rferl--2020-09-30--Leading Afghan Peace Negotiator Urges Fresh Start In Relations With Pakistan

Afghanistan ’ s top peace negotiator says Afghanistan and Pakistan are on the threshold of a new relationship characterized by “ mutual respect , sincere cooperation , and shared prosperity.
” Abdullah Abdullah , who is on a bridge-building mission to Pakistan , said the neighboring countries should shun the suspicion , rhetoric , and conspiracy theories that have dogged relations in the past .
Abdullah met both Prime Minister Imran Khan and the powerful chief of the army .
In a statement following his talks with Abdullah , Khan vowed Pakistan 's support for a postwar Afghanistan .
Khan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ underscored that all Afghan parties must work for reduction in violence leading to cease-fire , ” according to the statement .
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan 's military following Abdullah 's meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa .
Earlier in the day Abdullah told the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad that he believes that after “ many troubling years ” the two countries “ need to go beyond the usual stale rhetoric and shadowy conspiracy theories that have held us back.
” He said people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is more urgent than ever “ to look to our region as one region.
” Afghanistan has long had troubled relations with Pakistan , which Kabul and Washington accuse of harboring and aiding the Taliban leadership , a claim Islamabad has denied .
Pakistan claims its influence over the Taliban is overstated but says it is willing to do whatever is possible for peace in Afghanistan .
Abdullah ’ s visit comes as intra-Afghan peace negotiations are under way in the Gulf state of Qatar .
Negotiators from the Afghan government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since September 12 but have been unable to agree a framework for the negotiations aimed at ending the 19-year war .
Abdullah , the head of Afghanistan 's High Council for National Reconciliation , a body that oversees the peace talks , arrived in Islamabad on September 28 for a three-day visit .
He said the current intra-Afghan talks offer the best hope to put the war in the past .
He said Afghanistan does not want a “ terrorist footprint ” within its borders or any entity in Afghanistan to pose a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the efforts for peace , violence continues in Afghanistan .
On September 29 , a roadside bomb killed at least 14 civilians in the central province of Daikundi .
The provincial governor 's spokesman , Nasrullah Ghori , told RFE/RL that seven women , five children , and two men died when their vehicle was hit by the explosion .
Three other passengers were wounded in the blast , he said .
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast , but Interior Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian blamed the Taliban .
The talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the United States and the Taliban in February .
Under the deal , foreign forces will leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban , which agreed to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing formula with the Afghan government .
Pakistan faces its own challenges after most major opposition parties demanded the country ’ s powerful generals surrender their stranglehold over politics and withdraw support for Khan ’ s administration .
The newly formed Pakistan Democratic Movement ( PDM ) on September 29 announced it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October 11 RFE/RL ’ s Radio Free Afghanistan reported .

The education of girls and women is universally accepted in more than 200 countries and territories, including nearly 50 Muslim-majority nations.
But Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamist Taliban rulers have banned teenage girls from attending school after the sixth grade since they returned to power two years ago. The ban was extended in December to women in universities.
Countless protests by Afghans inside the country, pressure from the international community, and lobbying by Muslim scholars and clerics have failed to convince the fundamentalist Taliban leaders to reopen schools.
Experts are divided over whether the ban is rooted in how the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam is shaped by conservative Pashtun tribal customs and cultural practices or if it is prompted by how senior Taliban ideologues interpret Islamic teachings.
Most Taliban leaders are ethnic Pashtun, Sunni Muslim clerics. Many were educated in Deobandi madrasahs in neighboring Pakistan. Deobandism emerged as a puritanical Islamic revivalist movement in 19-century British Colonial India. Based on the Sunni Hanafi school of jurisprudence, it is a prominent strain among Islamists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Tribal Influences
Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator, argues that the Taliban restrictions against women are linked to social customs and cultural practices in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
Most Taliban leaders come from various Pashtun rural tribal communities in these regions bordering Pakistan.
"They believe that a woman's place is either inside a house or in a grave," Yousafzai said of the basic Taliban belief influenced by the status of women in the families of clerics and religious leaders in these Pashtun regions.
“Women living in the households of the current Taliban policymakers were never educated and never left their homes,” said Yousafzai, who has tracked the Islamist group since it emerged as a ragtag militia in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar in late 1994. “These women never performed any government or nongovernmental jobs.”
Yousafzai says the Taliban backs policies shaped by this worldview by leaning on Islamic teachings supporting such ideas. He says Taliban leaders rely on sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad that discourage women from leaving their homes.
“Their primary belief is that pubescent girls should not leave home under any circumstance,” he said. “This is why they view women leaving home for education or work as engaging in moral corruption.”
In Afghanistan, a Muslim nation of some 40 million people, activists and rights advocates accuse the Taliban of implementing "gender apartheid" by denying women education, work, freedom of movement, and deciding how they can appear in public.
Most Muslims agree that Islam allows women to get an education. Yet the Taliban publicly says that it will allow girls access to education only after ensuring complete gender segregation and other unspecified conditions.
Almost all Afghan secondary schools were gender segregated and universities imposed a strict separation between men and women after the Taliban takeover.
Yousafzai says in conservative and traditional Muslim societies around the world, some clerics also favor restrictions on women's education, work, and their role in public life. But the governments in those countries usually oppose or limit such ideas.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia -- one of the most conservative Sunni Muslim nations -- has allowed women to drive and granted them freedom of movement without a male guardian. These steps are part of a reform and modernity drive by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
The Taliban ban on education has invited universal condemnation from Muslims globally.
“The Taliban's ban on women's education is not rooted in [the Islamic] Shari’a law but rather reflects cultural biases that contradict the teachings of Islam,” said Salam al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in the United States.
He said that contrary to Taliban practices, “Islam emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge and encourages all individuals, regardless of gender, to acquire an education.”
Historical Conflict
But Islamic scholars and those who have attempted to convince the Taliban about reopening girls schools offer a different explanation.
John Mohammad Butt, an Islamic scholar and former BBC broadcaster who is the only Westerner to graduate from India’s Darul Uloom Deoband, argues that the Taliban's policy on girls' education is not tribal but shaped by the century-old conflict over modern education.
“The problem is that girls' education in Afghanistan -- indeed, contemporary education in general -- has generally been introduced in Afghanistan in line with a secular agenda,” he said.
In the 1920s, a coalition of conservative clerics and tribal and community leaders deposed reformist King Amanullah Khan. He wanted to modernize Afghanistan along Turkish leader Kamal Ataturk's secular lines and championed modern education and rights for women.
This opposition to modernity and secularism continued, and conservative clerics opposed women's education and work. It became a key part of the Islamist opposition to the pro-Soviet Afghan communist governments after the April 1978 military coup that ended the Afghan monarchy. The mujahedin accused the communists of spreading immorality by promoting women’s education and empowerment.
“This has led to particular wariness on the part of conservative circles in Afghanistan with regard to girls' education,” Butt said.
'Deep Ideological Conviction'
Obaidullah Baheer, a political science lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan, became part of an effort to rescind the ban by talking to the Taliban last year.
But he says the effort failed because “the ban is a matter of deep ideological conviction” for the current supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.
Baheer says that the most prominent Taliban leaders have studied in Pakistani madrasahs and were thus disconnected from village and tribal life.
“They have been indoctrinated by the Deobandi school of thought so that they now enforce the strictest version of Islam on the Afghan population,” he said.
He argues that the ban on girls’ schools is a deliberate policy championed by Akhundzada, who he says has endorsed Taliban Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani's Arabic language book The Islamic Emirate And Its System. In this book, Haqqani supports a fringe Islamic opinion of preferring the choice of one of the Prophet Muhammad's wives, Sawdah Bint Zam'ah, who chose to stay at home until her death.
Baheer says Haqqani ignores his other wives and other female companions that played an active role in many sectors of society and how they served as students and teachers for men.
“This fringe opinion is not held by all Taliban leaders but is one that the current absolute sovereign, the Taliban emir, seems to be convinced of,” he said.
Butt says that even Haqqani has acknowledged the principle that if there is something that women need to act upon, then that is also something that women need to learn about.
“I hope the Taliban authorities will come to realize in the not-too-distant future that education for women will make Afghan women into better Muslims,” he says. “It will enable them to make a stronger contribution to the well-being of their country.”
Two years after grappling with the issue, Western diplomats appear to be encouraging Afghan conservative and clerical circles to find ways to end the ban.
Tom West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, recently tweeted that Afghan women must be educated and contribute to the economy to help their country stand on its own two feet.
“If change to policies is made, it will be because Afghans have asked for it, not a result of foreign requests,” he wrote.


rferl--2020-09-30--U.S. Judge Sentences Russian Hacker Nikulin To Seven Years In Jail

Yevgeny Nikulin , the Russian man dubbed the “ Putin ” of the Russian hacking world by a colleague , has been sentenced to just over seven years in jail after being convicted of hacking LinkedIn , DropBox , and other Internet companies .
The sentence was handed down by a U.S. federal court judge in San Francisco on September 29 .
“ I think you ’ re a brilliant guy .
Very smart , ” Judge William Alsup said , according to courthousenews.com .
“ I urge you to apply that brilliance to a lawful profession and do something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into computers.
” The judge said the 88-month sentence takes into account the nearly four years Nikulin has spent behind bars awaiting trial , the impact of the coronavirus pandemic , language challenges , and a judicial system with which he is unfamiliar .
“ It ’ s not quite Kafkaesque because he did the crime , but it is harder on him than it is on the ordinary defendant , ” Alsup said .
The judge also noted that Nikulin has a 10-year-old daughter in Russia and that his mother may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her again .
His attorney , Valery Nechay , said she has had four spinal surgeries and three strokes in recent years .
Nikulin ’ s sentencing brings to a close a nearly four-year process that began with his surprise arrest in the Czech Republic in October 2016 .
Prosecutors asked for a nearly 12-year prison sentence for Nikulin after a federal jury in July found him guilty on nine counts related to the hacking of several major U.S. social-media companies .
Lawyers for Nikulin , who pleaded innocent to the charges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citing among other thing , childhood abuse at the hands of his father and the suicide of his older brother .
They asked the judge to sentence him to the time he served in U.S. custody since his arrest in Prague in October 2016 .
Nikulin , who was extradited to the United States 17 months after his arrest , was targeted by U.S. law enforcement as part of a multiyear campaign to arrest some of the most notorious Russian hackers and suspected cybercriminals .
More than a dozen have been arrested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enraged Moscow , which has accused Washington of “ hunting ” Russian citizens .
The campaign undermined years of cooperation between U.S. law enforcement and Russian intelligence on various cyberinitiatives .
But it has also yielded insights into how Russian intelligence agencies including the FSB allegedly used hackers as part of their operations -- including efforts , documented by U.S. intelligence and U.S. congressional committees , to interfere in the U.S. presidential election in 2016 .
In one filing submitted by prosecutors in Nikulin ’ s trial , U.S. officials revealed they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s in Moscow .
The man , identified in court documents as Nikita Kislitsin , met with FBI agents at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in April 2014 , where he offered details on Nikulin and other hackers .
According to the filing , Kislitsin described Nikulin as being very wealthy with a reputation for owning expensive sport cars .
Kislitsin said Nikulin ’ s hacking skills were well known , and he called him the “ ‘ Putin ’ of the hacking world ” -- a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District Court in San Francisco on separate hacking charges .
He later went on to work for a prominent Moscow cyberresearch company Group-IB .
Court papers also revealed an alleged business relationship between Nikulin and Aleksei Belan , who was later sanctioned by the United States and then indicted for his alleged role in the theft of more than a billion e-mail address belonging to Yahoo .
Some of Belan ’ s efforts were directed by an officer at Russia ’ s main intelligence agency , the Federal Security Service , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial and in the Yahoo indictments that named Belan , and two Federal Security Service officers .

Yevgeny Nikulin, the Russian man dubbed the “Putin” of the Russian hacking world by a colleague, has been sentenced to just over seven years in jail after being convicted of hacking LinkedIn, DropBox, and other Internet companies.
The sentence was handed down by a U.S. federal court judge in San Francisco on September 29.
“I think you’re a brilliant guy. Very smart,” Judge William Alsup said, according to courthousenews.com. “I urge you to apply that brilliance to a lawful profession and do something good with your life other than hacking into computers.”
The judge said the 88-month sentence takes into account the nearly four years Nikulin has spent behind bars awaiting trial, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, language challenges, and a judicial system with which he is unfamiliar.
“It’s not quite Kafkaesque because he did the crime, but it is harder on him than it is on the ordinary defendant,” Alsup said.
The judge also noted that Nikulin has a 10-year-old daughter in Russia and that his mother may not live long enough for him to see her again. His attorney, Valery Nechay, said she has had four spinal surgeries and three strokes in recent years.
Nikulin’s sentencing brings to a close a nearly four-year process that began with his surprise arrest in the Czech Republic in October 2016.
Prosecutors asked for a nearly 12-year prison sentence for Nikulin after a federal jury in July found him guilty on nine counts related to the hacking of several major U.S. social-media companies.
Intelligence Agency Involvement
Lawyers for Nikulin, who pleaded innocent to the charges, had asked the judge for leniency, citing among other thing, childhood abuse at the hands of his father and the suicide of his older brother. They asked the judge to sentence him to the time he served in U.S. custody since his arrest in Prague in October 2016.
Nikulin, who was extradited to the United States 17 months after his arrest, was targeted by U.S. law enforcement as part of a multiyear campaign to arrest some of the most notorious Russian hackers and suspected cybercriminals.
More than a dozen have been arrested in various countries, a development that has enraged Moscow, which has accused Washington of “hunting” Russian citizens.
The campaign undermined years of cooperation between U.S. law enforcement and Russian intelligence on various cyberinitiatives.
But it has also yielded insights into how Russian intelligence agencies including the FSB allegedly used hackers as part of their operations -- including efforts, documented by U.S. intelligence and U.S. congressional committees, to interfere in the U.S. presidential election in 2016.
In one filing submitted by prosecutors in Nikulin’s trial, U.S. officials revealed they had interviewed a hacking colleague of Nikulin’s in Moscow. The man, identified in court documents as Nikita Kislitsin, met with FBI agents at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in April 2014, where he offered details on Nikulin and other hackers.
According to the filing, Kislitsin described Nikulin as being very wealthy with a reputation for owning expensive sport cars. Kislitsin said Nikulin’s hacking skills were well known, and he called him the “‘Putin’ of the hacking world” -- a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kislitsin was indicted himself in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on separate hacking charges. He later went on to work for a prominent Moscow cyberresearch company Group-IB.
Court papers also revealed an alleged business relationship between Nikulin and Aleksei Belan, who was later sanctioned by the United States and then indicted for his alleged role in the theft of more than a billion e-mail address belonging to Yahoo.
Some of Belan’s efforts were directed by an officer at Russia’s main intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service, according to court papers filed in Nikulin’s trial and in the Yahoo indictments that named Belan, and two Federal Security Service officers.
With reporting by courthousenews.com


rferl--2020-09-30--Nagorno-Karabakh Clashes Enter Fourth Day Despite UN Call For De-Escalation

Deadly clashes over Azerbaijan 's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh has lurched toward drawing in regional powers Turkey and Russia amid growing international calls for an immediate end to the violence .
Both sides confirmed on September 30 attacks in several directions along the so-called Line of Contact that divides them , with fighting spreading well beyond the borders of the enclave and threatening to spill into all-out war between the former Soviet republics .
The clashes are the heaviest since at least 2016 and have reignited concern over stability in the South Caucasus , a corridor for pipelines carrying oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting has also threatened to draw in Russia , a member of a security alliance with Armenia , and regional power Turkey , which said on September 30 that it will back Azerbaijan with `` every means available '' in the conflict .
`` Intense fighting continues , '' Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry said in a statement on September 30 , adding that military operations were under way `` along the entire front line . ''
Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Shushan Stepanyan said in a Facebook post that `` artillery engagement continues along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] at present . ''
With dozens killed and injured , the fighting has escalated to some of the worst seen since a 1994 cease-fire was agreed .
The UN Security Council late on September 29 strongly condemned the use of force and backed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres 's call for an immediate halt in the fighting , a de-escalation of tensions , and the urgent return to meaningful negotiations .
However , both Azerbaijan and Armenia brushed off the suggestion of peace negotiations , accusing each other of obstructing the process .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Karabakh is [ part of ] Armenia , period .
In this case , what kind of negotiating process can we talk about ? ''
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told Russian state TV channel Rossia-1 .
In turn , Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian told the broadcaster that Azerbaijan must `` immediately end [ its ] aggression toward Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia , '' calling it `` an existential threat to our nation . ''
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh since the waning years of the Soviet Union .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1994 in an uneasy cease-fire and an estimated 30,000 killed .
Since then , the region has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces .
The region 's 1991 declaration of independence has been recognized only by Armenia , which is its sole outlet to the outside world .
Sporadic violence has broken out over the years , and internationally mediated negotiations with the involvement of the OSCE 's so-called Minsk Group , co-chaired by France , Russia , and the United States , have failed to achieve a resolution .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-simmering conflict to erupt anew on September 27 , with the sides fielding helicopters , drones , tanks , and artillery .
They also accuse each other of attacking civilian targets and of firing into their territory outside of the Nagorno-Karabakh area .
Separatist fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh said that 84 servicemen had been killed over the past four days , while Azerbaijan reported the death of 12 civilians on its side but released no figures on its military casualties .
The European Court of Human Rights on September 30 called on Armenia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could endanger civilians and warned military forces against using torture or inhumane treatment against captives .
`` The current situation gives rise to a risk of serious violations '' of the European Convention on Human Rights , to which both countries are parties , according to the Strasbourg-based court .
The move comes after the Armenian government asked the court to instruct Azerbaijan to stop attacks on civilians and military advances toward civilian settlements .
Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) urged all armed forces fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh to `` respect the absolute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks that indiscriminately harm civilians . ''
`` All sides should remember that attacks targeting civilians are serious violations of international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes ... even if they are carried out in reprisal for indiscriminate attacks by the adversary , '' Hugh Williamson , Europe and Central Asia director at the New York-based watchdog , said in a statement .
In what would be a major escalation of the violence , Armenia said on September 29 that one of its warplanes was shot down by a fighter jet from Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ankara denied this , but the Armenian government published on September 30 photos it claims show the wreckage of an SU-25 warplane shot down by a Turkish fighter jet .
Azerbaijan said on September 30 that two Armenian SU-25 planes crashed and were destroyed .
Pashinian has accused Turkey of being `` a participant in the hostilities , '' saying Turkish instructors and officers were directly involved in the fighting -- an allegation that has not been independently confirmed .
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu did little to allay fears of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 30 that it will provide support if Azerbaijan asks for it .
`` We will do what is necessary ... if Azerbaijan wants to resolve this [ conflict ] on the field , '' Cavusoglu was quoted by state news agency Anadolu as saying , adding Azerbaijan currently had the `` capacity '' to handle the situation on its own .
Russia and Western governments have called for restraint , with the Kremlin urging all countries , especially Turkey , to `` do everything to convince the opposing parties to cease fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by politico-diplomatic means . ''
Pashinian spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 29 and said that , at this point , he was not considering asking for help under a post-Soviet security treaty , though he reserved the right to do so .
`` Armenia will ensure its security , with the participation of the Collective Security Treaty Organization or without it , '' he said , referring to a collective security agreement signed by six post-Soviet states , including Russia .
Russia is among the largest supplier of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also has a military base in Armenia .
During a visit to Latvia on September 30 , French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Ankara for issuing `` warlike messages , '' which he said `` remove Azerbaijan 's inhibitions about a possible reconquest of Nagorno-Karabakh . ''
However , Macron said he had no proof of regional players such as Turkey being involved in the flare-up so far .
He said he would discuss the matter with Putin later on September 30 and with U.S. President Donald Trump the next day .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Reuters , and Anadolu

Troops from Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces engaged in a fourth day of intense fighting around the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 30 that threatens to draw Russia and regional power Turkey into a wider conflict.
Dozens of people, including civilians, have been killed and scores injured as both sides use armed drones, tanks, helicopters, and multiple-rocket systems.
The violence is the worst in years, and possibly the worst since a 1994 cease-fire ended outright war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Both sides on September 30 confirmed heavy clashes along much of the line of contact that separates the ethnic Armenian forces that control Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan troops.
The fighting has threatened to draw in Russia, a member of a security alliance with Armenia, and NATO member Turkey, which said that it will back Azerbaijan with "every means available" in the conflict.
Deepening concerns, Russia's Foreign Ministry mentioned reports that fighters from Syria and Libya were being sent to join the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The ministry did not say who was sending what it called "illegal militia members" nor did it say on whose side they allegedly would be fighting on.
There have been unconfirmed reports that Turkey is sending fighters it backs in Syria to join the fighting on the Azerbaijani side.
'Intense Fighting'
"Intense fighting continues," Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on September 30, adding that military operations were under way "along the entire front line."
Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Shushan Stepanyan said in a Facebook post that "artillery engagement continues along the entire front line in [Nagorno-Karabakh] at present."
Russia and Western nations have called for restraint, with the Kremlin urging all countries, especially Turkey, to "do everything to convince the opposing parties to cease fire and return to peacefully resolving the conflict by politico-diplomatic means."
WATCH: Turkish-Russian Rivalry Influences Azerbaijan-Armenia Fighting
Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, offered to host foreign ministers from both Armenia and Azerbaijan for talks. It was unclear if the offer was being considered. Russia is among the largest supplier of weaponry to both Azerbaijan and Armenia. It also has a military base in Armenia.
The UN Security Council strongly condemned the use of force and backed a call from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for an immediate halt in the fighting, a de-escalation of tensions, and return to meaningful negotiations.
In dueling interviews with Russia's state-run TV network, the leaders of the two nations, however, brushed off the suggestion of peace negotiations, accusing each other of obstructing the process.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict over the mountain region since the waning years of the Soviet Union. They fought a war that ended in 1994 with an uneasy cease-fire and an estimated 30,000 killed.
Since then, the region has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces. The region's 1991 declaration of independence has not been recognized, though Armenia, which is its sole outlet to the outside world, has hosted official representative offices of the region's administration.
Sporadic violence has broken out over the years, and internationally mediated negotiations with the involvement of the OSCE's so-called Minsk Group, co-chaired by France, Russia, and the United States, have failed to achieve a resolution.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the long-simmering conflict to erupt anew on September 27.
Both sides have accused each other of attacking civilian targets and firing into their territory outside of the Nagorno-Karabakh area.
Separatist fighters have reported at least 84 servicemen killed over the past four days. Azerbaijan has reported the death of 12 civilians on its side but released no figures on its military casualties.
The European Court of Human Rights called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to avoid any military action that could endanger civilians and warned military forces against using torture or inhumane treatment against captives.
The call followed a request from the Armenian government asking the court to weigh in on the current fighting.
Human Rights Watch urged all forces to "respect the absolute ban against targeting civilians or carrying out attacks that indiscriminately harm civilians."
On September 29, Armenia claimed that one of its warplanes was shot down by a fighter jet from Turkey, killing the pilot -- in what would be a major escalation.
Both Azerbaijan and Ankara denied this, but the Armenian government published on September 30 photos it claims show the wreckage of an Su-25 warplane shot down by a Turkish fighter jet.
Azerbaijan asserted that two Armenian Su-25 jets had crashed and were destroyed.
Armenia's prime minister, Nikol Pashinian, has accused Turkey of sending Turkish advisors and that officers were directly involved in the fighting -- an allegation that has not been independently confirmed.
Turkey's foreign minister did little to allay fears of a broadening conflict, saying that Ankara will provide support if Azerbaijan asks for it.
Pashinian, meanwhile, spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 29 and said that, at this point, he was not considering asking for help under a post-Soviet treaty, called the Collective Security Treaty Organization, though he reserved the right to do so.
During a visit to Latvia on September 30, French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Ankara for issuing "warlike messages." However, he said he had no proof of regional players such as Turkey being involved so far.
After a phone call on September 30, Putin and Macron called for an immediate cease-fire and discussed steps the OSCE's Minsk Group could take to de-escalate the conflict.
Macron is expected to talk with U.S. President Donald Trump the next day.
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani and Armenian Services and TASS, AP, dpa, Reuters, and Anadolu


rferl--2020-09-30--Suspect In Paris Stabbing Attack To Be Investigated By Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor

A Pakistani man accused of wounding two people with a meat cleaver in front of the former offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris on September 25 is being formally investigated by the anti-terrorism prosecutor .
The prosecutor had previously said the suspect would be brought before investigating judges but that has been amended to a formal investigation by the anti-terrorism prosecutor on suspicion of attempted murder related to a terrorist plan .
Prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard told a news conference on September 29 that the suspect in what the French government has called an act of `` Islamist terrorism '' carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with which he wanted to set fire to the former offices of the satirical newspaper unaware that the weekly had moved .
Ricard said the suspect planned to force his way into the magazine 's offices but when he came across a man and a woman smoking beside a mural to the victims of the 2015 attack on the publication in which 12 people were killed , he thought they were staff at Charlie Hebdo and attacked them with the meat cleaver .
Both victims suffered serious injuries , Ricard said .
Ricard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself as Hassan A. , an 18-year-old born in the Pakistani town of Mandi Bahauddin , operated under a false identity and that a photo of his passport on his phone showed that he was 25 years old .
The assailant did not claim an affiliation with a specific extremist group , Ricard said .
The suspect told investigators that he had watched videos from Pakistan about the cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed published by Charlie Hebdo in 2006 and again this year , Ricard said .
He said the attacker broadcast a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the attack .
Speaking in Urdu , he announced that he was going to “ rebel ” against the new publication of the caricatures .
Ricard said the suspect arrived in France two years ago , presenting himself as an unaccompanied minor .
He was not on the police radar for Islamic radicalization and not known to French intelligence services .
The 2015 attack was carried out by attackers who raided Charlie Hebdo 's office in revenge for the publication of the cartoons .
The magazine republished them this month to mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two gunmen in the attack .
After the attack , Charlie Hebdo moved its headquarters to an undisclosed location .
With reporting by Reuters , AFP , AP , and dpa

A Pakistani man accused of wounding two people with a meat cleaver in front of the former offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris on September 25 is being formally investigated by the anti-terrorism prosecutor.
The prosecutor had previously said the suspect would be brought before investigating judges but that has been amended to a formal investigation by the anti-terrorism prosecutor on suspicion of attempted murder related to a terrorist plan.
Prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard told a news conference on September 29 that the suspect in what the French government has called an act of "Islamist terrorism" carried three bottles of a flammable paint thinner with which he wanted to set fire to the former offices of the satirical newspaper unaware that the weekly had moved.
Ricard said the suspect planned to force his way into the magazine's offices but when he came across a man and a woman smoking beside a mural to the victims of the 2015 attack on the publication in which 12 people were killed, he thought they were staff at Charlie Hebdo and attacked them with the meat cleaver.
Both victims suffered serious injuries, Ricard said.
Ricard said the man, who had identified himself as Hassan A., an 18-year-old born in the Pakistani town of Mandi Bahauddin, operated under a false identity and that a photo of his passport on his phone showed that he was 25 years old.
The assailant did not claim an affiliation with a specific extremist group, Ricard said.
The suspect told investigators that he had watched videos from Pakistan about the cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed published by Charlie Hebdo in 2006 and again this year, Ricard said.
He said the attacker broadcast a video on social media on the morning of the attack. Speaking in Urdu, he announced that he was going to “rebel” against the new publication of the caricatures.
Ricard said the suspect arrived in France two years ago, presenting himself as an unaccompanied minor. He was not on the police radar for Islamic radicalization and not known to French intelligence services.
The 2015 attack was carried out by attackers who raided Charlie Hebdo's office in revenge for the publication of the cartoons.
The magazine republished them this month to mark the trial of suspects accused of aiding two gunmen in the attack.
After the attack, Charlie Hebdo moved its headquarters to an undisclosed location.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa


rferl--2020-09-30--Iran-Backed Militia Behind Irbil Rocket Attack, Says Iraqi Kurdish Security Agency

A suspected Iran-backed militia launched at least six rockets near U.S. troops stationed at Irbil airport in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq .
Iraqi Kurdistan 's counterterrorism service blamed the September 30 attack on the Popular Mobilization Forces ( PMF ) , an Iraqi state paramilitary organization dominated by Iran-backed groups .
`` Six rockets were launched from the borders of the Sheikh Amir village in Nineveh province by the Popular Mobilization Forces who were targeting ( U.S.-led ) coalition forces in Irbil International Airport , '' the service said .
U.S. Army Colonel Wayne Marotto , spokesman for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said initial reports were that indirect fire did not land on coalition forces in Irbil .
`` There was no damage or casualties .
Incident is under investigation , '' he posted on Twitter .
The area where the rockets landed is also near the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran ( KDP-I ) , an armed Iranian opposition group that has been based in Iraq ’ s Kurdistan Region for years .
On Twitter , the KDP-I said one of the rockets landed near its headquarters .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rocket barrage was U.S. forces or the KDP-I .
Iran has previously carried out strikes on KDP-I bases and assassinated its exiled leadership in Iraqi Kurdistan and Europe .
The rocket attack comes amid reports that the United States is threatening to close its Baghdad Embassy unless the Iraqi government reins in Iran-backed militias blamed for launching dozens of rocket attacks in recent months on the U.S. mission in the Green Zone and bases housing U.S. troops .
Media reports have suggested Washington could move diplomatic staff to Irbil , the capital of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security forces and is considered safe .
Since taking up office in May , Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has struggled to rein in Iran-backed militias , some of which are backed by powerful political factions and intertwined with the country ’ s security forces .
Earlier on September 30 , Kadhimi pledged in a meeting with top diplomats to protect foreign missions and limit possession of weapons to state forces following a U.S. threat to shut down its embassy in Baghdad .
`` Those who carry out attacks on foreign missions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional and international relations , '' Kadhimi told 25 foreign emissaries , including the U.S. ambassador .
Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned the attack near Irbil and called on Kadhimi to hold those responsible accountable .
Iraq , which has close ties with both the United States and Iran , has long worried about becoming a battlefield in escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran .
In January , a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad airport killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani .
His death led Iran to retaliate by firing ballistic missiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came close to unleashing a full-blown war between Iran and the United States .
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , the leader of the Iran-backed Kataib Hizbullah militia and deputy head of the PMF , was also killed in the January strike that targeted Soleimani .
Kataib Hizbullah and affiliated Iran-backed militia have been linked to the rocket attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq , including one in late December that killed a U.S. defense contractor and wounded several U.S. and Iraqi soldiers at a military base in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Reuters .

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--2020-09-30--Ex-FBI Director Defends Trump-Russia Probe Amid Harsh Republican Criticism

Former FBI Director James Comey defended his leadership of the bureau amid persistent criticism from Republican senators who attacked the bureau 's Russia investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump .
The September 30 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing produced no new disclosures about the investigation , which culminated in Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s report in March 2019 .
But it allowed Senate Republicans to repeat criticisms of Comey , who was fired by Trump in 2017 , and highlight documented problems with the FBI investigations .
Senate Republicans say the FBI ’ s `` Crossfire Hurricane '' investigation was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department watchdog later found evidence of errors in the FBI ’ s work but no political bias .
Comey said he was proud of the FBI ’ s work .
But he also suggested he was not wholly responsible for ensuring the integrity of various legal filings that he signed off on .
That includes an application to the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to wiretap a Trump campaign aide named Carter Page .
The court is a special judicial body that oversees secret government requests for surveillance of spies or law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly critical of the FBI ’ s handling of the Page wiretap .
Comey was fired by Trump in May 2017 , five months after Trump took office .
Comey asserted he was fired because Trump asked him to be lenient in the FBI ’ s investigation of Trump ’ s first national-security adviser , Michael Flynn , and Comey declined to .
Mueller 's final report reaffirmed U.S. intelligence findings that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 election to boost Trump ’ s candidacy .
The report found Trump campaign officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it also concluded that the evidence did not prove collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow .
With reporting by AP and Reuters

Former FBI Director James Comey defended his leadership of the bureau amid persistent criticism from Republican senators who attacked the bureau's Russia investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump.
The September 30 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing produced no new disclosures about the investigation, which culminated in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report in March 2019.
But it allowed Senate Republicans to repeat criticisms of Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017, and highlight documented problems with the FBI investigations.
Senate Republicans say the FBI’s "Crossfire Hurricane" investigation was intended to undermine Trump.
An internal Justice Department watchdog later found evidence of errors in the FBI’s work but no political bias.
Comey said he was proud of the FBI’s work. But he also suggested he was not wholly responsible for ensuring the integrity of various legal filings that he signed off on.
That includes an application to the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to wiretap a Trump campaign aide named Carter Page. The court is a special judicial body that oversees secret government requests for surveillance of spies or law enforcement targets.
The Justice Department was highly critical of the FBI’s handling of the Page wiretap.
Comey was fired by Trump in May 2017, five months after Trump took office. Comey asserted he was fired because Trump asked him to be lenient in the FBI’s investigation of Trump’s first national-security adviser, Michael Flynn, and Comey declined to.
Mueller's final report reaffirmed U.S. intelligence findings that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 election to boost Trump’s candidacy.
The report found Trump campaign officials had numerous contacts with Russians, but it also concluded that the evidence did not prove collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
With reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-09-30--Armenia-Azerbaijan Battles Take Toll On Civilians

As the military forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan trade deadly blows , civilians on both sides are often caught in @ @ @ @ @ torn up villages in and around the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh .

As the military forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan trade deadly blows, civilians on both sides are often caught in the middle. Shelling has torn up villages in and around the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.


rferl--2020-09-30--IAEA Inspects Second Suspected Nuclear Site In Iran

The UN 's nuclear watchdog says it has gained access to a second site in Iran where nuclear activities are suspected to have taken place in the past , as agreed with Tehran last month .
`` As part of an agreement with Iran to resolve safeguards implementation issues specified by the IAEA , the agency this week conducted a complementary access at the second location in the country and took environmental samples , '' the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) said in a statement on September 30 .
In late August , Iran announced it would allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a visit to Tehran by IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi , ending a standoff between Tehran and the Vienna-based global watchdog .
After the first site was visited by inspectors in early September , Grossi said that analyzing samples collected there would take `` no less than a couple of months , two or three months maybe.
” The IAEA has criticized Iranian officials for denying it access to the two locations , and for not answering its questions about possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities there during the early 2000s .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors passed a rare resolution demanding that Iran `` fully cooperate '' and `` satisfy the agency 's requests without any further delay , '' including by providing `` prompt '' access to the sites in question .
Iran argued the UN agency had no legal basis to inspect the sites .
The row had threatened to put yet more strain on a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers , after the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran .
Under the deal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in exchange for sanctions relief .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP


rferl--2020-09-30--Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania Criticized In EU Rule-Of-Law Report

The European Commission , the executive arm of the European Union , has criticized judiciary reforms by the Hungarian and Polish governments as a `` major source of controversy '' and `` serious concern . ''
The commission made its assessment in its first report about failings in the rule of law across the bloc released on September 30 , a day before the bloc 's 27 EU leaders gather in Brussels for a two-day summit .
It said Hungary was among member states where `` the direction of change has given rise to serious concern about the impact of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Poland 's justice reforms since 2015 have been a major source of controversy . ''
Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga quickly dismissed the report in a statement on Facebook , calling it `` flawed '' and `` unfounded . ''
Warsaw and Budapest have repeatedly clashed with EU leaders over their moves to increase state control of the judiciary , media , nongovernmental organizations , and academia .
The 2020 Rule Of Law Report addresses justice systems , anti-corruption frameworks , media freedom , as well as other checks and balances .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecution of high-level corruption `` remains very limited , '' while the absence of legislation and transparency in the distribution of state advertising has opened the door for the government to `` exert indirect political influence over the media . ''
The Commission 's vice president , Vera Jourova , told RFE/RL , `` It ’ s a big pity Hungary didn ’ t join the new European Public Prosecutor ’ s Office ( EPPO ) , '' a new EU body tasked with fighting corruption and fraud in the 27-member bloc .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have joined the Luxembourg-based EPPO , expected to be up and running at the end of the year .
The report comes after the European Commission earlier this week rejected Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban 's demand for Jourova to be dismissed or resign after she said his vision of `` illiberal democracy '' was in fact spearheading the creation of an `` ill democracy '' in Hungary .
`` I do n't have any personal experience in resignations .
I am not going to resign .
If I resign one day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself that I am not able to do the job properly , which is not the case today , '' Jourova told RFE/RL .
She also said that there should `` definitely be space for independent media in Hungary , '' where media outlets critical of Orban have been muted or acquired by entities with ties to the government .
Bulgaria and Romania are also among the countries criticized in the report for shortcomings in ensuring judiciary independence .
The commission also called out Bulgaria for threats against journalists and the lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to RFE/RL that the media situation in Bulgaria was `` not rosy . ''
She spoke about `` a trend in many member states where the media situation is worsening from the economic point of view , job security , and political pressure . ''
Jourova reiterated the importance of an independent media for democracy .
`` When they do their job right , the media are the defenders of democracy and freedom of speech , '' she told RFE/RL .
The report could have repercussions for negotiations on the bloc 's long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in principle on a 1.8 trillion-euro ( $ 2.1 trillion ) economic recovery package for 2021-27 , they have yet to find common ground on a distribution mechanism .
Reports say that a majority of the EU 's 27 countries have approved a proposal over how to make payouts from the bloc conditional on upholding the rule of law -- a move opposed by Poland and Hungary .
`` The rule of law and our shared values are the foundation of our societies , '' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of our common identity as Europeans .
The rule of law protects people from the rule of the powerful .
While we have very high rule-of-law standards in the EU , we also have various challenges , '' she added .
With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak , Reuters , AP , and AFP

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, has criticized judiciary reforms by the Hungarian and Polish governments as a "major source of controversy" and "serious concern."
The commission made its assessment in its first report about failings in the rule of law across the bloc released on September 30, a day before the bloc's 27 EU leaders gather in Brussels for a two-day summit.
It said Hungary was among member states where "the direction of change has given rise to serious concern about the impact of reforms on judicial independence," while "Poland's justice reforms since 2015 have been a major source of controversy."
Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga quickly dismissed the report in a statement on Facebook, calling it "flawed" and "unfounded."
Warsaw and Budapest have repeatedly clashed with EU leaders over their moves to increase state control of the judiciary, media, nongovernmental organizations, and academia.
The 2020 Rule Of Law Report addresses justice systems, anti-corruption frameworks, media freedom, as well as other checks and balances.
It said that in Hungary, the prosecution of high-level corruption "remains very limited," while the absence of legislation and transparency in the distribution of state advertising has opened the door for the government to "exert indirect political influence over the media."
The Commission's vice president, Vera Jourova, told RFE/RL, "It’s a big pity Hungary didn’t join the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)," a new EU body tasked with fighting corruption and fraud in the 27-member bloc. So far, 22 EU member states have joined the Luxembourg-based EPPO, expected to be up and running at the end of the year.
The report comes after the European Commission earlier this week rejected Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's demand for Jourova to be dismissed or resign after she said his vision of "illiberal democracy" was in fact spearheading the creation of an "ill democracy" in Hungary.
"I don't have any personal experience in resignations. I am not going to resign. If I resign one day, it will be because I will feel myself that I am not able to do the job properly, which is not the case today," Jourova told RFE/RL.
She also said that there should "definitely be space for independent media in Hungary," where media outlets critical of Orban have been muted or acquired by entities with ties to the government.
Bulgaria and Romania are also among the countries criticized in the report for shortcomings in ensuring judiciary independence.
The commission also called out Bulgaria for threats against journalists and the lack of transparency of media ownership.
Jourova reiterated to RFE/RL that the media situation in Bulgaria was "not rosy."
She spoke about "a trend in many member states where the media situation is worsening from the economic point of view, job security, and political pressure."
Jourova reiterated the importance of an independent media for democracy. "When they do their job right, the media are the defenders of democracy and freedom of speech," she told RFE/RL.
Budget Battle
The report could have repercussions for negotiations on the bloc's long-term budget.
While EU leaders have agreed in principle on a 1.8 trillion-euro ($2.1 trillion) economic recovery package for 2021-27, they have yet to find common ground on a distribution mechanism.
Reports say that a majority of the EU's 27 countries have approved a proposal over how to make payouts from the bloc conditional on upholding the rule of law -- a move opposed by Poland and Hungary.
"The rule of law and our shared values are the foundation of our societies," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on September 30.
"They are part of our common identity as Europeans. The rule of law protects people from the rule of the powerful. While we have very high rule-of-law standards in the EU, we also have various challenges," she added.
With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak, Reuters, AP, and AFP


rferl--2020-09-30--Belarusian Athlete Alena Leuchanka, Who Supported Anti-Lukashenka Protests, Jailed

MINSK -- Basketball player Alena Leuchanka , one of Belarus 's best-known athletes , has been sentenced to 15 days in jail for taking part in ongoing protests against authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
Judge Maryna Zapasnik of the Lenin district court in Minsk sentenced Leuchanka on September 30 after finding her guilty of violating regulations on public gatherings .
Earlier in the day , Leuchanka , a member of the Free Association of Athletes ( SOS BY ) movement , was detained at the Minsk airport as she attempted to leave the country for medical treatment .
Leuchanka is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having played basketball for the national team , as well as in Russia 's Superleague and the WNBA in the United States .
In August , nearly 350 Belarusian athletes and other members of the sports community threw down the gauntlet to Lukashenka by signing an open letter calling for an August 9 presidential election to be annulled and for all `` political prisoners '' and those detained during mass demonstrations that followed to be released .
The demonstrators say the vote was rigged in Lukashenka 's favor and are demanding that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenka , who has refused to negotiate with the opposition , had himself secretly sworn in on September 23 , sparking outrage at home and abroad .
Western governments have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus and have called on him to peacefully transfer power .

MINSK -- Basketball player Alena Leuchanka, one of Belarus's best-known athletes, has been sentenced to 15 days in jail for taking part in ongoing protests against authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Judge Maryna Zapasnik of the Lenin district court in Minsk sentenced Leuchanka on September 30 after finding her guilty of violating regulations on public gatherings.
Earlier in the day, Leuchanka, a member of the Free Association of Athletes (SOS BY) movement, was detained at the Minsk airport as she attempted to leave the country for medical treatment.
Leuchanka is one of the best-known Belarusian athletes, having played basketball for the national team, as well as in Russia's Superleague and the WNBA in the United States.
In August, nearly 350 Belarusian athletes and other members of the sports community threw down the gauntlet to Lukashenka by signing an open letter calling for an August 9 presidential election to be annulled and for all "political prisoners" and those detained during mass demonstrations that followed to be released.
The demonstrators say the vote was rigged in Lukashenka's favor and are demanding that he step down and hold new elections.
Lukashenka, who has refused to negotiate with the opposition, had himself secretly sworn in on September 23, sparking outrage at home and abroad.
Western governments have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus and have called on him to peacefully transfer power.


rferl--2020-10-02--Lebanon Asks Interpol To Arrest Russian Captain, Ship-Owner Over Beirut Blast

Lebanon has asked Interpol to issue arrest warrants for the Russian captain and owner of the vessel that brought a shipment of ammonium nitrate behind a massive explosion at Beirut port in August .
Lebanon 's state news agency NNA said October 1 that public prosecutors have asked Interpol to issue warrants against the two Russians as part of a widening probe into what caused the explosion , which killed nearly 200 people , wounded thousands , and devastated downtown Beirut .
Authorities have blamed the August 4 explosion on nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate -- a material used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was stored in poor condition at Beirut ’ s port for years .
Many questions remain about why and how the cargo was abandoned in Beirut amid allegation of negligence against Lebanese authorities .
Nearly 20 people have been detained in Lebanon after the blast including port and customs officials .
The Rhosus , a Moldovan-flagged cargo ship sailing from Georgia to an explosive ’ s factory in Mozambique , is widely understood to have brought the fertilizer to Beirut in 2013 during an unscheduled detour .
NNA did not give the names @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Interpol warrant but Russian national Boris Prokoshev was the captain who sailed the vessel to Beirut in 2013 .
Prokoshev is believed to be in Russia .
Igor Grechushkin , a Russian businessman residing in Cyprus , is believed to have been the owner .
Grechushkin was questioned by police on request of Interpol ’ s Lebanon office in August .
The Rhosus never ended up leaving Beirut due to a legal dispute over port fees and ship defects .
In October 2014 , the ammonium nitrate was moved to a warehouse at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials .
It remained there until the explosion .
The ship sank near the port in February 2018 .
Based on reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters .

Lebanon has asked Interpol to issue arrest warrants for the Russian captain and owner of the vessel that brought a shipment of ammonium nitrate behind a massive explosion at Beirut port in August.
Lebanon's state news agency NNA said October 1 that public prosecutors have asked Interpol to issue warrants against the two Russians as part of a widening probe into what caused the explosion, which killed nearly 200 people, wounded thousands, and devastated downtown Beirut.
Authorities have blamed the August 4 explosion on nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate -- a material used in fertilizer but also explosives -- that was stored in poor conditions at Beirut's port for years.
Many questions remain about why and how the cargo was abandoned in Beirut amid allegations of negligence against Lebanese authorities. Nearly 20 people have been detained in Lebanon after the blast, including port and customs officials.
The Rhosus, a Moldovan-flagged cargo ship sailing from Georgia to an explosives factory in Mozambique, is widely understood to have brought the fertilizer to Beirut in 2013 during an unscheduled detour.
NNA did not give the names of the two men sought by the Interpol warrant, but Russian national Boris Prokoshev was the captain who sailed the vessel to Beirut in 2013. Prokoshev is believed to be in Russia.
Igor Grechushkin, a Russian businessman residing in Cyprus, is believed to have been the owner. Grechushkin was questioned by police at the request of Interpol's Lebanon office in August.
The Rhosus never ended up leaving Beirut due to a legal dispute over port fees and ship defects.
In October 2014, the ammonium nitrate was moved to a warehouse at Beirut's port that holds impounded materials. It remained there until the explosion.
The ship sank near the port in February 2018.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters.


rferl--2020-10-02--EU Agrees To Sanction Belarus Officials Over Election, Crackdown

EU leaders have agreed on a plan to impose sanctions on about 40 individuals in Belarus responsible for fraud in the August presidential election and a brutal crackdown on protesters .
After summit talks that stretched into the early morning on October 2 , EU leaders were able to overcome a diplomatic stalemate created by Cyprus and agreed on a delayed sanctions package on Belarus .
“ We have decided today to implement the sanctions , '' European Council President Charles Michel told reporters after chairing the summit in Brussels .
Michel said a special procedure would be launched on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials .
Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka , who claims to have won the August 9 presidential election by a landslide , is not on the sanctions list .
EU diplomats have said he may be added at a later date .
The EU has rejected the result of the election that returned Lukashenka to power for a sixth term and have condemned a widening crackdown on protesters and the opposition .
“ There will be no impunity for those who are responsible for the crackdown on demonstrators and opposition politicians , ” European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters .
Michel said it was important to show the EU remained “ credible , ” after tiny Cyprus blocked Belarus sanctions – agreed to in August -- over a separate dispute with Turkey about maritime borders and energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean that has also drawn the ire of Greece .
Cyprus demanded the EU act consistently when responding to the violation of core principles and demanded sanctions on Turkey .
EU sanctions require unanimous consent from member states , making the Cyprus hold up on Belarus a blow to EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomatic row with Cyprus , EU leaders agreed on a strong statement of support for Cyprus , as well as for Greece , and a warning that Turkey could face sanctions if it continues drilling in disputed waters .
“ It is now Turkey that has to prove that it wants to go the constructive road with us , and this is the offer tonight .
But we are very clear that in the opposite case we have all necessary tools at our disposal , ” von der Leyen said after the meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ankara deteriorated further in July when Turkey sent a research ship with a naval escort to work in contested waters , with Athens responding with war games backed by France .
Turkey and Greece have since agreed to resume long-stalled talks as Germany in particular presses for a diplomatic resolution to the stand-off between the two NATO members .
With reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters

MINSK -- The United States and EU on October 2 slapped sanctions on Belarusian officials responsible for fraud in the August presidential election and a brutal crackdown on protesters and opposition members, drawing a sharp response from Belarus and its ally Russia.
Belarus immediately retaliated with its own list of people barred from entering the country, accusing the European Union of imposing the "punitive measure" on Belarus because it "did not comply with a set of ultimatum requirements that no self-respecting sovereign state would satisfy."
After nearly six weeks of diplomatic wrangling, EU leaders were able to overcome a stalemate created by Cyprus and agreed at a summit in Brussels on October 2 to sanction 40 Belarus officials.
The leaders also urged the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, “to prepare a comprehensive plan of economic support for democratic Belarus.”
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
The EU sanctions target Belarus officials in the Interior Ministry and police and security services for a crackdown on protesters and the opposition, as well as election officials blamed for falsifying the August 9 election results that gave strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth term as president. Lukashenka is not on the sanctions list, but EU diplomats have said he may be added at a later date.
Among those hit by the travel bans and asset freezes are Interior Minister Yury Karayeu, who the EU described as responsible for “repression and intimidation” in the wake of the election, including the arrest and ill‐treatment of peaceful demonstrators as well as intimidation and violence against journalists.
Central Election Commission chief Lidia Yermoshina was also sanctioned for misconduct during the election and “falsification of election results.”
“This sends a strong message of EU support to the democratic right of the Belarusian people to elect their president through free and fair elections, and our condemnation of repression and violence against people exercising their fundamental rights,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
In a coordinated move, the United States slapped sanctions on eight Belarusian officials, including the interior minister, the Treasury Department said.
“The Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations to choose their own leaders and peacefully exercise their rights have been met with violence and oppression from Belarusian officials,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “The United States and our international partners stand united in imposing costs on those who have undermined Belarusian democracy for years.”
Britain and Canada have already sanctioned Belarus officials, including Lukashenka.
Belarus quickly responded with tit-for-tat sanctions against the EU, although it was vague on those targeted on its blacklist.
The Foreign Ministry advised the embassies of its western neighbors Poland and Latvia to reduce their staffs and summoned the ambassadors of the two countries.
In tandem with the moves against Latvia and Poland, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said it was revoking the accreditation of all foreign media, claiming it was a long-considered move aimed at streamlining the process.
As of October 5, the ministry said that journalists working for foreign media organizations in the country must reapply with a revamped accreditation commission.
It said priority during the accreditation process will be given to citizens of the country where a media outlet is based, a move which could severely limit Belarusians from working for foreign outlets, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The Kremlin, which has endorsed Lukashenka, described the imposition of EU sanctions as a sign of “weakness.”
But spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Lukashenka's absence from the sanctions lists is more of a positive signal because blacklisting him would “deprive the EU of any opportunity to maintain dialogue with Belarus."
Following through on the threat of sanctions against Belarus was a crucial test for the EU, after tiny Cyprus blocked their implementation -- agreed to in August -- over a separate dispute with Turkey about maritime borders and energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean that has also drawn the ire of Greece.
Speaking to reporters early on October 2 after the first day of the summit, European Council President Charles Michel said it was important to overcome the Cypriot veto to show the EU remained “credible” in responding to election and human rights abuses in Belarus.
Cyprus had demanded the EU act consistently when responding to the violation of core principles and demanded sanctions on Turkey. EU sanctions require unanimous consent from member states, making the Cyprus hold up on Belarus a blow to EU's image.
To overcome the embarrassing diplomatic row with Cyprus, EU leaders agreed on a strong statement of support for Cyprus, as well as for Greece, and a warning that Turkey could face sanctions if it continues drilling in disputed waters. A summit in December is now expected to assess any progress with Turkey on issues in the Eastern Mediterranean.
"That we could now agree to those sanctions is an important signal because it strengthens the hand of those who are protesting for freedom of opinion in Belarus," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told journalists on October 2 after the EU summit in Brussels.
A German government spokeswoman earlier said that Merkel will meet with Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Berlin on October 6, a week after the Belarusian opposition leader held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Vilnius.
Tsikhanouskaya, whose supporters say won the presidential election, took refuge in neighboring Lithuania following the vote. She announced on September 30 she has begun creating a shadow cabinet, saying "Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime is not just illegitimate, but also is not capable of carrying out its duties."
With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, Tagesschau, and Interfax


rferl--2020-10-01--Two French Journalists Seriously Wounded In Fighting In Nagorno-Karabakh

Two French journalists working for the French daily Le Monde have been seriously wounded in the fighting in Azerbaijan ’ s disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh , officials said on October 1 .
President Emmanuel Macron said the French Foreign Ministry was working to organize the journalists ’ repatriation “ as quickly as possible.
” '' A medical plane is ready to leave .
We are doing everything to stabilize the wounded on the spot before allowing their evacuation , '' Macron said as he arrived in Brussels for a European Union summit .
However , the Nagorno-Karabakh region 's foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in critical condition , had been operated on by local doctors and would be transported to the Armenian capital , Yerevan .
Armenia ’ s Foreign Ministry said that the two reporters were badly wounded in shelling by Azerbaijani forces in the town of Martuni .
The ministry said that two Armenian journalists were also hit in the shelling .
Le Monde had earlier confirmed that a reporter and photographer working for the daily had been injured in a bombing by Azerbaijani forces .
Le Monde Chief Editor Luc Bronner told Reuters that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but did not name the two .
AFP correspondents at the scene reported that several journalists were interviewing residents in Martuni and assessing damage from previous shelling when the bombing started .
The Azerbaijani side neither confirmed nor rejected the report .
Dozens of people have been killed and scores wounded in the heavy fighting between troops from Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces that began on September 27 .
Azerbaijan and Armenia have defied international calls for a cease-fire in the new escalation of the long-simmering conflict over the disputed territory .
@ @ @ @ @ @

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


rferl--2020-10-01--EU Sanctions Russian Entities, Individuals Responsible For Kerch Strait Rail Bridge

The European Union on October 1 announced asset freezes on four companies and two individuals responsible for the construction of the Kerch Strait railway bridge .
It also imposed visa bans on the two individuals , Alekandr Ganov and Leonid Ryzhenkin .
Ganov is the director of the JSC TC Grand Service Express , which operates the railway service between Russia and Crimea , and Ryzhenkin is the deputy director for infrastructure projects at Stroigazmontazh , the firm that supervised the construction of the bridge .
The following entities will have their EU assets frozen : Crimea Railway , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the bridge ; the First Crimean Insurance Company , which insured the construction ; Lenpromtransproyekt , which designed the railway approaches to the bridge over the Kerch Strait and acted as architectural supervisor during construction , the Berkakit-Tommot-Yakutsk Railway Line ’ s Construction Directorate , which provided engineering services during the construction .
Railway traffic on the bridge connecting mainland Russia and the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula was opened in December 2019 .
The railway bridge sits alongside the road bridge that was opened in May 2018 .
Shortly after the opening of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slapped asset freezes on six companies involved in its construction : Mostotrest , Stroygazmontazh , its subsidiary Stroygazmontazh Most , as well as the construction firm CJSC VAD , engineering firm GPSM , and the Zaliv Shipyard .
Russia occupied and forcibly seized Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 .

The European Union on October 1 announced asset freezes on four companies and two individuals responsible for the construction of the Kerch Strait railway bridge.
It also imposed visa bans on the two individuals, Alekandr Ganov and Leonid Ryzhenkin.
Ganov is the director of the JSC TC Grand Service Express, which operates the railway service between Russia and Crimea, and Ryzhenkin is the deputy director for infrastructure projects at Stroigazmontazh, the firm that supervised the construction of the bridge.
The following entities will have their EU assets frozen: Crimea Railway, the owner and operator of the railway tracks on the bridge; the First Crimean Insurance Company, which insured the construction; Lenpromtransproyekt, which designed the railway approaches to the bridge over the Kerch Strait and acted as architectural supervisor during construction, the Berkakit-Tommot-Yakutsk Railway Line’s Construction Directorate, which provided engineering services during the construction.
Railway traffic on the bridge connecting mainland Russia and the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula was opened in December 2019.
The railway bridge sits alongside the road bridge that was opened in May 2018.
Shortly after the opening of the road bridge, the European Union slapped asset freezes on six companies involved in its construction: Mostotrest, Stroygazmontazh, its subsidiary Stroygazmontazh Most, as well as the construction firm CJSC VAD, engineering firm GPSM, and the Zaliv Shipyard.
Russia occupied and forcibly seized Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014.


rferl--2020-10-01--Civilians Seek Refuge From Shelling In Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict

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In Azerbaijan 's @ @ @ @ @ ethnic Armenian civilians have been forced to live in open fields to escape shelling by @ @ @ @ @ residents of an Azerbaijani town live among shell-damaged apartment blocks .

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In Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, ethnic Armenian civilians have been forced to live in open fields to escape shelling by Azerbaijani forces. Meanwhile, residents of an Azerbaijani town live among shell-damaged apartment blocks.


rferl--2020-10-01--Kazakh Court Upholds Prison Sentence Of Well-Known Rights Activist

ALMATY , Kazakhstan -- A court in Kazakhstan 's largest city , Almaty , has upheld the prison sentence of well-known civil rights activist Sanavar Zakirova , who says the case against her was politically motivated .
The Almaty city court on October 1 rejected Zakirova 's appeal and ruled that a lower court decision to sentence the activist to one year in prison was valid .
Zakirova , who is well known for her political and civil rights activities , was sentenced in mid-July after the Medeu district court in Almaty found her guilty of assaulting the daughter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rally in March .
Zakirova has insisted that all of the accusations against her are groundless and politically motivated .
Her relatives and lawyers have said that the administration of the detention center in Almaty where she is being held has imposed physical and moral pressure on her using other inmates .
Zakirova was an initiator of , and leading participant in , rallies in Almaty and Nur-Sultan last year by residents of Kazakhstan 's different regions , demanding action on what they called `` wrong court decisions '' in various cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities denied Zakirova permission to hold a congress to establish a new political party , Our Right .
In November 2019 , Zakirova and two other activists were found guilty by a court in Almaty of distributing false information about the ruling Nur-Otan party over the Internet .
They were ordered to pay the equivalent of $ 15,000 to the party .
Zakirova and her supporters said then that the case was politically motivated .
Days later , Zakirova and three other female activists mocked Nur-Otan by staging a public action -- asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money to help pay a fine to the ruling party .
Police detained the women then and fined them the equivalent of $ 32 each for causing a public nuisance .

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A court in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, has upheld the prison sentence of well-known civil rights activist Sanavar Zakirova, who says the case against her was politically motivated.
The Almaty city court on October 1 rejected Zakirova's appeal and ruled that a lower court decision to sentence the activist to one year in prison was valid.
Zakirova, who is well known for her political and civil rights activities, was sentenced in mid-July after the Medeu district court in Almaty found her guilty of assaulting the daughter of a woman who had shouted vulgarities at a rally in March.
Zakirova has insisted that all of the accusations against her are groundless and politically motivated.
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Her relatives and lawyers have said that the administration of the detention center in Almaty where she is being held has imposed physical and moral pressure on her using other inmates.
Zakirova was an initiator of, and leading participant in, rallies in Almaty and Nur-Sultan last year by residents of Kazakhstan's different regions, demanding action on what they called "wrong court decisions" in various cases.
In March 2019, Almaty city authorities denied Zakirova permission to hold a congress to establish a new political party, Our Right.
In November 2019, Zakirova and two other activists were found guilty by a court in Almaty of distributing false information about the ruling Nur-Otan party over the Internet.
They were ordered to pay the equivalent of $15,000 to the party. Zakirova and her supporters said then that the case was politically motivated.
Days later, Zakirova and three other female activists mocked Nur-Otan by staging a public action -- asking worshippers outside a mosque in Nur-Sultan for money to help pay a fine to the ruling party.
Police detained the women then and fined them the equivalent of $32 each for causing a public nuisance.
Last month, Kazakhstan’s human rights organizations recognized Zakirova as a political prisoner.


rferl--2020-10-01--Kyrgyz Political Party Claims Its Activist Killed Days Before Parliamentary Elections

BISHKEK -- A Kyrgyz political party claims that one of its activists has been killed days before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 4 .
The opposition Respublika ( Republic ) party issued a statement on October 1 saying an activist and member of its election campaign in the southern Osh region , Zamir Ormon Uulu , was stabbed to death by a supporter of another unspecified political party .
“ We are concerned over law enforcement 's decision to describe the killing as just a domestic crime… We would like to remind our opponents that there is nothing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputy 's mandate is not worth a single life , '' the statement said , adding that Respublika ’ s activists have been under `` moral and physical pressure '' across the country as the elections near .
Media reports and social networks said earlier that active members of two political parties brawled in the Osh region 's Ozgon district on September 29 , with one activist stabbed to death .
A spokesman for the Osh regional police , Jenish Ashirbaev , told RFE/RL on October 1 that the deadly incident had nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Ashirbaev , the man suspected in the killing was arrested and has no affiliation with any political party .
Sixteen political parties have been registered for the October 4 vote .
Kyrgyzstan 's unicameral parliament , the Jogorku Kenesh ( Supreme Council ) , consists of 120 seats .
Pro-government parties , including Birimdik ( Unity ) , Mekenim Kyrgyzstan ( My Homeland Kyrgyzstan ) , and Kyrgyzstan , as well as the opposition Ata-Meken ( Fatherland ) party are widely expected to gain seats .
No party is allowed to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council .

BISHKEK -- A Kyrgyz political party claims that one of its activists has been killed days before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 4.
The opposition Respublika (Republic) party issued a statement on October 1 saying an activist and member of its election campaign in the southern Osh region, Zamir Ormon Uulu, was stabbed to death by a supporter of another unspecified political party.
“We are concerned over law enforcement's decision to describe the killing as just a domestic crime… We would like to remind our opponents that there is nothing more precious than a human life. An deputy's mandate is not worth a single life," the statement said, adding that Respublika’s activists have been under "moral and physical pressure" across the country as the elections near.
Media reports and social networks said earlier that active members of two political parties brawled in the Osh region's Ozgon district on September 29, with one activist stabbed to death.
A spokesman for the Osh regional police, Jenish Ashirbaev, told RFE/RL on October 1 that the deadly incident had nothing to do with the elections.
According to Ashirbaev, the man suspected in the killing was arrested and has no affiliation with any political party.
Sixteen political parties have been registered for the October 4 vote.
Kyrgyzstan's unicameral parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh (Supreme Council), consists of 120 seats.
Pro-government parties, including Birimdik (Unity), Mekenim Kyrgyzstan (My Homeland Kyrgyzstan), and Kyrgyzstan, as well as the opposition Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party are widely expected to gain seats.
No party is allowed to hold more than 65 seats in the Supreme Council.