still believe that he still has some kind of legitimacy, that now it is over too," she said
"We see how the regime is disintegrating before our very eyes; mistakes are being made. And you all know that only together we will win," Tsikhanouskaya added.
Speaking from EU-member Lithuania, where she has been living since shortly after the election following threats to her and her family, the opposition leader called on foreign leaders to give their "maximum support to the Belarusian people."
"I would like democratic countries to pay even more attention to how human rights in Belarus are infringed upon, on the violence taking place in our country. And that they talk about it and take all possible appropriate measures," she added.
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-11-04--World Watches Warily As U.S. Counts Ballots In Razor-Thin Presidential Vote

Countries around the globe are watching warily -- and often silently -- as a marathon presidential race nears the finish line in the United States .
The vote count provided a number of surprises early on November 4 , the day after the election , with incumbent Republican President Donald Trump prematurely declaring he had won and saying that `` we want all voting to stop '' -- even as states were still tallying ballots .
Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden , the former U.S. vice president , batted away the victory claim and offered assurances that he was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election would not be over until `` every vote , every ballot is counted . ''
As the bitter back-and-forth unfolded in what promises to be a dispute that could take days or more to resolve , the rest of the world sat and watched in relatively stunned silence .
Vyacheslav Nikonov , a Russian political scientist and pro-Kremlin lawmaker , reacted to Trump 's promise to take the dispute to the U.S. Supreme Court by writing on Facebook that the election result was the `` worst outcome for America . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ half of Americans will not consider them the lawful president , '' Nikonov wrote .
`` We had better stock up on large quantities of popcorn . ''
In Britain , Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressed confidence in the U.S. electoral process .
`` Let 's wait and see what the outcome is , '' he told Sky News .
`` There 's obviously a significant amount of uncertainty .
It 's much closer than I think many had expected . ''
In Iran , a U.S. adversary , President Hassan Rohani dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying during a televised cabinet meeting that `` for Tehran , the next U.S. administration 's policies are important , not who wins . ''
But Tehran-based economist Siamak Ghassemi acknowledged that Iranians were paying attention to the final count in a key Midwestern swing state .
`` I never thought that one day in my life I would be so worried about # Wisconsin , '' he wrote on Twitter .
In China , an economic powerhouse that has become the target of a trade war under the Trump administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties to the country 's Communist Party said the U.S. election flap was indicative of a country in decline .
`` This kind of unrest is usually ( a ) complication of elections in poor countries , but people are worried it may appear in the US .
The US is in degradation , '' Global Times editor Hu Xijin wrote on Twitter .
Amid Trump 's victory claim , which was accompanied by unproven allegations that the win was being delayed by `` major fraud '' that his lawyers would fight in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world leaders offered their support .
`` It 's pretty clear that American people have elected @ realDonaldTrump and @ Mike_Pence for # 4moreyears , '' tweeted Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janza , whose country is the birthplace of first lady Melania Trump .
The German defense minister , meanwhile , reacted harshly to Trump 's declaration of victory , warning on the German public broadcaster ZDF that the United States faced a `` very explosive situation '' that could lead to a `` constitutional crisis . ''
`` This election has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Votes are still being counted . ''
Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) seconded that sentiment , calling on leaders to hold their tongues when speaking about the election result .
`` The vote count continues , there is no winner yet , and Trump ’ s claim of victory is premature , '' HRW Executive Director Kenneth Roth said in a press statement .
`` World leaders should wait for the democratic process , particularly given the time local officials need to count the large number of mail-in ballots .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Financial markets immediately took note of the uncertainty over the election 's outcome , with global stocks gyrating wildly in early trading , and oil prices and U.S. futures slipping after Trump 's comments .
But the silence was deafening in many corners of the world .
This included Russia , which was hit by sanctions from the United States for what it concluded was meddling in the 2016 election that placed Trump in the presidency .
While Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier said that the U.S. election looked like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most , '' the official line early on November 4 was silence .
Pundits , meanwhile , often focused on side issues , such as questioning the processes used by U.S. pollsters , many of which had predicted an easy Biden victory .
`` Of course , Biden 's victory can somehow sweeten the pill and come up with arguments for this failure , '' wrote the Civil Society Development Fund , a nonprofit organization with ties to the Kremlin , on its Telegram channel .
`` But what is happening at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliable method of studying public opinion and political forecasting . ''
Ukraine , a country that has featured prominently in allegations of corruption lobbed by the Trump campaign against Biden , was also quiet .
Pundits attributed the silence there to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 's efforts to avoid being drawn into the U.S. election drama while also trying to maintain good ties and future financial and military aid .
`` Zelenskiy has done his best to maintain neutrality during the U.S. election campaign , '' Volodymyr Fesenko , head of the Kyiv-based Penta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That guarantees bonuses to Zelenskiy and his administration under any outcome . ''
With reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters

Countries around the globe are watching warily -- and often silently -- as a marathon presidential race nears the finish line in the United States.
The vote count provided a number of surprises early on November 4, the day after the election, with incumbent Republican President Donald Trump prematurely declaring he had won and saying that "we want all voting to stop" -- even as states were still tallying ballots.
Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden, the former U.S. vice president, batted away the victory claim and offered assurances that he was "on track to win," saying the election would not be over until "every vote, every ballot is counted."
As the bitter back-and-forth unfolded in what promises to be a dispute that could take days or more to resolve, the rest of the world sat and watched in relatively stunned silence.
Vyacheslav Nikonov, a Russian political scientist and pro-Kremlin lawmaker, reacted to Trump's promise to take the dispute to the U.S. Supreme Court by writing on Facebook that the election result was the "worst outcome for America."
"Whoever wins the legal battles, half of Americans will not consider them the lawful president," Nikonov wrote. "We had better stock up on large quantities of popcorn."
In Britain, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressed confidence in the U.S. electoral process.
"Let's wait and see what the outcome is," he told Sky News. "There's obviously a significant amount of uncertainty. It's much closer than I think many had expected."
In Iran, a U.S. adversary, President Hassan Rohani dismissed the importance of the vote's outcome, saying during a televised cabinet meeting that "for Tehran, the next U.S. administration's policies are important, not who wins."
But Tehran-based economist Siamak Ghassemi acknowledged that Iranians were paying attention to the final count in a key Midwestern swing state.
"I never thought that one day in my life I would be so worried about #Wisconsin," he wrote on Twitter.
In China, an economic powerhouse that has become the target of a trade war under the Trump administration, the editor of a tabloid newspaper with ties to the country's Communist Party said the U.S. election flap was indicative of a country in decline.
"This kind of unrest is usually (a) complication of elections in poor countries, but people are worried it may appear in the US. The US is in degradation," Global Times editor Hu Xijin wrote on Twitter.
Amid Trump's victory claim, which was accompanied by unproven allegations that the win was being delayed by "major fraud" that his lawyers would fight in the country's highest court, some world leaders offered their support.
"It's pretty clear that American people have elected @realDonaldTrump and @Mike_Pence for #4moreyears," tweeted Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janza, whose country is the birthplace of first lady Melania Trump.
The German defense minister, meanwhile, reacted harshly to Trump's declaration of victory, warning on the German public broadcaster ZDF that the United States faced a "very explosive situation" that could lead to a "constitutional crisis."
"This election has not been decided," Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said. "Votes are still being counted."
Human Rights Watch (HRW) seconded that sentiment, calling on leaders to hold their tongues when speaking about the election result.
"The vote count continues, there is no winner yet, and Trump’s claim of victory is premature," HRW Executive Director Kenneth Roth said in a press statement. "World leaders should wait for the democratic process, particularly given the time local officials need to count the large number of mail-in ballots. They should ensure every vote counts."
Financial markets immediately took note of the uncertainty over the election's outcome, with global stocks gyrating wildly in early trading, and oil prices and U.S. futures slipping after Trump's comments.
But the silence was deafening in many corners of the world.
This included Russia, which was hit by sanctions from the United States for what it concluded was meddling in the 2016 election that placed Trump in the presidency.
While Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier said that the U.S. election looked like a contest over "who dislikes Russia the most," the official line early on November 4 was silence.
Pundits, meanwhile, often focused on side issues, such as questioning the processes used by U.S. pollsters, many of which had predicted an easy Biden victory.
"Of course, Biden's victory can somehow sweeten the pill and come up with arguments for this failure," wrote the Civil Society Development Fund, a nonprofit organization with ties to the Kremlin, on its Telegram channel. "But what is happening at the moment clearly demonstrates the lack of a reliable method of studying public opinion and political forecasting."
Ukraine, a country that has featured prominently in allegations of corruption lobbed by the Trump campaign against Biden, was also quiet.
Pundits attributed the silence there to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's efforts to avoid being drawn into the U.S. election drama while also trying to maintain good ties and future financial and military aid.
"Zelenskiy has done his best to maintain neutrality during the U.S. election campaign," Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta think tank, told Reuters. "That guarantees bonuses to Zelenskiy and his administration under any outcome."
With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-11-04--Ukrainian Ex-Fighter Acquitted In 2014 Killing Of Italian Journalist Returns To Kyiv

KYIV -- A Ukrainian-Italian dual citizen whose conviction by an Italian court over the death of an Italian journalist during Ukraine 's war with Russian-backed separatists has returned to Kyiv after having his sentence overturned .
Upon his arrival in the Ukrainian capital on November 4 , former Ukrainian National Guard commander Vitaliy Markiv told reporters that he and his lawyers planned to seek compensation from the Italian authorities for his three years in custody .
`` Those who tried to not just disgrace the armed forces of Ukraine but attempted to dishonor the Ukrainian people as a whole , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said after his return .
He said he planned to renew his service in the National Guard and spend more time with his wife .
Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli and a Russian colleague , Andrei Mironov , died in May 2014 after being hit by mortar fire near the Ukrainian town of Slovyansk as they were covering fighting between Ukrainian troops and the separatists .
Italian investigators argued that soldiers from the Ukrainian National Guard under Markiv 's command at the time deliberately targeted the three despite knowing they were journalists .
Markiv @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has consistently denied the charges .
He was arrested during a trip to Italy in 2017 and sentenced in the high-profile case to 24 years in prison .
Then , on November 3 , a court in Milan overturned the conviction and ordered Markiv freed from prison .
The conflict in Ukraine 's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014 .

KYIV -- A Ukrainian-Italian dual citizen whose conviction by an Italian court over the death of an Italian journalist during Ukraine's war with Russian-backed separatists has returned to Kyiv after having his sentence overturned.
Upon his arrival in the Ukrainian capital on November 4, former Ukrainian National Guard commander Vitaliy Markiv told reporters that he and his lawyers planned to seek compensation from the Italian authorities for his three years in custody.
"Those who tried to not just disgrace the armed forces of Ukraine but attempted to dishonor the Ukrainian people as a whole, must be held responsible," Markiv said after his return.
He said he planned to renew his service in the National Guard and spend more time with his wife.
Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli and a Russian colleague, Andrei Mironov, died in May 2014 after being hit by mortar fire near the Ukrainian town of Slovyansk as they were covering fighting between Ukrainian troops and the separatists.
Italian investigators argued that soldiers from the Ukrainian National Guard under Markiv's command at the time deliberately targeted the three despite knowing they were journalists.
Markiv, who has joint Ukrainian-Italian citizenship, has consistently denied the charges.
He was arrested during a trip to Italy in 2017 and sentenced in the high-profile case to 24 years in prison.
Then, on November 3, a court in Milan overturned the conviction and ordered Markiv freed from prison.
The conflict in Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014.


rferl--2020-11-04--War Crimes Prosecutors, EU Mission Detain Former Kosovar Parliament Speaker

PRISTINA -- The Hague-based war crimes prosecutors in cooperation with local police and the EU 's rule-of-law mission have arrested a former guerrilla leader and ex-speaker of Kosovo 's parliament during a special operation that began before dawn in Pristina .
Police and investigators took Jakup Krasniqi into custody after spending about 10 hours at his home on November 4 amid silence from the Kosovo Specialist Chambers ( KSC ) and Specialist Prosecutor 's Office ( SPO ) about the specifics of the Kosovar operations .
But a lawyer for Krasniqi , Vason Hasani , said the KSC had confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to transfer him to The Hague .
Hasani said he did not know the nature of the charges in the indictment .
Krasniqi is a onetime spokesman for the Kosovo Liberation Army ( UCK ) who rose to chair postindependence Kosovo 's parliament and even spent time as acting president dating back to 2011 .
A brief announcement on the website of the KSC and SPO did not explain the goals of the operations .
`` More information will follow in due course , '' it said .
The Kosovar government said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations .
`` Kosovo , the bearers of institutions , as well as its citizens have consistently set an example of respect and cooperation with local and international justice , '' the government in Pristina said .
`` The presumption of innocence must be respected in any case unless there is another decision of the competent court . ''
Krasniqi was questioned by SPO officials in July 2019 .
His wife , Sevdije Krasniqi , told RFE/RL before the arrest that the authorities did not explain the operation and that she did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
Krasniqi 's political party , the Social Democratic Initiative , responded to the events by saying , `` the scenes today are unnecessary and traumatic for the family , '' adding that Krasniqi had always complied with requests from judicial institutions .
The KSC and SPO were set up under Kosovar law outside the country to help probe possible atrocities during and after the Kosovar war of independence in 1998-99 , and their operations are supported by Kosovo 's police and EULEX .
They are focused on alleged crimes committed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivals during Kosovo 's violent separation from Serbia .
The SPO announced in June that President Hashim Thaci and other prominent Kosovars were the subject of an indictment on suspicion of serious crimes , including `` nearly 100 murders , '' enforced disappearances , and torture .
It reportedly had less than six months to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to bring cases to trial , a deadline that appears to have expired .
Two weeks ago , The Hague offices said that `` there is good reason to believe '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` larger strategy to undercut the court . ''
Thaci has proposed amendments to Kosovar law that would give lawmakers there the power to extend the mandate of the KSC for another five years .
Kosovar 's independence war with Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo .
More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for .
The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia .
Last month the KSC and SPO made their first arrest , detaining the former head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force , Salih Mustafa , on the basis of an arrest warrant and a confirmed indictment issued by a pretrial judge of the KSC .

PRISTINA -- The Hague-based war crimes prosecutors in cooperation with local police and the EU's rule-of-law mission have arrested a former guerrilla leader and ex-speaker of Kosovo's parliament during a special operation that began before dawn in Pristina.
Police and investigators took Jakup Krasniqi into custody after spending about 10 hours at his home on November 4 amid silence from the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) and Specialist Prosecutor's Office (SPO) about the specifics of the Kosovar operations.
But a lawyer for Krasniqi, Vason Hasani, said the KSC had confirmed an indictment against Krasniqi and that they plan to transfer him to The Hague.
Hasani said he did not know the nature of the charges in the indictment.
Krasniqi is a onetime spokesman for the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) who rose to chair postindependence Kosovo's parliament and even spent time as acting president dating back to 2011.
A brief announcement on the website of the KSC and SPO did not explain the goals of the operations. "More information will follow in due course," it said.
The Kosovar government said it was following the conduct of the operations.
"Kosovo, the bearers of institutions, as well as its citizens have consistently set an example of respect and cooperation with local and international justice," the government in Pristina said. "The presumption of innocence must be respected in any case unless there is another decision of the competent court."
Krasniqi was questioned by SPO officials in July 2019.
His wife, Sevdije Krasniqi, told RFE/RL before the arrest that the authorities did not explain the operation and that she did not know why the investigators were at their home.
Krasniqi's political party, the Social Democratic Initiative, responded to the events by saying, "the scenes today are unnecessary and traumatic for the family," adding that Krasniqi had always complied with requests from judicial institutions.
The KSC and SPO were set up under Kosovar law outside the country to help probe possible atrocities during and after the Kosovar war of independence in 1998-99, and their operations are supported by Kosovo's police and EULEX.
They are focused on alleged crimes committed by UCK members against ethnic minorities and political rivals during Kosovo's violent separation from Serbia.
The SPO announced in June that President Hashim Thaci and other prominent Kosovars were the subject of an indictment on suspicion of serious crimes, including "nearly 100 murders," enforced disappearances, and torture.
It reportedly had less than six months to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to bring cases to trial, a deadline that appears to have expired.
Two weeks ago, The Hague offices said that "there is good reason to believe" the president had been acting as part of a "larger strategy to undercut the court."
Thaci has proposed amendments to Kosovar law that would give lawmakers there the power to extend the mandate of the KSC for another five years.
Kosovar's independence war with Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for. The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia.
Last month the KSC and SPO made their first arrest, detaining the former head of the intelligence service of the Kosovo Security Force, Salih Mustafa, on the basis of an arrest warrant and a confirmed indictment issued by a pretrial judge of the KSC.


rferl--2020-11-04--Western Diplomats Urge Justice Over Acid Killing Of Ukrainian Activist

Western diplomats have urged Kyiv to bring the planners and perpetrators of an acid attack that led to the death of Ukrainian anti-corruption activist Kateryna Handzyuk to justice two years after the brazen crime .
Handzyuk died on November 4 , 2018 , three months after she suffered burns to over 30 percent of her body in an acid attack in front of her home .
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a statement via Facebook on the second anniversary of the activist 's death , saying , `` We remember the dedication , will , and remarkable courage '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging authorities to bring to justice both her attackers and those who called for the attacks .
Her memory is preserved in the growing acknowledgment that civil society is a critical part of any successful democracy , '' the statement said .
The EU delegation in Ukraine issued a similar statement via Twitter , emphasizing that individuals `` responsible for this crime must be brought to justice . ''
`` [ A ] safe environment in Ukraine for civil society activists must be safeguarded across the country , '' the tweet added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed hope that `` justice will be served soon '' for Handzyuk .
She vowed that she will `` raise the issue of her case '' this week both in Handzyuk 's native city of Kherson and in Kyiv .
The Canadian Embassy in Ukraine also issued a statement regarding the deadly attack on Handzyuk on Twitter .
`` There is no place for brutality and intimidation against activists , human rights defenders , and media in Ukraine .
Attacks on activists in Ukraine must stop , all crimes fully investigated , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Canadian Embassy added .
The deadly attack on Handzyuk , a 33-year-old civil activist and adviser to the mayor of the Black Sea port city of Kherson , shocked people across Ukraine and abroad .
Human rights activists have accused Ukrainian law enforcement of failing to thoroughly investigate the growing number of attacks on activists and suspicions of collusion with the perpetrators in some cases .
In June 2019 , five men were sentenced to prison terms of between three and 6 1/2 years for organizing and executing the attack on Handzyuk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year later , investigators arrested the head of the regional council , Vladyslav Manher , on suspicion of involvement in ordering the deadly attack .
Manher has denied the accusations .

Western diplomats have urged Kyiv to bring the planners and perpetrators of an acid attack that led to the death of Ukrainian anti-corruption activist Kateryna Handzyuk to justice two years after the brazen crime.
Handzyuk died on November 4, 2018, three months after she suffered burns to over 30 percent of her body in an acid attack in front of her home.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a statement via Facebook on the second anniversary of the activist's death, saying, "We remember the dedication, will, and remarkable courage" of Handzyuk.
"We join those urging authorities to bring to justice both her attackers and those who called for the attacks. Her memory is preserved in the growing acknowledgment that civil society is a critical part of any successful democracy," the statement said.
The EU delegation in Ukraine issued a similar statement via Twitter, emphasizing that individuals "responsible for this crime must be brought to justice."
"[A] safe environment in Ukraine for civil society activists must be safeguarded across the country," the tweet added.
British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons also expressed hope that "justice will be served soon" for Handzyuk.
She vowed that she will "raise the issue of her case" this week both in Handzyuk's native city of Kherson and in Kyiv.
The Canadian Embassy in Ukraine also issued a statement regarding the deadly attack on Handzyuk on Twitter.
"There is no place for brutality and intimidation against activists, human rights defenders, and media in Ukraine. Attacks on activists in Ukraine must stop, all crimes fully investigated, and those responsible brought to justice," the Canadian Embassy added.
The deadly attack on Handzyuk, a 33-year-old civil activist and adviser to the mayor of the Black Sea port city of Kherson, shocked people across Ukraine and abroad.
Human rights activists have accused Ukrainian law enforcement of failing to thoroughly investigate the growing number of attacks on activists and suspicions of collusion with the perpetrators in some cases.
In June 2019, five men were sentenced to prison terms of between three and 6 1/2 years for organizing and executing the attack on Handzyuk based on a plea bargain.
A year later, investigators arrested the head of the regional council, Vladyslav Manher, on suspicion of involvement in ordering the deadly attack. Manher has denied the accusations.


rferl--2020-11-04--Kyrgyz Parliament Speaker Steps Down To Join Growing Field Of Presidential Hopefuls

BISHKEK -- The recently elected chairman of the Kyrgyz parliament said on November 4 that he would step down and indicated that he planned to take part in the country 's early presidential election in January , throwing more confusion into one of Central Asia 's most turbulent political scenes .
Speaker Kanatbek Isaev had been expected to temporarily assume presidential powers in December , when it is believed that current acting President Sadyr Japarov plans to resign to keep himself eligible for the presidential race .
A new presidential election was set for January 10 while the scheduling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold due to disputes that have emerged since mass protests prompted sudden and sweeping leadership changes in October .
Isaev said he decided to step down after members of one faction in parliament -- the Respublika-Ata-Jurt ( Republic-Homeland ) grouping -- decided to nominate him for the presidency .
After his statement , lawmakers elected Talant Mamytov to the parliament speaker 's post .
Isaev was elected to the post of the parliament speaker on October 13 in the wake of mass protests challenging the official results of October 4 parliamentary elections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the government , and led to the resignation of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov .
Most observers expected Isaev to take up the presidential powers in line with Kyrgyz law after Jeenbekov resigned in mid-October .
But the 45-year-old Isaev then declined to become head of state and lawmakers handed presidential powers to Japarov .
Japarov , 51 , only became prime minister in the midst of the protests , which also prompted election officials to cancel the results of the parliamentary voting .
Japarov had been released from prison , where he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , amid the early street demonstrations .
Japarov has initiated amendments to the constitution to change the rules for elections .
He also signed legal changes that postponed fresh parliamentary elections tentatively set for December 20 to an unspecified date in 2021 despite a requirement that such a vote come within two months .
That move cleared the way for the early presidential election on January 10 , 2021 .
Under current Kyrgyz law , anyone serving in an acting or interim capacity as president may not then run in an election for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he will become eligible by stepping down in December .
As of November 4 , five other politicians had officially informed the Central Election Commission ( BShK ) of their intentions to run for president .
They are opposition Butun ( United ) Kyrgyzstan party leader Adakhan Madumarov ; the leader of the El Uchun ( For the People ) party , Arstanbek Abdyldaev ; the former leader of the Egemen ( Sovereign ) Kyrgyzstan party , Bektur Asanov ; historian Kuban Choroev ; and opposition activist Nazarbek Nyshanov .
Political analyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he plans to register with the commission as a potential presidential candidate as well .

BISHKEK -- The recently elected chairman of the Kyrgyz parliament said on November 4 that he would step down and indicated that he planned to take part in the country's early presidential election in January, throwing more confusion into one of Central Asia's most turbulent political scenes.
Speaker Kanatbek Isaev had been expected to temporarily assume presidential powers in December, when it is believed that current acting President Sadyr Japarov plans to resign to keep himself eligible for the presidential race.
A new presidential election was set for January 10 while the scheduling of a rerun of parliamentary elections remains on hold due to disputes that have emerged since mass protests prompted sudden and sweeping leadership changes in October.
Isaev said he decided to step down after members of one faction in parliament -- the Respublika-Ata-Jurt (Republic-Homeland) grouping -- decided to nominate him for the presidency.
After his statement, lawmakers elected Talant Mamytov to the parliament speaker's post.
Isaev was elected to the post of the parliament speaker on October 13 in the wake of mass protests challenging the official results of October 4 parliamentary elections.
That disquiet ousted the previous parliament speaker, the government, and led to the resignation of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov.
Most observers expected Isaev to take up the presidential powers in line with Kyrgyz law after Jeenbekov resigned in mid-October.
But the 45-year-old Isaev then declined to become head of state and lawmakers handed presidential powers to Japarov.
Japarov, 51, only became prime minister in the midst of the protests, which also prompted election officials to cancel the results of the parliamentary voting.
Japarov had been released from prison, where he was serving sentence for kidnapping a political rival, amid the early street demonstrations.
Japarov has initiated amendments to the constitution to change the rules for elections.
He also signed legal changes that postponed fresh parliamentary elections tentatively set for December 20 to an unspecified date in 2021 despite a requirement that such a vote come within two months.
That move cleared the way for the early presidential election on January 10, 2021.
Under current Kyrgyz law, anyone serving in an acting or interim capacity as president may not then run in an election for the post.
But Japarov has argued that he will become eligible by stepping down in December.
As of November 4, five other politicians had officially informed the Central Election Commission (BShK) of their intentions to run for president.
They are opposition Butun (United) Kyrgyzstan party leader Adakhan Madumarov; the leader of the El Uchun (For the People) party, Arstanbek Abdyldaev; the former leader of the Egemen (Sovereign) Kyrgyzstan party, Bektur Asanov; historian Kuban Choroev; and opposition activist Nazarbek Nyshanov.
Political analyst Bakyt Baketaev told RFE/RL on November 4 that he plans to register with the commission as a potential presidential candidate as well.