rferl--2020-01-14--Trudeau Says Plane Victims Would Be Alive If Not For Tensions; U.S. Touts Deterrence

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Canadians killed on board Flight 752 in Iran would be alive if tensions in the region were not at a heightened level .
`` If there were no tensions , if there was no escalation recently in the region , those Canadians would be right now home with their families , '' Trudeau told Global News TV , a Canadian broadcaster , on January 13 .
Iran 's military has admitted to shooting down a Ukrainian airliner on January 8 , killing all 176 on board , including 57 Canadians .
The incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missiles targeting U.S. forces in Iraq in retaliation for a U.S. drone attack that killed Iran 's most prominent military commander , Qasem Soleimani , on January 3 .
Trudeau has faced questions over the past week on whether U.S. President Donald Trump also bears partial responsibility for the tragedy .
`` This is something that happens when you have conflict and war , '' Trudeau said .
`` Innocents bear the brunt of it and it is a reminder why all of us need to work so hard on de-escalation , moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathway that does n't involve further conflict and killing . ''
Trudeau said he had spoken with Trump about the incident and emphasized the importance of easing strain .
`` I have spoken to him [ Trump ] and I have talked about the need to de-escalate tensions , '' he said .
The killing of Soleimani , who was the architect of Iran 's campaign to spread its influence across the Middle East , is part of a broader strategy of deterrence against Iran and other foes , U.S. Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Stanford University ’ s Hoover Institute in California on January 13 .
Titled , The Restoration of Deterrence : The Iranian Example , the speech focused on Washington 's strategy of establishing `` real deterrence '' against Iran .
Trump and Pompeo have said Soleimani was the world 's preeminent terrorist and justified his killing over imminent attacks U.S. diplomatic and military personnel were facing although the purported intelligence leading to that assessment has n't been disclosed .
`` The Fake News Media and their Democrat Partners are working hard to determine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorist Soleimani was 'imminent ' or not , & was my team in agreement , '' Trump said on Twitter on January 13 .
`` The answer to both is a strong YES.
, but it doesn ’ t really matter because of his horrible past ! ''
At Stanford , Pompeo said the `` bigger strategy '' behind the killing of Soleimani was that `` America now enjoys the greatest position of strength regarding Iran we 've ever been in . ''
In the speech , Pompeo referred to the 2015 nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdrew in 2018 , which allegedly had spurred Iran .
The new strategy was n't `` confined '' to Iran , Pompeo said , citing examples Washington has taken concerning Russia and China .
He mentioned lethal military aid given to Ukraine to defend itself from Russia-backed separatists and Trump 's departure from an arms-control pact with Moscow and recent tests last year of a new U.S. mid-range cruise missile .
Regarding China , Pompeo cited increased U.S. naval exercises in the South China Sea amid Beijing 's policy of militarization of disputed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other aspects of the deterrence strategy .
With reporting by Global News TV , Reuters , and AFP


rferl--2020-01-13--Pompeo Says Iraqi Leaders Privately Want U.S. Troops To Remain

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo maintains that various sectarian leaders in Iraq support the presence of U.S. forces in the country , despite public demands for them to leave .
While fielding questions from students at Stanford University in California on January 13 , Pompeo said a `` broad spectrum '' of Sunni , Kurdish , and Shi ’ ite leaders backed U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Iraq .
`` They wo n't all say so publicly , but privately , they all welcome the fact that America is still there executing its counterterror campaign ... and providing an opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independence that most Iraqis want , '' Pompeo claimed regarding his phone conversations with around 50 Iraqi community leaders .
Iraq 's parliament on January 5 adopted a resolution calling for foreign troops to leave the country in the wake of a U.S. air strike that killed a top military commander from Iran , whose influence in the country rivals that of the United States .
The Iraqi government `` commits to revoke its request for assistance from the international coalition fighting [ the Islamic State ( IS ) extremist group ] due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq and the achievement of victory , '' the lawmakers said in the nonbinding resolution .
A U.S. drone in Iraq on January 3 killed Qasem Soleimani , who commanded the Quds Force , the foreign arm of Iran 's hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps .
The killing marked a significant escalation between Iran and the United States , and angered Iraq 's Shi'ite majority , which has religious ties with Iran .
The United States has some 5,000 military personnel in Iraq , mainly as advisers .
Pompeo also reiterated President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States ' presence in the region while preserving U.S. interests .
`` And I think we can achieve both of these goals -- reduce our footprint , reduce our risk , while still achieving the American objectives in the region , including in Iraq , '' he said .

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


rferl--2020-01-13--Beijing Reiterates 'One China' Principle After Pro-Independence Tsai's Landslide Win

Officials in Beijing have reiterated the `` one China '' principle after voters in Taiwan reelected President Tsai Ing-wen , who says Taiwan is an independent country .
In a blow to the Chinese government , Tsai , 63 , won a landslide victory in voting over the weekend , underscoring the island of 23 million people ’ s animosity toward mainland leadership similar to that in Hong Kong , which has been rocked by pro-democracy protests since last June .
In a strongly worded response to Tsai 's win , State Councillor Wang Yi , China ’ s foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` one China '' principle had become de facto `` consensus '' among the international community .
`` This consensus wo n't alter a bit because of a local election on Taiwan , and will not be shaken because of the wrong words and actions of certain Western politicians , '' Wang said on January 13 while on an official trip through Africa .
Tsai , who often characterizes the Hong Kong protests as an example of what Chinese control over Taiwan could look like , won another four-year term by taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a record-breaking 8.2 million ballots , despite Chinese efforts to pressure Taiwanese voters into rejecting the incumbent through economic and diplomatic means .
Adding to her win , Tsai ’ s Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP ) secured a majority in parliament in the vote .
In a victory speech on January 11 , Tsai called for talks to resume with China , but said she hoped Beijing understood Taiwan and its people would not submit to intimidation .
The United States does not recognize Taiwan , which China considers a renegade province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pompeo , in addition to other top diplomats from Britain and Japan , have issued statements congratulating Tsai and the island 's democratic elections .
Based on reporting by AP , Reuters and AFP

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


rferl--2020-01-13--U.S. To Expel 21 Saudi Military Personnel After Florida Killings

Twenty-one Saudi military cadets undergoing training in the United States are being sent home following an investigation into last month 's fatal shooting of three Americans by a Saudi officer at a Florida naval base -- an attack that U.S. Attorney General William Barr on January 13 said was an act of terrorism .
A deputy sheriff killed the gunman , Saudi Air Force Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani , in the December 6 incident at the Pensacola base .
Barr said there was no evidence of assistance by other Saudi trainees or that any of them had advance knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference , Barr , the top U.S. law enforcement official , said 21 Saudi cadets were `` disenrolled from their training curriculum '' in the U.S. military and would leave the United States later on January 13 after an investigation showed they either had child pornography or social media accounts containing Islamic extremist or anti-American content .
`` This was an act of terrorism , '' Barr said .
`` The evidence showed that the shooter was motivated by jihadist ideology . ''
Saudi Arabia provided `` complete and total support '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr said .
The attack came at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Iran , Saudi Arabia 's regional rival .
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-01-13--Son Of Ex-President To Be Malta’s Next Prime Minister Amid Crisis Over Slain Journalist

A first-term member of parliament whose father was Malta ’ s president will be sworn in as the country ’ s prime minister on January 13 , replacing Joseph Muscat amid a crisis over the murder of a journalist who investigated corruption in his government .
Eligible members of the ruling Labor Party on January 11 cast 58 percent of their ballots for 42-year-old Robert Abela , who is a trained lawyer specializing in labor and industrial law , as well as a former bodybuilder .
The outgoing prime minister promised to resign in December after protests demanded his ouster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017 while she was investigating graft among the upper echelons of the Mediterranean country ’ s government and business community .
During his victory speech , Abela promised to repair the country ’ s reputation .
`` Malta is not going through any tragedy , but it is going through a sensitive time from which it will emerge stronger , '' Abela said .
`` We will continue to strengthen rule of law and good governance.
” An influential businessman with alleged links to government officials was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on November 30 .
The suspect , Yorgen Fenech , pleaded not guilty to that and other charges .
He was charged after prosecutors refused his request for immunity from prosecution in return for revealing details of the murder plot .
Implicated in the crime are Muscat ’ s former chief-of-staff and a former tourism minister , among others .
Both men resigned late in 2019 and deny any wrongdoing , including having business links with Fenech .
Three other men are in custody for carrying out the murder -- they , two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in December 2017 and have pleaded not guilty .
Alfred and George Degiorgio and Vincent Muscat were paid 150,000 euros ( $ 165,000 ) for the killing , according to Reuters .
The head of Reporters Without Borders in Britain , Rebecca Vincent , told AFP that Abela `` has his work cut out for him '' and promised she and other human rights campaigners would `` hold this administration to account in ensuring full justice for Daphne [ Caruana Galizia ] . ''
Malta is the EU ’ s smallest member state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Hour , and Reuters


rferl--2020-01-14--Kosovo Prosecutor Seeks Fine For Russians Charged With Illegal Border Crossing

A prosecutor in Kosovo has demanded that two Russian nationals detained in the north of the country on suspicion of illegally crossing the border from Serbia be fined for their actions .
Nikola Kabasic , chief of the Basic Court in the city of Mitrovica , on January 14 told RFE/RL that the court has received prosecutor Slobodan Bakic ’ s request that the two Russians -- a man and a woman -- be fined and that a decision is likely on January 15 .
People familiar with the matter told RFE/RL that the Russian nationals asserted to Kosovar authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern Serbia -- but that their navigation system had mistakenly sent them across the border with Kosovo .
Kosovo , which was formerly a province of Serbia , has tense relations with its Balkan neighbor .
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 -- a move never recognized by Belgrade , its traditional ally Russia , and five EU member states .
It is recognized by more than 110 countries , including its close ally , the United States .
Prosecutor Bakic told RFE/RL the two had earlier attempted to cross the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did not have visas .
The Russians `` then used an alternative route in the village of Sharpel and attempted to cross the border illegally , ” he said , adding that he had ordered a 24-hour detention before they were to appear before a judge .
The prosecutor said the detention took place on January 13 in Leposavic , a town mainly populated by ethnic Serbs .
He identified them as Igor Krasikov and Marina Vladimirovna Krasikova .

A prosecutor in Kosovo has demanded that two Russian nationals detained in the north of the country on suspicion of illegally crossing the border from Serbia be fined for their actions.
Nikola Kabasic, chief of the Basic Court in the city of Mitrovica, on January 14 told RFE/RL that the court has received prosecutor Slobodan Bakic’s request that the two Russians -- a man and a woman -- be fined and that a decision is likely on January 15.
People familiar with the matter told RFE/RL that the Russian nationals asserted to Kosovar authorities they intended to reach Lukovska Banja in southern Serbia -- but that their navigation system had mistakenly sent them across the border with Kosovo.
Kosovo, which was formerly a province of Serbia, has tense relations with its Balkan neighbor. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 -- a move never recognized by Belgrade, its traditional ally Russia, and five EU member states. It is recognized by more than 110 countries, including its close ally, the United States.
Prosecutor Bakic told RFE/RL the two had earlier attempted to cross the border at Jarina but were turned back because they did not have visas.
The Russians "then used an alternative route in the village of Sharpel and attempted to cross the border illegally,” he said, adding that he had ordered a 24-hour detention before they were to appear before a judge.
The prosecutor said the detention took place on January 13 in Leposavic, a town mainly populated by ethnic Serbs.
He identified them as Igor Krasikov and Marina Vladimirovna Krasikova.


rferl--2020-01-14--Human Rights Watch Assails Abuses In Russia, China, Criticizes Trump

Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) said the rights situation in Russia `` continued to deteriorate '' last year and it slammed Moscow for its crackdown on activism in the country , saying authorities relied on “ repression ” and “ showcase prosecutions ” to help silence dissent .
The New York-based rights watchdog on January 14 also assailed China for its “ attacks ” on human rights and its efforts to export such behavior , and it took issue with U.S. President Donald Trump , grouping him among leaders it says are unwilling to promote human rights in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HRW ’ s 652-page World Report 2020 , which surveyed the human rights situation in nearly 100 countries .
It was the 30th annual edition of the influential report by the rights watchdog .
In its review of Russia , HRW said that “ with few exceptions , authorities responded to rising civic activism with bans , repressive laws , and showcase prosecutions ” in 2019 .
“ Record numbers of people protested the groundless exclusion of opposition candidates from a local election in Moscow , and authorities responded with an overwhelming show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal prosecutions , ” it said .
Over the summer , demonstrations were held in Moscow and other Russian cities in protest over authorities ' refusal to allow independent and opposition candidates to get on the ballot for local elections .
The protests soon grew to voice discontent with Russia ’ s broader political system .
The report also criticized the efforts by the government to restrict online speech , “ suffocate ” nongovernmental organizations , and pursue an “ intimidation campaign against individuals for allegedly defying the law banning ‘ undesirable ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ torture and other ill-treatment '' remained widespread , especially in pretrial detention and prisons , but it said authorities often deny that such activities take place and do not prosecute those responsible .
Amid the protests and dissent , polls in Russia indicate trust in President Vladimir Putin has slipped from the extreme highs of previous years , even though he does remain popular and overwhelmingly won an election for a fourth term as president in 2018 .
Kenneth Roth , HRW 's executive director , also pointed to other threats to human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said forces from Russia and the Syrian government “ blatantly disregard the international rules designed to spare civilians , including the prohibitions against attacking civilians and bombing hospitals.
” Russia , along with Iran , has provided crucial support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 's government in a civil war that has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions since it began with a crackdown on antigovernment protesters in March 2011 .
A key focus of the HRW 2020 review was what the rights watchdog called China ’ s “ intense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defending human rights .
Roth said , “ Decades of progress that have allowed people around the world to speak freely , live without fear of arbitrary imprisonment and torture , and enjoy other human rights are at risk.
” He said the Chinese government has created a “ vast surveillance state ” at home in its effort to “ achieve total social control.
” He added , though , that it is now increasingly using its economic and diplomatic might “ to fend off global efforts abroad to hold it to account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long suppressed domestic critics , ” Roth said .
“ Now the Chinese government is trying to extend that censorship to the rest of the world.
” HRW also cited what it called the encroachment on Hong Kong ’ s limited freedoms under “ one country , two systems.
” Hundreds of thousands of people have joined in street protests against Beijing ’ s efforts to stifle dissent in the city , which is part of China but was guaranteed a great deal of autonomy for 50 years through a deal with Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territory to Beijing .
The report also assailed Chinese authorities in Xinjiang Province , where they have created a “ a nightmarish surveillance system to control millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims , arbitrarily detaining 1 million people for forced political indoctrination.
” He urged the global community to “ band together ” to create a meaningful check on repression and to counter Beijing ’ s attacks .
The HRW chief , however , expressed disappointment with some world leaders , saying that an `` inhospitable terrain for human rights is aiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A growing number of governments that previously could be relied on at least some of the time to promote human rights in their foreign policy now have leaders , such as United States President Donald Trump , who are unwilling to do so , ” he said .

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the rights situation in Russia "continued to deteriorate" last year and it slammed Moscow for its crackdown on activism in the country, saying authorities relied on “repression” and “showcase prosecutions” to help silence dissent.
The New York-based rights watchdog on January 14 also assailed China for its “attacks” on human rights and its efforts to export such behavior, and it took issue with U.S. President Donald Trump, grouping him among leaders it says are unwilling to promote human rights in their foreign policy.
The comments come from HRW’s 652-page World Report 2020, which surveyed the human rights situation in nearly 100 countries. It was the 30th annual edition of the influential report by the rights watchdog.
In its review of Russia, HRW said that “with few exceptions, authorities responded to rising civic activism with bans, repressive laws, and showcase prosecutions” in 2019.
“Record numbers of people protested the groundless exclusion of opposition candidates from a local election in Moscow, and authorities responded with an overwhelming show of force, detentions, and rushed criminal prosecutions,” it said.
Over the summer, demonstrations were held in Moscow and other Russian cities in protest over authorities' refusal to allow independent and opposition candidates to get on the ballot for local elections. The protests soon grew to voice discontent with Russia’s broader political system.
The report also criticized the efforts by the government to restrict online speech, “suffocate” nongovernmental organizations, and pursue an “intimidation campaign against individuals for allegedly defying the law banning ‘undesirable’ foreign organizations.”
It said that "torture and other ill-treatment" remained widespread, especially in pretrial detention and prisons, but it said authorities often deny that such activities take place and do not prosecute those responsible.
Amid the protests and dissent, polls in Russia indicate trust in President Vladimir Putin has slipped from the extreme highs of previous years, even though he does remain popular and overwhelmingly won an election for a fourth term as president in 2018.
Kenneth Roth, HRW's executive director, also pointed to other threats to human rights, including in Syria, where he said forces from Russia and the Syrian government “blatantly disregard the international rules designed to spare civilians, including the prohibitions against attacking civilians and bombing hospitals.”
Russia, along with Iran, has provided crucial support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in a civil war that has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions since it began with a crackdown on antigovernment protesters in March 2011.
A key focus of the HRW 2020 review was what the rights watchdog called China’s “intense attack” on the global system for defending human rights.
Roth said, “Decades of progress that have allowed people around the world to speak freely, live without fear of arbitrary imprisonment and torture, and enjoy other human rights are at risk.”
He said the Chinese government has created a “vast surveillance state” at home in its effort to “achieve total social control.”
He added, though, that it is now increasingly using its economic and diplomatic might “to fend off global efforts abroad to hold it to account for its repression.”
“Beijing has long suppressed domestic critics,” Roth said.
“Now the Chinese government is trying to extend that censorship to the rest of the world.”
HRW also cited what it called the encroachment on Hong Kong’s limited freedoms under “one country, two systems.”
Hundreds of thousands of people have joined in street protests against Beijing’s efforts to stifle dissent in the city, which is part of China but was guaranteed a great deal of autonomy for 50 years through a deal with Britain in 1997, when it handed the territory to Beijing.
The report also assailed Chinese authorities in Xinjiang Province, where they have created a “a nightmarish surveillance system to control millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims, arbitrarily detaining 1 million people for forced political indoctrination.”
He urged the global community to “band together” to create a meaningful check on repression and to counter Beijing’s attacks.
The HRW chief, however, expressed disappointment with some world leaders, saying that an "inhospitable terrain for human rights is aiding the Chinese government’s attack.”
“A growing number of governments that previously could be relied on at least some of the time to promote human rights in their foreign policy now have leaders, such as United States President Donald Trump, who are unwilling to do so,” he said.


rferl--2020-01-14--U.S. Senate Leader Says Impeachment Trial Likely To Begin On January 21

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump is likely to begin on January 21 , a historic event likely to highlight divisions in the American political system and society as a whole .
McConnell , a senior Republican and vocal supporter of the president , on January 14 said some preliminary steps must still be taken , such as the official swearing-in of senators for the case , before the trial can begin .
He made the comments shortly after Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives said a vote would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chamber to decide whether to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate .
Pelosi on January 14 met with House Democrats about the next steps in the bid to have Trump removed from office on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
`` The American people deserves the truth , and the Constitution demands a trial , '' she said in a statement .
`` The House will now proceed with a vote on transmitting the articles of impeachment and naming impeachment managers on Wednesday , January 15 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ held accountable . ''
The House , which has the sole power to impeach a president , is likely to approve the motion to send the case to the Senate , given the lower house ’ s Democratic majority .
However , the Senate is controlled by Republicans , meaning that acquittal is almost assured as it would take a two-thirds majority to convict and remove the president from office .
The Republicans have 53 seats in the chamber .
The House impeached Trump last month on charges of abuse of power over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and obstruction of Congress in the following investigation .
Trump has called the process a “ sham , ” while many Republicans in the Senate have already indicated their support for the president .
Two previous presidential cases have gone to the Senate for trial .
President Andrew Johnson was acquitted in 1868 and Bill Clinton was cleared in 1999 following Senate trials .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-01-14--New Video Shows Two Iranian Missiles Hit Ukrainian Plane

New security camera footage posted online shows two Iranian missiles struck a Ukrainian passenger airliner after takeoff from Tehran on January 8 .
The new video , which was verified by The New York Times , emerged on January 14 amid continued protests in Iran as President Hassan Rohani called for a special court to be set up to investigate the downing of the plane by the country ’ s air defenses that killed all 176 people on board .
Also on January 14 , judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili announced the first arrests made over the air disaster , without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The New York Times said that the missiles were launched from an Iranian military facility some 13 kilometers away from the Ukraine International Airlines ( UIA ) Boeing 737-800 .
The footage shows that neither projectile immediately took down the plane which catches fire and is circling back toward Tehran airport , it said .
The video was originally uploaded on YouTube by an Iranian user .
`` Extensive investigations have been carried out and some people have been arrested , '' Esmaili said .
He added that around 30 people had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster as thousands of protesters took to the streets in Tehran and several other cities to vent their anger with the clerical establishment over the incident .
Meanwhile , new videos circulating on social media purported to show fresh protests on January 14 in the evening at universities in Tehran , along with clashes between students and Basij militia loyal to the establishment .
Rohani said earlier that all those responsible for the “ unforgivable error ” must be “ punished . ''
Daily protests have been held in Iranian cities since January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said UIA Flight PS752 was shot down `` unintentionally '' by an antiaircraft missile shortly after it took off from Tehran 's Imam Khomeini International Airport three days earlier .
Most of those killed in the disaster were Iranian and Canadian nationals .
The crash occurred with Iran ’ s air-defense forces on high alert following an Iranian ballistic-missile attack a few hours earlier against U.S. forces in Iraq .
`` The judiciary should form a special court with a ranking judge and dozens of experts , '' Rohani said in his speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' admission in the incident was “ a good first step.
” `` For our people it is very important in this incident that whoever was at fault or negligent at any level '' faces justice , he said .
Authorities in Tehran denied using live ammunition on demonstrators , after videos posted online purported to show police and security forces opening fire and using tear gas to disperse protesters near Tehran ’ s Azadi ( Freedom ) Square on the night of January 12 .
Reuters said videos showed blood on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be security personnel in the vicinity of protests carrying rifles .
Other posts showed police in riot gear hitting protesters with batons on the street , the agency said .
The U.S. State Department has warned Iranian authorities that Washington was not going to `` tolerate '' violence against the protesters .
`` We want the regime to know that the United States is watching , that the world is watching , and that we are going to shine a very , very big light on any abuse by the regime to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ortagus told RFE/RL on January 13 .
The Ukrainian airliner was carrying 82 Iranians , 57 Canadians , 11 Ukrainians , 10 Swedes , 10 Afghans , three Germans , and three Britons .
Iran has invited Canada and Ukraine to take part in the investigation into the plane disaster .
A team of Canadian experts visited the site on January 14 where the Boeing 737 crashed , Iran 's ISNA news agency reported .
Earlier in the day , Iranian state TV reported in an online post that aviation officials from Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting in Tehran on January 14 over the investigation of the crash .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was glad Tehran had identified the downing of the plane as an `` appalling mistake '' and added that it was important the bodies of the British victims are now repatriated .
Asked whether Iran should face consequences , Johnson told the BBC , `` They 're clearly guilty of an appalling error , I do n't think we are currently envisaging any further escalation of the tensions . ''
Amirali Hajizadeh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) , said on January 11 that his unit accepts “ full responsibility ” for the tragedy .
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed his “ deep sympathy ” to the families of the 176 victims and called on the armed forces to `` pursue probable shortcomings and guilt in the painful incident.
” With reporting by AP , Reuters , AFP , and the BBC


rferl--2020-01-15--British Ambassador 'Leaving Iran' Amid Diplomatic Spat

The British ambassador to Tehran has left Iran after being detained by Iranian authorities last week , state-run media reported on January 15 .
Rob Macaire was detained for three hours on January 11 after attending a candlelight vigil for the victims of the downing by Iran ’ s air defenses of a Ukrainian passenger plane .
Iran ’ s official IRNA news agency said the diplomat had left after being given what it described as “ prior notice.
” The report did not elaborate .
The British Foreign Office insisted that Macaire ’ s trip to London was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was planned before his arrest .
`` It is quite normal for our ambassadors to come back to London to have meetings here , '' a spokesman said .
Macaire has said he attended the vigil in Tehran because it was `` normal to want to pay respects '' to the 176 victims of the January 8 downing of the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 -- some of whom were Britons .
But the event quickly turned into an anti-government protest , and Macaire said he left after 5 minutes .
Iran 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` against diplomatic norms '' and warned Britain to avoid making `` any new mistake . ''
The British government expressed `` strong objections '' to the arrest , which it called a “ flagrant violation of international law.
” Based on reporting by AP and dpa


rferl--2020-01-15--Court In Russia-Occupied Crimea Expunges Journalist Semena’s Criminal Record

A court in Ukraine ’ s Russia-controlled Crimea region has ruled to prematurely terminate the probation period and expunge the criminal record of Mykola Semena , an RFE/RL contributor who was convicted of separatism on the peninsula .
The court in Simferopol , the region ’ s capital , on January 14 upheld the motion filed by the lawyer of Semena , who has contributed to the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL ’ s Ukrainian Service .
The ruling is supposed to take effect in 10 calendar days .
In December , the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine asked President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist and five other colleagues on the list of people held captive in occupied territories for a prisoner exchange and be released to mainland Ukraine .
Semena was arrested by the Russia-imposed authorities in April 2016 and charged with acting against the “ territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.
” He says the accusation was politically motivated and violated fundamental freedoms of expression and that Russian authorities based their case on an inaccurate translation of one of his stories from Ukrainian into Russian .
In September 2017 , a court convicted him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and banned him from “ public activity ” for three years .
Three months later , a court that Russia calls the Supreme Court of Crimea upheld his conviction .
The United States , the European Union , the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe , and international media watchdogs have all condemned the trial and verdict .
The United Nations has documented numerous human rights abuses in Crimea , accusing the Russian-imposed authorities of conducting a persistent campaign of oppression that targets opponents of the peninsula ’ s annexation , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tartars , independent media outlets , and journalists .
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the order to seize Crimea in 2014 after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned office and fled to Russia amid a popular pro-democracy uprising .

A court in Ukraine’s Russia-controlled Crimea region has ruled to prematurely terminate the probation period and expunge the criminal record of Mykola Semena, an RFE/RL contributor who was convicted of separatism on the peninsula.
The court in Simferopol, the region’s capital, on January 14 upheld the motion filed by the lawyer of Semena, who has contributed to the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service.
The ruling is supposed to take effect in 10 calendar days.
In December, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine asked President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to include the native Crimean journalist and five other colleagues on the list of people held captive in occupied territories for a prisoner exchange and be released to mainland Ukraine.
Semena was arrested by the Russia-imposed authorities in April 2016 and charged with acting against the “territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.”
He says the accusation was politically motivated and violated fundamental freedoms of expression and that Russian authorities based their case on an inaccurate translation of one of his stories from Ukrainian into Russian.
In September 2017, a court convicted him and gave Semena a 2 1/2-year suspended sentence and banned him from “public activity” for three years.
Three months later, a court that Russia calls the Supreme Court of Crimea upheld his conviction.
The United States, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and international media watchdogs have all condemned the trial and verdict.
The United Nations has documented numerous human rights abuses in Crimea, accusing the Russian-imposed authorities of conducting a persistent campaign of oppression that targets opponents of the peninsula’s annexation, including many among the regions’ indigenous Crimean Tartars, independent media outlets, and journalists.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the order to seize Crimea in 2014 after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned office and fled to Russia amid a popular pro-democracy uprising.


rferl--2020-01-15--Kyrgyz, Tajik Officials Agree To Swap Lands To Solve Border Issues

BATKEN , Kyrgyzstan -- Kyrgyz and Tajik officials have agreed to start the process of a land swap along a disputed segment of the border between the two Central Asian nations after years of sometimes deadly clashes .
The talks were held in Tajikistan 's Isfara region , near the Tajik village of Guliston and the Kyrgyz village of Kyzyl-Bel in the southern Batken region , following another round of violence between Kyrgyz and Tajiks residing near the border .
The negotiations ended at midnight on January 14 , Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Jenish Razakov , who led the Kyrgyz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister Azim Ibrohim .
Razakov said the sides signed a joint protocol , according to which a joint working group by February 15 will attempt to agree on the line of demarcation of the 114-kilometer border segment .
March 1 they aim to define areas `` equal by size and significance '' for exchange .
Gunshots fired along the border on January 9 were the latest illustration of simmering tensions in the region .
Kyrgyz officials have said they were fired from the Tajik side , prompting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including 139 children , from a village near the location of the clashes .
No casualties were reported .
The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry summoned the Tajik ambassador over the incident , while the Tajik side blamed residents of a Kyrgyz village for provoking the unrest .
On January 11 , authorities in the Batken region arrested four local residents , who allegedly took part in the clashes , and charged them with hooliganism and taking part in mass disorder .
On January 15 , dozens of activists rallied in central Bishkek , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persons and urging Razakov to resign .
The segment of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border where the incident took place has seen similar clashes in the past , including at least 10 skirmishes last year .
In December , six Kyrgyz nationals and three Tajik nationals were wounded in clashes in the area , while violence in September claimed four lives .
Many border areas in the former Soviet republics in Central Asia have been disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 .
The situation is particularly complicated near the numerous exclaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the borders of Tajikistan , Uzbekistan , and Kyrgyzstan meet .

BATKEN, Kyrgyzstan -- Kyrgyz and Tajik officials have agreed to start the process of a land swap along a disputed segment of the border between the two Central Asian nations after years of sometimes deadly clashes.
The talks were held in Tajikistan's Isfara region, near the Tajik village of Guliston and the Kyrgyz village of Kyzyl-Bel in the southern Batken region, following another round of violence between Kyrgyz and Tajiks residing near the border.
The negotiations ended at midnight on January 14, Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Jenish Razakov, who led the Kyrgyz delegation, told RFE/RL. The Tajik delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister Azim Ibrohim.
Razakov said the sides signed a joint protocol, according to which a joint working group by February 15 will attempt to agree on the line of demarcation of the 114-kilometer border segment. March 1 they aim to define areas "equal by size and significance" for exchange.
Gunshots fired along the border on January 9 were the latest illustration of simmering tensions in the region.
Kyrgyz officials have said they were fired from the Tajik side, prompting the brief evacuation of 254 Kyrgyz nationals, including 139 children, from a village near the location of the clashes. No casualties were reported.
The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry summoned the Tajik ambassador over the incident, while the Tajik side blamed residents of a Kyrgyz village for provoking the unrest.
On January 11, authorities in the Batken region arrested four local residents, who allegedly took part in the clashes, and charged them with hooliganism and taking part in mass disorder.
On January 15, dozens of activists rallied in central Bishkek, demanding immediate release of the four arrested persons and urging Razakov to resign.
The segment of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border where the incident took place has seen similar clashes in the past, including at least 10 skirmishes last year.
In December, six Kyrgyz nationals and three Tajik nationals were wounded in clashes in the area, while violence in September claimed four lives.
Many border areas in the former Soviet republics in Central Asia have been disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The situation is particularly complicated near the numerous exclaves in the volatile Ferghana Valley, where the borders of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan meet.


rferl--2020-01-15--Border Guards: Fewer Ukrainians Traveled To Russia In 2019

Ukraine ’ s State Border Guard Service ( DPSU ) says passenger traffic at the Russian-Ukrainian border in 2019 decreased @ @ @ @ @ million people in comparison to the previous year .
Approximately 7 million Ukrainians entered Russia @ @ @ @ @ than in 2018 , the government agency said on January 14 .
Nine percent fewer @ @ @ @ @ Belarus and 6.1 percent to Moldova .
The travel documents of more than 102 million @ @ @ @ @ , a record , says DPSU .
International Ukrainian air travelers surged 30 percent last @ @ @ @ @ Land crossings of Ukraine ’ s border with its four EU neighbors remained flat for @ @ @ @ @ million people .
After Russia annexed Ukraine ’ s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and started @ @ @ @ @ the easternmost regions of Donetsk and Luhansk , Kyiv banned direct flights between the two @ @ @ @ @ to most EU countries , more Ukrainians are driving to the 28-nation bloc .
International @ @ @ @ @ by Ukrainians jumped by 43 percent through November on a yearly basis .

Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service (DPSU) says passenger traffic at the Russian-Ukrainian border in 2019 decreased by 10 percent to 10 million people in comparison to the previous year.
Approximately 7 million Ukrainians entered Russia last year, 800,000 fewer than in 2018, the government agency said on January 14.
Nine percent fewer Ukrainians also traveled to neighboring Belarus and 6.1 percent to Moldova.
The travel documents of more than 102 million travelers were checked last year, a record, says DPSU.
International Ukrainian air travelers surged 30 percent last year to 15.1 million.
Land crossings of Ukraine’s border with its four EU neighbors remained flat for the same period at 36.7 million people.
After Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and started fomenting a separatist war in the easternmost regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, Kyiv banned direct flights between the two countries.
Enjoying visa-free travel to most EU countries, more Ukrainians are driving to the 28-nation bloc.
International driving insurance contracts taken out by Ukrainians jumped by 43 percent through November on a yearly basis.


rferl--2020-01-15--Iran's Rohani Calls For National Unity After Officials 'Lied' About Plane Downing

Iranian President Hassan Rohani has called for national unity amid continued protests in Iran over the downing of a Ukrainian passenger airliner by the country ’ s air defenses a week ago .
The call for calm , delivered in a televised speech during a cabinet meeting on January 15 , came as Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said at a conference in India that people have been demonstrating `` against the fact that they were lied to for a couple of days . ''
`` The people want to make sure that the authorities treat them with sincerity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , calling on the armed forces to `` apologize '' and explain what exactly happened in the tragedy .
Flight PS752 was brought down after it took off from Tehran on January 8 , killing all 176 people on board .
Most of the victims were Iranian and Canadian nationals .
The crash occurred with Iran ’ s air-defense forces on high alert following an Iranian ballistic-missile attack a few hours earlier against U.S. forces in Iraq .
The strikes came days after Iran ’ s most prominent military commander , Qasem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drone strike in Baghdad .
Daily protests have been held in Iranian cities since January 11 , after the country 's military admitted the Ukraine International Airlines ( UIA ) Boeing 737-800 was shot down `` unintentionally '' by an antiaircraft missile .
“ In the last few nights , we ’ ve had people in the streets of Tehran demonstrating against the fact that they were lied to for a couple of days , ” Zarif said in the first comments by an Iranian official that referred to initial statements by authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downed by missile fire .
The minister went on to praise Iran 's military for being “ brave enough to claim responsibility early on . ''
However , he claimed that he and Rohani only found out the truth concerning the cause of the disaster on January 10 -- two days after the Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down .
Zarif also blamed U.S. “ ignorance ” and “ arrogance ” for “ fueling mayhem ” in the Middle East .
Rohani also lashed out at Europe in his speech for the triggering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a 2015 nuclear accord by Britain , France and Germany for Tehran 's non-compliance with terms of the deal .
`` Today , the American soldier is in danger , tomorrow the European soldier could be in danger , ” Rohani said without elaborating .
Iran has gradually lifted all limits on its production of enriched uranium , which can be used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons , in response to sanctions reinstated by the United States after it abandoned the nuclear agreement in May 2018 .
On January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” allegations that the country is seeking to make nuclear weapons .
In Moscow , meanwhile , Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia was both disappointed and concerned over the move by European powers .
“ It is politically erroneous and has serious implications for the prospect of preserving ” the nuclear pact , Ryabkov said .
The crashed Ukrainian airliner was carrying 82 Iranians , 57 Canadians , 11 Ukrainians , 10 Swedes , 10 Afghans , three Germans , and three Britons .
Ukraine says it has asked Iran to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorders from the plane .
The Prosecutor-General 's Office said in a statement on January 15 it it would take `` all measures '' to properly decode the black boxes and `` preserve evidence in the investigation of the accident . ''
Ukraine 's Security Service ( SBU ) is in charge of investigating the crash , it added .
Canada ’ s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on January 14 asked for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 's “ assistance in dialogue with the Iranian authorities as regards the identification of the bodies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the presidential office said .
The statement came after Iranian state TV said in an online post that aviation officials from Iran , Ukraine , and Canada , which which cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in 2012 , held a meeting in Tehran over the investigation of the tragedy .
Iran 's ISNA news agency also reported that a team of Canadian experts had visited the crash site .
In a televised speech on January 14 , Rohani called for a special court to be set up to investigate the downing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those responsible for the “ unforgivable error ” must be “ punished . ''
Meanwhile , Iran ’ s judiciary announced on January 14 the first arrests made over the air disaster , without naming them or specifying how many .
It also said that around 30 people had been arrested in the protests over the air disaster as thousands of protesters took to the streets in Tehran and several other cities to vent their anger with the clerical establishment over the incident .
Iranian social media postings urged Iranians to take to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January 15 .
Amirali Hajizadeh , the head of the aerospace division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) , has said that his unit accepts “ full responsibility ” for the tragedy .
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed his “ deep sympathy ” to the families of the 176 victims and called on the armed forces to `` pursue probable shortcomings and guilt in the painful incident.
” With reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-01-15--Russian Tycoon Usmanov Expands Sponsorship Of English Soccer Team Everton

Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has increased his investment in English soccer team Everton by paying 30 million pounds ( $ 39 million ) for the rights to name the club ’ s proposed new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium , the Premier League club ’ s 2018-2019 financial statement says .
Everton ’ s training facility has since 2017 been sponsored by USM , a holding company established by the 66-year-old Usmanov who is a friend and longtime business partner of Farhad Moshiri , the British-Iranian who is the team ’ s majority shareholder .
Connected with the Kremlin ’ s ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first foray into English soccer was owning a 30-percent stake in London team Arsenal , which he sold to U.S. national Stan Kreonke for $ 700 million in cash in August 2018 .
His USM , in which Moshiri is invested , now has a deal for first option of naming rights once the new stadium is near completion .
It is scheduled to open its gates by 2023 .
Everton is still awaiting planning permission from the city of Liverpool but the team ’ s CEO , Denise Barret-Baxendale , told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 that the stadium ’ s construction project could add a billion pounds to the local economy and create 15,000 jobs .
Usmanov ’ s net worth hovers at $ 13 billion , according to Forbes , and is derived mostly from steel , telecommunications , and investments .
Russian billionaire Roman Abaramovich owns London team Chelsea , which he bought in 2003 and Bournemouth has been bankrolled by Maksim Demin since 2011 .
Russian state-owned Gazprom is also one of the main sponsors of the Champions League , the European continent ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Based on reporting by The Irish Times , Forbes , AP , and Reuters

Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has increased his investment in English soccer team Everton by paying 30 million pounds ($39 million) for the rights to name the club’s proposed new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium, the Premier League club’s 2018-2019 financial statement says.
Everton’s training facility has since 2017 been sponsored by USM, a holding company established by the 66-year-old Usmanov who is a friend and longtime business partner of Farhad Moshiri, the British-Iranian who is the team’s majority shareholder.
Connected with the Kremlin’s ruling elite, the Russian tycoon’s first foray into English soccer was owning a 30-percent stake in London team Arsenal, which he sold to U.S. national Stan Kreonke for $700 million in cash in August 2018.
His USM, in which Moshiri is invested, now has a deal for first option of naming rights once the new stadium is near completion.
It is scheduled to open its gates by 2023.
Everton is still awaiting planning permission from the city of Liverpool but the team’s CEO, Denise Barret-Baxendale, told the team’s general meeting on January 14 that the stadium’s construction project could add a billion pounds to the local economy and create 15,000 jobs.
Usmanov’s net worth hovers at $13 billion, according to Forbes, and is derived mostly from steel, telecommunications, and investments.
Russian billionaire Roman Abaramovich owns London team Chelsea, which he bought in 2003 and Bournemouth has been bankrolled by Maksim Demin since 2011.
Russian state-owned Gazprom is also one of the main sponsors of the Champions League, the European continent’s most prestigious soccer team tournament.
Based on reporting by The Irish Times, Forbes, AP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-01-15--Democrats Release New Documents From Giuliani Associate Ahead Of Impeachment Trial

Impeachment investigators at the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a trove of documents to a Congressional committee from Lev Parnas , a close associate of President Donald Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , as potential new evidence in the pending Senate impeachment trial of Trump .
The documents , including handwritten notes , e-mails , and phone records , were released on January 14 and provide fresh context on details about the prodding of Ukraine to pursue investigations into Trump ’ s political rivals as the president withheld military aid to the country .
They were sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the House Intelligence Committee chairman , along with an enclosure that highlights the key aspects of the material as they relate to the impeachment proceedings .
One note , written by Parnas , says “ get Zalensky to Annonce ( sic ) that the Biden case will be investigated.
” In July , Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate presidential front-runner Joe Biden , and his son Hunter Biden .
Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian energy firm from 2014 until last year .
Among the documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Zelenskiy requesting a meeting in mid-May .
“ In my capacity as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent , I request a meeting with you on this upcoming Monday , May 13th or Tuesday , May 14th , ” Giuliani ’ s letter said .
Parnas , who has pleaded not guilty to federal campaign-finance violations in a separate criminal case after being arrested on October 9 , 2019 , also tried to arrange a meeting between Zelenskiy and Giuliani .
On July 7 , he texted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vienna and “ trying to get us mr Z.
” Ukrainian Oligarch Firtash Giuliani ’ s letter stated he would be accompanied in the meeting by Victoria Toensing , an attorney .
She and her husband , attorney Joseph diGenova , are loyal Trump allies whose clients have included Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash .
Firtash is fighting extradition to the United States on bribery charges and federal prosecutors contend that Parnas tried to conceal $ 1 million he received from Firtash .
Parnas ’ s undated handwritten notes were produced on stationery from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The notes say Firtash ’ s lawyer Lanny Davis should be fired and be replaced by Toensing and diGenova .
Regarding the lawyer couple , the notes also say a deal should be sealed in one to three months , either `` cut a deal or get dismissed.
” The same note says that `` Firtash '' is `` toxic . ''
On July 23 , 2019 , Davis filed a document with U.S. authorities saying he no longer represents Firtash .
Tracking Of Yovanovitch The documents also show Connecticut congressional candidate Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch in messages to Parnas and gave him updates on her location and mobile phone use , raising concerns about possible surveillance .
In March , “ Mr .
Hyde then sent a series of text messages suggesting that he had Ambassador Yovanovitch under physical surveillance , '' the attached enclosure to Schiff ’ s letter stated .
Using crude language , Hyde indicated to Parnas that Yovanovitch should be removed from her post .
In a cryptic message , Hyde wrote Parnas : “ They are willing to help if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added : “ Guess you can do anything in the Ukraine with money…what I was told.
” Yovanovitch , who was recalled a month later in April , called for an investigation into the messages through her lawyer Lawrence Robbins .
“ Needless to say , the notion that American citizens and others were monitoring Ambassador Yovanovitch ’ s movements for unknown purposes is disturbing , her lawyer told U.S. media .
“ We trust that the appropriate authorities will conduct an investigation to determine what happened . ''
When asked by CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yovanovitch , Hyde replied in a text message : `` No effing way . ''
“ A preliminary review of…a voluminous record of data extracted…corroborates the findings and evidence related to the president ’ s scheme , which was laid out in the Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Report , released by the [ House Intelligence ] Committee on December 3 , ” the attached enclosure to Schiff ’ s letter said .
The Democrat-led House of Representatives in December charged Trump with abusing the power of his office for personal gain and obstruction of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has called the impeachment proceedings a “ witch hunt.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that on January 15 the legislative chamber “ will vote on transmitting the articles of impeachment '' to the Senate for a trial and name the impeachment managers .
The managers from the House will act as prosecutors in the impeachment trial while the role of senators , the majority of whom are Republicans , is that of a jury .
The presiding judge will be Chief Justice John Roberts who could have to rule on whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear in the trial .
However , 51 senators could vote to overturn a chief justice ’ s decision , senators have said .
Based on reporting by AP , CNN , Bloomberg , MSNBC , and ABC News

Impeachment investigators at the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a trove of documents to a Congressional committee from Lev Parnas, a close associate of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as potential new evidence in the pending Senate impeachment trial of Trump.
The documents, including handwritten notes, e-mails, and phone records, were released on January 14 and provide fresh context on details about the prodding of Ukraine to pursue investigations into Trump’s political rivals as the president withheld military aid to the country.
They were sent by Representative Adam Schiff (Democrat-California), the House Intelligence Committee chairman, along with an enclosure that highlights the key aspects of the material as they relate to the impeachment proceedings.
One note, written by Parnas, says “get Zalensky to Annonce (sic) that the Biden case will be investigated.”
In July, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate presidential front-runner Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden.
Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian energy firm from 2014 until last year.
Among the documents was a previously undisclosed letter from Giuliani to Zelenskiy requesting a meeting in mid-May.
“In my capacity as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent, I request a meeting with you on this upcoming Monday, May 13th or Tuesday, May 14th,” Giuliani’s letter said.
Parnas, who has pleaded not guilty to federal campaign-finance violations in a separate criminal case after being arrested on October 9, 2019, also tried to arrange a meeting between Zelenskiy and Giuliani.
On July 7, he texted Giuliani to say he was traveling to Vienna and “trying to get us mr Z.”
Ukrainian Oligarch Firtash
Giuliani’s letter stated he would be accompanied in the meeting by Victoria Toensing, an attorney. She and her husband, attorney Joseph diGenova, are loyal Trump allies whose clients have included Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash.
Firtash is fighting extradition to the United States on bribery charges and federal prosecutors contend that Parnas tried to conceal $1 million he received from Firtash.
Parnas’s undated handwritten notes were produced on stationery from the Ritz-Carlton in Vienna, Austria.
The notes say Firtash’s lawyer Lanny Davis should be fired and be replaced by Toensing and diGenova. Regarding the lawyer couple, the notes also say a deal should be sealed in one to three months, either "cut a deal or get dismissed.”
The same note says that "Firtash" is "toxic."
On July 23, 2019, Davis filed a document with U.S. authorities saying he no longer represents Firtash.
Tracking Of Yovanovitch
The documents also show Connecticut congressional candidate Robert Hyde disparaging former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch in messages to Parnas and gave him updates on her location and mobile phone use, raising concerns about possible surveillance.
In March, “Mr. Hyde then sent a series of text messages suggesting that he had Ambassador Yovanovitch under physical surveillance," the attached enclosure to Schiff’s letter stated.
Using crude language, Hyde indicated to Parnas that Yovanovitch should be removed from her post.
In a cryptic message, Hyde wrote Parnas: “They are willing to help if we/you would like a price.”
He added: “Guess you can do anything in the Ukraine with money…what I was told.”
Yovanovitch, who was recalled a month later in April, called for an investigation into the messages through her lawyer Lawrence Robbins.
“Needless to say, the notion that American citizens and others were monitoring Ambassador Yovanovitch’s movements for unknown purposes is disturbing, her lawyer told U.S. media. “We trust that the appropriate authorities will conduct an investigation to determine what happened."
When asked by CNN if he had been offering to harm Yovanovitch, Hyde replied in a text message: "No effing way."
“A preliminary review of…a voluminous record of data extracted…corroborates the findings and evidence related to the president’s scheme, which was laid out in the Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Report, released by the [House Intelligence] Committee on December 3,” the attached enclosure to Schiff’s letter said.
The Democrat-led House of Representatives in December charged Trump with abusing the power of his office for personal gain and obstruction of Congress.
Trump denies the charges and has called the impeachment proceedings a “witch hunt.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that on January 15 the legislative chamber “will vote on transmitting the articles of impeachment" to the Senate for a trial and name the impeachment managers.
The managers from the House will act as prosecutors in the impeachment trial while the role of senators, the majority of whom are Republicans, is that of a jury.
The presiding judge will be Chief Justice John Roberts who could have to rule on whether the new material is admissible if they appear in the trial. However, 51 senators could vote to overturn a chief justice’s decision, senators have said.
Based on reporting by AP, CNN, Bloomberg, MSNBC, and ABC News


rferl--2020-01-15--Putin Tackles Falling Incomes, Birthrate in State-Of-The-Nation Address

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

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


rferl--2020-01-14--Russian Opposition Head Says Supreme Court Has Suspended Party's Activities

The head of the Russian opposition political party Civic Initiative says the country 's Supreme Court has suspended its operations for politically motivated reasons and is looking to wipe the party out altogether .
Dmitry Gudkov said on Facebook that on January 14 the court suspended the party ’ s activities for three months in what he said was the first step towards its full `` liquidation . ''
According to Gudkov , the court 's decision was based on a request by the Justice Ministry that found `` technical irregularities '' in the party 's activities .
Gudkov wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party to remove such `` irregularities , '' including the process for electing party officials .
The party was founded in 2013 and was initially led by the former Economy Minister Andrei Nechayev .
The Civic Initiative nominated its candidate , Ksenia Sobchak , to run in the 2018 presidential election .
Sobchak got less than 2 percent of votes in the balloting .
Gudkov and Sobchak announced in 2018 that they plan to create a new political party , called the Party of Changes , which would stem from Civic Initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 parliamentary elections .

The head of the Russian opposition political party Civic Initiative says the country's Supreme Court has suspended its operations for politically motivated reasons and is looking to wipe the party out altogether.
Dmitry Gudkov said on Facebook that on January 14 the court suspended the party’s activities for three months in what he said was the first step towards its full "liquidation."
According to Gudkov, the court's decision was based on a request by the Justice Ministry that found "technical irregularities" in the party's activities.
Gudkov wrote that the ministry itself creates obstacles to the party to remove such "irregularities," including the process for electing party officials.
The party was founded in 2013 and was initially led by the former Economy Minister Andrei Nechayev.
The Civic Initiative nominated its candidate, Ksenia Sobchak, to run in the 2018 presidential election. Sobchak got less than 2 percent of votes in the balloting.
Gudkov and Sobchak announced in 2018 that they plan to create a new political party, called the Party of Changes, which would stem from Civic Initiative, in order to take part in 2021 parliamentary elections.


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

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

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


rferl--2020-01-15--U.S. Indicts Five Suspects For Smuggling U.S.Goods To Pakistan’s Nuclear Program

A federal court has indicted five men suspected of operating an international network of front companies to purchase goods in the United States for Pakistan ’ s nuclear and other weapons programs in violation of two legislative acts designed to protect U.S. national security , the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release .
The indictment , unsealed on January 15 , says the `` defendants smuggled U.S.-origin goods to entities that have been designated for years as threats to U.S. national security for their ties to Pakistan ’ s weapons programs , '' said Assistant Attorney General for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Export Control Reform Act are : Muhammad Kamran Wali ( Kamran ) , 41 , of Pakistan ; Muhammad Ahsan Wali ( Ahsan ) , 48 , and Haji Wali Muhammad Sheikh ( Haji ) , 82 , both of Canada ; Ashraf Khan Muhammad ( Khan ) of Hong Kong ; and Ahmed Waheed ( Waheed ) , 52 , of Britain .
All are associated with the front company Business World in Pakistan and the group allegedly procured `` 38 separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an international web of firms that concealed the true destination of the goods in Pakistan , according to the indictment .
However , a multiagency law enforcement investigation established that the goods went to two Pakistani organizations whose activities `` are found to be contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests : the Advanced Engineering Research Organization ( AERO ) and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission ( PAEC ) . ''
AERO was added to the Commerce Department 's entity list in 2014 after the U.S. government found that it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procure items for use in Pakistan 's cruise missile and strategic UAV [ unmanned aerial vehicle ] programs . ''
Arrest warrants for the five suspects are pending and none of them have been apprehended .

A federal court has indicted five men suspected of operating an international network of front companies to purchase goods in the United States for Pakistan’s nuclear and other weapons programs in violation of two legislative acts designed to protect U.S. national security, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release.
The indictment, unsealed on January 15, says the "defendants smuggled U.S.-origin goods to entities that have been designated for years as threats to U.S. national security for their ties to Pakistan’s weapons programs," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers.
Accused of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Export Control Reform Act are: Muhammad Kamran Wali (Kamran), 41, of Pakistan; Muhammad Ahsan Wali (Ahsan), 48, and Haji Wali Muhammad Sheikh (Haji), 82, both of Canada; Ashraf Khan Muhammad (Khan) of Hong Kong; and Ahmed Waheed (Waheed), 52, of Britain.
All are associated with the front company Business World in Pakistan and the group allegedly procured "38 separate exports" from 29 U.S.-based companies through an international web of firms that concealed the true destination of the goods in Pakistan, according to the indictment.
However, a multiagency law enforcement investigation established that the goods went to two Pakistani organizations whose activities "are found to be contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests: the Advanced Engineering Research Organization (AERO) and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)."
AERO was added to the Commerce Department's entity list in 2014 after the U.S. government found that it had "used intermediaries and front companies to procure items for use in Pakistan's cruise missile and strategic UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] programs."
Arrest warrants for the five suspects are pending and none of them have been apprehended.