rferl--2020-10-29--Azerbaijan Hands Over Bodies Of Armenian Soldiers Killed In Nagorno-Karabakh Fighting

YEREVAN/BAKU -- Azerbaijan has handed over to Armenia the bodies of 29 servicemen killed in the ongoing fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh , as the death toll mounted in the latest flareup of violence in the decades-old conflict over the separatist region .
The handover was acknowledged by both sides on October 29 as Yerevan and Baku continued to blame each other for the collapse of a U.S.-brokered cease-fire -- the third since fighting broke out on September 27 .
Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanian said the transfer took place through `` the exceptional mediation efforts of the Russian Federation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team of the personal representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office and the International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC ) . ''
She said that at the same time , ICRC efforts had resulted in one civilian 's repatriation to Armenia .
Stepanian said Armenia `` once again reiterates its readiness to hand over to the Azerbaijani side the bodies of Azerbaijani servicemen in the territory of Artsakh [ Armenia 's name for Nagorno-Karabakh ] , and to start the process of recovery of bodies in the inter-positional zone throughout the entire Artshakh-Azerbaijan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as exchange of information on POWs and their respective handover in future . ''
Hikmat Haciyev , an aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev , told foreign journalists that the handover was initiated by Baku , with Russia 's help .
`` On the initiative of Ilham Aliyev , the Azerbaijani side handed over the bodies of 30 dead servicemen to Armenia , '' Haciyev said .
`` Azerbaijan is grateful to the Russian Defense Ministry and , personally , to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu , for organizing the transfer of the bodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The handover took place as the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan were expected to hold meetings with the co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) in Geneva on October 29 .
However , reports said the talks had been postponed for at least one day .
The United States , France , and Russia are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group , which had been the main mediator in the conflict .
The Minsk Group said the meeting would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , and begin implementation , in accordance with a timeline to be agreed upon , of all steps necessary to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict . ''
Meanwhile , Amnesty International said it had verified the use of banned cluster bombs by Armenian forces for the first time since fighting with Azerbaijani forces erupted on September 27 .
One or several Smerch rockets were fired into the Azerbaijani city of Barda on October 28 , hitting a residential neighborhood close to a hospital , according to the London-based human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 21 people were killed in the attack , with dozens more wounded .
On October 5 , Amnesty International identified M095 DPICM cluster munitions that appear to have been fired by Azerbaijani forces into Stepanakert .
Marie Struthers , Amnesty International 's regional director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia , urged both sides to immediately stop using cluster munitions and to prioritize the protection of civilians .
`` The firing of cluster munitions into civilian areas is cruel and reckless , and causes untold death , injury and misery , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region 's de facto leader , Arayik Harutiunian , said on October 29 that Azerbaijani troops had advanced to within 5 kilometers of the town of Shushi ( known as Susa in Azeri ) , and urged residents to mobilize all their resources to fend off the attack .
Shushi is located about 5 kilometers south of Stepanakert , the largest city in the separatist region .
The de facto Defense Ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh said earlier on October 29 that 51 more casualties had taken its military death toll to 1,119 since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 .
It said that shelling by Azerbaijani forces of civilian settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh continued overnight , while the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry in turn said its forces came under fire in the Goranboy district , north of Nagorno-Karabakh .
The Nagorno-Karabakh rights ombudsman , Artak Beglarian , said Azerbaijan on October 29 launched its heaviest missile strikes on the largest city in the separatist region since the fighting started on September 27 .
`` Azerbaijan struck Stepanakert for several hours , dozens of missiles hit the city , '' Beglarian said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strike , the heaviest during the recent fighting , '' he said .
Both sides have claimed that the other has been targeting civilians during a month of intense clashes that have drawn in world powers seeking to halt the worst fighting in the region since a 1994 cease-fire .
Following the collapse of the Washington-brokered cease-fire , the U.S. Democratic presidential nominee , former Vice President Joe Biden , urged President Donald Trump to get involved directly in efforts to curb the fighting .
`` After a month of fighting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump to directly engage the leaders of Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Turkey to push for immediate de-escalation and stop the advance of Azerbaijani troops into Nagorno-Karabakh , '' Biden said in a statement on October 28 .
`` The United States should be leading a diplomatic effort to end the fighting , together with our European partners , and push for international humanitarian assistance to end the suffering ; under my administration that is exactly what we will do , '' Biden , who will face Trump in the November 3 presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population , reject Azerbaijani rule .
They have been governing their own affairs , with support from Armenia , since Azerbaijan 's troops were pushed out of the breakaway region in a war in the early 1990s .
Aliyev has demanded that Nagorno-Karabakh be returned to Azerbaijan as well as seven surrounding districts controlled by Armenian forces .
Armenia says it will not withdraw from territory it views as part of its historic homeland and where the population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has sparked concerns over a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in NATO member Turkey , which is an ally of Azerbaijan , and Russia , which has a military pact with Armenia .
Turkey has demanded a bigger role in the Minsk Group , which Ankara and Baku say has sidelined the Nagorno-Karabakh issue for decades without finding a lasting solution .
Turkey is not the only regional player with an eye on the conflict .
Iran 's Foreign Ministry said Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi visited areas near Iran 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties against harming the security of Iranian territories .
Araqchi , who is on a regional tour that also includes Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Turkey , said on October 29 in Moscow that the Minsk Group had proved to be `` inefficient '' in its efforts to resolve the decades-old conflict .
`` It has been 30 years since the Minsk Group was formed , but it has not been able to find a long-term solution to the problem , '' Araqchi was quoted by the Iranian Embassy in Moscow as saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had drawn up a plan to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the hope of stopping fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces continuing along its northwestern border .
The European Union , meanwhile , said the escalation was `` unacceptable '' and called for new peace talks .
`` The European Union finds it unacceptable that after three agreements brokered by Russia , France , and the United States on a cease-fire , the fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh still continues , '' European Commission foreign affairs and security policy spokesman Peter Stano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , AFP , dpa , and TASS


rferl--2020-10-30--Two Charged In Sweden With Attempted Murder Over Chechen Blogger Assault

Swedish authorities have charged two individuals with attempted murder and accessory to attempted murder in a hammer attack on a blogger and outspoken critic of the authoritarian leader of Russia 's North Caucasus region of Chechnya , Ramzan Kadyrov .
The Swedish Security Service ( SAPO ) said in a statement late on October 29 that the attack in February on Tumso Abdurakhmanov was suspected of being linked to `` a regime in another country , the Russian republic of Chechnya . ''
.
`` Activities and attacks by foreign powers against Sweden have intensified and broadened .
The fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked to an attempted murder in Sweden is an example of how intelligence activities have changed , '' said Daniel Stenling , head of counterintelligence at SAPO .
SAPO did not identify the suspects , but Sweden 's TT news agency reported the two were Russian citizens , a man and a woman .
Abdurakhmanov , who fled Russia several years ago , said he survived the February 26 attack by overpowering an assailant armed with a hammer .
It was one of several attacks outside Russia in recent months on critics of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In late January , the body of Imran Aliyev , another Chechen blogger known for his criticism of Kadyrov , was found dead in a hotel room in the northern French city of Lille , with stab wounds .
Earlier this year , police in Austria arrested two Chechen asylum seekers as part of their investigation into the July 4 killing in the Vienna suburb of Gerasdorf of another critic of Kadyrov , Mamikhan Umarov .
In August 2019 , Zelimkhan Khangoshvili , a former Chechen separatist fighter who had fled from Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berlin .
A Russian national suspected in the killing went on trial in Germany earlier this month .
Human rights groups have accused Kadyrov of widespread abuses in the region , allegations he denies .
They say Kadyrov is ultimately responsible for the violence and intimidation of political opponents by Chechen authorities , including kidnappings , forced disappearances , torture , and extrajudicial killings .
Supporters claim Kadyrov has brought relative calm to the volatile region following two wars between Moscow and separatists after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union .

Swedish authorities have charged two individuals with attempted murder and accessory to attempted murder in a hammer attack on a blogger and outspoken critic of the authoritarian leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.
The Swedish Security Service (SAPO) said in a statement late on October 29 that the attack in February on Tumso Abdurakhmanov was suspected of being linked to "a regime in another country, the Russian republic of Chechnya."
.
"Activities and attacks by foreign powers against Sweden have intensified and broadened. The fact that another regime is suspected of being linked to an attempted murder in Sweden is an example of how intelligence activities have changed," said Daniel Stenling, head of counterintelligence at SAPO.
SAPO did not identify the suspects, but Sweden's TT news agency reported the two were Russian citizens, a man and a woman.
Abdurakhmanov, who fled Russia several years ago, said he survived the February 26 attack by overpowering an assailant armed with a hammer.
It was one of several attacks outside Russia in recent months on critics of Chechnya's Kremlin-backed leader, Kadyrov.
In late January, the body of Imran Aliyev, another Chechen blogger known for his criticism of Kadyrov, was found dead in a hotel room in the northern French city of Lille, with stab wounds.
Earlier this year, police in Austria arrested two Chechen asylum seekers as part of their investigation into the July 4 killing in the Vienna suburb of Gerasdorf of another critic of Kadyrov, Mamikhan Umarov.
In August 2019, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist fighter who had fled from Georgia to Germany, was shot dead in Berlin. A Russian national suspected in the killing went on trial in Germany earlier this month.
Human rights groups have accused Kadyrov of widespread abuses in the region, allegations he denies. They say Kadyrov is ultimately responsible for the violence and intimidation of political opponents by Chechen authorities, including kidnappings, forced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
Supporters claim Kadyrov has brought relative calm to the volatile region following two wars between Moscow and separatists after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union.
With reporting by TT


rferl--2020-10-30--Two More Ethnic Kazakhs From Xinjiang Given Temporary Refugee Status In Kazakhstan

ALMATY , Kazakhstan -- Two more ethnic Kazakhs from China 's northwestern Xinjiang region who illegally crossed the border have obtained temporary refugee status in Kazakhstan .
Abdulla Baqbergen , a lawyer for Qaisha Aqan and Baghashar Malikuly , told RFE/RL on October 30 that his clients received the rare designation of refugee status for one year on October 29 and October 28 , respectively .
In December 2019 , 44-year-old Aqan was handed a suspended six-month prison sentence for illegal border-crossing after she testified at her trial that she had to cross illegally into Kazakhstan in May 2018 because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her in an internment camp for indigenous ethnic groups there .
The 37-year-old Malikuly was under investigation for several months last year over illegally crossing the border in 2017 .
In December , all charges against him were dropped but his status remained unclear .
Malikuly told RFE/RL that he had to enter Kazakhstan illegally in 2017 after Chinese authorities confiscated his Kazakh permanent-residence permit .
According to Malikuly , the documents were confiscated when he traveled to Xinjiang in 2015 to visit his parents .
The rulings for Aqan and Malikuly come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnic Kazakhs from Xinjiang , Murager Alimuly and Qaster Musakhanuly , received one-year refugee status in Kazakhstan .
In January , a court in the far eastern town of Zaisan near the Chinese border handed one-year prison sentences to the two men for illegally entering the country in 2019 , but allowed them to stay in Kazakhstan , saying that they might face persecution back in Xinjiang .
The court also ruled that each day the two men spent in pretrial detention since October 2019 counted as two days in prison , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six months .
They were both released in May and have since been trying to obtain refugee status in Kazakhstan .
The 26-year-old Alimuly testified at a hearing that he had been detained in Xinjiang for questioning and faced incarceration at a Chinese `` reeducation camp . ''
Musakhanuly , 31 , said he previously had spent five years in such a camp in Xinjiang .
In September 2019 , he said , he was told by Chinese authorities that he would be sent back to one of the camps .
The United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and members of other mostly Muslim indigenous ethnic groups in Xinjiang were being held in `` counterextremism centers , '' while millions more had been forced into reeducation camps .
China denies that the facilities are internment camps .
Those conditions have prompted many ethnic Kazakhs from Xinjiang in recent years to cross the border illegally in fear of staying in China .
Kazakhs are the second-largest Turkic-speaking indigenous community in Xinjiang after Uyghurs .
The region is also home to ethnic Kyrgyz , Tajiks , and Hui , also known as Dungans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are the second-largest community in Xinjiang .

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Two more ethnic Kazakhs from China's northwestern Xinjiang region who illegally crossed the border have obtained temporary refugee status in Kazakhstan.
Abdulla Baqbergen, a lawyer for Qaisha Aqan and Baghashar Malikuly, told RFE/RL on October 30 that his clients received the rare designation of refugee status for one year on October 29 and October 28, respectively.
In December 2019, 44-year-old Aqan was handed a suspended six-month prison sentence for illegal border-crossing after she testified at her trial that she had to cross illegally into Kazakhstan in May 2018 because local authorities in Xinjiang threatened to place her in an internment camp for indigenous ethnic groups there.
The 37-year-old Malikuly was under investigation for several months last year over illegally crossing the border in 2017.
In December, all charges against him were dropped but his status remained unclear.
Malikuly told RFE/RL that he had to enter Kazakhstan illegally in 2017 after Chinese authorities confiscated his Kazakh permanent-residence permit. According to Malikuly, the documents were confiscated when he traveled to Xinjiang in 2015 to visit his parents.
The rulings for Aqan and Malikuly come less than two weeks after two other ethnic Kazakhs from Xinjiang, Murager Alimuly and Qaster Musakhanuly, received one-year refugee status in Kazakhstan.
In January, a court in the far eastern town of Zaisan near the Chinese border handed one-year prison sentences to the two men for illegally entering the country in 2019, but allowed them to stay in Kazakhstan, saying that they might face persecution back in Xinjiang.
The court also ruled that each day the two men spent in pretrial detention since October 2019 counted as two days in prison, making them eligible for release in less than six months. They were both released in May and have since been trying to obtain refugee status in Kazakhstan.
The 26-year-old Alimuly testified at a hearing that he had been detained in Xinjiang for questioning and faced incarceration at a Chinese "reeducation camp."
Musakhanuly, 31, said he previously had spent five years in such a camp in Xinjiang. In September 2019, he said, he was told by Chinese authorities that he would be sent back to one of the camps.
The United Nations has estimated that 1 million Uyghurs and members of other mostly Muslim indigenous ethnic groups in Xinjiang were being held in "counterextremism centers," while millions more had been forced into reeducation camps.
China denies that the facilities are internment camps.
Those conditions have prompted many ethnic Kazakhs from Xinjiang in recent years to cross the border illegally in fear of staying in China.
Kazakhs are the second-largest Turkic-speaking indigenous community in Xinjiang after Uyghurs. The region is also home to ethnic Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Hui, also known as Dungans. Han, China's largest ethnicity, are the second-largest community in Xinjiang.


rferl--2020-10-30--Lukashenka Meets New Belarusian Security Chiefs, Warns Protesters Of 'Harsh' Measures

MINSK -- Alyaksandr Lukashenka , Belarus 's embattled ruler , has met with his new security chiefs and sent a stark warning to protesters after he tightened his grip on the country by replacing top Interior Ministry officials and partially closing the borders , moves seen aimed at ending weeks of demonstrations over a disputed election that gave him a sixth consecutive term in power .
Lukashenka on October 30 appointed Mikhail Hryb as the new police chief for the capital , Minsk , introducing him along with new Interior Minister Ivan Kubrakou at a meeting of security officials where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site '' instead of arresting protesters .
`` If anyone touches a security officer , as I already told our generals , that person should leave the site without hands at least .
I am publicly saying this so that all understand how determined we are .
There is nothing else left for us .
We do not have space to step back , and we are not going to step back .
Those who are ready will act , '' Lukashenka said .
Belarus has witnessed near daily protests since the August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 1994 , claims he won by a landslide .
Lukashenka has responded to demonstrations against the official vote outcome with a crackdown that has seen more than 10,000 arrests and accusations of torture and beatings by security forces against peaceful demonstrators .
Members of the media reporting on the protests have also been attacked .
Most of the country 's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country , including presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who has said the vote was rigged in Lukashenka 's favor and that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left Belarus for Lithuania after the vote amid threats to her and her family .
On October 29 , the 45-year-old Kubrakou , who prior to his appointment to the post led the Minsk city police department , replaced Yury Karayeu , the man who oversaw the brutal postelection crackdown .
Tsikhanouskaya said the reshuffle and border closure was a sign that Lukashenka is `` in a panic . ''
Lukashenka has described ongoing strikes called by the opposition at the start of the week as `` the actions of organized criminal groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` starting to face terrorist threats , '' in reference to the weeks of peaceful protests against his rule .
Western governments have voiced support for the opposition , with both the European Union and the United States refusing to recognize Lukashenka as Belarus 's legitimate leader .
The EU has announced asset freezes and visa bans against 40 Belarusian officials for their alleged roles in the repression of protesters and the opposition , as well as fraud during the August vote .
On October 12 , EU foreign ministers gave a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package that will include Lukashenka himself .

MINSK -- Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Belarus's embattled ruler, has met with his new security chiefs and sent a stark warning to protesters after he tightened his grip on the country by replacing top Interior Ministry officials and partially closing the borders, moves seen aimed at ending weeks of demonstrations over a disputed election that gave him a sixth consecutive term in power.
Lukashenka on October 30 appointed Mikhail Hryb as the new police chief for the capital, Minsk, introducing him along with new Interior Minister Ivan Kubrakou at a meeting of security officials where he threatened "harsh measures at the site" instead of arresting protesters.
"If anyone touches a security officer, as I already told our generals, that person should leave the site without hands at least. I am publicly saying this so that all understand how determined we are. There is nothing else left for us. We do not have space to step back, and we are not going to step back. Those who are ready will act," Lukashenka said.
Belarus has witnessed near daily protests since the August 9 vote that Lukashenka, in power since 1994, claims he won by a landslide.
Lukashenka has responded to demonstrations against the official vote outcome with a crackdown that has seen more than 10,000 arrests and accusations of torture and beatings by security forces against peaceful demonstrators. Members of the media reporting on the protests have also been attacked.
Most of the country's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country, including presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has said the vote was rigged in Lukashenka's favor and that she considers herself the rightful winner. She left Belarus for Lithuania after the vote amid threats to her and her family.
On October 29, the 45-year-old Kubrakou, who prior to his appointment to the post led the Minsk city police department, replaced Yury Karayeu, the man who oversaw the brutal postelection crackdown.
Tsikhanouskaya said the reshuffle and border closure was a sign that Lukashenka is "in a panic."
Lukashenka has described ongoing strikes called by the opposition at the start of the week as "the actions of organized criminal groups."
He added that the country was "starting to face terrorist threats," in reference to the weeks of peaceful protests against his rule.
Western governments have voiced support for the opposition, with both the European Union and the United States refusing to recognize Lukashenka as Belarus's legitimate leader.
The EU has announced asset freezes and visa bans against 40 Belarusian officials for their alleged roles in the repression of protesters and the opposition, as well as fraud during the August vote.
On October 12, EU foreign ministers gave a political green light to a new sanctions package that will include Lukashenka himself.
With reporting by BelTA


rferl--2020-10-30--Tajik President Sworn In For Fifth Term

Tajik President Sworn In For Fifth Term

DUSHANBE -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon , who holds the dubious distinction of being the only post-Soviet autocrat in power longer than Belarus 's Alyaksandr Lukashenka , has been sworn in for his fifth term in office .
The October 30 inauguration ceremony took place at the Palace of the Nation in the capital , Dushanbe .
After the ceremony , Rahmon attended a parade of 7,000 military personnel and officers of the Prosecutor-General 's Office , Anti-Corruption Agency , National Guard , Interior Ministry , and students of military schools .
In power since 1992 , Rahmon has won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which were deemed free or fair by Western monitors .
The 68-year-old ran against four little-known candidates that represent pro-government parties in the country 's rubber-stamp parliament .
They are widely seen as little more than a facade to give the vote the appearance of competition .
The election was the first since Rahmon 's most influential political rival , the Islamic Renaissance Party ( IRPT ) , was outlawed .
The Supreme Court banned the IRPT as a `` terrorist '' organization in 2015 .
Many of the party leaders and officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country amid a clampdown .
The Social Democratic Party , the only genuine political opposition group inside the country , boycotted the election .
Rahmon is portrayed by state media and his supporters as a figure who has brought stability to the country following a civil war during the 1990s .
Rahmon 's nomination in late August ended speculation that he might step aside to allow his eldest son , Rustam Emomali , to run for office .
In April , Emomali , 32 , was made the speaker of the upper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions him to take over for his father if he is unable to fulfill his duties .
Emomali also continues to hold the lucrative position of Dushanbe mayor .
Speculation about Emomali 's succession initially began in 2016 , when Tajikistan amended its constitution to lower the age threshold for presidential candidates from 35 years to 30 years .
The move was seen as paving the way for Emomali to run for president .
The amendments also gave Rahmon the exclusive right to run for office an unlimited number of times .
Further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , parliament gave Rahmon the title of `` leader of the nation '' in December 2015 , which grants him lifelong immunity from prosecution .
In March , Tajikistan held parliamentary polls that produced another rubber-stamp legislature dominated by Rahmon 's People 's Democratic Party .

DUSHANBE -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who holds the dubious distinction of being the only post-Soviet autocrat in power longer than Belarus's Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has been sworn in for his fifth term in office.
The October 30 inauguration ceremony took place at the Palace of the Nation in the capital, Dushanbe.
After the ceremony, Rahmon attended a parade of 7,000 military personnel and officers of the Prosecutor-General's Office, Anti-Corruption Agency, National Guard, Interior Ministry, and students of military schools.
Rahmon also signed a decree to pardon 378 prisoners based on the "principles of humanity and compassion, concern for families, children, and young people."
The names of those pardoned were not immediately known.
In power since 1992, Rahmon has won four consecutive presidential elections, none of which were deemed free or fair by Western monitors.
The 68-year-old ran against four little-known candidates that represent pro-government parties in the country's rubber-stamp parliament. They are widely seen as little more than a facade to give the vote the appearance of competition.
The election was the first since Rahmon's most influential political rival, the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT), was outlawed.
The Supreme Court banned the IRPT as a "terrorist" organization in 2015. Many of the party leaders and officials have been imprisoned, while others fled the country amid a clampdown.
The Social Democratic Party, the only genuine political opposition group inside the country, boycotted the election.
Rahmon is portrayed by state media and his supporters as a figure who has brought stability to the country following a civil war during the 1990s.
Rahmon's nomination in late August ended speculation that he might step aside to allow his eldest son, Rustam Emomali, to run for office.
In April, Emomali, 32, was made the speaker of the upper house of parliament, a role that positions him to take over for his father if he is unable to fulfill his duties.
Emomali also continues to hold the lucrative position of Dushanbe mayor.
Speculation about Emomali's succession initially began in 2016, when Tajikistan amended its constitution to lower the age threshold for presidential candidates from 35 years to 30 years.
The move was seen as paving the way for Emomali to run for president.
The amendments also gave Rahmon the exclusive right to run for office an unlimited number of times.
Further securing his dominant position in the country, parliament gave Rahmon the title of "leader of the nation" in December 2015, which grants him lifelong immunity from prosecution.
In March, Tajikistan held parliamentary polls that produced another rubber-stamp legislature dominated by Rahmon's People's Democratic Party.


rferl--2020-10-30--Kyrgyz Opposition Leader Madumarov Announces Plan To Seek Presidency

BISHKEK -- The leader of Kyrgyzstan 's opposition Butun ( United ) Kyrgyzstan party , Adakhan Madumarov , has announced his intention to take part in an early presidential election scheduled for January 10 .
Madumarov 's October 30 announcement came five days after acting President Sadyr Japarov publicly said he will seek the office as well .
The 55-year-old Madumarov is one of the few Kyrgyz politicians who has openly criticized Japarov , questioning his legitimacy .
Japarov , 51 , was named prime minister by lawmakers earlier this month after mass protests against official results of the October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to the resignation of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov , the third popular revolt to topple a leader since 2005 in the Central Asian state , which borders China and houses a Russian military base .
After Jeenbekov 's resignation in mid-October , parliament handed the presidential powers to Japarov , who was released in the wake of the protests from a Bishkek prison , where he was serving a lengthy term on kidnapping charges .
Japarov has initiated amendments to the constitution to change the rules for elections .
He has also signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for December 20 to an unspecified date in 2021 , as well as making it possible to hold an early presidential election on January 10 .
Under current laws , someone serving in an acting or interim capacity as president may not then run in an election for the post .
But Japarov said earlier this week that to become eligible to run he will step down in December and take part in the election as an ordinary citizen .
Madumarov and some other politicians , as well as legal experts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that any changes to the constitution must be approved in a national referendum first .
Diplomat Askar Beshimov also warned that Japarov-initiated constitutional changes may divide Kyrgyz society once again , sparking another political upheaval in a country where public revolts have pushed out three presidents in less than two decades .
According to Beshimov , Kyrgyzstan must choose between a presidential and parliamentary system of government .
`` If we go backward and remain a country with presidential rule while staying away from a real parliamentary system , certain larger powers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They would say , 'Kyrgyzstan has played enough with this toy called democracy and returned to our club ... . '
At this point they are n't openly expressing their support for the current government because they do n't know for sure who is going to win the presidential poll , '' Beshimov said .

BISHKEK -- The leader of Kyrgyzstan's opposition Butun (United) Kyrgyzstan party, Adakhan Madumarov, has announced his intention to take part in an early presidential election scheduled for January 10.
Madumarov's October 30 announcement came five days after acting President Sadyr Japarov publicly said he will seek the office as well.
The 55-year-old Madumarov is one of the few Kyrgyz politicians who has openly criticized Japarov, questioning his legitimacy.
Japarov, 51, was named prime minister by lawmakers earlier this month after mass protests against official results of the October 4 parliamentary elections ousted the government and led to the resignation of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, the third popular revolt to topple a leader since 2005 in the Central Asian state, which borders China and houses a Russian military base.
After Jeenbekov's resignation in mid-October, parliament handed the presidential powers to Japarov, who was released in the wake of the protests from a Bishkek prison, where he was serving a lengthy term on kidnapping charges.
Japarov has initiated amendments to the constitution to change the rules for elections. He has also signed legal changes that postponed fresh parliamentary elections set for December 20 to an unspecified date in 2021, as well as making it possible to hold an early presidential election on January 10.
Under current laws, someone serving in an acting or interim capacity as president may not then run in an election for the post. But Japarov said earlier this week that to become eligible to run he will step down in December and take part in the election as an ordinary citizen.
Madumarov and some other politicians, as well as legal experts, have questioned Japarov's moves, saying that any changes to the constitution must be approved in a national referendum first.
Diplomat Askar Beshimov also warned that Japarov-initiated constitutional changes may divide Kyrgyz society once again, sparking another political upheaval in a country where public revolts have pushed out three presidents in less than two decades.
According to Beshimov, Kyrgyzstan must choose between a presidential and parliamentary system of government.
"If we go backward and remain a country with presidential rule while staying away from a real parliamentary system, certain larger powers, our neighbors, will like it. They would say, 'Kyrgyzstan has played enough with this toy called democracy and returned to our club....' At this point they aren't openly expressing their support for the current government because they don't know for sure who is going to win the presidential poll," Beshimov said.


rferl--2020-10-30--Head Of Serbian Orthodox Church In Montenegro Dies After Positive COVID-19 Test

The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro has died just weeks after being hospitalized following a positive test @ @ @ @ @ Serbian Orthodox Church said in a statement on its website that Metropolitan Amfilohije died at @ @ @ @ @ ( KCCG ) early on October 30 at the age of 82 .
It did @ @ @ @ @ the cause of death , but the head of the pulmonology clinic at the KCCG @ @ @ @ @ informed the church late on October 29 that Amfilohije 's condition was serious and had @ @ @ @ @ he had been intubated and placed on invasive ventilation , as he was suffering from @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The public will be informed about all other details regarding the funeral of @ @ @ @ @ , '' the church statement said .
The Serbian Orthodox Church is the dominant religious @ @ @ @ @ country of 620,000 predominantly Orthodox Christians .
Montenegro split from its larger neighbor Serbia more @ @ @ @ @

The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro has died just weeks after being hospitalized following a positive test for the coronavirus.
The Serbian Orthodox Church said in a statement on its website that Metropolitan Amfilohije died at the Clinical Center of Montenegro (KCCG) early on October 30 at the age of 82.
It did not give any details on the cause of death, but the head of the pulmonology clinic at the KCCG, Jelena Borovinic Bojovic, informed the church late on October 29 that Amfilohije's condition was serious and had deteriorated.
She added that he had been intubated and placed on invasive ventilation, as he was suffering from pneumonia brought on by COVID-19.
"The public will be informed about all other details regarding the funeral of the Most Reverend Metropolitan soon," the church statement said.
The Serbian Orthodox Church is the dominant religious organization in Montenegro, a country of 620,000 predominantly Orthodox Christians. Montenegro split from its larger neighbor Serbia more than a decade ago.


rferl--2020-10-30--U.S. Announces Seizure Of Iranian Weapons It Says Were En Route To Yemen

The United States says it has seized a variety of missiles that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ' ( IRGC ) Quds Force shipped to Yemen and announced the sale of Iranian oil it seized in August before it reached Venezuela , saying the proceeds will benefit victims of terrorism .
The U.S. Justice Department announced the actions on October 29 , saying the missiles were seized after two U.S. warships interdicted two `` flagless vessels '' in separate routine security operations in November 2019 and February 2020 in the Arabian Sea .
`` Aboard both of the vessels were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guided anti-tank missiles , eight surface-to-air missiles , and various other missile components , '' the department said in a news release .
`` Subsequent investigation revealed the ships ' cargo to be of Iranian manufacture and consistent with known Iranian weapon systems . ''
It said additional analysis revealed that the arms were from the IRCG 's Quds Force and destined for militant groups in Yemen .
The United States has long accused Iran of illegally smuggling arms to Huthi rebels battling the Yemeni government .
The U.S. attorney general has filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the department said .
The Justice Department also announced on October 29 that it had sold 1.1 million barrels of previously seized Iranian oil that was bound for Venezuela .
It said proceeds from the sale would go to a special fund for victims of state-sponsored terrorism .
The money `` will now go to a far better use than either regime , Iran or Venezuela , could have envisioned because it will provide relief for victims of terrorism rather than the perpetrators of such acts , '' said Elliott Abrams , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran and Venezuela .
The United States said the fuel originated with firms tied to the IRGC , and shippers of the oil took steps to mask ownership .
The original payment for the oil , which the United States seized in August , benefited the IRGC , the Justice Department said .
The announcements came at the same time the Treasury Department and State Department jointly slapped sanctions on a combined 11 different entities and individuals for their involvement in the purchase and sale of Iranian petrochemicals .
A U.S. official said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to allegations that Iranian hackers sought to threaten some U.S. voters by sending them spoofed e-mails that appeared to be from the Proud Boys , a far-right group that backs U.S. President Donald Trump .
Michael Sherwin , the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia , said that the release of the information was `` divorced from politics . ''
`` These actions started last summer .
And these are fluid , organic situations , '' he said .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP

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


rferl--2020-10-30--Ukraine Gas Chief Urges U.S. To Add More Sanctions Against Russian Pipeline

Ukraine 's natural-gas chief has urged the United States to expand sanctions aimed at stopping construction of a nearly complete Russian energy pipeline that would bring gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea .
Andriy Kobolyev , the chief executive officer of state-owned Naftogaz , told RFE/RL in an interview on October 29 during a visit to Washington that he tied his trip to the U.S. capital to congressional discussions on a bill that would widen sanctions against the Kremlin-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline .
There has been some concern that the bill , known as the Protecting Europe 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , could be dropped from the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act amid worries it could further hurt already strained U.S.-German relations .
Nord Stream 2 runs from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea , bypassing Ukraine .
The pipeline could potentially deprive Kyiv of billions of dollars in transit fees over the coming years if it is completed .
PEESCA would widen the scope of sanctions to include any individual or entity providing insurance or welding services for the project as well as potentially anyone providing testing or inspection services .
Kobolyev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` will completely stop this pipeline from being finished . ''
If Congress approves PEESCA , Kobolyev estimates Russia would need to increase the amount of natural gas it plans to ship to Europe through Ukraine next year by half .
He said that Moscow had already inquired about increasing the volumes in 2021 .
Russia and Ukraine signed a five-year gas-transport deal in December -- after the first round of U.S. sanctions on Nord Stream were passed by Congress -- that stipulates Moscow will ship at least 65 billion cubic meters ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year and at least 40 bcm in each of the next four years .
Kobolyev said he met with officials from the State Department and Energy Department during his visit and discussed with them topics beyond the pipeline , including what is described as a politically motivated `` attack '' on the company .
Ukraine 's State Audit Service has recently accused the company of artificially decreasing its profit -- and thus the amount in dividends it pays to the state -- by offsetting bad debt against it .
Kobolyev rejected the accusation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with international financial reporting standards and that its books are audited by Deloitte , one of the largest international accounting firms .
Naftogaz , one of the country 's largest companies by revenue , has long been the object of corruption schemes by officials and oligarchs .
The situation began to change after the 2014 upheaval that swept pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych from power .
Ukraine 's Western backers tied financial aid to the country to concrete steps to clean up state companies like Naftogaz , including calling for the creation of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company from political or oligarchic pressure .
That has angered some powerful people , analysts say .
One of Naftogaz 's supervisory board members , former U.S. State Department official Amos Hochstein , stepped down this month after saying management 's efforts to improve transparency were `` resisted at every step of the way . ''
He said the company faced `` political pressure '' as well as efforts by oligarchs to enrich themselves .
Kobolyev said the issue was `` extensively discussed '' with U.S. officials during his Washington trip .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prospect of foreign investment in two major fields in Ukraine , including one in the Black Sea .
`` We have come also to the States to look for partners who would help us on the financial front but also in getting the competence and knowledge '' of how to develop the fields , which he described as `` quite big and complicated . ''
The West has encouraged Ukraine to attract foreign investment into its energy industry in order to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas .
Ukraine has struggled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into its oil and gas sector due to concerns over corruption in the country .

Ukraine's natural-gas chief has urged the United States to expand sanctions aimed at stopping construction of a nearly complete Russian energy pipeline that would bring gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
Andriy Kobolyev, the chief executive officer of state-owned Naftogaz, told RFE/RL in an interview on October 29 during a visit to Washington that he tied his trip to the U.S. capital to congressional discussions on a bill that would widen sanctions against the Kremlin-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
There has been some concern that the bill, known as the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Clarification Act (PEESCA), could be dropped from the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act amid worries it could further hurt already strained U.S.-German relations.
Nord Stream 2 runs from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine. The pipeline could potentially deprive Kyiv of billions of dollars in transit fees over the coming years if it is completed.
PEESCA would widen the scope of sanctions to include any individual or entity providing insurance or welding services for the project as well as potentially anyone providing testing or inspection services.
Kobolyev told RFE/RL he believes the additional sanctions "will completely stop this pipeline from being finished."
If Congress approves PEESCA, Kobolyev estimates Russia would need to increase the amount of natural gas it plans to ship to Europe through Ukraine next year by half. He said that Moscow had already inquired about increasing the volumes in 2021.
Russia and Ukraine signed a five-year gas-transport deal in December -- after the first round of U.S. sanctions on Nord Stream were passed by Congress -- that stipulates Moscow will ship at least 65 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas through Ukraine this year and at least 40 bcm in each of the next four years.
'Political Pressure' At Home
Kobolyev said he met with officials from the State Department and Energy Department during his visit and discussed with them topics beyond the pipeline, including what is described as a politically motivated "attack" on the company.
Ukraine's State Audit Service has recently accused the company of artificially decreasing its profit -- and thus the amount in dividends it pays to the state -- by offsetting bad debt against it.
Kobolyev rejected the accusation, saying its practices were in line with international financial reporting standards and that its books are audited by Deloitte, one of the largest international accounting firms.
Naftogaz, one of the country's largest companies by revenue, has long been the object of corruption schemes by officials and oligarchs. The situation began to change after the 2014 upheaval that swept pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych from power.
Ukraine's Western backers tied financial aid to the country to concrete steps to clean up state companies like Naftogaz, including calling for the creation of an independent supervisory board that would guard the company from political or oligarchic pressure.
That has angered some powerful people, analysts say.
One of Naftogaz's supervisory board members, former U.S. State Department official Amos Hochstein, stepped down this month after saying management's efforts to improve transparency were "resisted at every step of the way."
He said the company faced "political pressure" as well as efforts by oligarchs to enrich themselves.
Kobolyev said the issue was "extensively discussed" with U.S. officials during his Washington trip.
The Naftogaz chief also said he raised the prospect of foreign investment in two major fields in Ukraine, including one in the Black Sea.
"We have come also to the States to look for partners who would help us on the financial front but also in getting the competence and knowledge" of how to develop the fields, which he described as "quite big and complicated."
The West has encouraged Ukraine to attract foreign investment into its energy industry in order to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas.
Ukraine has struggled in the past to attract major foreign companies into its oil and gas sector due to concerns over corruption in the country.


rferl--2020-10-31--Georgian Reforms Debut In Parliamentary Elections

Georgians vote in parliamentary elections on October 31 in what will be the first test of electoral reforms intended to provide a broader range of political representation in the legislature .
When polls open at 8 a.m. local time , Georgians will be deciding whether a ruling party will run the government on its own for an unprecedented third-consecutive time .
They will also be weighing in on the current legislature 's handling of a struggling economy , the coronavirus outbreak , and foreign relations .
Under electoral reforms passed in June , the format for electing Georgia 's 150-member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weight to proportional representation .
Under the new system , 120 seats -- as opposed to the previous 77 -- will be determined based on party lists .
Thirty individual candidates -- as opposed to the previous 73 -- will be elected to represent single-mandate districts .
Overall , 66 parties are registered to run for parliamentary seats , with 490 candidates running for individual mandates .
The reforms were aimed at ending the consolidation of power by a single political grouping , which to this point has been the Georgian Dream coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili , in 2012 .
“ One gets the feeling that Georgian society has finally matured and emerged from the post-Soviet one-party system and the thirst for a leader/chief , who will settle all issues for the people , ” according to George Mchedlishvili , an associate professor at European University in Tbilisi .
Georgian Dream defeated the now-opposition United National Movement ( UNM ) in the 2012 parliamentary elections and has been the ruling party ever since .
However , the party lost its constitutional majority in 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had failed to follow through on electoral promises , including electoral reforms .
Georgian Dream also faces a challenge in maintaining its ruling status due to a new rule adopted under the reforms requiring political parties to win 40 percent of the vote to rule the government on its own .
Anything less than 40 percent will require a coalition to form the government , which would be a first for post-Soviet Georgia .
Parliamentary speaker Archil Talakvadze of Georgian Dream has described the passage of the reforms as testimony to Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition members have said the ruling party only accepted the changes due to pressure by the public and international partners .
Wedged between the Caspian and Black Seas , Georgia 's strategic location makes it the main transit country for energy , transport and trade between Azerbaijan and Turkey , as well as a key player in Europe 's energy security .
Georgian Dream will face competition from UNM , which nominated former President Mikheil Saakashvili to be its candidate for the post of prime minister .
Saakashvili rode the wave of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2004 , and served two terms in office marked by antigovernment demonstrations as well as a failed war against Russia over the breakaway Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008 .
Following Georgian Dream 's parliamentary victory in 2012 and the subsequent arrest of some former high-ranking members of his cabinet on charges of abuse of power , Saakashvili left the country in 2013 .
A Georgian court in January 2018 convicted the former president of hiding evidence in the killing of a banker and was sentenced to three years in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was also convicted of abuse of power and sentenced in absentia to six years in prison .
The 52-year-old has been campaigning by video link from his self-exile in Ukraine , where he served during his time there as governor of Odesa Oblast from 2015-2016 .
Three other opposition parties led by former UNM members -- European Georgia , Strategy Agmashenebeli , and the libertarian Girchi -- are also expected to win parliamentary seats , as is the centrist Lelo For Georgia .
A number of other parties are expected to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reforms lowering the threshold for seats to 1 percent of the vote , including Russia-friendly parties -- United Georgia , led by former parliamentary speaker and onetime Rose Revolution leader , and the Alliance of Patriots .
The ongoing conflict between fellow South Caucasus countries Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh is also expected to have an impact on the vote , amid concerns that Georgia 's archrival Russia might increase its influence in the region .
Opinion polls have placed Georgian Dream at the head of the pack going into the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the vote , but the ruling party 's popularity levels have been a roller-coaster in recent months .
Support fell sharply this year over concerns about the country 's flailing economy before rebounding on the back of support for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak .
The U.S. rights watchdog Freedom House noted in a report earlier this month that `` Georgia has had one of the lowest death rates globally , resulting in a significant popularity boost . ''
Polls place the UNM in second , with 16 to 19 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in third with 5 to 8 percent .
The vote will be held under the cloud of the coronavirus pandemic .
The country 's Central Election Commission has approved special procedures allowing more than 10,000 hospitalized citizens to cast votes using mobile ballot boxes .
The vote will be monitored by short- and long-term observers from the OSCE/ODIHR , PACE , and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly .

The ruling Georgian Dream party has celebrated the results of four exit polls, all showing it finishing first in parliamentary elections on October 31 that were a test of electoral reforms intended to broaden the range of representation in the legislature.
Though the four exit polls showed significantly different results, they indicated that Georgian Dream got enough votes to cross the 40.5 percent threshold set by law for forming a government on its own.
Official results are expected to be reported as of the early hours of November 1.
All four polls were commissioned by television stations. The Imedi TV exit poll estimated Georgian Dream most favorably, with 55 percent of the vote. It showed the United National Movement (ENM), the main opposition party, with 23 percent.
On the lower end of the estimates, an exit poll commissioned by the opposition Mtavari Arkhi TV showed Georgian Dream getting 41 percent. It showed ENM will receive about 33 percent when the official results are released.
The other two polls, conducted by pollsters hired by Formula 1 and Rustavi 2, showed Georgian Dream with 46 percent and 51 percent, respectively. The pollster for Formula 1 said about 60 percent of people asked refused to participate in the exit poll.
Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who formed the Georgian Dream coalition in 2012, personally congratulated the leaders of the party and supporters.
Voters in the South Caucasus nation voted to decide whether the ruling party will run the government on its own for an unprecedented third consecutive term. They also weighed in on the current legislature's handling of a struggling economy, the coronavirus outbreak, and foreign relations.
Many Georgians accuse the government of mishandling the economy, selective justice, weak foreign policy, and falling short of democratic standards, including the brutal dispersal of protests.
Under electoral reforms passed in June, the format for electing Georgia's 150-member unicameral parliament was restructured to give more weight to proportional representation.
Under the new system, 120 seats -- as opposed to the previous 77 -- will be determined based on party lists. Thirty individual candidates -- as opposed to the previous 73 -- will be elected to represent single-mandate districts.
Overall, 66 parties are registered to run for parliamentary seats in the October 31 vote, with 490 candidates running for individual mandates.
The reforms were aimed at ending the consolidation of power by a single political grouping, which to this point has been the Georgian Dream coalition.
“One gets the feeling that Georgian society has finally matured and emerged from the post-Soviet one-party system and the thirst for a leader/chief, who will settle all issues for the people,” according to George Mchedlishvili, an associate professor at the European University in Tbilisi.
Georgian Dream defeated the United National Movement (ENM) in the 2012 parliamentary elections and has been the ruling party ever since.
However, the party lost its constitutional majority in 2019 after some lawmakers defected amid protests alleging it had failed to follow through on election promises, including electoral reforms.
Georgian Dream also faces a challenge in maintaining its ruling status due to the 40 percent rule.. Anything less than 40 percent will require a coalition to form the government, which would be a first for post-Soviet Georgia.
Parliamentary speaker Archil Talakvadze of Georgian Dream has described the passage of the reforms as testimony to Georgia's commitment to democratic principles, but opposition members have said the ruling party only accepted the changes due to pressure from the public and international partners.
Wedged between the Caspian and Black Seas, Georgia's strategic location makes it the main transit country for energy, transport and trade between Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as a key player in Europe's energy security.
Georgian Dream faces competition from ENM, which nominated former President Mikheil Saakashvili to be its candidate for the post of prime minister.
Saakashvili rode the wave of the pro-Western Rose Revolution to the presidency in 2004, and served two terms in office marked by anti-government demonstrations as well as a failed war against Russia over the breakaway Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008.
Following Georgian Dream's parliamentary victory in 2012 and the subsequent arrest of some former high-ranking members of his cabinet on charges of abuse of power, Saakashvili left the country in 2013.
A Georgian court in January 2018 convicted the former president of hiding evidence in the killing of a banker and was sentenced to three years in prison. In June of that year he was also convicted of abuse of power and sentenced in absentia to six years in prison.
The 52-year-old has been campaigning by video link from his self-exile in Ukraine, where he served during his time there as governor of Odesa Oblast from 2015 to 2016.
Three other opposition parties led by former ENM members -- European Georgia, Strategy Agmashenebeli, and the libertarian Girchi -- are also expected to win parliamentary seats, as is the centrist Lelo For Georgia.
A number of other parties are expected to have a chance to gain parliament seats owing to reforms lowering the threshold for entering parliament to 1 percent of the vote, including Russia-friendly parties -- United Georgia, led by former parliamentary speaker and onetime Rose Revolution leader Nino Burjanadze, and the Alliance of Patriots.
The ongoing conflict between fellow South Caucasus countries Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh is also expected to have an impact on the vote, amid concerns that Georgia's archrival Russia might increase its influence in the region.
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Georgian Service


rferl--2020-10-31--EU Executive Takes Action Against Hungary Over New Asylum Procedures

The European Commission has opened an infringement procedure against Hungary for violating EU asylum laws .
The EU executive sent the formal notice to Hungary on October 30 , warning Budapest that new asylum procedures in response to the coronavirus pandemic constitute an “ incorrect application of EU asylum legislation.
” The new procedures require non-EU nationals to first apply for asylum at a Hungarian Embassy outside the European Union and be issued with a special entry permit .
“ The Commission considers that this rule is an unlawful restriction to access to the asylum procedure , ” the executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are on Hungary 's territory , including at the border , from applying for international protection there.
” Hungary has two months to reply to the Commission .
The Commission ’ s action is the latest infringement proceeding launched against Hungary on a range of issues including the rule of law and immigration .
Since Europe ’ s 2015 migration crisis , Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly clashed with Brussels over his anti-immigration policies .
In May , the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against Hungary in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained in a transit zone camp on the border with Serbia .
Hungary closed the camps after the court decision but continues to press for closed borders after the 27-nation bloc unveiled its latest asylum reform plan .
In July 2019 , the Commission took Hungary to court for criminalizing activities in support of asylum applications .
With reporting by AFP and dpa .

The European Commission has opened an infringement procedure against Hungary for violating EU asylum laws.
The EU executive sent the formal notice to Hungary on October 30, warning Budapest that new asylum procedures in response to the coronavirus pandemic constitute an “incorrect application of EU asylum legislation.”
The new procedures require non-EU nationals to first apply for asylum at a Hungarian Embassy outside the European Union and be issued with a special entry permit.
“The Commission considers that this rule is an unlawful restriction to access to the asylum procedure,” the executive said, “as it precludes persons who are on Hungary's territory, including at the border, from applying for international protection there.”
Hungary has two months to reply to the Commission.
The Commission’s action is the latest infringement proceeding launched against Hungary on a range of issues including the rule of law and immigration.
Since Europe’s 2015 migration crisis, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly clashed with Brussels over his anti-immigration policies.
In May, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against Hungary in a case involving asylum seekers who had effectively been detained in a transit zone camp on the border with Serbia.
Hungary closed the camps after the court decision but continues to press for closed borders after the 27-nation bloc unveiled its latest asylum reform plan.
In July 2019, the Commission took Hungary to court for criminalizing activities in support of asylum applications.
With reporting by AFP and dpa.


rferl--2020-10-30--Russian Rights Group Adds To List Of Political Prisoners

MOSCOW -- The Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center issued an updated list of political prisoners in Russia on October 30 , the Day of Commemoration of the Victims of Political Repressions .
According to the updated list , there are currently 362 political prisoners in Russia , of whom 297 were persecuted for their religious views and 65 for their political activities .
That is up from 305 people listed as political prisoners last year , with 252 individuals persecuted for their religious views and 53 for political activities .
Memorial 's new list was published as special , mainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on October 29-30 to commemorate the millions of victims of political repression in the Soviet Union .
October 30 has been marked in Russia as the Day of Commemoration of the Victims of Political Repressions since 2007 .
The date was chosen to honor gulag inmates in the regions of Mordovia and Perm who started a mass hunger strike on that day in 1974 to protest political persecutions in the Soviet Union .
There is no data on the exact number of Soviet citizens who became victims of Josef Stalin 's Great Purge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 million innocent people were jailed or executed in the Soviet Union between the 1930s and 1950s .
The Gulag History Museum says the number of such people was around 20 million , of whom more than 1,000,000 were executed .

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--2020-10-30--'Bodies Are Everywhere': Russia Struggles With COVID-19 Spike

COVID-19 cases are growing fast in Russia and the situation is becoming dire in some regions .
The country reported @ @ @ @ @ on October 30 .
There are shortages of medical supplies and personnel in a number @ @ @ @ @ morgues are full of bodies , with not enough pathologists to handle the dead .

COVID-19 cases are growing fast in Russia and the situation is becoming dire in some regions. The country reported a record 18,283 new cases on October 30. There are shortages of medical supplies and personnel in a number of cities. And some morgues are full of bodies, with not enough pathologists to handle the dead.


rferl--2020-10-30--Teenager Shot Dead In Russia's Tatarstan After 'Attempted Terrorist Act'

KUKMOR , Russia – Russian authorities say police in the Republic of Tatarstan have shot dead a teenage boy allegedly @ @ @ @ @ attack against a police station .
In early hours of October 30 , a 16-year-old @ @ @ @ @ '' to a building of the police department in the town of Kukmor , `` @ @ @ @ @ '' according to the Investigative Committee .
When police tried to detain the teenager , @ @ @ @ @ at least three times with a knife '' before being shot by another policeman , @ @ @ @ @ statement .
The stabbed police officer was hospitalized with wounds .
The Investigative Committee said @ @ @ @ @ opened an investigation into the `` attempted terrorist act . ''
Tatarstan 's Interior Ministry @ @ @ @ @ thrown two Molotov cocktails at the police station 's parking lot .
Kukmor is a @ @ @ @ @ in Muslim-majority Tatarstan .

KUKMOR, Russia – Russian authorities say police in the Republic of Tatarstan have shot dead a teenage boy allegedly involved in an attempted terrorist attack against a police station.
In early hours of October 30, a 16-year-old "tried to set fire" to a building of the police department in the town of Kukmor, "using an incendiary mixture," according to the Investigative Committee.
When police tried to detain the teenager, he stabbed one officer "at least three times with a knife" before being shot by another policeman, the committee said in a statement.
The stabbed police officer was hospitalized with wounds.
The Investigative Committee said its Main Investigative Directorate had opened an investigation into the "attempted terrorist act."
Tatarstan's Interior Ministry earlier said the attacker had thrown two Molotov cocktails at the police station's parking lot.
Kukmor is a town of some 18,000 residents in Muslim-majority Tatarstan.


rferl--2020-10-30--Iranian Supreme Leader's French Instagram Page Suspended Temporarily By 'Mistake'

An Instagram page in French affiliated with Iran ’ s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was suspended for several hours on October 30 following the Iranian leader ’ s message to French youth , in which he equated denying the Holocaust with perceived insults against Prophet Muhammad .
A spokesperson with Facebook , the company that owns Instagram , told RFE/RL that the page had been removed by mistake and not due to its content .
“ This account was mistakenly removed ... and is now back on Instagram , ” the spokesperson said in an email on October 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mistake and for any confusion caused , ” they added .
Iranian media had reported earlier that the page had been blocked after posting Khamenei 's message and that a new page for the Iranian leader had been launched as a replacement .
In his message published on October 28 , Khamenei criticized French President Emmanuel Macron ‘ s defense of the right to show cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad , which many Muslims consider disrespectful and blasphemous .
Macron has defended secular values following the killing of 47-year-old schoolteacher Samuel Paty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cartoons as part of a civics class at school .
Khamenei said Macron ’ s move was a “ stupid act.
” “ Does freedom of expression mean insulting , especially a sacred person ?
” Khamenei asked .
“ Isn ’ t this stupid act an insult to the reason of the [ people ] who elected him ?
” he added .
“ Why is it a crime to raise doubts about the Holocaust ?
Why should anyone who writes about such doubts be imprisoned while insulting the Prophet is allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in his written message that was published in Persian , French and English .
The message was posted on Khamenei ’ s website as well as on Twitter , filtered in Iran , where it was met with criticism for promoting `` anti-Semitism . ''


rferl--2020-10-30--Ukraine's President, Top Court Clash Over Anti-Corruption Ruling

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the Constitutional Court have clashed over a ruling to abolish some anti-corruption laws , as hundreds of protesters gathered in the streets of Kyiv over the decision .
Zelenskiy asked lawmakers on October 30 to annul a court ruling earlier this week that struck down some anti-corruption legislation and curbed the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Agency ( NAZK ) .
In its ruling , the court said the punishment for false information on an official 's asset declaration , as envisioned by the laws , was too harsh .
But Zelenskiy said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid and called for lawmakers to dissolve the Constitutional Court because its decisions were `` worthless . ''
Zelenskiy proposed restoring the anti-corruption laws in question and electing new members to the Constitutional Court .
In turn , the head of the court , Oleksandr Tupytskiy , told a news conference that Zelenskiy 's moves were `` definitely not constitutional '' and that they `` bear the signs of a constitutional coup , '' in which the president wants to create an `` obedient '' court .
Protesters in Kyiv gathered in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their decision .
No incidents were reported at the site .
Kyiv 's slow progress on reforms and anti-corruption efforts has become an obstacle to implementing a $ 5 billion program agreed in June with the International Monetary Fund .
The European Union 's delegation to Kyiv has warned that its financial assistance was tied to Ukraine 's performance on corruption .
The court ruling was also controversial because four judges were under investigation by the NAZK for failing to properly declare assets in their declarations .
The four judges did not recuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so from the government and anti-corruption campaigners .
With reporting by Reuters and UNIAN

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the Constitutional Court have clashed over a ruling to abolish some anti-corruption laws, as hundreds of protesters gathered in the streets of Kyiv over the decision.
Zelenskiy asked lawmakers on October 30 to annul a court ruling earlier this week that struck down some anti-corruption legislation and curbed the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Agency (NAZK).
In its ruling, the court said the punishment for false information on an official's asset declaration, as envisioned by the laws, was too harsh.
But Zelenskiy said the move could jeopardize vital international economic aid and called for lawmakers to dissolve the Constitutional Court because its decisions were "worthless."
Zelenskiy proposed restoring the anti-corruption laws in question and electing new members to the Constitutional Court.
In turn, the head of the court, Oleksandr Tupytskiy, told a news conference that Zelenskiy's moves were "definitely not constitutional" and that they "bear the signs of a constitutional coup," in which the president wants to create an "obedient" court.
Protesters in Kyiv gathered in front of the court demanding the justices explain their decision. No incidents were reported at the site.
Kyiv's slow progress on reforms and anti-corruption efforts has become an obstacle to implementing a $5 billion program agreed in June with the International Monetary Fund.
The European Union's delegation to Kyiv has warned that its financial assistance was tied to Ukraine's performance on corruption.
The court ruling was also controversial because four judges were under investigation by the NAZK for failing to properly declare assets in their declarations.
The four judges did not recuse themselves from the case, despite calls to do so from the government and anti-corruption campaigners.
With reporting by Reuters and UNIAN


rferl--2020-10-30--Armenia, Azerbaijan Pledge To Avoid Targeting Civilians In Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to avoid targeting civilian populations and take other “ urgent ” steps during talks with international mediators in Geneva aimed at helping to bring a halt in fighting over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh after three previous cease-fires failed .
The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers , Zohrab Mnatsakanian and Ceyhun Bayramov , also agreed on October 30 to engage in exchange of bodies on the battlefield , provide lists of detained prisoners of war within a week with the aim of eventual exchange , and communicate on issues `` related to possible ceasefire verification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Minsk Group mediation co-chairs -- Russia , France , and the United States .
Diplomats from Russia , France , and the United States met separately with Mnatsakanian and Bayramov , before they sat down for joint talks .
The talks were supposed to take place a day earlier but were delayed when fighting once again spiked in Nagorno-Karabakh , a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians , as well as surrounding areas controlled by Armenian forces .
The current clashes broke out on September 27 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that unraveled as quickly as they were agreed .
Azerbaijan said on October 29 that it had handed over to Armenia the bodies of 29 servicemen killed in the ongoing fighting as the death toll mounted .
The handover was acknowledged by both sides as Yerevan and Baku continued to blame each other for the collapse of the most recent cease-fire , which was brokered by the United States .
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with support from Armenia , since Azerbaijan 's troops were pushed out of the breakaway region in a war in the early 1990s .
President Ilham Aliyev has demanded that Nagorno-Karabakh be returned to Azerbaijan , as well as seven surrounding districts controlled by Armenian forces .
Armenia says it will not withdraw from territory it views as part of its historic homeland and where the population needs protection .
The conflict has sparked concerns over a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in NATO member Turkey , which is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has a military pact with Armenia .
Turkey has demanded a bigger role in the Minsk Group , which Ankara and Baku say has sidelined the Nagorno-Karabakh issue for decades without finding a lasting solution .
Turkey is not the only regional player with an eye on the conflict .
Iran has also warned the warring parties against threatening the security of nearby Iranian territories .
Earlier this week , Tehran announced it had drawn up a plan to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the hope of stopping fighting between Armenian and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The European Union , meanwhile , has called the escalation in fighting `` unacceptable '' and wants new peace talks .

Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to avoid targeting civilian populations and take other “urgent” steps during talks with international mediators in Geneva aimed at helping to bring a halt in fighting over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh after three previous cease-fires failed.
The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, Zohrab Mnatsakanian and Ceyhun Bayramov, also agreed on October 30 to engage in exchange of bodies on the battlefield, provide lists of detained prisoners of war within a week with the aim of eventual exchange, and communicate on issues "related to possible ceasefire verification mechanisms," said a statement by the Minsk Group mediation co-chairs -- Russia, France, and the United States.
Diplomats from Russia, France, and the United States met separately with Mnatsakanian and Bayramov, before they sat down for joint talks.
The talks were supposed to take place a day earlier but were delayed when fighting once again spiked in Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians, as well as surrounding areas controlled by Armenian forces.
The current clashes broke out on September 27 and fighting has persisted despite three cease-fire agreements that unraveled as quickly as they were agreed.
Azerbaijan said on October 29 that it had handed over to Armenia the bodies of 29 servicemen killed in the ongoing fighting as the death toll mounted.
The handover was acknowledged by both sides as Yerevan and Baku continued to blame each other for the collapse of the most recent cease-fire, which was brokered by the United States.
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule. They have been governing their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops were pushed out of the breakaway region in a war in the early 1990s.
President Ilham Aliyev has demanded that Nagorno-Karabakh be returned to Azerbaijan, as well as seven surrounding districts controlled by Armenian forces.
Armenia says it will not withdraw from territory it views as part of its historic homeland and where the population needs protection.
The conflict has sparked concerns over a wider conflict in the South Caucasus drawing in NATO member Turkey, which is an ally of Azerbaijan, and Russia, which has a military pact with Armenia.
Turkey has demanded a bigger role in the Minsk Group, which Ankara and Baku say has sidelined the Nagorno-Karabakh issue for decades without finding a lasting solution.
Turkey is not the only regional player with an eye on the conflict.
Iran has also warned the warring parties against threatening the security of nearby Iranian territories.
Earlier this week, Tehran announced it had drawn up a plan to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the hope of stopping fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces continuing along its northwestern border.
The European Union, meanwhile, has called the escalation in fighting "unacceptable" and wants new peace talks.


rferl--2020-10-31--Hundreds Of Women March Against Lukashenka Despite Threats

Hundreds of women have marched through the streets of the Belarusian capital as protesters kept up their demand for the ouster of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
The march in Minsk on October 31 came a day after Lukashenka met with his new security chiefs and threatened `` harsh measures ” against protesters .
Lukashenka tightened his grip on the country by replacing top Interior Ministry officials and partially closing borders , moves seen as being aimed at ending weeks of demonstrations over a disputed presidential election on August 9 that gave him a sixth consecutive term in power .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ marched in central Minsk chanting “ Freedom ” and “ Fair Elections ” as they carried red-and-white flags and banners , a symbol of the opposition that has been banned by the authorities .
Belarus has witnessed near daily protests since the vote that Lukashenka , in power since 1994 , claims he won by a landslide .
Lukashenka has responded to demonstrations against the official election outcome with a crackdown that has seen more than 10,000 arrests and accusations of torture and beatings by security forces against peaceful demonstrators .
Members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also been attacked .
Most of the country ’ s opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country , including presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who has said the vote was rigged in Lukashenka 's favor and considers herself the rightful winner .
She left Belarus for Lithuania after the vote amid threats to her and her family .

Hundreds of women have marched through the streets of the Belarusian capital as protesters kept up their demand for the ouster of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
The march in Minsk on October 31 came a day after Lukashenka met with his new security chiefs and threatened "harsh measures” against protesters.
Lukashenka tightened his grip on the country by replacing top Interior Ministry officials and partially closing borders, moves seen as being aimed at ending weeks of demonstrations over a disputed presidential election on August 9 that gave him a sixth consecutive term in power.
On October 31, several hundred women marched in central Minsk chanting “Freedom” and “Fair Elections” as they carried red-and-white flags and banners, a symbol of the opposition that has been banned by the authorities.
Belarus has witnessed near daily protests since the vote that Lukashenka, in power since 1994, claims he won by a landslide.
Lukashenka has responded to demonstrations against the official election outcome with a crackdown that has seen more than 10,000 arrests and accusations of torture and beatings by security forces against peaceful demonstrators. Members of the media reporting on the protests have also been attacked.
Most of the country’s opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country, including presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has said the vote was rigged in Lukashenka's favor and considers herself the rightful winner. She left Belarus for Lithuania after the vote amid threats to her and her family.


rferl--2020-10-31--Hundreds Of Kazakh Activists Attend Rare Rally In Almaty

ALMATY , Kazakhstan -- Hundreds of rights activists have held a rally in Kazakhstan 's largest city , Almaty , demanding political reforms and an end to politically motivated persecutions .
Around 300 people took part in the sanctioned rally on October 31 in Almaty 's Shoqan Ualikhanov park .
In an unexpected and rare move earlier this month , authorities in Almaty allowed the protest .
Well-known human right activists Bakhytzhan Toreghozhina and Ghalym Ageleuov said on October 12 that they obtained permission to hold the protest after two previous attempts to do so were unsuccessful .
No reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rally .
Ageleuov said earlier that Almaty authorities had rejected the two previous requests to hold the rally , saying that the event had been supported by two banned organizations labeled as extremist in the country -- the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan ( DVK ) and the associated Koshe ( Street ) Party .
DVK was established by an outspoken critic of the Kazakh government , fugitive tycoon Mukhtar Ablyazov , who resides in France and regularly organizes unsanctioned anti-government rallies via the Internet .
It is rare for authorities in Kazakhstan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies of the government .
According to Kazakh law , any public events must be held only after receiving permission from local authorities , which many in the Central Asian nation and beyond consider as a violation of the Kazakh citizens ' civil rights guaranteed by the constitution .

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Hundreds of rights activists have held a rally in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, demanding political reforms and an end to politically motivated persecutions.
Around 300 people took part in the sanctioned rally on October 31 in Almaty's Shoqan Ualikhanov park.
In an unexpected and rare move earlier this month, authorities in Almaty allowed the protest.
Well-known human right activists Bakhytzhan Toreghozhina and Ghalym Ageleuov said on October 12 that they obtained permission to hold the protest after two previous attempts to do so were unsuccessful. No reason was given for the change to allow the rally.
Ageleuov said earlier that Almaty authorities had rejected the two previous requests to hold the rally, saying that the event had been supported by two banned organizations labeled as extremist in the country -- the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) and the associated Koshe (Street) Party.
DVK was established by an outspoken critic of the Kazakh government, fugitive tycoon Mukhtar Ablyazov, who resides in France and regularly organizes unsanctioned anti-government rallies via the Internet.
It is rare for authorities in Kazakhstan to allow demonstrations or rallies questioning the policies of the government.
According to Kazakh law, any public events must be held only after receiving permission from local authorities, which many in the Central Asian nation and beyond consider as a violation of the Kazakh citizens' civil rights guaranteed by the constitution.