rferl--2020-11-24--Armenian Economy Minister Resigns As Government Faces Pressure Over Nagorno-Karabakh Truce

YEREVAN -- Armenia 's economy minister , Tigran Khachatrian , has tendered his resignation amid sharp opposition criticism of the government over a recent Russia-brokered cease-fire that ended six weeks of fighting between Azerbaijani and ethnic Armenian forces over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Khachatrian 's spokeswoman Anna Ohanian told RFE/RL on November 24 that the minister submitted a resignation letter a day earlier , adding that he “ continues to fulfill his responsibilities until a relevant decision is made.
” Ohanyan did not give further details .
The move follows the appointment of new defense and foreign ministers last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reject opposition calls to resign over the cease-fire , which ended the heaviest fighting in decades in the region but has also been seen by many Armenians as a national defeat .
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the region 's population reject Azerbaijani rule .
Under the Russia-brokered deal , which went into effect on November 10 , ethnic Armenians are handing over swathes of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh .
They had been governing their own affairs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's troops and Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994 .
The latest round of fighting is estimated to have killed more than 2,000 soldiers and civilians on both sides .
Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians were also displaced .

YEREVAN -- Armenia's economy minister, Tigran Khachatrian, has tendered his resignation amid sharp opposition criticism of the government over a recent Russia-brokered cease-fire that ended six weeks of fighting between Azerbaijani and ethnic Armenian forces over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Khachatrian's spokeswoman Anna Ohanian told RFE/RL on November 24 that the minister submitted a resignation letter a day earlier, adding that he “continues to fulfill his responsibilities until a relevant decision is made.” Ohanyan did not give further details.
The move follows the appointment of new defense and foreign ministers last week as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian continues to reject opposition calls to resign over the cease-fire, which ended the heaviest fighting in decades in the region but has also been seen by many Armenians as a national defeat.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the region's population reject Azerbaijani rule.
Under the Russia-brokered deal, which went into effect on November 10, ethnic Armenians are handing over swathes of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. They had been governing their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops and Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994.
The latest round of fighting is estimated to have killed more than 2,000 soldiers and civilians on both sides. Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians were also displaced.


rferl--2020-11-24--Kazakh Penitentiary Launches Probe After Inmate Video Alleges Widespread Torture

QARAGHANDY , Kazakhstan -- A maximum security penitentiary in Kazakhstan ’ s central region of Qaraghandy has launched an inquiry after a video of an inmate , whose eyes and mouth were sewn partially closed , was posted on the Internet to protest allegations of torture in the facility .
The Central Asian nation 's penitentiary department ( QAZhD ) said on November 24 that it had launched an inspection of the Corrective Colony AK-159/25 in the city of Zhezqazghan , following the video statement by the inmate , Zhaniyar Zharmakhanov , which claims the torture of inmates on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , other videos taken by inmates of the colony are being investigated as well , adding that if the inmates ' claims are proven true , those responsible for irregularities in the prisons will be held responsible .
`` Inside this prison , we are being tortured regularly , '' Zharmakhanov , who has thread running through his eyelids and lips , says in the video , placed on YouTube on November 17 .
`` Many of us , almost on a daily basis , cut themselves , hang themselves or maim themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be treated in hospitals out of the prison to escape torture ... .
Mr. President , Mr. Prosecutor-General , ministers , please , understand us and help us .
We do not have any other way than to sew up our eyes not to see [ the guards ] and sew up our mouths not to talk to them , '' the inmate says , adding that the penitentiary ’ s warden and his subordinates `` must be held responsible if something bad happens to us , '' he added .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region refused to comment on the video to RFE/RL , saying official information will be provided later .
Prisoners in Kazakhstan have rioted frequently in recent years to protest conditions , often maiming themselves to draw attention to their plight .

QARAGHANDY, Kazakhstan-- A maximum security penitentiary in Kazakhstan’s central region of Qaraghandy has launched an inquiry after a video of an inmate, whose eyes and mouth were sewn partially closed, was posted on the Internet to protest allegations of torture in the facility.
The Central Asian nation's penitentiary department (QAZhD) said on November 24 that it had launched an inspection of the Corrective Colony AK-159/25 in the city of Zhezqazghan, following the video statement by the inmate, Zhaniyar Zharmakhanov, which claims the torture of inmates on a regular basis.
According to the QAZhD, other videos taken by inmates of the colony are being investigated as well, adding that if the inmates' claims are proven true, those responsible for irregularities in the prisons will be held responsible.
"Inside this prison, we are being tortured regularly," Zharmakhanov, who has thread running through his eyelids and lips, says in the video, placed on YouTube on November 17.
"Many of us, almost on a daily basis, cut themselves, hang themselves or maim themselves in other ways, in protest or to be treated in hospitals out of the prison to escape torture.... Mr. President, Mr. Prosecutor-General, ministers, please, understand us and help us. We do not have any other way than to sew up our eyes not to see [the guards] and sew up our mouths not to talk to them," the inmate says, adding that the penitentiary’s warden and his subordinates "must be held responsible if something bad happens to us," he added.
Officials of the QAZhD branch in the Qaraghandy region refused to comment on the video to RFE/RL, saying official information will be provided later.
Prisoners in Kazakhstan have rioted frequently in recent years to protest conditions, often maiming themselves to draw attention to their plight.


rferl--2020-11-26--Uzbekistan Signs Deal With Maltese Firm To Grow Medical Cannabis

Uzbekistan has signed a deal with a Maltese company , Melabis , to grow and produce medical cannabis in the @ @ @ @ @ will grow the plants on 3,000 hectares of farmland in the Sardoba district of Sirdaryo @ @ @ @ @ on November 26 , citing the regional government .
It marks the first such deal @ @ @ @ @ drug is prohibited , despite regular calls for its legalization .
According to the UzA @ @ @ @ @ will have THC content of 0.1-0.2 percent , making it suitable only for medical use @ @ @ @ @ will be mostly exported , '' UzA said .
With an initial investment of about @ @ @ @ @ project includes building a high-tech plant and laboratories in Sirdaryo that would create some 100 @ @ @ @ @ .
Based on reporting by uza.uz and Reuters

Uzbekistan has signed a deal with a Maltese company, Melabis, to grow and produce medical cannabis in the Central Asian country.
Melabis will grow the plants on 3,000 hectares of farmland in the Sardoba district of Sirdaryo Province, local media reported on November 26, citing the regional government.
It marks the first such deal for Uzbekistan, where the drug is prohibited, despite regular calls for its legalization.
According to the UzA publication, the refined product will have THC content of 0.1-0.2 percent, making it suitable only for medical use. "The final product will be mostly exported," UzA said.
With an initial investment of about $33 million, the project includes building a high-tech plant and laboratories in Sirdaryo that would create some 100 new jobs, UzA reported.
Based on reporting by uza.uz and Reuters


rferl--2020-11-25--Trump Pardons Former National-Security Adviser Flynn

U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned former national-security adviser Michael Flynn , who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russians .
Trump announced the pardon in a tweet on November 25 , a day after media reports said Trump had told aides he planned to include Flynn in a series of pardons he will issue in the final days of his presidency .
`` It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon .
Congratulations to @ GenFlynn and his wonderful family , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fantastic Thanksgiving ! ''
Trump said .
Flynn 's secret talks with the Russian ambassador to Washington in December 2016 were a cornerstone of the investigation into Moscow 's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether there had been any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government in the election .
Trump fired Flynn in February 2017 , but the president has claimed the investigation was a political `` witch hunt '' and that Flynn was a `` good man . ''
Flynn , a retired Army general and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about interactions he had with Russia ’ s ambassador to the United States during the presidential transition in late 2016 and early 2017 .
But he has sought to withdraw the plea , arguing that prosecutors violated his rights and duped him into a plea agreement .
In a surprise move in May , the Justice Department withdrew its case against Flynn , saying the alleged lies to the FBI were not significant .
But the federal judge who presided over Flynn ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the matter .
Trump 's pardon takes the matter out of the courts .
Trump on July 10 commuted the sentence of Roger Stone , a former Trump adviser , just before he was due to report to prison .
He faced a sentence of three years and four months for lying to Congress , witness tampering , and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election .
The presidential grant of clemency stopped short of a full pardon .
Though the special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detailed multiple interactions between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia , it found insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the election .
With reporting by Axios , The New York Times , AFP , and Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned former national-security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russians.
Trump announced the pardon in a tweet on November 25, a day after media reports said Trump had told aides he planned to include Flynn in a series of pardons he will issue in the final days of his presidency.
"It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!" Trump said.
Flynn's secret talks with the Russian ambassador to Washington in December 2016 were a cornerstone of the investigation into Moscow's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether there had been any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government in the election.
Trump fired Flynn in February 2017, but the president has claimed the investigation was a political "witch hunt" and that Flynn was a "good man."
Flynn, a retired Army general and former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about interactions he had with Russia’s ambassador to the United States during the presidential transition in late 2016 and early 2017.
But he has sought to withdraw the plea, arguing that prosecutors violated his rights and duped him into a plea agreement.
In a surprise move in May, the Justice Department withdrew its case against Flynn, saying the alleged lies to the FBI were not significant. But the federal judge who presided over Flynn’s case has demanded a further judicial review of the matter.
Trump's pardon takes the matter out of the courts.
Trump on July 10 commuted the sentence of Roger Stone, a former Trump adviser, just before he was due to report to prison. He faced a sentence of three years and four months for lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.
The presidential grant of clemency stopped short of a full pardon.
Though the special counsel’s report on the investigation detailed multiple interactions between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia, it found insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the election.
With reporting by Axios, The New York Times, AFP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-11-27--Health Agencies Warn Of Undiagnosed HIV Cases In Eastern Europe, Central Asia

The EU 's disease control agency and the World Health Organization ( WHO ) are calling for more HIV testing as many infected people are diagnosed too late , especially in Eastern Europe and Central Asia .
Late diagnosis of the virus that causes AIDS contributes to ongoing HIV transmission , often for several years , and prevents infected people from receiving life-saving treatment .
A report published on November 26 by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ( ECDC ) and WHO showed that in 2019 more than 136,000 people were newly diagnosed in the WHO European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some 80 percent of the new diagnoses were in WHO ’ s eastern region , which includes Eastern Europe , Russia and several countries in Central Asia .
In a worrying trend , about half of diagnoses happened late in the infection when the immune system has already started to fail .
“ This is a sign that testing strategies in the region are not working properly to diagnose HIV early , ” the health agencies said in a joint statement .
In the region covered by the ECDC -- which includes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norway -- the number of cases has declined by 9 percent in the past decade and the number of undiagnosed cases has been falling .
But newly diagnosed cases across the whole region , including Eastern Europe , Russia , and Central Asia , have increased by 19 percent over the last decade , the report said , and the number of people living in the region with undiagnosed HIV is increasing .
While it is not known how COVID-19 is impacting HIV testing , WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us of an AIDS-free future that is within our grasp.
” “ I remember when a diagnosis of HIV seemed like a death sentence .
Now , with proper treatment , people with HIV can live without fear of AIDS , ” he said .
ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said COVID-19 should not lead countries to ignore other health issues like HIV/AIDS .
“ Earlier diagnosis of HIV is an urgent priority , ” she said .
According to UNAIDS , 38 million people around the world were living with HIV in 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy .

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--2020-11-26--Hungary, Poland Pledge Mutual Support For EU Budget Veto

The Hungarian and Polish prime ministers have signed a joint declaration pledging to support each other in blocking the European Union ’ s next budget and its massive pandemic relief fund because of a proposed mechanism that ties it to compliance with the rule of law .
Viktor Orban and Mateusz Morawiecki said after their meeting in Budapest on November 26 that the mechanism risks derailing the bloc .
In the declaration , the two prime ministers claimed that the mechanism `` applies vague definitions and ambiguous terms without clear criteria on which sanctions can be based . ''
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for undermining the independence of the judiciary , media , and nongovernmental organizations , and they risk losing access to tens of billions of euros .
`` Neither Poland nor Hungary will accept any proposal that is deemed unacceptable to the other , '' the joint declaration reads .
Last week , the two countries withheld support for a key decision on how to fund the shared 2021-2027 EU spending plan .
Their veto is likely to significantly delay the adoption of the EU 's 1.8 trillion euro ( $ 2.1 trillion ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries has angered other EU member states who are keenly awaiting payouts from the 27-member bloc 's stimulus package to help economies seriously hit by the pandemic .
Settling the dispute is also in the interest of Poland and Hungary , which would receive some of the highest amounts per capita from Brussels .
Both are in great need of financial aid to help their economies overcome the effects of the pandemic .
With reporting by Reuters , AFP , AP , dpa , and mti.hu

The Hungarian and Polish prime ministers have signed a joint declaration pledging to support each other in blocking the European Union’s next budget and its massive pandemic relief fund because of a proposed mechanism that ties it to compliance with the rule of law.
Viktor Orban and Mateusz Morawiecki said after their meeting in Budapest on November 26 that the mechanism risks derailing the bloc.
In the declaration, the two prime ministers claimed that the mechanism "applies vague definitions and ambiguous terms without clear criteria on which sanctions can be based."
Both Hungary and Poland are under EU investigation for undermining the independence of the judiciary, media, and nongovernmental organizations, and they risk losing access to tens of billions of euros.
"Neither Poland nor Hungary will accept any proposal that is deemed unacceptable to the other," the joint declaration reads.
Last week, the two countries withheld support for a key decision on how to fund the shared 2021-2027 EU spending plan.
Their veto is likely to significantly delay the adoption of the EU's 1.8 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) plan.
The standoff with the two countries has angered other EU member states who are keenly awaiting payouts from the 27-member bloc's stimulus package to help economies seriously hit by the pandemic.
Settling the dispute is also in the interest of Poland and Hungary, which would receive some of the highest amounts per capita from Brussels.
Both are in great need of financial aid to help their economies overcome the effects of the pandemic.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa, and mti.hu


rferl--2020-11-26--Azerbaijan's Parliament Calls For French Removal From Nagorno-Karabakh Mediation

Azerbaijani lawmakers on November 26 called for France to be expelled from the Minsk Group mediating in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute after the French Senate backed the breakaway region 's independence claim .
The French upper house on November 25 adopted a nonbinding resolution calling on France to recognize the separatist region as an independent state .
The move came after Armenia agreed to a Moscow-brokered peace deal earlier this month that ended weeks of fresh fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh .
France , together with Russia and the United States , cochairs the Minsk Group , which has led talks seeking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has failed to achieve a lasting agreement .
The French senators ' nonbinding resolution called on the French government to recognize the `` Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh '' as an independent state .
The resolution suggested that recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as a state could be used as “ an instrument of negotiations for the purpose of establishing a lasting peace.
” Nagorno-Karabakh 's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan has not been recognized by any country .
The French resolution also stated that `` the security and freedom of the Armenian populations in Nagorno-Karabakh are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In response , Azerbaijani lawmakers adopted a resolution on November 26 urging the government to appeal to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , which oversees the Minsk Group , to expel France from its presidency .
They also urged Baku to revise its `` political ... and economic relations '' with France .
Parliament speaker Sahiba Gafarova said a `` dirty political campaign against Azerbaijan '' had been orchestrated in the French Senate and that Azerbaijani lawmakers had to respond .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historic . ''
Under the Moscow-brokered peace agreement , Armenia is ceding control of parts of the enclave 's territory as well as seven surrounding districts of Azerbaijan it held since the 1990s .
The Armenian separatists are retaining control over most of Nagorno-Karabakh 's territory and some 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed along frontline areas and to protect a land link connecting Karabakh with Armenia .
Pashinian suggested on November 25 that Russian peacekeeping forces will likely remain in Nagorno-Karabakh for more than the five years envisaged by the agreement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia has extensive relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan but provides security guarantees to the former .
On November 25 , Azerbaijani troops moved into the Kalbacar district after it was handed over by Armenia as part of the truce deal .
No incidents were reported during the initial stage of the handover and a spokesman for Russia ’ s Defense Ministry said his country ’ s peacekeeping mission remains in close contact with local administrations to try to prevent any possible incidents .
Kalbachar , wedged between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 but the deadline was postponed by Azerbaijan for humanitarian reasons .
Azerbaijan lost control of Kalbacar during the war with Armenia in the early 1990s as they transitioned into independent countries amid the breakup of the Soviet Union .
Kalbacar -- which the Armenians call Karvachar -- was a strategic link between Armenia 's internationally recognized border and Armenian-held areas in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Armenia agreed to hand over three districts ringing Nagorno-Karabakh -- Agdam , Kalbachar , and Lachin -- after nearly three decades under Armenian control as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst fighting in the region since the 1990s .
Lachin is scheduled for handover by December 1 .
With reporting by AFP , TASS , and Interfax

Azerbaijani lawmakers on November 26 called for France to be expelled from the Minsk Group mediating in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute after the French Senate backed the breakaway region's independence claim.
The French upper house on November 25 adopted a nonbinding resolution calling on France to recognize the separatist region as an independent state.
The move came after Armenia agreed to a Moscow-brokered peace deal earlier this month that ended weeks of fresh fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
France, together with Russia and the United States, cochairs the Minsk Group, which has led talks seeking a solution to the conflict for decades but has failed to achieve a lasting agreement.
The French senators' nonbinding resolution called on the French government to recognize the "Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh" as an independent state. The resolution suggested that recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as a state could be used as “an instrument of negotiations for the purpose of establishing a lasting peace.”
Nagorno-Karabakh's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan has not been recognized by any country.
The French resolution also stated that "the security and freedom of the Armenian populations in Nagorno-Karabakh are not guaranteed by the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
In response, Azerbaijani lawmakers adopted a resolution on November 26 urging the government to appeal to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which oversees the Minsk Group, to expel France from its presidency.
They also urged Baku to revise its "political...and economic relations" with France.
Parliament speaker Sahiba Gafarova said a "dirty political campaign against Azerbaijan" had been orchestrated in the French Senate and that Azerbaijani lawmakers had to respond.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has praised the French resolution as "historic."
Under the Moscow-brokered peace agreement, Armenia is ceding control of parts of the enclave's territory as well as seven surrounding districts of Azerbaijan it held since the 1990s.
The Armenian separatists are retaining control over most of Nagorno-Karabakh's territory and some 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed along frontline areas and to protect a land link connecting Karabakh with Armenia.
Pashinian suggested on November 25 that Russian peacekeeping forces will likely remain in Nagorno-Karabakh for more than the five years envisaged by the agreement that stopped the Armenian-Azerbaijani war on November 10.
Russia has extensive relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan but provides security guarantees to the former.
On November 25, Azerbaijani troops moved into the Kalbacar district after it was handed over by Armenia as part of the truce deal.
No incidents were reported during the initial stage of the handover and a spokesman for Russia’s Defense Ministry said his country’s peacekeeping mission remains in close contact with local administrations to try to prevent any possible incidents.
Kalbachar, wedged between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, was initially scheduled for handover on November 15 but the deadline was postponed by Azerbaijan for humanitarian reasons.
Azerbaijan lost control of Kalbacar during the war with Armenia in the early 1990s as they transitioned into independent countries amid the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Kalbacar -- which the Armenians call Karvachar -- was a strategic link between Armenia's internationally recognized border and Armenian-held areas in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenia agreed to hand over three districts ringing Nagorno-Karabakh -- Agdam, Kalbachar, and Lachin -- after nearly three decades under Armenian control as part of the Russian-brokered agreement, following the worst fighting in the region since the 1990s.
Lachin is scheduled for handover by December 1.
With reporting by AFP, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-11-26--Russia Accuses West Of 'Meddling' In Belarus

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the West of interfering in Belarus as he met Alyaksandr Lukashenka , who has faced months of protests over his disputed reelection .
Lavrov held talks on November 26 with Lukashenka and other top officials in the capital , Minsk , in the latest display of Moscow 's support for Lukashenka 's regime .
Thousands of protesters demanding Lukashenka 's resignation have taken to the streets of Minsk every weekend since an August 9 election that saw the 66-year-old strongman , who has been in power since 1994 , claim a sixth term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who took her jailed husband 's place in the presidential race , was the true winner .
Moscow has continued to back Lukashenka since the protests erupted , with several meetings between senior officials from both sides in recent months .
Speaking at a press conference with his Belarusian counterpart Uladzimer Makey , Lavrov accused the United States and several European countries of `` gross interference '' in the domestic affairs of Belarus .
`` The wise Belarusian people are able to sort themselves out without any outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Lavrov said .
Lukashenka has claimed that Western countries are orchestrating the demonstrations and conspiring to have him removed .
Lavrov said the West is `` using dirty methods of so-called color revolutions , including manipulating public opinion , supporting forces that are openly anti-government and promoting their radicalization . ''
Western leaders have refused to recognize the results of the election and threw their support behind Tsikhanouskaya , who left Belarus for neighboring Lithuania due to security concerns for her and her family .
The European Union has imposed sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies citing election rigging and a violent police crackdown on demonstrators .
Belarusian security forces detained thousands of protesters in the first days of the demonstrations .
They have continued to regularly arrest protesters and members of the opposition .
There have also been credible reports of torture during a widening security crackdown .
Most of the country 's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country .
With reporting by AFP and Interfax

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the West of interfering in Belarus as he met Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has faced months of protests over his disputed reelection.
Lavrov held talks on November 26 with Lukashenka and other top officials in the capital, Minsk, in the latest display of Moscow's support for Lukashenka's regime.
Thousands of protesters demanding Lukashenka's resignation have taken to the streets of Minsk every weekend since an August 9 election that saw the 66-year-old strongman, who has been in power since 1994, claim a sixth term in office.
Protesters believe that 38-year-old opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who took her jailed husband's place in the presidential race, was the true winner.
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
Moscow has continued to back Lukashenka since the protests erupted, with several meetings between senior officials from both sides in recent months.
Speaking at a press conference with his Belarusian counterpart Uladzimer Makey, Lavrov accused the United States and several European countries of "gross interference" in the domestic affairs of Belarus.
"The wise Belarusian people are able to sort themselves out without any outside prompting and intrusive offers of unsolicited mediation," Lavrov said.
Lukashenka has claimed that Western countries are orchestrating the demonstrations and conspiring to have him removed.
Lavrov said the West is "using dirty methods of so-called color revolutions, including manipulating public opinion, supporting forces that are openly anti-government and promoting their radicalization."
Western leaders have refused to recognize the results of the election and threw their support behind Tsikhanouskaya, who left Belarus for neighboring Lithuania due to security concerns for her and her family.
The European Union has imposed sanctions on Lukashenka and a number of his allies citing election rigging and a violent police crackdown on demonstrators.
Belarusian security forces detained thousands of protesters in the first days of the demonstrations.
They have continued to regularly arrest protesters and members of the opposition.
There have also been credible reports of torture during a widening security crackdown.
Most of the country's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country.
With reporting by AFP and Interfax


rferl--2020-11-27--COVID-19 In Belarus: Lukashenka Visits Ward, Shakes Hands Without Mask Or Gloves

The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard .
Safety protocols at @ @ @ @ @ were completely disregarded during a visit by Alyaksandr Lukashenka , who has faced months of @ @ @ @ @ a disputed presidential election in August .
Wearing neither gloves nor mask , Lukashenka shook @ @ @ @ @ full protective gear .

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Safety protocols at a COVID-19 ward in Belarus were completely disregarded during a visit by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has faced months of protests against his rule following a disputed presidential election in August. Wearing neither gloves nor mask, Lukashenka shook hands with a medic wearing full protective gear.


rferl--2020-11-27--Navalny Calls On EU To Target Russian Oligarchs With Sanctions

Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has called on the European Union to target the `` bunch of criminals '' surrounding President Vladimir Putin with sanctions .
Speaking on November 27 at a video conference with MEPs , the Kremlin critic said Russia 's oligarchs had `` temporarily seized power ” and the 27-nation bloc must develop a new strategy for its relations with Moscow .
Specifically , Navalny called on the EU to scrutinize the European income sources and assets of Russian billionaires such as Roman Abramovich , Alisher Usmanov , and Arkady Rotenberg , all of whom have close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the EU and Britain imposed asset freezes and travel bans against six senior Russian officials and one entity for the `` attempted assassination '' of the 44-year-old Navalny with a Soviet-style chemical agent in August .
Navalny , a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin and prominent anti-corruption campaigner , has blamed the poisoning on the Russian president .
He was released from a Berlin hospital on September 22 after spending 32 days in the clinic following his medical evacuation from Siberia , where he fell violently ill. Navalny said that he does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placing under sanctions Russian officials or “ generals ” who have no assets in Europe .
`` Why do people kill , poison , and fabricate elections ?
The main answer is money .
The sanctions of the European Union should be aimed at them , '' Navalny said during the discussion with members of the European Parliament ’ s Foreign Affairs Committee .
`` As long as Usmanov 's yachts are in Barcelona and Monaco , no one in the Kremlin will take sanctions seriously , '' Navalny said .
He also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results of the 2021 general elections in Russia if political opponents are barred from running .
`` Falsifications and manipulations are inevitable '' elements of elections in Russia , he said .
The EU Official Journal on October 15 published the names of the targeted individuals believed to be responsible for the poisoning that nearly took Navalny ’ s life , as well as the entity involved in the program that has produced a group of military-grade nerve agents known as Novichok .
The targeted organization is the State Research Institute of Organic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for developing the Novichok nerve agents during the Soviet era .
Germany and France have accused Russia of failing to fully investigate the circumstances of Navalny ’ s poisoning and holding anyone to account .
Russian authorities have firmly denied allegations of involvement , resisted international pressure to launch a criminal investigation , and accused Western leaders of launching a disinformation campaign over Navalny 's illness .
Russian opposition politicians Vladimir Milov , Vladimir Kara-Murza , and Ilya Yashin are also taking part in the discussion .

Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has called on the European Union to target the "bunch of criminals" surrounding President Vladimir Putin with sanctions.
Speaking on November 27 at a video conference with MEPs, the Kremlin critic said Russia's oligarchs had "temporarily seized power” and the 27-nation bloc must develop a new strategy for its relations with Moscow.
Specifically, Navalny called on the EU to scrutinize the European income sources and assets of Russian billionaires such as Roman Abramovich, Alisher Usmanov, and Arkady Rotenberg, all of whom have close links to the Kremlin.
Last month, the EU and Britain imposed asset freezes and travel bans against six senior Russian officials and one entity for the "attempted assassination" of the 44-year-old Navalny with a Soviet-style chemical agent in August.
Violently Ill
Navalny, a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin and prominent anti-corruption campaigner, has blamed the poisoning on the Russian president. He was released from a Berlin hospital on September 22 after spending 32 days in the clinic following his medical evacuation from Siberia, where he fell violently ill.
Navalny said that he does not see "much sense" in placing under sanctions Russian officials or “generals” who have no assets in Europe.
"Why do people kill, poison, and fabricate elections? The main answer is money. The sanctions of the European Union should be aimed at them," Navalny said during the discussion with members of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
"As long as Usmanov's yachts are in Barcelona and Monaco, no one in the Kremlin will take sanctions seriously," Navalny said.
He also urged the EU not to recognize the results of the 2021 general elections in Russia if political opponents are barred from running.
"Falsifications and manipulations are inevitable" elements of elections in Russia, he said.
The EU Official Journal on October 15 published the names of the targeted individuals believed to be responsible for the poisoning that nearly took Navalny’s life, as well as the entity involved in the program that has produced a group of military-grade nerve agents known as Novichok.
The targeted organization is the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology, which was responsible for developing the Novichok nerve agents during the Soviet era.
Germany and France have accused Russia of failing to fully investigate the circumstances of Navalny’s poisoning and holding anyone to account.
Russian authorities have firmly denied allegations of involvement, resisted international pressure to launch a criminal investigation, and accused Western leaders of launching a disinformation campaign over Navalny's illness.
Russian opposition politicians Vladimir Milov, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Ilya Yashin are also taking part in the discussion.


rferl--2020-11-27--Iranian Diplomat Goes On Trial In Belgium Over Bomb Plot

An Iranian diplomat and three other Iranian nationals go on trial in Belgium on November 27 , more than two years after European authorities broke up an alleged plot to bomb an Iranian opposition rally outside Paris .
The trial has the potential to embarrass Iran and strain ties with European countries , which have blamed Iranian intelligence of being behind the foiled bombing , a charge the Islamic republic has denied .
In the morning of June 30 , 2018 , Belgian police intercepted a Belgian couple of Iranian origin driving from Antwerp to Paris with a half kilogram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The couple , 36-year-old Nassimeh Naami and 40-year-old Amir Saadouni , were said to have planned an attack on a rally attended by thousands of people organized by the National Council of Resistance in Iran ( NCRI ) , in Villepinte outside Paris later on that day .
The NCRI is the political wing of the People 's Mujahedin of Iran ( MEK ) , an exiled opposition group seeking to overthrow the Islamic republic and designated a terrorist group by Iran .
The United States considered the MEK a terrorist group up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following a lobbying campaign and pledges to end its violent militancy .
Among those paid by the group to lobby on its behalf is President Donald Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , who spoke at the June 2018 rally in Villepinte .
Two days before the couple were arrested , Belgian prosecutors say Assadollah Assadi , a third counsellor at the Iranian Embassy in Vienna , handed the bomb over to Saadouni and Naami at a Pizza Hut in Luxembourg .
The couple admit receiving the package , but claim they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought the package contained fireworks .
Belgian and French officials believe Assadi was a top Iranian intelligence operative in Europe and acted on orders from Tehran .
The Belgian couple are believed to have been active in the MEK , but prosecutors said Saadouni had been turned into an Iranian government agent since 2012 .
German authorities arrested Assadi while he was travelling through Bavaria , where he had no diplomatic immunity from prosecution because he was outside of Austria .
French authorities arrested another Iranian-Belgian man , Mehrdad Arefeni , as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP and Reuters show prosecutors believe Assadi carried the explosives on a commercial flight from Iran to Austria .
Israel ’ s intelligence agency , Mossad , is reported to have been the one who tipped off European authorities about the alleged bomb plot .
U.S. and Israeli media have reported on Israel ’ s relationship with the MEK , including using the group in the past to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists and carry out other intelligence activities .
The timing of the alleged plot has raised questions over whether rogue forces in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe without the knowledge of the government led by President Hassan Rohani in an attempt to undermine him .
The arrests came just days before Rohani ’ s trip to Austria and Switzerland to rally European support for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal after the Trump administration abandoned it .
At the time , Tehran called the attack allegations a `` false flag '' stunt by the NCRI timed to torpedo Rohani ’ s European visit and the nuclear deal .
`` Visiting Europe at the time , he was absolutely furious to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on which he had n't been consulted , '' Francois Nicoullaud , a former French ambassador to Tehran , told AFP .
European countries have blamed Iran for other recent suspected plots against dissidents , including two killings in the Netherlands in 2015 and 2017 and a foiled assassination in Denmark .
Iran has denied involvement , saying the accusations were intended to damage EU-Iran relations .
If convicted , the four suspects face between five years and 20 years in prison on charges of “ attempted terrorist murder and participation in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will last between two and three days and a verdict is expected to be delivered by the end of December .
With reporting by AFP , AP , dpa , and Reuters

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


rferl--2020-11-27--Kazakh Party To Boycott January Parliamentary Elections

The All-National Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan ( OSDP ) , which bills itself as an opposition group , has announced that it will boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections .
The party leader Askhat Rakhimzhanov said that the OSDP will not take part in the January 10 , 2021 elections , saying that the Central Asian nation ’ s political scene continues to be dominated by the “ same ” political elite .
`` The same rules , the same political parties , ” Rakhimzhanov said without elaborating .
The decision not to take part in the polls was made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when the majority of the participants voted for boycotting the elections .
The Kazakh government has said six registered political parties will take part in the elections .
The parties include the ruling Nur Otan , four pro-government parties -- Aq Zhol , Auyl , Birlik , and the Communist People 's Party -- and the OSDP .
The polls will be the first parliamentary elections since President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev succeeded Nursultan Nazarbaev , who resigned in March last year after nearly three decades in power .
Nazarbaev still maintains key positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s powerful Security Council and the ruling Nur Otan party .
He also enjoys almost limitless powers and immunity as elbasy -- leader of the nation .
The 107-seat Majlis is currently dominated by Nazarbaev ’ s Nur Otan , which has 84 deputies .
The Communist People ’ s Party of Kazakhstan and the Aq Zhol party each have seven seats .
The remaining nine seats are appointed by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan , an advisory body controlled by Nazarbaev .
The last parliamentary elections were held @ @ @ @

The All-National Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan (OSDP), which bills itself as an opposition group, has announced that it will boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The party leader Askhat Rakhimzhanov said that the OSDP will not take part in the January 10, 2021 elections, saying that the Central Asian nation’s political scene continues to be dominated by the “same” political elite.
"The same rules, the same political parties,” Rakhimzhanov said without elaborating.
The decision not to take part in the polls was made during the party conference on November 27, when the majority of the participants voted for boycotting the elections.
The Kazakh government has said six registered political parties will take part in the elections. The parties include the ruling Nur Otan, four pro-government parties -- Aq Zhol, Auyl, Birlik, and the Communist People's Party -- and the OSDP.
The polls will be the first parliamentary elections since President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev succeeded Nursultan Nazarbaev, who resigned in March last year after nearly three decades in power.
Nazarbaev still maintains key positions of power, including head of the country’s powerful Security Council and the ruling Nur Otan party. He also enjoys almost limitless powers and immunity as elbasy -- leader of the nation.
The 107-seat Majlis is currently dominated by Nazarbaev’s Nur Otan, which has 84 deputies.
The Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan and the Aq Zhol party each have seven seats.
The remaining nine seats are appointed by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, an advisory body controlled by Nazarbaev.
The last parliamentary elections were held in March 2016.


rferl--2020-11-28--Killing Of Iranian Nuclear Scientist Risks Conflict, Complicates Diplomacy For Biden

Iran 's top nuclear scientist was assassinated in an ambush near Tehran on November 27 , in a brazen attack that threatens to escalate tensions between Iran and the United States and its close ally Israel .
The killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , who Western intelligence services regarded as the shadowy mastermind behind Iran 's past covert nuclear weapons program , may also undermine U.S. President-elect Joe Biden ’ s goal of reviving diplomacy with Iran when he enters the White House in January .
Iran immediately blamed Israel for the assassination , while suggesting the United States also had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assassination occurred when a truck with explosives hidden under a load of wood blew up near a car carrying Fakhrizadeh in the town of Absard , near Tehran , Iranian state media reported .
As Fakhrizadeh 's sedan stopped , at least five gunmen raked the car with rapid fire and engaged in a gunfight with the scientist ’ s bodyguards .
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed there were `` serious indications of ( an ) Israeli role '' in the assassination .
`` Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Israeli role -- shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators , '' Zarif wrote on Twitter .
He also called on the European Union to `` end their shameful double standards and condemn this act of state terror . ''
Israel declined to immediately comment on the killing of Fakhrizadeh .
The Pentagon , White House , State Department , and CIA also declined to comment .
The New York Times , citing one U.S. official and two other intelligence officials , said Israel was behind the attack on the scientist , although it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any , knowledge the United States may have had about the operation .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Fakhrizadeh in a 2018 presentation revealing a trove of stolen documents about Iran ’ s alleged covert nuclear activities , saying : “ Remember that name.
” Israel has long been suspected of carrying out a series of targeted killings of Iranian nuclear scientists and other sabotage operations against Iran using operatives of the Mujahedin-e Khalq ( MEK ) , an exiled opposition group .
Iranian officials said the country would retaliate for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to `` strike as thunder at the killers of this oppressed martyr . ''
`` In the last days of the political life of their ... ally ( Trump ) , the Zionists seek to intensify pressure on Iran and create a full-blown war , '' Hossein Dehghan tweeted .
Michael Mulroy , a senior Pentagon official earlier during Trump 's administration , said Fakhrizadeh 's killing would set back Iran 's nuclear program and that alert levels should be raised immediately in countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is likely to complicate the Iran file for the incoming Biden administration , which has promised to return to diplomacy with Iran after four hawkish years under Trump .
Trump exited the Iran nuclear accord in 2018 and slapped sanctions on Iran , in a move that has exacerbated tensions and prompting Iran to ramp up its nuclear program .
In January , Trump ordered a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad that killed Major General Qasem Soleimani , Iran 's most powerful military commander .
Iran retaliated by firing missiles at an Iraqi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two countries to the brink of war .
With less than two months left in office , the Trump administration is expected to intensify its `` maximum pressure '' campaign against Iran in what critics say is a policy designed to undermine the options of the incoming Democratic administration .
Analysts said the killing of Fakhrizadeh , who headed the Defense Ministry 's Research and Innovation Organization , was unlikely to halt Iran ’ s nuclear program , nor was that the point of the assassination .
“ Fakhrizadeh was to Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its proxy network .
He was instrumental to its development and the creation of an infrastructure to support it , ensuring that his death won ’ t fundamentally alter the course of Iran ’ s nuclear program , ” Ariane Tabatabai , an expert on Iran at the Washington-based German Marshall Fund , wrote on Twitter .
The objective behind the assassination “ wasn ’ t to hinder nuclear program but to undermine diplomacy , ” Ellie Geranmayeh of the European Council on International Relations said on Twitter .
She noted that recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Gulf states `` raised flags something being cooked up '' to `` provoke Iran and complicate Biden 's diplomatic push . ''
John Brennan , a former director of the CIA when Biden was vice president in the Barack Obama presidency , described the killing as a “ criminal act and highly reckless.
” “ Iranian leaders would be wise to wait for the return of the responsible American leadership on the global stage to resist the urge to respond against perceived culprits , ” he wrote on Twitter .
Fakhrizadeh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel and the West say was a military operation assessing the feasibility of building a nuclear weapon .
Tehran long has maintained its nuclear program is peaceful .
The International Atomic Energy Agency says that Amad program ended in 2003s .
IAEA inspectors currently monitor Iranian nuclear sites as part of Iran 's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers , which Iran has gradually breached following the U.S. withdrawal .
With reporting by AFP , AP , dpa , and Reuters .


rferl--2020-11-27--Iran Blames Israel For 'Terrorist' Attack That Killed Top Nuclear Scientist

Iran 's most senior nuclear scientist has been assassinated near Tehran by `` armed terrorists '' in an attack that Iran said bore the hallmarks of an Israeli operation .
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , who headed the Defense Ministry 's Research and Innovation Organization , was `` seriously wounded '' when assailants targeted his vehicle before being engaged in a gunfight with his security team , the ministry said in a statement .
`` Unfortunately , the medical team did not succeed in reviving him , and a few minutes ago , this manager and scientist achieved the high status of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the statement read .
Western intelligence services regarded Fakhrizadeh as the mastermind behind Iran 's covert nuclear weapons program .
The killing showed `` the depth of enemies ' hatred '' toward the Islamic republic , Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami tweeted .
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter there were `` serious indications of [ an ] Israeli role '' in the assassination .
He also called on the international community to `` end their shameful double standards and condemn this act of state terror . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also accused Israel of killing the scientist to try to provoke a war .
`` In the last days of the political life of their ... ally [ U.S. President Donald Trump ] , the Zionists seek to intensify pressure on Iran and create a full-blown war , '' commander Hossein Dehghan tweeted .
Dehghan , who is a former defense minister , also threatened to `` come upon the killers of this innocent martyr like thunder and make them regret what they did.
” Israel declined to immediately comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once called out in a news conference saying : “ Remember that name.
” Israel has long been suspected of carrying out a series of targeted killings of Iranian nuclear scientists nearly a decade ago .
The Pentagon also declined to comment on Fakhrizadeh 's killing when asked by Reuters .
Fakhrizadeh led Iran 's so-called Amad ( Hope ) program .
Israel and the West say the program was a military operation assessing the feasibility of building a nuclear weapon in Iran .
Tehran has long maintained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's semiofficial Fars news agency said the attack occurred in Absard , a small city just east of the capital , Tehran .
Iranian state television said an old truck with explosives hidden under a load of wood blew up near a car carrying Fakhrizadeh .
As Fakhrizadeh 's sedan stopped , at least five gunmen emerged and raked the car with rapid fire , the semiofficial Tasnim news agency said .
The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) says that the Amad program ended in the early 2000s .
IAEA inspectors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iran 's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , and AFP


rferl--2020-11-27--Lukashenka Says He Will Leave Post When New Constitution Is Adopted

Embattled strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka , who has ruled Belarus for 26 years , has said he would leave his post after a new constitution had been adopted , Belarus 's Belta news agency quoted him as saying .
`` I will not work as president with you under the new constitution , '' Lukashenka said during a visit to a Minsk hospital on November 27 .
He stressed the need for amendments to the constitution and adjustments to presidential powers but did not give a timeline for when a new constitution might be adopted .
He didn ’ t specify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressed the need for amendments to the constitution and adjustments to presidential powers .
Lukashenka has mentioned the possibility of changes to the constitution several times in the past , but the opposition has dismissed his comments as an attempt to buy time and stay in power while cracking down on anti-government protesters .
The Belarusian authorities have called for a national assembly of thousands of people late next month or in January 2021 to discuss proposed constitutional changes .
Belarus has been rocked by protests since an August 9 presidential election handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread fraud .
Protesters say opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner of the vote .
Ahead of the August election , Tsikhanouskaya had said that if she ’ s elected president , she ’ d organize a referendum to bring back the 1994 constitution that limited presidential powers .
Lukashenka has repeatedly said he has no plan to step down .
Earlier this month , Lukashenka reiterated that he had no intention of handing over power to anyone , and accused protesters of planning a “ color revolution ” -- a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upheavals .
`` No power transfer !
No successors !
Whoever is elected by the people must stay [ in power ] , ” he said on November 13 .
Russia has close ties with Belarus and Moscow has offered Lukashenka security assistance if he requests it .
Lukashenka on November 26 met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov , who expressed support for a new Belarusian constitution .
The United States and the European Union have refused to recognize the 66-year-old Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus .
With reporting by @ @ @

Embattled strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus for 26 years, has said he would leave his post after a new constitution had been adopted, Belarus's Belta news agency quoted him as saying.
"I will not work as president with you under the new constitution," Lukashenka said during a visit to a Minsk hospital on November 27.
He stressed the need for amendments to the constitution and adjustments to presidential powers but did not give a timeline for when a new constitution might be adopted.
He didn’t specify when that day would come, but stressed the need for amendments to the constitution and adjustments to presidential powers.
Lukashenka has mentioned the possibility of changes to the constitution several times in the past, but the opposition has dismissed his comments as an attempt to buy time and stay in power while cracking down on anti-government protesters.
WATCH: Lukashenka Visits Hospital, Shakes Hands Without Gloves, Mask
The Belarusian authorities have called for a national assembly of thousands of people late next month or in January 2021 to discuss proposed constitutional changes.
Belarus has been rocked by protests since an August 9 presidential election handed Lukashenka a sixth term amid allegations of widespread fraud. Protesters say opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner of the vote.
Ahead of the August election, Tsikhanouskaya had said that if she’s elected president, she’d organize a referendum to bring back the 1994 constitution that limited presidential powers.
Lukashenka has repeatedly said he has no plan to step down. Earlier this month, Lukashenka reiterated that he had no intention of handing over power to anyone, and accused protesters of planning a “color revolution” -- a term often used to describe pro-Western political upheavals.
Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
"No power transfer! No successors! Whoever is elected by the people must stay [in power],” he said on November 13.
Russia has close ties with Belarus and Moscow has offered Lukashenka security assistance if he requests it.
Lukashenka on November 26 met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who expressed support for a new Belarusian constitution.
The United States and the European Union have refused to recognize the 66-year-old Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus.
With reporting by belta.by and Reuters


rferl--2020-11-29--Russian Police Fine 1.1 Million People For Coronavirus-Related Infractions

Russian police have fined more than 1 million people for violating COVID-19 restrictions since the beginning of the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ `` The law enforcement officers filed over 1.1 million administrative offence protocols over non-compliance with @ @ @ @ @ quarantine , or self-isolation , '' the Interior Ministry told TASS news agency on November @ @ @ @ @ more than 976,000 people—were for violating health protocols during an emergency .
Under this article @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 rubles ( $ 13 ) .
Russia has the world ’ s fourth highest @ @ @ @ @ more 2.2 million , as well as 39,000 deaths linked to the virus .
Real @ @ @ @ @ higher .
Despite spiking caseloads in recent weeks straining hospitals , authorities have refrained from @ @ @ @ @ businesses as elsewhere in Europe .
Instead , Russian regions have decided on their own @ @ @ @ @ , the government issued a nationwide mask mandate in crowded public areas .

Russian police have fined more than 1 million people for violating COVID-19 restrictions since the beginning of the pandemic, the Interior Ministry said.
"Law enforcement officers filed over 1.1 million administrative offense protocols over noncompliance with regimes of heightened readiness, quarantine, or self-isolation," the Interior Ministry told the TASS news agency on November 28.
Most infractions -- more than 976,000 people -- were for violating health protocols during an emergency. Under this article, the minimum fine is 1,000 rubles ($13).
Russia has the world’s fourth highest number of confirmed infections at more than 2.2 million, as well as 39,000 deaths linked to the virus. Real metrics are believed to be higher.
Despite spiking caseloads straining hospitals in recent weeks, authorities have refrained from reintroducing lockdown measures or closing businesses as elsewhere in Europe. Instead, Russian regions have decided on their own coronavirus-related restrictions.
In October, the government issued a nationwide mask mandate in crowded public areas.
With reporting by TASS


rferl--2020-11-29--In Defiance Of U.S. Sanctions, Construction on German Section Of Nord Stream 2 To Resume In December

Construction on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany will resume in early December after a one-year pause due to U.S. sanctions .
The company Nord Stream 2 AG said November 28 undersea pipe-laying work will resume on a 2.6-kilometer section of each of the gas pipeline 's branches within Germany ’ s exclusive economic zone .
German broadcaster NDR 1 Radio MV reported construction will resume on December 5 , citing an announcement by the Baltic Sea Waterways and Shipping Office in Stralsund .
In December 2019 , construction on Nord Stream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the project , which will double Russian natural gas deliveries to Germany .
The sanctions targeted any vessel building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline , forcing Switzerland-based pipe-laying company Allseas to suspend operations shortly before its completion .
The U.S. Congress is considering another bill that would widen the scope of sanctions to include any individual or entity providing insurance , technical certification , or welding services for the project .
It is unclear what pipe-laying ship will be involved in finishing Nord Stream 2 , which still has 16 kilometers left in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Danish section to be completed .
Pipe-laying vessel Akademik Cherskiy was expected to finish the gas pipeline , but according Marine Traffic tracking services the Russian-flagged ship left the German project hub of Mukran and is off the coast of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad .
According to NDR 1 Radio MV , it is unclear if the vessel has received required certification from the Danish government .
The Norwegian certifier already announced a partial withdrawal from the project related to any ships , but not the pipeline itself .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pipeline ends , reportedly decided this week to create a public trust under the control of the state premier 's office to protect companies working on Nord Stream 2 from U.S. sanctions .
Citing insiders , NDR 1 Radio MV said top officials consider the special vehicle a “ clever legal gimmick ” to skirt around U.S. sanctions .
Sanctions against Nord Stream 2 have been a source of friction in U.S.-German relations , with Berlin accusing Washington of applying extraterritorial restrictions on a sovereign project .
The U.S. government wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying it will strengthen Russia ’ s energy hold on Europe and undercut Ukraine ’ s role as a transit country for Russian gas .
Nord Stream 2 is a $ 10 billion project led by Russian gas giant Gazprom , with half of the funding provided by Germany ’ s Uniper and BASF ’ s Wintershall , Anglo-Dutch oil major Shell , Austria ’ s OMV and Engie .
Russia initially expected to complete the pipeline in early 2020 .
After the sanctions on vessels were passed , Russian President Vladimir Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completed by early 2021 .
With reporting by dpa and NDR 1 Radio MV .

Construction on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany will resume in early December after a one-year pause due to U.S. sanctions.
The company Nord Stream 2 AG said on November 28 that undersea pipe-laying work will resume on a 2.6-kilometer section of each of the gas pipeline's branches within Germany’s exclusive economic zone.
German broadcaster NDR 1 Radio MV reported that construction will resume on December 5, citing an announcement by the Baltic Sea Waterways and Shipping Office in Stralsund.
In December 2019, construction on Nord Stream 2 was suspended following U.S. sanctions on the project, which will double Russian natural gas deliveries to Germany.
The sanctions targeted any vessel building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, forcing Switzerland-based pipe-laying company Allseas to suspend operations shortly before its completion.
The U.S. Congress is considering another bill that would widen the scope of sanctions to include any individual or entity providing insurance, technical certification, or welding services for the project.
It is unclear what pipe-laying ship will be involved in finishing Nord Stream 2, which still has 16 kilometers left in German waters and another 60 kilometers in the Danish section to be completed.
The pipe-laying vessel Akademik Cherskiy was expected to finish the gas pipeline, but according to Marine Traffic tracking services the Russian-flagged ship left the German project hub of Mukran and is off the coast of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
According to NDR 1 Radio MV, it is unclear if the vessel has received the required certification from the Danish government. The Norwegian certifier already announced a partial withdrawal from the project related to any ships, but not the pipeline itself.
Meanwhile, the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the pipeline ends, reportedly decided this week to create a public trust under the control of the state premier's office to protect companies working on Nord Stream 2 from U.S. sanctions.
Citing insiders, NDR 1 Radio MV said top officials consider the special vehicle a “clever legal gimmick” to skirt around U.S. sanctions.
Sanctions against Nord Stream 2 have been a source of friction in U.S.-German relations, with Berlin accusing Washington of applying extraterritorial restrictions on a sovereign project.
The U.S. government wants to prevent the pipeline from being completed, saying it will strengthen Russia’s energy hold on Europe and undercut Ukraine’s role as a transit country for Russian gas.
Nord Stream 2 is a $10 billion project led by Russian gas giant Gazprom, with half of the funding provided by Germany’s Uniper and BASF’s Wintershall, Anglo-Dutch oil major Shell, Austria’s OMV and Engie.
Russia initially expected to complete the pipeline in early 2020. After the sanctions on vessels were passed, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped the pipeline would be completed by early 2021.
With reporting by dpa and NDR 1 Radio MV


rferl--2020-11-29--Hungary Museum Head Under Fire For Comparing George Soros To Nazi Gas Chambers

The head of one of Hungary 's premier cultural institutions , the Petofi literature museum in Budapest , has been criticized after he wrote a vile article in which he likened U.S. billionaire philanthropist George Soros to the Adolf Hitler ’ s genocidal Nazi regime .
Soros is the “ liberal Führer ” turning Europe into a “ gas chamber , ” wrote Szilard Demeter in an opinion piece for the internet portal origo.hu , a Hungarian pro-government outlet .
The American Jewish Committee in Central Europe condemned the comments about Soros , who was born in Hungary and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ horrendous.
” `` Such ignorance of history and minimizing the Holocaust have to be called out , '' the organization said on Twitter .
In the article , which addressed a dispute with Brussels over the EU budget , Demeter described Hungary and Poland as `` the new Jews . ''
“ Poisonous gas flows from the capsule of a multicultural open society , which is deadly to the European way of life , and we , the nations of Europe , are doomed to try to fight for the last sip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he wrote .
Demeter is a Hungarian Ministerial Commissioner appointed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban , who has repeatedly taken aim at Soros for his foundation 's funding of liberal causes .
Orban accuses Soros , a bête noire of the European right , of wanting to flood the continent with Muslim migrants and undermine national identity .
Hungary and Poland are holding up negotiations over the EU ’ s multi-year budget due to a new rule-of-law mechanism .
Both countries are under EU investigation for undermining the independence of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they risk losing access to EU funding over the new mechanism .
Demeter ’ s statement also received condemnation from the International Auschwitz Committee .
`` Not only in Hungary are Holocaust survivors disgusted and appalled by this bizarre and hateful agitation , '' said Executive Vice President Christoph Heubner .
He said the vitriol signified a new low in a wave of anti-Semitic and anti-European campaigns in Hungary .

The head of one of Hungary's premier cultural institutions, the Petofi Literary Museum in Budapest, has retracted an article in which he likened U.S. billionaire philanthropist George Soros to Adolf Hitler’s genocidal Nazi regime.
Szilard Demeter, who is also a Hungarian culture commissioner, said in a statement on November 29 that he had withdrawn the article and deleted his Facebook page.
"My critics are right in that...the Nazi parallel can unintentionally offend victims' memories," he said.
Demeter's article, an opinion piece for the Internet portal Origo.hu, a Hungarian pro-government outlet, was widely criticized by Jewish and Holocaust memorial groups.
The criticism continued on November 29 as leading opposition politicians, including former Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai and Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony, called on Prime Minister Viktor Orban to fire Demeter immediately.
"His man, his cultural politician, wanted to establish his Europe politics, his shame," Karacsony said on Facebook. "Szilárd Demeter can no longer wear any public office from 8 am. The Prime Minister has a few hours left."
Demeter's article referred to Soros as the "liberal Führer," saying he is turning Europe into a "gas chamber."
The American Jewish Committee in Central Europe condemned the comments about Soros, who was born in Hungary and is a Holocaust survivor, describing them as "horrendous."
"Such ignorance of history and minimizing the Holocaust have to be called out," the organization said on Twitter.
In the article, which addressed a dispute with Brussels over the EU budget, Demeter described Hungary and Poland as "the new Jews."
"Poisonous gas flows from the capsule of a multicultural open society, which is deadly to the European way of life, and we, the nations of Europe, are doomed to try to fight for the last sip of air by climbing on each other," he wrote.
Orban has repeatedly taken aim at Soros for his foundation's funding of liberal causes. He accuses Soros, a bête noire of the European right, of wanting to flood the continent with Muslim migrants and undermine national identity.
Hungary and Poland are holding up negotiations over the EU’s multiyear budget due to a new rule-of-law mechanism.
Both countries are under EU investigation for undermining the independence of the judiciary, media, and nongovernmental organizations, and they risk losing access to EU funding over the new mechanism.
Demeter’s statement was also condemned by the International Auschwitz Committee.
"Not only in Hungary are Holocaust survivors disgusted and appalled by this bizarre and hateful agitation," said Executive Vice President Christoph Heubner.
He said the vitriol signified a new low in a wave of anti-Semitic and anti-European campaigns in Hungary.
The Israeli Embassy in Hungary said in a statement that it rejected the "use and abuse" of the memory of the Holocaust for any purpose.
"There is no place for connecting the worst crime in human history, or its perpetrators, to any contemporary debate, no matter how essential," it said.
With reporting by dpa, Reuters, and AP


rferl--2020-11-28--Montenegro. Serbia Expel Each Other's Ambassadors

Montenegro 's outgoing government has declared the ambassador of neighboring Serbia persona non grata and asked him to leave the country , the Foreign Ministry said on November 28 .
Serbia responded a few hours later by declaring Montenegro 's ambassador persona non grata and expelling him from the country .
The Montenegrin Foreign Ministry cited `` long and continuous meddling in the internal affairs of Montenegro '' as the reason .
The Foreign Ministry 's statement said Serbian Ambassador Vladimir Bozovic “ directly disrespected ” Montenegro by describing a 1918 decision to join a Serbia-dominated kingdom as an act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by the Montenegrin people .
Montenegro 's parliament declared the century-old decision void in 2018 , saying it had stripped Montenegro of its sovereignty .
The statement said Bozovic ’ s comments on November 27 were “ incompatible with the usual acceptable standards of diplomatic office.
” Serbia ’ s Foreign Ministry announced its tit-for-tat response in a statement .
`` On the occasion of declaring the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Montenegro , Vladimir Bozovic , a persona non grata , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia acted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministry statement said .
State-run media reported that Montenegrin Ambassador Tarzan Milosevic was asked to leave Serbia within 72 hours .
Montenegro remains deeply divided among those seeking closer ties with traditional allies Serbia and Russia , and those who view Montenegro as an independent state allied with the West .
Montenegro and Serbia were part of a joint country before an independence referendum in 2006 led to Montenegro splitting off .
The pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists was defeated in August after three decades in power by a pro-Serb coalition .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into office during a parliament session next week .

Montenegro's outgoing government has declared the ambassador of neighboring Serbia persona non grata and asked him to leave the country, the Foreign Ministry said on November 28.
Serbia responded a few hours later by declaring Montenegro's ambassador persona non grata and expelling him from the country.
The Montenegrin Foreign Ministry cited "long and continuous meddling in the internal affairs of Montenegro" as the reason.
The Foreign Ministry's statement said Serbian Ambassador Vladimir Bozovic “directly disrespected” Montenegro by describing a 1918 decision to join a Serbia-dominated kingdom as an act “liberation” and “free will” by the Montenegrin people.
Montenegro's parliament declared the century-old decision void in 2018, saying it had stripped Montenegro of its sovereignty.
The statement said Bozovic’s comments on November 27 were “incompatible with the usual acceptable standards of diplomatic office.”
Serbia’s Foreign Ministry announced its tit-for-tat response in a statement.
"On the occasion of declaring the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Montenegro, Vladimir Bozovic, a persona non grata, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia acted in a reciprocal manner," the ministry statement said.
State-run media reported that Montenegrin Ambassador Tarzan Milosevic was asked to leave Serbia within 72 hours.
Montenegro remains deeply divided among those seeking closer ties with traditional allies Serbia and Russia, and those who view Montenegro as an independent state allied with the West.
Montenegro and Serbia were part of a joint country before an independence referendum in 2006 led to Montenegro splitting off.
The pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists was defeated in August after three decades in power by a pro-Serb coalition. The new government is set to be voted into office during a parliament session next week.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-11-28--Iran Says It Will Reject Any Verdict Resulting From Trial Of Diplomat In Belgium

Iran has said it will not recognize any verdict in a trial in Belgium against an Iranian diplomat who is charged with plotting to bomb an exiled opposition group 's rally two years ago .
The diplomat , Assadolah Assadi , and three other Iranians went on trial in Antwerp on November 27 accused of planning to bomb the rally in France in 2018 .
`` We have announced many times and from the beginning that this court is not qualified , and that the judicial process is not legitimate due to ( Assadi 's ) diplomatic immunity and fundamental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saeed Khatibzadeh was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying .
`` He is innocent and it is clear he has been conspired against , '' Khatibzadeh said on November 27 , emphasizing that Iran `` will not recognize '' a verdict .
Assadi , formerly based in Vienna , faces 20 years in prison if convicted .
His trial is the first by an EU country against an Iranian official for terrorism .
Belgian prosecutors accuse Assadi and the others of plotting an attack on a rally of the Paris-based National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
The trial has the potential to embarrass Iran and strain ties with European countries , which have blamed Iranian intelligence for being behind the foiled bombing , a charge the Islamic republic has furiously denied .
Assadi , who was arrested while on holiday in Germany and handed over to Belgium , is refusing to appear in court and did not attend the first day of the trial .
He has not commented on the charges .
His lawyer , Dimitri de Beco , told reporters that while he has `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he considers himself immune from prosecution .
Iran has repeatedly dismissed the charges , saying the allegations by the NCRI , which Tehran considers a terrorist group , are false .
The NCRI is the political wing of the exiled Iranian opposition group Mujahedin-e Khalq ( MEK ) , an exiled opposition group that is seeking to overthrow the Islamic republic .
The 2018 rally 's keynote address was given by Rudy Giuliani , the former mayor of New York City who now serves as U.S. President Donald Trump 's personal lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a terrorist group until 2012 .
Its designation was removed following a lobbying campaign and pledges to end its violent militancy .
Giuliani is among those who lobbied on its behalf .
The attack on the rally was thwarted by a coordinated operation between French , German , and Belgian security services , authorities in the three countries have said .
French officials have said Assadi was in charge of intelligence in southern Europe and was acting on orders from Tehran .
Two of Assadi 's suspected accomplices were arrested in Belgium in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their lawyers said on November 27 that neither had any intention to kill .
Lawyers representing participants in the 2018 rally , who are a civil party to the Belgian prosecution , have argued that diplomatic immunity can not be used as a cover to carry out a terrorist attack , which carries a maximum 20-year prison term .
European countries have blamed Iran for other suspected moves against dissidents , including two killings in the Netherlands in 2015 and 2017 and a foiled assassination in Denmark .
Tehran has denied involvement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dpa , and Reuters


rferl--2020-11-28--Azerbaijan Says Four Civilians Killed In Anti-Tank Mine Blast In Newly Retaken Region

Four Azerbaijani civilians were killed on November 28 when their car triggered an anti-tank mine in a region that was @ @ @ @ @ fighting with Armenian forces .
The Azerbaijani Prosecutor-General ’ s Office said the blast took @ @ @ @ @ Fizuli region , one of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlements that Azerbaijan said earlier it had taken @ @ @ @ @ issued by the Prosecutor-General ’ s Office said an investigation has been launched .
Neither @ @ @ @ @ commented .
Azerbaijan recaptured Fizuli in renewed clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh that started in late September @ @ @ @ @ .
A Moscow-brokered truce signed earlier this month ended weeks of heavy fighting .
Under @ @ @ @ @ ceding control of parts of the enclave 's territory as well as seven surrounding districts @ @ @ @ @ the 1990s .
The Armenian separatists are retaining control over most of Nagorno-Karabakh 's territory @ @ @ @ @ peacekeepers have been deployed along frontline areas and to protect a land link connecting Karabakh @ @ @ @ @ by RFE/RL 's Azerbaijani and Armenian services , AFP , and AP


rferl--2020-11-28--COVID-19: Russia Says India To make 100 Million Doses Of Sputnik Vaccine

In Russia , one of the developers of the Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine has announced that the Indian-based pharmaceutical company Hetero would produce over 100 million doses of the jab .
India is one of the world 's largest vaccine manufacturers .
Russia was the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine in August , long before the candidate had undergone large-scale clinical trials .
Moscow said this week that interim results showed Sputnik-V was 95 percent effective , although Phase III trials are still underway .
The Russian military said President Vladimir Putin has ordered the mass inoculation of 400,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen vaccines worldwide are currently undergoing late-stage trials to determine their safety and effectiveness , according to the World Health Organization .
Critics have argued that the development of Russia ’ s vaccine -- which received approval before undergoing Phase III trials -- was expedited for political reasons to assure the country ’ s victory in the global race .
In particular , Russia has been criticized by some Western scientists who have accused it of cutting corners in an effort to try to rush out the vaccine and complained about the amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interpret its research .
It 's also a race Russia wants to win at home .
The country has the world 's fifth-highest number of recorded COVID-19 cases at 2.14 million , including 24,326 new infections on November 23 alone .
With reporting by AFP , AP , dpa , and Reuters

In Russia, one of the developers of the Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine has announced that the Indian-based pharmaceutical company Hetero would produce over 100 million doses of the jab. India is one of the world's largest vaccine manufacturers.
Russia was the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine in August, long before the candidate had undergone large-scale clinical trials.
Moscow said this week that interim results showed Sputnik-V was 95 percent effective, although Phase III trials are still underway.
The Russian military said President Vladimir Putin has ordered the mass inoculation of 400,000 servicemen.
Besides Sputnik-V, nearly a dozen vaccines worldwide are currently undergoing late-stage trials to determine their safety and effectiveness, according to the World Health Organization.
Critics have argued that the development of Russia’s vaccine -- which received approval before undergoing Phase III trials -- was expedited for political reasons to assure the country’s victory in the global race.
In particular, Russia has been criticized by some Western scientists who have accused it of cutting corners in an effort to try to rush out the vaccine and complained about the amount of data available to allow others to interpret its research.
It's also a race Russia wants to win at home. The country has the world's fifth-highest number of recorded COVID-19 cases at 2.14 million, including 24,326 new infections on November 23 alone.
With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters