rferl--2020-12-21--Ethnic Parties Dominate First Vote In Bosnia's Mostar In 12 Years

Dominant nationalist Bosniak and Croat parties emerged with the most votes in the first local elections in 12 years in Bosnia-Herzegovina 's ethnically divided city of Mostar , according to preliminary results from the December 20 vote .
But smaller political parties , including the multiethnic BH Bloc , also gained seats in the 35-member city council , giving them a potential kingmaker role in determining the next mayor , who must gain two-thirds majority support .
Turnout was 55 percent in the vote held under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic and health protocols .
Known for its Ottoman-era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ River , Mostar ’ s population of 100,000 is largely divided between mostly Catholic Bosnian Croats in its west and predominately Muslim Bosniaks in its east .
Bosnia 's Croats and Bosniaks were allied against ethnic Serbs during much of the 1992-95 Bosnian War , but the two communities also fought fierce battles over Mostar .
Mostar has not held municipal polls since 2008 because of the authorities ' failure to enforce a 2010 ruling by Bosnia 's Constitutional Court that said the city 's power-sharing structure was unconstitutional and needed reform .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominant ethnic parties , the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action ( SDA ) and the Croatian Democratic Union ( HDZ ) , have ruled their areas like fiefdoms with separate utilities , postal companies , universities , and hospitals .
Ljubo Beslic , of the HDZ , has served as mayor of Mostar without a mandate and little oversight since his term expired in 2013 , while services for the city ’ s residents have deteriorated .
The long-delayed vote came after the SDA and HDZ in June reached agreement on a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was resolved after the European Court of Human Rights in 2019 condemned Bosnia for its failure to change its election law and enable municipal elections in Mostar .
In that case , the court ruled in favor of Mostar teacher and politician Irma Baralija , who had argued in a lawsuit that the legal issue prevented her from voting or running in a municipal election .
The voters chose 35 city councilors from six ethnically based electoral units and a central city zone .
The election commission presented preliminary results only for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to hold across the city .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service , AP , and Reuters

Dominant nationalist Bosniak and Croat parties emerged with the most votes in the first local elections in 12 years in Bosnia-Herzegovina's ethnically divided city of Mostar, according to preliminary results from the December 20 vote.
But smaller political parties, including the multiethnic BH Bloc, also gained seats in the 35-member city council, giving them a potential kingmaker role in determining the next mayor, who must gain two-thirds majority support.
Turnout was 55 percent in the vote held under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic and health protocols.
Known for its Ottoman-era architecture and picturesque bridge spanning the Neretva River, Mostar’s population of 100,000 is largely divided between mostly Catholic Bosnian Croats in its west and predominately Muslim Bosniaks in its east.
Bosnia's Croats and Bosniaks were allied against ethnic Serbs during much of the 1992-95 Bosnian War, but the two communities also fought fierce battles over Mostar.
Mostar has not held municipal polls since 2008 because of the authorities' failure to enforce a 2010 ruling by Bosnia's Constitutional Court that said the city's power-sharing structure was unconstitutional and needed reform.
In the absence of elections, the dominant ethnic parties, the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), have ruled their areas like fiefdoms with separate utilities, postal companies, universities, and hospitals.
Ljubo Beslic, of the HDZ, has served as mayor of Mostar without a mandate and little oversight since his term expired in 2013, while services for the city’s residents have deteriorated.
The long-delayed vote came after the SDA and HDZ in June reached agreement on a new statute for the city.
The deadlock was resolved after the European Court of Human Rights in 2019 condemned Bosnia for its failure to change its election law and enable municipal elections in Mostar.
In that case, the court ruled in favor of Mostar teacher and politician Irma Baralija, who had argued in a lawsuit that the legal issue prevented her from voting or running in a municipal election.
The voters chose 35 city councilors from six ethnically based electoral units and a central city zone.
The election commission presented preliminary results only for the central zone, but the results were expected to hold across the city.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, AP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-12-20--Magnitude-4.5 Quake Strikes Northwestern Iran

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 struck northwestern Iran , near the border with Turkey , state media reported .
The official news agency IRNA reported on December 20 that the quake struck the region of Qotur in Iran 's West Azerbaijan Province at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers .
IRNA did not report if the quake had caused any casualties or damage .
A magnitude-5.7 earthquake in February in the same area on the Iran-Turkey border killed nine people in Turkey , injured more than a hundred in villages and towns in both countries , and caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran sits on top of major tectonic plates and experiences frequent seismic activity .
A 7.3-magnitude quake in the western province of Kermanshah killed 620 people in November 2017 .
In 2003 , a 6.6-magnitude quake destroyed the ancient mud-brick city of Bam in Iran ’ s southeast , killing at least 31,000 people .
Iran 's deadliest quake was a 7.4-magnitude tremor in 1990 that killed 40,000 people , injured 300,000 others , and left half a million homeless in the country 's north .
Based on reporting by IRNA and Reuters

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


rferl--2020-12-22--Kosovo High Court Rules Parliament Vote For Government Illegal

Kosovo 's highest court has ruled that the parliamentary vote electing a new government in June was unconstitutional , sending the country into fresh nationwide elections .
The Constitutional Court of Kosovo ruled on December 21 the election of the government of Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti was illegal because one member of parliament who voted for the government previously served time in prison .
The vote of lawmaker Etem Arifi was one of 61 for Hoti ’ s government , which was elected by the minimum number in the 120-seat parliament .
The court ruled that the government did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of Kosovo to set a date for a new election , which must be held no later than 40 days from the day of the announcement .
The current government can continue serving until parliament elects a new one .
Acting President Vjosa Osmani will call on political parties on December 22 to discuss the date of fresh elections , Bekim Kupina , Osmani 's spokesperson , told RFE/RL .
The complaint before the court was brought by leftist-nationalist opposition party Vetevendosje ( Self-Determination ) , which claimed that Arifi ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentenced to prison for one year and three months on a fraud charge .
According to the constitution , a deputy ’ s mandate comes to an end when the deputy is convicted and sentenced to one or more years in prison by a final court decision .
Arifi was sentenced to prison in September 2019 .
The Central Election Commission claimed it was not informed of Arifi ’ s sentence before the general election in October last year , which Vetevendosje won .
In March , the government of Albin Kurti , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a no-confidence motion raised by Hoti ’ s Democratic League of Kosovo ( LDK ) .
The approval in June of the new government led by Hoti , a 44-year-old economics professor and former finance minister , ended months political turmoil .
With reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Balkan Service and Reuters .

Acting Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani began consultations on December 22 with the political parties on setting the date for early elections after the Constitutional Court ruled that the parliamentary vote electing a new government in June was unconstitutional.
The consultations will continue on December 23. So far, the end of January or February 7 were proposed as possible dates for the election.
The Constitutional Court of Kosovo ruled on December 21 that the election of the government of Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti was illegal because one member of parliament who voted for the government had previously served time in prison.
The vote of lawmaker Etem Arifi was one of 61 for Hoti’s government, which was elected by the minimum number in the 120-seat parliament.
The court ruled that the government did not get enough votes and called on Osmani to set a date for new elections, which must be held no later than 40 days from the day of the announcement.
The current government can continue serving until parliament elects a new one.
The complaint before the court was brought by leftist-nationalist opposition party Vetevendosje (Self-Determination), which claimed that Arifi’s vote was unconstitutional because he had been sentenced to prison for one year and three months on a fraud charge.
According to the constitution, a deputy’s mandate comes to an end when the deputy is convicted and sentenced to one or more years in prison by a final court decision.
Arifi was sentenced to prison in September 2019.
The Central Election Commission claimed it was not informed of Arifi’s sentence before the general election in October last year, which Vetevendosje won.
In March, the government of Albin Kurti, leader of Vetevendosje, was brought down by a no-confidence motion raised by Hoti’s Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).
The approval in June of the new government led by Hoti, a 44-year-old economics professor and former finance minister, ended months of political turmoil.
Hoti said on December 22 that he will respect the court's decision.
"It is our obligation to follow the procedures for announcing elections within the constitutional deadline," Hoti told a news conference in Pristina.
With reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-12-21--Widow Of Turkish Diplomat Who Died In 'Coronavirus-Free' Turkmenistan Seeks Justice

Turkish media reports say the widow of a diplomat who suddenly died of an illness with COVID-19-like symptoms in Turkmenistan , which claims it has no official cases of the disease , is seeking justice for her husband .
According to the reports , Guzide Uckun has filed lawsuits against Turkish Ambassador to Turkmenistan Togan Oral , officials of Turkey 's Health Ministry , other officials in the Turkish government for what she called a `` failure `` to provide emergency transportation for her husband , Kemal Uckun , from Turkmenistan for treatment .
Kemal Uckun , who worked at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser on religious issues since January 2018 , was hospitalized with breathing issues , a heavy cough , and a fever in late June .
He died 11 days later in a Turkmen clinic .
His widow insists that the man could be saved if he was timely transferred to Turkey for proper treatment .
Guzide Uckun told the Sozcu online newspaper on December 20 that despite obvious COVID-19 symptoms , her husband was treated with antibiotics which are not used to treat coronavirus patients .
`` I demanded a sanitary plane or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Ashgabat ] to bring my husband back to Turkey .
I filled applications and provided all necessary papers every day before his death .
But the embassy , the directorate of religious issues , the Health Ministry did not do enough to bring him home , '' Guzide Uckun said .
A source close to the Turkish government told RFE/RL at the time of the 57-year-old diplomat 's death that Ashgabat refused to allow a Turkish plane to come to Turkmenistan to transport Uckun home because Turkmen officials did not want the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their country .
The same source told RFE/RL on December 20 that Uckun 's relatives are also going to hold Turkmen authorities responsible , accusing them of negligence and obstruction of Uckun 's repatriation .
Turkmen authorities allowed a Turkish air ambulance to enter its territory only on July 9 to collect Uckun 's body , hours after he was pronounced dead .
Turkmenistan is the only Central Asian nation that has not reported officially a single coronavirus infection to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
In August , the WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pneumonia cases in Turkmenistan and unsuccessfully urged Ashgabat to allow it to organize independent coronavirus tests in the country .
Turkmen officials have clung to their zero-infections statistics despite signs of outbreaks in prisons , schools , and the general population as hospitals get increasingly crowded , as well as large numbers of cases in neighboring countries .
Many Turkmen citizens report staying home despite illness , fearing that a trip to the doctor could infect them as hospitals quietly strain under high numbers of patients reporting COVID-19-like symptoms .
The bodies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to relatives in special plastic bags , and there have been an unusually high number of fresh graves across the country .
With reporting by Sozcu and Aryahaber

Turkish media reports say the widow of a diplomat who suddenly died of an illness with COVID-19-like symptoms in Turkmenistan, which claims it has no official cases of the disease, is seeking justice for her husband.
According to the reports, Guzide Uckun has filed lawsuits against Turkish Ambassador to Turkmenistan Togan Oral, officials of Turkey's Health Ministry, other officials in the Turkish government for what she called a "failure " to provide emergency transportation for her husband, Kemal Uckun, from Turkmenistan for treatment.
Kemal Uckun, who worked at the Turkish Embassy in Ashgabat as an adviser on religious issues since January 2018, was hospitalized with breathing issues, a heavy cough, and a fever in late June. He died 11 days later in a Turkmen clinic. His widow insists that the man could be saved if he was timely transferred to Turkey for proper treatment.
Guzide Uckun told the Sozcu online newspaper on December 20 that despite obvious COVID-19 symptoms, her husband was treated with antibiotics which are not used to treat coronavirus patients.
"I demanded a sanitary plane or any other aircraft to be sent [to Ashgabat] to bring my husband back to Turkey. I filled applications and provided all necessary papers every day before his death. But the embassy, the directorate of religious issues, the Health Ministry did not do enough to bring him home," Guzide Uckun said.
A source close to the Turkish government told RFE/RL at the time of the 57-year-old diplomat's death that Ashgabat refused to allow a Turkish plane to come to Turkmenistan to transport Uckun home because Turkmen officials did not want the world to know that coronavirus was in their country.
The same source told RFE/RL on December 20 that Uckun's relatives are also going to hold Turkmen authorities responsible, accusing them of negligence and obstruction of Uckun's repatriation.
Turkmen authorities allowed a Turkish air ambulance to enter its territory only on July 9 to collect Uckun's body, hours after he was pronounced dead.
Turkmenistan is the only Central Asian nation that has not reported officially a single coronavirus infection to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In August, the WHO expressed concern over an increase in atypical pneumonia cases in Turkmenistan and unsuccessfully urged Ashgabat to allow it to organize independent coronavirus tests in the country.
Turkmen officials have clung to their zero-infections statistics despite signs of outbreaks in prisons, schools, and the general population as hospitals get increasingly crowded, as well as large numbers of cases in neighboring countries.
Many Turkmen citizens report staying home despite illness, fearing that a trip to the doctor could infect them as hospitals quietly strain under high numbers of patients reporting COVID-19-like symptoms.
The bodies of victims of lung ailments are being delivered to relatives in special plastic bags, and there have been an unusually high number of fresh graves across the country.
With reporting by Sozcu and Aryahaber


rferl--2020-12-21--Pashinian Cuts Short Visit To Armenian Border Region Amid Protests

Anti-government protesters have forced Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to cut short a visit to the southeastern province of Syunik , amid mounting anger over last month 's cease-fire deal with Azerbaijan .
Hundreds of protesters on December 21 blocked a section of the main regional highway near the town of Goris , after Armenian forces handed over areas they previously controlled southwest of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan .
Earlier , riot police units sent from Yerevan managed to stop a convoy of demonstrators just outside Goris .
Some protesters briefly clashed with police officers .
Addressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pashinian condemned the blockade as a “ provocation ” and announced he would not travel to Goris , Kapan , and other towns in Syunik Province .
“ We will not resort to the use of force especially during this mourning period , ” he wrote on Facebook .
“ We are returning to Yerevan.
” Goris Mayor Arush Arushanian was detained overnight after urging supporters to prevent Pashinian from entering the mountainous region bordering Iran .
“ This is not a political orientation or a partisan initiative .
This is a fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical existence of the people of Syunik , ” he wrote on Facebook late on December 21 .
The call came after Armenian army units and ethnic Armenian forces last week handed over parts of the Zangelan ( known as Zangilan in Azeri ) and Kubatli ( Qubadli ) districts bordering Syunik Province under a Russia-brokered cease-fire deal that took effect on November 10 , putting an end to six weeks of fighting with Azerbaijan in and around Nagorno-Karabakh .
Most of Zangelan and Kubatli were recaptured by Azerbaijani forces during the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now say they can no longer feel safe because of the proximity of Azerbaijani forces .
They have also raised concerns over the safety of a road connecting Kapan to Goris , with some of its sections passing through disputed areas .
Armenia ’ s Defense Ministry and National Security Service ( NSS ) has insisted that Russian border guards will keep the road open for traffic and guarantee its security .
Pashinian , who swept to power amid nationwide protests in 2018 , has come under fire since agreeing to the truce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and seven districts around it were placed under Azerbaijani administration after almost 30 years of control by Armenians .
Nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers were also deployed to the conflict zone to monitor the agreement and facilitate the return of refugees .
Thousands of opposition supporters have taken to the streets of Yerevan and other Armenian cities demanding the prime minister resign over what they say was his disastrous handling of the conflict .
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been governing their own affairs , with support from Armenia , since Azerbaijan 's troops and Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region and seven adjacent districts in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994 .

Anti-government protesters have forced Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to cut short a visit to the southeastern province of Syunik, amid mounting anger over last month's cease-fire deal with Azerbaijan.
Hundreds of protesters on December 21 blocked a section of the main regional highway near the town of Goris, after Armenian forces handed over areas they previously controlled southwest of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
Earlier, riot police units sent from Yerevan managed to stop a convoy of demonstrators just outside Goris. Some protesters briefly clashed with police officers.
Addressing supporters in the town of Sisian, Pashinian condemned the blockade as a “provocation” and announced he would not travel to Goris, Kapan, and other towns in Syunik Province.
“We will not resort to the use of force especially during this mourning period,” he wrote on Facebook. “We are returning to Yerevan.”
Goris Mayor Arush Arushanian was detained overnight after urging supporters to prevent Pashinian from entering the mountainous region bordering Iran.
“This is not a political orientation or a partisan initiative. This is a fight for the dignity, security, and physical existence of the people of Syunik,” he wrote on Facebook late on December 21.
The call came after Armenian army units and ethnic Armenian forces last week handed over parts of the Zangelan (known as Zangilan in Azeri) and Kubatli (Qubadli) districts bordering Syunik Province under a Russia-brokered cease-fire deal that took effect on November 10, putting an end to six weeks of fighting with Azerbaijan in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.
Most of Zangelan and Kubatli were recaptured by Azerbaijani forces during the war.
Residents in many communities in Syunik now say they can no longer feel safe because of the proximity of Azerbaijani forces.
They have also raised concerns over the safety of a road connecting Kapan to Goris, with some of its sections passing through disputed areas.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry and National Security Service (NSS) has insisted that Russian border guards will keep the road open for traffic and guarantee its security.
Pashinian, who swept to power amid nationwide protests in 2018, has come under fire since agreeing to the truce, under which some parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven districts around it were placed under Azerbaijani administration after almost 30 years of control by Armenians. Nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers were also deployed to the conflict zone to monitor the agreement and facilitate the return of refugees.
Thousands of opposition supporters have taken to the streets of Yerevan and other Armenian cities demanding the prime minister resign over what they say was his disastrous handling of the conflict.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the region's population reject Azerbaijani rule.
They had been governing their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops and Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region and seven adjacent districts in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994.


rferl--2020-12-21--Navalny Says He Duped Russian Agent Into Confessing Poison Plot

Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny says he duped a Russian agent into revealing how the country 's Federal Security Service ( FSB ) poisoned him with Novichok .
The agent , Konstantin Kudryavtsev , inadvertently made the admission during a 49-minute phone call with Navalny , who was posing as a high-ranking security official conducting a debriefing on the August attack in the Siberian city of Tomsk .
A recording of the phone call was posted on Navalny ’ s website , as well as the website of the British-based Bellingcat open-source investigative group , on December 21 .
During the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it appear it originated from an FSB phone line , Kudryavtsev admits that Russian security officials put the Novichok chemical nerve agent in Navalny ’ s underwear expecting it would kill the 44-year-old while on a flight to Moscow from Tomsk .
Navalny fell violently ill on the flight shortly after takeoff , prompting the crew to make an emergency landing in the city of Omsk .
He was hospitalized for days before being flown to Berlin , where doctors concluded that he had been poisoned with a nerve agent .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little longer and they hadn ’ t landed it abruptly somehow and so on , maybe it all would have gone differently .
That is , if it hadn ’ t been for the prompt work of the medics , the paramedics on the landing strip , and so on , ” said Kudryavtsev , who was part of a cleanup operation to destroy evidence rather than part of the operation that administered the poison .
Laboratory tests in three European countries , confirmed by the global chemical weapons watchdog , established @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Novichok nerve agent similar to the one identified by British authorities as the toxin used in the near-fatal poisoning of Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter , Yulia , in 2018 in the English city of Salisbury .
But Russia has rejected calls for an investigation into the poisoning and denies the involvement of the FSB , the successor of the KGB , the notorious Soviet-era secret police force that ceased operating in 1991 during the breakup of the Soviet Union , saying it has yet to be shown any proof .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a year-end press conference that Navalny , long a thorn in his side , `` is supported by the U.S. secret services , '' which is why Russia 's secret services `` must keep an eye on him , but it does not mean that it is necessary to poison him . ''
`` Who needs him ?
If they wanted to , they would have finished the job , '' Putin said .
But the revelation of the call adds further evidence to the contrary .
It comes exactly one week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several media outlets produced “ voluminous evidence ” in the form of telecoms and travel data , implicating the FSB .
The investigation by Bellingcat and the Insider , a Russian investigative website , along with the cooperation of Der Spiegel and CNN , showed the poisoning of Navalny appeared to have been in the works since at least early 2017 .
Bellingcat said the investigation identified three FSB operatives from a clandestine unit who traveled alongside Navalny to Novosibirsk and then followed him to Tomsk where he was poisoned .
It said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ at least ” five more FSB operatives , some of whom also traveled to Omsk .
`` The unintended confession adds significant new details to our understanding of the operation , including the exact manner in which , according to the FSB officer , the Novichok was administered .
It also sheds light on Russia ’ s secret service ’ s efforts to destroy the evidence in the wake of what Kudryavtsev divulges was its failure to kill the opposition activist , '' Bellingcat said in response to the Navalny call .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he is recovering from the poisoning , has accused Putin all along of ordering the attack on him and on December 21 called the whole affair “ cooler than a Hollywood movie.
” “ The evidence presented by us is so convincing that even the person who ordered the crime -- President Putin -- could not deny it and in fact confirmed that the magnificent eight who had been following me for almost 4 years were FSB officers , ” Navalny wrote on December 21 .
“ It is clear that Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : yes , I ordered the FSB to kill my political opponent .
Therefore , he again started talking nonsense that there was no investigation , and all this was ‘ legalized information from the CIA , ’ '' Navalny added .
Gennady Gudkov , a Russian opposition politician and former FSB officer , told Current Time the phone call shows that FSB agents `` were fully aware of what they were doing '' as they attempted `` an extrajudicial killing , a murder . ''
“ It is an absolute failure of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gang , which knew what they were going to do , '' Gudkov said .
“ They exposed not just themselves but the whole state , including Putin.
” '' First , they made [ Russian ] authorities react [ to Bellingcat ’ s investigation ] so that they brazenly lied and as it turned out , lied stupidly and shamefully in front of the whole world , '' he said .
`` After that [ Navalny 's team ] showed that Russian authorities are worth nothing and can only steal , lie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world now has any doubt about the criminal character of the Russian political leadership , ” Gudkov said .
Gudkov concluded that if Putin does n't fire the heads of the FSB , Russia 's Investigative Committee , and others “ then it will mean that he officially takes full responsibility for the attempted extrajudicial killing.
” The European Union and Britain have imposed asset freezes and travel bans against six senior Russian officials believed to be responsible for the Navalny poisoning , as well as one entity involved in the program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nerve agents known as Novichok .

Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny says he duped a Russian agent into revealing how the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) poisoned him with Novichok.
The agent, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, inadvertently made the admission during a 49-minute phone call with Navalny, who was posing as a high-ranking security official conducting a debriefing on the August attack in the Siberian city of Tomsk.
A recording of the phone call was posted on Navalny’s website, as well as the website of the British-based Bellingcat open-source investigative group, on December 21.
During the call, which used software to make it appear it originated from an FSB phone line, Kudryavtsev admits that Russian security officials put the Novichok chemical nerve agent in Navalny’s underwear expecting it would kill the 44-year-old while on a flight to Moscow from Tomsk.
Navalny fell violently ill on the flight shortly after takeoff, prompting the crew to make an emergency landing in the city of Omsk. He was hospitalized for days before being flown to Berlin, where doctors concluded that he had been poisoned with a nerve agent.
“If it [the plane] had flown a little longer and they hadn’t landed it abruptly somehow and so on, maybe it all would have gone differently. That is, if it hadn’t been for the prompt work of the medics, the paramedics on the landing strip, and so on,” said Kudryavtsev, who was part of a cleanup operation to destroy evidence rather than part of the operation that administered the poison.
Laboratory tests in three European countries, confirmed by the global chemical weapons watchdog, established that Navalny was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent similar to the one identified by British authorities as the toxin used in the near-fatal poisoning of Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in 2018 in the English city of Salisbury.
But Russia has rejected calls for an investigation into the poisoning and denies the involvement of the FSB, the successor of the KGB, the notorious Soviet-era secret police force that ceased operating in 1991 during the breakup of the Soviet Union, saying it has yet to be shown any proof.
President Vladimir Putin claimed on December 17 during a year-end press conference that Navalny, long a thorn in his side, "is supported by the U.S. secret services," which is why Russia's secret services "must keep an eye on him, but it does not mean that it is necessary to poison him."
"Who needs him? If they wanted to, they would have finished the job," Putin said.
But the revelation of the call adds further evidence to the contrary.
'Voluminous Evidence'
It comes exactly one week after a joint investigation between Bellingcat and several media outlets produced “voluminous evidence” in the form of telecoms and travel data, implicating the FSB.
The investigation by Bellingcat and the Insider, a Russian investigative website, along with the cooperation of Der Spiegel and CNN, showed the poisoning of Navalny appeared to have been in the works since at least early 2017.
Bellingcat said the investigation identified three FSB operatives from a clandestine unit who traveled alongside Navalny to Novosibirsk and then followed him to Tomsk where he was poisoned. It said the three were supported and supervised by “at least” five more FSB operatives, some of whom also traveled to Omsk.
Infographic: 1 In 3 Russians Believe Navalny Was Poisoned
"The unintended confession adds significant new details to our understanding of the operation, including the exact manner in which, according to the FSB officer, the Novichok was administered. It also sheds light on Russia’s secret service’s efforts to destroy the evidence in the wake of what Kudryavtsev divulges was its failure to kill the opposition activist," Bellingcat said in response to the Navalny call.
Navalny, who is currently in Germany where he is recovering from the poisoning, has accused Putin all along of ordering the attack on him and on December 21 called the whole affair “cooler than a Hollywood movie.”
“The evidence presented by us is so convincing that even the person who ordered the crime -- President Putin --could not deny it and in fact confirmed that the magnificent eight who had been following me for almost 4 years were FSB officers,” Navalny wrote on December 21.
“It is clear that Putin could not say to the whole country: yes, I ordered the FSB to kill my political opponent. Therefore, he again started talking nonsense that there was no investigation, and all this was ‘legalized information from the CIA,’" Navalny added.
Gennady Gudkov, a Russian opposition politician and former FSB officer, told Current Time the phone call shows that FSB agents "were fully aware of what they were doing" as they attempted "an extrajudicial killing, a murder."
“It is an absolute failure of what I’d call a state gang, which knew what they were going to do," Gudkov said. “They exposed not just themselves but the whole state, including Putin.”
Gudkov told Current Time that Navalny's team employed "excellent tactics."
"First, they made [Russian] authorities react [to Bellingcat’s investigation] so that they brazenly lied and as it turned out, lied stupidly and shamefully in front of the whole world," he said. "After that [Navalny's team] showed that Russian authorities are worth nothing and can only steal, lie, and persecute.”
“Nobody in the world now has any doubt about the criminal character of the Russian political leadership,” Gudkov said.
Gudkov concluded that if Putin doesn't fire the heads of the FSB, Russia's Investigative Committee, and others “then it will mean that he officially takes full responsibility for the attempted extrajudicial killing.”
The European Union and Britain have imposed asset freezes and travel bans against six senior Russian officials believed to be responsible for the Navalny poisoning, as well as one entity involved in the program that has produced a group of military-grade nerve agents known as Novichok.
With reporting by Current Time


rferl--2020-12-22--Kazakhstan's Opposition Says January Vote Should Be Postponed Due To Flawed Election Laws

ALMATY , Kazakhstan -- Kazakhstan 's opposition movement , Halyq Biligi ( People 's Rule ) , has demanded that parliamentary elections scheduled for next month be postponed , citing election legislation that cuts out alternative political forces .
`` The current laws on elections and political parties have been made to protect power-holders and any elections based on such laws can not express people 's interests and therefore they are illegal , '' well-known opposition figure Rysbek Sarsenbaiuly told a news conference on December 22 that was attended by the movement 's leaders and activists The movement 's representatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed , Kazakh voters should boycott the January 10 elections to invalidate them .
Civil right activists and opposition politicians have accused Kazakh authorities of intentionally refusing to officially register opposition political groups in recent months , calling it a government ploy to prevent opposition parties from participating in the elections for parliament 's lower chamber , Mazhilis .
The election campaign with five parties -- none of which is running on an opposition platform -- kicked off on December 10 .
The vote will decide 98 of 107 seats in the Mazhilis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan -- a political body representing dozens of ethnic groups in the Central Asian nation .
RFE/RL Investigation : Nazarbaev Relatives Have Invested $ 785 Million In Luxury Properties In Six Countries The only officially registered political party that labels itself as an opposition group , the All-National Social Democratic Party ( OSDP ) , is boycotting the elections .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elite .
Since 2019 , several other political groups and parties have tried to register in order to be eligible to take part in the poll , but Kazakh authorities have rejected all of their applications .
The January 10 polls will be the first parliamentary elections since Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev succeeded Nursultan Nazarbaev , who resigned in March last year after nearly three decades in power .
Nazarbaev still maintains key positions of power , including head of the country ’ s powerful Security Council and ruling Nur Otan party .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity as `` elbasy '' -- leader of the nation .
The last parliamentary elections were held in March 2016. International election observers say that past elections in Kazakhstan have been neither free nor fair , citing electoral fraud , repression of opposition candidates , and restrictions on the freedom of the press .

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Kazakhstan's opposition movement, Halyq Biligi (People's Rule), has demanded that parliamentary elections scheduled for next month be postponed, citing election legislation that cuts out alternative political forces.
"The current laws on elections and political parties have been made to protect power-holders and any elections based on such laws cannot express people's interests and therefore they are illegal," well-known opposition figure Rysbek Sarsenbaiuly told a news conference on December 22 that was attended by the movement's leaders and activists
The movement's representatives said that if the laws aren't changed, Kazakh voters should boycott the January 10 elections to invalidate them.
Civil right activists and opposition politicians have accused Kazakh authorities of intentionally refusing to officially register opposition political groups in recent months, calling it a government ploy to prevent opposition parties from participating in the elections for parliament's lower chamber, Mazhilis.
The election campaign with five parties -- none of which is running on an opposition platform -- kicked off on December 10.
The vote will decide 98 of 107 seats in the Mazhilis. Nine other seats will be separately elected by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan -- a political body representing dozens of ethnic groups in the Central Asian nation.
RFE/RL Investigation: Nazarbaev Relatives Have Invested $785 Million In Luxury Properties In Six Countries
The only officially registered political party that labels itself as an opposition group, the All-National Social Democratic Party (OSDP), is boycotting the elections.
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.
Since 2019, several other political groups and parties have tried to register in order to be eligible to take part in the poll, but Kazakh authorities have rejected all of their applications.
The January 10 polls will be the first parliamentary elections since Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev succeeded Nursultan Nazarbaev, who resigned in March last year after nearly three decades in power.
Nazarbaev still maintains key positions of power, including head of the country’s powerful Security Council and ruling Nur Otan party. He also enjoys almost limitless powers and immunity as "elbasy" -- leader of the nation.
The last parliamentary elections were held in March 2016.
International election observers say that past elections in Kazakhstan have been neither free nor fair, citing electoral fraud, repression of opposition candidates, and restrictions on the freedom of the press.


rferl--2020-12-22--Russian Court Sentences Participant In 1995 Budyonnovsk Hostage Seizure

A court in Russia has sentenced a Chechen man to 12 years in prison for his role in a deadly hostage-taking in in the southern city of Budyonnovsk in 1995 , a turning point in the first of the two post-Soviet separatist wars in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya .
The Southern Military District Court in the city of Rostov-on-Don on December 22 found Aslan Daudov guilty of banditry , kidnapping , terrorism , and premeditated murder .
He was sentenced immediately .
It is not clear whether Daudov pleaded guilty .
On June 14 , 1995 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Basayev attacked a local police station and government buildings in Budyonnovsk and took some 1,500 people in a hospital hostage while demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya .
About 150 people were killed , while the surviving hostages were released following a five-day siege after Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin promised a cease-fire in Chechnya and gave Basayev and his backers safe passage back to Chechnya .
The deal to resolve the crisis paved the way for an August 1996 agreement that ended the war .
A second war erupted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing a prominent role in decision-making , after Basayev led militants in an incursion into neighboring Daghestan .
Basayev , who became the most-wanted man in Russia , was killed in an explosion in 2006 .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax

A court in Russia has sentenced a Chechen man to 12 years in prison for his role in a deadly hostage-taking in in the southern city of Budyonnovsk in 1995, a turning point in the first of the two post-Soviet separatist wars in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya.
The Southern Military District Court in the city of Rostov-on-Don on December 22 found Aslan Daudov guilty of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, and premeditated murder. He was sentenced immediately.
It is not clear whether Daudov pleaded guilty.
On June 14, 1995, a group of Chechen separatists led by Shamil Basayev attacked a local police station and government buildings in Budyonnovsk and took some 1,500 people in a hospital hostage while demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya.
About 150 people were killed, while the surviving hostages were released following a five-day siege after Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin promised a cease-fire in Chechnya and gave Basayev and his backers safe passage back to Chechnya.
The deal to resolve the crisis paved the way for an August 1996 agreement that ended the war.
A second war erupted in 1999, with then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin playing a prominent role in decision-making, after Basayev led militants in an incursion into neighboring Daghestan.
Basayev, who became the most-wanted man in Russia, was killed in an explosion in 2006.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-12-22--Uzbekistan Suspends Entrance For Travelers From Eight Nations Over New COVID-19 Strain

TASHKENT -- Tashkent has barred travelers from eight nations from entering the country amid reports about a new coronavirus strain @ @ @ @ @ cases in those countries .
The government 's special commission on anti-coronavirus efforts said on @ @ @ @ @ Australia , Austria , Denmark , Germany , Italy , the Netherlands , South Africa @ @ @ @ @ will not be able to enter Central Asia 's most populous nation of 32 million @ @ @ @ @ citizens returning from the named countries will be quarantined for 14 days upon their return @ @ @ @ @ be gradually lifted as the epidemiological situation in these countries stabilizes , '' a commission @ @ @ @ @ starting December 25 express tests for COVID-19 antibodies will be mandatory for everyone arriving to @ @ @ @ @ 22 , the number of registered coronavirus cases in Uzbekistan was 76,180 , including 612 @ @

TASHKENT -- Tashkent has barred travelers from eight nations from entering the country amid reports about a new coronavirus strain and an increase of COVID-19 cases in those countries.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
The government's special commission on anti-coronavirus efforts said on December 22 that citizens of Australia, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the United Kingdom will not be able to enter Central Asia's most populous nation of 32 million until January 10.
Uzbek citizens returning from the named countries will be quarantined for 14 days upon their return.
"These restrictions will be gradually lifted as the epidemiological situation in these countries stabilizes," a commission statement said, adding that starting December 25 express tests for COVID-19 antibodies will be mandatory for everyone arriving to Uzbekistan.
As of December 22, the number of registered coronavirus cases in Uzbekistan was 76,180, including 612 deaths.


rferl--2020-12-22--Russia Hits EU Officials, Entities With Tit-For-Tat Navalny Sanctions

Russia says it has expanded its list of European Union officials barred from the country in response to the bloc 's “ unacceptable ” decision to place travel bans on Russian officials over the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny .
The Foreign Ministry in Moscow `` decided to expand the list of representatives of EU member states and institutions who will be denied entry to the Russian Federation , '' the ministry said in a statement on December 22 , adding that those targeted are held “ responsible for promoting anti-Russian sanctions initiatives within the framework of the European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials but said it had called in the heads of the diplomatic missions of Germany , France , and Sweden , as well as to the EU delegation in Moscow to inform them of the decision .
Navalny was airlifted to Germany for treatment in August after collapsing on a plane in Russia .
Laboratories in Germany , France , and Sweden later concluded that the leading Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent .
The EU and Britain in mid-October imposed asset freezes and travel bans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state scientific research center for the `` attempted assassination.
” Russian officials , including President Vladimir Putin , have denied involvement in the poisoning .
However , on December 21 , Navalny released a 49-minute phone call with a Russian agent who was apparently duped into revealing how the country 's Federal Security Service ( FSB ) committed the attack .
The agent , Konstantin Kudryavtsev , inadvertently made the admission during the call with Navalny , who was posing as a high-ranking security official conducting a debriefing on the August attack in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the call , which used software to make it appear it originated from an FSB phone line , Kudryavtsev admits that Russian security officials put the Novichok chemical nerve agent in Navalny ’ s underwear , expecting it would kill the 44-year-old while on a flight to Moscow from Tomsk .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on December 22 said Navalny 's attempts to `` discredit '' the FSB will fail .
Peskov said that the opposition leader is a `` sick '' man who exhibited clear `` traits of megalomania '' and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell violently ill on the flight shortly after takeoff , prompting the crew to make an emergency landing in the city of Omsk .
He was hospitalized for days before being flown to Berlin , where doctors concluded that he had been poisoned with a nerve agent .
He is still in Germany recovering from the attack .

Russia says it has expanded its list of European Union officials barred from the country in response to the bloc's “unacceptable” decision to place travel bans on Russian officials over the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.
The Foreign Ministry in Moscow "decided to expand the list of representatives of EU member states and institutions who will be denied entry to the Russian Federation," the ministry said in a statement on December 22, adding that those targeted are held “responsible for promoting anti-Russian sanctions initiatives within the framework of the European Union.”
It did not name the officials but said it had called in the heads of the diplomatic missions of Germany, France, and Sweden, as well as to the EU delegation in Moscow to inform them of the decision.
Navalny was airlifted to Germany for treatment in August after collapsing on a plane in Russia.
Laboratories in Germany, France, and Sweden later concluded that the leading Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent.
The EU and Britain in mid-October imposed asset freezes and travel bans against six senior Russian officials and a state scientific research center for the "attempted assassination.”
Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have denied involvement in the poisoning.
However, on December 21, Navalny released a 49-minute phone call with a Russian agent who was apparently duped into revealing how the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) committed the attack.
The agent, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, inadvertently made the admission during the call with Navalny, who was posing as a high-ranking security official conducting a debriefing on the August attack in the Siberian city of Tomsk.
During the call, which used software to make it appear it originated from an FSB phone line, Kudryavtsev admits that Russian security officials put the Novichok chemical nerve agent in Navalny’s underwear, expecting it would kill the 44-year-old while on a flight to Moscow from Tomsk.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on December 22 said Navalny's attempts to "discredit" the FSB will fail.
Peskov said that the opposition leader is a "sick" man who exhibited clear "traits of megalomania" and has "delusions of persecution."
Navalny fell violently ill on the flight shortly after takeoff, prompting the crew to make an emergency landing in the city of Omsk. He was hospitalized for days before being flown to Berlin, where doctors concluded that he had been poisoned with a nerve agent.
He is still in Germany recovering from the attack.


rferl--2020-12-22--U.S. Senate Approves Law Expanding Scope Of Sanctions To Use Against Belarus

The U.S. Senate has approved the Belarus Democracy , Human Rights , and Sovereignty Act , expanding the scope of who can be subjected to U.S. sanctions and providing support to independent media .
U.S .
Senator Jim Risch ( Republican-Idaho ) , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , hailed the passage of the act late on December 21 as a sign that U.S. support for a democratic Belarus remains strong .
`` The violent and ongoing crackdown against peaceful citizens protesting [ Alyaksandr ] Lukashenka ’ s dictatorial rule in Belarus is unconscionable .
The legislation passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and their desire for a more free and democratic future , ” Risch said in the statement .
The act was approved by the House of Representatives in November and takes force once President Donald Trump signs it .
According to the document , `` the United States should increase its assistance to promote civil society in Belarus '' and `` appropriations of $ 11 million each year in 2021 and 2022 '' will be allocated for that purpose .
The act also expands the U.S. president 's authority to impose sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarusian presidential election and a subsequent government crackdown .
Belarus has been roiled by nearly daily protests since early August when Lukashenka , who has run the country since 1994 , was declared victor of a presidential election that opposition leaders say was rigged .
Police have violently cracked down on the demonstrators , with more than 27,000 detentions , according to the United Nations .
There have also been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment , and several people have died .
Protesters continue to call for Lukashenka to resign , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political prisoners , and new elections .
Many of Belarus 's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country , while Lukashenka has refused to negotiate with the opposition .
The United States , the European Union , and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenka as the winner of the vote and imposed sanctions on Lukashenka and his allies , citing election irregularities and the police crackdown .

The U.S. Senate has approved the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act, expanding the scope of who can be subjected to U.S. sanctions and providing support to independent media.
U.S. Senator Jim Risch (Republican-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, hailed the passage of the act late on December 21 as a sign that U.S. support for a democratic Belarus remains strong.
"The violent and ongoing crackdown against peaceful citizens protesting [Alyaksandr] Lukashenka’s dictatorial rule in Belarus is unconscionable. The legislation passed today reaffirms U.S. support for the Belarusian people and their desire for a more free and democratic future,” Risch said in the statement.
The act was approved by the House of Representatives in November and takes force once President Donald Trump signs it.
According to the document, "the United States should increase its assistance to promote civil society in Belarus" and "appropriations of $11 million each year in 2021 and 2022" will be allocated for that purpose.
The act also expands the U.S. president's authority to impose sanctions to include activities surrounding the disputed 2020 Belarusian presidential election and a subsequent government crackdown.
Belarus has been roiled by nearly daily protests since early August when Lukashenka, who has run the country since 1994, was declared victor of a presidential election that opposition leaders say was rigged.
Police have violently cracked down on the demonstrators, with more than 27,000 detentions, according to the United Nations. There have also been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment, and several people have died.
Protesters continue to call for Lukashenka to resign, an end to the crackdown, the release of political prisoners, and new elections.
Many of Belarus's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country, while Lukashenka has refused to negotiate with the opposition.
The United States, the European Union, and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenka as the winner of the vote and imposed sanctions on Lukashenka and his allies, citing election irregularities and the police crackdown.


rferl--2020-12-22--Moscow Police Briefly Detain Navalny Foundation Lawyer Who Tried To Meet Duped FSB Agent

Moscow police briefly detained Lyubov Sobol , a lawyer for Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny 's Anti-Corruption Foundation , after she tried to meet an agent who has implicated the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) in the poisoning of the 44-year-old Kremlin critic .
Navalny wrote on Twitter that Sobol was detained late on December 21 when she arrived at the Moscow apartment of Konstantin Kudryavtsev , the agent who was duped by Navalny into revealing details of the FSB 's operation to poison him with a nerve agent earlier in August .
Kudryavtsev refused to open the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sobol , and then called police , Navalny said .
Before her detainment , Sobol told Current Time that she knocked on Kudryavtsev 's door , but he did not open it .
Current Time is the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA .
`` I saw a light that appeared in the door hole [ of Kudryavtsev 's apartment 's door ] , but nobody opened the door .
In 10 minutes after the news broke on the news channel 'Aleksei Navalny ' , the video was watched by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours , as far as I know .
The [ authorities ] reacted very quickly ; many police officers were deployed here .
One car came first , then several more vehicles came .
I saw civil cars with police officers inside .
Police forced out all those who were inside the apartment block 's hall along the stairs and they blocked me in the car , '' Sobol said .
Sobol tweeted several hours later that she was released without charge .
Sobol 's lawyer , Vladimir Voronin , said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his client as part of a preinvestigation check into a criminal case on violating a person 's right to security in their home , but she refused to answer any questions .
Meanwhile , Sobol 's assistant , Olga Klyuchnikova , wrote on Twitter overnight that she , her colleague Konstantin Raspopov , and a member of Navalny 's team , Akim Kerimov , were detained and remanded at a police station in Moscow on a charge of disobeying police orders .
Sobol was among journalists and political activists who tried to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on December 21 , the day Navalny published an audio recording of what appears to be a conversation with Kudryavtsev over the FSB 's role in the poisoning .
The FSB said late on December 21 that the audio recording of Navalny 's talk with Kudryavtsev is fake , adding that it has launched a probe into it .
Navalny , meanwhile , wrote on Twitter that the fact that Sobol and her team members were detained in Moscow is `` the best answer to the question if Navalny really talked with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was airlifted to Germany in an induced coma in August after falling ill during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow .
Laboratory tests in three separate European countries , confirmed by the global chemical weapons watchdog , established that Navalny was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent .
Some earlier investigative reports concluded that Navalny was most likely poisoned before he boarded the plane in Tomsk , and Navalny 's recorded conversation with Kudryavtsev appears to reveal that the FSB had laced the opposition figure 's underwear with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls for an investigation into the poisoning and denies the involvement of state agents in the case , saying it has yet to be shown any evidence .
With reporting by Meduza , TASS , and Interfax

Moscow police briefly detained Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer for Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, after she tried to meet an agent who appears to have implicated the Federal Security Service (FSB) in the poisoning of the 44-year-old Kremlin critic.
Navalny wrote on Twitter that Sobol was detained late on December 21 when she arrived at the Moscow apartment of Konstantin Kudryavtsev, the agent who was apparently duped by Navalny into revealing details of the FSB's operation to poison him with a nerve agent earlier in August.
Kudryavtsev refused to open the door and talk about the poisoning incident with Sobol, and then called police, Navalny said.
Before her detainment, Sobol told Current Time that she knocked on Kudryavtsev's door, but he did not open it. Current Time is the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.
"I saw a light that appeared in the door hole [of Kudryavtsev's apartment's door], but nobody opened the door. In 10 minutes after the news broke on the news channel 'Aleksei Navalny', the video was watched by several million [people] in three hours, as far as I know. The [authorities] reacted very quickly; many police officers were deployed here. One car came first, then several more vehicles came. I saw civil cars with police officers inside. Police forced out all those who were inside the apartment block's hall along the stairs and they blocked me in the car," Sobol said.
Sobol tweeted several hours later that she was released without charge.
Sobol's lawyer, Vladimir Voronin,said in a tweet that police initially wanted to question his client as part of a pre-investigation check into a criminal case on violating a person's right to security in their home, but she refused to answer any questions.
Meanwhile, Sobol's assistant, Olga Klyuchnikova, wrote on Twitter overnight that she, her colleague Konstantin Raspopov, and a member of Navalny's team, Akim Kerimov, were detained and remanded at a police station in Moscow on a charge of disobeying police orders.
Sobol was among journalists and political activists who tried to meet with Konstantin Kudryavtsev late in the evening on December 21, the day Navalny published an audio recording of what appears to be a conversation with Kudryavtsev over the FSB's role in the poisoning.
The FSB said late on December 21 that the audio recording of Navalny's talk with Kudryavtsev is fake, adding that it has launched a probe into it.
Navalny, meanwhile, wrote on Twitter that the fact that Sobol and her team members were detained in Moscow is "the best answer to the question if Navalny really talked with a murderer from the FSB."
Navalny was airlifted to Germany in an induced coma in August after falling ill during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow.
Laboratory tests in three separate European countries, confirmed by the global chemical weapons watchdog, established that Navalny was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent.
Some earlier investigative reports concluded that Navalny was most likely poisoned before he boarded the plane in Tomsk, and Navalny's recorded conversation with Kudryavtsev appears to reveal that the FSB had laced the opposition figure's underwear with the chemical agent.
Russia has rejected calls for an investigation into the poisoning and denies the involvement of state agents in the case, saying it has yet to be shown any evidence.
With reporting by Meduza, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-12-22--RFE/RL Investigation: Nazarbaev Relatives Have Invested $785 Million In Luxury Properties In Six Cou

RFE/RL Investigation: Nazarbaev Relatives Have Invested $785 Million In Luxury Properties In Six Countries

An RFE/RL investigation shows the relatives of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev have invested nearly $ 785 million in luxury properties in at least six countries over a 20-year time span .
The investigation , published on December 22 , is not a comprehensive accounting of all the real estate investments made by Nazarbaev ’ s children , grandchildren , in-laws , or other politically connected Kazakh elite , but for the first time attempts to document and value those investments , some of which have drawn media and legal scrutiny over the years or been the source of controversy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , France , figured into a bitter , multiyear lawsuit between Nazarbaev ’ s brother , Bolat , and his ex-wife Maira Kurmangalieva , as did posh apartments on New York City 's Wall Street and overlooking Central Park .
A palatial , ocean-side estate on Spain ’ s Costa Brava owned by Timur Kulibaev , the husband of Nazarbaev ’ s second daughter , Dinara , has been a regular source of controversy , as local environmentalists have fought the estate ’ s efforts to close an access road .
Nazarbaev has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Can Juncadella .
Several U.K. properties linked to Nazarbaev ’ s eldest daughter , Darigha , and her son Nurali have been the target of Britain ’ s National Crime Agency , which charged that the funds used to purchase the properties may have come from illicit sources .
A court in April , however , dismissed those allegations .
Darigha also owns part of a block of townhouses on London 's famous Baker Street , whose acquisition was made using anonymous shell companies .
The father-in-law of Darigha ’ s other son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southwest of London , near a famous golf course , and hotels in the Czech Republic .
And Kulibaev ’ s purchase and renovations of the U.K. mansion once owned by Prince Andrew have drawn scrutiny from British newspapers .
In Switzerland , Nazarbaev ’ s second daughter , Dinara , owns two chateau-type mansions on the shores of Lake Geneva .
And Kulibaev has also been tied to a historic property in Lugano , in southern Switzerland , and a semi-dilapidated spa on a hilltop overlooking the historic Czech spa town of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Nazarbaev was Kazakhstan ’ s singular political leader , holding an iron grip over the country ’ s political life and stamping out any rival attempts to challenge him .
The country ’ s prosperity grew substantially during that period , fueled by its large oil and gas reserves , but corruption and nepotism in the country became entrenched .
Anti-corruption activists and Central Asian researchers have said a clan-type system benefiting a narrowing group of elites poses a long-term danger .
Kazakhstan ranked 113th of 198 countries on Transparency International 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Reporters Without Borders 2020 World Press Freedom Index .

An RFE/RL investigation shows the relatives of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev have invested nearly $785 million in luxury properties in at least six countries over a 20-year time span.
The investigation, published on December 22, is not a comprehensive accounting of all the real estate investments made by Nazarbaev’s children, grandchildren, in-laws, or other politically connected Kazakh elite, but for the first time attempts to document and value those investments, some of which have drawn media and legal scrutiny over the years or been the source of controversy.
SPECIAL REPORT: Big Houses, Deep Pockets
A luxury hillside villa in Cannes, France, figured into a bitter, multiyear lawsuit between Nazarbaev’s brother, Bolat, and his ex-wife Maira Kurmangalieva, as did posh apartments on New York City's Wall Street and overlooking Central Park.
A palatial, ocean-side estate on Spain’s Costa Brava owned by Timur Kulibaev, the husband of Nazarbaev’s second daughter, Dinara, has been a regular source of controversy, as local environmentalists have fought the estate’s efforts to close an access road. Nazarbaev has reportedly visited the property, known as Can Juncadella.
Several U.K. properties linked to Nazarbaev’s eldest daughter, Darigha, and her son Nurali have been the target of Britain’s National Crime Agency, which charged that the funds used to purchase the properties may have come from illicit sources. A court in April, however, dismissed those allegations.
Darigha also owns part of a block of townhouses on London's famous Baker Street, whose acquisition was made using anonymous shell companies.
The father-in-law of Darigha’s other son, Aisultan, owns a luxury estate southwest of London, near a famous golf course, and hotels in the Czech Republic.
And Kulibaev’s purchase and renovations of the U.K. mansion once owned by Prince Andrew have drawn scrutiny from British newspapers.
In Switzerland, Nazarbaev’s second daughter, Dinara, owns two chateau-type mansions on the shores of Lake Geneva.
And Kulibaev has also been tied to a historic property in Lugano, in southern Switzerland, and a semi-dilapidated spa on a hilltop overlooking the historic Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary.
Between 1991 and 2019, Nazarbaev was Kazakhstan’s singular political leader, holding an iron grip over the country’s political life and stamping out any rival attempts to challenge him.
The country’s prosperity grew substantially during that period, fueled by its large oil and gas reserves, but corruption and nepotism in the country became entrenched.
Anti-corruption activists and Central Asian researchers have said a clan-type system benefiting a narrowing group of elites poses a long-term danger.
Kazakhstan ranked 113th of 198 countries on Transparency International's corruption index in 2019 and was 157th on Reporters Without Borders 2020 World Press Freedom Index.


rferl--2020-12-22--'Very Grim Existence': Ex-U.S. Marine Whelan Speaks Of Life In Russian Labor Camp

A former U.S. Marine convicted earlier this year by Russia as a spy has told the BBC of his `` very , very grim existence '' as he prepares to spend Christmas alongside murderers and thieves in a labor camp .
`` I get up in the morning and try to be as positive as I can , '' Paul Whelan told the BBC from Correctional Colony No .
17 in the region of Mordovia , some 350 kilometers east of Moscow .
The 50-year-old Whelan , giving his first detailed interview since his arrest in December 2018 , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uniforms in the camp `` workhouse '' and is taking `` one day at a time '' -- not focusing on his 16-year sentence on espionage charges that he has always rejected .
Prison guards are waking him at night every two hours to take his photograph , he said .
Part of the camp has also been quarantined for a suspected coronavirus outbreak .
`` I 'm being patient and waiting .
I 'm not the only pebble on the beach , I know .
But I also do n't want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` They 've abducted a tourist .
And I want to come home , see my family , and live my life . ''
Whelan , who also holds British , Canadian , and Irish passports , is a former U.S. Marine who worked global security at a U.S.-based supplier of automotive parts and components .
He was arrested in Moscow and sentenced in June after prosecutors claimed that a flash memory stick found in his possession contained classified information .
Whelan has insisted he had come to Russia to attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he took the memory stick from an acquaintance , thinking it contained holiday photos .
The United States has rejected the spy case as `` outrageous.
” Whelan told the BBC that the entire `` ludicrous '' case against him was based on the testimony of a Russian friend .
`` The story was that the [ U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency ] sent me to Moscow to pick up a flash drive with the names and photos of students from the border guard school , '' Whelan said .
He had supposedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transfer four months earlier , but Whelan said that money was a loan so his friend could buy his wife a new phone .
Russia ’ s Federal Security Service ( FSB ) “ just came up with a random story that does n't make any sense , '' Whelan said , adding that no concrete evidence was ever presented .
The court hearings in Whelan 's case were closed , and defense lawyers here have to sign a nondisclosure agreement in spy trials .
With reporting by the BBC

A former U.S. Marine convicted earlier this year by Russia as a spy has told the BBC of his "very, very grim existence" as he prepares to spend Christmas alongside murderers and thieves in a labor camp.
"I get up in the morning and try to be as positive as I can," Paul Whelan told the BBC from Correctional Colony No. 17 in the region of Mordovia, some 350 kilometers east of Moscow.
The 50-year-old Whelan, giving his first detailed interview since his arrest in December 2018, said he was spending his days sewing prison uniforms in the camp "workhouse" and is taking "one day at a time" -- not focusing on his 16-year sentence on espionage charges that he has always rejected.
Prison guards are waking him at night every two hours to take his photograph, he said.
Part of the camp has also been quarantined for a suspected coronavirus outbreak.
"I'm being patient and waiting. I'm not the only pebble on the beach, I know. But I also don't want to be here too long," Whelan said. "They've abducted a tourist. And I want to come home, see my family, and live my life."
Whelan, who also holds British, Canadian, and Irish passports, is a former U.S. Marine who worked global security at a U.S.-based supplier of automotive parts and components.
He was arrested in Moscow and sentenced in June after prosecutors claimed that a flash memory stick found in his possession contained classified information.
Whelan has insisted he had come to Russia to attend a wedding and that he was framed when he took the memory stick from an acquaintance, thinking it contained holiday photos.
The United States has rejected the spy case as "outrageous.”
Whelan told the BBC that the entire "ludicrous" case against him was based on the testimony of a Russian friend.
"The story was that the [U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency] sent me to Moscow to pick up a flash drive with the names and photos of students from the border guard school," Whelan said.
He had supposedly paid for the secret data by wire transfer four months earlier, but Whelan said that money was a loan so his friend could buy his wife a new phone.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) “just came up with a random story that doesn't make any sense," Whelan said, adding that no concrete evidence was ever presented.
The court hearings in Whelan's case were closed, and defense lawyers here have to sign a nondisclosure agreement in spy trials.
With reporting by the BBC


rferl--2020-12-22--Reprisal Murders Targeting Journalists Doubled In 2020, New Report Finds

The Committee to Protect Journalists ( CPJ ) says 21 journalists worldwide were singled out for murder in reprisal for their work in 2020 , more than double the previous year ’ s figure of 10 .
Overall , at least 30 journalists were slain while on duty this year , the New York-based media freedom watchdog said in a report released on December 22 .
“ It ’ s appalling that the murders of journalists have more than doubled in the last year , and this escalation represents a failure of the international community to confront the scourge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joel Simon .
Meanwhile , the number of journalists killed in combat or cross fire fell to three in 2020 -- a 20-year low -- as the coronavirus pandemic “ dominated media attention and restricted travel , ” according to CPJ .
All three were killed by suspected Russian air strikes in Syria , where Moscow has provided crucial military support to President Bashar al-Assad during the country ’ s civil war .
At least four journalists were killed because of their work in Syria and Afghanistan , CPJ says , while a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigated .
In Iran , the authorities executed opposition journalist Ruhollah Zam this month because of his reporting on anti-government protests in 2017 , in what CPJ called “ state-sponsored murder.
” Mexico was the deadliest country for journalists , with at least four reporters assassinated and a fifth gunned down while reporting on a crime scene .
The CPJ is still investigating the deaths of four more reporters in the Latin American country .
Journalists there are often caught up in the conflict between rival drug-trafficking groups and increasingly find themselves targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their work .
CPJ ’ s analysis of journalists killed for their work is based on data as of December 15 .
In a report published earlier this month , CPJ said at least 274 journalists were in prison as of December 1 , up from at least 250 last year , amid a push by governments to stifle coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and attempts to suppress reporting on civil unrest .
“ The fact that murder is on the rise and the number of journalists imprisoned around the world hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press freedom is under unprecedented assault in the midst of a global pandemic , in which information is essential , ” Simon said .
“ We must come together to reverse this terrible trend .
”

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


rferl--2020-12-22--U.S. Adds Russian, Chinese Companies To List Of Firms With Military Ties

The U.S. Commerce Department has added more than 100 Russian and Chinese companies to a new list of entities with alleged ties to the countries ’ militaries , in a move that will restrict access to U.S. goods and technologies .
The list identifies 45 Russian and 58 Chinese companies as so-called military end users , requiring U.S. companies to obtain licenses to sell to the firms , which are more likely to be denied than granted .
“ The Department recognizes the importance of leveraging its partnerships with U.S. and global companies to combat efforts by China and Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military programs , ” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement on December 21 .
Under an expanded definition of military end users developed earlier this year , the category went beyond armed services and national police to include any person or entity that supports or contributes to the maintenance or production of military items .
Entities on the list include seven subsidiaries of Aviation Industry Corporation of China ( AVIC ) , Russia ’ s Foreign Intelligence Service ( SVR ) , Russian aviation company Sukhoi , and Admiralty Shipyard .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department added dozens of Chinese companies , including the country ’ s top chipmaker , to a trade blacklist , as tensions remain high between Washington and Beijing over a range of issues .
Tensions are also rising with Russia over its alleged role in a major cyberattack on the U.S. government and top companies .

The U.S. Commerce Department has added more than 100 Russian and Chinese companies to a new list of entities with alleged ties to the countries’ militaries, in a move that will restrict access to U.S. goods and technologies.
The list identifies 45 Russian and 58 Chinese companies as so-called military end users, requiring U.S. companies to obtain licenses to sell to the firms, which are more likely to be denied than granted.
“The Department recognizes the importance of leveraging its partnerships with U.S. and global companies to combat efforts by China and Russia to divert U.S. technology for their destabilizing military programs,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement on December 21.
Under an expanded definition of military end users developed earlier this year, the category went beyond armed services and national police to include any person or entity that supports or contributes to the maintenance or production of military items.
Entities on the list include seven subsidiaries of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Russian aviation company Sukhoi, and Admiralty Shipyard.
The move comes days after the Commerce Department added dozens of Chinese companies, including the country’s top chipmaker, to a trade blacklist, as tensions remain high between Washington and Beijing over a range of issues.
Tensions are also rising with Russia over its alleged role in a major cyberattack on the U.S. government and top companies.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-12-22--U.S. Senator Says Suspected Russian Hack On Treasury Department 'Appears To Be Significant'

The U.S. Treasury Department , one of several government agencies targeted in a massive cyberattack being blamed on Russia , suffered a serious breach `` the full depth of which is n't known , '' a top senator said on December 21 .
Senator Ron Wyden ( Democrat-Oregon ) , the most senior Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee , issued a statement providing new details about the breach after being briefed on the hack by the IRS tax agency and Treasury Department .
Wyden said dozens of e-mail accounts at the Treasury Department were compromised , including at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition , the breach appears to have involved the theft of encryption keys from U.S. government servers , Wyden said .
“ Treasury still does not know all of the actions taken by hackers , or precisely what information was stolen , ” Wyden said .
He added that there is no evidence the IRS was compromised or that taxpayer data was affected .
“ However , the hack of the Treasury Department appears to be significant , ” the Oregon senator said .
It remains unclear what the hackers have done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with it .
The Treasury Department is one of a number of known agencies , departments , and companies affected by what is considered a far encompassing and serious hacking operation .
Wyden said that in the Treasury Department ’ s case the breach began in July .
But cybersecurity experts believe the overall hacking operation began months earlier .
The U.S. government and cybersecurity experts are still trying to understand the full scale of the breach , which began when hackers slipped malicious code into updates in SolarWinds software used by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Top U.S. officials -- including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and outgoing Attorney General William Barr -- have blamed Russian intelligence agency hackers for the sophisticated operation .
Moscow has denied any involvement .
President Donald Trump has downplayed the seriousness and impact of the cyberattack , while casting doubt on whether Russia is responsible .
Instead , he contradicted his own officials and experts by suggesting China may have been behind the breach .
With reporting by AP and Reuters

The U.S. Treasury Department, one of several government agencies targeted in a massive cyberattack being blamed on Russia, suffered a serious breach "the full depth of which isn't known," a top senator said on December 21.
Senator Ron Wyden (Democrat-Oregon), the most senior Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, issued a statement providing new details about the breach after being briefed on the hack by the IRS tax agency and Treasury Department.
Wyden said dozens of e-mail accounts at the Treasury Department were compromised, including at an office division housing the highest-ranking officials. In addition, the breach appears to have involved the theft of encryption keys from U.S. government servers, Wyden said.
“Treasury still does not know all of the actions taken by hackers, or precisely what information was stolen,” Wyden said.
He added that there is no evidence the IRS was compromised or that taxpayer data was affected.
“However, the hack of the Treasury Department appears to be significant,” the Oregon senator said.
It remains unclear what the hackers have done with the information or intend to do with it.
The Treasury Department is one of a number of known agencies, departments, and companies affected by what is considered a far encompassing and serious hacking operation.
Wyden said that in the Treasury Department’s case the breach began in July. But cybersecurity experts believe the overall hacking operation began months earlier.
The U.S. government and cybersecurity experts are still trying to understand the full scale of the breach, which began when hackers slipped malicious code into updates in SolarWinds software used by the government and thousands of businesses and entities.
Top U.S. officials -- including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and outgoing Attorney General William Barr -- have blamed Russian intelligence agency hackers for the sophisticated operation. Moscow has denied any involvement.
President Donald Trump has downplayed the seriousness and impact of the cyberattack, while casting doubt on whether Russia is responsible. Instead, he contradicted his own officials and experts by suggesting China may have been behind the breach.
With reporting by AP and Reuters