rferl--2020-12-02--Kazakh Political Party Stops Accepting New Members After Opposition Figure's Call To Support It

NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakhstan 's Aq Zhol ( Bright Path ) political party has suspended accepting new members after exiled opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov called on his supporters to vote for the party in upcoming parliamentary elections in order to weaken the ruling Nur Otan party .
Aq Zhol member and lawmaker Berik Duisenbinov told RFE/RL on December 2 that the party decided to temporarily stop accepting new members to prevent rumors that the party had enlarged its ranks thanks to Ablyazov .
Party Chairman Azat Peruashev refused to comment on the party 's decision when contacted by RFE/RL .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook video statement that his supporters and activists from his Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan ( DVK ) movement should support Aq Zhol in the January 10 elections to make sure that Nur Otan gets fewer votes than other political parties .
Since the DVK is not a registered party and not represented in the balloting , many of its supporters were n't expected to vote , leaving an opening for election officials to steal the votes for Nur Otan , Ablyazov alleged .
`` The move will also force election officials to increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will make it easier for us to expose the violations to justify our refusal to accept such results , '' Ablyazov said , stressing that the situation will spark mass protests across the country .
Last week , days after Ablyazov called on his supporters to vote for another party -- the All-National Social Democratic Party ( OSDP ) , the only political group that openly positions itself as an opposition party -- that group 's leadership announced a boycott of the poll .
OSDP leader Askhat Rakhimzhanov said that his party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the elections because Kazakhstan 's political landscape continues to be dominated by the “ same ” political elite .
Ablyazov , who resides in France , accused the OSDP of following orders from authorities , `` who are scared that many in Kazakhstan would follow '' Ablyazov 's call and `` expose falsifications during the elections . ''
The OSDP has not commented publicly on the accusation .
Since OSDP decided to boycott the poll , five political parties will take part in the elections .
The parties include the ruling Nur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Auyl , Birlik , and the Communist People 's Party .
Nur Otan said on December 2 that it had expelled Nurzhan Altaev from its ranks and deprived him of a lawmaker ’ s mandate for his decision to create a new political party .
Pavel Kazantsev , the chief of Nur Otan 's committee for party control , said that Altaev was expelled for being in `` violation of the party charter and its ethics code , '' as well as for `` damaging the party 's authority . ''
Altaev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition political forces are represented in the current parliament to voice alternative opinions and announced that he will establish a new political party called El Tiregi ( People ’ s Pillar ) .
The polls will be the first parliamentary elections since President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev succeeded Nursultan Nazarbaev , who resigned in March 2019 after nearly three decades in power .
Nazarbaev still maintains key positions of power , including head of the country ’ s powerful Security Council and the ruling Nur Otan party .
He also enjoys almost limitless powers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nation .
The 107-seat Majlis is currently dominated by Nazarbaev ’ s Nur Otan , which has 84 deputies .
The Communist People ’ s Party of Kazakhstan and the Aq Zhol party each have seven seats .
The remaining nine seats are appointed by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan , an advisory body controlled by Nazarbaev .
The last parliamentary elections were held in March 2016 .

NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakhstan's Aq Zhol (Bright Path) political party has suspended accepting new members after exiled opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov called on his supporters to vote for the party in upcoming parliamentary elections in order to weaken the ruling Nur Otan party.
Aq Zhol member and lawmaker Berik Duisenbinov told RFE/RL on December 2 that the party decided to temporarily stop accepting new members to prevent rumors that the party had enlarged its ranks thanks to Ablyazov.
Party Chairman Azat Peruashev refused to comment on the party's decision when contacted by RFE/RL.
A day earlier, Ablyazov said in a Facebook video statement that his supporters and activists from his Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) movement should support Aq Zhol in the January 10 elections to make sure that Nur Otan gets fewer votes than other political parties.
Since the DVK is not a registered party and not represented in the balloting, many of its supporters weren't expected to vote, leaving an opening for election officials to steal the votes for Nur Otan, Ablyazov alleged.
"The move will also force election officials to increase their efforts to rig the elections, which will make it easier for us to expose the violations to justify our refusal to accept such results," Ablyazov said, stressing that the situation will spark mass protests across the country.
Last week, days after Ablyazov called on his supporters to vote for another party -- the All-National Social Democratic Party (OSDP), the only political group that openly positions itself as an opposition party -- that group's leadership announced a boycott of the poll.
OSDP leader Askhat Rakhimzhanov said that his party decided on November 27 not to participate in the elections because Kazakhstan's political landscape continues to be dominated by the “same” political elite.
Ablyazov, who resides in France, accused the OSDP of following orders from authorities, "who are scared that many in Kazakhstan would follow" Ablyazov's call and "expose falsifications during the elections."
The OSDP has not commented publicly on the accusation.
Since OSDP decided to boycott the poll, five political parties will take part in the elections. The parties include the ruling Nur Otan, as well as Aq Zhol, Auyl, Birlik, and the Communist People's Party.
Nur Otan said on December 2 that it had expelled Nurzhan Altaev from its ranks and deprived him of a lawmaker’s mandate for his decision to create a new political party.
Pavel Kazantsev, the chief of Nur Otan's committee for party control, said that Altaev was expelled for being in "violation of the party charter and its ethics code," as well as for "damaging the party's authority."
Altaev said on November 27 that no real opposition political forces are represented in the current parliament to voice alternative opinions and announced that he will establish a new political party called El Tiregi (People’s Pillar).
The polls will be the first parliamentary elections since President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev succeeded Nursultan Nazarbaev, who resigned in March 2019 after nearly three decades in power.
Nazarbaev still maintains key positions of power, including head of the country’s powerful Security Council and the ruling Nur Otan party. He also enjoys almost limitless powers and immunity as "elbasy" -- leader of the nation.
The 107-seat Majlis is currently dominated by Nazarbaev’s Nur Otan, which has 84 deputies.
The Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan and the Aq Zhol party each have seven seats.
The remaining nine seats are appointed by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, an advisory body controlled by Nazarbaev.
The last parliamentary elections were held in March 2016.


rferl--2020-12-02--British Court Freezes Billions Tied To Alleged Kazakh Bank Theft

A court in the United Kingdom has frozen up to $ 5 billion in assets tied to the alleged theft of billions of dollars from Kazakhstan 's BTA Bank .
According to The Wall Street Journal ( WSJ ) on December 1 , the Enterprise and Property Courts of England and Wales on November 13 ordered the freezing of stakes in luxurious inns , money in financial institution accounts in six countries , and a Burger King franchise in Kazakhstan .
The report says the ruling was based mostly on a petition from state-owned BTA Bank , which has alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mukhtar Ablyazov , an outspoken critic of the Kazakh government , stole more than $ 6 billion .
BTA 's petition accuses one of Kazakhstan 's richest businessmen and investors , Bolat Otemuratov , of assisting Ablyazov in hiding the money stolen from the bank .
Otemuratov , who has been known for many years as a close ally of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev and his family , denied the accusations via spokeswoman Olga Abdrakhmanova , who told the WSJ that the allegations were `` based mostly on false paperwork offered by BTA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
BTA also accuses former Kazakh official Viktor Khrapunov , who currently resides in Switzerland , and members of his family of assisting Ablyazov in stealing the money .
Before the WSJ report , Ablyazov wrote about the accusations put forward against Otemuratov on Facebook , calling him `` Nazarbaev 's wallet , '' who , on behalf of the former president , holds assets of Nazarbaev that have a worth of some $ 5 billion .
According to Ablyazov , accusations against Otemuratov are politically motivated and an attempt to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove him from Kazakhstan 's political scene .
Ablyazov also alleged that the powerful chairman of the Kazakh Committee for National Security ( KNB ) , Karim Masimov , is behind BTA 's latest move , through which he says Masimov wants to discredit Nazarbaev and deprive him of the assets .
Otemuratov 's Verny Capital company has issued a statement saying that Otemuratov was in Nur-Sultan and continued to work as usual , focusing on social activities and admitting that he and several other individuals were defendants in a case at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mukhtar Ablyazov and Ilyas Khrapunov was initially filed by BTA Bank in 2015 .
In November 2020 , as the list of individuals accused by the bank widened , Bolat Otemuratov and several individuals from his business structures were added to the list of defendants , '' the company 's statement said .
Ilyas Khrapunov said in a press release offered by his lawyer that the accusations against him were `` ridiculous and fictional '' and based mostly on `` fabricated paperwork . ''
He also stressed that BTA was bringing the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political opponent .
Nazarbaev , 80 , who stepped down in March 2019 after almost 30 years running the oil-rich Central Asian country , continues to play a key role in its internal and foreign policies as the leader of the ruling Nur-Otan party , lifetime chairman of the powerful Security Council , and enjoys almost limitless powers as `` elbasy , '' or `` leader of the nation . ''
For many years , Otemuratov and his business structures have been associated with Nazarbaev and members of his family .
Otemuratov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media reports alleging the tycoon 's association with Nazarbaev have been exaggerated , adding that Otemuratov 's fortune was $ 3.2 billion .
According to Forbes , Otemuratov is the world 's 764th-richest person .

A court in the United Kingdom has frozen up to $5 billion in assets tied to the alleged theft of billions of dollars from Kazakhstan's BTA Bank.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on December 1, the Enterprise and Property Courts of England and Wales on November 13 ordered the freezing of stakes in luxurious inns, money in financial institution accounts in six countries, and a Burger King franchise in Kazakhstan.
The report says the ruling was based mostly on a petition from state-owned BTA Bank, which has alleged for years that its former chairman, Mukhtar Ablyazov, an outspoken critic of the Kazakh government, stole more than $6 billion.
BTA's petition accuses one of Kazakhstan's richest businessmen and investors, Bolat Otemuratov, of assisting Ablyazov in hiding the money stolen from the bank.
Otemuratov, who has been known for many years as a close ally of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev and his family, denied the accusations via spokeswoman Olga Abdrakhmanova, who told the WSJ that the allegations were "based mostly on false paperwork offered by BTA Financial institution...and its legal professionals."
BTA also accuses former Kazakh official Viktor Khrapunov, who currently resides in Switzerland, and members of his family of assisting Ablyazov in stealing the money.
Khrapunov's stepson Ilyas is married to Ablyazov's daughter Madina.
Before the WSJ report, Ablyazov wrote about the accusations put forward against Otemuratov on Facebook, calling him "Nazarbaev's wallet," who, on behalf of the former president, holds assets of Nazarbaev that have a worth of some $5 billion.
According to Ablyazov, accusations against Otemuratov are politically motivated and an attempt to "destroy him physically and financially" and remove him from Kazakhstan's political scene.
Ablyazov also alleged that the powerful chairman of the Kazakh Committee for National Security (KNB), Karim Masimov, is behind BTA's latest move, through which he says Masimov wants to discredit Nazarbaev and deprive him of the assets.
Otemuratov's Verny Capital company has issued a statement saying that Otemuratov was in Nur-Sultan and continued to work as usual, focusing on social activities and admitting that he and several other individuals were defendants in a case at a British court.
"The lawsuit against Mukhtar Ablyazov and Ilyas Khrapunov was initially filed by BTA Bank in 2015. In November 2020, as the list of individuals accused by the bank widened, Bolat Otemuratov and several individuals from his business structures were added to the list of defendants," the company's statement said.
Ilyas Khrapunov said in a press release offered by his lawyer that the accusations against him were "ridiculous and fictional" and based mostly on "fabricated paperwork." He also stressed that BTA was bringing the case toward Otemuratov to take him out as a political opponent.
Nazarbaev, 80, who stepped down in March 2019 after almost 30 years running the oil-rich Central Asian country, continues to play a key role in its internal and foreign policies as the leader of the ruling Nur-Otan party, lifetime chairman of the powerful Security Council, and enjoys almost limitless powers as "elbasy," or "leader of the nation."
For many years, Otemuratov and his business structures have been associated with Nazarbaev and members of his family.
Otemuratov spokeswoman Abdrakhmanova told the WSJ that Kazakh media reports alleging the tycoon's association with Nazarbaev have been exaggerated, adding that Otemuratov's fortune was $3.2 billion.
According to Forbes, Otemuratov is the world's 764th-richest person.


rferl--2020-12-02--Russia Deploys Air-Defense Missiles To Disputed Kurile Islands

The Russian military has announced the deployment of advanced air-defense missiles to the Kurile Islands claimed by Japan .
The S-300V4 air-defense missile systems have entered combat duty on the Kurile Islands , in addition to the shorter-range Tor-M2 missile systems deployed there earlier , Russia 's Eastern Military District said in a statement on December 1 .
The Russian Defense Ministry 's TV station , Zvezda , reported that the air-defense missile systems were deployed on Iturup , one of the four southernmost Kurile Islands .
Russia has continued to build up its forces on the islands , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
The Soviet Union seized the Kuriles in the final days of World War II from Japan , which continues to assert territorial rights to the islands it calls the Northern Territories .
The dispute has kept Russia and Japan from signing a peace treaty formally ending the war .
Decades of diplomatic efforts to negotiate a settlement have n't produced any visible results .
Tokyo is highly sensitive to military moves by Moscow on the strategically important chain of islands that stretch northeast from Japan 's Hokkaido to the Russian Far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking office in September , newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga discussed the territorial dispute in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pushed to resolve the dispute during his nearly eight years in power .
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP

The Russian military has announced the deployment of advanced air-defense missiles to the Kurile Islands claimed by Japan.
The S-300V4 air-defense missile systems have entered combat duty on the Kurile Islands, in addition to the shorter-range Tor-M2 missile systems deployed there earlier, Russia's Eastern Military District said in a statement on December 1.
The Russian Defense Ministry's TV station, Zvezda, reported that the air-defense missile systems were deployed on Iturup, one of the four southernmost Kurile Islands.
Russia has continued to build up its forces on the islands, including stationing advanced fighter jets and anti-ship missiles there.
The Soviet Union seized the Kuriles in the final days of World War II from Japan, which continues to assert territorial rights to the islands it calls the Northern Territories. The dispute has kept Russia and Japan from signing a peace treaty formally ending the war.
Decades of diplomatic efforts to negotiate a settlement haven't produced any visible results.
Tokyo is highly sensitive to military moves by Moscow on the strategically important chain of islands that stretch northeast from Japan's Hokkaido to the Russian Far East region of Kamchatka.
Shortly after taking office in September, newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga discussed the territorial dispute in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pushed to resolve the dispute during his nearly eight years in power.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-12-02--European Rights Court Finds Russia Denied Physicist Fair Trial In Treason Case

The European Court of Human Rights ( ECHR ) on December 1 ruled that Russia violated a top physicist ’ s right to a fair trial in a 2014 trial on treason and fraud charges .
Valentin Danilov , the former director of the thermo-physics center at Krasnoyarsk State University , was arrested in 2001 on claims he transferred secret information to China and embezzled funds .
In 2003 , a jury acquitted Danilov of all charges , but a year later the Russian Supreme Court overturned the acquittal and sent the case back for another trial .
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ultimately sentenced to 13 years in prison .
When he was paroled in 2012 , Danilov vowed to clear his name .
In his appeal to the ECHR , Danilov , now 72 , argued he was not allowed to cross-examine experts whose testimony was used against him , nor present his own expert defense .
He also claimed the jury was biased , since four of the 12 members had a state security clearance .
“ The court agreed with our arguments that it is doubtful that among the jurors who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a security clearance , ” Danilov ’ s lawyer , Anna Stavitskaya , told MBH Media .
The ECHR sided with Danilov in his arguments , ordering Russia to pay 21,000 euros ( $ 25,300 ) for having infringed on his right to a fair trial .
With reporting by AFP and Current Time

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on December 1 ruled that Russia violated a top physicist’s right to a fair trial in a 2014 trial on treason and fraud charges.
Valentin Danilov, the former director of the thermo-physics center at Krasnoyarsk State University, was arrested in 2001 on claims he transferred secret information to China and embezzled funds.
In 2003, a jury acquitted Danilov of all charges, but a year later the Russian Supreme Court overturned the acquittal and sent the case back for another trial.
The new jury found Danilov guilty, and he was ultimately sentenced to 13 years in prison.
When he was paroled in 2012, Danilov vowed to clear his name.
In his appeal to the ECHR, Danilov, now 72, argued he was not allowed to cross-examine experts whose testimony was used against him, nor present his own expert defense.
He also claimed the jury was biased, since four of the 12 members had a state security clearance.
“The court agreed with our arguments that it is doubtful that among the jurors who were selected by random sampling four had a security clearance,” Danilov’s lawyer, Anna Stavitskaya, told MBH Media.
The ECHR sided with Danilov in his arguments, ordering Russia to pay 21,000 euros ($25,300) for having infringed on his right to a fair trial.
With reporting by AFP and Current Time


rferl--2020-12-01--NATO Foreign Ministers Discuss 'Aggressive' Russia, Reforms

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 video link 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done over plans for a deeper partnership with non-NATO member Ukraine .
Other recommendations include creating a consultative body to coordinate a broader 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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 on nuclear weapons and for developing a more comprehensive arms control regime and welcomed dialogue between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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

NATO foreign ministers concluded a two-day meeting on December 2 that paves a path for reforms within the transatlantic alliance as it faces twin challenges from Russia and China, as well as key decisions about the situation in Afghanistan.
The meeting, held via video link as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus, discussed how the alliance must adapt to new threats, including “persistently aggressive Russia” and “the rise of China.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on December 1 told reporters that the ministers discussed the Russian “military buildup” around the alliance and the 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.
A 67-page expert group report outlining suggestions about how to reboot the alliance noted 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.”
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 agreed that they must continue to pursue dialogue with Russia.
They also expressed support for preserving limitations on nuclear weapons and for developing a more comprehensive arms control regime, and welcomed talks 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.
The ministerial also included a meeting with the foreign ministers of Georgia and Ukraine on security in the Black Sea region and NATO’s continued support to both partners.
Foreign ministers also discussed developments in Belarus following nearly four months of pro-democracy protests and the situation in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the wake of a Russian-brokered peace deal that ended 44 days of fierce fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces.
On Afghanistan, Stoltenberg said NATO supports the peace process while remaining committed to the mission to help 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 an 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 Afghanistan. Their mandate is to help train and advise Afghanistan’s 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.
The policy report also suggested the Western military alliance find a way to stop individual countries from vetoing policy decisions, as Hungary has done over plans for a deeper partnership with non-NATO member Ukraine.
Other recommendations included creating a consultative body to coordinate a 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.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan


rferl--2020-12-01--Azerbaijan Reclaims Third District From Armenia Under Nagorno-Karabakh Truce

BAKU -- Azerbaijan has completed reclaiming three districts held by ethnic Armenian forces for more than a quarter-century after a peace deal ended six weeks of fierce fighting over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region .
In an address to the nation on December 1 , Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hailed the restoration of control over Lachin , a strategic link between Armenia 's internationally recognized border and ethnic Armenian-held areas in Nagorno-Karabakh , as a “ historic victory.
” Armenia agreed to hand over Lachin and the two other districts , Agdam and Kalbacar , after nearly three decades under Armenian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed on November 9 .
The deal , which also allowed Azerbaijan to keep control of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh captured in the fighting , halted the worst clashes in the region since the 1990s .
Agdam was transferred to Azerbaijan on November 20 , followed by Kalbacar five days later .
Russia has deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers to monitor the cease-fire accord , help the return of refugees , and ensure safe transit through a 5-kilometer wide area connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the so-called Lachin Corridor .
Russian and Turkish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a joint monitoring center to ensure the fulfillment of the cease-fire deal , the Turkish Defense Ministry said on December 1 .
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 .
Crucially , the peace agreement leaves the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh unresolved .
Moscow has extensive relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan but provides security guarantees to the former .
Ankara @ @ @ @ @ @ @

BAKU -- Azerbaijan has completed reclaiming three districts held by ethnic Armenian forces for more than a quarter-century after a peace deal ended six weeks of fierce fighting over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
In an address to the nation on December 1, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hailed the restoration of control over Lachin, a strategic link between Armenia's internationally recognized border and ethnic Armenian-held areas in Nagorno-Karabakh, as a “historic victory.”
Armenia agreed to hand over Lachin and the two other districts, Agdam and Kalbacar, after nearly three decades under Armenian control as part of the Russian-brokered agreement signed on November 9.
The deal, which also allowed Azerbaijan to keep control of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh captured in the fighting, halted the worst clashes in the region since the 1990s.
Agdam was transferred to Azerbaijan on November 20, followed by Kalbacar five days later.
Russia has deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers to monitor the cease-fire accord, help the return of refugees, and ensure safe transit through a 5-kilometer wide area connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the so-called Lachin Corridor.
Russian and Turkish military officials signed documents to set up a joint monitoring center to ensure the fulfillment of the cease-fire deal, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on December 1.
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.
Crucially, the peace agreement leaves the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh unresolved.
Moscow has extensive relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan but provides security guarantees to the former.
Ankara is a strong backer of Azerbaijan.


rferl--2020-12-02--Iranian Activist Sotoudeh Back In Prison After Temporary Release

Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh is back in prison less than a month after she was granted temporary release , her husband says .
`` We were told today that Nasrin has to go back to the Gharchak Women 's Prison '' in Tehran , Reza Khandan wrote on Twitter on December 2 .
`` Nasrin has returned to prison this evening , '' he later told AFP .
The judiciary has ignored the doctors ' instructions , who extended her detention leave by two weeks , according to Khandan .
The 57-year-old Sotoudeh was released from the Gharchak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a temporary leave of absence .
She then tested positive for the coronavirus , Khandan said on November 11 .
Human rights groups in October warned that her health severely deteriorated in prison following a seven-week hunger strike she had launched to seek the release of prisoners during the novel coronavirus pandemic .
The lawyer , who has represented opposition activists including women prosecuted for removing their mandatory headscarf , was arrested in 2018 and charged with spying , spreading propaganda , and insulting Iran 's supreme leader .
Sotoudeh , who denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of 38 1/2 years in prison and 148 lashes .
The European Parliament awarded her the Sakharov Prize for human rights in 2012 .
Since March , Iranian authorities have granted temporary release to tens of thousands of prisoners following concerns over the spread of the coronavirus in prisons in the Middle East 's worst-hit country .
Many have since returned to prison .
The Iranian health authorities have registered nearly 49,000 deaths in connection with COVID-19 and over 989,000 infections since the beginning of the pandemic .

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--2020-12-02--Iran's Guardians Council Approves Law To Harden Nuclear Stance

An Iranian constitutional watchdog has approved a law requiring the government to suspend United Nations inspections of the country ’ s nuclear facilities and step up uranium enrichment beyond the limit set under the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers if sanctions are not eased in one month .
The Guardians Council approved the legislation on December 2 , a day after it was passed in parliament in what was seen as a show of defiance after the killing of a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist last week .
Iranian President Hassan Rohani criticized the law as `` harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2015 nuclear deal and easing U.S. sanctions .
The stance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , who has the last word on all strategic decisions made by Iran , is not publicly known .
The 2015 nuclear agreement scrapped sanctions against Iran in return for curbs to the country ’ s nuclear program .
But the United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 , and started imposing crippling sanctions on Iran , and Tehran has gradually reduced its compliance with the accord in response .
However , inspectors of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) , continue to monitor Iranian nuclear sites as part of the 2015 pact .
Under the new law , the government is required to suspend IAEA inspections if Western powers that are still signatories to the 2015 nuclear accord -- Britain , France , Germany , China , and Russia -- do not reestablish Iran 's access to world banking and oil markets within a month .
It also calls for Iran to resume enriching uranium to 20 percent purity `` for peaceful uses . ''
Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to around 4.5 percent , above the deal ’ s 3.67 percent cap , but below the 20 percent Iran had achieved before and the 90 percent purity considered weapons-grade .
Tehran has always denied pursuing nuclear weapons , saying its nuclear program was strictly for civilian purposes .
The bill was first tabled in parliament in the summer but gained new momentum after the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , who was at the heart of the country 's past covert nuclear program , on the outskirts of Tehran on November 27 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian officials have blamed the killing on Israel , an exile opposition group , and Saudi Arabia .
Israeli officials have declined to comment on the killing , while the Iranian opposition group and Saudi Arabia have also denied any involvement .


rferl--2020-12-02--Hungarian Politician Quits Ruling Party After Attending Lockdown 'Sex Party' In Brussels

BUDAPEST -- A Hungarian politician has quit the country ’ s ruling Fidesz party amid continuing fallout from his attendance at what Belgian media said was a sex party in Brussels held in violation of coronavirus lockdown rules .
Jozsef Szajer ’ s resignation on December 2 came one day after he admitted being present at the private party on November 27 .
He resigned as a member of the European Parliament on November 29 .
`` The actions of our fellow deputy…are incompatible with the values of our political family , '' Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which Orban has used to pass increasingly authoritarian policies in Hungary .
The party campaigns for conservative Christian values and rails against LGBT issues .
Szajer is also one of the coauthors of a controversial constitutional amendment in 2010 that defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman .
Belgian media have described the party attended by Szajer as a lockdown sex party that allegedly involved men only and included diplomats .
Belgian police , who detained about 20 people , said Szajer was seen `` fleeing along a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found in his backpack.
” Szajer was escorted to his home , where he identified himself by presenting his diplomatic passport , police said .
The 59-year-old Szajer issued his own statement saying he did not use drugs and that he had `` no knowledge '' of the narcotics found in his backpack .
In announcing his resignation as a European lawmaker on November 29 , Szajer said that for some time “ participating in the struggles of daily politics has been an increasing emotional burden for me . ''
`` We will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of work , but his deed is unacceptable and indefensible .
Following this , he took the only appropriate decision when he apologized and resigned from his position as a member of the European Parliament and left Fidesz , '' he said .

BUDAPEST -- A Hungarian politician has quit the ruling Fidesz party amid continuing fallout from his attendance at what Belgian media said was a sex party in Brussels held in violation of coronavirus lockdown rules.
Jozsef Szajer's resignation on December 2 came one day after he admitted being present at the private party on November 27. He resigned as a member of the European Parliament on November 29.
"The actions of our fellow deputy...are incompatible with the values of our political family," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
Szajer is a founding member of Fidesz, which Orban has used to pass increasingly authoritarian policies in Hungary. The party campaigns for conservative Christian values and rails against LGBT issues.
Szajer is also one of the co-authors of a controversial constitutional amendment in 2010 that defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman.
Szajer, who is a close confidant of Orban, is married to Tunde Hando, a former president of the National Judiciary Office, who is now a Constitutional Court judge.
He was a member of the European Parliament for 16 years, and for the past 11 acted as chief whip and vice president of the European People's Party.
Belgian media have described the party attended by Szajer as a lockdown sex party that allegedly involved men only and included diplomats.
Belgian police, who detained about 20 people, said Szajer was seen "fleeing along a drainpipe” and that "narcotics were found in his backpack." Szajer was escorted to his home, where he identified himself by presenting his diplomatic passport, police said.
The 59-year-old Szajer issued his own statement saying he did not use drugs and that he had "no knowledge" of the narcotics found in his backpack.
In announcing his resignation as a European lawmaker on November 29, Szajer said that for some time "participating in the struggles of daily politics has been an increasing emotional burden for me."
Orban defended Szajer in his address.
"We will not forget nor repudiate his 30 years of work, but his deed is unacceptable and indefensible. Following this, he took the only appropriate decision when he apologized and resigned from his position as member of the European Parliament and left Fidesz," he said.


rferl--2020-12-02--Russian President Orders 'Large-Scale' Coronavirus Vaccinations Beginning Next Week

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to start `` large-scale '' coronavirus vaccinations next week , as Russia tries to ramp up availability , and attention , for its Sputnik-V vaccine .
Putin ’ s order , made December 2 during a teleconference with Defense Ministry medical institutions , comes amid continuing questions about the efficacy of the Russian vaccine .
The announcement also came hours after Britain said it had approved a vaccine , developed by a joint American-German collaboration , after clinical trials showed it was 95 percent effective and offered significant protection for older people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ government had approved what appeared to be the world ’ s first coronavirus vaccine .
But the vaccine had not yet undergone crucial Phase III testing , and was only given to a few dozen people .
Researchers initially released little public data that could be peer reviewed or examined by independent scientists .
Since then , several Western biotech companies have announced promising , verifiable results , including Pfizer and BioNTech -- the American-German team behind the British vaccine .
The U.S. regulator , the Food and Drug Administration , will consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia ’ s lead vaccine maker , the Moscow-based Gamaleya Center , supported from the state sovereign wealth fund , have pushed to show the Russian vaccine was equally as promising as its Western peers .
In the December 2 call , Putin pledged that about 2 million doses of the Sputnik-V vaccine would be produced in the near future and medical personnel and teachers would be the first to receive them .
He told Tatyana Golikova , the deputy prime minister who oversees health and medical issues , to start large-scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you think that we have reached very close to such a phase , I would like to ask you to organize the work in a way to start a large-scale vaccination at the end of the next week , '' Putin told her .
Golikova answered that she and her team would not be able to say for certain if mass vaccinations could begin until next week '' Let 's do this first step , '' Putin urged .
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has said more than 100,000 Russians have already been given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sputnik V , two other coronavirus vaccines are also being developed , including one called EpiVacCorona developed by the Vektor state virology research center in Siberia .
The third , developed by the Chumakov Institute in Moscow , is getting ready for final tests , officials said .
Russia had 2,347,401 total cumulative coronavirus cases as of December 2 , with 41,053 deaths to date .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to start "large-scale" coronavirus vaccinations next week, as Russia tries to ramp up availability, and attention, for its Sputnik-V vaccine.
Putin’s order, made December 2 during a teleconference with Defense Ministry medical institutions, comes amid continuing questions about the efficacy of the Russian vaccine.
The announcement also came hours after Britain said it had approved a vaccine, developed by a joint American-German collaboration, after clinical trials showed it was 95 percent effective and offered significant protection for older people.
Putin in August announced that the Russian government had approved what appeared to be the world’s first coronavirus vaccine. But the vaccine had not yet undergone crucial Phase III testing, and was only given to a few dozen people. Researchers initially released little public data that could be peer reviewed or examined by independent scientists.
Since then, several Western biotech companies have announced promising, verifiable results, including Pfizer and BioNTech -- the American-German team behind the British vaccine. The U.S. regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, will consider approval of that vaccine on December 10.
Russia’s lead vaccine maker, the Moscow-based Gamaleya Center, supported from the state sovereign wealth fund, have pushed to show the Russian vaccine was equally as promising as its Western peers.
In the December 2 call, Putin pledged that about 2 million doses of the Sputnik-V vaccine would be produced in the near future and medical personnel and teachers would be the first to receive them.
He told Tatyana Golikova, the deputy prime minister who oversees health and medical issues, to start large-scale vaccinations by December 11.
"If you think that we have reached very close to such a phase, I would like to ask you to organize the work in a way to start a large-scale vaccination at the end of the next week," Putin told her.
Golikova answered that she and her team would not be able to say for certain if mass vaccinations could begin until next week
"Let's do this first step," Putin urged.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has said more than 100,000 Russians have already been given the Sputnik-V shots.
In addition to Sputnik V, two other coronavirus vaccines are also being developed, including one called EpiVacCorona developed by the Vektor state virology research center in Siberia. The third, developed by the Chumakov Institute in Moscow, is getting ready for final tests, officials said.
Russia had 2,347,401 total cumulative coronavirus cases as of December 2, with 41,053 deaths to date.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-12-02--EU Envoys Agree To 'Magnitsky' Sanctions Regime

European Union ambassadors on December 2 gave their green light to establish a sanctions regime that would target human rights violators worldwide .
The EU ’ s 27 foreign ministers are set to rubber stamp the decision when they meet on December 7 , and the new mechanism is expected to officially enter into force on Human Rights Day on December 10 .
Several EU officials familiar with the matter said no individuals or entities will be sanctioned immediately , but names could be put on the blacklist as early as the beginning of 2021 .
The sanctions , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bans and can be applied to both governments and individuals , are similar to measures of the Magnitsky Act passed by the United States in 2012 .
The sanctions will consist of asset freezes and visa bans and can be applied to both state and non-state actors .
According to a working document seen by RFE/RL , the sanctions will target individuals and entities deemed responsible for acts of genocide , crimes against humanity , torture , inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment , slavery , extrajudicial , summary , or arbitrary executions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and arbitrary arrests or detentions .
It can also be imposed on those involved in human trafficking , sexual and gender-based violence , violations or abuses of freedom of peaceful assembly , association , opinion , and religion -- if the abuses are considered “ widespread and systematic.
” The new system will not replace existing sanctions programs , some of which already address human rights violations and abuses in Syria , Belarus , and Venezuela .
Instead , they are aimed at giving the European Union a way to coordinate any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The initial Magnitsky Act targeted Russian officials deemed complicit in the death of Sergei Magnitsky , a Russian whistleblower who helped uncover the theft of nearly $ 230 million from Russia 's government through fraudulent tax refunds .
He was later arrested and died in a Moscow prison in 2009 after suffering from what his supporters say amounted to torture .
After his death , he and his employer , British-American financier William Browder , were charged with the tax fraud Magnitsky helped uncover .
The U.S. law , which has infuriated the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similarly named measure that included individuals from other nations .

European Union ambassadors on December 2 gave their green light to establish a sanctions regime that would target human rights violators worldwide.
The EU’s 27 foreign ministers are set to rubber-stamp the decision when they meet on December 7, and the new mechanism is expected to officially enter into force on Human Rights Day on December 10.
Several EU officials familiar with the matter said no individuals or entities will be sanctioned immediately, but names could be put on the blacklist as early as the beginning of 2021.
The sanctions, which will consist of asset freezes and visa bans and can be applied to both governments and individuals, are similar to measures of the Magnitsky Act passed by the United States in 2012.
The sanctions will consist of asset freezes and visa bans and can be applied to both state and non-state actors.
According to a working document seen by RFE/RL, the sanctions will target individuals and entities deemed responsible for acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, slavery, extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions and killings, enforced disappearance of persons, and arbitrary arrests or detentions.
It can also be imposed on those involved in human trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence, violations or abuses of freedom of peaceful assembly, association, opinion, and religion -- if the abuses are considered “widespread and systematic.”
The new system will not replace existing sanctions programs, some of which already address human rights violations and abuses in Syria, Belarus, and Venezuela. Instead, they are aimed at giving the European Union a way to coordinate any punitive measures on rights with Washington.
The initial Magnitsky Act targeted Russian officials deemed complicit in the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian whistle-blower who helped uncover the theft of nearly $230 million from Russia's government through fraudulent tax refunds. He was later arrested and died in a Moscow prison in 2009 after suffering from what his supporters say amounted to torture.
After his death, he and his employer, British-American financier William Browder, were charged with the tax fraud Magnitsky helped uncover.
The U.S. law, which has infuriated the Kremlin, was later expanded into a similarly named measure that included individuals from other nations.


rferl--2020-12-02--Armenia Lifts Ban On Rallies, Other Restrictions Imposed Over Karabakh Fighting

YEREVAN -- Armenian authorities have lifted some restrictions on public rallies and strikes , restrictions imposed more than two months ago amid fierce fighting over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region .
The decision , announced on December 2 , came about three weeks after the signing of a Russian-brokered cease-fire that ended the worst fighting in three decades and resulted in Azerbaijani forces retaking much of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts .
The cease-fire announcement , and the loss of territory long controlled by ethnic Armenians , sparked protests , with thousands taking to the streets in Yerevan to demand the ouster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 2 , some 4,000 demonstrators marched through the city center , chanting slogans such as “ Nikol , you traitor !
” In its decree , the government said it was lifting restrictions on holding rallies and strikes , as well as relaxing rules for entry to and exit from the South Caucasus country .
Also lifted were restrictions on local media publications and broadcasters that had been required to only publish official government information when reporting on military activity .
The government declared martial law on September 27 , when fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became the worst clashes over the region since the early 1990s .
Russia has deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers to monitor the cease-fire , help the return of refugees , and ensure safe transit through a 5-kilometer-wide area connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the so-called Lachin Corridor .
Ethnic Armenians had governed their own affairs in Nagorno-Karabakh , 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 .
Crucially , the Moscow-brokered agreement leaves the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting by Reuters and AP

YEREVAN -- Armenian authorities have lifted some restrictions on public rallies and strikes, restrictions imposed more than two months ago amid fierce fighting over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The decision, announced on December 2, came about three weeks after the signing of a Russian-brokered cease-fire that ended the worst fighting in three decades and resulted in Azerbaijani forces retaking much of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
The cease-fire announcement, and the loss of territory long controlled by ethnic Armenians, sparked protests, with thousands taking to the streets in Yerevan to demand the ouster of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
On December 2, some 4,000 demonstrators marched through the city center, chanting slogans such as “Nikol, you traitor!”
In its decree, the government said it was lifting restrictions on holding rallies and strikes, as well as relaxing rules for entry to and exit from the South Caucasus country.
Also lifted were restrictions on local media publications and broadcasters that had been required to only publish official government information when reporting on military activity.
The government declared martial law on September 27, when fighting erupted in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in what became the worst clashes over the region since the early 1990s.
Russia has deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers to monitor the cease-fire, help the return of refugees, and ensure safe transit through a 5-kilometer-wide area connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the so-called Lachin Corridor.
Ethnic Armenians had governed their own affairs in Nagorno-Karabakh, 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.
Crucially, the Moscow-brokered agreement leaves the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh unresolved.
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-12-02--Moldovan President-Elect Sandu Says Territorial Integrity Important In Talks On Breakaway Region

Moldovan President-elect Maia Sandu , a pro-European economist who rode an anti-corruption platform to defeat Russia-friendly incumbent Igor Dodon , says her country 's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected in solving the ongoing issue of the breakaway Transdniester region that is controlled by Moscow-backed separatists .
In separate interviews with RFE/RL 's Russian and Moldovan services on December 2 , Sandu said a solution to the issue must be sought through the so-called 5+2 format , which includes the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , Russia , Ukraine , the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moldova and Transdniester .
Sandu 's victory in a November 15 runoff vote was seen by many as a sign that Moldova will move closer to the European Union .
The former World Bank economist drove the point home in the interviews , noting that such an orientation is also good for the breakaway region , which has `` strong ties with Europe '' with more than 60 percent of its exports directed toward the European Union .
`` I am open and I will work equally hard for having an active foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens in the West and to have an active policy in the interests of our citizens in the East as well , ” she said , adding that the Transdniester issue can be solved by peaceful means only as `` we want our relations with the Russian Federation to be good . ''
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the side of the separatists .
Transdniester 's independence is recognized by no country , but Moscow has been unofficially backing the separatist regime .
On November 30 , Sandu called for Russian troops in Transdniester to be removed in favor of civilian monitors under the auspices of the OSCE , adding that she wanted dialogue with Moscow .
The Kremlin quickly rebuffed the idea saying it could lead to a `` serious destabilization '' of the situation .
A former prime minister , Sandu eschewed geopolitics during the election campaign , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , strengthen Moldova 's institutions of governance , and build on the country 's Association Agreement with the European Union .
She campaigned on a `` pragmatic approach '' to Moldova 's national interests and in her December 2 interviews she stressed that the fight against deep-rooted corruption in one of Europe 's poorest countries aligns with her pledge to work for everyone in Moldova , including residents of Transdniester .
`` Once there is political will , those corruption schemes can be curbed .
Less corruption will mean that both the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ River ] and those on the left bank [ in Transdniester ] will be robbed less , because contraband means unpaid taxes , it means people on both banks of the Dniester are being robbed .
People live in poverty both here and there , unfortunately , people are desperate both here and there -- there are similar problems , '' Sandu said .
Sandu said people voted for her with the hopes she will focus on the fight against corruption , especially `` to clear the judicial system of corrupt judges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change the parliament .
We are now working to create conditions and hold early parliamentary elections as soon as possible , so that the people have a chance to choose those who share the goals that the people of our country have , '' Sandu said .

Moldovan President-elect Maia Sandu, a pro-European economist who rode an anti-corruption platform to defeat Russia-friendly incumbent Igor Dodon, says her country's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected in solving the ongoing issue of the breakaway Transdniester region that is controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.
In separate interviews with RFE/RL's Russian and Moldovan services on December 2, Sandu said a solution to the issue must be sought through the so-called 5+2 format, which includes the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and the European Union, along with Moldova and Transdniester.
Sandu's victory in a November 15 runoff vote was seen by many as a sign that Moldova will move closer to the European Union.
The former World Bank economist drove the point home in the interviews, noting that such an orientation is also good for the breakaway region, which has "strong ties with Europe" with more than 60 percent of its exports directed toward the European Union.
"I am open and I will work equally hard for having an active foreign policy both in the interests of our citizens in the West and to have an active policy in the interests of our citizens in the East as well,” she said, adding that the Transdniester issue can be solved by peaceful means only as "we want our relations with the Russian Federation to be good."
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 recognized by no country, but Moscow has been unofficially backing the separatist regime.
On November 30, Sandu called for Russian troops in Transdniester to be removed in favor of civilian monitors under the auspices of the OSCE, adding that she wanted dialogue with Moscow. The Kremlin quickly rebuffed the idea saying it could lead to a "serious destabilization" of the situation.
A former prime minister, Sandu eschewed geopolitics during the election campaign, focusing on her pledges to combat corruption, strengthen Moldova's institutions of governance, and build on the country's Association Agreement with the European Union.
She campaigned on a "pragmatic approach" to Moldova's national interests and in her December 2 interviews she stressed that the fight against deep-rooted corruption in one of Europe's poorest countries aligns with her pledge to work for everyone in Moldova, including residents of Transdniester.
"Once there is political will, those corruption schemes can be curbed. Less corruption will mean that both the people on the right bank of the Dniester [River] and those on the left bank [in Transdniester] will be robbed less, because contraband means unpaid taxes, it means people on both banks of the Dniester are being robbed. People live in poverty both here and there, unfortunately, people are desperate both here and there -- there are similar problems," Sandu said.
Sandu said people voted for her with the hopes she will focus on the fight against corruption, especially "to clear the judicial system of corrupt judges."
"For this we need to change the parliament. We are now working to create conditions and hold early parliamentary elections as soon as possible, so that the people have a chance to choose those who share the goals that the people of our country have," Sandu said.
Sandu's inauguration is scheduled for December 24.


rferl--2020-12-02--Russian Authorities Cancel Residency Permit, Expel U.S. Rights Group Director

Russian authorities have annulled the residency permit of Vanessa Kogan , a U.S. citizen and the director of the well-known human rights group Stitching Justice Initiative .
The group 's spokeswoman , Ksenia Babich , said on Facebook that Russia 's Interior Ministry canceled Kogan ’ s residency permit on December 2 .
Kogan , who has lived in Russia for 11 years , applied for a Russian passport but according to Babich was informed on December 2 that her application was rejected as she `` poses a threat to the country 's security . ''
Kogan , whose husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordered to leave Russia within two weeks .
The Netherlands-based Stitching Justice Initiative , known locally as Pravovaya Initsiativa , has been operating in Russia since 2000 .
The group has been involved in defending human rights in situations linked to armed conflicts , torture , and gender violence on the territory of the former Soviet Union .
The organization regularly represents victims ' in the European Court of Human Rights and focuses on human rights situations in Russia 's volatile North Caucasus region and the Russia-annexed Ukrainian Black Sea Crimean Peninsula .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ searched the Stitching Justice Initiative 's offices in Moscow .
Earlier in February , police searched offices of the group 's partners in the North Caucasus region of Daghestan .
Babich said the Interior Minister 's decision to cancel the residence permit will be appealed .

Russian authorities have annulled the residency permit of Vanessa Kogan, a U.S. citizen and the director of the well-known human rights group Stitching Justice Initiative.
The group's spokeswoman, Ksenia Babich, said on Facebook that Russia's Interior Ministry canceled Kogan’s residency permit on December 2.
Kogan, who has lived in Russia for 11 years, applied for a Russian passport but according to Babich was informed on December 2 that her application was rejected as she "poses a threat to the country's security."
Kogan, whose husband and children are Russian citizens, was ordered to leave Russia within two weeks.
The Netherlands-based Stitching Justice Initiative, known locally as Pravovaya Initsiativa, has been operating in Russia since 2000. The group has been involved in defending human rights in situations linked to armed conflicts, torture, and gender violence on the territory of the former Soviet Union.
The organization regularly represents victims' in the European Court of Human Rights and focuses on human rights situations in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region and the Russia-annexed Ukrainian Black Sea Crimean Peninsula.
In August, the Federal Security Service searched the Stitching Justice Initiative's offices in Moscow. Earlier in February, police searched offices of the group's partners in the North Caucasus region of Daghestan.
Babich said the Interior Minister's decision to cancel the residence permit will be appealed.


rferl--2020-12-01--NATO Addresses Russian 'Military Build-Up,' Situation In Afghanistan

NATO foreign ministers concluded a two-day meeting on December 2 that paves the path for reforms within the transatlantic alliance as it faces twin challenges from Russia and China , as well as key decisions about the situation Afghanistan .
The meeting , held via videolink as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus , discussed how the alliance must adapt to new threats , including “ persistently aggressive Russia ” and “ the rise of China.
” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on December 1 told reporters that the ministers discussed the Russian “ military build-up ” around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Western military alliance “ will have to take some hard decisions ” about the mission when NATO defense ministers meet in February , he said .
A 67-page expert group report outlining suggestions about how to reboot the alliance noted 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.
” Speaking to reporters , Stoltenberg said the ministers discussed “ Russia 's continued military build-up in our neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 talks 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also included a meeting with the foreign ministers of Georgia and Ukraine on security in the Black Sea region and NATO ’ s continued support to both partners .
Foreign ministers also discussed developments in Belarus following nearly four months of pro-democracy protests and the situation in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the wake of a Russian-brokered peace deal that ended 44 days of fierce fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces .
On Afghanistan , Stoltenberg said NATO supports the peace process while remaining committed to the mission to help fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 an 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stationed in Afghanistan .
Their mandate is to help train and advise Afghanistan ’ s 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 .
The policy report also suggested the Western military alliance find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy decisions , as Hungary has done over plans for a deeper partnership with non-NATO member Ukraine .
Other recommendations included 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ update to NATO 's Strategic Concept document , which dates from 2010 and sought to consider Russia as a partner .
With reporting by Reuters , AP , and RFE/RL 's Radio Free Afghanistan


rferl--2020-12-03--Azerbaijan Says Almost 3,000 Troops Killed In  Nagorno-Karabakh Fighting

BAKU -- Azerbaijan has revealed the number of casualties sustained by its military personnel during the recent 44-day war with Armenia over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region .
The Interior Ministry said in a December 3 statement that 2,783 of its soldiers and officers were killed during the conflict , which the ministry described as the Patriotic War , adding that the number included bodies of 103 servicemen who are still being identified via DNA analysis .
According to the statement , more than 100 military personnel remain missing , and 1,245 servicemen wounded during the war -- which started on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the restoration of Baku 's control over seven adjacent districts and some parts of the breakaway region -- are currently receiving treatment at medical institutions .
On December 2 , Armenian Health Ministry officials told RFE/RL that the remains of 2,718 servicemen killed in the war had been examined by medical personnel , adding that the bodies of Azerbaijani soldiers could be among the corpses .
De facto officials of the Nagorno-Karabakh region have said that 1,741 Armenian soldiers and officers killed in the war had been identified so far .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on December 3 that November 8 , the day when Azerbaijani troops regained control over the key Nagorno-Karabakh city of Susa ( Shushi in Armenian ) , will be marked each year as Victory Day .
A previous proposal to commemorate Victory Day on November 10 , the day when the war was ended through a Russia-brokered truce , has been reconsidered as it coincides with the Ataturk Memorial Day in Turkey , the president 's office said .
Ankara openly supported Azerbaijan during the war .
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule .
They have been governing their own affairs , with support from Armenia , since Azerbaijan 's troops and ethnic Azeri civilians were forced out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994 .

BAKU -- Nearly 2,800 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in fighting with ethnic Armenian forces over Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani officials said, the first time Baku has published casualty figures from the 44-day conflict.
The figures, released December 3 by the Defense Ministry, came nearly three weeks after a Russian-brokered cease-fire ended fighting over the breakaway territory, which is legally part of Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since the early 1990s.
The fighting, which erupted September 27, was the worst since the early 1990s, and ended with Azerbaijani forces taking control over much of the mountainous region and surrounding districts.
The Defense Ministry said that 2,783 of its soldiers and officers were killed during the conflict, more than 100 military personnel were still missing, and 1,245 servicemen were wounded.
In Armenia, officials at the Health Ministry told RFE/RL that corpses of 2,718 servicemen were being examined by medical personnel, adding that the bodies of Azerbaijani soldiers could be among the corpses.
Administration officials in Nagorno-Karabakh have previously said that the corpses of 1,741 soldiers and officers had been identified so far. That figure includes the figure from the Armenian Health Ministry.
The conflict over the region erupted in the late 1980s in the waning days of the Soviet Union. All-out war ended in 1994, with more than 30,000 people killed and more than 1 million people displaced, mainly ethnic Azeris.
Ethnic Armenians had controlled the region, even though it was still internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
Russia has deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers to the region to monitor the Russian-brokered cease-fire, which does not settle the question of the region's legal status.
The outcome of the fighting has been humiliating for many Armenians. The signing of the truce prompted street protests in Yerevan and threatened Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's government.
In Azerbaijan, though, the agreement has been hailed as a great victory. President Ilham Aliyev's office announced that November 8, the day when Azerbaijani troops regained control over the symbolic and strategic city of Susa, will be marked each year as Victory Day.


rferl--2020-12-03--Iran 'Ready' For More Prisoner Swaps, Waits For U.S. Nuclear Move

Iran is prepared for more prisoner exchanges after swapping a jailed British-Australian academic for three Iranians detained abroad last week , Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said .
`` We can always engage in that , it is in the interests of everybody , '' Zarif told an Italian diplomatic conference via video link on December 3 .
`` Iran is ready to reciprocate .
We can do it tomorrow .
We can also do it today , '' he added .
Zarif also urged the United States to prove its goodwill by returning to a landmark 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that U.S. President Donald Trump walked out of in 2018 .
Zarif said that if Washington honored its original commitments , Tehran would show full compliance with the pact .
Iran on November 25 released detained British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert , who was serving a 10-year prison sentence for spying , in exchange for three Iranians held abroad .
Moore-Gilbert , a lecturer in Islamic studies at Melbourne University , was sent to Tehran 's Evin prison in September 2018 on widely criticized espionage charges .
International pressure on Iran to secure her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports that her health was deteriorating in solitary confinement and that she had been transferred to Qarchak prison , east of Tehran .
Based on reporting by Reuters , AFP , and AP


rferl--2020-12-03--Jourova Says EU To Seek Imposing A 'Cost' For Spreading Fake News

BRUSSELS -- European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova says the EU 's executive arm will propose sanctioning entities , especially `` foreign actors '' from such countries as Russia and China , spreading disinformation to `` impose a cost '' on those putting out fake news .
Jourova told RFE/RL in an interview to coincide with the release of the European Democracy Action Plan on December 3 the bloc must crack down on the spread of disinformation , especially for those who repeatedly do so .
`` The producers [ of disinformation ] do not pay any price for that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not go without any price so that 's why we will be considering how to apply the sanctions and the costs , '' she said .
`` We will deal especially with the foreign influence and foreign actors , '' she added .
Jourova said sanctions will should follow the EU 's cyber-sanction regime , which was used for the first time this year to freeze assets and introduce visa bans on offenders -- primarily Russian , Chinese , and North Korean citizens and companies – that have attacked the bloc .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the European External Action Service , that monitors Russian disinformation , has identified 10,000 examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation since it started monitoring in 2015 .
When asked whether Russian media companies such as RT and Sputnik can be targeted in the future , Jourova said she did n't want to specify at the moment , but added that `` it can be governmental or nongovernmental actors , whoever will be identified , using very good evidence , that they are systematic producers or promoters of disinformation . ''
Some EU countries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banned Russian media belonging to the Rossia Segodnya ( Russia Today ) media group since it has been linked to Dmitry Kiselyov .
Kiselyov , a TV commentator known for his anti-Western diatribes , is on the European Union 's sanctions list for his role in promoting Kremlin propaganda in support of Russia 's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine .
He heads the state Rossia Segodnya media group , which focuses mainly on Russian news and official propaganda abroad .
Jourova said that Europeans were being inundated with `` an avalanche '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic , that aims to `` harm the people in Europe . ''
Next week the European Union will also propose new , tougher legislation for online platforms such Facebook , Google and Twitter to take more action on the transparency of ad placements and moves against fake accounts .
Jourova said she believes the companies will comply with stricter regulations that increase `` the responsibility and accountability '' of social-media platforms even though so far they have cooperated with Brussels solely on a voluntary basis .
`` The only efficient way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech , is to adopt the regulation .
This is what we are going to do next week , '' she said .
`` I think that they know what they can expect from us , that once we adopt the legislation through our very difficult legislative process , which is now ahead of us , we will insist on compliance , '' she added .
The European Democracy Action Plan says that the 27-member bloc `` needs to use more systematically the full range of tools in its toolbox for countering foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , including by imposing costs on the perpetrators . ''
It is the first time that the European Commission has suggested in an official document the imposition of sanctions for the spread of disinformation .
The document adds that the plan comes at a time when `` pressure is mounting on democracy , the rule of law , and human rights globally . ''
Warning that information can be `` weaponized by foreign actors , '' the document goes on to say that `` certain third countries ( in particular Russia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations and disinformation campaigns around COVID‑19 in the EU , its neighborhood , and globally , seeking to undermine democratic debate , exacerbate social polarization , and improve their own image . ''

BRUSSELS -- European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova says the EU's executive arm will propose sanctioning entities who spread disinformation -- especially "foreign actors" from such countries as Russia and China -- in an effort to "impose a cost" on those putting out fake news.
Jourova told RFE/RL in an interview to coincide with the release of the European Democracy Action Plan on December 3 the bloc must crack down on the spread of disinformation, especially for those who repeatedly do so.
"The producers [of disinformation] do not pay any price for that. And I think that it should not go without any price, so that's why we will be considering how to apply the sanctions and the costs," she said.
"We will deal especially with the foreign influence and foreign actors," she added.
Jourova said sanctions will should follow the EU's cybersanction regime, which was used for the first time this year to freeze assets and introduce visa bans on offenders -- primarily Russian, Chinese, and North Korean citizens and companies -- that have attacked the bloc.
The East StratCom Task Force, a division of the European External Action Service, which monitors Russian disinformation, has identified 10,000 examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation since it started monitoring in 2015.
When asked whether Russian media companies such as RT and Sputnik can be targeted in the future, Jourova said she didn't want to specify at the moment, but added that "it can be governmental or nongovernmental actors, whoever will be identified, using very good evidence, that they are systematic producers or promoters of disinformation."
Some EU countries, notably the Baltic states, have already banned Russian media belonging to the Rossia Segodnya (Russia Today) media group since it has been linked to Dmitry Kiselyov.
Kiselyov, a TV commentator known for his anti-Western diatribes, is on the European Union's sanctions list for his role in promoting Kremlin propaganda in support of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
He heads the state Rossia Segodnya media group, which focuses mainly on Russian news and official propaganda abroad.
Jourova said that Europeans were being inundated with "an avalanche" of misinformation, especially during the current coronavirus pandemic, that aims to "harm the people in Europe."
Next week the European Union will also propose new, tougher legislation for online platforms such Facebook, Google and Twitter to take more action on the transparency of ad placements and moves against fake accounts.
Jourova said she believes the companies will comply with stricter regulations that increase "the responsibility and accountability" of social-media platforms even though so far they have cooperated with Brussels solely on a voluntary basis.
"The only efficient way to force anyone, not only big tech, is to adopt the regulation. This is what we are going to do next week," she said.
"I think that they know what they can expect from us, that once we adopt the legislation through our very difficult legislative process, which is now ahead of us, we will insist on compliance," she added.
The European Democracy Action Plan says that the 27-member bloc "needs to use more systematically the full range of tools in its toolbox for countering foreign interference and influence operations and further develop them, including by imposing costs on the perpetrators."
It is the first time that the European Commission has suggested in an official document the imposition of sanctions for the spread of disinformation.
The document adds that the plan comes at a time when "pressure is mounting on democracy, the rule of law, and human rights globally."
Warning that information can be "weaponized by foreign actors," the document goes on to say that "certain third countries (in particular Russia and China) have engaged in targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns around COVID‑19 in the EU, its neighborhood, and globally, seeking to undermine democratic debate, exacerbate social polarization, and improve their own image."


rferl--2020-12-03--Hungary 'Can't Accept' Current EU Budget Proposal

The European Union 's next budget and its massive pandemic relief fund can not come into force without Hungary 's approval and Budapest can not accept it in its proposed form , which ties the disbursal to observing the rule of law in member countries , Prime Minister Viktor Orban 's chief of staff has said .
Poland and Hungary are blocking about 1.8 trillion euros ( $ 2.2 trillion ) worth of EU funds , including hundreds of billions due to be disbursed soon to help pull the 27-country bloc out of a double-dip recession caused by a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are under EU investigation for undermining the independence of the judiciary , media , and nongovernmental organizations , and risk losing access to tens of billions of euros because of the newly introduced rule-of-law clause .
`` There will not be an agreement '' if the present EU proposal linking access to money to a clause on respecting the rule of law is maintained , Gergely Gulyas said on December 3 .
`` In its present form we can not accept the EU budget , and every member state has the right of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government briefing .
However , Gulyas said that Hungary was still open to further negotiations .
In a related development , Arancha Gonzalez Laya , the foreign minister of fellow EU member Spain , warned Poland and Hungary that they should behave responsibly and reach an agreement on the EU budget and recovery fund .
`` Spain wants Poland , Hungary to behave responsibly on EU rescue funds , '' Gonzalez Laya told Bloomberg TV on December 3 , adding that both countries had a responsibility toward their own citizens and firms that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Polish counterpart , Mateusz Morawiecki , signed a joint declaration last month pledging to support each other in blocking the EU 's next budget and pandemic relief fund because of the proposed rule-of-law mechanism .
Orban and Morawiecki said after signing the declaration in Budapest on November 26 that the mechanism risked derailing the bloc .
With reporting by Reuters and AP

The European Union's next budget and its massive pandemic relief fund cannot come into force without Hungary's approval and Budapest cannot accept it in its proposed form, which ties the disbursal to observing the rule of law in member countries, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff has said.
Poland and Hungary are blocking about 1.8 trillion euros ($2.2 trillion) worth of EU funds, including hundreds of billions due to be disbursed soon to help pull the 27-country bloc out of a double-dip recession caused by a second surge in coronavirus infections.
Both countries are under EU investigation for undermining the independence of the judiciary, media, and nongovernmental organizations, and risk losing access to tens of billions of euros because of the newly introduced rule-of-law clause.
"There will not be an agreement" if the present EU proposal linking access to money to a clause on respecting the rule of law is maintained, Gergely Gulyas said on December 3.
"In its present form we cannot accept the EU budget, and every member state has the right of veto," Gulyas told a weekly government briefing.
However, Gulyas said that Hungary was still open to further negotiations.
In a related development, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, the foreign minister of fellow EU member Spain, warned Poland and Hungary that they should behave responsibly and reach an agreement on the EU budget and recovery fund.
"Spain wants Poland, Hungary to behave responsibly on EU rescue funds," Gonzalez Laya told Bloomberg TV on December 3, adding that both countries had a responsibility toward their own citizens and firms that need the recovery money.
Orban and his Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki, signed a joint declaration last month pledging to support each other in blocking the EU's next budget and pandemic relief fund because of the proposed rule-of-law mechanism.
Orban and Morawiecki said after signing the declaration in Budapest on November 26 that the mechanism risked derailing the bloc.
With reporting by Reuters and AP