rferl--2020-10-27--Calls For End To Violence Against Protesters In Belarus Grow At UN As Nationwide Strike Begins

The UN human rights investigator for Belarus has demanded that the government `` stop repressing its own people , '' referring to thousands detained during protests against Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
The demand made by Anais Marin , UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus , came after the start of a nationwide strike called by the opposition during which hundreds more were detained .
Marin told the Human Rights Committee that at least 20,000 people were detained in August and September and hundreds reported being beaten , intimidated , tortured , or ill-treated while in custody .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nongovernmental groups who said most detainees have faced administrative or criminal charges , citing more than 400 criminal cases against protesters since disputed elections on August 9 .
Marin ’ s appeal was echoed in a statement to the committee later from 52 mainly European countries and the European Union .
They also called for an end to violence against peaceful demonstrators and intimidation of opposition leaders , journalists , human rights defenders , and protesters to end along with abuses against people in the pro-democracy movement .
Belarus has been rocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a sixth term has been disputed by the opposition , which argues the vote was rigged .
The Belarusian opposition says the results of the August vote were fraudulent , and that opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the legitimate winner .
Tsikhanouskaya said the strike , called to ratchet up pressure on Lukashenka to resign , `` has only just begun and will continue to strengthen . ''
She spoke in an interview with RFE/RL in the evening of October 26 after thousands of workers , students , and pensioners took to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am proud of every Belarusian who found strength and courage and went on strike today , '' Tsikhanouskaya said , urging all her countrymen to join the protest .
Tsikhanouskaya spoke from Lithuania , where she has been living since shortly after the presidential election amid threats to her and her family .
`` The strike did not fail , no matter what the supporters of the regime -- whom there are fewer and fewer -- say about it , '' the opposition leader also said .
Instead of accepting the opposition ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October 25 , Lukashenka responded with another show of power , setting security forces upon the protesters on October 26 .
More than 320 people were detained in Minsk , Hrodna , Brest , Mahilyou , Lida , and other Belarusian cities during the day , according to the Vyasna human rights group , a day after riot police used stun grenades and rubber bullets against tens of thousands of protesters gathered across Belarus and detained hundreds .
Students in some universities on October 26 refused to attend lectures and marched in Minsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular Monday protest .
Many shops and cafes were closed , with their owners and employees forming human chains in the capital .
Strikes also targeted large plants in Minsk and elsewhere , including national oil company Belarusneft , the world 's largest producer of potash Belaruskali , and the MAZ truck-manufacturing plant .
According to Alyaksandr Yaroshuk , leader of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Unions , the authorities responded by detaining protesters in the streets and outside factories , and threatening workers with jail or being fired if they went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human Rights Committee from the 52 countries and EU supported “ the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people to choose their own path through free and fair elections ” and strongly condemned the “ crackdown carried out by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protesters.
” It expressed alarm at reports of “ more than 500 cases of torture and other severe abuses including sexual violence in the postelection period ” and at a number of arrested or detained people who remain unaccounted for .
The signatories urged Belarusian authorities to open a dialogue with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Belarusian people have spoken and we support them in their calls for unrestricted dialogue , free and fair elections , accountability for human rights violations and abuses , and the release of all those arbitrarily detained , ” the statement said .
With reporting by AP , Reuters , tut.by , RIA Novosti , dpa , and AFP

The UN human rights investigator for Belarus has demanded that the government "stop repressing its own people," referring to thousands detained during protests against Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
The demand made by Anais Marin, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus, came after the start of a nationwide strike called by the opposition during which hundreds more were detained.
Marin told the Human Rights Committee that at least 20,000 people were detained in August and September and hundreds reported being beaten, intimidated, tortured, or ill-treated while in custody.
Marin quoted sources in the Interior Ministry and nongovernmental groups who said most detainees have faced administrative or criminal charges, citing more than 400 criminal cases against protesters since disputed elections on August 9.
Marin’s appeal was echoed in a statement to the committee later from 52 mainly European countries and the European Union.
They also called for an end to violence against peaceful demonstrators and intimidation of opposition leaders, journalists, human rights defenders, and protesters to end along with abuses against people in the pro-democracy movement.
Belarus has been rocked by demonstrations against Lukashenka, whose reelection to a sixth term has been disputed by the opposition, which argues the vote was rigged.
The Belarusian opposition says the results of the August vote were fraudulent, and that opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the legitimate winner.
'Only Just Begun'
Tsikhanouskaya said the strike, called to ratchet up pressure on Lukashenka to resign, "has only just begun and will continue to strengthen."
She spoke in an interview with RFE/RL in the evening of October 26 after thousands of workers, students, and pensioners took to the streets across Belarus.
"I am proud of every Belarusian who found strength and courage and went on strike today," Tsikhanouskaya said, urging all her countrymen to join the protest.
Tsikhanouskaya spoke from Lithuania, where she has been living since shortly after the presidential election amid threats to her and her family.
"The strike did not fail, no matter what the supporters of the regime -- whom there are fewer and fewer -- say about it," the opposition leader also said.
Instead of accepting the opposition’s call to leave by midnight on October 25, Lukashenka responded with another show of power, setting security forces upon the protesters on October 26.
More than 320 people were detained in Minsk, Hrodna, Brest, Mahilyou, Lida, and other Belarusian cities during the day, according to the Vyasna human rights group, a day after riot police used stun grenades and rubber bullets against tens of thousands of protesters gathered across Belarus and detained hundreds.
Students in some universities on October 26 refused to attend lectures and marched in Minsk in protest, joining retirees in their regular Monday protest. Many shops and cafes were closed, with their owners and employees forming human chains in the capital.
Strikes also targeted large plants in Minsk and elsewhere, including national oil company Belarusneft, the world's largest producer of potash Belaruskali, and the MAZ truck-manufacturing plant.
According to Alyaksandr Yaroshuk, leader of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Unions, the authorities responded by detaining protesters in the streets and outside factories, and threatening workers with jail or being fired if they went on strike.
The statement to the UN Human Rights Committee from the 52 countries and EU supported “the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people to choose their own path through free and fair elections” and strongly condemned the “crackdown carried out by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protesters.”
It expressed alarm at reports of “more than 500 cases of torture and other severe abuses including sexual violence in the postelection period” and at a number of arrested or detained people who remain unaccounted for.
The signatories urged Belarusian authorities to open a dialogue with opposition leaders and civil society.
“The Belarusian people have spoken and we support them in their calls for unrestricted dialogue, free and fair elections, accountability for human rights violations and abuses, and the release of all those arbitrarily detained,” the statement said.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, tut.by, RIA Novosti, dpa, and AFP


rferl--2020-10-27--U.S. Imposes Sanctions On Iranian Entities Active In Oil Sector

The United States on October 26 imposed fresh sanctions targeting key Iranian companies , entities , and individuals active in the country 's oil sector .
The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement that the activity of those sanctioned supports the Quds Force , the elite foreign paramilitary and espionage arm of Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps .
`` The regime in Iran uses the petroleum sector to fund the destabilizing activities of the IRGC-QF , '' Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement .
“ The Iranian regime continues to prioritize its support for terrorist entities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Iranian people , ” he added .
Among those sanctioned are the Iranian Petroleum Ministry , the National Iranian Oil Company ( NIOC ) , and the National Iranian Tanker Company .
The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets of those blacklisted and generally bar Americans from dealing with them .
The action also imposes counterterrorism sanctions on NIOC , the National Iranian Tanker Company , and the National Petrochemical Company , which had previously been blacklisted by Washington under different authorities .
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared since U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Iran nuclear deal struck by President Barack Obama in 2015 .
Since then the United States has reimposed sanctions that had been eased under the accord and added other new ones .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sanctions are part of a maximum pressure campaign to limit the Iranian regime ’ s ability to threaten its neighbors and destabilize the Middle East .
`` The few remaining buyers of Iranian crude oil should know that they are helping to fund Iran ’ s malign activity across the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Pompeo said in a statement .
The sanctions also come after the United States last week claimed that Iran has been interfering with the 2020 presidential election .
Iran called the accusation `` baseless . ''

A polytechnic school in Russia’s Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.
The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.
The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
Since then, RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.
“My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away,” Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. “He said to me on the phone, ‘Come and get me or I’ll die,’ so I picked him up immediately.”
Zhanna, who asked that her underage son’s name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.
The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-10-27--Detained Belarusian-American Political Strategist Shkliarov Has Left Belarus

A Belarusian-American political strategist whose detention angered the United States has left Belarus .
Vitali Shkliarov ’ s freedom on October 27 comes days after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded his `` full release and immediate departure '' in a phone call with Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
Shkliarov ’ s lawyer , Anton Hashynski , confirmed to RFE/RL that his client has left the country .
`` The fact that the permission to leave was granted is certainly a result of Pompeo 's call , ” Hashynski said .
The lawyer said his client was still under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return because of his ailing mother .
Shkliarov , who worked on the campaigns of former U.S. President Barack Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders , was arrested on July 29 , less than two weeks before the country 's August 9 presidential election .
Restrictions on the political strategist were loosened last week , requiring him stay in Minsk instead of being confined to house arrest .
He had previously been in prison and suffered health problems , including contracting COVID-19 .
Shkliarov was visiting his parents on the trip , but law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to assist blogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski register as a candidate in the election .
Tsikhanouski himself was detained prior to the election .
His wife , Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , then stood in his place and has since become a leading Belarusian opposition figure .
The official results of the presidential election that handed victory to Lukashenka , who has been in power since 1994 , have sparked mass protests , with Tsikhanouskaya ’ s supporters and opposition figures claiming she won the vote .
The European Union and the United States have refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarus , characterizing the election as fraudulent .

A Belarusian-American political strategist whose detention angered the United States has left Belarus.
Vitali Shkliarov’s freedom on October 27 comes days after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded his "full release and immediate departure" in a phone call with Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Shkliarov’s lawyer, Anton Hashynski, confirmed to RFE/RL that his client has left the country.
"The fact that the permission to leave was granted is certainly a result of Pompeo's call,” Hashynski said.
The lawyer said his client was still under investigation in Belarus and he would likely return because of his ailing mother.
Shkliarov, who worked on the campaigns of former U.S. President Barack Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders, was arrested on July 29, less than two weeks before the country's August 9 presidential election.
Restrictions on the political strategist were loosened last week, requiring him stay in Minsk instead of being confined to house arrest. He had previously been in prison and suffered health problems, including contracting COVID-19.
Shkliarov was visiting his parents on the trip, but law enforcement officials have asserted he was trying to assist blogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski register as a candidate in the election.
Tsikhanouski himself was detained prior to the election. His wife, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, then stood in his place and has since become a leading Belarusian opposition figure.
The official results of the presidential election that handed victory to Lukashenka, who has been in power since 1994, have sparked mass protests, with Tsikhanouskaya’s supporters and opposition figures claiming she won the vote.
The European Union and the United States have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate ruler of Belarus, characterizing the election as fraudulent.


rferl--2020-10-27--Russian Foreign Minister Cancels Balkan Tour After COVID-19 Exposure

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called off a Balkan tour after coming into contact with someone infected with COVID-19 .
The Foreign Ministry said on October 27 that the 70-year-old diplomat `` feels well '' but will self-isolate as a precaution .
`` The visits and meetings planned earlier are postponed , '' the ministry said .
Lavrov had planned to visit Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia on October 28 and 29 , respectively .
In Belgrade , he was set to meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic .
Lavrov on October 26 returned from Athens , where he held meetings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias , and the leader of the opposition Coalition of the Radical Left Alexis Tsipras .
Russia has the fourth-highest coronavirus caseload in the world , with more than 1,540,000 registered infections , including over 26,000 deaths .
Amid a steady rise of infections in recent days , Russian authorities tightened restrictions on October 27 , including with a nationwide mask mandate in crowded public spaces , on public transport , in taxis , and in elevators .
The federal public health agency , Rospotrebnadzor , also recommended that regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cafes , restaurants , and bars from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Based on reporting by TASS , Interfax , Reuters , AP , and AFP

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called off a Balkan tour after coming into contact with someone infected with COVID-19.
The Foreign Ministry said on October 27 that the 70-year-old diplomat "feels well" but will self-isolate as a precaution.
"The visits and meetings planned earlier are postponed," the ministry said.
Lavrov had planned to visit Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia on October 28 and 29, respectively.
In Belgrade, he was set to meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Lavrov on October 26 returned from Athens, where he held meetings with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, and the leader of the opposition Coalition of the Radical Left Alexis Tsipras.
Russia has the fourth-highest coronavirus caseload in the world, with more than 1,540,000 registered infections, including over 26,000 deaths.
Amid a steady rise of infections in recent days, Russian authorities tightened restrictions on October 27, including with a nationwide mask mandate in crowded public spaces, on public transport, in taxis, and in elevators.
The federal public health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, also recommended that regional authorities put a curfew on entertainment events, cafes, restaurants, and bars from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Based on reporting by TASS, Interfax, Reuters, AP, and AFP


rferl--2020-10-27--Russia's Top Investigative Unit Takes Over Probe Into 'Ordered Assassination' Of Businessman

The head of Russia 's Investigative Committee has ordered the agency ’ s Main Investigative Directorate to take over the @ @ @ @ @ high-profile killing of Aleksandr Petrov , a businessman and local lawmaker in the northwestern Leningrad @ @ @ @ @ announced Aleksandr Bastrykin ’ s decision on October 26 , saying it would allow a @ @ @ @ @ into the `` ordered assassination . ''
Petrov , 61 , owned more than 20 @ @ @ @ @ , close to the Russian-Finnish border .
Nicknamed `` the Landlord of Vyborg , '' @ @ @ @ @ with the Vyborg City Council .
The businessman was shot dead from a distance on @ @ @ @ @ yard of his home .
According to media reports , the killing took place two @ @ @ @ @ scheduled questioning in a high-profile embezzlement case against the Vyborg district Governor Gennady Orlov .
@ @ @ @ @ planned to flee Russia and that he had already started to sell his assets in @ @ @

The head of Russia's Investigative Committee has ordered the agency’s Main Investigative Directorate to take over the investigation into last week's high-profile killing of Aleksandr Petrov, a businessman and local lawmaker in the northwestern Leningrad region.
The Investigative Committee announced Aleksandr Bastrykin’s decision on October 26, saying it would allow a more thorough and objective probe into the "ordered assassination."
Petrov, 61, owned more than 20 businesses in the Vyborg district, close to the Russian-Finnish border.
Nicknamed "the Landlord of Vyborg," he was also a lawmaker with the Vyborg City Council.
The businessman was shot dead from a distance on October 24 while in the yard of his home.
According to media reports, the killing took place two days before Petrov’s scheduled questioning in a high-profile embezzlement case against the Vyborg district Governor Gennady Orlov.
The reports said Petrov had planned to flee Russia and that he had already started to sell his assets in the country.


rferl--2020-10-27--Mufti Of Russia's Mordovia Region Fined For Distributing 'Extremist' Books

SARANSK , Russia -- A court in Russia 's Republic of Mordovia has fined the region 's Mufti Zaki Aizatullin after finding him guilty of distributing books deemed as extremist .
Aizatullin 's lawyer , Marat Ashimov , told RFE/RL on October 26 that his client and the Muftiyat were fined 2,000 rubles ( $ 26 ) and 100,000 rubles ( $ 1,310 ) , respectively .
He said Aizatullin and his lawyers planned to appeal the ruling .
Investigators said the case against Aizatullin was part of a larger investigation into alleged activities in Mordovia and neighboring regions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Sunni movement banned in Russia The case was launched after police found five copies of a book in Aizatullin ’ s mosque in July .
Late Indian Islamic scholar Muhammad Yusuf Kandhlawi , who was one of the Tablighi Jamaat 's leaders , is the author of the book , titled Selected Khadises .
Investigators have alleged that Aizatullin 's nephew and other members of the mosque had sold copies of the book to other people .
Aizatullin and members of his mosque have denied that allegation .
Aizatullin and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were purchased in 2012 at a bookstore in the city of Kazan , the capital of Russia 's Republic of Tatarstan .
They said the books were sold openly without a warning of any kind .
Tablighi Jamaat , which was founded in India in 1926 , describes itself as a pacifist organization that is not involved in politics .
The group was branded as extremist and officially banned in Russia in May 2009 .
It is also outlawed in most Central Asian former Soviet republics .

SARANSK, Russia -- A court in Russia's Republic of Mordovia has fined the region's Mufti Zaki Aizatullin after finding him guilty of distributing books deemed as extremist.
Aizatullin's lawyer, Marat Ashimov, told RFE/RL on October 26 that his client and the Muftiyat were fined 2,000 rubles ($26) and 100,000 rubles ($1,310), respectively.
He said Aizatullin and his lawyers planned to appeal the ruling.
Investigators said the case against Aizatullin was part of a larger investigation into alleged activities in Mordovia and neighboring regions of Tablighi Jamaat (Messenger's Assembly), a Sunni movement banned in Russia
The case was launched after police found five copies of a book in Aizatullin’s mosque in July. Late Indian Islamic scholar Muhammad Yusuf Kandhlawi, who was one of the Tablighi Jamaat's leaders, is the author of the book, titled Selected Khadises.
Investigators have alleged that Aizatullin's nephew and other members of the mosque had sold copies of the book to other people.
Aizatullin and members of his mosque have denied that allegation.
Aizatullin and his lawyers have also insisted that the books were purchased in 2012 at a bookstore in the city of Kazan, the capital of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan. They said the books were sold openly without a warning of any kind.
Tablighi Jamaat, which was founded in India in 1926, describes itself as a pacifist organization that is not involved in politics.
The group was branded as extremist and officially banned in Russia in May 2009.
It is also outlawed in most Central Asian former Soviet republics.


rferl--2020-10-27--Two People Reportedly Killed In Shoot-Out Between Police Units In Russia's Chechnya

A shoot-out between representatives of police units in Russia 's North Caucasus region of Chechnya has left two people dead @ @ @ @ @ media reports .
The reports , quoting various sources close to the volatile region 's @ @ @ @ @ the shoot-out erupted between officers of the riot police ( OMON ) and the Russian @ @ @ @ @ unit ( SOBR ) in the town of Achkhoi-Matan on October 27 .
One SOBR @ @ @ @ @ killed in the shooting , the reports say .
Some reports also say that three @ @ @ @ @ incident .
Investigators are said to be at the site and assessing the situation .
@ @ @ @ @ to comment on the incident to the RBK news agency .
The Investigative Committee also @ @ @ @ @ on reporting by TASS , RIA Novosti , and RBK

A shoot-out between representatives of police units in Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya has left two people dead, according to several local media reports.
The reports, quoting various sources close to the volatile region's law enforcement structures, said the shoot-out erupted between officers of the riot police (OMON) and the Russian National Guard's special rapid-reaction unit (SOBR) in the town of Achkhoi-Matan on October 27.
One SOBR officer and a civilian were killed in the shooting, the reports say.
Some reports also say that three people were wounded in the incident.
Investigators are said to be at the site and assessing the situation.
Chechnya's Interior Ministry declined to comment on the incident to the RBK news agency.
The Investigative Committee also refused to comment.
Based on reporting by TASS, RIA Novosti, and RBK


rferl--2020-10-27--Georgian Official Identifies Suspect Still At Large After Hostage-Taking

TBILISI -- Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Vladimer Bortsvadze has officially identified a man suspected in an attempted bank robbery that turned into a hostage-taking incident before he made off with the ransom money .
Bortsvadze said late on October 26 that Badri Esebua , born in 1988 , is suspected in a crime that shocked the South Caucasus nation last week .
`` The police are actively conducting special operative , investigative , and search operations to determine his whereabouts and detain him , '' Bortsvadze said .
A masked gunman wearing military fatigues took 43 people hostage at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the western city of Zugdidi on October 21 .
He initially released 24 of the hostages , and then , after an almost 12-hour standoff with police that stretched into the evening , the gunman left the building with three hostages after reportedly demanding $ 500,000 and a guarantee to leave the area safely .
The suspect left the bank premises with four people , including three hostages and the head of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Police Department , Avtandil Galdava , who had been acting as a negotiator .
The four were released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknown amount of cash .

TBILISI -- Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Vladimer Bortsvadze has officially identified a man suspected in an attempted bank robbery that turned into a hostage-taking incident before he made off with the ransom money.
Bortsvadze said late on October 26 that Badri Esebua, born in 1988, is suspected in a crime that shocked the South Caucasus nation last week.
"The police are actively conducting special operative, investigative, and search operations to determine his whereabouts and detain him," Bortsvadze said.
A masked gunman wearing military fatigues took 43 people hostage at a branch of the Bank of Georgia in the western city of Zugdidi on October 21.
He initially released 24 of the hostages, and then, after an almost 12-hour standoff with police that stretched into the evening, the gunman left the building with three hostages after reportedly demanding $500,000 and a guarantee to leave the area safely.
The suspect left the bank premises with four people, including three hostages and the head of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Police Department, Avtandil Galdava, who had been acting as a negotiator.
The four were released later while the suspect escaped with an unknown amount of cash.


rferl--2020-10-27--Armenia, Azerbaijan Trade Accusations Of Breaking Cease-Fire, Fighting Reported Near Iranian Border

BAKU/YEREVAN -- Armenia and Azerbaijan have exchanged blame for the collapse of a U.S.-brokered cease-fire as a month-long war over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region intensified near the border with Iran .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia on October 27 to abide by the cease-fire , which collapsed minutes after it was meant to go into effect the day before .
In separate phone calls with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev , Pompeo `` pressed the leaders to abide by their commitments to cease hostilities and pursue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the State Department said .
He also told the two leaders that `` there is no military solution to this conflict , '' the State Department said .
Fighting was reported along several parts of the front line on October 27 , with heavy clashes reported in the southern sector near the border with Iran .
Armenia accused Azerbaijan of using drones and artillery to strike border guard positions along its internationally recognized border in the southeast near Iran , compelling Armenian forces to strike back .
Azerbaijan denied violating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces of firing mortars at its positions in Zangilan , Khojavend , Fizuli , and Gubadli .
Armenian Defense Ministry official Artsrun Hovhannisian said in a news conference late on October 26 that ethnic Armenian forces had given up the settlement of Gubadli , which lies south of the enclave and just seven kilometers from the Armenian border .
He said the settlement was given up `` to avoid unnecessary losses , '' but the situation was `` not critical . ''
Meanwhile , the head of Karabakh ’ s Armenia-backed defense forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replaced after reportedly being wounded in action .
Azerbaijan also accused Armenian forces of shelling the Azerbaijani town of Tartar and adjacent villages in the north .
`` Armenian armed forces during the day on October 26 and overnight into October 27 fired at the positions of Azerbaijani Army units in different directions at the front and at our settlements near the front line with various weapons , '' the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement .
Pashinian said the cease-fire had collapsed .
`` I would like to state that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time brokered by the United States , to establish a cease-fire , have failed .
As a result of continuous shelling by Azerbaijan , civilians were killed and wounded in Artsakh ( the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh ) today , '' Pashinian said on Twitter on October 27 .
The cease-fire was announced in a joint statement from the U.S. State Department and the two governments on October 25 -- the third attempt to establish a pause in the hostilities that broke out on September 27 .
Two previous Russian-brokered cease-fires also collapsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tensions in the region between Christian Armenians and their mainly Muslim neighbors have flared in Nagorno-Karabakh for decades .
Under international law , Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians , who make up the vast majority of the population , reject Azerbaijani rule .
They have been governing their own affairs , with support from Armenia , since Azerbaijan 's troops were pushed out of the breakaway region in a war in the 1990s .
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an address to the nation on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh either by political or military means .
He also reiterated a demand that that Nagorno-Karabakh be returned to Azerbaijan along with seven surrounding districts controlled by Armenian forces .
The United States , France , and Russia -- co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) -- said its foreign ministers would meet on October 29 in Geneva to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh issue .
The Minsk Group , formed to mediate the conflict , said the meeting would `` discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implementation , in accordance with a timeline to be agreed upon , of all steps necessary to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict . ''
Turkey has demanded a bigger role in the mediating body .
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on the phone on October 27 about Nagorno-Karabakh , as well as Syria and Libya At least some 1,000 people have been reported killed since fighting erupted on September 27 , raising fears of a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally of Azerbaijan , and Russia , which has a military pact with Armenia .
Armenian forces and the Azerbaijani 's military claim to have inflicted devastating losses on each other .
But reports from the opposing sides are often contradictory and hard to verify .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 22 that Moscow believes nearly 5,000 people have been killed in the latest fighting .
With reporting by Reuters , AFP , and TASS

BAKU/YEREVAN -- Armenia and Azerbaijan have exchanged blame for the collapse of a U.S.-brokered cease-fire as a month-long war over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region intensified near the border with Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia on October 27 to abide by the cease-fire, which collapsed minutes after it was meant to go into effect the day before.
In separate phone calls with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Pompeo "pressed the leaders to abide by their commitments to cease hostilities and pursue a diplomatic solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the State Department said.
He also told the two leaders that "there is no military solution to this conflict," the State Department said.
Fighting was reported along several parts of the front line on October 27, with heavy clashes reported in the southern sector near the border with Iran.
Armenia accused Azerbaijan of using drones and artillery to strike border guard positions along its internationally recognized border in the southeast near Iran, compelling Armenian forces to strike back.
Azerbaijan denied violating the cease-fire in the area, accusing Armenian forces of firing mortars at its positions in Zangilan, Khojavend, Fizuli, and Gubadli.
Armenian Defense Ministry official Artsrun Hovhannisian said in a news conference late on October 26 that ethnic Armenian forces had given up the settlement of Gubadli, which lies south of the enclave and just seven kilometers from the Armenian border.
He said the settlement was given up "to avoid unnecessary losses," but the situation was "not critical."
Meanwhile, the head of Karabakh’s Armenia-backed defense forces, Lieutenant General Jalal Harutiunian, was replaced after reportedly being wounded in action.
Azerbaijan also accused Armenian forces of shelling the Azerbaijani town of Tartar and adjacent villages in the north.
"Armenian armed forces during the day on October 26 and overnight into October 27 fired at the positions of Azerbaijani Army units in different directions at the front and at our settlements near the front line with various weapons," the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Pashinian said the cease-fire had collapsed.
"I would like to state that the efforts of the international community, this time brokered by the United States, to establish a cease-fire, have failed. As a result of continuous shelling by Azerbaijan, civilians were killed and wounded in Artsakh (the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh) today," Pashinian said on Twitter on October 27.
The cease-fire was announced in a joint statement from the U.S. State Department and the two governments on October 25 -- the third attempt to establish a pause in the hostilities that broke out on September 27.
Two previous Russian-brokered cease-fires also collapsed soon after being agreed upon.
Ethnic tensions in the region between Christian Armenians and their mainly Muslim neighbors have flared in Nagorno-Karabakh for decades.
Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians, who make up the vast majority of the population, reject Azerbaijani rule. They have been governing their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops were pushed out of the breakaway region in a war in the 1990s.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an address to the nation on October 26 that Azerbaijan wanted to resolve the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh either by political or military means.
He also reiterated a demand that that Nagorno-Karabakh be returned to Azerbaijan along with seven surrounding districts controlled by Armenian forces.
The United States, France, and Russia -- co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) -- said its foreign ministers would meet on October 29 in Geneva to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
The Minsk Group, formed to mediate the conflict, said the meeting would "discuss, reach agreement on, and begin implementation, in accordance with a timeline to be agreed upon, of all steps necessary to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
Turkey has demanded a bigger role in the mediating body.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on the phone on October 27 about Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as Syria and Libya
At least some 1,000 people have been reported killed since fighting erupted on September 27, raising fears of a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in NATO member Turkey, which is an ally of Azerbaijan, and Russia, which has a military pact with Armenia.
Armenian forces and the Azerbaijani's military claim to have inflicted devastating losses on each other.
But reports from the opposing sides are often contradictory and hard to verify.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 22 that Moscow believes nearly 5,000 people have been killed in the latest fighting.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and TASS


rferl--2020-10-28--Workhorse Russian Tu-154 Passenger Jet Flies Into Retirement

The last Tu-154 passenger jet still in service in Russia has completed its final scheduled commercial flight .
On October 28 , the Alrosa airline announced that the aircraft had flown from the Yakutia region city of Mirny to Siberia ’ s Novosibirsk with 140 passengers on board .
The Tu-154 was developed by the Soviet Tupolev design bureau and was the most widely used midrange passenger aircraft in the Soviet Union .
More than 1,000 of them saw service .
The plane made its maiden flight on October 3 , 1968 , and was brought into regular commercial use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended in 2013 .
The European Union banned the Tu-154 in 2006 because of its high engine noise and fuel consumption .
North Korea 's Air Koryo still has two Tu-154s flying commercial routes .
Although the Tu-154 has a satisfactory safety record considering its heavy use in demanding conditions , it has been involved in some prominent incidents .
A Polish government Tu-154 with President Lech Kaczynski and other officials on board crashed in foggy weather near the Russian city of Smolensk in 2010 , killing all 96 people on board .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tu-154 carrying 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble military choir crashed into the Black Sea while en route to Syria , killing all 92 people on board .

The last Tu-154 passenger jet still in service in Russia has completed its final scheduled commercial flight.
On October 28, the Alrosa airline announced that the aircraft had flown from the Yakutia region city of Mirny to Siberia’s Novosibirsk with 140 passengers on board.
The Tu-154 was developed by the Soviet Tupolev design bureau and was the most widely used midrange passenger aircraft in the Soviet Union.
More than 1,000 of them saw service.
The plane made its maiden flight on October 3, 1968, and was brought into regular commercial use in 1972.
Production of the Tu-154 ended in 2013.
The European Union banned the Tu-154 in 2006 because of its high engine noise and fuel consumption.
North Korea's Air Koryo still has two Tu-154s flying commercial routes.
Although the Tu-154 has a satisfactory safety record considering its heavy use in demanding conditions, it has been involved in some prominent incidents.
A Polish government Tu-154 with President Lech Kaczynski and other officials on board crashed in foggy weather near the Russian city of Smolensk in 2010, killing all 96 people on board.
In December 2016, a Russian military Tu-154 carrying 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble military choir crashed into the Black Sea while en route to Syria, killing all 92 people on board.


rferl--2020-10-28--COVID-19: Russia Reports Single-Day Record For Fatalities; Iran's Parliament Speaker Tests Positive

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 1.1 million , with more than 44 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness .
The Russian government reported 346 new COVID-19 fatalities on October 27 , setting a single-day record for the entire coronavirus pandemic .
According to government figures released on October 28 , there were also 16,202 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours , including 3,670 new cases in Moscow alone .
Russian government figures , which have been criticized for possibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatalities from the Ukrainian Black Sea region of Crimea , which Moscow forcibly annexed in 2014 .
In all , 26,935 people have died of the disease in Russia and Crimea since the start of the pandemic , according to the government .
Russia ’ s Health Ministry said on October 28 that it was looking into the situation in the Siberian city of Omsk one day after a protest by ambulance drivers there .
The Omsk ambulance drivers brought COVID-19 patients to the regional Health Ministry building and sounded their sirens to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in city hospitals , which were reportedly turning ambulances away .
Omsk Governor Aleksandr Burkov on October 28 suspended regional Deputy Health Minister Anastasia Malova , who oversees emergency medicine for the region , for seven days pending an investigation into the situation .
The president of Iran ’ s parliament has tested positive for the coronavirus and is self-isolating .
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf posted on Twitter that he would continue working from quarantine .
Iran has been the worst-hit country in the Middle East during the coronavirus pandemic , with more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to official figures .
Iran recorded a record-high single-day fatality figure of 415 on October 28 , eclipsing the previous record of 346 set the previous day .
The country recently introduced new lockdown restrictions in several cities as it , like many other countries around the world , experiences a new spike in infections .
About half of the civil servants in the capital , Tehran , have been ordered to work from home .
In Southeastern Europe , Bulgaria will close all nightclubs , while students from high schools and universities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of October 29 as the country grapples to contain a surge in coronavirus infections .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Russian Service and dpa

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 1.1 million, with more than 44 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Russia
The Russian government reported 346 new COVID-19 fatalities on October 27, setting a single-day record for the entire coronavirus pandemic.
According to government figures released on October 28, there were also 16,202 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours, including 3,670 new cases in Moscow alone.
Russian government figures, which have been criticized for possibly understating the situation, include cases and fatalities from the Ukrainian Black Sea region of Crimea, which Moscow forcibly annexed in 2014.
In all, 26,935 people have died of the disease in Russia and Crimea since the start of the pandemic, according to the government.
Russia’s Health Ministry said on October 28 that it was looking into the situation in the Siberian city of Omsk one day after a protest by ambulance drivers there.
The Omsk ambulance drivers brought COVID-19 patients to the regional Health Ministry building and sounded their sirens to draw attention to the lack of beds in city hospitals, which were reportedly turning ambulances away.
Omsk Governor Aleksandr Burkov on October 28 suspended regional Deputy Health Minister Anastasia Malova, who oversees emergency medicine for the region, for seven days pending an investigation into the situation.
Iran
The president of Iran’s parliament has tested positive for the coronavirus and is self-isolating.
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf posted on Twitter that he would continue working from quarantine.
Iran has been the worst-hit country in the Middle East during the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 580,000 cases and 33,000 fatalities, according to official figures.
Iran recorded a record-high single-day fatality figure of 415 on October 28, eclipsing the previous record of 346 set the previous day.
The country recently introduced new lockdown restrictions in several cities as it, like many other countries around the world, experiences a new spike in infections.
About half of the civil servants in the capital, Tehran, have been ordered to work from home.
Bulgaria
In Southeastern Europe, Bulgaria will close all nightclubs, while students from high schools and universities will study online for two weeks as of October 29 as the country grapples to contain a surge in coronavirus infections.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service and dpa


rferl--2020-10-28--U.S. Senators Introduce Resolution Declaring China Is Committing Genocide Against Uyghurs

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to declare that China is committing genocide against Uyghurs and other mainly Muslim ethnic groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang .
The resolution would hold China accountable under the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide , Senator Jeff Merkley ( Democrat-Oregon ) said in a news release on October 27 .
“ China ’ s assault on Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups -- escalating surveillance , imprisonment , torture , and forced 'reeducation camps ' -- is genocide , pure and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America can ’ t stand silent.
” The resolution was introduced by Merkley along with co-sponsors Senators John Cornyn ( Republican-Texas ) , Robert Menendez ( Democrat-New Jersey ) , James Risch ( Republican-Idaho ) , Marco Rubio ( Republican-Florida ) , and Ben Cardin ( Democrat-Maryland ) .
LOCKED UP IN CHINA : The Plight Of Xinjiang 's Muslims The resolution joins others that have been introduced in the U.S. Senate over the treatment of Uyghurs , including one meant to stop goods made by forced labor from entering the U.S. market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would begin the process to coordinate an international response to bring abuses against the Uyghurs to a halt , is unlikely to move immediately because the Senate is out of session until after next week 's presidential election .
The text of the resolution says China 's campaign against Uyghurs , ethnic Kazakhs , Kyrgyz , and members of other Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region “ constitutes genocide . ''
Cornyn said in a statement that the Chinese government for too long has carried out `` a despicable campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Turkic Muslims . ''
He added that the resolution “ recognizes these crimes for what they are and is the first step toward holding China accountable for their monstrous actions . ''
Beijing is accused of placing more than 1 million Uyghurs and members of other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in internment camps and prisons where , since early 2017 , they have been physically abused , subjected to ideological discipline , and forced to denounce their religion and language .
China says the camps are reeducation and training centers needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States in July imposed sanctions on a Chinese government entity and current or former Communist Party officials for their alleged involvement in “ serious rights abuses ” against Uyghurs , but stopped just short of declaring genocide .
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin vowed at the time to use “ the full breadth ” of U.S. financial powers to hold human rights abusers accountable in Xinjiang .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , in an interview on October 27 with the news site The Print on a visit to India , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what happened in the 1930s in Germany . ''
The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called China 's actions genocide and vowed to have a tougher response than the Trump administration .
The UN convention on genocide , drafted in the aftermath of the Holocaust , obligates states to prevent and punish the `` odious scourge . ''
It defines genocide to include actions such as killing as well as preventing births `` with intent to destroy , in whole or in part , a national , ethnical , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published on June 29 by China expert Adrian Zenz said China is forcing women to be sterilized or use contraceptive devices in an attempt to limit the population of Uyghurs .
The report said China ’ s policies may amount to slow-motion demographic “ genocide .
”

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to declare that China is committing genocide against Uyghurs and other mainly Muslim ethnic groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
The resolution would hold China accountable under the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Senator Jeff Merkley (Democrat-Oregon) said in a news release on October 27.
“China’s assault on Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups -- escalating surveillance, imprisonment, torture, and forced 'reeducation camps' -- is genocide, pure and simple,” said Merkley. “America can’t stand silent.”
The resolution was introduced by Merkley along with co-sponsors Senators John Cornyn (Republican-Texas), Robert Menendez (Democrat-New Jersey), James Risch (Republican-Idaho), Marco Rubio (Republican-Florida), and Ben Cardin (Democrat-Maryland).
LOCKED UP IN CHINA: The Plight Of Xinjiang's Muslims
The resolution joins others that have been introduced in the U.S. Senate over the treatment of Uyghurs, including one meant to stop goods made by forced labor from entering the U.S. market.
The latest resolution, which also would begin the process to coordinate an international response to bring abuses against the Uyghurs to a halt, is unlikely to move immediately because the Senate is out of session until after next week's presidential election.
The text of the resolution says China's campaign against Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region “constitutes genocide."
Cornyn said in a statement that the Chinese government for too long has carried out "a despicable campaign of genocide against millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims."
He added that the resolution “recognizes these crimes for what they are and is the first step toward holding China accountable for their monstrous actions."
Beijing is accused of placing more than 1 million Uyghurs and members of other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in internment camps and prisons where, since early 2017, they have been physically abused, subjected to ideological discipline, and forced to denounce their religion and language.
China says the camps are reeducation and training centers needed to combat separatist terrorism and extremism.
The United States in July imposed sanctions on a Chinese government entity and current or former Communist Party officials for their alleged involvement in “serious rights abuses” against Uyghurs, but stopped just short of declaring genocide.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin vowed at the time to use “the full breadth” of U.S. financial powers to hold human rights abusers accountable in Xinjiang.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in an interview on October 27 with the news site The Print on a visit to India, said that China's actions "remind us of what happened in the 1930s in Germany."
The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called China's actions genocide and vowed to have a tougher response than the Trump administration.
The UN convention on genocide, drafted in the aftermath of the Holocaust, obligates states to prevent and punish the "odious scourge."
It defines genocide to include actions such as killing as well as preventing births "with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group."
Research published on June 29 by China expert Adrian Zenz said China is forcing women to be sterilized or use contraceptive devices in an attempt to limit the population of Uyghurs.
The report said China’s policies may amount to slow-motion demographic “genocide.”
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-10-28--U.S. Congressional Ukraine Caucus Worried Nord Stream 2 Sanctions Bill Could Be Dropped

WASHINGTON -- Members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus are concerned a U.S. bill to expand sanctions on a Russian natural-gas pipeline to Europe could be dropped from the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) .
The bill , known as the Protecting Europe ’ s Energy Security Clarification Act ( PEESCA ) , would widen the scope of sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany to include any individual or entity providing insurance or welding services for the project .
PEESCA has been included in the NDAA defense spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Representatives and the Senate earlier this year with slight variations .
The Senate bill would also sanction any company that provides testing or inspection services for the pipeline .
Congress is currently reconciling differences between the Senate and House versions of the NDAA and could be finalized in the coming days .
Members of the Ukraine Caucus have written to congressional leaders to urge them to “ include language ” in the final version of the NDAA that clarifies the new sanctions , indicating they are concerned PEESCA could be taken out or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill , according to a letter obtained by RFE/RL .
“ We strongly urge you to include PEESCA in the final conferenced FY21 NDAA bill .
This will not only strengthen European energy security and U.S. national security , but also demonstrate the U.S. resolute commitment to Ukraine ’ s democratic future , free from malign Russian influence , ” their October 27 letter said .
The letter was signed by the Ukraine Caucus ’ s four co-chairs : Marcy Kaptur ( Democrat-Ohio ) , Mike Quigley ( Democrat-Illinois ) , Brian Fitzpatrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Republican-Maryland ) .
Sanctions against Nord Stream 2 have been a source of friction in U.S.-German relations , which has soured noticeably under President Donald Trump .
But there are now growing calls in Germany to halt the project following the poisoning of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny with a military-grade nerve agent in August .
The NDAA passed by Congress last year included a bill that sanctioned any vessel building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline , forcing a Swiss-based company to exit the project shortly before its completion .
Russia is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get around those existing sanctions and finish the $ 10 billion pipeline .
PEESCA would hinder any Russian ship ’ s ability to receive the services necessary to carry out the remaining work .
Nord Stream 2 would reroute Russian gas destined for Europe around Ukraine , depriving Kyiv of much-needed transit fees .
Russia initially expected to complete the pipeline in early 2020 .
After the sanctions on vessels were passed , Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped the pipeline would be completed by early 2021 .

WASHINGTON -- Members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus are concerned a U.S. bill to expand sanctions on a Russian natural-gas pipeline to Europe could be dropped from the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The bill, known as the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Clarification Act (PEESCA), would widen the scope of sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany to include any individual or entity providing insurance or welding services for the project.
PEESCA has been included in the NDAA defense spending bill passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate earlier this year with slight variations. The Senate bill would also sanction any company that provides testing or inspection services for the pipeline. Congress is currently reconciling differences between the Senate and House versions of the NDAA and could be finalized in the coming days.
Members of the Ukraine Caucus have written to congressional leaders to urge them to “include language” in the final version of the NDAA that clarifies the new sanctions, indicating they are concerned PEESCA could be taken out or watered down despite bipartisan support for the bill, according to a letter obtained by RFE/RL.
“We strongly urge you to include PEESCA in the final conferenced FY21 NDAA bill. This will not only strengthen European energy security and U.S. national security, but also demonstrate the U.S. resolute commitment to Ukraine’s democratic future, free from malign Russian influence,” their October 27 letter said.
The letter was signed by the Ukraine Caucus’s four co-chairs: Marcy Kaptur (Democrat-Ohio), Mike Quigley (Democrat-Illinois), Brian Fitzpatrick (Republican-Pennsylvania), and Andy Harris (Republican-Maryland).
Sanctions against Nord Stream 2 have been a source of friction in U.S.-German relations, which has soured noticeably under President Donald Trump.
But there are now growing calls in Germany to halt the project following the poisoning of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny with a military-grade nerve agent in August.
The NDAA passed by Congress last year included a bill that sanctioned any vessel building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, forcing a Swiss-based company to exit the project shortly before its completion.
Russia is now seeking to use its own vessels to get around those existing sanctions and finish the $10 billion pipeline. PEESCA would hinder any Russian ship’s ability to receive the services necessary to carry out the remaining work.
Nord Stream 2 would reroute Russian gas destined for Europe around Ukraine, depriving Kyiv of much-needed transit fees.
Russia initially expected to complete the pipeline in early 2020. After the sanctions on vessels were passed, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped the pipeline would be completed by early 2021.


rferl--2020-10-28--UN Watchdog Confirms New Construction At Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility

The United Nations ’ nuclear watchdog agency said that Iran has begun construction of an underground centrifuge assembly plant near its nuclear facility at Natanz .
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi said in an October 28 interview in Berlin that the facility seems to be a replacement for one that exploded in July in what Tehran called a sabotage attack .
“ They have started , but it is not completed , ” Grossi said .
“ It ’ s a long process.
” The agency also on October 28 released satellite images that it said showed evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Iran is stockpiling greater amounts of low-enriched uranium but does not seem to have enough to produce a nuclear weapon .
The head of Iran ’ s nuclear program , Ali Akbar Salehi , said on state television last month that the destroyed plant would be replaced by one “ in the heart of the mountains around Natanz.
” Grossi said that Iran had informed IAEA inspectors of the construction and that they continue to have access to Iran ’ s nuclear sites despite the collapse of a 2015 deal between Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief .
Iran insists it is not attempting to develop nuclear weapons .
The United States withdrew from the 2015 agreement in 2018 , saying that it did not do enough to address Iran ’ s missile program or Tehran ’ s support for groups in the Middle East that have been labeled terrorist organizations .
Based on reporting by AP , Reuters , and The New York Times


rferl--2020-10-28--Armenia, Azerbaijan Urged To Seek Lasting Cease-Fire As Diplomatic Efforts Continue

BAKU/YEREVAN -- Diplomatic efforts to end the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region have intensified after the two sides blamed each other for the collapse of a U.S. brokered cease-fire .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to pursue a diplomatic solution and abide by the cease-fire , which collapsed on October 26 .
Meanwhile , Azerbaijan ’ s Defense Ministry said 21 civilians were killed and 70 injured on October 28 in a rocket attack on the city of Barda .
Four civilians were reportedly killed in another attack in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied carrying out the attacks , calling the October 28 report “ groundless and false.
” The Armenian Defense Ministry on October 28 accused Azerbaijani forces of shelling a maternity clinic in Nagorno-Karabakh ’ s main city , Stepanakert .
“ Information about victims is being clarified , ” ministry spokesman Shushan Stepanian told journalists in Yerevan .
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on October 27 with his Turkish counterpart , Recep Tayyip Erdogan , telling him about contacts with the leaderships of Azerbaijan and Armenia and the `` steps being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible and de-escalate the crisis , '' a Kremlin statement said .
It was the second call between Putin and Erdogan since fighting erupted on September 27 , raising fears of a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in NATO member Turkey , which is an ally of Azerbaijan , and Russia , which has a military pact with Armenia .
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also discussed Nagorno-Karabakh in a phone call .
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov raised the issue of mercenaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomats emphasized the need to ensure a lasting cease-fire as soon as possible and stress there was no alternative to a peaceful solution , the ministry said .
Pompeo spoke by phone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev separately .
Pompeo `` pressed the leaders to abide by their commitments to cease hostilities and pursue a diplomatic solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict , '' the State Department said .
Fighting was reported along several parts of the front line on October 27 , with heavy clashes reported in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran .
Iran 's Foreign Ministry said Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi visited areas near Iran ’ s border with Azerbaijan and warned the warring parties against harming the security of Iranian territories .
“ The security of border regions , dams , and constructions is highly significant for the Islamic Republic of Iran and is a red line , ” Araqchi said , according to IFP News .
Araqchi plans to begin a trip on October 28 to several countries , including Armenia , Azerbaijan , Turkey and Russia , to discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Battles were taking place along several parts of the front line on October 27 , the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry said in a statement .
Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry described fighting concentrated in three frontline areas .
Armenia has acknowledged that Nagorno-Karabakh forces had withdrawn from a town between the enclave and the Iranian border , an apparent military gain for Azerbaijan .
Armenian Defense Ministry official Artsrun Hovhannisian said the settlement was given up `` to avoid unnecessary losses '' but the situation was `` not critical . ''
Both sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nagorno-Karabakh .
At least some 1,000 people have been reported killed since fighting erupted on September 27 .
Ethnic tensions in the region between Christian Armenians and their mainly Muslim neighbors have flared in Nagorno-Karabakh for decades .
Under international law , Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians , who make up the vast majority of the population , reject Azerbaijani rule .
They have been governing their own affairs , with support from Armenia , since Azerbaijan 's troops were pushed out of the breakaway region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Aliyev said in an address to the nation on October 26 that Azerbaijan wanted to resolve the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh , either by political or military means .
He also reiterated a demand that Nagorno-Karabakh be returned to Azerbaijan , as well as seven surrounding districts controlled by Armenian forces .
Armenia says it will not withdraw from territory it views as part of its historic homeland and where the population needs protection .
The United States , France , and Russia -- co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) -- said their foreign ministers would meet on October 29 in Geneva to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh issue .
The Minsk Group , formed to mediate the conflict , said the meeting would be held `` to discuss , reach agreement on , and begin implementation , in accordance with a timeline to be agreed upon , of all steps necessary to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict . ''
The two countries agreed to a cease-fire on October 25 when their foreign ministers separately met Pompeo in Washington .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brokered by Russia , has had little impact on the ground .
With reporting by Reuters and IFP News

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BAKU/YEREVAN -- Deadly fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region has intensified as both sides blame each other for the collapse of a third attempt at a cease-fire.
Azerbaijan and Armenian reported civilian casualties in urban areas on October 28, two days after a U.S.-brokered cease-fire was to go into effect.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said 21 civilians were killed and 70 injured in Smerch multiple-rocket system attacks on the city of Barda, located in central Azerbaijan outside the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Four civilians were reportedly killed in another attack on the city on the previous day.
The Armenian Defense Ministry accused Azerbaijani forces of attacking civilian areas in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the shelling of a hospital and maternity clinic in the enclave’s main city, Stepanakert. The rocket attacks caused damage but inflicted no casualties. One civilian was killed and two others were injured in a rocket attack on the nearby town of Shushi (Susa).
Both sides denied the other's claims that civilians were being targeted.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said urban areas had been hit and that one volunteer from the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society was killed in the shelling. Two other volunteers were injured.
"Alongside thousands of civilians, the ICRC witnessed intense shelling in urban areas on both sides of the front line today, leading to death, destruction, injuries, and desolation," it said in a statement.
"These latest exchanges signal that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict risks spiraling out of control," it warned.
Both sides have claimed the other is targeting civilians during a month of intense clashes that have drawn in world powers seeking to halt the worst fighting the region since a 1994 cease-fire.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on October 27 spoke separately by phone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, urging both sides to pursue a diplomatic solution and abide by the cease-fire brokered by Washington over the weekend.
Two Russian-brokered humanitarian cease-fires have similarly collapsed within minutes of going into effect.
Ethnic tensions in the region between Christian Armenians and their mainly Muslim neighbors have flared in Nagorno-Karabakh for decades.
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule. They have been governing their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops were pushed out of the breakaway region in a war in the early 1990s.
The latest fighting began September 27, escalating quickly to involve heavy artillery, rockets, and drones. At least 1,000 people have been killed in the fighting.
Nagorno-Karabakh officials say 1,068 of their troops and 39 civilians have been killed in the clashes, while 122 civilians have been wounded.
Azerbaijan does not disclose its military losses, but they say the fighting has killed 69 civilians and wounded 322.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that Moscow believes the death toll from the fighting was nearing 5,000.
Aliyev said on October 28 that Armenian forces had lost 5,000 troops, a claim denied by the Armenian side.
"As to our losses, I've said we will make them public after the fighting is over. But I have to say that they are a lot less [than Armenia's losses]," he said.
Aliyev has demand that Nagorno-Karabakh be returned to Azerbaijan, as well as seven surrounding districts controlled by Armenian forces.
Armenia says it will not withdraw from territory it views as part of its historic homeland and where the population needs protection.
Heavy fighting has been reported on multiple fronts in recent days, with Azerbaijani forces reportedly capturing territory in the southern sector along the border with Iran.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi visited areas near Iran’s border with Azerbaijan and warned the warring parties against harming the security of Iranian territories.
“The security of border regions, dams, and constructions is highly significant for the Islamic Republic of Iran and is a red line,” Araqchi said, according to IFP News.
Araqchi plans to begin a trip on October 28 to several countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia, to discuss the crisis, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
The United States, France, and Russia -- co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) -- said their foreign ministers would meet on October 29 in Geneva to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
The Minsk Group, formed to mediate the conflict, said the meeting would "to discuss, reach agreement on, and begin implementation, in accordance with a timeline to be agreed upon, of all steps necessary to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
Ahead of that meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on October 27 with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, telling him about contacts with the leadership of Azerbaijan and Armenia and the "steps being taken to achieve a cease-fire as soon as possible and de-escalate the crisis," a Kremlin statement said.
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has sparked concerns over a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in NATO member Turkey, which is an ally of Azerbaijan, and Russia, which has a military pact with Armenia.
Turkey has demanded a bigger role in the Minsk Group, which Ankara and Baku say has sidelined the Nagorno-Karabakh issue for decades without finding a lasting solution.
With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, and TASS


rferl--2020-10-28--Trump Wants Putin To 'Join Forces' On China, Former Adviser Says

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump would focus in a second term on getting Russian President Vladimir Putin to side with him in his confrontation with China , a former adviser said .
Fiona Hill , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and formerly the top Russia and Europe adviser on Trump 's National Security Council , also suggested that this goal was behind the president ’ s push earlier this year to invite Putin to the next meeting of the Group of Seven ( G7 ) industrialized nations .
“ Trump is really wanting to have Putin join forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in an hour-long discussion on October 27 with Stanford University adjunct professor and former U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer .
“ So beyond all the various pleasantries and ‘ please come visit ’ …and perhaps next phase of arms control , it will be about China , ” she said .
But Hill said Putin would be “ kind of nervous ” about a request to team up against its larger neighbor to the east .
“ The Russians really do n't want that.
” Trump has taken on China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launching a trade war against Beijing the following year and ratcheting up tensions this year with a ban on some Chinese technology companies .
The Trump administration has accused China of unfair trade practices , including industrial espionage , forced technology transfers , and subsidies to state-owned enterprises .
It has also accused Chinese technology companies of spying for the Chinese government .
The Trump administration has been pushing allies and friendly nations to join the United States in banning 5G Chinese technology .
As tensions with China spiked in the summer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putin to the next meeting of G7 world leaders despite opposition from other leaders .
The G7 consists of the United States , Britain , Germany , France , Italy , Japan , and Canada .
The group used to include Russia as the G8 , but the country was expelled in 2014 following the annexation of Ukraine ’ s Crimean Peninsula .
Hill said Russia is “ very fearful ” about China ’ s rapid rise and does not want to appear to be in a geopolitical struggle with the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia “ a great favor ” by pushing China and Russia closer together than they otherwise would be .
Washington has angered both Moscow and Beijing by punishing them economically with sanctions and bans .
However , Russia still has a “ great deal of anxiety ” over the sanctity of its border with China .
Moscow and Beijing signed border agreements in the 1990s and early 2000s following clashes decades earlier during the Soviet period .
But recent clashes between Beijing and Delhi over their shared border in the Himalayas may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you are sitting in Moscow and you see this happening , you might wonder and worry about China ’ s perspective on what seems to be resolved territorial disputes change over time , ” she said .
Chinese nationalists still see swaths of land north of the Amur as historically Chinese and she said it ’ s “ not beyond the realm of possibility ” that Beijing would replicate Russia ’ s actions in Crimea .

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump would focus in a second term on getting Russian President Vladimir Putin to side with him in his confrontation with China, a former adviser said.
Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and formerly the top Russia and Europe adviser on Trump's National Security Council, also suggested that this goal was behind the president’s push earlier this year to invite Putin to the next meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations.
“Trump is really wanting to have Putin join forces [on China],” Hill said in an hour-long discussion on October 27 with Stanford University adjunct professor and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer.
“So beyond all the various pleasantries and ‘please come visit’…and perhaps next phase of arms control, it will be about China,” she said.
But Hill said Putin would be “kind of nervous” about a request to team up against its larger neighbor to the east. “The Russians really don't want that.”
Trump has taken on China since coming to power in 2017, launching a trade war against Beijing the following year and ratcheting up tensions this year with a ban on some Chinese technology companies.
The Trump administration has accused China of unfair trade practices, including industrial espionage, forced technology transfers, and subsidies to state-owned enterprises. It has also accused Chinese technology companies of spying for the Chinese government.
The Trump administration has been pushing allies and friendly nations to join the United States in banning 5G Chinese technology.
As tensions with China spiked in the summer, Trump announced he would like to invite Putin to the next meeting of G7 world leaders despite opposition from other leaders.
The G7 consists of the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Canada. The group used to include Russia as the G8, but the country was expelled in 2014 following the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
Fear Of China
Hill said Russia is “very fearful” about China’s rapid rise and does not want to appear to be in a geopolitical struggle with the country.
She said the United States has done Russia “a great favor” by pushing China and Russia closer together than they otherwise would be.
Washington has angered both Moscow and Beijing by punishing them economically with sanctions and bans.
However, Russia still has a “great deal of anxiety” over the sanctity of its border with China.
Moscow and Beijing signed border agreements in the 1990s and early 2000s following clashes decades earlier during the Soviet period.
But recent clashes between Beijing and Delhi over their shared border in the Himalayas may have unsettled the Kremlin, she said.
“If you are sitting in Moscow and you see this happening, you might wonder and worry about China’s perspective on what seems to be resolved territorial disputes change over time,” she said.
Chinese nationalists still see swaths of land north of the Amur as historically Chinese and she said it’s “not beyond the realm of possibility” that Beijing would replicate Russia’s actions in Crimea.


rferl--2020-10-28--Trump Adviser Warns Of China, Says World Splitting Between Democratic, Authoritarian States

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump ’ s national-security adviser says the world is realigning geopolitically between democratic and authoritarian states as more countries realize the threat posed by China .
“ I think what we 're going to start having is a divide in the world between the democracies…and the authoritarian countries that are offering a different approach to the world , ” national-security adviser Robert O ’ Brien said in an interview on October 28 with the Hudson Institute , a conservative Washington-based think tank .
O ’ Brien , who replaced John Bolton in September 2019 , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era , when the United States and Soviet Union split part of the world into two camps , because there were dozens of countries that did not align with either power .
He listed Russia , Iran , and China as among the world ’ s authoritarian regimes and said other states “ are moving in that direction.
” He described some of the authoritarian states as “ pseudo ” democracies run by one party or a strongman .
Russia , Belarus , and countries in Central Asia have the trappings of democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are regularly rigged in favor of the ruling elite .
“ I think you are going to see a grouping of democracies led by countries like Brazil and India and the United States and others and then a group of authoritarian countries , ” he said .
O ’ Brien made the comment as he warned about the global threat posed by China ’ s use of technology to control its own citizens and spy on other nations .
He said China will have access to “ every bit of personal data ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose to use Chinese 5G technology in their networks and that it will enable Beijing to “ control us the way they control their own people.
” O ’ Brien said the divide between the democratic world and the authoritarian world will largely be reflected by who chooses to use Chinese 5G .
He said the Trump administration is making progress on its push to get allies and friendly nations to ban Chinese 5G technology from their networks .
“ We 're seeing that that they 're coming our way .
They 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national security but to the personal private data of their citizens , ” he said .
O ’ Brien credited Trump with being the “ first major leader ” to recognize that China would not slowly liberalize economically and politically as it integrated into the global order , a view that had been at the heart of U.S. policy for decades .
“ We ’ ve all watched China become more nationalistic , more mercantilistic , more authoritarian , ” he said .
Trump immediately sought to challenge China on trade abuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , eventually slapping tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods after talks stalled with Beijing .
The Trump administration and China signed the first phase of a trade deal in January that commits Beijing to buying $ 200 billion more U.S. goods over the next two years .
“ It was only by standing up to [ China ] that the United States could achieve a real improvement in the trade sphere , ” he said .

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump’s national-security adviser says the world is realigning geopolitically between democratic and authoritarian states as more countries realize the threat posed by China.
“I think what we're going to start having is a divide in the world between the democracies…and the authoritarian countries that are offering a different approach to the world,” national-security adviser Robert O’Brien said in an interview on October 28 with the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington-based think tank.
O’Brien, who replaced John Bolton in September 2019, said the situation differs from the Cold War era, when the United States and Soviet Union split part of the world into two camps, because there were dozens of countries that did not align with either power.
He listed Russia, Iran, and China as among the world’s authoritarian regimes and said other states “are moving in that direction.” He described some of the authoritarian states as “pseudo” democracies run by one party or a strongman.
Russia, Belarus, and countries in Central Asia have the trappings of democracy, such as elections, but they are regularly rigged in favor of the ruling elite.
“I think you are going to see a grouping of democracies led by countries like Brazil and India and the United States and others and then a group of authoritarian countries,” he said.
O’Brien made the comment as he warned about the global threat posed by China’s use of technology to control its own citizens and spy on other nations.
He said China will have access to “every bit of personal data” on people around the world if governments choose to use Chinese 5G technology in their networks and that it will enable Beijing to “control us the way they control their own people.”
O’Brien said the divide between the democratic world and the authoritarian world will largely be reflected by who chooses to use Chinese 5G.
He said the Trump administration is making progress on its push to get allies and friendly nations to ban Chinese 5G technology from their networks.
“We're seeing that that they're coming our way. They've realized the threat, not only to the national security but to the personal private data of their citizens,” he said.
O’Brien credited Trump with being the “first major leader” to recognize that China would not slowly liberalize economically and politically as it integrated into the global order, a view that had been at the heart of U.S. policy for decades.
“We’ve all watched China become more nationalistic, more mercantilistic, more authoritarian,” he said.
Trump immediately sought to challenge China on trade abuses when he came to power in 2017, eventually slapping tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods after talks stalled with Beijing.
The Trump administration and China signed the first phase of a trade deal in January that commits Beijing to buying $200 billion more U.S. goods over the next two years.
“It was only by standing up to [China] that the United States could achieve a real improvement in the trade sphere,” he said.