rferl--2020-11-20--Belarusian Opposition Leader Kalesnikava's Detention Extended

MINSK -- The Minsk city court has upheld the extension of the pretrial detention of Maryya Kalesnikava , an opposition leader who is facing national-security charges .
Kalesnikava 's lawyer , Lyudmila Kazak , questioned the legality of the court 's November 20 hearing , saying it was held behind closed doors , which she said was a violation of the Criminal Procedural Code .
All the hearings into appeals filed by people held in pretrial detention and the decisions on such appeals must be open to the public , Kazak said .
The lawyer also claimed Kalesnikava had sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where she is being held and that she had received only four of them .
`` Disruption of the communication with a lawyer is also a violation .
We have officially filed a complaint with the detention center 's warden , '' Kazak said .
On November 6 , a court in Minsk rejected Kalesnikava 's bail request and prolonged her pretrial arrest until January 8 .
Kalesnikava is a key member of the Coordination Council , a body set up by Belarus 's political opposition to facilitate a transfer of power in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August that the opposition says was rigged and the West has refused to accept .
Mass demonstrations have swept across Belarus since the August 9 vote that gave Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth consecutive term .
Lukashenka has directed a brutal postelection crackdown that has included thousands of arrests , beatings , and other mistreatment of peaceful protesters , as well as expulsions of foreign journalists .
Kalesnikava herself was snatched from the streets of Minsk in September by masked men along with two staffers .
The three were driven early on September 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told to cross into Ukraine .
Security officers failed to deport Kalesnikava because she ripped her passport into small pieces after they arrived in no-man 's land between Belarus and Ukraine .
Her two associates continued on and have been in Ukraine since then .
Kalesnikava was brought back to Minsk and charged with calling for actions aimed at damaging national security via media and the Internet .
She could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted .
A dozen human rights watchdogs based in Belarus have recognized Kalesnikava @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners and called for their immediate release from custody .

MINSK -- The Minsk city court has upheld the extension of the pretrial detention of Maryya Kalesnikava, an opposition leader who is facing national-security charges.
Kalesnikava's lawyer, Lyudmila Kazak, questioned the legality of the court's November 20 hearing, saying it was held behind closed doors, which she said was a violation of the Criminal Procedural Code.
All the hearings into appeals filed by people held in pretrial detention and the decisions on such appeals must be open to the public, Kazak said.
The lawyer also claimed Kalesnikava had sent her 10 letters from the detention center where she is being held and that she had received only four of them.
"Disruption of the communication with a lawyer is also a violation. We have officially filed a complaint with the detention center's warden," Kazak said.
On November 6, a court in Minsk rejected Kalesnikava's bail request and prolonged her pretrial arrest until January 8.
Kalesnikava is a key member of the Coordination Council, a body set up by Belarus's political opposition to facilitate a transfer of power in the country following a presidential election in August that the opposition says was rigged and the West has refused to accept.
Mass demonstrations have swept across Belarus since the August 9 vote that gave Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth consecutive term.
Lukashenka has directed a brutal postelection crackdown that has included thousands of arrests, beatings, and other mistreatment of peaceful protesters, as well as expulsions of foreign journalists.
Kalesnikava herself was snatched from the streets of Minsk in September by masked men along with two staffers. The three were driven early on September 8 to the border, where they were told to cross into Ukraine.
Security officers failed to deport Kalesnikava because she ripped her passport into small pieces after they arrived in no-man's land between Belarus and Ukraine. Her two associates continued on and have been in Ukraine since then.
Kalesnikava was brought back to Minsk and charged with calling for actions aimed at damaging national security via media and the Internet.
She could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted.
A dozen human rights watchdogs based in Belarus have recognized Kalesnikava and her two detained associates as political prisoners and called for their immediate release from custody.


rferl--2020-11-20--Azerbaijani Troops Take Control Of Agdam  As Armenians Flee

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says his troops have taken control of the first of three districts bordering Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a Russian-brokered peace agreement that ended a six-week war with Armenian forces over the breakaway region .
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on November 20 that its units entered the Agdam district , one of three ringing Nagorno-Karabakh that are to be handed over to Azerbaijan after nearly three decades under Armenian control .
Crowds of people carrying national flags gathered in the Azerbaijani capital , Baku , to celebrate the handover of Agdam as Aliyev announced `` major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief of staff of the Russian peacekeeping task force in Nagorno-Karabakh said the handover operation was carried out without incident .
As Azerbaijani troops moved into Agdam a day after columns of Armenian soldiers and tanks rolled out of the territory , Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan was fired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian .
Tonoyan , who had held the position since May 2018 , was replaced by Vagharshak Harutunian .
Armenian villagers in Agdam were given just days to leave their homes , scrambling to pack their belongings into vehicles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is the latest exodus of Armenians as Azerbaijan reasserts control over its former territories under the peace deal brokered by Moscow that ended six weeks of intense fighting between the two South Caucasus neighbors .
The November 10 accord allows Azerbaijan to keep a sizable chunk of Nagorno-Karabakh captured during fighting as well as all areas ringing the mountainous enclave that had been under Armenian control .
In addition to Agdam , located east of Nagorno-Karabakh , Armenians must leave the western districts of Kalbacar on November 25 and Lachin by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts during the conflict .
Under the deal , around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers will be deployed to maintain security in Nagorno-Karabakh , but critical final-status issues over the territory remain uncertain .
Russian peacekeepers are also guarding the strategic Lachin Corridor , the sole road linking the region and Armenia .
Aleksandr Bortnikov , the head of Russia ’ s Federal Security Service ( FSB ) , on November 20 said 188 servicemen as well as military hardware had been deployed to reinforce Russian border guards in Armenia .
The reinforcements are to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Azerbaijan , Bortnikov told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a conference via video link , adding that the deployment was made at the request of Armenia .
Russia 's Border Guard Service is a branch of the FSB .
Russian border guards are present in Armenia under the terms of a 1992 treaty between the two countries .
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule .
They have been governing their own affairs , with support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ethnic Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994 .
Fighting broke out again in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27 , killing thousands of soldiers and civilians on both sides over the ensuing weeks .
Azerbaijan has not provided a figure for its military casualties .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said after the peace accord was signed on November 10 that total fatalities that include civilians had surpassed 4,000 people .
The accord triggered a wave of fury in Armenia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets and stormed government buildings in the capital , Yerevan , calling Pashinian a `` traitor '' and demanding his resignation .
Pashinian has also dismissed his foreign minister during the turmoil , but has refused to cede to calls from protesters and opposition leaders to hand in his own resignation .
Harutunian , who is Pashinian 's defense adviser , previously served as defense minister from 1999-2000 .
Despite Tonoyan 's removal , opposition activists seeking Pashinian 's resignation again blocked several streets in downtown Yerevan on November 20 , chanting : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must go ! ''
Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians were displaced in the fighting , putting economic , social , and political pressure on Armenia and authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh .

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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says his troops have taken control of the first of three districts bordering Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a Russian-brokered peace agreement that ended a six-week war with Armenian forces over the breakaway region.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on November 20 that its units entered the Agdam district, one of three ringing Nagorno-Karabakh that are to be handed over to Azerbaijan after nearly three decades under Armenian control.
Crowds of people carrying national flags gathered in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to celebrate the handover of Agdam as Aliyev announced "major" plans for the district.
The chief of staff of the Russian peacekeeping task force in Nagorno-Karabakh said the handover operation was carried out without incident.
As Azerbaijani troops moved into Agdam a day after columns of Armenian soldiers and tanks rolled out of the territory, Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan was fired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Tonoyan, who had held the position since May 2018, was replaced by Vagharshak Harutunian.
Armenian villagers in Agdam were given just days to leave their homes, scrambling to pack their belongings into vehicles and emptying homes before setting structures on fire.
It is the latest exodus of Armenians as Azerbaijan reasserts control over its former territories under the peace deal brokered by Moscow that ended six weeks of intense fighting between the two South Caucasus neighbors.
The November 10 accord allows Azerbaijan to keep a sizable chunk of Nagorno-Karabakh captured during fighting as well as all areas ringing the mountainous enclave that had been under Armenian control.
In addition to Agdam, located east of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenians must leave the western districts of Kalbacar on November 25 and Lachin by December 1. Baku captured four other districts during the conflict.
Under the deal, around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers will be deployed to maintain security in Nagorno-Karabakh, but critical final-status issues over the territory remain uncertain. Russian peacekeepers are also guarding the strategic Lachin Corridor, the sole road linking the region and Armenia.
Aleksandr Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), on November 20 said 188 servicemen as well as military hardware had been deployed to reinforce Russian border guards in Armenia.
The reinforcements are to be dispatched to the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Bortnikov told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a conference via video link, adding that the deployment was made at the request of Armenia.
Russia's Border Guard Service is a branch of the FSB. Russian border guards are present in Armenia under the terms of a 1992 treaty between the two countries.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule.
They have been governing their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops and ethnic Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994.
Fighting broke out again in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27, killing thousands of soldiers and civilians on both sides over the ensuing weeks. Azerbaijan has not provided a figure for its military casualties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said after the peace accord was signed on November 10 that total fatalities that include civilians had surpassed 4,000 people.
The accord triggered a wave of fury in Armenia, where thousands of protesters took to the streets and stormed government buildings in the capital, Yerevan, calling Pashinian a "traitor" and demanding his resignation.
Pashinian has also dismissed his foreign minister during the turmoil, but has refused to cede to calls from protesters and opposition leaders to hand in his own resignation.
Harutunian, who is Pashinian's defense adviser, previously served as defense minister from 1999-2000.
Despite Tonoyan's removal, opposition activists seeking Pashinian's resignation again blocked several streets in downtown Yerevan on November 20, chanting: "Nikol is a traitor! Nikol must go!"
Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians were displaced in the fighting, putting economic, social, and political pressure on Armenia and authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-11-21--Serbian Believers Mourn Death Of Orthodox Patriarch

The remains of the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church were transferred to St. Sava Church in Belgrade on November @ @ @ @ @ be buried the following day .
Crowd control measures were being implemented in anticipation of @ @ @ @ @ coming to bid farewell .
The church issued a press release promising to observe restrictions @ @ @ @ @ spread of the coronavirus in the country .
The 90-year-old Patriarch Irinej , known for @ @ @ @ @ on November 19 from complications related to COVID-19 .
He reportedly contracted the virus at @ @ @ @ @ of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro , Metropolitan Amfilohije , at the end of @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus .

The remains of the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church were transferred to the Church of St. Sava in Belgrade on November 21, where they will be buried the following day. Crowd control measures were being implemented in anticipation of the high numbers of believers coming to bid farewell. The church issued a press release promising to observe restrictions in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country. The 90-year-old Patriarch Irinej, known for his conservative views, died on November 19 from complications related to COVID-19. He reportedly contracted the virus at the funeral of the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Metropolitan Amfilohije, at the end of October. Amfilohije also died of the coronavirus.


rferl--2020-11-21--High-Ranking Russian Delegation Visits Yerevan, Baku

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met in Yerevan with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on November 21 to discuss the implementation of a Russian-brokered truce in the war over Nagorno-Karabakh .
Pashinian ’ s office quoted the Armenian prime minister as saying during the meeting that Armenians had “ always felt support of Russia ” during the war -- including the personal “ support ” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government .
Shoigu told Pashinian that Russian peacekeepers deployed to monitor the truce have “ covered almost the entire territory ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the truce was signed on November 10 .
“ A total of 23 [ security ] posts have been deployed , ” Shoigu told Pashinian .
“ We ’ re monitoring the road to Stepanakert , ” the mostly ethnic-Armenian populated main city of Nagorno-Karabakh that is known in the Azeri language as Xankandi .
Shoigu also said Russian troops were “ ensuring the return of refugees , ” adding that “ peaceful life has already been established.
” After meeting with Armenian officials in Yerevan , the high-ranking Russian government delegation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials on November 21 .
In addition to Lavrov and Shoigu , the delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk , Health Minister Mikhail Murashko , the head of the Russian Federal Service for Health and Consumer Rights , Anna Popova , and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak .
Novak 's areas of responsibility include the oil and natural gas industry .
The visits by the Russian delegation come a day after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that his troops had retaken control of the Azerbaijani district of Agdam to the northeast of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Agdam is one of seven Azerbaijani districts around Nagorno-Karabakh that was occupied by ethnic Armenian separatists who fought against Azerbaijani forces during the early 1990s .
The Russian-brokered cease-fire calls for all seven Azerbaijani districts to be under Baku 's control , as well as parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that were recaptured by Azerbaijani forces since fighting broke out again on September 27 .
Four of the occupied Azerbaijani districts were recaptured by Azerbaijani forces in the recent six-week war .
Territory recently recaptured by Azerbaijan 's military also includes Nagorno-Karabakh ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is known as Shushi in Armenian .
The return to Azerbaijan of Agdam and two other districts still under Armenian control was spelled out in the November 10 truce .
The mountainous district of Kalbacar , known as Karvachar in Armenian , is due to be handed over to Azerbaijani forces by November 25 .
The truce also calls for territory still under Armenian control in the district of Lachin to be returned to Azerbaijan by December 1 .
However , Russian peacekeepers will monitor a 5-kilometer-wide transport corridor through the Lachin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Stepanakert/Xankandi .
The chief of staff of the Russian peacekeeping taskforce in Nagorno-Karabakh said on November 20 that the handover of Agdam was carried out without incident .
Azerbaijani troops moved into Agdam a day after columns of Armenian soldiers and tanks rolled out of the territory .
It also came a day after Pashinian fired Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan .
Tonoyan , who had held the position since May 2018 , was replaced by Vagharshak Harutunian .
Armenian villagers in Agdam were given just days to leave their homes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and emptying homes before setting structures on fire .
It was the latest exodus of Armenians from occupied districts of Azerbaijan as Baku reasserts its control .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , TASS , and Interfax

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met in Yerevan with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on November 21 to discuss the implementation of a Russian-brokered truce in the war over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pashinian’s office quoted the Armenian prime minister as saying during the meeting that Armenians had “always felt support of Russia” during the war -- including the personal “support” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government.
Shoigu told Pashinian that Russian peacekeepers deployed to monitor the truce have “covered almost the entire territory” of Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh since the truce was signed on November 10.
“A total of 23 [security] posts have been deployed,” Shoigu told Pashinian. “We’re monitoring the road to Stepanakert,” the mostly ethnic-Armenian populated main city of Nagorno-Karabakh that is known in the Azeri language as Xankandi.
Shoigu also said Russian troops were “ensuring the return of refugees,” adding that “peaceful life has already been established.”
“Our main task is preventing the bloodshed,” Shoigu told Pashinian.
After meeting with Armenian officials in Yerevan, the high-ranking Russian government delegation traveled to Baku for meetings with Azerbaijani officials on November 21.
In his meeting with the delegation, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the “personal role” Putin played, saying: “He took an active and effective part in the preparation of the text of the agreement” and its successful implementation “largely depends” on the fact that Putin signed it.
Lavrov praised Azerbaijan's support for the joint statement, adding that Russia hopes that the cochairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has led the political process to reach a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for many years, will take part in the resolution of issues based on the agreement.
“As you have repeatedly said, as President Putin said, this work is always in line with the principles that form the basis of the OSCE Minsk Group,” Lavrov said.
Russia, the United States, and France are the cochairs of the Minsk Group.
In addition to Lavrov and Shoigu, the delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, the head of the Russian Federal Service for Health and Consumer Rights, Anna Popova, and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak.
Novak's areas of responsibility include the oil and natural gas industry.
The visits by the Russian delegation come a day after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that his troops had retaken control of the Azerbaijani district of Agdam to the northeast of Nagorno-Karabakh under the terms of the truce.
Agdam is one of seven Azerbaijani districts around Nagorno-Karabakh that was occupied by ethnic Armenian separatists who fought against Azerbaijani forces during the early 1990s.
The Russian-brokered cease-fire calls for all seven Azerbaijani districts to be under Baku's control, as well as parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that were recaptured by Azerbaijani forces since fighting broke out again on September 27.
Four of the occupied Azerbaijani districts were recaptured by Azerbaijani forces in the recent six-week war.
Territory recently recaptured by Azerbaijan's military also includes Nagorno-Karabakh’s strategic mountain fortress city of Susa, which is known as Shushi in Armenian.
The return to Azerbaijan of Agdam and two other districts still under Armenian control was spelled out in the November 10 truce.
The mountainous district of Kalbacar, known as Karvachar in Armenian, is due to be handed over to Azerbaijani forces by November 25.
The truce also calls for territory still under Armenian control in the district of Lachin to be returned to Azerbaijan by December 1.
However, Russian peacekeepers will monitor a 5-kilometer-wide transport corridor through the Lachin district that is meant to link Armenia with Stepanakert/Xankandi.
The chief of staff of the Russian peacekeeping taskforce in Nagorno-Karabakh said on November 20 that the handover of Agdam was carried out without incident.
Azerbaijani troops moved into Agdam a day after columns of Armenian soldiers and tanks rolled out of the territory.
It also came a day after Pashinian fired Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan.
Tonoyan, who had held the position since May 2018, was replaced by Vagharshak Harutunian.
Armenian villagers in Agdam were given just days to leave their homes, scrambling to pack their belongings into vehicles and emptying homes before setting structures on fire.
It was the latest exodus of Armenians from occupied districts of Azerbaijan as Baku reasserts its control.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, Reuters, AP, AFP, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-11-21--Chechen Leader Wages War On American Superheroes

Chechnya 's authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov has ordered images of American comic superheroes at children ’ s centers and playgrounds to be replaced with “ real heroes ” of the North Caucasus republic .
The November 20 announcement came after Kadyrov earlier this week visited a new high-rise residential complex in the city of Kurchaloy , where he criticized American comic and film figures painted on the walls of a children ’ s center .
`` We need to remove the images of these fictional characters , these are fantasies , ” Kadyrov said of the images of Captain America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Superman during the November 16 tour of the new facility .
“ In the history of religion and people , there are many real heroes from whom you can and should take an example , otherwise children think that only these heroes exist.
” Kadyrov said November 20 that he had given orders to remove pictures of all such comic superheroes in children ’ s centers and playgrounds .
`` I instructed that they be replaced completely [ in children 's centers ] throughout the republic , '' Kadyrov told reporters , answering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the comic heroes specifically concerned the children 's center in Kurchaloy .
Instead , he ordered images of comic figures be replaced with those of his late father , the first president of Chechnya , Akhmad Kadyrov , and historical figures from the Caucasian War of the late 18th and 19th centuries .
Ramzan Kadyrov has been accused by Russian and international rights activists of numerous human rights violations , including torture , kidnapping , disappearances , extrajudicial executions , and the assassination of personal and political enemies both in Russia and abroad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has turned a blind eye to the former rebel commander ’ s tight grip in order to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya , the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus .

Chechnya's authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov has ordered images of American comic superheroes at children’s centers and playgrounds to be replaced with “real heroes” of the North Caucasus republic.
The November 20 announcement came after Kadyrov earlier this week visited a new high-rise residential complex in the city of Kurchaloy, where he criticized American comic and film figures painted on the walls of a children’s center.
"We need to remove the images of these fictional characters, these are fantasies,” Kadyrov said of the images of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and Superman during the November 16 tour of the new facility. “In the history of religion and people, there are many real heroes from whom you can and should take an example, otherwise children think that only these heroes exist.”
Kadyrov said November 20 that he had given orders to remove pictures of all such comic superheroes in children’s centers and playgrounds.
"I instructed that they be replaced completely [in children's centers] throughout the republic," Kadyrov told reporters, answering a question whether the order to replace the comic heroes specifically concerned the children's center in Kurchaloy.
Instead, he ordered images of comic figures be replaced with those of his late father, the first president of Chechnya, Akhmad Kadyrov, and historical figures from the Caucasian War of the late 18th and 19th centuries.
Ramzan Kadyrov has been accused by Russian and international rights activists of numerous human rights violations, including torture, kidnapping, disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and the assassination of personal and political enemies both in Russia and abroad.
Kremlin critics say President Vladimir Putin has turned a blind eye to the former rebel commander’s tight grip in order to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya, the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus.
With reporting by RIA Novosti


rferl--2020-11-21--Georgian Dream Wins 'Overwhelming Majority' After Runoff Election Boycotted By Opposition

Georgia ’ s ruling Georgian Dream party will hold a wide majority in parliament after sweeping second-round elections on November 21 that were boycotted by the opposition , preliminary results showed .
Opposition parties have been demanding a repeat October 31 parliamentary elections , staging regular protests against results they describe as illegitimate and unfair .
Georgian Dream , founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili , came in first in the October 31 elections with 48.15 percent , while the United National Movement bloc had 27.14 percent and European Georgia was third with 3.78 percent .
Several other smaller parties crossed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The election was the first under a reformed system backed by the United States and EU that gives more weight to proportional representation .
Of 150 seats in parliament , 120 seats are determined based on party lists and 30 seats through single-mandate districts .
Thirteen single-mandate constituencies were determined in the first round .
The runoff vote was for 17 seats in single-mandate districts where no candidate garnered more than 50 percent of ballots in the first round .
Commenting on the outcome , Georgian Dream leader Irakli Kobakhidze said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which `` the ruling party has an overwhelming majority.
” “ As expected , all 17 candidates of the Georgian Dream won seats .
Accordingly , the Georgian Dream will be represented in the next parliament by 90 deputies , ” he said .

Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party will hold a wide majority in parliament after sweeping second-round elections on November 21 that were boycotted by the opposition, preliminary results showed.
Opposition parties have been demanding repeat October 31 parliamentary elections, staging regular protests against results they describe as illegitimate and unfair.
Georgian Dream, founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, came in first in the October 31 elections with 48.15 percent, while the United National Movement bloc had 27.14 percent and European Georgia was third with 3.78 percent. Several other smaller parties crossed the 1 percent threshold to enter parliament.
The elections were the first under a reformed system backed by the United States and EU that gives more weight to proportional representation. Of 150 seats in parliament, 120 seats are determined based on party lists and 30 seats through single-mandate districts.
Thirteen single-mandate constituencies were determined in the first round.
The runoff vote was for 17 seats in single-mandate districts where no candidate garnered more than 50 percent of ballots in the first round.
Commenting on the outcome, Georgian Dream leader Irakli Kobakhidze said that the next parliament will be one in which "the ruling party has an overwhelming majority."
“As expected, all 17 candidates of the Georgian Dream won seats. Accordingly, the Georgian Dream will be represented in the next parliament by 90 deputies,” he said.


rferl--2020-11-21--Russia Sanctions 25 British Citizens In Tit-For-Tat Move

Russia has sanctioned 25 British citizens in response to punitive measures taken by London nearly five months ago against the same number of Russians for human rights violations .
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the reciprocal sanctions on November 21 but did not provide the names of the sanctioned British citizens .
The ministry said the British government ’ s punitive measures against the Russian officials announced on July 6 came `` under imaginary and absurd pretexts . ''
Therefore , representatives of Britain are now being banned from entering Russia , it said .
Britain brought sanctions against 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said were aimed at “ people who have committed the gravest human rights violations.
” The sanctions included a ban on travel to Britain and asset freezes aimed at any property the individuals own within its jurisdiction .
The British list includes Aleksandr Bastrykin , the head of the powerful Investigative Committee , as well as judges and prosecutors , who London said were involved in the mistreatment and death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky .
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on November 21 that London had never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in picking the Russians it sanctioned .
`` In response to unfriendly actions of the U.K. authorities and on the basis of the principle of reciprocity , the Russian side made a decision to impose personal sanctions against 25 U.K. representatives who are barred from entering the Russian Federation , '' Zakharova said in a statement .
London ’ s actions look like an attempt to interfere in another country 's internal affairs and put pressure on the Russian justice system , she added .
Magnitsky died in a Moscow prison from an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials of a $ 230 million tax fraud .
The case attracted international attention amid an intensive lobbying effort by Bill Browder , a well-known investor for whom Magnitsky had worked .
Over the course of a decade , Browder pushed Western nations to pass a global Magnitsky Act that would impose sanctions on individuals responsible for committing human rights violations or acts of significant corruption .
The United States also saw serious human rights violations in the treatment of Magnitsky and imposed sanctions .
Russia has long rejected claims that Magnitsky was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills , even accusing Browder and his lawyer of crimes , including fraud .
The British sanctions announced in July increased tensions in its fraught relationship with Russia .
London has accused Russia of `` destabilizing '' activities on its territory , including the 2018 chemical attack that almost killed former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter .
Russia has denied the accusation .
Based on reporting by TASS , dpa , AFP , and Reuters

Russia has sanctioned 25 British citizens in response to punitive measures taken by London nearly five months ago against the same number of Russians for human rights violations.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the reciprocal sanctions on November 21 but did not provide the names of the sanctioned British citizens.
The ministry said the British government’s punitive measures against the Russian officials announced on July 6 came "under imaginary and absurd pretexts." Therefore, representatives of Britain are now being banned from entering Russia, it said.
Britain brought sanctions against 25 Russians as part of post-Brexit measures that Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said were aimed at “people who have committed the gravest human rights violations.”
The sanctions included a ban on travel to Britain and asset freezes aimed at any property the individuals own within its jurisdiction.
The British list includes Aleksandr Bastrykin, the head of the powerful Investigative Committee, as well as judges and prosecutors, who London said were involved in the mistreatment and death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on November 21 that London had never explained the basis the British government used in picking the Russians it sanctioned.
"In response to unfriendly actions of the U.K. authorities and on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, the Russian side made a decision to impose personal sanctions against 25 U.K. representatives who are barred from entering the Russian Federation," Zakharova said in a statement.
Magnitsky Case
London’s actions look like an attempt to interfere in another country's internal affairs and put pressure on the Russian justice system, she added.
Magnitsky died in a Moscow prison from an untreated illness in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of a $230 million tax fraud.
The case attracted international attention amid an intensive lobbying effort by Bill Browder, a well-known investor for whom Magnitsky had worked.
Over the course of a decade, Browder pushed Western nations to pass a global Magnitsky Act that would impose sanctions on individuals responsible for committing human rights violations or acts of significant corruption.
The United States also saw serious human rights violations in the treatment of Magnitsky and imposed sanctions.
Russia has long rejected claims that Magnitsky was killed and has lobbied hard against sanctions bills, even accusing Browder and his lawyer of crimes, including fraud.
The British sanctions announced in July increased tensions in its fraught relationship with Russia.
London has accused Russia of "destabilizing" activities on its territory, including the 2018 chemical attack that almost killed former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Russia has denied the accusation.
With reporting by TASS, dpa, AFP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-11-21--EU Urges Reforms In Bosnia On 25th Anniversary Of Dayton Peace Accords

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell used the 25th anniversary of the peace agreement that ended the war in Bosnia to urge Bosnia 's political leaders to overcome ethnic divisions and prepare their nation to join the EU .
Borrell said that the U.S.-brokered peace agreement known as the Dayton accords concluded “ one of the most shameful episodes in the modern history of Europe.
” Speaking during a visit to Sarajevo for the anniversary on November 21 , Borrell added that while the past must be commemorated , “ We have to look to the future.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air Force base outside Dayton , Ohio , on November 21 , 1995 and formally signed in Paris a few weeks later , ended more than three years of war in which Bosnia 's main ethnic factions -- Muslim Bosniaks , Catholic Croats , and Orthodox Christian Serbs -- fought for control after the breakup of Yugoslavia .
More than 100,000 people were killed , most of them Bosniaks .
The conflict left Bosnia-Herzegovina divided into two autonomous regions -- the Bosniak-Croat federation and the mainly ethnic Serb Republika Srpska -- united under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was formally signed in Paris on December 14 , 1995 by the presidents of Bosnia , Croatia , and Serbia .
The U.S. president at the time , Bill Clinton , and 50 other world leaders attending the signing ceremony .
Under the accords , nearly 60,000 international troops were deployed to Bosnia as part of a NATO-led mission to maintain peace and demarcate territory awarded to the Bosniak-Croat federation and Republika Srpska .
While it stopped the fighting , the Dayton accords formalized the ethnic divisions in Bosnia by establishing the complicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepted Bosnia ’ s membership application in 2016 , but its government has failed to make the deep structural reforms required before the application can move forward .
The bloc is waiting for Bosnia to make changes in how its judiciary and economy are run and intensify efforts to fight corruption , among other reforms .
After meeting with members of the country ’ s tripartite presidency , Borrell said Bosnia ’ s “ future is European ” but that in order to get there “ authorities must step up their efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bosnians hope the election of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States will spur change by renewing Western interest in the country , one of Europe 's poorest .
Biden was the last U.S. leader to visit Bosnia .
The trip took place in 2009 when he was vice president .

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell used the 25th anniversary of the peace agreement that ended the war in Bosnia to urge Bosnia's political leaders to overcome ethnic divisions and prepare their nation to join the EU.
Borrell said that the U.S.-brokered peace agreement known as the Dayton accords concluded “one of the most shameful episodes in the modern history of Europe.”
Speaking during a visit to Sarajevo for the anniversary on November 21, Borrell added that while the past must be commemorated, “We have to look to the future.”
The peace agreement, initialed at a U.S. Air Force base outside Dayton, Ohio, on November 21, 1995 and formally signed in Paris a few weeks later, ended more than three years of war in which Bosnia's main ethnic factions -- Muslim Bosniaks, Catholic Croats, and Orthodox Christian Serbs -- fought for control after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
More than 100,000 people were killed, most of them Bosniaks. The conflict left Bosnia-Herzegovina divided into two autonomous regions -- the Bosniak-Croat federation and the mainly ethnic Serb Republika Srpska -- united under a weak central government.
The agreement was formally signed in Paris on December 14, 1995 by the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia. The U.S. president at the time, Bill Clinton, and 50 other world leaders attending the signing ceremony.
Under the accords, nearly 60,000 international troops were deployed to Bosnia as part of a NATO-led mission to maintain peace and demarcate territory awarded to the Bosniak-Croat federation and Republika Srpska.
While it stopped the fighting, the Dayton accords formalized the ethnic divisions in Bosnia by establishing the complicated and fragmented state structure.
The EU accepted Bosnia’s membership application in 2016, but its government has failed to make the deep structural reforms required before the application can move forward.
The bloc is waiting for Bosnia to make changes in how its judiciary and economy are run and intensify efforts to fight corruption, among other reforms.
After meeting with members of the country’s tripartite presidency, Borrell said Bosnia’s “future is European” but that in order to get there “authorities must step up their efforts to deliver on the reform priorities.”
Some Bosnians hope the election of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States will spur change by renewing Western interest in the country, one of Europe's poorest. Biden was the last U.S. leader to visit Bosnia. The trip took place in 2009 when he was vice president.
Based on reporting by AP


rferl--2020-11-22--Powerful Ice Storm Leaves More Than 150,000 Without Heat, Power In Russian Far East

A powerful ice storm knocked out heat , electricity , and water to more than 150,000 people in Russia 's @ @ @ @ @ country 's largest Pacific coast city in a thick layer of ice .
The national @ @ @ @ @ aftereffects from the storm , which hit on November 19 , were felt most in @ @ @ @ @ 's Pacific Fleet .
Photos and videos showed dozens of downed power lines and poles @ @ @ @ @ up at portable field kitchens to get hot meals , drinking water , and cooking @ @ @ @ @ said as of November 22 around 60,000 residents of Vladivostok -- about one-tenth of the @ @ @ @ @ without power with temperatures below freezing .
Boris Kubay , a local weather service official @ @ @ @ @ some places the ice that coated the city was 12 millimeters thick -- something he @ @ @ @ @ in the region in decades .

A powerful ice storm knocked out heat, electricity, and water to more than 150,000 people in Russia's Far East, coating the country's largest Pacific coast city in a thick layer of ice.
The national Emergency Situations Ministry said the aftereffects from the storm, which hit on November 19, were felt most in Vladivostok, home to Russia's Pacific Fleet.
Regional officials have declared a state of emergency.
Photos and videos showed dozens of downed power lines and poles, and city residents lining up at portable field kitchens to get hot meals, drinking water, and cooking gas.
The regional government said as of November 22 around 60,000 residents of Vladivostok -- about one-tenth of the city's population -- remained without power with temperatures below freezing.
Boris Kubay, a local weather service official, told AFP that in some places the ice that coated the city was 12 millimeters thick -- something he said hadn't been observed in the region in decades.
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-11-22--Putin Says No Hidden Motive In Not Congratulating Biden

Russian President Vladimir Putin said there was no hidden motive in his decision to not congratulate President-elect Joe Biden in the U.S. election , insisting the Kremlin was merely waiting for an `` end to the domestic political standoff . ''
Putin 's comments , made in an interview airing on state TV on November 22 , add to previous comments from the Kremlin , which has been questioned on why Putin was withholding his congratulations , when many European and other world leaders were offering theirs .
In the previous U.S. presidential vote , Putin was among the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issuing a statement less than 12 hours after Trump 's opponent Hillary Clinton conceded the race early on November 9 , 2016 .
Biden has been declared the unofficial winner of the U.S. election , based on the popular vote and the number of Electoral College votes he is projected to get .
The Electoral College meets December 14 when it will formally declare a winner , as laid out by the U.S. Constitution .
The White House inauguration is scheduled for January 21 , 2021 .
In the TV interview , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peskov , Putin suggested that it was improper to congratulate Biden .
`` I want to assure you : there 's no hidden motive , that we like someone , or that we dislike someone , '' he was quoted by news agencies as saying .
`` We are just waiting for an end to the domestic political standoff . ''
Putin also explained withholding congratulations by saying it does n't change U.S.-Russian relations one way or another .
`` You can ’ t spoil a spoiled relationship .
It is already spoiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the U.S. election system flawed , and asserted that Washington had no right to judge other countries on holding problematic democratic votes .
Election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe , who monitored the U.S. vote , said early voting and election-day voting procedures was “ competitive and well-managed.
” But observers also criticized what they called “ baseless allegations of systematic deficiencies , notably by the incumbent president , including on election night , [ that ] harm public trust in democratic institutions .
”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said there was no hidden motive in his decision to not congratulate President-elect Joe Biden in the U.S. election, insisting the Kremlin was merely waiting for an "end to the domestic political standoff."
Putin's comments, made in an interview airing on state TV on November 22, add to previous comments from the Kremlin, which has been questioned on why Putin was withholding his congratulations, when many European and other world leaders were offering theirs.
In the previous U.S. presidential vote, Putin was among the first world leaders to congratulate Donald Trump, issuing a statement less than 12 hours after Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton conceded the race early on November 9, 2016.
Biden has been declared the unofficial winner of the U.S. election, based on the number of Electoral College votes he is projected to get from states where he won.
The Electoral College meets December 14 when it will formally declare a winner, as laid out by the U.S. Constitution. The White House inauguration is scheduled for January 21, 2021.
In the TV interview, which echoed earlier comments from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin suggested that it was improper to congratulate Biden.
"I want to assure you: there's no hidden motive, that we like someone, or that we dislike someone," he was quoted by news agencies as saying. "We are just waiting for an end to the domestic political standoff."
Putin also explained withholding congratulations by saying it doesn't change U.S.-Russian relations one way or another.
"You can’t spoil a spoiled relationship. It is already spoiled,” he said.
Putin also called the U.S. election system flawed, and asserted that Washington had no right to judge other countries on holding problematic democratic votes.
Election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, who monitored the U.S. vote, said early voting and election-day voting procedures was “competitive and well-managed.”
But observers also criticized what they called “baseless allegations of systematic deficiencies, notably by the incumbent president, including on election night, [that] harm public trust in democratic institutions.”
With reporting by RIA Novosti


rferl--2020-11-22--Anti-Government Protesters Rally In Belarusian Capital

MINSK -- Protesters challenging Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's grip on power rallied in the Belarusian capital , with little sign that either the Lukashenka government or his opponents were prepared to give ground .
Rights groups said dozens of people were detained as protesters gathered in several places around Minsk on November 22 , chanting `` Long Live Belarus ! ''
and carrying signs and the historic red-and-white Belarusian flag .
Protest organizers had asked people to gather in different spots around the capital before forming bigger groups -- a bid to thwart crowd-control efforts by police .
Outside one subway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met with flashbang grenades .
Masked and balaclava-wearing officers ripped flags from some people 's hands in another location .
Convoys of military vehicles were spotted in several parts of the city as well .
The rights group Vyasna-96 said at least 70 people had been detained by police as of midafternoon .
Belarus has been gripped by unprecedented protests for more than three months , after Lukashenka claimed reelection for a sixth term .
Opposition groups , who say the election was rigged , have staged regular demonstrations , defying an often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protesters have demanded that Lukashenka turn over power to Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , an opposition leader and political novice who they say won the election .
Earlier this month , the intensity of the protests had appeared to be waning .
But following the death of 31-year-old protester who was severely beaten by police , the demonstrations drew new support .
On November 20 , thousands attended a memorial service for the man , Raman Banderenka , with many chanting `` You Are a Hero ! ''
and `` Long Live Belarus ! ''

MINSK -- Rights groups in Belarus say at least 350 protesters were detained in the capital and other cities on November 22 in the latest demonstrations challenging Alyaksandr Lukashenka's grip on power.
The detentions in Minsk came despite organizers' efforts to decentralize their gatherings on the 106th day of protests, suggesting neither Lukashenka nor his opponents were prepared to give ground following record numbers of arrests each of the two previous Sundays.
Protesters gathered in several places around Minsk, chanting, "Long live Belarus!" and carrying signs and the historic red-and-white Belarusian flag.
Protest organizers had asked people to gather in different spots around the capital before forming bigger groups -- a bid to thwart crowd-control efforts by police.
Outside one subway station in central Minsk, demonstrators were met with flash-bang grenades. Masked and balaclava-wearing officers ripped flags from some people's hands in another location.
Convoys of military vehicles were spotted in several parts of the city as well.
The Vyasna human rights group counted more than 350 detainees around the country, most of them in the capital but also in other cities.
A widely followed volunteers group also reported at least four people had been taken away from Minsk police stations in ambulances.
Anti-government marches also took place on November 22 in Hrodna, Bobruisk, Volkovysk, Smolevichi, Homel, Brest, Pinsk, Novopolotsk, and other cities.
Belarus has been gripped by unprecedented protests for more than three months, after Lukashenka claimed reelection for a sixth term.
Opposition groups, who say the election was rigged, have staged regular demonstrations, defying an often brutal crackdown by law enforcement authorities.
There were more than 1,000 arrests of protesters each of the previous two Sundays before the November 22 events.
Protesters have demanded that Lukashenka turn over power to Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, an opposition leader and political novice who they say won the election.
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 crackdown in response has included many thousands of detentions, several killings of protesters, the punishment and expulsions of reporters, and the imprisonment and forced exiling of opposition leaders.
European Union foreign ministers agreed on November 19 to expand sanctions on Belarus to include businesses in response to the “brutality of authorities” against weeks of pro-democracy protests.
Noting that previous sanctions on Lukashenka and dozens of senior officials had failed to halt repression, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the new set of sanctions “should go not only to the individuals, but also to institutions and entrepreneurs, and firms.”
Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimer Makey responded by saying on November 22 that Minsk would also impose its own sanctions on European officials.
"If they hurt us, if they impose sanction on us, naturally, we will have to respond adequately," Makey told Belarusian state television. "You know that the European Union has imposed extra sanctions on some 15 people. We will also expand our sanction lists and will include senior officials from the European Union and from a number of European states."
Earlier this month, the intensity of the protests had appeared to be waning. But following the death of a 31-year-old protester who was severely beaten by police, the demonstrations drew new support.
On November 20, thousands attended a memorial service for the man, Raman Banderenka, with many chanting, "You are a hero!" and "Long live Belarus!"


rferl--2020-11-22--U.S. To Withdraw From Open Skies Treaty; Moscow Says 'All Options Are Open To Us'

The United States was set to formally withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty , an 18-year-old arms control and verification agreement that Washington repeatedly accused Moscow of violating .
The withdrawal , scheduled for November 22 , was the latest blow to the system of international arms control , which U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly scorned , complaining that Washington was being either deceived or unfairly restrained in its military capabilities .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on May 21 announced the U.S. intention to withdraw , and gave a six-month notification to Open Skies ’ 34 other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s rules .
The U.S. State Department did not immediately make an announcement confirming the formal withdrawal on November 22 .
But Russia ’ s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. decision .
“ Washington has made its move .
Neither European security nor the security of the United States and its allies themselves have benefited from it .
Now many in the West are wondering what Russia 's reaction will be .
The answer is simple .
We have repeatedly emphasized that all options are open to us , ” the ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Signed in 1992 , the treaty , which entered into force in 2002 , allows its 34 members to conduct short-notice , unarmed observation and surveillance flights over one another ’ s territories , to collect data on military forces and activities .
More than 1,500 flights have taken place under the agreement .
The treaty ’ s proponents say the flights help build confidence by showing that , for example , adversaries are not secretly deploying forces or preparing to launch attacks .
WATCH : Why Are Russian Spy Planes In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics , particularly among U.S. Republicans , have asserted the treaty has been violated repeatedly , first and foremost by Moscow .
In his May statement , Pompeo charged that Russian violations included restrictions on flights near breakaway regions over Georgia , along Russia ’ s southern borders , and limits on the lengths of flights over the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad .
“ Russia has consistently acted as if it were free to turn its obligations off and on at will , ” he said .
Arms control experts have said while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , others are misleading .
And U.S. military and intelligence agencies will lose an important source of data by not being party to the treaty , they said , and NATO allies support the agreement .
“ While Russia has violated the treaty , the United States has reciprocated .
NATO allies support the treaty -- which focuses first and foremost on enhancing European security -- and wish the United States to remain a party , ” Steven Pifer , a former U.S. ambassador and arms control expert , said in commentary published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeted several international treaties over the past four years , most notably the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty , a key Cold War agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union .
After years of complaining that Russia had secretly designed , then deployed , a treaty-violating missile , Washington withdrew in 2019 and the treaty collapsed .
Another more consequential treaty , the New START agreement , is also set to expire in February 2021 , and U.S. and Russian officials have been struggling to find a way to keep it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand the treaty to include China .
And they have also sent mixed signals about new conditions for extending New START , something Moscow has rejected .
Adding to the uncertainty is Trump ’ s expected departure from the White House on January 21 , 2021 , when Democrat Joe Biden is scheduled to be inaugurated and take office .
Biden has signaled support for extending New START and preserving other treaties .
“ Instead of tearing up treaties that make us and our allies more secure , President Trump…should remain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies to confront and resolve problems regarding Russia ’ s compliance , ” Biden said in a statement in May .

The United States formally withdrew on November 22 from the Open Skies Treaty, an 18-year-old arms control and verification agreement that Washington repeatedly accused Moscow of violating.
The withdrawal is the latest blow to the system of international arms control that U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly scorned, complaining that Washington was being either deceived or unfairly restrained in its military capabilities.
The U.S. State Department confirmed the move, noting six months had expired since notice of the pending exit had been issued and saying "the U.S. withdrawal took effect on November 22, 2020, and the United States is no longer a State Party to the Treaty on Open Skies."
The National Security Council confirmed the withdrawal and added that "Russia flagrantly violated [the treaty] for years."
It quoted national-security adviser Robert O'Brien as saying the move was part of an effort to "put America first by withdrawing us from outdated treaties and agreements that have benefited our adversaries at the expense of our national security."
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on May 21 announced the U.S. intention to withdraw and gave the six-month notification to Open Skies’ 34 other members, as required under the treaty’s rules.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. decision.
“Washington has made its move. Neither European security nor the security of the United States and its allies themselves have benefited from it. Now many in the West are wondering what Russia's reaction will be. The answer is simple. We have repeatedly emphasized that all options are open to us,” the ministry said in a statement on November 22.
Signed in 1992, the treaty, which entered into force in 2002, allows its 34 members to conduct short-notice, unarmed observation and surveillance flights over one another’s territories, to collect data on military forces and activities. More than 1,500 flights have taken place under the agreement.
The treaty’s proponents say the flights help build confidence by showing that, for example, adversaries are not secretly deploying forces or preparing to launch attacks.
WATCH: Why Are Russian Spy Planes In The Sky Over Washington?
But its critics, particularly among U.S. Republicans, have asserted the treaty has been violated repeatedly, first and foremost by Moscow.
In his May statement, Pompeo charged that Russian violations included restrictions on flights near breakaway regions over Georgia, along Russia’s southern borders, and limits on the lengths of flights over the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
“Russia has consistently acted as if it were free to turn its obligations off and on at will,” he said.
Arms control experts have said while some of the U.S. complaints have merit, others are misleading. And U.S. military and intelligence agencies will lose an important source of data by not being party to the treaty, they said, and NATO allies support the agreement.
“While Russia has violated the treaty, the United States has reciprocated. NATO allies support the treaty -- which focuses first and foremost on enhancing European security -- and wish the United States to remain a party,” Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador and arms control expert, said in commentary published last week.
The Trump administration has targeted several international treaties over the past four years, most notably the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a key Cold War agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union.
After years of complaining that Russia had secretly designed, then deployed, a treaty-violating missile, Washington withdrew in 2019 and the treaty collapsed.
Another more consequential treaty, the New START agreement, is also set to expire in February 2021, and U.S. and Russian officials have been struggling to find a way to keep it intact.
But Trump administration officials want to expand the treaty to include China. And they have also sent mixed signals about new conditions for extending New START, something Moscow has rejected.
Adding to the uncertainty is Trump’s expected departure from the White House on January 21, 2021, when Democrat Joe Biden is scheduled to be inaugurated and take office.
Biden has signaled support for extending New START and preserving other treaties.
“Instead of tearing up treaties that make us and our allies more secure, President Trump…should remain in the Open Skies Treaty and work with allies to confront and resolve problems regarding Russia’s compliance,” Biden said in a statement in May.


rferl--2020-11-22--Concern Mounts Over Kyrgyzstan's Rushed Constitutional Overhaul

BISHKEK -- Hundreds of people marched through the Kyrgyz capital , protesting proposed constitution changes that opponents say will erode drastically freedoms in the Central Asian country .
The November 22 rally was the latest development in the ongoing political turmoil that erupted after October 4 parliamentary elections .
The disputed elections , and the violence that followed , led to Sadyr Japarov emerging as prime minister and acting president in a series of maneuvers that outside observers have condemned .
Japarov has pressed the outgoing parliament to expand presidential powers and weaken the legislature through the creation of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kurultai , to which parliament and the government would report .
Opponents to the proposals marched through Bishkek 's snowy streets , beating drums , carrying signs , and chanting `` You Can not Change The Constitution . ''
The crowd was smaller than organizers had planned for .
The draft amendments are slated to be put to a vote during an early presidential election planned for January 10 .
Since the amendments were made public , there has been a chorus of criticism from current and former Kyrgyz officials as well human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kulov told RFE/RL that the proposals ' main goal seems to secure `` absolute power for the president . ''
“ Any constitutional reforms should be delayed until after a new parliament is sworn in , so that there ’ s no doubt about Kyrgyzstan ’ s commitment to human rights and the rule of law , '' said Hugh Williamson of Human Rights Watch on November 21 .
During last month ’ s postelection protests , which prompted authorities to cancel the results of the parliamentary elections , Japarov was released from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for kidnapping a political rival .
The upheaval created a power vacuum as the government collapsed and President Sooronbai Jeenbekov resigned .
As acting president , Japarov postponed fresh parliamentary elections from December 20 to an unspecified date in 2021 , despite a requirement that such a vote come within two months .
That move cleared the way for an early presidential election on January 10 .
Many of the legal changes were done under questionable procedural norms and by lawmakers whose current legitimacy is under question , experts said .
Under current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interim capacity may not then run in an election for the post .
Japarov has said several times he planned to step down in December to be eligible to seek the presidency .
Other elements of the draft constitution could harm freedom of speech in the country , activists warned .
One proposed measure would ban publications , media , or public events contrary to “ generally recognized moral values and the traditions of the people of Kyrgyzstan.
” “ Clearly , the values and traditions of people in Kyrgyzstan should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy adviser at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee , said on November 19 .
“ However , forbidding publications that would , quote , harm the morals and culture of the people of Kyrgyzstan involves opening a can of worms that could seriously violate that same people ’ s right to freedom of speech .
”

BISHKEK -- Hundreds of people marched through the Kyrgyz capital, protesting proposed constitution changes that opponents say will erode drastically freedoms in the Central Asian country.
The November 22 rally was the latest development in the ongoing political turmoil that erupted after October 4 parliamentary elections.
The disputed elections, and the violence that followed, led to Sadyr Japarov emerging as prime minister and acting president in a series of maneuvers that outside observers have condemned.
Japarov has since stepped down as acting president in an effort to make himself eligible to run for president.
But he and his allies have pressed the outgoing parliament to expand presidential powers and weaken the legislature through the creation of a new executive council called the People's Kurultai, to which parliament and the government would report.
Opponents to the proposals marched through Bishkek's snowy streets, beating drums, carrying signs, and chanting "You Cannot Change The Constitution."
The crowd was smaller than organizers had planned for.
The draft amendments are slated to be put to a vote during an early presidential election planned for January 10.
Since the amendments were made public, there has been a chorus of criticism from current and former Kyrgyz officials as well human rights defenders.
Former Prime Minister Feliks Kulov told RFE/RL that the proposals' main goal seems to secure "absolute power for the president."
"Any constitutional reforms should be delayed until after a new parliament is sworn in, so that there’s no doubt about Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to human rights and the rule of law," said Hugh Williamson of Human Rights Watch on November 21.
During last month's postelection protests, which prompted authorities to cancel the results of the parliamentary elections, Japarov was released from prison where he was serving a sentence for kidnapping a political rival.
The upheaval created a power vacuum as the government collapsed and President Sooronbai Jeenbekov resigned.
As acting president, Japarov postponed fresh parliamentary elections from December 20 to an unspecified date in 2021, despite a requirement that such a vote come within two months.
That move cleared the way for an early presidential election on January 10.
Many of the legal changes were done under questionable procedural norms and by lawmakers whose current legitimacy is under question, experts said.
Under current legislation, anyone serving as president in an interim capacity may not then run in an election for the post -- a situation that many argue makes Japarov ineligible.
Other elements of the draft constitution could harm freedom of speech in the country, activists warned. One proposed measure would ban publications, media, or public events contrary to “generally recognized moral values and the traditions of the people of Kyrgyzstan.”
“Clearly, the values and traditions of people in Kyrgyzstan should be respected,” Ivar Dale, senior policy adviser at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, said on November 19. “However, forbidding publications that would, quote, harm the morals and culture of the people of Kyrgyzstan involves opening a can of worms that could seriously violate that same people’s right to freedom of speech.”
With reporting by Kloop


rferl--2020-11-21--Georgian Dream Wins 'Overwhelming Majority' After Runoff Elections Boycotted By Opposition

Georgia ’ s ruling Georgian Dream party will hold a wide majority in parliament after sweeping second-round elections on November 21 that were boycotted by the opposition , preliminary results showed .
Opposition parties have been demanding repeat October 31 parliamentary elections , staging regular protests against results they describe as illegitimate and unfair .
Georgian Dream , founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili , came in first in the October 31 elections with 48.15 percent , while the United National Movement bloc had 27.14 percent and European Georgia was third with 3.78 percent .
Several other smaller parties crossed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The elections were the first under a reformed system backed by the United States and EU that gives more weight to proportional representation .
Of 150 seats in parliament , 120 seats are determined based on party lists and 30 seats through single-mandate districts .
Thirteen single-mandate constituencies were determined in the first round .
The runoff vote was for 17 seats in single-mandate districts where no candidate garnered more than 50 percent of ballots in the first round .
Commenting on the outcome , Georgian Dream leader Irakli Kobakhidze said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` the ruling party has an overwhelming majority . ''
“ As expected , all 17 candidates of the Georgian Dream won seats .
Accordingly , the Georgian Dream will be represented in the next parliament by 90 deputies , ” he said .


rferl--2020-11-22--Minor Belarusian Emigrant Church Declares Lukashenka 'Anathema'

The head of an unrecognized , Brooklyn-based church with its 20th-century roots in Minsk Orthodoxy has declared Belarus 's embattled Alyaksandr Lukashenka anathema for his abuses against `` the pious Belarusian people . ''
The metropolitan of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church ( BAOC ) , Archbishop Sviataslau ( Lohin ) , announced the symbolic declaration against the longtime Belarusian leader at a service at St. Cyril of Turau Cathedral in Toronto on November 22 .
The BAOC is a minor , independent jurisdiction that mostly serves small numbers of emigres and their families and is not recognized in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disguise its disdain for Belarus 's current leadership , which regards it as wholly illegitimate .
Lukashenka has faced unprecedented protests that have mobilized hundreds of thousands of Belarusians since officials declared him the winner of a presidential election on August 9 that the opposition says was rigged .
He has responded with a brutal crackdown in which many thousands have been jailed , media further muzzled and foreign correspondents expelled , and opposition leaders systematically imprisoned or forced into exile .
In the statement declaring Lukashenka anathema -- a move that amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Belarusian president of 26 years of being a `` dictator , murderer , and torturer of the pious Belarusian people . ''
It goes on to say that `` the church is a spiritual and nonpolitical institution [ but ] teaching the flock to fight for the truth , it can not just watch the genocide of Belarusians . ''
Western governments have demanded an end to violence against Belarusian protesters and a new vote , and last week the European Union 's foreign ministers agreed to expand sanctions against Minsk in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' against more than 100 days of pro-democracy protests triggered by the disputed vote .
At least several protesters have been killed and footage and other credible evidence of torture of detainees has become increasingly widespread .
Police again detained hundreds and launched flashbangs and other nonlethal measures to disperse protesters in Minsk on November 22 .
The Moscow-influenced Belarusian Orthodox Church that operates within Belarus -- created in 1989 and known as the Belarusian Exarchate -- was the main domestic religious body to have recognized Lukashenka 's proclamation of victory in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church clerics have criticized the institution 's leader , Pavol , as unduly beholden to Russia instead of Belarus since his Moscow-imposed appointment in 2013 .
The Warsaw Institute , a think tank , noted recently that `` the Moscow-dominated Belarusian Orthodox Church has for years been locked in fierce combat against other emigration-based Orthodox churches that are independent of the Moscow Patriarchate like the minor Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church . ''
The BAOC reportedly has three parishes each in the United States and Australia , and parishes in Canada and the United @ @

The head of an unrecognized, Brooklyn-based church with its 20th-century roots in Minsk Orthodoxy has declared Belarus's embattled Alyaksandr Lukashenka anathema for his abuses against "the pious Belarusian people."
The metropolitan of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (BAOC), Archbishop Sviataslau (Lohin), announced the symbolic declaration against the longtime Belarusian leader at a service at St. Cyril of Turau Cathedral in Toronto on November 22.
The BAOC is a minor, independent jurisdiction that mostly serves small numbers of emigres and their families and is not recognized in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.
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.
It does not disguise its disdain for Belarus's current leadership, which regards it as wholly illegitimate.
Lukashenka has faced unprecedented protests that have mobilized hundreds of thousands of Belarusians since officials declared him the winner of a presidential election on August 9 that the opposition says was rigged.
He has responded with a brutal crackdown in which many thousands have been jailed, media further muzzled and foreign correspondents expelled, and opposition leaders systematically imprisoned or forced into exile.
In the statement declaring Lukashenka anathema -- a move that amounts to a symbolic excommunication -- Lohin accused the Belarusian president of 26 years of being a "dictator, murderer, and torturer of the pious Belarusian people."
It goes on to say that "the church is a spiritual and nonpolitical institution [but] teaching the flock to fight for the truth, it cannot just watch the genocide of Belarusians."
Western governments have demanded an end to violence against Belarusian protesters and a new vote, and last week the European Union's foreign ministers agreed to expand sanctions against Minsk in response to the "brutality of authorities" against more than 100 days of pro-democracy protests triggered by the disputed vote.
At least several protesters have been killed and footage and other credible evidence of torture of detainees has become increasingly widespread.
Police again detained hundreds and launched flashbangs and other nonlethal measures to disperse protesters in Minsk on November 22.
The Moscow-influenced Belarusian Orthodox Church that operates within Belarus -- created in 1989 and known as the Belarusian Exarchate -- was the main domestic religious body to have recognized Lukashenka's proclamation of victory in the October election.
Some senior Belarusian Orthodox Church clerics have criticized the institution's leader, Pavol, as unduly beholden to Russia instead of Belarus since his Moscow-imposed appointment in 2013.
The Warsaw Institute, a think tank, noted recently that "the Moscow-dominated Belarusian Orthodox Church has for years been locked in fierce combat against other emigration-based Orthodox churches that are independent of the Moscow Patriarchate like the minor Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church."
The BAOC reportedly has three parishes each in the United States and Australia, and parishes in Canada and the United Kingdom.


rferl--2020-11-22--Serbian Patriarch Irinej Buried In Belgrade After COVID Battle

Senior clergy and Serbian officials entombed Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej in the crypt of the Church of St. Sava in Belgrade on November 22 , two days after the 90-year-old church leader died battling COVID-19 .
And while the church appealed for the public to respect ongoing anti-contagion measures amid the raging pandemic , there were some among the hundreds in attendance for the formal ceremony who did not wear masks , risky rites went ahead , and many in the crowd failed to physically distance .
Irinej , a staunch conservative with considerable political sway in the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a decade .
He tested positive for a coronavirus infection days after presiding over a funeral service attended by thousands for the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church 's arm in Montenegro , Metropolitan Amfilohije , who died in late October at age 82 after falling ill with COVID-19 .
Serbian authorities had vowed that crowd-control measures would be implemented to handle the throng of expected mourners in and around the Balkans ' biggest temple for Irinej 's entombment .
In his eulogy on November 22 , Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than simply `` a relationship between the patriarch and the president . ''
He hailed Irinej as having helped shape `` a Serbia of peace , which understands [ and ] ... which has no need to hate . ''
But he also called him an ally in nationalist Serbian causes including the dispute over partially recognized Kosovo and other pockets of Serbian unity in the region .
`` There were no conflicts and quarrels between Serbs east and west of the Drina [ River ] , '' Vucic said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern . ''
Others in attendance included Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic , Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate Zdravko Krivokapic , political representatives of Serb communities from around the region , and Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Bocan-Kharchenko , in addition to religious leaders of many faiths .
`` Our patriarch loved Russia endlessly , '' Vucic told mourners , `` but he was never against the West .
He was convinced that we could build peace with them . ''
Vucic arrived at the ceremony accompanied by the controversial Serbian member of neighboring Bosnia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dodik , a fierce Serb nationalist who has called for independence for the Republika Srpska that along with the Muslim and Croat federation makes up Bosnia , said in his eulogy that Irinej `` had the power to gather the people . ''
Irinej , he said , `` erased all borders . ''
Serbia , with Russian support , has long refused to acknowledge the declaration of independence of its former province , Kosovo , in 2008 .
The dispute is at the center of fresh impetus for internationally mediated talks aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and thus clearing obstacles to international integration for both countries .
Metropolitan Chrysostom , who together with the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church performs the duties of the patriarch until the election of a new leader , said in his speech that Irinej `` suffered because of schisms and divisions in the church '' but that he had led the church `` quietly , wisely , and patiently '' for 10 years .
An envoy for the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church , Kirill , read a letter that said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared the sufferings of those believers whose lives were interrupted by a terrible epidemic . ''
It is added that Irinej `` did a lot for the unity of universal Orthodoxy and respect for the canon in the Orthodox Church '' and that he was `` a great friend of the Russian Orthodox Church '' who `` spoke several times in support of the persecuted canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine . ''
The Serbian Orthodox Church was the first to support the Russian Orthodox Church after the Ecumenical Patriarchate issued a decision in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church of Ukraine , which Moscow still opposes .
The letter of Patriarch Kiril also wrote that the completion of the construction of the Church of St. Sava `` will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest achievements of the service of Patriarch Irinej . ''
Many of those who entered St. Sava to bow before the late patriarch 's robe were ignoring distancing measures .
And priests administered communion to the faithful following the liturgy with a single spoon .
Some of the mourners also approached the dais bearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that covered it .
The Serbian Orthodox Church 's hierarchy announced on November 4 that Irinej had been hospitalized after testing positive for coronavirus , and he was intubated on November 19 , one day before the announcement of his death .
Despite public-health warnings , Irinej had presided over the service in Podgorica of Amfilohije , which was attended by thousands with few masks and little heed for calls to maintain distancing .
Many of those present had kissed the hand of Amfilohije 's corpse .
Serbia has had 121,120 confirmed coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of around 7 million .

Senior clergy and Serbian officials entombed Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej in the crypt of the Church of St. Sava in Belgrade on November 22, two days after the 90-year-old church leader died battling COVID-19.
And while the church appealed for the public to respect ongoing anti-contagion measures amid the raging pandemic, there were some among the hundreds in attendance for the formal ceremony who did not wear masks, risky rites went ahead, and many in the crowd failed to physically distance.
Irinej, a staunch conservative with considerable political sway in the country and region, had led the church for a decade.
He tested positive for a coronavirus infection days after presiding over a funeral service attended by thousands for the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church's arm in Montenegro, Metropolitan Amfilohije, who died in late October at age 82 after falling ill with COVID-19.
Serbian authorities had vowed that crowd-control measures would be implemented to handle the throng of expected mourners in and around the Balkans' biggest temple for Irinej's entombment.
WATCH: High-Profile Mourners Pay Their Respects To Serbian Patriarch
In his eulogy on November 22, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he regarded his relationship with Irinej as more than simply "a relationship between the patriarch and the president."
He hailed Irinej as having helped shape "a Serbia of peace, which understands [and]...which has no need to hate."
But he also called him an ally in nationalist Serbian causes including the dispute over partially recognized Kosovo and other pockets of Serbian unity in the region.
"There were no conflicts and quarrels between Serbs east and west of the Drina [River]," Vucic said, adding that Kosovo was "Irinej's biggest concern."
Others in attendance included Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate Zdravko Krivokapic, political representatives of Serb communities from around the region, and Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Bocan-Kharchenko, in addition to religious leaders of many faiths.
"Our patriarch loved Russia endlessly," Vucic told mourners, "but he was never against the West. He was convinced that we could build peace with them."
Political Presence
Vucic arrived at the ceremony accompanied by the controversial Serbian member of neighboring Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik.
Dodik, a fierce Serb nationalist who has called for independence for the Republika Srpska that along with the Muslim and Croat federation makes up Bosnia, said in his eulogy that Irinej "had the power to gather the people."
Irinej, he said, "erased all borders."
Serbia, with Russian support, has long refused to acknowledge the declaration of independence of its former province, Kosovo, in 2008.
The dispute is at the center of fresh impetus for internationally mediated talks aimed at normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina and thus clearing obstacles to international integration for both countries.
Metropolitan Chrysostom, who together with the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church performs the duties of the patriarch until the election of a new leader, said in his speech that Irinej "suffered because of schisms and divisions in the church" but that he had led the church "quietly, wisely, and patiently" for 10 years.
An envoy for the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, read a letter that said, among other things, Patriarch Irinej "shared the sufferings of those believers whose lives were interrupted by a terrible epidemic."
It is added that Irinej "did a lot for the unity of universal Orthodoxy and respect for the canon in the Orthodox Church" and that he was "a great friend of the Russian Orthodox Church" who "spoke several times in support of the persecuted canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine."
The Serbian Orthodox Church was the first to support the Russian Orthodox Church after the Ecumenical Patriarchate issued a decision in 2018 to recognize the independence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which Moscow still opposes.
The letter of Patriarch Kiril also wrote that the completion of the construction of the Church of St. Sava "will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest achievements of the service of Patriarch Irinej."
Many of those who entered St. Sava to bow before the late patriarch's robe were ignoring distancing measures.
And priests administered communion to the faithful following the liturgy with a single spoon.
Some of the mourners also approached the dais bearing the casket and kissed the protective glass that covered it.
The Serbian Orthodox Church's hierarchy announced on November 4 that Irinej had been hospitalized after testing positive for coronavirus, and he was intubated on November 19, one day before the announcement of his death.
Despite public-health warnings, Irinej had presided over the service in Podgorica of Amfilohije, which was attended by thousands with few masks and little heed for calls to maintain distancing.
Many of those present had kissed the hand of Amfilohije's corpse.
Serbia has had 121,120 confirmed coronavirus infections and 1,199 deaths in a population of around 7 million.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-11-22--Hundreds Detained Despite New Tack By Anti-Government Protesters in Belarus

MINSK -- Rights groups in Belarus say at least 350 protesters were detained in the capital and other cities on November 22 in the latest demonstrations challenging Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's grip on power .
The detentions in Minsk came despite organizers ' efforts to decentralize their gatherings on the 106th day of protests , suggesting neither Lukashenka nor his opponents were prepared to give ground following record numbers of arrests each of the two previous Sundays .
Protesters gathered in several places around Minsk , chanting `` Long Live Belarus ! ''
and carrying signs and the historic red-and-white Belarusian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to gather in different spots around the capital before forming bigger groups -- a bid to thwart crowd-control efforts by police .
Outside one subway station in central Minsk , demonstrators were met with flashbang grenades .
Masked and balaclava-wearing officers ripped flags from some people 's hands in another location .
Convoys of military vehicles were spotted in several parts of the city as well .
The Vyasna human rights group counted more than 350 detainees around the country , most of them in the capital but also in other cities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported at least four people had been taken from Minsk police stations in ambulances .
Anti-government marches also took place on November 22 in Hrodna , Bobruisk , Volkovysk , Smolevichi , Homel , Brest , Pinsk , Novopolotsk , and other cities .
Belarus has been gripped by unprecedented protests for more than three months , after Lukashenka claimed reelection for a sixth term .
Opposition groups , who say the election was rigged , have staged regular demonstrations , defying an often brutal crackdown by law enforcement authorities .
There were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the previous two Sundays before the November 22 events .
Protesters have demanded that Lukashenka turn over power to Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , an opposition leader and political novice who they say won the election .
The crackdown in response has included many thousands of detentions , several killings of protesters , punishment and expulsions of reporters , and imprisonment and the forced exiling of opposition leaders .
European Union foreign ministers agreed on November 19 to expand sanctions on Belarus to include businesses in response to the “ brutality of authorities ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that previous sanctions on Lukashenka and dozens of senior officials failed to halt repression , EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the new set of sanctions “ should go not only to the individuals , but also to institutions and entrepreneurs , and firms.
” Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimer Makey responded by saying on November 22 that Minsk would also impose its own sanctions on European officials .
`` If they hurt us , if they impose sanction on us , naturally , we will have to respond adequately , '' Makey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that the European Union has imposed extra sanctions on some 15 people .
We will also expand our sanction lists and will include senior officials from the European Union and from a number of European states . ''
Earlier this month , the intensity of the protests had appeared to be waning .
But following the death of 31-year-old protester who was severely beaten by police , the demonstrations drew new support .
On November 20 , thousands attended a memorial service for the man , Raman Banderenka , with many chanting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and `` Long Live Belarus ! ''


rferl--2020-11-22--U.S. Officially Withdraws From Open Skies Treaty; Moscow Says 'All Options Are Open To Us'

The United States formally withdrew on November 22 from the Open Skies Treaty , an 18-year-old arms control and verification agreement that Washington repeatedly accused Moscow of violating .
The withdrawal is the latest blow to the system of international arms control that U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly scorned , complaining that Washington was being either deceived or unfairly restrained in its military capabilities .
The U.S. State Department confirmed the move , noting six months had expired since notice of the pending exit had been issued and saying `` the U.S. withdrawal took effect on November 22 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer a State Party to the Treaty on Open Skies . ''
The National Security Council confirmed the withdrawal and added that `` Russia flagrantly violated [ the treaty ] for years . ''
It quoted national-security adviser Robert O'Brien as saying the move was part of an effort to `` put America first by withdrawing us from outdated treaties and agreements that have benefited our adversaries at the expense of our national security . ''
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on May 21 announced the U.S. intention to withdraw and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ 34 other members , as required under the treaty ’ s rules .
“ Washington has made its move .
Neither European security nor the security of the United States and its allies themselves have benefited from it .
Now many in the West are wondering what Russia 's reaction will be .
The answer is simple .
We have repeatedly emphasized that all options are open to us , ” the ministry said in a statement on November 22 .
Signed in 1992 , the treaty , which entered into force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to conduct short-notice , unarmed observation and surveillance flights over one another ’ s territories , to collect data on military forces and activities .
More than 1,500 flights have taken place under the agreement .
The treaty ’ s proponents say the flights help build confidence by showing that , for example , adversaries are not secretly deploying forces or preparing to launch attacks .
WATCH : Why Are Russian Spy Planes In The Sky Over Washington ?
But its critics , particularly among U.S. Republicans , have asserted the treaty has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Moscow .
In his May statement , Pompeo charged that Russian violations included restrictions on flights near breakaway regions over Georgia , along Russia ’ s southern borders , and limits on the lengths of flights over the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad .
“ Russia has consistently acted as if it were free to turn its obligations off and on at will , ” he said .
Arms control experts have said while some of the U.S. complaints have merit , others are misleading .
And U.S. military and intelligence agencies will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not being party to the treaty , they said , and NATO allies support the agreement .
“ While Russia has violated the treaty , the United States has reciprocated .
NATO allies support the treaty -- which focuses first and foremost on enhancing European security -- and wish the United States to remain a party , ” Steven Pifer , a former U.S. ambassador and arms control expert , said in commentary published last week .
The Trump administration has targeted several international treaties over the past four years , most notably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a key Cold War agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union .
After years of complaining that Russia had secretly designed , then deployed , a treaty-violating missile , Washington withdrew in 2019 and the treaty collapsed .
Another more consequential treaty , the New START agreement , is also set to expire in February 2021 , and U.S. and Russian officials have been struggling to find a way to keep it intact .
But Trump administration officials want to expand the treaty to include China .
And they have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extending New START , something Moscow has rejected .
Adding to the uncertainty is Trump ’ s expected departure from the White House on January 21 , 2021 , when Democrat Joe Biden is scheduled to be inaugurated and take office .
Biden has signaled support for extending New START and preserving other treaties .
“ Instead of tearing up treaties that make us and our allies more secure , President Trump…should remain in the Open Skies Treaty and work with allies to confront and resolve problems regarding Russia ’ s compliance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May .


rferl--2020-11-23--Kazakh Women Protest Officials' Failure To Keep Promises On Support

SHYMKENT , Kazakhstan -- Dozens of women in the southern Kazakh city of Shymkent have rallied to demand increased social allowances and state support for poorer families whose situations have been worsened by the coronavirus pandemic .
The women gathered in front of the mayor 's office on November 23 demanding the mayor come out and listen to their demands , which include higher welfare payments , improved housing , and cheaper and faster Internet for children who have switched to online classes because of the government 's coronavirus restrictions .
Several employees of the mayor 's office came out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the protesters refused to talk to them , demanding the mayor meet with them and threatening to stay `` night and day '' until he comes out .
Police at the site prevented the women from entering the building .
Rallies and pickets by women with lower incomes have been held regularly in towns and cities across the Central Asian country , including the capital , Nur-Sultan , since February 2019 after five children from a single family died in a fire at night when their parents were out working .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and demonstrations where protesters demanded increased government support to families with several children .
Women at rallies this year have said that promises by central government and local authorities to support single mothers and poor families made after the deadly fire last year had not been kept .
The protests were held more frequently until restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus were introduced in mid-March .

SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan -- Dozens of women in the southern Kazakh city of Shymkent have rallied to demand increased social allowances and state support for poorer families whose situations have been worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.
The women gathered in front of the mayor's office on November 23 demanding the mayor come out and listen to their demands, which include higher welfare payments, improved housing, and cheaper and faster Internet for children who have switched to online classes because of the government's coronavirus restrictions.
Several employees of the mayor's office came out of the building to meet the women, but the protesters refused to talk to them, demanding the mayor meet with them and threatening to stay "night and day" until he comes out.
Police at the site prevented the women from entering the building.
Rallies and pickets by women with lower incomes have been held regularly in towns and cities across the Central Asian country, including the capital, Nur-Sultan, since February 2019 after five children from a single family died in a fire at night when their parents were out working. The tragedy triggered anger across the country and demonstrations where protesters demanded increased government support to families with several children.
Women at rallies this year have said that promises by central government and local authorities to support single mothers and poor families made after the deadly fire last year had not been kept.
The protests were held more frequently until restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus were introduced in mid-March.