rferl--2020-01-15--Russian Cameraman Who Spoke Of Censorship On TV Savagely Beaten

A former cameraman for a Russian state TV broadcaster who has spoken out and given interviews about political censorship and corruption at his former employer has been severely beaten by two men in Moscow , he told RFE/RL in an interview on January 15 .
Leonid Krivenkov , 61 , who shot political shows on Channel One for 10 years , says the beating took place as he was leaving Kuzminsky Park in the capital on January 11 .
The two assailants `` were athletically built , tall , and aged approximately 25-30 years with a dog in tow , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from behind , threw him to the ground and started kicking him .
The assailants yelled : `` You despicable jerk , we ’ ll teach you to love your homeland…the fifth column , we will annihilate you . ''
Krivenkov said the two men ran away when they noticed passersby approaching the scene .
The following day , the retired cameraman sought medical treatment at an emergency room of a clinic where an X-ray was taken , and severe bruising of the chest and a closed fracture of his nasal bone was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinic that they would contact the police and provide them with information about the attack and told him to expect a visit from police that evening .
The police never arrived so Krivenkov filed a police report himself on January 13 .
For the last two days , `` I ’ ve felt extremely weak , have been running a fever , and my head spins -- it looks like in addition [ to the other injuries ] I also have a concussion . ''
In a January 2019 interview with RFE/RL , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Channel One .
He also gave several interviews to foreign media based in Moscow .
He noted the attack happened less than two weeks after RFE/RL ’ s Russian service published a list of the most popular articles in 2019 on December 31 that included the interview with Krivenkov .
`` Apparently , many people are annoyed that I am telling the truth about the work methods of the Russian media , and someone gave the go-ahead , [ saying ] 'it 's time to deal with Krivenkov , ' '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something of a badge of honor .
`` If measures of physical action have already begun to be applied to me , it means that I have become noticeable with my position , that means I am really doing something to free my country from the current regime , ” Krivenkov said .
He added : `` The country is ruled by a bunch of gangsters from the backstreets . ''

MOSCOW -- A former cameraman for a Russian state TV broadcaster who has spoken out and given interviews about political censorship and corruption at his former employer has been severely beaten by two men in Moscow, he told RFE/RL in an interview on January 15.
Leonid Krivenkov, 61, who shot political shows on Channel One for 10 years, said the beating took place as he was leaving Kuzminsky Park in the capital on January 11.
The two assailants "were athletically built, tall, and aged approximately 25-30 years, with a dog in tow," he said.
He said they attacked him from behind, threw him to the ground, and started kicking him.
He said the assailants yelled: "You despicable jerk! We’ll teach you to love your homeland…the fifth column. We will annihilate you!"
Krivenkov said the two men ran away when they noticed passersby approaching the scene.
The following day, the retired cameraman sought medical treatment at an emergency room of a clinic where an X-ray was taken, revealing severe bruising of the chest and a broken nose.
He said he was promised at the clinic that they would contact the police and provide them with information about the attack and told him to expect a visit from police that evening.
The police never arrived, so Krivenkov said he filed a police report himself on January 13.
For the last two days, he said, "I’ve felt extremely weak, have been running a fever, and my head spins. It looks like in addition [to the other injuries] I also have a concussion."
In a January 2019 interview with RFE/RL, Krivenkov spoke of election fraud and censorship at Channel One. He also gave several interviews to foreign media based in Moscow.
He noted the attack happened less than two weeks after RFE/RL’s Russian Service published a list of the most popular articles in 2019 that included the interview with Krivenkov.
"Apparently, many people are annoyed that I am telling the truth about the work methods of the Russian media, and someone gave the go-ahead, [saying,] 'It's time to deal with Krivenkov,'" he said.
He said the beating was something of a badge of honor.
"If measures of physical action have already begun to be applied to me, it means that I have become noticeable with my position. That means I am really doing something to free my country from the current regime,” Krivenkov said.
He added: "The country is ruled by a bunch of gangsters from the backstreets."


rferl--2020-01-15--U.S. House Votes To Send Impeachment Articles For Trump's Trial

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives has adopted a resolution to send two articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial on whether to remove President Donald Trump from office .
On January 15 , the Democrat-led legislative chamber approved by a margin of 228-193 the resolution that also appoints the seven lawmakers who will be trial prosecutors that were announced earlier in the day by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( Democrat-California ) .
It also provides funding for the trial .
`` We are here today to cross a very important threshold in American history , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trial managers have legal backgrounds and will be led by 10-term Representative Adam Schiff ( California ) , a former federal prosecutor and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee .
He will be joined by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler ( New York ) , Hakeem Jeffries ( New York ) , a former litigator in private practice , Jason Crow ( Colorado ) , a former Army Ranger and private attorney , Val Demings ( Florida ) , a former police chief , Zoe Lofgren ( Calfornia ) , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Texas ) , a former judge .
The trial managers are subsequently expected to `` march '' the articles of impeachment to the Senate and deliver them , according to Pelosi .
Once there , the managers will read the formal charges aloud on the Senate floor after which the impeachment trial can commence .
The senators will be jury members in the trial and Chief Justice John Roberts will be the presiding judge .
In explaining her decision on who to name as trial managers , Pelosi said the emphasis was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on comfort level in the courtroom .
The emphasis is making the strongest possible case to protect and defend our constitution , to seek the truth for the American people , '' she said .
`` I ’ m very proud and honored that these seven distinguished members have accepted this serious responsibility . ''
The adoption of the resolution came four weeks after the House in December charged Trump with abusing the power of his office for personal gain and obstruction of Congress .
He specifically is suspected of trying to influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- to investigate his political rivals .
Trump has also been accused of withholding documents that the House requested during the fact-finding phase of the impeachment proceedings and of blocking or preventing testimony from administration officials .
Trump denies the charges and has called the impeachment proceedings a `` witch hunt . ''
`` The only thing Speaker Pelosi has achieved with this sham , illegitimate impeachment process , is to prove she is focused on politics instead of the American people , '' Trump said after Pelosi 's news conference , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` She failed and the naming of these managers does not change a single thing .
President Trump has done nothing wrong .
He looks forward to having the due process rights in the Senate ... and expects to be fully exonerated , '' the press office statement said .
`` I have great confidence there is enough evidence to impeach the president , '' Pelosi said .

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--2020-01-15--IAEA Mission Expected To Belarus In February Over Nuclear Power Station Under Construction

A mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) will head to Belarus in February to evaluate the preparedness of the country ’ s national infrastructure for a nuclear power station under construction in the town of Astravets near the Lithuanian border .
The Belarusian Energy Ministry said on January 15 that the mission will start its work on February 24 .
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed off on the nuclear power plant back in 2008 , partly to lessen the country ’ ' dependence on Russia to meet its energy needs .
The nuclear power plant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies contracted by Rosatom and Moscow is jointly financing the project , which has had cost estimates ranging from $ 5 billion to $ 22 billion .
The construction site has witnessed a series of mishaps , including the dropping of a 330-ton nuclear-reactor casing in July 2016 .
It was only more than two weeks after the incident that the Belarusian Energy Ministry confirmed there had been an `` emergency situation '' at the construction site .
The planned site of the Astravets plant has been a concern for Lithuania ever since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Lithuanian capital , Vilnius , is less than 50 kilometers away , meaning that Minsk is at odds with IAEA recommendations made after the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan that plants should not be built within 100 kilometers of major population centers .
Belarus expects to have the two 1.2 gigawatt VVER 1200 reactors online in 2020 , according to the Astravets website .
With reporting by BelTA and AFN.by

A mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will head to Belarus in February to evaluate the preparedness of the country’s national infrastructure for a nuclear power station under construction in the town of Astravets near the Lithuanian border.
The Belarusian Energy Ministry said on January 15 that the mission will start its work on February 24.
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed off on the nuclear power plant back in 2008, partly to lessen the country’' dependence on Russia to meet its energy needs.
The nuclear power plant, however, is being built by Russian companies contracted by Rosatom and Moscow is jointly financing the project, which has had cost estimates ranging from $5 billion to $22 billion.
The construction site has witnessed a series of mishaps, including the dropping of a 330-ton nuclear-reactor casing in July 2016. It was only more than two weeks after the incident that the Belarusian Energy Ministry confirmed there had been an "emergency situation" at the construction site.
The planned site of the Astravets plant has been a concern for Lithuania ever since the project was announced in 2008. The Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, is less than 50 kilometers away, meaning that Minsk is at odds with IAEA recommendations made after the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan that plants should not be built within 100 kilometers of major population centers.
Belarus expects to have the two 1.2 gigawatt VVER 1200 reactors online in 2020, according to the Astravets website.
With reporting by BelTA and AFN.by


rferl--2020-01-15--Albania Orders Expulsion Of Two Iranian Diplomats

Albania has ordered the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats for activities `` not in line with their status . ''
@ @ @ @ @ on Facebook on January 15 that the two diplomats , Mohammad Ali Arz Peimanemati and @ @ @ @ @ were declared persona non grata and asked to “ immediately ” leave Albania .
No @ @ @ @ @ .
Albania in December 2018 expelled two other Iranian diplomats for `` violating their diplomatic @ @ @ @ @ in unspecified illegal activities that threatened the country 's security .
Albania is home to @ @ @ @ @ Iranian exile opposition group Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization ( MKO ) , which moved there from @ @ @ @

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--2020-01-15--Zelenskiy, Merkel Discuss Situation In Donbas, Plane Crash In Iran

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed the situation in Ukraine 's east , where Russia-backed separatists continue to control some part of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions .
Ukraine 's presidential website said on January 15 that Zelenskiy thanked Merkel for Germany 's participation in the Normandy peace format summit in Paris on December 9 .
Zelenskiy expressed concern about the failure to implement an agreement on ensuring an actual `` complete cease-fire '' in Ukraine 's east , adding that the next round of consultations of the Trilateral Contact Group ( Ukraine , Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cooperation in Europe ) will be held in Minsk on January 16 .
Zelenskiy assured Merkel that Kyiv will do its best to secure additional steps for a comprehensive cease-fire .
Merkel expressed her condolences over the Ukrainian plane crash in Iran on January 8 that killed 176 people on board .
Zelenskiy thanked Merkel for Berlin 's willingness to cooperate to ensure an open and impartial investigation of the crash .
He called for Germany 's help in investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators of the crash .
On January 11 , Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airliner outside of Tehran , but said the incident was `` unintentional '' and blamed it on human error .

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed the situation in Ukraine's east, where Russia-backed separatists continue to control some part of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Ukraine's presidential website said on January 15 that Zelenskiy thanked Merkel for Germany's participation in the Normandy peace format summit in Paris on December 9.
Zelenskiy expressed concern about the failure to implement an agreement on ensuring an actual "complete cease-fire" in Ukraine's east, adding that the next round of consultations of the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) will be held in Minsk on January 16.
Zelenskiy assured Merkel that Kyiv will do its best to secure additional steps for a comprehensive cease-fire.
Merkel expressed her condolences over the Ukrainian plane crash in Iran on January 8 that killed 176 people on board.
Zelenskiy thanked Merkel for Berlin's willingness to cooperate to ensure an open and impartial investigation of the crash. He called for Germany's help in investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators of the crash.
On January 11, Iran admitted its military shot down the Ukrainian airliner outside of Tehran, but said the incident was "unintentional" and blamed it on human error.


rferl--2020-01-15--Iran's Rohani Slams Disqualification Of Candidates Ahead Of Parliament Elections

Iranian President Hassan Rohani has criticized the disqualification of hundreds of people from running in the upcoming parliamentary elections , saying Iranians `` need diversity . ''
In televised remarks during a cabinet meeting on January 15 , Rohani called for `` all parties and groups '' to be allowed to run for office , saying the country `` can not be governed by one political wing alone . ''
The powerful Guardians Council has barred nearly one third of the current members of the 290-seat parliament from running in the elections scheduled for February 21 , while some 800 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Interior Ministry , according to state media .
Most of those rejected were reformist and moderate candidates , according to the reformist daily Etemad .
Overall , more than 5,000 people were allowed to take part in the vote , meaning that around 17 candidates will compete for each parliamentary seat , Press TV reported .
`` Do not tell the people that for every seat in parliament , there are 17 , 170 or 1,700 candidates running in the election , '' Rohani said in his speech .
`` Seventeen-hundred candidates from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many parties ?
From one party ?
This is not an election , '' he added .
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-01-15--Chechen Leader 'Temporarily Incapacitated,' Puts PM In Charge

The leader of Russia 's North Caucasus region of Chechnya , Ramzan Kadyrov , has temporarily left office due to what he called his `` temporary incapacitation . ''
Kadyrov 's order dated January 13 was placed on the Chechen government 's website .
`` I entrust the chairman of the government of the Chechen Republic , Muslim Magomedovich Khuchiyev with carrying out the duties of the head of the Chechen Republic as of January 13 , 2020 for the period of my temporary incapacitation , '' the document says , without giving any other details .
In February last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stead exactly for the same reason .
The wording of the February 11 , 2019 document does not differ from the latest one .
News of this type usually causes lots of rumors in the volatile region where Kadyrov has governed in an authoritarian style for years .
Rights groups say Kadyrov rules through repressive measures and has created a climate of impunity for security forces in the region .
They claim Kadyrov is ultimately responsible for abuses of political opponents by Chechen authorities that include kidnappings and forced disappearances , torture , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian President Vladimir Putin turns a blind eye to the alleged abuses and violations of the Russian Constitution by Kadyrov because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiments and violence in Chechnya , the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus .

The leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has temporarily left office due to what he called his "temporary incapacitation."
Kadyrov's order dated January 13 was placed on the Chechen government's website.
"I entrust the chairman of the government of the Chechen Republic, Muslim Magomedovich Khuchiyev with carrying out the duties of the head of the Chechen Republic as of January 13, 2020 for the period of my temporary incapacitation," the document says, without giving any other details.
In February last year, Kadyrov left Khuchiyev in his stead exactly for the same reason. The wording of the February 11, 2019 document does not differ from the latest one.
News of this type usually causes lots of rumors in the volatile region where Kadyrov has governed in an authoritarian style for years.
Rights groups say Kadyrov rules through repressive measures and has created a climate of impunity for security forces in the region. They claim Kadyrov is ultimately responsible for abuses of political opponents by Chechen authorities that include kidnappings and forced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
Kremlin critics say Russian President Vladimir Putin turns a blind eye to the alleged abuses and violations of the Russian Constitution by Kadyrov because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiments and violence in Chechnya, the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus.


rferl--2020-01-15--Bulgaria Gets New Environment Minister Amid Water Crisis

SOFIA -- Bulgaria 's lawmakers have approved Emil Dimitrov as environment and water minister after his predecessor was charged with @ @ @ @ @ in a western region .
Parliament on January 15 approved Dimitrov by 111 votes to @ @ @ @ @ crisis in and around the western town of Pernik has affected about 100,000 people for @ @ @ @ @ protests .
The former environment and water minister , Neno Dimov , resigned on January @ @ @ @ @ he was taken into custody following a round of questioning by investigators .
Prosecutors accuse @ @ @ @ @ to industrial users even when he had been informed that the water in a dam @ @ @ @ @ drinking water to Pernik and the surrounding area -- had seriously decreased .
Dimov , @ @ @ @ @ years in prison , has denied any wrongdoing and blamed the water crisis on dry @ @ @ @ @ the local water facility .

SOFIA -- Bulgaria's lawmakers have approved Emil Dimitrov as environment and water minister after his predecessor was charged with deliberate mismanagement of water supplies in a western region.
Parliament on January 15 approved Dimitrov by 111 votes to 96 against as the water crisis in and around the western town of Pernik has affected about 100,000 people for months and led to anti-government protests.
The former environment and water minister, Neno Dimov, resigned on January 10, a day after he was taken into custody following a round of questioning by investigators.
Prosecutors accuse him of providing water supplies to industrial users even when he had been informed that the water in a dam -- the only source of drinking water to Pernik and the surrounding area -- had seriously decreased.
Dimov, who faces up to 8 years in prison, has denied any wrongdoing and blamed the water crisis on dry weather and poor management of the local water facility.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-01-15--Putin Nominates Ex-Tax Chief As New Russian PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a surprise constitutional shakeup that could keep him in power beyond the end of his term in 2024 , and appointed a new prime minister after Dimitry Medvedev and his cabinet resigned .
Putin used his annual state-of-the-nation speech on January 15 to call for a referendum on substantial constitutional amendments that would strengthen parliament 's powers ahead of the end of his term in 2024 .
`` Given that the proposed reforms concern significant changes to the political system , the work of legislative , executive and judicial authorities , I believe it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire package of the proposed amendments to the Russian Constitution , '' Putin added without specifying any date for a vote .
Hours later , Putin named little-known Federal Tax Service chief Mikhail Mishustin as Russia 's new prime minister after Medvedev resigned following the president 's announcement .
Mishustin , 53 , has worked in the government since 1998. and has been head of the Federal Tax Service since 2010 .
Observers said the day 's dramatic events are likely preparing the ground for 2024 , when Putin , now 67 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has occupied the president or the prime minister 's job continuously since 1999 , and was reelected in 2018 for a final six-year term under the current constitution .
Announcing the moves in his address to Russia ’ s Federal Assembly , Putin said the country ’ s 1993 constitution should be amended , including giving the State Duma -- the lower house of parliament -- the right to name cabinet ministers and the prime minister , a power that currently belongs to the president .
At the same time , Putin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ republic , '' with the president retaining powers such as the right to dismiss the prime minister and cabinet ministers , as well as naming top defense and security officials .
`` This will increase the role and significance of the country 's parliament , '' Putin said .
`` For my part , I want to thank you for everything that was done at this stage of our joint work , I want to express satisfaction with the results that have been achieved , '' Putin said at the meeting with Medvedev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was done , but everything never works out in full , '' Putin added.Medvedev announced his government 's resignation during the live broadcast of a cabinet meeting with Putin .
`` After the [ constitutional ] changes are adopted , and most likely this will be done after discussions , there will be significant changes…in the balance of power , '' Medvedev said .
`` In that context , we , as the government of the Russian Federation , must provide our country 's president with an opportunity to make all necessary decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government of the Russian Federation made the proper move to resign , '' he added .
Russian news agencies said Putin plans to create the position of deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia and that the post will be offered to Medvedev .
Observers say that Putin 's choice of Mishustin , who lacks any political weight , indicates that the latter will not play an independent role .
Mishustin will face a vote of approval in the Duma within one week .
Russia last conducted a referendum in 1993 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's predecessor Boris Yeltsin .
Putin also suggested tightening the requirements for becoming president , saying any future Russian president should have lived in the country for at least 25 years and have no foreign citizenship or residency .
In addition , he also talked about a constitutional change that would enshrine the priority of domestic legislation over international law .
The speech came with the country still under Western sanctions for its actions in Ukraine and Syria , as well as its alleged election meddling in the United States .
The sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leading to rising poverty rates and growing discontent highlighted by protests last summer in Moscow .
Aleksei Navalny , Russia 's most prominent opposition leader and Kremlin critic , tweeted that Putin 's speech clearly signaled his desire to stay in control after his term ends .
`` The only goal of Putin and his regime is to stay in charge for life , having the entire country as his personal asset and seizing its riches for himself and his friends , '' Navalny said .
Navalny said he expected any vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crap . ''
The address at Moscow 's Manezh exhibition hall is one of three regularly scheduled national appearances that Putin makes each year -- the others being a lavish question-and-answer session with the public and a stage-managed annual press conference .
It is the 16th time Putin has delivered the address before an audience that also includes government ministers , judges from the constitutional and supreme courts , leading regional officials , and other members of the political elite .
In response to public discord , Putin spelled out social spending measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which he characterized as a `` direct threat '' to the country ’ s future , including a nationwide hot-school-meals program .
Putin said low incomes remain an obstacle to increasing the population , now at about 147 million , as the country faces the consequences of the post-Soviet economic collapse that led to a steep drop in the birthrate .
`` We need to expedite achievement to meet the large-scale social , economic , and technological challenges our country faces , '' he said .
`` Our society is clearly demonstrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development and are trying to make progress in the fields of vocation , knowledge , and well being , '' Putin said .
`` We need to expedite achievement to meet the large-scale social , economic , and technological challenges our country faces , '' he said .
`` Our society is clearly demonstrating a demand for change .
People want development and are trying to make progress in the fields of vocation , knowledge , and well being , '' Putin said .
In his speech , Putin also boasted about Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading in the global arms race and no longer forced to “ catch up ” to other world powers .
With reporting by Interfax and TASS

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a surprise constitutional shakeup that could keep him in power beyond the end of his term in 2024, and appointed a new prime minister after Dmitry Medvedev and his cabinet resigned.
Putin used his annual state-of-the-nation speech on January 15 to call for a referendum on substantial constitutional amendments that would strengthen parliament's powers ahead of the end of his term in 2024.
"Given that the proposed reforms concern significant changes to the political system, the work of legislative, executive and judicial authorities, I believe it is necessary to hold a plebiscite on the entire package of the proposed amendments to the Russian Constitution," Putin added without specifying any date for a vote.
Hours later, Putin named little-known Federal Tax Service chief Mikhail Mishustin as Russia's new prime minister after Medvedev resigned following the president's announcement.
Mishustin, 53, has worked in the government since 1998 and has been head of the Federal Tax Service since 2010.
Observers said the day's dramatic events are likely preparing the ground for 2024, when Putin, now 67, must leave the presidency. Putin has occupied the presidency or the prime minister's job continuously since 1999, and was reelected in 2018 for a final six-year term under the current constitution.
Announcing the moves in his address to Russia’s Federal Assembly, Putin said the country’s 1993 constitution should be amended, including giving the State Duma -- the lower house of parliament -- the right to name cabinet ministers and the prime minister, a power that currently belongs to the president.
At the same time, Putin said Russia must remain a "strong presidential republic," with the president retaining powers such as the right to dismiss the prime minister and cabinet ministers, as well as naming top defense and security officials.
"This will increase the role and significance of the country's parliament," Putin said.
"For my part, I want to thank you for everything that was done at this stage of our joint work. I want to express satisfaction with the results that have been achieved," Putin said at the meeting with Medvedev and his cabinet.
"Not everything was done, of course, but everything never works out completely," Putin added.
Medvedev announced his government's resignation during the live broadcast of a cabinet meeting with Putin.
"After the [constitutional] changes are adopted, and most likely this will be done after discussions, there will be significant changes…in the balance of power," Medvedev said.
"In that context, we, as the government of the Russian Federation, must provide our country's president with an opportunity to make all necessary decisions and in these conditions, I think the government of the Russian Federation made the proper move to resign," he added.
Russian news agencies said Putin plans to create the position of deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia and that the post will be offered to Medvedev.
Observers say that Putin's choice of Mishustin, who lacks any political weight, indicates that the latter will not play an independent role.
Mishustin will face a vote of approval in the Duma within one week.
Russia last conducted a referendum in 1993 when it adopted the constitution under Putin's predecessor, Boris Yeltsin.
Tightening Presidential Requirements
Putin also suggested tightening the requirements for becoming president, saying any future Russian president should have lived in the country for at least 25 years and have no foreign citizenship or residency.
In addition, he also talked about a constitutional change that would enshrine the priority of domestic legislation over international law.
The speech came with the country still under Western sanctions for its actions in Ukraine and Syria, as well as its alleged election meddling in the United States.
The sanctions have hampered the country's economic growth, leading to rising poverty rates and growing discontent highlighted by protests last summer in Moscow.
Aleksei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader and Kremlin critic, tweeted that Putin's speech clearly signaled his desire to stay in control after his term ends.
"The only goal of Putin and his regime is to stay in charge for life, having the entire country as his personal asset and seizing its riches for himself and his friends," Navalny said.
Navalny said he expected any vote on constitutional changes to be "fraudulent crap."
Social-Spending Measures
The address at Moscow's Manezh exhibition hall is one of three regularly scheduled national appearances that Putin makes each year -- the others being a lavish question-and-answer session with the public and a stage-managed annual press conference.
It is the 16th time Putin has delivered the address before an audience that also includes government ministers, judges from the constitutional and supreme courts, leading regional officials, and other members of the political elite.
In response to public discord, Putin spelled out social-spending measures to counter Russia’s declining population, which he characterized as a "direct threat" to the country’s future, including a nationwide hot-school-meals program.
Putin said low incomes remain an obstacle to increasing the population, now at about 147 million, as the country faces the consequences of the post-Soviet economic collapse that led to a steep drop in the birthrate.
"We need to expedite achievement to meet the large-scale social, economic, and technological challenges our country faces," he said.
"Our society is clearly demonstrating a demand for change. People want development and are trying to make progress in the fields of vocation, knowledge, and well being," Putin said.
In his speech, Putin also boasted about Russian weaponry. He claimed that Russia is leading in the global arms race and is no longer forced to “catch up” to other world powers.
With reporting by Interfax and TASS


rferl--2020-01-15--Putin Calls For Constitutional Changes, More Social Spending In Annual Address

Russian President Vladimir Putin has used his annual state-of-the-nation speech to call for broad changes to the constitution that would strengthen parliament 's powers ahead of the end of his term in 2024 .
In a January 15 address to Russia ’ s two-chamber parliament -- the Federal Assembly -- Putin said the country ’ s 1993 constitution should be amended , including giving the State Duma -- the lower house of parliament -- the right to name cabinet ministers and the prime minister , a power that currently belongs to the president .
At the same time , Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential republic , ” with the president retaining powers such as the right to dismiss the prime minister and cabinet ministers , as well as naming top defense and security officials .
`` This will increase the role and significance of the country 's parliament , '' Putin said .
`` Given that the proposed reforms concern significant changes to the political system , the work of legislative , executive , and judicial authorities , I believe it is necessary to hold a plebiscite on the entire package of the proposed amendments to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without specifying any date for a vote .
Russia last conducted a referendum in 1993 when it adopted the constitution under Putin 's predecessor Boris Yeltsin .
Putin also suggested tightening the requirements for becoming president , saying any future Russian president should have lived in the country for at least 25 years and have no foreign citizenship or residency .
In addition , he also talked about a constitutional change that would enshrine the priority of domestic legislation over international law .
The speech came with the country still under Western sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as its election meddling in the United States .
The sanctions have hampered the country 's economic growth , leading to rising poverty rates and growing discontent highlighted by protests last summer in Moscow .
Putin , 67 , has dominated politics in Russia for two decades , serving as president or prime minister since 1999 .
In 2018 , Putin was reelected to another six-year term .
He will have to step down after his term ends under the current law , which limits the president to two consecutive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Manezh exhibition hall is one of three regularly scheduled national appearances that Putin makes each year -- the others being a lavish question-and-answer session with the public and a stage-managed annual press conference .
It is the 16th time Putin has delivered the address before an audience that also includes government ministers , judges from the constitutional and supreme courts , leading regional officials , and other members of the political elite .
In response to public discord , Putin spelled out social-spending measures to counter Russia ’ s declining population , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat ” to the country ’ s future , including a nationwide school hot-meal program .
Putin said low incomes remain an obstacle to increasing the population , now at about 147 million , as the country faces the consequences of the post-Soviet economic collapse that led to a steep drop in the birthrate .
`` We need to expedite achievement to meet the large-scale social , economic , and technological challenges our country faces , '' he said .
`` Our society is clearly demonstrating a demand for change .
People want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fields of vocation , knowledge , and well-being , '' Putin said .
In his speech , Putin also boasted about Russian weaponry .
He claimed that Russia is leading in the global arms race and no longer forced to “ catch up ” to other world powers .

Russian President Vladimir Putin has used his annual state-of-the-nation speech to call for broad changes to the constitution that would strengthen parliament's powers ahead of the end of his term in 2024.
In a January 15 address to Russia’s two-chamber parliament -- the Federal Assembly -- Putin said the country’s 1993 constitution should be amended, including giving the State Duma -- the lower house of parliament -- the right to name cabinet ministers and the prime minister, a power that currently belongs to the president.
At the same time, Putin said Russia must remain a “strong presidential republic,” with the president retaining powers such as the right to dismiss the prime minister and cabinet ministers, as well as naming top defense and security officials.
"This will increase the role and significance of the country's parliament," Putin said.
"Given that the proposed reforms concern significant changes to the political system, the work of legislative, executive, and judicial authorities, I believe it is necessary to hold a plebiscite on the entire package of the proposed amendments to the Russian Constitution," Putin added without specifying any date for a vote.
Russia last conducted a referendum in 1993 when it adopted the constitution under Putin's predecessor Boris Yeltsin.
Putin also suggested tightening the requirements for becoming president, saying any future Russian president should have lived in the country for at least 25 years and have no foreign citizenship or residency.
In addition, he also talked about a constitutional change that would enshrine the priority of domestic legislation over international law.
The speech came with the country still under Western sanctions for its actions in Ukraine, Syria, as well as its election meddling in the United States.
The sanctions have hampered the country's economic growth, leading to rising poverty rates and growing discontent highlighted by protests last summer in Moscow.
Putin, 67, has dominated politics in Russia for two decades, serving as president or prime minister since 1999. In 2018, Putin was reelected to another six-year term. He will have to step down after his term ends under the current law, which limits the president to two consecutive terms.
The address at Moscow’s Manezh exhibition hall is one of three regularly scheduled national appearances that Putin makes each year -- the others being a lavish question-and-answer session with the public and a stage-managed annual press conference.
It is the 16th time Putin has delivered the address before an audience that also includes government ministers, judges from the constitutional and supreme courts, leading regional officials, and other members of the political elite.
In response to public discord, Putin spelled out social-spending measures to counter Russia’s declining population, which he characterized as a “direct threat” to the country’s future, including a nationwide school hot-meal program.
Putin said low incomes remain an obstacle to increasing the population, now at about 147 million, as the country faces the consequences of the post-Soviet economic collapse that led to a steep drop in the birthrate.
"We need to expedite achievement to meet the large-scale social, economic, and technological challenges our country faces," he said.
"Our society is clearly demonstrating a demand for change. People want development and are trying to make progress in the fields of vocation, knowledge, and well-being," Putin said.
In his speech, Putin also boasted about Russian weaponry. He claimed that Russia is leading in the global arms race and no longer forced to “catch up” to other world powers.


rferl--2020-01-16--Albania's PM Launches Libel Case Against Kosovo's Haradinaj

PRISTINA -- Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is suing his Kosovar counterpart for alleged defamation over comments concerning a land swap between Kosovo and Serbia .
Rama filed the lawsuit for unspecified damages in the Basic Court in Kosovo ’ s capital , Pristina , against outgoing Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj , a spokesman for the court confirmed to RFE/RL on January 16 .
The lawsuit alleges Haradinaj 's “ defamatory ” statements against Rama `` harmed the honor , reputation , and dignity of the plaintiff , '' according to the Oath Of Justice , the website of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the comments , made in October in a series of interviews , were related to the stalled process of normalizing Kosovo-Serbia relations .
Reacting to media reports about the legal case , Haradinaj late on January 15 rejected the lawsuit as “ completely unfounded.
” “ I will prepare a response to the lawsuit within the legal deadlines !
” he wrote in a Facebook post .
“ This is just a political diversion aimed at stimulating a media spectacle to avoid his responsibilities , ” he said .
Kosovo , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade .

PRISTINA -- Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is suing his Kosovar counterpart for alleged defamation over comments concerning a land swap between Kosovo and Serbia.
Rama filed the lawsuit for unspecified damages in the Basic Court in Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, against outgoing Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, a spokesman for the court confirmed to RFE/RL on January 16.
The lawsuit alleges Haradinaj's “defamatory” statements against Rama "harmed the honor, reputation, and dignity of the plaintiff," according to the Oath Of Justice, the website of the Kosovo Institute of Justice.
It said the comments, made in October in a series of interviews, were related to the stalled process of normalizing Kosovo-Serbia relations.
Reacting to media reports about the legal case, Haradinaj late on January 15 rejected the lawsuit as “completely unfounded.”
“I will prepare a response to the lawsuit within the legal deadlines!” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“This is just a political diversion aimed at stimulating a media spectacle to avoid his responsibilities,” he said.
Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade.


rferl--2020-01-16--Giuliani Associate Parnas Says Trump 'Knew Exactly What Was Going On' In Ukraine Campaign

A Soviet-born businessman and a key figure in the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump says the U.S. president “ knew exactly ” what was happening with an alleged campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival .
Lev Parnas , a close associate of Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , said in January 15 interviews with MSNBC and CNN that he worked closely with Giuliani , and with Trump ’ s full knowledge , to get Ukrainian officials to investigate Joe Biden , one of the front-runners to be the Democratic Party ’ s nominee in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump knew exactly what was going on , '' Parnas told MSNBC 's Rachel Maddow in an interview that aired late on January 15 .
`` He was aware of all my movements .
I would n't do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president .
I have no intent , I have no reason to speak to any of these officials , '' he added .
Parnas then doubled down on his claim later in an interview with CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper , who asked him about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ association with Parnas .
“ He ’ s lying , ” Parnas said .
In a statement to MSNBC during the airing of the interview , Giuliani denied that he told Ukrainian officials that Parnas spoke on behalf of Trump .
Trump has vehemently denied all allegations that he was behind a campaign to force Ukrainian officials to investigate the business dealings of former Biden , a former U.S. vice president , and his son , part of the impeachment inquiry that will formally read out charges facing the president in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though the House of Representatives voted on December 18 to impeach Trump , Democrats released new evidence on January 14 they claim shows how deep the campaign to obtain information on Biden ran .
The documents also show Connecticut congressional candidate Robert Hyde disparaged former U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch in messages to Parnas and gave him updates on her location and mobile phone use , raising concerns about possible surveillance .
Parnas , who has pleaded not guilty to federal campaign-finance violations in a separate criminal case after being arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged the U.S. Congress to allow him to testify in the impeachment inquiry .
He told CNN on January 16 that he and Trump ’ s former national-security adviser John Bolton `` could fill in all the dots , I think , because I was on the ground there , and [ Bolton ] was over here . ''
Parnas said the efforts were aimed solely at getting Trump reelected in 2020 and not at curbing corruption in Ukraine in general .
`` That was the way everyone viewed it , '' Parnas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most important thing…for him to stay on for four years and keep the fight going .
I mean , there was no other reason for doing it , '' he added .
The Democrat-led House of Representatives in December charged Trump with abusing the power of his office for personal gain and obstruction of Congress .
Trump , the third U.S. president to be formally charged for high crimes and misdemeanors as prescribed in the constitution , denies the charges and has called the impeachment proceedings a “ witch hunt.
” The legislative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial and named the impeachment managers .
The managers from the House will act as prosecutors in the impeachment trial while the role of senators , the majority of whom are Republicans , is that of a jury .
The presiding judge will be Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts , who could have to rule on whether the new materials are admissible if they appear in the trial .
However , 51 senators could vote to overturn a chief justice ’ s decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by CNN and MSNBC

Ukraine has launched separate criminal investigations into the possible surveillance of a U.S. ambassador to Kyiv and the alleged Russian hacking of a gas firm tied to the impeachment proceedings of President Donald Trump.
The Interior Ministry made the announcements on January 16, two days after Congressional investigators released a trove of documents showing Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, discussing former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch’s removal from Ukraine.
Although the ministry said in its statement the Ukrainian police “are not interfering in the internal political affairs of the United States,” the published text messages “contain facts of possible violations of Ukrainian law and of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.”
A separate ministry statement refers to a report by a California-based cybersecurity firm that alleged Russian government hackers penetrated Burisma Holdings, where the son of Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden’s son sat on the board from 2014 until last year.
The investigation is also looking into hackers allegedly targeting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Kvartal 95 Studio. Ukrainian police have asked for assistance from the FBI and cybersecurity firm Area 1.
Trump had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to “look into” allegations of wrongdoing by the Bidens and Burisma in a July 25, 2019 phone call. Their conversation was the subject of an ensuing whistle-blower’s complaint that triggered the impeachment investigation, which began in September.
Parnas, a Ukrainian-American businessman who has pleaded not guilty to federal campaign-finance violations in a separate criminal case, is seen as a key figure in the impeachment inquiry into Trump.
On January 15, he told U.S. TV stations Trump “knew exactly” what was happening with an alleged campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival.
Parnas said he worked closely with Giuliani, and with Trump’s full knowledge, to get Ukrainian officials to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, one of the front-runners to be the Democratic Party’s nominee in this year’s presidential election.
"President Trump knew exactly what was going on," Parnas told MSNBC in an interview that aired late on January 15.
"He was aware of all my movements. I wouldn't do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president. I have no intent, I have no reason to speak to any of these officials," he added.
Trump Denials
Parnas then doubled down on his claim later in an interview with CNN when asked about Trump’s claim he had no association with Parnas.
“He’s lying,” Parnas said.
In a statement to MSNBC during the airing of the interview, Giuliani denied that he told Ukrainian officials that Parnas spoke on behalf of Trump.
Trump has vehemently denied all allegations that he was behind a campaign to force Ukrainian officials to investigate the business dealings of Biden and his son. The allegations are part of the impeachment trial that opened on January 16.
Even though the House of Representatives voted on December 18 to impeach Trump, Democrats on January 14 released new evidence that they claim shows how deep the campaign to root out information on Biden ran.
The documents also show Connecticut congressional candidate Robert Hyde disparaging former Ambassador Yovanovitch in messages to Parnas and giving him updates on her location and mobile-phone use, raising concerns about possible surveillance.
Parnas told CNN on January 16 that he and Trump’s former national-security adviser John Bolton "could fill in all the dots, I think, because I was on the ground there, and he [Bolton] was over here."
Representative Adam Schiff (California-Democrat), who heads the team of trial managers in the impeachment trial, said in a statement on January 16 that Parnas’s “public interviews in the last 24 hours shed additional insights into the origins” of the U.S president’s alleged “scheme, the work Parnas and Rudy Giuliani were doing on the president’s behalf, and other members of the Administration who were knowledgeable.”
Parnas said the efforts were aimed solely at getting Trump re-elected in 2020, and not at curbing corruption in Ukraine in general.
"That was the way everyone viewed it," Parnas told CNN.
"That was the most important thing…for him to stay on for four years and keep the fight going. I mean, there was no other reason for doing it," he added.
The Democrat-led House of Representatives has charged Trump with abusing the power of his office for personal gain and obstruction of Congress.
Trump denies the charges and has called the impeachment proceedings "a witch hunt.”
The trial managers from the House act as prosecutors in the impeachment trial while the senators, the majority of whom are Republicans, act as jurors.
The presiding judge will be Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
It is unclear, what, if any, new evidence will be admissible in the trial given that the ground rules have yet to be determined.
With reporting by CNN and MSNBC


rferl--2020-01-16--Iran Says Uranium Enrichment At Higher Level Than Before 2015 pact

President Hassan Rohani says Iran is now enriching more uranium than the country did before it agreed to a nuclear deal with world powers in 2015 , as Tehran gradually scales back its commitments under the agreement .
“ Pressure has increased on Iran , but we continue to progress , '' Rohani said in a televised speech on January 16 , insisting that Tehran is not considering a full withdrawal from the nuclear accord .
The country has lifted all limits on its production of enriched uranium , which can be used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limitations , exceeding the stockpiles of heavy water and uranium allowed , the number and types of centrifuges it can operate to enrich uranium , and the purity of uranium , in response to sanctions reinstated by the United States after President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the nuclear agreement in 2018 .
Trump wants Tehran to negotiate a new accord that would place indefinite curbs on its nuclear program and restrict Tehran 's ballistic-missile program .
The five remaining parties to the accord -- Britain , France , and Germany , plus China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accord alive .
But European partners have been unable to offer Tehran a way to sell its crude oil abroad despite the U.S. sanctions , which caused the value of Iran 's currency to plummet and sent its inflation rate soaring .
Announcing they had triggered the 2015 deal ’ s Dispute Recognition Mechanism on January 14 , Britain , France , and Germany warned that Tehran ’ s actions were `` inconsistent with the provisions of the nuclear agreement '' and had `` increasingly severe and non-reversible proliferation implications . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Borrell , met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of a conference in India on January 16 to press Tehran to `` preserve '' the increasingly fragile nuclear agreement , according to a statement released in Brussels .
Borrell told Zarif that the deal was `` more important than ever '' given rising tensions in the Middle East , the statement said .
Earlier in the day , Zarif said Britain , France , and Germany were allowing themselves to be bullied by the United States , which had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` E3 sold out remnants of JCPOA to avoid new Trump tariffs , ” he wrote in a tweet , referring to the nuclear accord .
“ It wo n't work my friends .
You only whet his appetite .
Remember your high school bully ? ''
Zarif added .
He continued by telling Europeans : “ If you want to sell your integrity , go ahead .
But DO NOT assume high moral/legal ground .
YOU DO N'T HAVE IT.
” The Trump administration has threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France , and Germany did not formally accuse Iran of breaking the nuclear pact , the Washington Post reported on January 15 .
In a speech on January 15 , Rohani criticized the European powers ' decision and their failure to ensure his country enjoyed the economic benefits of the 2015 deal .
`` The next step you need to take is to return to your commitments , '' the Iranian president said , while Zarif asserted that the nuclear deal was `` not dead . ''
Under the 2015 pact , Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exchange for international sanctions relief .
Tehran , which insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only , announced that the final limit on its production of enriched uranium had been lifted earlier this month , days after top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad .
In retaliation , Iran on January 8 fired ballistic missiles at two bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq .
Hours after the missile attack , a Ukrainian passenger airliner was shot down by Iran ’ s air defenses after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all 176 people on board .
Rohani said in his speech on January 16 that his government was “ working daily to prevent military confrontation or war . ''
He also said that dialogue with the international community was difficult but remained `` possible . ''
With reporting by Radio Farda , Reuters , ISNA , the BBC , dpa , and AFP


rferl--2020-01-16--Russia's Ruling Party Backs Putin's PM Choice, Assuring His Approval

Russia ’ s ruling party has given its backing to President Vladimir Putin ’ s nominee for prime minister as part of his surprise overhaul of the country ’ s political system .
United Russia said on January 16 that it will give its “ unanimous support ” to Mikhail Mishustin , the little-known tax chief Putin handpicked to succeed Dmitry Medvedev , who stepped down a day earlier .
Medvedev and his cabinet resigned after Putin used his annual state-of-the-nation speech to call for a referendum on substantial constitutional amendments that he said would strengthen parliament 's powers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep Putin , who has ruled Russia for more than two decades , in power beyond the end of his term in 2024 .
`` We have decided to give our unanimous support to the candidate suggested by our national leader for the post of the head of government , '' Sergei Neverov , the head of United Russia 's parliamentary faction , told journalists ahead of a vote by lawmakers on Mishustin ’ s nomination .
United Russia holds three-quarters of the seats in the lower house of parliament , meaning its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mishustin , 53 , has worked in the government since 1998 and has been head of the Federal Tax Service since 2010 .
Observers say that Putin 's choice of Mishustin , who lacks any political weight , indicates that the latter will not play an independent role and that the president ’ s dramatic speech was likely aimed at preparing the ground for 2024 , when the 67-year-old must leave the presidency .
Putin has occupied the president or the prime minister 's job continuously since 1999 and was reelected in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current constitution .
Announcing the moves in his address to Russia ’ s Federal Assembly , Putin said the country ’ s 1993 constitution should be amended , including giving the State Duma -- the lower house of parliament -- the right to name cabinet ministers and the prime minister , a power that currently belongs to the president .
At the same time , Putin said Russia must remain a “ strong presidential republic , ” with the president retaining powers such as the right to dismiss the prime minister and cabinet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense and security officials .
Hours later , Medvedev announced his government 's resignation during a live broadcast of a cabinet meeting with Putin .
Russia last conducted a referendum in 1993 when it adopted the constitution under Putin 's predecessor Boris Yeltsin .
Putin also suggested tightening the requirements for becoming president , saying any future Russian president should have lived in the country for at least 25 years and have no foreign citizenship or residency .
In addition , he also talked about a constitutional change that would enshrine the priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The speech came with the country still under Western sanctions for its actions in Ukraine and Syria , as well as its election meddling in the United States .
The sanctions have hampered the country 's economic growth , leading to rising poverty rates and growing discontent highlighted by protests last summer in Moscow .

Russian lawmakers overwhelmingly approved President Vladimir Putin’s nominee for prime minister as part of his surprise overhaul of the country’s political system.
Mikhail Mishustin, the little-known tax chief who Putin handpicked to succeed Dmitry Medvedev, was approved by 383 deputies in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, while 41 deputies abstained in the January 16 vote.
Medvedev and his cabinet resigned a day earlier after Putin used his annual state-of-the-nation speech to call for a referendum on substantial constitutional amendments that he said would strengthen parliament's powers.
The surprise constitutional shakeup could also help keep Putin, who has ruled Russia for more than two decades, in power beyond the end of his term in 2024.
Mishustin told reporters after the vote that he expects to present his new cabinet in the coming days.
“We have all the necessary resources to fulfill the goals set by the president,” he said.
“The president wants the cabinet to spearhead economic growth and help create new jobs. Raising real incomes is a priority for the government," he added.
The approval was widely expected after the ruling party, United Russia, said earlier in the day that it would support Putin’s choice. The party holds three-quarters of the seats in the lower house of parliament.
Mishustin, 53, has worked in the government since 1998 and has been head of the Federal Tax Service since 2010.
The change of government comes after a tumultuous summer that saw some of the largest protests against authorities in the two decades Putin has held power.
Thousands took to the streets in Moscow and other cities to protest a lack of democratic rights and freedoms after several independent and opposition candidates were ruled out of participating in local elections in the autumn.
Many ordinary Russians are also upset over deteriorating economic conditions, prompted in part by international sanctions against the country over its illegal annexation of the Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and a drop in global oil prices.
"To develop further and ensure further growth of GDP, we need primarily to stimulate the growth of investment...to restore trust that has perhaps been lost between the authorities and business," Mishustin said.
While noting the "huge amount of work" his administration faces, Mishustin said he would be open to "constructive criticism" and that it's “very important for us to hear what is happening" from ordinary Russians.
Observers say that Putin's choice of Mishustin, who lacks any political weight, indicates that the latter will not play an independent role and that the president’s dramatic speech was likely aimed at preparing the ground for 2024, when the 67-year-old must leave the presidency.
Putin has occupied the president or the prime minister's job continuously since 1999 and was reelected in 2018 for a final six-year term under the current constitution.
Announcing the moves in his address to Russia’s Federal Assembly, Putin said the country’s 1993 constitution should be amended, including giving the State Duma the right to name cabinet ministers and the prime minister, a power that currently belongs to the president.
At the same time, Putin said Russia must remain a “strong presidential republic,” with the president retaining powers such as the right to dismiss the prime minister and cabinet ministers, as well as naming top defense and security officials.
Russia last conducted a referendum in 1993 when it adopted the constitution under Putin's predecessor Boris Yeltsin.
Putin also suggested tightening the requirements for becoming president, saying any future Russian president should have lived in the country for at least 25 years and have no foreign citizenship or residency.
In addition, he also talked about a constitutional change that would enshrine the priority of domestic legislation over international law.
The speech came with the country still under Western sanctions for its actions in Ukraine and Syria, as well as its election meddling in the United States.
The sanctions have hampered the country's economic growth, leading to rising poverty rates and growing discontent highlighted by protests last summer in Moscow.


rferl--2020-01-16--Azerbaijan Urged To Lift Journalist’s 'Unjust' Travel Ban

Three nongovernmental organizations are urging Azerbaijan to lift a travel ban against investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova and allow her to travel to Britain to give evidence in the trial of a journalist who is being sued for defamation by an Azerbaijani lawmaker .
Ismayilova was sentenced in 2015 to 7 ½ years in prison on what human rights groups called trumped-up charges .
She was conditionally released in 2016 but is still subject to a travel ban .
In a joint statement on January 15 , Index on Censorship , Reporters Without Borders U.K. , and Transparency International U.K. said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to travel to London , where the case against Romanian journalist Paul Radu is set to start next week .
Daniel Bruce , chief executive of Transparency International UK , said that preventing Ismayilova from giving evidence in Radu ’ s trial was “ a clear attempt to bully and silence those who dare expose the truth.
” Radu is a co-founder and executive director of investigative reporting group OCCRP , the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project .
He is being sued for defamation by Azerbaijani member of parliament Cavansir Feyziyev over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As OCCRP ’ s lead reporter in Azerbaijan , Ismayilova is a key witness in the case .
Azerbaijan is “ unjustly and unfairly ” preventing the reporter from traveling to “ punish her and stifle the spread of her reporting , ” said Index on Censorship ’ s Chief Executive Jodie Ginsberg .
Rebecca Vincent , U.K. bureau director for Reporters Without Borders , called the travel ban “ one of many examples of the Azerbaijani authorities ’ long-standing persecution of Khadija Ismayilova for her courageous investigative reporting.
” Dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subjected to such measures ” in Azerbaijan , ” Vincent added .
The three NGOs urged the British government to join their call for Ismayilova to be released from her travel ban and be allowed to provide evidence in “ this important libel case ” against Radu .

Three nongovernmental organizations are urging Azerbaijan to lift a travel ban against investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova and allow her to travel to Britain to give evidence in the trial of a journalist who is being sued for defamation by an Azerbaijani lawmaker.
Ismayilova was sentenced in 2015 to 7 ½ years in prison on what human rights groups called trumped-up charges. She was conditionally released in 2016 but is still subject to a travel ban.
In a joint statement on January 15, Index on Censorship, Reporters Without Borders U.K., and Transparency International U.K. said lawyers will be seeking permission for Ismayilova to travel to London, where the case against Romanian journalist Paul Radu is set to start next week.
Daniel Bruce, chief executive of Transparency International UK, said that preventing Ismayilova from giving evidence in Radu’s trial was “a clear attempt to bully and silence those who dare expose the truth.”
Radu is a co-founder and executive director of investigative reporting group OCCRP, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
He is being sued for defamation by Azerbaijani member of parliament Cavansir Feyziyev over two articles about money-laundering out of Azerbaijan.
As OCCRP’s lead reporter in Azerbaijan, Ismayilova is a key witness in the case.
Azerbaijan is “unjustly and unfairly” preventing the reporter from traveling to “punish her and stifle the spread of her reporting,” said Index on Censorship’s Chief Executive Jodie Ginsberg.
Rebecca Vincent, U.K. bureau director for Reporters Without Borders, called the travel ban “one of many examples of the Azerbaijani authorities’ long-standing persecution of Khadija Ismayilova for her courageous investigative reporting.”
Dozens of other journalists and activists are currently “subjected to such measures” in Azerbaijan,” Vincent added.
The three NGOs urged the British government to join their call for Ismayilova to be released from her travel ban and be allowed to provide evidence in “this important libel case” against Radu.


rferl--2020-01-16--Trump, Erdogan Discuss Iran, Syria, Libya In Phone Call

U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed Iran , Syria , and Libya during a phone @ @ @ @ @ in separate statements .
Neither administration provided specifics of the January 15 call .
Tensions @ @ @ @ @ and Tehran following Iran ’ s admission that its forces “ unintentionally ” shot down @ @ @ @ @ 8 , angering many around the world , including thousands of Iranians who took to @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to host leaders of Turkey , Russia @ @ @ @ @ Britain , China , France , and Italy in Berlin on January 19 to discuss @ @ @ @ @ .
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also said he will attend .
A cease-fire has @ @ @ @ @ African nation between the warring sides -- the UN-backed government in Tripoli , which Turkey @ @ @ @ @ rebel warlord attempting to seize power .
Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS


rferl--2020-01-16--German Defense Chief Visits Iraq Amid Uncertain Future For Foreign Troops

Germany ’ s defense chief has made a surprise visit to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi military leaders amid uncertainty over the status of foreign troops in the country .
Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer ’ s arrival late on January 15 comes as Berlin looks to maintain the Bundeswehr training mission in Iraq .
Troops from Germany and some others that are part of the U.S.-led military coalition that has been aiding Baghdad in the fight against Islamic State ( IS ) and other terror groups have pulled out of Iraq after the United States killed Iranian Major General Qasem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in early January .
That attack led Iran to fire missiles at military bases hosting U.S. forces in Iraq .
Germany has still has some 90 soldiers in Irbil , the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region where the Bundeswehr soldiers help train local Kurdish forces .
The Kurdish regional government has said it wants German troops to remain in the area and continue their training mission .
Iraqi lawmakers have voted for a resolution ordering the government to end the presence of foreign troops linked to the anti-IS mission .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iraqi government has signaled to Berlin that it wants Germany to maintain its military operations in Iraq .
Meanwhile , Germany 's parliament on January 15 voiced support for the presence in Iraq , with a large majority of lawmakers voting against a bill drafted by the far-right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) opposition party that was seeking to withdraw the troops .
Based on reporting by dpa , AP , and TASS

Germany’s defense chief has made a surprise visit to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi military leaders amid uncertainty over the status of foreign troops in the country.
Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer’s arrival late on January 15 comes as Berlin looks to maintain the Bundeswehr training mission in Iraq.
Troops from Germany and some others that are part of the U.S.-led military coalition that has been aiding Baghdad in the fight against Islamic State (IS) and other terror groups have pulled out of Iraq after the United States killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in an air strike in Baghdad in early January.
That attack led Iran to fire missiles at military bases hosting U.S. forces in Iraq.
Germany has still has some 90 soldiers in Irbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region where the Bundeswehr soldiers help train local Kurdish forces.
The Kurdish regional government has said it wants German troops to remain in the area and continue their training mission.
Iraqi lawmakers have voted for a resolution ordering the government to end the presence of foreign troops linked to the anti-IS mission.
However, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said the Iraqi government has signaled to Berlin that it wants Germany to maintain its military operations in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Germany's parliament on January 15 voiced support for the presence in Iraq, with a large majority of lawmakers voting against a bill drafted by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposition party that was seeking to withdraw the troops.
Based on reporting by dpa, AP, and TASS


rferl--2020-01-16--Man Dead, Woman Injured In Siberian Courtroom Shooting

A man was killed and a woman injured during a shooting in a courtroom in the Siberian city of Novokuznetsk @ @ @ @ @ Kemerovo Region say .
Anton Duzhik , a spokesman for the Center For Disaster Medicine @ @ @ @ @ that a visitor to the court shot and killed a bailiff and injured another visitor @ @ @ @ @ , with wounds to the legs and face .
Officials at the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ ’ s condition as serious .
The Regional Investigative Committee reported that the attacker , @ @ @ @ @ , had been stopped by the bailiff at the entrance before he opened fire .
@ @ @ @ @ an office and shot the other victim before he was apprehended by bailiffs and other @ @ @ @ @ s name was not immediately released and a possible motive was not clear .
Further @ @ @ @ @ not available .

A man was killed and a woman injured during a shooting in a courtroom in the Siberian city of Novokuznetsk, officials in Russia's Kemerovo Region say.
Anton Duzhik, a spokesman for the Center For Disaster Medicine, on January 16 said that a visitor to the court shot and killed a bailiff and injured another visitor, identified as a lawyer, with wounds to the legs and face.
Officials at the city’s hospital described the injured woman’s condition as serious.
The Regional Investigative Committee reported that the attacker, identified as a 45-year-old male, had been stopped by the bailiff at the entrance before he opened fire.
The attacker then went into an office and shot the other victim before he was apprehended by bailiffs and other personnel.
The suspect’s name was not immediately released and a possible motive was not clear.
Further details of the incident were not available.


rferl--2020-01-16--Canadian Investigators Visit Iran Crash Site, Demand 'Full Cooperation'

Canada says its investigators have visited the site of plane crash near Tehran that included 57 Canadian fatalities among the 176 people killed in the tragedy .
Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau on January 15 said the country ’ s investigators have not yet been allowed access to the flight and cockpit recorders of the Ukraine International Airlines ( UIA ) Boeing 737-800 that had just taken off from Tehran en route to Kyiv on January 8 when it was shot down by up to two Iranian missiles .
Iran has issued visas to a team of Canadian officials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board , hoping to determine how and why Iran ’ s military shot down the airliner , killing all on board .
Most of the victims were Iranian and Canadian nationals , with smaller numbers of Ukrainians , Afghans , Swedes , Britons , and Germans .
`` What we have been told by the Iranians is that we will be allowed to participate in not only the decoding of the [ black ] boxes , but also the analysis , '' Garneau told an Ottawa news conference .
`` We 're standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where that is going to happen .
We have not had that signal . ''
Garneau said he and foreign ministers from Ukraine , Sweden , Afghanistan , and Britain are scheduled to meet on January 16 to press for `` full cooperation from Iranian authorities . ''
`` Canada will not accept a situation where we feel that we 're not being given the information that we 're looking for , '' he said .
`` Make no mistake about it , Canada is going to get to the very bottom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces shot down Flight PS752 but , as evidence mounted , the country 's military on January 11 admitted the Ukrainian plane was shot down `` unintentionally '' by an antiaircraft missile .
The tragedy occurred with Iran ’ s air-defense forces on high alert following an Iranian ballistic-missile attack a few hours earlier against U.S. forces in Iraq .
The government ’ s action and denials have angered many Iranians , leading to protests against the clerical establishment .
President Hassan Rohani on January 15 called for national unity , as Foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been demonstrating `` against the fact that they were lied to for a couple of days.
” Meanwhile , Amnesty International accused Iranian security personnel of using `` unlawful force '' against peaceful protesters who had gathered in Tehran and other cities on January on 11-12 .
Video footage , photographs , and testimonies from victims and eyewitnesses indicate that security forces targeted protesters with rubber bullets , tear gas , pepper spray , and air-gun pellets , according to the London-based human rights watchdog .
It said demonstrators were also kicked , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arbitrarily arrested .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP


rferl--2020-01-15--U.S. House Delivers Impeachment Articles To Senate Ahead Of Trump’s Trial

WASHINGTON -- The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives ' trial `` managers '' on January 15 delivered to the Senate the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump -- another step in the process that will lead to a trial to decide whether to remove the president from office .
The trial managers , who were named earlier in the day by speaker Nancy Pelosi ( Democrat-California ) , marched to the Senate to `` transmit '' the charges against Trump after Pelosi signed the articles on live television -- representing only the third time in U.S. history that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face trial in the Senate .
Before signing the documents , Pelosi said that Trump had failed to uphold his duty to the constitution of the United States and that his actions `` jeopardized '' the country 's national security .
She said that lawmakers `` will be making it clear that this president will be held accountable .
That no one is above the law and that no future president could ever entertain the idea ... that he can do whatever he wants to do . ''
Pelosi added that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country . ''
Moments later , the Democratic managers solemnly walked over the articles to the Senate chamber .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the floor that senators would officially receive the articles at midday on January 16 and would begin to consider them shortly thereafter .
He said a trial would begin on January 21 .
White House officials said they expect a trial to last about two weeks -- far shorter than the other presidential impeachment trials : of Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1999 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The articles charge Trump with abusing the power of his office for personal gain and obstruction of Congress .
Earlier on January 15 , the Democrat-led legislative chamber approved by a margin of 228-193 the resolution that also appointed the seven lawmakers who will be trial managers -- or prosecutors -- in the case against Trump .
`` We are here today to cross a very important threshold in American history , '' Pelosi said before the House vote .
All the trial managers have legal backgrounds and will be led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal prosecutor in California and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee .
He will be joined by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler ( New York ) , Hakeem Jeffries ( New York ) , a former litigator in private practice ; Jason Crow ( Colorado ) , a former Army Ranger and private attorney ; Val Demings ( Florida ) , a former police chief ; Zoe Lofgren ( California ) , a former immigration lawyer ; and Sylvia Garcia ( Texas ) , a former judge .
The managers delivered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before 5:30 p.m .
The senators will be jury members in the trial , and the chief justice of the Supreme Court , John Roberts , will be the presiding judge .
In explaining her decision on who to name as trial managers , Pelosi said the emphasis was on litigators .
“ The emphasis is on comfort level in the courtroom .
The emphasis is making the strongest possible case to protect and defend our constitution , to seek the truth for the American people , ” she said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these seven distinguished members have accepted this serious responsibility.
” The adoption of the resolution came four weeks after the House in December charged Trump with abusing the power of his office for personal gain and obstruction of Congress .
He specifically is suspected of trying to influence a foreign government -- Ukraine -- to investigate his political rivals .
Trump has also been accused of withholding documents that the House requested during the fact-finding phase of the impeachment proceedings and of blocking or preventing testimony of administration officials .
Trump denies the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ witch hunt.
” `` The only thing speaker Pelosi has achieved with this sham , illegitimate impeachment process , is to prove she is focused on politics instead of the American people , '' Trump said after Pelosi 's news conference , as cited by the White House press office .
`` She failed and the naming of these managers does not change a single thing .
President Trump has done nothing wrong .
He looks forward to having the due process rights in the Senate ... and expects to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I have great confidence there is enough evidence to impeach the president , ” Pelosi said .

WASHINGTON -- The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives' trial "managers" on January 15 delivered to the Senate the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump -- another step in the process that will lead to a trial to decide whether to remove the president from office.
The trial managers, who were named earlier in the day by speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democrat-California), marched to the Senate to "transmit" the charges against Trump after Pelosi signed the articles on live television -- representing only the third time in U.S. history that a president has been impeached and must face trial in the Senate.
Before signing the documents, Pelosi said that Trump had failed to uphold his duty to the constitution of the United States and that his actions "jeopardized" the country's national security.
She said that lawmakers "will be making it clear that this president will be held accountable. That no one is above the law and that no future president could ever entertain the idea...that he can do whatever he wants to do."
Pelosi added that it was "so sad, so tragic for our country."
Moments later, the Democratic managers solemnly walked over the articles to the Senate chamber. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the floor that senators would officially receive the articles at midday on January 16 and would begin to consider them shortly thereafter. He said a trial would begin on January 21.
White House officials said they expect a trial to last about two weeks -- far shorter than the other presidential impeachment trials: of Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1999. Both were acquitted by the Senate.
The articles charge Trump with abusing the power of his office for personal gain and obstruction of Congress.
Earlier on January 15, the Democrat-led legislative chamber approved by a margin of 228-193 the resolution that also appointed the seven lawmakers who will be trial managers -- or prosecutors -- in the case against Trump.
"We are here today to cross a very important threshold in American history," Pelosi said before the House vote.
All the trial managers have legal backgrounds and will be led by 10-term Representative Adam Schiff, a former federal prosecutor in California and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
He will be joined by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (New York), Hakeem Jeffries (New York ), a former litigator in private practice; Jason Crow (Colorado), a former Army Ranger and private attorney; Val Demings (Florida), a former police chief; Zoe Lofgren (California), a former immigration lawyer; and Sylvia Garcia (Texas), a former judge.
The managers delivered the formal charges to the Senate floor shortly before 5:30 p.m. The senators will be jury members in the trial, and the chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, will be the presiding judge.
In explaining her decision on who to name as trial managers, Pelosi said the emphasis was on litigators.
“The emphasis is on comfort level in the courtroom. The emphasis is making the strongest possible case to protect and defend our constitution, to seek the truth for the American people,” she said. “I’m very proud and honored that these seven distinguished members have accepted this serious responsibility.”
The adoption of the resolution came four weeks after the House in December charged Trump with abusing the power of his office for personal gain and obstruction of Congress.
He specifically is suspected of trying to influence a foreign government -- Ukraine -- to investigate his political rivals.
Trump has also been accused of withholding documents that the House requested during the fact-finding phase of the impeachment proceedings and of blocking or preventing testimony of administration officials.
Trump denies the charges and has called the impeachment proceedings a “witch hunt.”
"The only thing speaker Pelosi has achieved with this sham, illegitimate impeachment process, is to prove she is focused on politics instead of the American people," Trump said after Pelosi's news conference, as cited by the White House press office.
"She failed and the naming of these managers does not change a single thing. President Trump has done nothing wrong. He looks forward to having the due process rights in the Senate...and expects to be fully exonerated," the statement said.
“I have great confidence there is enough evidence to impeach the president,” Pelosi said.