rferl--2020-11-28--Iran Accuses U.S., Israel In Killing Of Top Nuclear Scientist

Iran ’ s supreme leader has called for retaliation for the assassination of the country ’ s top nuclear scientist , raising concerns about a new confrontation between Iran and Israel or the United States .
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for “ following up on this crime and certainly punishing those responsible , ” in a post on his official website on November 28 .
Khamenei also pledged that the work of the scientist , Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , would continue .
The same day , Iranian President Hassan Rohani accused Israel of acting as a “ mercenary ” for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iran ’ s leading nuclear expert .
`` Once again , the wicked hands of the global arrogance , with the usurper Zionist regime as the mercenary , were stained with the blood of a son of this nation , '' Rohani wrote on his official website on November 28 .
`` The global arrogance '' is a term often used by Iranian officials to refer to the United States , while `` the usurper Zionist regime '' is a reference to Israel .
Turkey condemned the killing of Fakhrizadeh as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the perpetrators of the attack to be held accountable .
The Turkish Foreign Ministry also urged `` all sides to act with common sense and restraint . ''
The United Nations also urged restraint amid the rising tensions .
A UN spokesman said there was a need for the parties `` to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region . ''
The spokesman added that the UN condemns `` any assassination or extrajudicial killing . ''
Israel ’ s N12 news agency quoted Israeli cabinet minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know who carried out the killing .
N12 also reported that the government had placed all its embassies around the world on high security alert in the wake of Iran ’ s statement .
Israel ’ s Foreign Ministry declined to comment .
Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in an ambush near Tehran in a brazen attack that threatens to escalate tensions between Iran and the United States and its close ally Israel .
The head of Iran ’ s nuclear agency , Ali-Akbar Salehi , vowed on November 28 that Fakhrizadeh ’ s killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program .
`` Fakhrizadeh ’ s path is now being continued even more intensively , '' Salehi was quoted by Iranian media as saying .
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 wasn ’ t clear what , if any , knowledge the United States may have had about the operation .
The Pentagon , White House , State Department , and CIA have declined to comment .
The United States deployed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Gulf on November 25 , but a U.S. Navy spokeswoman said the deployment was not related to any threats .
`` There were no specific threats that triggered the return of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group , '' naval commander Rebecca Rebarich , a spokeswoman for the U.S. 5th Fleet said in a statement quoted by AFP .
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 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fakhrizadeh , who Western intelligence services regarded as the shadowy mastermind behind Iran 's past covert nuclear weapons program , may undermine U.S. President-elect Joe Biden ’ s goal of reviving diplomacy with Iran when he enters the White House in January .
Biden has said he will try to rejoin the Iran nuclear accord that Trump quit in 2018 and work with allies to strengthen its terms , if Tehran first resumes compliance .
Fakhrizadeh led Iran 's so-called Amad program that Israel and the West say was a military operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapon .
Tehran long has maintained its nuclear program is peaceful .
The International Atomic Energy Agency says that Amad program ended in 2003 .
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--2020-11-29--Dozens Reported Detained In Belarus At Anti-Lukashenka Marches

MINSK -- Authorities in Belarus have detained dozens of protesters amid ongoing demonstrations aimed at ousting strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka from the presidency .
At least 45 people were reported detained in Minsk and Barauliany on November 29 .
Other detentions were reported across the country .
This is the second week in which the Belarus demonstrations have been held under the rubric March of Neighbors .
The opposition has adopted the strategy as a way of decentralizing the protests and making it more difficult for police to round up activists .
RFE/RL 's Belarus Service reported that law enforcement used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators .
Mobile Internet services were not available in Minsk and the central metro stations were closed .
Demonstrations were reported in almost all districts of the capital .
One video posted on social media appeared to show police in Minsk dragging away an unconscious person near the Pushkin metro station .
It was unclear how many people participated in the demonstrations .
Belarus has seen nearly continuous protests since a disputed presidential election on August 9 gave Lukashenka a sixth presidential term .
The United States and the European Union have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition has been calling for Lukashenka ’ s resignation , the release of all political prisoners , and a new election .
During a visit to a Minsk hospital on November 27 , Lukashenka implied that he would resign if a new constitution was adopted .
“ I will not work as president with you under the new constitution , ” state media quoted him as saying .
Lukashenka has called several times for a new constitution , but the opposition has dismissed the statements as a bid to buy time and stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager , Lukashenka , 66 , has ruled Belarus since 1994 .

MINSK -- Authorities in Belarus have detained more than 300 protesters amid ongoing demonstrations aimed at ousting strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka from the presidency.
Most of the people reported detained were taken into custody in Minsk, but there also were detentions in Brest, Hrodno, Barauliany, and other cities, according to the Vyasna human rights group.
This is the second week in which the Belarus demonstrations have been held under the rubric March of Neighbors. The opposition has adopted the strategy as a way of decentralizing the protests and making it more difficult for police to round up activists.
"Neighbor for neighbor against dictatorship," read one protest banner in Minsk. Others expressed negative sentiments toward Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994.
RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported that law enforcement used tear gas and stun grenades against some demonstrators. Mobile Internet services were not available in Minsk and the central metro stations were closed.
Demonstrations were reported in almost all districts of the capital.
One video posted on social media appeared to show police in Minsk dragging away an unconscious person near the Pushkin metro station.
It was unclear how many people participated in the demonstrations.
Belarus has seen nearly continuous protests since a disputed presidential election on August 9 gave Lukashenka a sixth presidential term. The United States and the European Union have not recognized Lukashenka’s reelection.
The opposition, which believes candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner of the election, has been calling for Lukashenka’s resignation, the release of all political prisoners, and a new presidential vote.
Tsikhanouskaya, who left the country soon after the August election under pressure from the authorities and is currently in exile in Lithuania, extended her support to the protesters.
"Every week the regime claims that the protests are subsiding," she said on November 29 on Twitter. "Every week the regime sends its forces with tear gas, stun grenades to beat & scare the Belarusian people. Yet they gather every week to protest peacefully against Lukashenka's regime."
The tweet included a video of people streaming through a park.
During a visit to a Minsk hospital on November 27, Lukashenka implied that he would resign if a new constitution was adopted.
“I will not work as president with you under the new constitution,” state media quoted him as saying.
Lukashenka has called several times for a new constitution, but the opposition has dismissed the statements as a bid to buy time and stay in power.
A former collective farm manager, Lukashenka, 66, has ruled Belarus since 1994.


rferl--2020-11-29--Former Trump Campaign Aide Sues Over Surveillance During Probe Of Russian Election Meddling

A former associate of President Donald Trump 's election campaign who was the target of a secret surveillance warrant during the FBI 's Russia investigation has filed a lawsuit saying he was the victim of illegal spying .
The suit filed by Carter Page alleges that FBI and Justice Department officials made a series of errors and omissions in their applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ( FISA ) , which granted requests to eavesdrop on Page on suspicion that he was an agent of Russia .
“ Since not a single proven fact ever established complicity with Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was probable cause to seek or obtain the FISA Warrants targeting him on this basis , ” the lawsuit says .
FBI and Justice Department officials who were involved in signing off on the surveillance have since testified they would n't have done so had they known the extent of the alleged errors and omissions .
In the lawsuit , filed on November 27 in Washington , Page accuses the FBI of relying excessively on Christopher Steele , a former British spy whose so-called dossier alleged that Page and other Trump allies colluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became public during the 2016 presidential campaign , looked into Trump 's ties to Russia and was funded by Democrats .
Page ’ s lawsuit says the FBI failed to tell the surveillance court that Steele 's primary source had contradicted information attributed to Page .
It says the FBI also failed to tell the court that Page had denied to an FBI informant having `` any involvement with Russia on behalf of the Trump campaign . ''
A lawsuit Page filed earlier against the Democratic National Committee over the dossier was dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago on technical grounds .

A former associate of President Donald Trump's election campaign who was the target of a secret surveillance warrant during the FBI's Russia investigation has filed a lawsuit saying he was the victim of illegal spying.
The suit filed by Carter Page alleges that FBI and Justice Department officials made a series of errors and omissions in their applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), which granted requests to eavesdrop on Page on suspicion that he was an agent of Russia.
“Since not a single proven fact ever established complicity with Russia involving Dr. Page, there never was probable cause to seek or obtain the FISA Warrants targeting him on this basis,” the lawsuit says.
FBI and Justice Department officials who were involved in signing off on the surveillance have since testified they wouldn't have done so had they known the extent of the alleged errors and omissions.
In the lawsuit, filed on November 27 in Washington, Page accuses the FBI of relying excessively on Christopher Steele, a former British spy whose so-called dossier alleged that Page and other Trump allies colluded with Russia.
The research, which became public during the 2016 presidential campaign, looked into Trump's ties to Russia and was funded by Democrats.
Page’s lawsuit says the FBI failed to tell the surveillance court that Steele's primary source had contradicted information attributed to Page.
It says the FBI also failed to tell the court that Page had denied to an FBI informant having "any involvement with Russia on behalf of the Trump campaign."
A lawsuit Page filed earlier against the Democratic National Committee over the dossier was dismissed in August by a federal judge in Chicago on technical grounds.
Based on reporting by AP


rferl--2020-11-29--Uzbekistan Reportedly Planning To Repatriate Citizens From Syrian Camps

An unnamed Uzbek government source has said that Uzbekistan plans to repatriate another group of its citizens from a camp @ @ @ @ @ fighters in Syria , Reuters reported on November 29 .
An Uzbek delegation has visited @ @ @ @ @ part of Syria and spoken with about 100 Uzbek citizens – mostly women and children @ @ @ @ @ .
The source told Reuters that the Uzbeks are living `` in deplorable conditions and @ @ @ @ @ drinking water , food , and medical care . ''
The United Nations estimates there @ @ @ @ @ the Al-Hol camp , including 28,000 Syrians , 30,000 Iraqis , and about 10,000 foreigners @ @ @ @ @ repatriated about 220 women and children from Syria last year as part of a rehabilitation @ @

An unnamed Uzbek government source has said that Uzbekistan plans to repatriate another group of its citizens from a camp for families of Islamic State fighters in Syria, Reuters reported on November 29.
An Uzbek delegation has visited two camps in the Kurdish-controlled part of Syria and spoken with about 100 Uzbek citizens – mostly women and children – about returning to Uzbekistan.
The source told Reuters that the Uzbeks are living "in deplorable conditions and have difficulties with access to drinking water, food, and medical care."
The United Nations estimates there are about 65,000 people at the Al-Hol camp, including 28,000 Syrians, 30,000 Iraqis, and about 10,000 foreigners of other nationalities.
Uzbekistan repatriated about 220 women and children from Syria last year as part of a rehabilitation program.
Based on reporting by Reuters


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 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he hoped the pipeline would be 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--2020-11-28--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


rferl--2020-11-30--Iranian Government Says Diplomacy Still Possible, Even Amid Revenge Calls

An Iranian government spokesman said diplomacy is still possible , even as others in the country called for revenge after the targeted assassination of nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh .
Government spokesman Ali Rabiei on November 29 said that “ we should definitely not fall into this trap [ of early military action or giving up on diplomacy ] .
” Earlier , Iranian President Hassan Rohani stressed that the country will seek its revenge in `` due time '' and not be rushed into a `` trap.
” Rohani is considered by many to be among the more moderate figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking toward possibly returning to the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement that Iran signed with six world powers , including the United States .
U.S. President Donald Trump , who has taken a hard line against Tehran , in 2018 pulled out of the accord and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran , accusing it of continuing to seek nuclear weapons and of funding extremist activity in the region -- allegations Iran has denied .
The nuclear deal was signed under the administration of Trump ’ s predecessor , Barack Obama .
Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election and will take office on January 20 , was Obama ’ s vice president when the deal with signed .
Meanwhile , an opinion piece published on November 29 by a hard-line Iranian newspaper called on the country ’ s leadership to attack the Israeli port city of Haifa if it is determined that Israel carried out the Fakhrizadeh killing .
The Kayhan newspaper suggested that an assault be carried out in a way that destroys facilities and `` also causes heavy human casualties.
” The comments came a day after Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the assassination of the country ’ s top nuclear scientist , raising concerns about a new confrontation between Iran and Israel or the United States .
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for “ following up on this crime and certainly punishing those responsible , ” in a post on his official website on November 28 .
President Rohani on November 28 accused Israel of acting as a “ mercenary ” for the United States in connection with the assassination near Tehran .
No country has claimed responsibility for the targeted killing , seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tehran in any effort to develop nuclear weapons .
Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes .
Israel has not officially commented on Fakhrizadeh 's killing .
But it says Fakhrizadeh was the head of an Iranian military nuclear program , and he was subject to sanctions by the United States in 2008 for activities linked to Iran 's atomic activities .
Meanwhile , many states condemned the targeted killing , including countries often seen as rivals to Iran .
The United Arab Emirates on November 29 called the killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it added that it calls “ on all parties to exercise self-restraint to avoid dragging region into new levels of instability and threat to peace . ''
The condemnation comes weeks after the Persian Gulf nation signed a deal to normalize ties with Israel .
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi told his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif that Oman condemned the act and said it ran counter to humanitarian and international laws .
A statement on November 29 from the European Union described the incident as killing “ an Iranian government official and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not clear if others were killed in the attack .
Iran 's semiofficial Fars news agency said the November 27 assault 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 .
With reporting by AFP , AP , dpa @ @ @ @

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--2020-11-29--Senior White House Aide Kushner Plans Trip To Saudi Arabia, Qatar Amid Iran Tensions

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week amid rising tensions following the assassination of Iran ’ s top nuclear scientist near Tehran by unknown attackers .
A White House official said on November 29 that Kushner is to meet separately with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi city of Neom and with the emir of Qatar in that small Persian Gulf nation .
The statement said Kushner -- who is also President Donald Trump ’ s son-in-law -- will be accompanied by Middle East envoys Avi Berkowitz and Brian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation , will join them .
Kushner and his team have been instrumental in negotiating normalization deals between Israel and Bahrain , the United Arab Emirates ( U.A.E . )
, and Sudan since the start of the summer .
U.S. administration officials said the team is attempting to reach further such deals before Trump ’ s term is set to end on January 20 .
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia is a bitter rival of Shi ’ ite-led Iran as two nations battle for influence in the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
Iranian President Hassan Rohani on November 28 accused Israel of acting as a “ mercenary ” for the United States in connection with the assassination .
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack , which many saw as an attempt to slow Iran 's progress toward developing nuclear weapons .
Based on reporting by Reuters and Axios


rferl--2020-11-29--Hungarian Culture Head Retracts Article Comparing George Soros To Hitler

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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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

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--2020-11-29--Montenegrin Prime Minister-Designate Criticizes Expulsion Of Serbian Ambassador

Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate Zdravko Krivokapic has criticized the outgoing government 's decision to expel the Serbian ambassador just days before the planned inauguration of a new , pro-Serb cabinet .
Krivokapic said on November 29 on Twitter that he regretted the expulsion , announced on November 28 , of Serbian Ambassador to Montenegro Vladimir Bozovic .
“ Such acts are not in the spirit of the European path and good regional cooperation of friendly countries , ” Zdravko Krivokapic tweeted .
He lamented that the outgoing regime , even in its last days , did not `` shy away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of divisions . ''
The Montenegrin Foreign Ministry cited `` long and continuous meddling in the internal affairs of Montenegro '' as the reason for declaring Bozovic persona non grata and expelling him .
Hours later , in a tit-for-tat move , Serbia declared Montenegro 's ambassador persona non grata and expelling him from the country .
Montenegro remains deeply divided among people 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2006 led to Montenegro splitting off .
The country is now set to be led by a pro-Serb coalition that is to be voted into office during a parliament session next week following the defeat of the long-ruling pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists in August .
The coalition ’ s most powerful party is the Democratic Front ( DF ) , which seeks closer ties with Serbia and Russia and is backed by the Serbian Orthodox Church .
Its partners , however , insist that Montenegro remain on its pro-Western course .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to improve Montenegro ’ s relations with Serbia .
`` We will promote a truly good neighborly policy with Belgrade , as well as with everyone in the region , on the principle of sovereignty , independence and noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries , '' Krivokapic tweeted .

Serbia has revoked its decision to expel Montenegro's ambassador a day after declaring the envoy persona non grata in a tit-for-tat move.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic announced the decision on November 29 after a meeting with President Aleksandar Vucic and after consulting Montenegrin Serbs, according to RFE/RL’s Balkan Service.
"We decided that Serbia already tonight unilaterally revokes the decision on expelling Montenegro's ambassador," Brnabic told reporters. “Good relations with Montenegro are above all important to us.”
She expressed hope that the move would be interpreted in Podgorica as an act of goodwill and that Serbia would continue to build relations with Montenegro.
“We are once again extending a hand of cooperation and friendship,” Brnabic said.
Serbia declared Montenegro's ambassador persona non grata and ordered him expelled from the country on November 28 after Montenegro declared Serbia's envoy persona non grata and expelled him.
Vucic said Serbia "made a good move," adding that it is up to Serbia to show that it "wants the best and brotherly relations" with Montenegro.
Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate Zdravko Krivokapic earlier on November 29 criticized the outgoing government's decision to expel the Serbian ambassador just days before the planned inauguration of a new, pro-Serb cabinet.
Krivokapic said on November 29 on Twitter that he regretted the expulsion, announced on November 28, of Serbian Ambassador to Montenegro Vladimir Bozovic.
“Such acts are not in the spirit of the European path and good regional cooperation of friendly countries,” Zdravko Krivokapic tweeted. He lamented that the outgoing regime, even in its last days, did not "shy away from the polarization of society and the deepening of divisions."
The Montenegrin Foreign Ministry cited "long and continuous meddling in the internal affairs of Montenegro" as the reason for declaring Bozovic persona non grata and expelling him.
Montenegro remains deeply divided among people 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 country is now set to be led by a pro-Serb coalition that is to be voted into office during a parliament session next week following the defeat of the long-ruling pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists in August.
The coalition’s most powerful party is the Democratic Front (DF), which seeks closer ties with Serbia and Russia and is backed by the Serbian Orthodox Church. Its partners, however, insist that Montenegro remain on its pro-Western course.
Krivokapic said the new government would work to improve Montenegro’s relations with Serbia.
"We will promote a truly good neighborly policy with Belgrade, as well as with everyone in the region, on the principle of sovereignty, independence and noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries," Krivokapic tweeted.
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-11-29--More Than 300 Reported Detained In Belarus At Anti-Lukashenka Marches

MINSK -- Authorities in Belarus have detained more than 300 protesters amid ongoing demonstrations aimed at ousting strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka from the presidency .
Most of the people reported detained were taken into custody in Minsk , but there also were detentions in Brest , Hrodno , Barauliany , and other cities , according to the Vyasna human rights group .
This is the second week in which the Belarus demonstrations have been held under the rubric March of Neighbors .
The opposition has adopted the strategy as a way of decentralizing the protests and making it more difficult for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neighbor for neighbor against dictatorship , '' read one protest banner in Minsk .
Others expressed negative sentiments toward Lukashenka , who has ruled the country since 1994 .
RFE/RL 's Belarus Service reported that law enforcement used tear gas and stun grenades against some demonstrators .
Mobile Internet services were not available in Minsk and the central metro stations were closed .
Demonstrations were reported in almost all districts of the capital .
One video posted on social media appeared to show police in Minsk dragging away an unconscious person near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many people participated in the demonstrations .
Belarus has seen nearly continuous protests since a disputed presidential election on August 9 gave Lukashenka a sixth presidential term .
The United States and the European Union have not recognized Lukashenka ’ s reelection .
The opposition , which believes candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner of the election , has been calling for Lukashenka ’ s resignation , the release of all political prisoners , and a new presidential vote .
Tsikhanouskaya , who left the country soon after the August election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently in exile in Lithuania , extended her support to the protesters .
`` Every week the regime claims that the protests are subsiding , '' she said on November 29 on Twitter .
`` Every week the regime sends its forces with tear gas , stun grenades to beat & scare the Belarusian people .
Yet they gather every week to protest peacefully against Lukashenka 's regime . ''
The tweet included a video of people streaming through a park .
During a visit to a Minsk hospital on November 27 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new constitution was adopted .
“ I will not work as president with you under the new constitution , ” state media quoted him as saying .
Lukashenka has called several times for a new constitution , but the opposition has dismissed the statements as a bid to buy time and stay in power .
A former collective farm manager , Lukashenka , 66 , has ruled Belarus since 1994 .


rferl--2020-11-30--Kyrgyz Group Calls For Return To 1993 Constitution Amid Controversial Proposed Changes

BISHKEK -- A new political group in Kyrgyzstan , Committee-93 , has called on the Central Asian nation to return to its constitution from 1993 amid protests against a controversial proposal by the interim government to change the current constitution .
The new group held its first session in Bishkek on November 30 at which its members criticized the proposal to change the constitution pushed by Sadyr Japarov , who was named as the country 's new prime minister and handed presidential powers in mid-October amid protests against the official results of parliamentary elections that ousted the government and led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The group 's members said that by changing the constitution , the current interim leadership is trying to cement power in its hands , while returning to the constitution from 1993 would help ensure a more independent judicial system and parliament needed for the country 's further democratic development .
Japarov , who suspended his duties as acting president and prime minister in mid-November in order to be eligible to take part in an early presidential election on January 10 , has publicly defended the proposed draft constitution last week .
Japarov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted a national referendum on the reforms to be held simultaneously with the presidential election , blaming the ongoing political crisis on the current format .
According to the current constitution , the duties of the executive branch are divided between an elected president and a prime minister chosen by parliament .
The controversial draft being considered by the Constitutional Council calls for a single executive -- the president -- along with a smaller parliament and a new body called the People 's Kurultai ( Congress ) that would control the government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized the draft reforms as a threat to the democratic process by putting too much power in the hands of the president .
They also say the current caretaker government does not have the legitimacy to initiate such deep changes .
The publication of the draft constitution on November 17 has triggered several demonstrations in Bishkek , the latest held on November 29 .

BISHKEK -- A new political group in Kyrgyzstan, Committee-93, has called on the Central Asian nation to return to its constitution from 1993 amid protests against a controversial proposal by the interim government to change the current constitution.
The new group held its first session in Bishkek on November 30 at which its members criticized the proposal to change the constitution pushed by Sadyr Japarov, who was named as the country's new prime minister and handed presidential powers in mid-October amid protests against the official results of parliamentary elections that ousted the government and led to the resignation of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov.
The group's members said that by changing the constitution, the current interim leadership is trying to cement power in its hands, while returning to the constitution from 1993 would help ensure a more independent judicial system and parliament needed for the country's further democratic development.
Japarov, who suspended his duties as acting president and prime minister in mid-November in order to be eligible to take part in an early presidential election on January 10, has publicly defended the proposed draft constitution last week.
Japarov said on November 24 that he also wanted a national referendum on the reforms to be held simultaneously with the presidential election, blaming the ongoing political crisis on the current format.
According to the current constitution, the duties of the executive branch are divided between an elected president and a prime minister chosen by parliament.
The controversial draft being considered by the Constitutional Council calls for a single executive -- the president -- along with a smaller parliament and a new body called the People's Kurultai (Congress) that would control the government and parliament.
Rights groups and activists have criticized the draft reforms as a threat to the democratic process by putting too much power in the hands of the president. They also say the current caretaker government does not have the legitimacy to initiate such deep changes.
The publication of the draft constitution on November 17 has triggered several demonstrations in Bishkek, the latest held on November 29.


rferl--2020-11-30--Belarusian Interior Ministry Confirms Use Of 'Warning Shots' During Protest

The Belarusian Interior Ministry has confirmed security forces used `` special means '' on November 29 against protesters who continued to demand the resignation of authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka after a disputed presidential election .
Ministry spokeswoman Volha Chamadanava wrote on Telegram on November 30 that law enforcement officers fired warning shots to force the demonstrators to disperse , confirming reports by RFE/RL ’ s Belarus Service that law enforcement used tear gas and stun grenades against some demonstrators .
`` Security officers had to use special means -- a number of warning shots of stun rounds fired into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , adding that in total 313 people were detained for violating legislation on holding public events .
The Minsk-based Vyasna ( Spring ) human rights center said that it calculated the number of the detained demonstrators across the country on November 29 at more than 420 .
According to Vyasna , most of the people reported detained were taken into custody in Minsk , though there also were detentions in Brest , Hrodna , Baraulyany , and other towns and cities .
Demonstrations were reported in almost all districts of Minsk making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participated in the protests overall .
Belarus has seen nearly continuous protests since a disputed presidential election on August 9 gave Lukashenka a sixth presidential term .
The United States and the European Union have not recognized Lukashenka ’ s reelection .
The opposition , which believes candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner of the election , has been calling for Lukashenka ’ s resignation , the release of all political prisoners , and a new election .
Tsikhanouskaya , who left the country soon after the election under pressure from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lithuania , extended her support to the protesters .
`` Every week the regime claims that the protests are subsiding , '' she said on November 29 on Twitter .
`` Every week the regime sends its forces with tear gas , stun grenades to beat & scare the Belarusian people .
Yet they gather every week to protest peacefully against Lukashenka 's regime . ''
During a visit to a Minsk hospital on November 27 , Lukashenka implied that he would resign if a new constitution is adopted .
“ I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new constitution , ” state media quoted him as saying .
Lukashenka has called several times for a new constitution , but the opposition has dismissed the statements as a bid to buy time and stay in power .

MINSK -- Belarusian activists say security forces have detained at least a dozen people as police broke up a protest march by pensioners demanding the resignation of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
The crackdown came a day after police said they'd fired warning shots to force the dispersal of a mass demonstration in Minsk on November 29 and detained hundreds of protesters.
More than 1,000 pensioners gathered in Minsk on November 30 to stage what they called a "March of Wisdom." But the demonstrators were divided into smaller groups that marched in different directions after being blocked by police along their planned route.
At least 12 people were detained in the November 30 crackdown, according to the Minsk-based Vyasna human rights center.
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.
Belarus has seen nearly daily protests since election officials declared Lukashenka won a sixth presidential term in a disputed August 9 election.
Neither the European Union nor the United States have recognized Lukashenka's reelection. Both have noted widespread allegations of election fraud.
Belarusian opposition figures are calling for Lukashenka's resignation, the release of all political prisoners, and a new election.
Belarusian authorities have cracked down hard on the largely peaceful demonstrations.
There have been mass arrests and widespread complaints about demonstrators being tortured in custody.
On November 29, security forces used tear gas and stun grenades against protesters in Minsk.
"Security officers had to use special means -- a number of warning shots of stun rounds fired into the air and tear gas," Interior Ministry spokeswoman Volha Chamadanava wrote on Telegram on November 30.
Chamadanava said a total of 313 people were detained on November 29 on charges of violating laws that forbid the holding of public gatherings.
Vyasna said it calculated that more than 420 protesters were detained across the country on November 29.
The rights group said most were taken into custody in Minsk, though there also were detentions in Brest, Hrodna, Baraulyany, and other towns and cities.
Demonstrations were reported in almost all districts of Minsk, making it difficult to estimate how many people participated in the protests overall.
Unrecognized Reelection
Presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, whom the opposition says was the real winner of the August election, expressed support for the ongoing protests.
"Every week the regime claims that the protests are subsiding," she tweeted on November 29. "Every week the regime sends its forces with tear gas, stun grenades to beat & scare the Belarusian people. Yet they gather every week to protest peacefully against Lukashenka's regime."
Tsikhanouskaya left Belarus after the election under pressure from the authorities in Minsk and is currently in Lithuania.
During a visit to a Minsk hospital on November 27, Lukashenka implied that he would resign if a new constitution is adopted.
"I will not work as president with you under the new constitution," state media quoted him as saying.
Lukashenka has called several times for a new constitution, but the opposition has dismissed the statements as a bid to buy time and stay in power.


rferl--2020-11-30--Moscow Court Extends Journalist Safronov's Pretrial Detention In High Treason Case

MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has extended the pretrial detention of former journalist Ivan Safronov , who is charged with high treason .
The Lefortovo district court on November 30 ruled that Safronov must be held at least until March 7 , 2021 .
Only Safronov 's girlfriend , Ksenia Mironova , and his sister Irina were allowed to be present in the courtroom when the court handed down its decision .
The hearing took place behind closed doors as the case is classified .
The 30-year-old Safronov , who has worked since May as an adviser to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roskosmos ) , Dmitry Rogozin , is a prominent journalist who covered the military-industrial complex for the newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti .
He was arrested on July 7 amid allegations that he had passed secret information to the Czech Republic in 2017 about Russian arms sales in the Middle East .
Safronov has rejected the accusations and many of his supporters have held pickets in Moscow and other cities demanding his release .
Human rights organizations have issued statements demanding Safronov ’ s release and expressing concerns over an intensifying crackdown on dissent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Interfax

MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has extended the pretrial detention of former journalist Ivan Safronov, who is charged with high treason.
The Lefortovo district court on November 30 ruled that Safronov must be held at least until March 7, 2021. Only Safronov's girlfriend, Ksenia Mironova, and his sister Irina were allowed to be present in the courtroom when the court handed down its decision.
The hearing took place behind closed doors as the case is classified.
The 30-year-old Safronov, who has worked since May as an adviser to the head of Russia's Space Agency (Roskosmos), Dmitry Rogozin, is a prominent journalist who covered the military-industrial complex for the newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti.
He was arrested on July 7 amid allegations that he had passed secret information to the Czech Republic in 2017 about Russian arms sales in the Middle East.
Safronov has rejected the accusations and many of his supporters have held pickets in Moscow and other cities demanding his release.
Human rights organizations have issued statements demanding Safronov’s release and expressing concerns over an intensifying crackdown on dissent in Russia.
With reporting by Kommersant and Interfax


rferl--2020-11-30--More Jehovah's Witnesses Sentenced In Russia On Extremism Charges

OMSK , Russia -- Several Jehovah 's Witnesses have been sentenced in Russia for being members of the religious group that Moscow has labeled as extremist and banned in the country .
A court in the Siberian city of Omsk , on November 30 , sentenced 48-year-old Sergei Polyakov to three years in prison after finding him guilty of `` organizing the activities of an extremist group . ''
Polyakov 's wife , Anastasia Polyakova and two other Jehovah 's Witnesses , Dinara Dyusekeyeva and Gaukhar Bektemirova , were convicted of `` taking part in the activities of an extremist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms each .
Their lawyer , Dmitry Kolobov , told RFE/RL after the sentences were pronounced that all of the convicted will appeal the court 's rulings .
The four went on trial more than a year ago amid Russian authorities ' crackdown on the religious group that was officially labelled as extremist and banned in the country in 2017 .
Last week , Russia 's Investigative Committee said it had arrested several Jehovah 's Witnesses and carried out raids of their homes across the country .
For decades the Jehovah 's Witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where the dominant Orthodox Church is championed by President Vladimir Putin .
The Christian group is known for door-to-door preaching , close Bible study , rejection of military service , and not celebrating national and religious holidays or birthdays .
Since the faith was outlawed in Russia , several Jehovah 's Witnesses have been imprisoned in Russia and the Russia-annexed Ukrainian Black Sea Crimea peninsula .
In September 2019 , Washington banned two high-ranking regional officers from Russia 's Investigative Committee from entering the United States over the alleged torture of seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center has recognized dozens of Jehovah ’ s Witnesses who 've been charged with or convicted of extremism as political prisoners .

OMSK, Russia -- Several Jehovah's Witnesses have been sentenced in Russia for being members of the religious group that Moscow has labeled as extremist and banned in the country.
A court in the Siberian city of Omsk, on November 30, sentenced 48-year-old Sergei Polyakov to three years in prison after finding him guilty of "organizing the activities of an extremist group."
Polyakov's wife, Anastasia Polyakova and two other Jehovah's Witnesses, Dinara Dyusekeyeva and Gaukhar Bektemirova, were convicted of "taking part in the activities of an extremist group" and handed suspended two-year prison terms each.
Their lawyer, Dmitry Kolobov, told RFE/RL after the sentences were pronounced that all of the convicted will appeal the court's rulings.
The four went on trial more than a year ago amid Russian authorities' crackdown on the religious group that was officially labelled as extremist and banned in the country in 2017.
Last week, Russia's Investigative Committee said it had arrested several Jehovah's Witnesses and carried out raids of their homes across the country.
For decades the Jehovah's Witnesses have been viewed with suspicion in Russia, where the dominant Orthodox Church is championed by President Vladimir Putin.
The Christian group is known for door-to-door preaching, close Bible study, rejection of military service, and not celebrating national and religious holidays or birthdays.
Since the faith was outlawed in Russia, several Jehovah's Witnesses have been imprisoned in Russia and the Russia-annexed Ukrainian Black Sea Crimea peninsula.
In September 2019, Washington banned two high-ranking regional officers from Russia's Investigative Committee from entering the United States over the alleged torture of seven detainees who are Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center has recognized dozens of Jehovah’s Witnesses who've been charged with or convicted of extremism as political prisoners.


rferl--2020-11-30--Iran Holds Funeral For Slain Nuclear Scientist Amid Revenge Calls

Iran has held a funeral for top nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , who founded its military nuclear program two decades ago , with the Islamic Republic 's defense minister vowing to continue the scientist 's work .
Fakhrizadeh 's targeted killing on November 27 on the outskirts of Tehran , in what appeared to be a military-style operation , has raised concerns about a new confrontation between Iran and Israel or the United States .
State TV broadcast the ceremony on November 30 , showing Fakhrizadeh 's casket , wrapped in an Iranian flag , being carried by an honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Koran and other religious verses in an outdoor area of the Defense Ministry in Tehran .
Fakhrizadeh 's body was later transferred to the Emamzade Saleh cemetery in northern Tehran for burial .
Officials , including Defense Minister Amir Hatami , attended the ceremony , sitting apart from each other and wearing masks due to the coronavirus pandemic .
`` The enemies know and I , as a soldier , tell them that no crime , no terror , and no stupid act will go unanswered by the Iranian people , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Fakhrizadeh 's work will be continued “ with more speed and more power.
” Another top Iranian security official who attended the funeral accused Israel of using “ electronic devices ” to remotely kill the scientist in the November 27 attack .
“ Unfortunately , the operation was a very complicated operation and was carried out by using electronic devices , ” Ali Shamkani , the secretary of the country ’ s Supreme National Security Council , told state TV .
“ No individual was present at the site . ''
Shamkhani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mujahedin-e-Khalq ( MEK ) as well for “ having a role in this , ” without elaborating .
Neither Israel , nor MEK have commented on the killing , seen by many as a move to disrupt Tehran in any effort to develop nuclear weapons .
Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes .
Israel has long been suspected of carrying out a series of targeted killings of Iranian nuclear scientists and other sabotage operations against Iran using MEK operatives .
Shamkani 's remarks signaled a change in the official narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in front of Fakhrizadeh 's car , and then gunmen opened fire on the scientist , killing him .
Earlier on November 30 , Iran 's English-language Press TV said on November 30 that the weapon used in the killing was made in Israel .
`` The weapon collected from the site of the terrorist act bears the logo and specifications of the Israeli military industry , '' an unnamed source told Press TV .
State TV ’ s Arabic-language channel , Al-Alam , claimed the weapons used were “ controlled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered evidence supporting their claims .
Despite calls for revenge , an Iranian government spokesman said diplomacy is still possible .
Government spokesman Ali Rabiei on November 29 said that “ we should definitely not fall into this trap [ of early military action or giving up on diplomacy ] .
” Earlier , Iranian President Hassan Rohani stressed that the country will seek its revenge in `` due time '' and not be rushed into a `` trap.
” Rohani has accused Israel of acting as a “ mercenary ” for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rohani is seen as being among the more moderate figures in the country and likely to be looking toward possibly returning to the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement that Iran signed with six world powers , including the United States .
U.S. President Donald Trump , who has taken a hard line against Tehran , in 2018 pulled out of the accord and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran , accusing it of continuing to seek nuclear weapons and of funding extremist activity in the region -- allegations Iran has denied .
With reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Reuters


rferl--2020-11-29--Serbia Revokes Expulsion Of Montenegrin Ambassador

Serbia has revoked its decision to expel Montenegro 's ambassador a day after declaring the envoy persona non grata in a tit-for-tat move .
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic announced the decision on November 29 after a meeting with President Aleksandar Vucic and after consulting Montenegrin Serbs , according to RFE/RL ’ s Balkan Service .
`` We decided that Serbia already tonight unilaterally revokes the decision on expelling Montenegro 's ambassador , '' Brnabic told reporters .
“ Good relations with Montenegro are above all important to us.
” She expressed hope that the move would be interpreted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Serbia would continue to build relations with Montenegro .
“ We are once again extending a hand of cooperation and friendship , ” Brnabic said .
Serbia declared Montenegro 's ambassador persona non grata and ordered him expelled from the country on November 28 after Montenegro declared Serbia 's envoy persona non grata and expelled him .
Vucic said Serbia `` made a good move , '' adding that it is up to Serbia to show that it `` wants the best and brotherly relations '' with Montenegro .
Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outgoing government 's decision to expel the Serbian ambassador just days before the planned inauguration of a new , pro-Serb cabinet .
Krivokapic said on November 29 on Twitter that he regretted the expulsion , announced on November 28 , of Serbian Ambassador to Montenegro Vladimir Bozovic .
“ Such acts are not in the spirit of the European path and good regional cooperation of friendly countries , ” Zdravko Krivokapic tweeted .
He lamented that the outgoing regime , even in its last days , did not `` shy away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of divisions . ''
The Montenegrin Foreign Ministry cited `` long and continuous meddling in the internal affairs of Montenegro '' as the reason for declaring Bozovic persona non grata and expelling him .
Montenegro remains deeply divided among people 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 country is now set to be led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be voted into office during a parliament session next week following the defeat of the long-ruling pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists in August .
The coalition ’ s most powerful party is the Democratic Front ( DF ) , which seeks closer ties with Serbia and Russia and is backed by the Serbian Orthodox Church .
Its partners , however , insist that Montenegro remain on its pro-Western course .
Krivokapic said the new government would work to improve Montenegro ’ s relations with Serbia .
`` We will promote a truly good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as with everyone in the region , on the principle of sovereignty , independence and noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries , '' Krivokapic tweeted .
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-11-30--Azerbaijani Forces Enter Third District Under Nagorno-Karabakh Truce

BAKU -- Azerbaijan says its forces have entered the Lachin district , the last of three handed back by Armenia as part of a deal that ended six weeks of fighting over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region .
`` Units of the Azerbaijani Army entered the Lachin region on December 1 '' under the deal signed on November 9 by Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Russia , the Defense Ministry said in a statement .
The ministry also released a video showing a tank flying the Azerbaijani flag and leading a column of trucks along a road at night .
Azerbaijan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Armenia in the early 1990s as they transitioned into independent countries amid the breakup of the Soviet Union .
Lachin was a strategic link between Armenia 's internationally recognized border and ethnic Armenian-held areas in Nagorno-Karabakh .
Armenia agreed to hand over three districts ringing Nagorno-Karabakh -- Agdam , Kalbacar , and Lachin -- after nearly three decades under Armenian control as part of the Russian-brokered agreement signed on November 9 , halting military action in and around Nagorno-Karabakh following the worst fighting in the region since the 1990s .
Agdam was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days later .
Almost 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have moved into the area as part of the truce deal , including along the Lachin Corridor , an overland route linking Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh .
The agreement also committed the parties to reopening their borders for trade but sets no time frame for that .
Ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh have 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Azerbaijan but provides security guarantees to the former .

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that there can be no advancement in the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unless there is an improvement in the treatment of women in the country.
Speaking to reporters on August 15, the two-year anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of power in Kabul, Blinken said the United States continues to work to hold the Taliban accountable for the commitments that it's made, particularly when it comes to the rights of women and girls.
"We've been very clear with the Taliban -- and dozens of countries around the world have been very clear -- that the path to any more normal relationship between the Taliban and other countries will be blocked unless and until the rights of women and girls among other things are actually supported," Blinken said.
No country has recognized the Taliban-led government, and the United States has avoided direct economic engagement in part over the treatment of women and girls, who have seen their rights drastically curbed by the hard-line Islamists. This includes a ban on women working in local and international nongovernmental organizations and a ban on education beyond the sixth grade.
The Taliban stormed back to power in August 2021 after President Joe Biden withdrew U.S. troops under the terms of an agreement reached in February 2020 between the Taliban and the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
Blinken defended the pullout and said the United States was not focused on other priorities.
"The decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was an incredibly difficult one, but also the right one," Blinken said. "We ended America's longest war. For the first time in 20 years, we don't have another generation of young Americans going to fight and die."
A number of international human rights organizations earlier on August 15 called the Taliban's two years of rule shameful and worrying.
Amnesty International and several other international human rights organizations demanded in a statement an effective response to the situation, noting the Taliban's strict decrees against human rights in Afghanistan, especially against women and girls.
The organizations said in a statement that in the past two years, the Taliban has increasingly imposed harmful policies against women and girls and religious and ethnic minorities that clearly violate Afghanistan's obligations under international human rights law.
The Taliban has previously rejected reports on the treatment of women as propaganda of international organizations. The militant group's leaders have said they have strengthened all the rights of women in Afghanistan in light of Islamic principles.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban, said in an interview with the AP marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country that the Taliban views its rule of Afghanistan as open-ended and as drawing legitimacy from Islamic law. He also suggested a ban on female education will remain in place.
Female activist Soheila Yousefi calls the situation alarming and wants the world to pay attention.
"The international community should take serious action in this regard because the world chose to be silent in these two years and did not take any practical steps. Our request is that they should look at the current situation in Afghanistan, then take a serious and comprehensive review."
The Taliban did not respond to Radio Azadi's questions before the release of the report, but the rulers have spoken of strengthening human rights in Afghanistan, especially the rights of women and girls, according to Islamic principles.
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-11-30--NATO Chief Says Ministers To Discuss 'Dilemma' Of Afghanistan, Russia's 'Military  Buildup'

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said ahead of talks by NATO foreign ministers that the alliance is struggling with a dilemma over its future in Afghanistan .
Stoltenberg made the remarks during a virtual press conference from Brussels on November 30 , a day before NATO foreign ministers are due to start a two-day videoconference about the future of the alliance .
His remarks also came as the United States is preparing to pull its troops out of Afghanistan and as attacks by the Taliban and other extremist groups in Afghanistan continue .
`` We face a difficult dilemma .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan becomes once again a safe haven for international terrorists , or stay , and risk a longer mission , with renewed violence , '' Stoltenberg said .
`` Whatever path we choose , it is important that we do so together , in a coordinated and deliberate way . ''
More than 17 years after taking over the leadership of international security efforts in Afghanistan , NATO now has about 11,000 troops from dozens of countries stationed in Afghanistan .
Most are from Europe and other NATO partner countries .
Their current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan 's own national security forces .
But NATO also relies heavily on the U.S. military for air support , transport , and logistics .
`` The United States has recently decided to further reduce its troop numbers , '' Stoltenberg said .
`` But NATO 's training mission continues , with over half of the forces from European allies and partner nations . ''
`` No one wants to stay in Afghanistan longer than necessary , '' he said .
`` In the months ahead , we will continue to assess our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Some experts say NATO 's European members would find it difficult even to leave Afghanistan without U.S. support .
They say U.S. President Donald Trump 's decision to pull almost half of the U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by mid-January leaves other NATO allies in a difficult position .
Trump 's unilateral decision to leave only 2,500 U.S. troops as part of NATO 's Afghanistan mission has allied military planners trying to figure out whether NATO can continue to operate in Kabul and other major Afghan cities .
For now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enablers '' to do the job .
Meanwhile , Afghan officials have also expressed concerns that the rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan could strengthen the Taliban 's negotiating position in peace talks .
Under a peace deal reached between the United States and the Taliban -- without the involvement of other NATO allies or the Afghan government -- all foreign troops should leave Afghanistan by May 1 , 2021 , if security conditions on the ground permit .
NATO defense ministers are expected to make a final decision in February about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , known as Resolute Support .
By that time , U.S. President-elect Joe Biden will have taken office .
European diplomats say they anticipate that the diplomatic tone from Washington will change under Biden , but probably not the intention for U.S. forces to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible .
Amid the uncertainty , there has been a rise in militant violence .
There also has been a surge of attacks by the Taliban against Afghan government security forces since the start of peace talks in September .
Islamic State ( IS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks -- notably an assault on Kabul University that killed 22 people , most of them students .
`` We have seen over the last months and weeks several attacks , '' Stoltenberg said on November 30 , noting that some were carried out by the Taliban while IS extremists claimed responsibility for others .
`` But we know is that the Taliban is responsible for attacks and the level of violence is far too high , '' Stoltenberg said .
Stoltenberg said another key issue that NATO foreign ministers will discuss during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` military buildup around the alliance '' and `` what more we should do to respond to Russia 's growing military activity , and to maintain the arms-control regime -- including limitations on nuclear warheads , as the New START treaty is due to expire next February . ''
`` Russia is modernizing its nuclear arsenal and fielding new missiles , '' Stoltenberg said .
`` It is deploying more forces in our neighborhood , from the High North to Syria and Libya .
We also see an increased Russian presence as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nagorno-Karabakh . ''
Stoltenberg said the NATO foreign ministers also will be joined by the foreign ministers of Georgia and Ukraine `` in a separate session '' in order `` to address the security situation in the Black Sea region and our support for these two valued partners . ''
With reporting by Reuters , AP , and RFE/RL 's Radio Free Afghanistan

A report presented to NATO foreign ministers on December 1 says the alliance must adapt to deal with new threats, including “persistently aggressive Russia” and “the rise of China.”
The ministers received the report on the first day of a two-day conference being held via videolink as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that the ministers also discussed the Russian “military buildup” around the alliance, as well as its mission in Afghanistan.
The Western military alliance “will have to take some hard decisions” about the mission when NATO defense ministers meet in February, he said.
The 67-page report makes about 140 suggestions on how to reboot the alliance, which it says “must adapt to meet the needs of a more demanding strategic environment.”
It notes that while NATO faced one big threat during the Cold War it now faces two “systemic rivals” – Russia and China – along with “the enduring threat of terrorism.”
It also suggests the Western military alliance find a way to stop individual countries vetoing policy decisions, as Hungary has done over plans for a deeper partnership with non-NATO member Ukraine.
Other recommendations include creating a consultative body to coordinate broader, Western policy toward China, holding summits with European Union leaders, and giving the secretary-general more power over personnel and budgets.
"NATO needs a strong political dimension to match its military adaptation," according to the report, whose suggestions are not binding.
The document is to be presented to NATO leaders at a summit planned for next year. They could be included in an update to NATO's Strategic Concept document, which dates from 2010 and sought to consider Russia as a partner.
Speaking to reporters, Stoltenberg said the ministers discussed “Russia's continued military buildup in our neighborhood, as well as arms control.”
He said NATO is adapting its deterrence posture “to address Russia's destabilizing actions,” but the ministers agree that they must continue to pursue dialogue with Russia.
They also expressed support for preserving limitations of nuclear weapons and for developing a more comprehensive arms control regime, and welcomed dialog between Russia and the United States ahead of the expiration of their bilateral New START treaty in February.
“We should not find ourselves in a situation where there is no agreement regulating the number of nuclear warheads,” he said.
On Afghanistan, Stoltenberg said NATO supports the peace process while remaining committed to the mission to help Afghanistan fight terrorism.
But he added: “As we continue to assess the situation in Afghanistan, it is clear that we will face a turning point early next year."
The security alliance risks and even longer-term engagement if the NATO mission stays in Afghanistan, and if it leaves there is a risk that it will become a safe haven for international terrorists again, Stoltenberg said.
“So, there is a price for staying longer, but there is also a price for leaving too soon,” he said.
NATO now has about 11,000 troops from dozens of countries stationed in the country. Their mandate is to help train and advise Afghanistan’s own national security forces.
But the presence of U.S. forces, which NATO relies on for air support, transport, and logistics, is scheduled to shrink by 2,000 troops to 2,500 by January 15.
Under a peace deal reached between the United States and the Taliban, all foreign troops should leave Afghanistan by May 1, 2021 if security conditions on the ground permit.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan


rferl--2020-11-30--Moscow Rebuffs Moldova's Sandu On Troop Withdrawal From Transdniester

CHISINAU -- The Kremlin has rebuffed calls by Moldova 's incoming President Maia Sandu for Russian troops to withdraw from the separatist region of Transdniester , saying such a move could lead to `` serious destabilization . ''
Sandu , who favors closer ties with the European Union , vowed to balance ties with the West and Russia after decisively defeating pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon in the second round of Moldova 's presidential election two weeks ago .
But the former World Bank economist on November 30 called for Russian troops in Transdniester to be removed in favor of civilian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , adding that she wanted dialogue with Moscow .
`` We are an independent country that does not want foreign troops to stay on its territory , '' she told a press conference .
In response , Russian President Vladimir Putin 's spokesman , Dmitry Peskov , said Russia expected the authorities in Chisinau to remain `` constructive . ''
Russia is playing a `` very important role '' in Transdniester , and `` a change in some status quo '' there could lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters .
Transdniester declared independence from then-Soviet Moldova in 1990 .
Moldovan forces and Moscow-backed Transdniester fought a short war in 1992 over fears that newly independent Moldova would seek reunification with neighboring Romania .
The conflict ended with a cease-fire agreement after Russian troops in the region intervened on the side of the separatists .
Some 1,400 Russian troops remain in Transdniester guarding Soviet-era arms depots .
Transdniester 's independence is not recognized by any country , but Moscow has been unofficially backing the separatist regime .
Putin congratulated Sandu after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was viewed as a referendum on whether the former Soviet republic sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania should move closer to the EU or be drawn more tightly into Moscow 's orbit .
Sandu is to be inaugurated as president on December 24 .

CHISINAU -- The Kremlin has rebuffed calls by Moldova's incoming President Maia Sandu for Russian troops to withdraw from the separatist region of Transdniester, saying such a move could lead to "serious destabilization."
Sandu, who favors closer ties with the European Union, vowed to balance ties with the West and Russia after decisively defeating pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon in the second round of Moldova's presidential election two weeks ago.
But the former World Bank economist on November 30 called for Russian troops in Transdniester to be removed in favor of civilian monitors under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), adding that she wanted dialogue with Moscow.
"We are an independent country that does not want foreign troops to stay on its territory," she told a press conference.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia expected the authorities in Chisinau to remain "constructive."
Russia is playing a "very important role" in Transdniester, and "a change in some status quo" there could lead to "serious destabilization," Peskov told reporters.
Transdniester declared independence from then-Soviet Moldova in 1990. Moldovan forces and Moscow-backed Transdniester fought a short war in 1992 over fears that newly independent Moldova would seek reunification with neighboring Romania.
The conflict ended with a cease-fire agreement after Russian troops in the region intervened on the side of the separatists.
Some 1,400 Russian troops remain in Transdniester guarding Soviet-era arms depots. Transdniester's independence is not recognized by any country, but Moscow has been unofficially backing the separatist regime.
Putin congratulated Sandu after the November 15 runoff vote, which was viewed as a referendum on whether the former Soviet republic sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania should move closer to the EU or be drawn more tightly into Moscow's orbit.
Sandu is to be inaugurated as president on December 24.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-11-30--Former Soviet Politburo Member Ligachyov Turns 100

MOSCOW -- A former member of the Soviet Communist Party 's Politburo , Yegor Ligachyov , has become the first ex-top Soviet official to live to the age of 100 .
Ligachyov was considered in the late 1980s as the second-most-powerful official in the Soviet Union after President Mikhail Gorbachev .
He marked his 100th birthday on November 29 .
Ligachyov started his political career in the Communist Party during World War II .
For almost two decades , he was the first secretary of the Communist Party in the Siberian region of Tomsk .
In 1983 , Ligachyov was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Central Committee .
He became a member of the Politburo in 1985 .
Under Gorbachev 's leadership , Ligachyov controlled the Communist Party 's organizational work and ideology .
He was considered a close ally of Gorbachev when he began to introduce democratic reforms .
However , Ligachyov later became associated with anti-perestroika forces and was excluded from the Central Committee of the party in 1990 .
But after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 , Ligachyov joined the leadership of the Communist Party .
He was a lawmaker from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 89 years old .

MOSCOW -- A former member of the Soviet Communist Party's Politburo, Yegor Ligachyov, has become the first ex-top Soviet official to live to the age of 100.
Ligachyov was considered in the late 1980s as the second-most-powerful official in the Soviet Union after President Mikhail Gorbachev. He marked his 100th birthday on November 29.
Ligachyov started his political career in the Communist Party during World War II.
For almost two decades, he was the first secretary of the Communist Party in the Siberian region of Tomsk.
In 1983, Ligachyov was promoted to membership of the Communist Party's Central Committee. He became a member of the Politburo in 1985.
Under Gorbachev's leadership, Ligachyov controlled the Communist Party's organizational work and ideology. He was considered a close ally of Gorbachev when he began to introduce democratic reforms.
However, Ligachyov later became associated with anti-perestroika forces and was excluded from the Central Committee of the party in 1990.
But after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ligachyov joined the leadership of the Communist Party. He was a lawmaker from 1999 to 2003.
Gorbachev is now 89 years old.