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- By RFE/RL
COVID-19: First Deaths In Afghanistan, Kosovo, Romania, North Macedonia
The global coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 339,000 people and killed nearly 15,000 worldwide, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan's Health Ministry says a 40-year old man has died from coronavirus, becoming the country's first fatality from the disease.
Afghanistan has 34 confirmed cases of the virus.
Iran
Health officials say Iran's death toll from coronavirus has reached 1,685, as the country continues to struggle with mounting cases and an overloaded health-care system.
The Health Ministry said on March 22 that another 129 people had died over the past 24 hours. The ministry also said the country's overall tally of confirmed cases of COVID-19 was 21,638.
Iran has been one of the worst-hit countries outside of China and Italy.
With the country reeling from the outbreak, officials have recommended Iranians stay home during the Norouz holiday, which began on March 20 and is one of the biggest holidays of the year for Iranians.
Officials have worried that efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 will be hampered as people travel for the holiday to see friends and relatives.
The government has closed schools at all levels, banned sports and cultural events, and curtailed religious activities.
Many Iranians have also been angered by the temporary closure of Shi'ite sites, prompting some crowds to storm into the courtyards of two major shrines.
In a televised speech to mark Norouz, Iran's supreme leader rejected an offer from the United States for assistance in fighting coronavirus.
"We have many enemies, but the worst is the U.S.... and now they want to help us," Khamenei said.
He said the United States would be better off helping its own people, with hundreds of American deaths being linked to the virus after a spike in cases over the last week.
Khamenei also cited an unfounded conspiracy theory that the virus could be manmade by the United States.
"Possibly your [offered] medicine is a way to spread the virus more," he said.
Georgia
Two southern Georgian regions will lock down on March 23 as part of an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the country’s prime minister said the previous day.
Giorgi Gakharia said at an emergency news briefing that the Marneuli and Bolnisi regions, both of which border Azerbaijan, would be closed off for entry and exit.
The regions would be supplied with food and medicine, and only grocery stores and pharmacies are to remain open as well.
Critical infrastructure and services would be available as well.
The decision was made after a woman who had contact with at least 90 people after attending a relative’s death anniversary dinner was diagnosed with the COVID-19 respiratory illness.
At this point, doctors were able to identify at least 85 people with whom the infected woman had contact.
The South Caucasus country of 3.7 million had 54 cases of coronavirus as of March 22, with no deaths.
Georgia's parliament over the weekend approved a presidential decree that imposes a one-month nationwide state of emergency in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
President Salome Zurabishvili on March 21 sent the decree to parliament as the number of cases in the former Soviet republic rose to 49. The parliament passed it later that evening.
The president called on citizens to follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Georgian Health Ministry in order to slow the spread of the virus and avoid a "new level" of restrictions.
Kosovo
Local authorities say an 82-year-old man has died from coronavirus, Kosovo's first death from the disease.
The Public Health Institute said in a statement on March 22 that the man, who died in a hospital, had underlying health issues, including chronic cardiac and pulmonary problems.
Officials said the tally of confirmed infections in the country stood at 31 as of March 22.
The death comes as Kosovars grow increasingly impatient with the government, which has struggled to mount a coherent response to the outbreak.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti's shaky coalition government, which took four months to assemble after October elections, is on the verge of collapse because of disagreements over coronavirus measures.
Angry residents of the capital, Pristina, banged pots and pans from their balconies on March 19 to protest the government's actions.
Most of those infected in Kosovo have come from Italy or are related to someone who returned from a European Union member state.
Authorities have closed all schools, borders, bars, and restaurants to curb the spread of the virus. Only supermarkets and pharmacies remain open.
Romania
Romanian authorities report that two people have died from the coronavirus, the first such deaths for the country.
The government's Strategic Communications Group said on March 22 that the number of confirmed cases in the country had risen sharply and now stands at 433, up from 322 just a day earlier.
Officials said the first victim was a 67-year-old man who had been suffering from terminal cancer and who died after having been infected on March 18.
The man had returned to Romania 12 days earlier, on March 6, from France, before restrictions on international travel had been imposed. The government did not say when he died or how he had become infected, saying only that he was being treated at a hospital in the southern city of Craiova.
A total of 23 medical workers who were in contact with the man have been tested for the coronavirus. Of the 18 tests that have been returned so far, all were negative, officials said.
The second victim was a 74-year-old who had been diagnosed just the day before and was already being treated for kidney problems. Officials said that person died in a medical facility in the capital, Bucharest.
The government declared a state of emergency on March 16 and on March 21 announced a nighttime curfew.
The curfew will restrict the movement of people from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and go into effect on March 23. It is expected to last through the 30-day state of emergency declared on March 16.
Those exempted include people going to work and those requiring medical assistance.
Interior Minister Marcel Vela and other officials said the measures will also prohibit gatherings of more than three persons outside the home and will mandate the closing of shopping malls and dental clinics. Restaurants and other gathering places were ordered closed earlier in the week.
During the night curfew hours, the only people allowed to move about are medical professionals, those engaging in work activities, shopping for necessary items, and caring for children or the elderly or people walking their pets.
"Everything we have decided to implement is meant to limit the risks to the population," Vela said.
He also warned those who are price-gouging or taking other actions to profit from the crisis.
"We have taken strong actions against those who have tried to speculate on the situation in order to get rich. It's not just illegal -- it's also cynical," he said.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan has 60 confirmed coronavirus cases as of the morning of March 23, following another confirmed infection the previous evening.
The Health Ministry says there are 31 registered cases in the capital, Nur-Sultan, 25 in the largest city, Almaty, and two in the Karaganda and one each in the Almaty and Aktobe regions.
Almaty and Nur-Sultan have been on lockdown since March 19 and a state of emergency was announced earlier this month.
Kazakhstan had already announced the cancelation of Norouz holiday celebrations and a military parade devoted to the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
The oil-rich Central Asian country recorded its first cases of COVID-19 on March 13 after three patients tested positive upon returning from separate trips to Germany and Italy.
Kazakhstan shares a 1,800-kilometer border with China where the respiratory illness emerged late last year.
The outbreak has since grown to become a global pandemic, infecting more than 300,000 worldwide and leading to over 14,000 deaths.
Russia
Russia has widened its ban on international flights as the number of registered coronavirus cases in the country reached 367.
As of March 23, Russian airlines will only service foreign capitals or large cities like New York and only from Moscow airports, state agency Rosavia said.
Russia will continue to permit charter flights exclusively for the evacuation of citizens stuck overseas, it said.
Nearly 20,000 Russian citizens have been evacuated from countries suffering from a high number of coronavirus cases.
The flight-ban announcement comes as Russia registered another 61 cases of the coronavirus, bringing the country's total to 367.
However, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the Russian capital will not close its metro, a step three Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, took where subways operate. The Moscow metro transports several million people a day to work and its closure would have severe consequences for the city's economy.
The Culture Ministry has recommended that as of March 23 all movie theaters be closed. Earlier in the month, the ministry closed all theaters, philharmonics, circuses, and movie theaters that belong to it.
Russia, the world's ninth-most populous country, has registered relatively few cases of COVID-19 on a per capita basis compared to its European neighbors, raising questions about the accuracy of the tally. Italy has more than 47,000 while Spain has more than 25,000.
Moscow, Europe's largest city with about 12 million inhabitants, has registered just 137 cases of COVID-19. New York City, which has just over 8 million people, has registered more than 8,000 cases.
Russia also shares one of the world's longest borders with China, where the new coronavirus originated. China has registered more than 81,000 cases.
Russian news agency RBK reported last week that the country had experienced a spike in the number of pneumonia cases this year.
While the majority of people who contract COVID-19 suffer only mild symptoms resembling the common cold, severe cases can develop into pneumonia.
Ukraine
Ukraine saw the number confirmed coronavirus cases rise to 73 as the capital, Kyiv, on March 23 is closing all public transportation for noncritical personnel.
The Health Ministry’s Center for Public Health said that as of 10:50 p.m. local time on March 22, there were 26 new cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19 in nine regions and the city of Kyiv.
The ministry says it is further monitoring more than 360 suspected cases, including over 239 patients in hospitals.
Health Minister Illya Yemets said on March 22 that he supports declaring a nationwide state of emergency.
“I have been talking about this since the first day of my work in the government. It had to be done from the beginning. If it were to succeed, there would be no such [virus] spread, which is now developing geometrically,” Yemets told 112 TV in an interview.
Meanwhile, one of several planned medical supply flights from China has arrived in Kyiv, the Ukrainian presidential office said on March 23.
It brought an unspecified number of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests as well as 250,000 express tests including different kind of protective medical masks, disinfectants, and “artificial ventilation apparatus and other means necessary to combat the spread of COVID-19,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said.
Each regional laboratory on March 23 will receive the PCR tests.
The procurement was made with the assistance of large Ukrainian business owners.
“This is only the first batch of medicinal cargo from China. Several more flights are planned for this week,” the presidential office said.
There are three deaths related to the virus as schools have remained closed nationwide. Eateries, bars, gyms, theaters, and shopping malls, as well as subways operating in three cities, have been also been kept closed.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov the previous day called for a nationwide quarantine to slow the spread of coronavirus as Ukraine's capital and largest city, Kyiv, said it would shut all public transportation for noncritical personnel.
Avakov, one of the most powerful officials in Ukraine, said the measures already put in place to fight the spread will be “significantly toughened” in the coming days. He said only “critical” industries should remain open and everyone else sent home.
“A total, full quarantine is my position, which I want to ask of each of you. And I will insist on it, according to the power of my position,” Avakov said in a Facebook post on March 21.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said in a March 21 video post that only people whose work is vital to the city will be allowed to use public transport. The new measure goes into effect on March 23, he said.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria's president has vetoed new nationwide restrictions passed by parliament as part of the state of emergency imposed to fight the spread of coronavirus.
Rumen Radev said on March 22 that he opposed the new proposals, calling them "extremely restrictive" and a threat to civil liberties in the country.
"“The lack of adequate measures will bring about a situation where hunger will prevail over fear and the consequences will be destructive,” he said in a statement that was released announcing his veto.
Parliament passed the proposed measures on March 20 after an initial proposal from the cabinet a week before.
Among the proposed measures that Radev said he opposed were allowing authorities to track mobile-phone users, to ensure people infected with the coronavirus are properly observing quarantine.
The measures also call for giving increased public-safety duties to military units, and for freezing prices for some goods at a three-month average, in an effort to prevent price gouging.
As of March 22, Bulgaria has confirmed 171 cases of people infected with the virus. Three people have died since March 8, when the first death was announced.
Three people have also recovered.
North Macedonia
In neighboring North Macedonia, a 57-year-old woman has become the country's first coronavirus fatality.
The woman had caught the infection during a trip to Italy, which has the most cases in Europe. Her son has been infected, too, and is hospitalized in stable condition, health officials said on March 22.
North Macedonia had 114 registered cases of the novel coronavirus as of March 22, officials said.
On March 21, the government said it had decided to impose a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning on March 22, the first time such a step has been taken since the country's independence in 1991.
In an emergency address, North Macedonia’s prime minister, Oliver Spasovski, said that "we have decided to introduce the most radical measures in order to protect the health of citizens.”
"Starting [on March 22], we will restrict the movement of all citizens. It is forbidden for the population to move outside between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. every day. There is no compromise when it comes to the health of citizens," Spasovski warned.
The prohibitions exclude persons who need medical assistance or whose lives are endangered. Those who need dialysis are allowed to arrive for treatment with up to two other people.
Employees in health-care facilities are also excluded from the curfew, as are members of the Ministry of Interior, the army, fire crews, and workers in municipal hygiene.
Serbia
President Aleksandar Vucic said the government will extend a curfew that is already in effect by three hours as Serbia attempts to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, making it a 12-hour ban from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.
He said the steps were necessary "for our survival," and he threatened a 24-hour curfew if residents continued to ignore orders to remain indoors.
Serbia has registered 171 cases of the coronavirus and one death as of late on March 21.
In neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, the governments of the two entities on March 21 imposed nighttime restrictions on people outside their homes, with the Muslim-Croat federation ordering a 6-p.m.-to-5-a.m. curfew, and Republika Srpska restricting people to their homes from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Uzbekistan
Uzbek officials have ordered all companies in the capital, Tashkent, to switch to remote working.
They also made protective masks mandatory in all major cities in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Officials on March 22 said citizens not wearing masks in public in major cities would be fined $22 for the first offense and $67 for repeat offenses.
Uzbekistan, which has a population of 34 million, has just 43 confirmed cases, nearly all in Tashkent.
Pakistan
Sindh, the hardest-hit province in Pakistan, has announced a 15-day lockdown starting March 23.
Sindh has nearly half of the country's 687 registered cases.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, meanwhile, issued orders banning intercity transport starting from March 24.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Ukrainian services and Radio Mashaal, Reuters, AP, RIA Novosti, and TASS
More News
Russia Fires Intercontinental Ballistic Missile In 'Massive' Attack On Ukraine
Russia launched a massive missile attack early on November 21 on Ukraine that caused damage in at least two regions, Ukraine's air force and regional leaders reported, as the whole country was under an air-raid alert for several hours.
The Russian attack, which included the use of an intercontinental ballistic missile, comes just days after reports that Ukraine used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles and U.S.-made ATACMS systems to strike military targets deeper inside Russia following the long-sought approval by President Joe Biden.
The main target of the Russian attack was the southeastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine's most important industrial region, and its capital, the city of Dnipro.
Ukraine's air force said that besides the ICBM, Russia also launched a hypersonic, air-launched Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile and seven subsonic, air-launched Kh-101 cruise missiles.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down six Kh-101 missiles, the air force reported.
Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said his region bore the brunt of the Russian attack.
"Since early in the morning, the aggressor massively attacked our region," Lysak reported on Telegram, adding that preliminary information showed that an industrial facility was damaged in the regional capital, Dnipro, where two fires were started by the attack.
Explosions were also reported in Kremenchuk, in the central Poltava region.
Moscow's use of a large number of sophisticated missiles as opposed to the usual drone attacks appears to be in response to Ukraine's gaining approval to use some Western-donated long-range missile systems to strike deeper into Russia.
On November 20, Russian military bloggers and a source cited by Reuters reported that Ukraine had fired up to 12 Franco-British Storm Shadow missiles into Russia's Kursk region, part of which has been under Ukrainian control following a surprise incursion by Ukrainian troops in August.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to confirm whether the missiles had been used. Previously, London had given permission to use the Storm Shadows, which have a 250-kilometer range, within Ukraine's territory.
Earlier in the week, Ukraine reportedly used ATACMS to strike a military facility in Russia's Bryansk region after Biden's reportedly giving his OK. The White House has not officially confirmed the approval and Ukraine hasn't directly acknowledged the use of ATACMS on Russian targets.
Russia has long warned that Ukraine's using Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike inside its territory would mark a serious escalation of the conflict.
Amid growing tensions, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv closed its operations for several hours due to what it said was a potential massive attack on the city. It later announced that it had reopened.
Vietnam Repatriates Belarusian Opposition Activist Who Fought For Ukraine
Vietnam has extradited a Belarusian national who fought as a volunteer in Ukraine on Kyiv's side to Minsk, Belarusian media reported on November 20. The opposition-led Coordination Council said Vasyl Verameychyk, who is a member of the council, was turned over to Belarus on November 14. Verameychyk served in the Belarusian Army for seven years but participated in the 2020 anti-government protests. After the threat of arrest, he fled to Ukraine, where he joined the fighting against Russian forcesand was wounded in April 2022. Nasha Niva news reported Verameychyk moved to Vietnam after he was denied permission to settle in Lithuania because of his former Belarusian Army service. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, click here.
European Commissioner 'Optimistic' About Schengen Path For Romania, Bulgaria
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson told RFE/RL in an interview that she is “optimistic” that Romania and Bulgaria will be fully integrated into the visa-free Schengen travel zone by the end of the year. “Romania and Bulgaria are ready, the Schengen area is ready, so I can’t see any obstacles,” she said. “It’s time to lift internal border controls now.” The interview, conducted on November 19, will be published in full on November 21. In March, both countries joined the Schengen area on a partial basis, allowing visa-free travel for those arriving and departing on flights and by boat to both countries, but not by road. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Romanian Service, click here.
Second Serbian Minister Resigns Following Rail Station Tragedy
Serbian Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic on November 20 became the second government minister to resign following the collapse of a railway station overhang in Novi Sad that killed 15 people on November 1. He didn't mention the tragedy in his resignation statement. Goran Vesic, minister of construction, transport, and infrastructure, resigned on November 5, saying he was quitting for "moral" reasons, without admitting any guilt. Protests have been held in Novi Sad and Belgrade demanding those responsible for the collapse be held to account. The railway station was built in 1964 but recently underwent a renovation. Serbian Railways insisted that work didn’t include the concrete overhang, but some experts disputed that. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.
Ukraine Sentences Russian Actor Mashkov In Absentia For Supporting War
A Ukrainian court has sentenced prominent Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov in absentia to 10 years in prison, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Mashkov was found guilty of undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity and promoting war propaganda. Additionally, the court ordered the confiscation of Mashkov’s apartment in Odesa, reportedly gifted to him by fans for his role in the TV series Liquidation, which is set in post-war Odesa. The SBU highlighted Mashkov’s participation in pro-Kremlin events, including “concert rallies” advocating aggression against Ukraine, some of which took place in Russian-occupied territories. Mashkov was a trusted ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and served as a senior member of Putin’s election campaign team this year. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Dutch Deliver Final 2 F-16 Jets, As Germany, U.S. Set New Ukraine Aid Packages
The United States, Germany, and the Netherland -- three key Ukrainian allies -- on November 20 provided details of additional aid to Kyiv as it battles against Russia’s full-scale invasion, which passed the 1,000-day mark this week.
The Dutch Defense Ministry said the Netherlands had turned over the final two of 18 promised U.S.-made F-16 fighter warplanes to a Romania training base, where Ukrainian pilots and staff are being taught to fly and maintain the jets.
The Netherlands has been one of the main players in a coalition of Western partners to supply Ukraine with the sophisticated F-16s to strengthen its defenses against destructive Russian attacks on military and civilian sites.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the past hailed the delivery of the warplanes as he pressed allies to step up aid to his country’s stretched military.
Separately, the U.S. Defense Department announced an additional security assistance package worth $275 million under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program.
It said the package will provide Ukraine with “additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including munitions for rocket systems and artillery and anti-tank weapons.”
“The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated Capability Coalitions to meet Ukraine's urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression,” it said.
President Joe Biden is scrambling to provide Ukraine with assistance in the face of increased Russian military activity ahead of the return to the White House on January 20 of Donald Trump, who has expressed opposition to the massive aid packages of the current administration.
The U.S. statement said the Biden administration has provided Ukraine with $61.3 billion in security assistance, including $60.7 billion since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The Germany government said it had sent a package of military aid to Ukraine, including armored vehicles, artillery, and drones.
Four Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers and seven M109 howitzers were included, along with 41,000 rounds of 155-mm artillery shells.
The German government noted that its military assistance is delivered in two different manners -- through federal government funds that are used to finance deliveries of military hardware from industry and, separately, from deliveries taken out of current armed forces stocks.
Berlin is the second-largest foreign supplier of military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, behind only the United States. Germany in total has provided 28 billion euros ($29.5 billion) to Kyiv.
Meanwhile, multiple media reports have stated the United States has given Ukraine permission to launch long-range ATACMS cruise missiles deeper inside Russia, while unconfirmed reports on November 20 said Kyiv had fired British-made Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory for the first time.
Kyiv, Washington, and London have not denied the reports but also have not officially confirmed them. Permission for such strikes had been denied in the past by Western allies amid fears of provoking a wider war.
Following the ATACMS and Storm Shadow reports, Ukraine has criticized Germany for refusing to provide its down long-range weapons, the Taurus cruise missile.
With reporting by Reuters and dpa
Almaty Court Says RFE/RL's Kazakh Service Guilty Of Spreading 'False Information'
An Almaty court has found RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, known locally as Radio Azattyq, guilty of disseminating false information, and the court imposed a fine of 184,000 tenges ($371), it said on November 20.
The case originated from a complaint filed on November 13 by Shymkent resident Alisher Turabaev.
Turabaev alleged that a Kazakh-language video published on Radio Azattyq’s portal on September 13 falsely stated that a prosecutor had requested an eight-year prison sentence for journalist Daniyar Adilbekov on September 12.
Turabaev pointed out that court proceedings did not reach this stage until October 16, making the prosecutor’s request impossible at the time.
Radio Azattyq acknowledged the error was due to a translation mistake when adapting content from a Russian-language publication.
The original Russian report stated that Adilbekov faced "up to eight years in prison" for charges of defamation based on a Telegram post. However, during translation into Kazakh, the phrase was inaccurately rendered as stating that the prosecutor had already "requested eight years." Radio Azattyq expressed readiness to correct the mistake.
This marks the second time Radio Azattyq has been fined under Article 456-2 of Kazakhstan’s Administrative Offenses Code.
In October 2023, Turabaev successfully filed another complaint against Radio Azattyq, alleging the phrase "Russian-led CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization)” on its Russian-language site was false information. The court fined Radio Azattyq 103,500 tenge ($220) in that case.
Details of Turabaev's motives in filing the accusations are unknown. Some people have speculated that he has taken the action on the orders of the authorities.
The Dissemination of False Information article was added to Kazakhstan’s Administrative Offenses Code in September 2023 and has been widely criticized by human rights organizations as a tool to restrict freedom of speech.
The law does not require proof of intent to spread falsehoods, nor does it provide opportunities for corrections or warnings.
It also does not require the existence of a victim. Critics have likened the law to Russia’s legislation against "fake news," warning it is being used to silence journalists, activists, and bloggers.
Radio Azattyq’s challenges extend beyond legal battles. On January 3, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry denied or refused to renew accreditation for 36 of its employees, citing violations of the Dissemination of False Information law.
This dispute was later resolved through mediation.
The growing use of Article 456-2 to penalize media and activists has raised concerns about press freedom and the shrinking space for dissent in Kazakhstan.
Belarus Pardons 32 More Political Prisoners Of Estimated 1,300 Behind Bars
Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, has pardoned an additional 32 political prisoners, according to reports from the pro-government Pul Pervogo Telegram channel, although an estimated 1,300 opposition activists remain behind bars in the country.
The identities of those pardoned were not disclosed, but the report said they had all been convicted of extremism, a charge widely used against political activists.
The report further identified the pardoned individuals as 24 men and eight women, with nine of them above the age of 50.
The pardons released the individuals from serving their full sentences but did not remove their criminal records. Their behavior will continue to be monitored by the Interior Ministry after their release, the report said.
This marks the sixth instance of political prisoner pardons in Belarus this year, bringing the total number of individuals set free to 178. Earlier this month, 31 political prisoners were pardoned.
In July, the government pardoned 18 people, including Ryhor Kastusyou, the former leader of the opposition Belarusian Popular Front party who had been serving a 10-year sentence and is reportedly in poor health.
Additional pardons followed in August (30 individuals), early September (30), and mid-September (37).
In mid-November, prominent opposition figure Maryya Kalesnikava, who is serving an 11-year sentence on charges of conspiring to seize power, met with her father for the first time in 21 months.
A month earlier, Lukashenka had suggested he might consider pardoning Kalesnikava if she submitted a formal request.
However, it remains unclear whether she has accepted the offer. Kalesnikava has previously refused to request a pardon, maintaining her innocence and rejecting the legitimacy of the charges against her.
The latest pardons come in the context of a harsh crackdown on dissent following the mass protests in Belarus in 2020, sparked by contested presidential election results. Lukashenka responded to the demonstrations with widespread repression, forcing at least 13,000 people into exile.
According to human rights organizations, approximately 1,300 political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails, including politicians, journalists, human rights advocates, and civic activists.
Belarus has scheduled its next presidential election for January 2025, with Lukashenka widely expected to be declared the winner.
Romania Awarded Soccer Match Over Kosovo But Fined Fines For Fans' 'Racist' Chants
PRISTINA -- European soccer's governing body ordered Kosovo to forfeit its November 15 Nations League match in Bucharest that was abandoned after Kosovar players left the field complaining of "racist" abuse.
UEFA on November 20 ruled Kosovo was responsible for the match not being completed. It fined the Kosovo soccer federation 6,000 euros ($6,300).
The Romanian federation was also punished for the behavior of Romanian fans.
It was ordered to play its first World Cup qualifying home game next year in an empty stadium and was fined 128,000 euros ($136,000) for a variety of offenses, including what UEFA called "the racist and/or discriminatory behavior” of its supporters and "provocative political messages not fit for a sports event."
The federation was also fined for its supporters' throwing objects, lighting fireworks, and causing disturbances during national anthems, among other issues, UEFA said.
Kosovo’s soccer federation said the fines against the Romanian federation was confirmation of the "validity" of the Kosovo national team's decision to abandon the match.
"This decision fully justifies our actions, and we are proud that our national team correctly assessed the situation when it decided to leave the field in protest against these racist chants, provocative political messages, and other discriminatory behaviors," it said of the ruling, which officially meant a 3-0 victory for Romania.
It added, however, that it disagreed with the decision that Kosovo should lose points in the league table, indicating it will appeal the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
DigiSport in Romania reported that the Romanian Soccer Federation will await further details from UEFA before deciding on its next actions.
The GSP sports site, meanwhile, quoted Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu as welcoming the ruling granting his team the victory, but he said he was stunned by the fines. "Us? Fined? Such a large amount? It's absurd," he was quoted as saying.
Kosovo national team manager Bajram Shala had said the decision to abandon the match was made by the Kosovar federation, coach Franco Foda, and the players after "racist calls" against their country.
The captain of the Kosovo team, Amir Rrahmani, said Romanian fans chanted, "Serbia, Serbia," and "Kosovo is Serbia," and that he had informed Danish referee Morten Krogh "at least three times" that his team would leave the field.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has been recognized by more than 100 countries, but not Romania and other four EU states -- Spain, Cyprus, Greece, and Slovakia.
After Kosovar players departed, the Romanian team remained on the pitch for about an hour before the referee decided to abandon the game after the Kosovo's team refused to return.
DigiSport quoted Romanian team captain Nicolae Stanciu as expressing puzzlement that his team continues to play Kosovo, even though the Romanian state does not recognize its independence.
"If we as a state do not recognize [Kosovo] and considering what happened in past matches, why do we continue to play against them?"
With reporting by RFE/RL's Romanian Service
- By RFE/RL
Danish Military Keeps Watch On Chinese Ship Suspected Of Baltic Cable Sabotage
The Danish Defense Command said it is "present" in the area near the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, which is anchored off the coast of Denmark and suspected of being involved in recent damage to fiber-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea.
Suspicions have been growing in Western capitals that damage to two key Baltic Sea cables was likely the result of deliberate actions.
The Chinese ship, reportedly captained by a Russian naval officer, was sailing from the Russian port of Ust-Luga. It is suspected of having traveled over the area in the Baltic Sea where the cables connecting Sweden and Lithuania are located.
European governments and Washington have not tied Moscow directly to the damage, but they have accused Russia of orchestrating "hybrid attacks" on Western infrastructure to punish European countries for their assistance and support for Ukraine's military as it tries to repel invading Russian forces.
Some analysts say the ship may have damaged the cables when dragging its anchor.
"The Danish Defense can confirm that we are present in the area near the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3. The Danish Defense currently has no further comments," the Danish Defense Command said in a post on X on November 20.
Ukraine's allies pointed to past incidents of alleged sabotage by Moscow, especially following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has hit the 1,000-day mark this week amid devastating losses on both sides.
Authorities in states bordering the Baltic Sea are investigating the cutting of the cables -- the second connects Finland to Germany -- following similar suspicious occurrences in the sea in recent years.
A year ago, Finland said it couldn't exclude that a "state actor" was responsible for damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea.
The pipeline was damaged by an anchor dropped from the deck of the Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear. The ship was not detained and sailed away.
Moscow has said such allegations are being fabricated by the West to discredit Russia.
Chinese officials have not commented on the situation surrounding the Yi Peng 3.
Russia Detains German Citizen On Terrorism Charge
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on November 20 that its officers had detained a German citizen on suspicion of involvement in a March explosion that damaged a gas pipeline at a distribution center in Kaliningrad, the capital of Russia's western exclave of the same name. According to the FSB, Nikolaj Gajduk was detained after investigators found 0.5 liters of an unspecified "explosive substance" in his car while he was entering Kaliningrad from Poland. The statement also said that Gajduk had planned to conduct "sabotage acts" at energy facilities in the region, adding that the plan had been "masterminded" by a Ukrainian citizen residing in Germany. Gajduk was charged with terrorism and smuggling explosive substances. The Agentstvo Telegram channel said that Gajduk is a 57-year-old native of Ukraine. German authorities are yet to comment on the situation. To read the original report by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Iran Using Executions To Suppress Ethnic Minorities, Rights Group Says
Iranian authorities are using executions as "a tool of fear," particularly directed at ethnic minorities, dissidents, and foreign nationals, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on November 20.
The rights watchdog highlighted a recent surge in capital punishment sentences against these groups, noting that the verdicts are handed down amid rampant violations of due process.
According to Iran Human Rights group, in the first 10 months of this year, at least 651 people were executed in Iran -- 166 people in October alone.
HRW noted the case of Kurdish political prisoner Varisheh Moradi, sentenced to death by Iran’s revolutionary court in Tehran on November 10 on the charge of “armed rebellion against the state."
Moradi, a member of the Free Women’s Society of Eastern Kurdistan, was arrested in the city of Sanandaj in Kurdistan Province in August last year and kept for five months in solitary confinement in the infamous Evin prison where she was tortured. Her family has not been allowed to visit her since May, the group said.
Moradi was not allowed to defend herself, and the judge did not permit her lawyers to present a defense, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported.
“Iranian authorities use the death penalty as a tool of fear, particularly targeting ethnic minorities and political dissidents after unfair trials,” said HRW's Nahid Naghshbandi. “This brutal tactic aims to suppress any opposition to an autocratic government through intimidation,” she said.
Five other Kurdish men were sentenced to death in recent weeks on charges of “espionage for Israel," HRW said.
Four Arab prisoners from Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, are at risk of imminent execution, after being sentenced to death by a revolutionary court with two other individuals for their alleged involvement in the killings of two Basij members, a law enforcement officer, and a soldier.
The four -- Ali Majdam, Moein Khonafri, Mohammadreza Moghadam, and Adnan Gheibshavi (Musavi) -- were arrested in 2017 and 2018, according to human rights groups.
Afghan citizens in Iran have been targeted, in particular, by death sentences, HRW noted, adding that according to human rights groups, at least 49 Afghan nationals have been executed in Iran this year, 13 in the past month alone.
“Iran’s revolutionary courts are a tool of systematic repression that violate citizens’ fundamental rights and hand out death sentences indiscriminately, leaving legal protections meaningless,” Naghshbandi said.
“The international community should categorically condemn this alarming trend and pressure Iranian authorities to halt these executions,” she added.
Mai Sato, the United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, has also voiced concern about the "alarming" increase in the number of executions.
"In August 2024 alone, at least 93 people were executed, with nearly half in relation to drug offences," Sato said on November 1.
At Least 11 Killed In Militant Attack In Pakistan
At least 11 members of Pakistan's security forces were killed and at least four others were wounded in a car-bombing and shooting attack, the country's military said in a statement. The attack occurred late on November 19 in Bannu, a district in the restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the statement said. Residents told RFE/RL that the sound of gunfire could be heard until late at night. A splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying that 23 members of the Pakistani security forces had been killed, a toll that could not be independently verified. The attack occurred as Pakistan's political and military leadership was meeting in Islamabad to discuss ways to tackle the current surge in militant violence. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.
Police Again Force Georgian Protesters Out Of Tbilisi University
TBILISI -- Hundreds of Georgian police have forced demonstrators for a second night in a row out of the area near Tbilisi State University where they were protesting the results of last month's parliamentary elections and calling for a repeat of the vote.
Unlike the previous day, there were no clashes early on November 20 as protesters retreated from the advancing police forces and left the university area, moving to the nearby Melikishvili Avenue in downtown Tbilisi.
The protest leaders then announced that they were temporarily suspending their action in order to come up with a new plan.
"We have to somehow replan and think about something different, not the same as what we have been doing here," Zurab Japaridze, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change movement, told the demonstrators.
On November 19, Georgian police violently dispersed the days-long protest at the university, detaining at least 16 people and taking down the tents where demonstrators had taken shelter from the cold during the night.
The Interior Ministry told RFE/RL that the 16 people detained were held for alleged disobedience to the lawful demands of the police and petty hooliganism. Three of them were released on their own recognizance.
Tbilisi has been rocked by protests since the elections, with opposition leaders demanding a repeat of parliamentary elections amid claims of widespread fraud and Russian influence during the October 26 polls that were won by the Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012.
The latest protests broke out after Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) on November 16 validated the results of last month's disputed elections, despite accusations of widespread fraud and Russian interference.
According to the official results, Georgian Dream won 53.93 percent of the vote against 37.79 percent garnered by an opposition alliance.
The office of pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili -- who backs the protesters and has refused to recognize the October 26 vote -- said she filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court on November 19, "requesting annulment of the election results as unconstitutional,” although she acknowledged little hope of success.
"This is not because I believe in the Constitutional Court -- we all know that no institution in this country is independent any longer and we have received evidence of this repeatedly.
Georgia's pro-European opposition has boycotted the new parliament, renouncing its mandates from the October 26 vote, alleging widespread fraud and Russian interference.
EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the elections and perceived irregularities.
Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but a "foreign influence" law and anti-LGBT measures have stalled that effort.
On November 20, the EU Delegation to Georgia issued a statement voicing support for young people who are fighting to protect the country's European values .
"Here in Georgia, youth is safeguarding their rights, freedoms and the country's EU future. We stand firmly by them and stress the need to respect their fundamental right to freedom of expression and assembly," the EU Delegation said in a message on X on the occasion of "World Children's Day."
The United States in July announced that it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning it that it was backsliding on democracy.
- By RFE/RL
Rights Watchdog Says Tajik Activist Deported From Germany Has Been Jailed
Dilmurod Ergashev, a Tajik opposition activist who was deported from Germany despite significant concerns about the risk of his detention and torture upon returning to Tajikistan, has been jailed for two months, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on November 20, calling on Berlin to press for his release.
An administrative court in Germany ordered Ergashev's deportation on October 28. The 40-year-old is a prominent member of Group 24, an opposition movement that is banned in Tajikistan, and part of the Reforms and Development of Tajikistan movement established by exiled dissidents.
His activism has included participating in demonstrations in Berlin, notably during a protest against Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's visit to Germany in September 2023.
"Germany should urgently press Tajikistani authorities to release Ergashev or make clear the legal grounds and evidence justifying his detention and ensure that his due process rights are fully respected," HRW said in a statement.
"This includes access to appropriate and quality medical care and ensuring that he is not mistreated. Ergashev was deported after a German court dismissed concerns, that he and human rights groups had raised, that he would be detained on arrival in Tajikistan," it said.
Ergashev has been in Germany since February 2011 and first applied for asylum on political grounds that same year. Despite several applications, his asylum requests have been consistently rejected.
According to his lawyer, German immigration authorities have expressed doubts about the sincerity of Ergashev's commitment to opposition causes.
On November 6, The Insider investigative group reported that Ergashev had attempted to commit suicide before being deported from Germany to Tajikistan, citing self-exiled Tajik opposition activist Sharofiddin Gadoev.
Germany has faced criticism for similar actions in the past. In 2023, two Tajik dissidents, Abdullohi Shamsiddin and Bilol Qurbonaliev, were deported to Tajikistan, where they were immediately detained and later sentenced to lengthy prison terms on dubious charges related to attempts to overthrow the constitutional order.
Reports indicate that Shamsiddin has faced mistreatment while incarcerated.
The Tajik government is known for its systematic persecution of opposition members, especially those affiliated with banned groups like Group 24.
A recent report by HRW highlighted Tajikistan as a country of major concern regarding transnational repression, noting that the government actively targets critics abroad on charges of extremism and terrorism, leading to severe penalties and mistreatment upon forced return.
Given Ergashev's documented activism and participation in protests, he is seen as a clear target for persecution by the Tajik authorities.
U.S. To Give Ukraine Antipersonnel Mines Despite Outcry By Rights Groups
KYIV -- The White House said it will provide Ukraine with antipersonnel mines to help it fend off Russia’s battlefield advances, despite widespread opposition to such weapons by international rights groups and following heavy usage of similar devices by Russia.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was quoted on November 20 by news agencies as saying during a visit to Laos that the decision to provide the controversial mines was made because of a change in Russian tactics.
"They don't lead with their mechanized forces anymore," he said "They lead with dismounted forces who are able to close and do things to kind of pave the way for mechanized forces."
Ukraine has a need "for things that can help slow down that effort on the part of the Russians," he added.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Russia had used at least 13 types of antipersonnel mines in Ukraine since February 2022.
"Russia has used anti-personnel land mines widely in Ukraine...causing hundreds of casualties and contaminating vast tracts of agricultural land," it said.
Rights and humanitarian groups have long criticized the use of antipersonnel mines, saying they pose a danger to civilians.
In a statement following the U.S. announcement, HRW said the "decision to transfer antipersonnel land mines risks civilian lives and sets back international efforts to eradicate these indiscriminate weapons.”
More than 160 countries have agreed to ban the use of antipersonnel mines, although the United States and Russia are not signatories to the convention. Ukraine ratified the convention in December 2005.
When asked in the past about possible use of such mines, Ukraine said it could not comment on the types of weapons utilized during the current armed conflict "before the end of the war and the restoration of our sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Antipersonnel mines are hidden in the ground and are designed to detonate when enemy troops walk on or near them.
Some reports have said the mines being provided by Washington are "nonpersisent," meaning that after a set period of time they no longer are operational and are rendered harmless.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the decision on the mines, calling them "very important" weapons in the effort to blunt Russian assaults and saying the move would "totally strengthen" Ukraine's frontline troops.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials said Washington's embassy in Kyiv will likely resume normal operations on November 21 after having closed earlier on November 20 when it received "specific information" about "a potential significant air strike."
Late in the day, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a briefing that "I can't go into the details of the threat, but we're always keeping a close eye on it.
“The embassy is expected to return to normal operations tomorrow," he added.
In closing, the embassy urged employees and U.S. citizens in the Ukrainian capital to take immediate shelter if an air-raid alert was announced.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the Embassy will be closed, and Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place," it said in a statement, without giving any details about the possible strike.
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The embassies of Italy, Greece, and Spain said they had also shut their operations following the unusual U.S. warning. Spain later said it reopened its facility after a temporarily closing.
The Ukrainian military suggested the information the U.S. Embassy was referring to was "fake."
"Messengers and social networks…are spreading a message about the threat of a 'particularly massive' missile and bomb attack on Ukrainian cities today."
"This message is a fake. It contains grammatical errors typical of Russian information and psychological operations,” it added.
It urged residents not to ignore air-raid sirens but also "not to succumb to panic."
An air-raid alert was issued for several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv, early on November 20 due to the imminence of Russian drone strikes.
The U.S. warning came one day after Moscow said Ukraine had used U.S.-made long-range missile systems to strike a weapons depot in Russia's Bryansk region following U.S. President Joe Biden's reported authorization of their use.
The White House has not officially confirmed the decision.
In another move by the current U.S. administration aimed at aiding Ukraine, Biden has informed Congress that he intends to cancel $4.65 billion in loans to Ukraine, a State Department spokesman said.
Zelenskiy did not confirm or deny the use of ATACMS in the attack on Bryansk, saying during a news conference that "Ukraine has long-range capabilities.... We now have a long 'Neptune' (Ukrainian-made cruise missiles) and not just one. And now we have ATACMS. And we will use all of this."
On November 20, Ukraine's military intelligence agency said a Russian military command post had been "successfully struck" in the town of Gubkin in Russia's Belgorod region, some 168 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. It did not say what kind of missiles had been used in the attack.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported the Ukrainian military had also fired a British-supplied Storm Shadow into Russia for the first time, citing an unnamed Western official.
Separately, the Ukrainian Air Force said Russian troops attacked Ukraine early on November 20 with 122 drones, 56 of which were shot down over 14 regions -- Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskiy, Sumy, Mykolayiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Kharkiv.
The mayor of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, Hennadiy Trukhanov, said the death toll after a Russian strike on the city on November 18 had risen to 11.
- By RFE/RL
Exiled Opposition Leader Condemns Belarus 'Anti-Riot' Drills Ahead Of January Election
Exiled opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned so-called anti-riot drills conducted by Belarusian police ahead of the planned January 26 elections in which strongman ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka will likely be declared the winner for a seventh term.
"The security forces' training marks preparation for a crackdown on dissent before the fictitious election," Tsikhanouskaya said in remarks to AP on November 19.
"Drills in suppression of citizens aren’t a sign of force. They are a sign of fear. No such intimidation would suppress the Belarusians’ striving for freedom and democracy," she said.
Tsikhanouskaya spoke from Estonia, where she met with leaders in Tallinn to bolster support for the opponents of Belarus's authoritarian government.
Belarusian authorities said the drills are intended to train police to prevent "any manifestation of extremism and terrorism" and block "attempts to draw citizens into unlawful actions and any violation of public order."
Interior Ministry video depicted helmeted police in black riot gear slamming shields with truncheons in preparation for breaking up a potential protest.
Massive street protests followed the disputed 2020 presidential election that extended Lukashenka's long-standing rule for another term.
The election was widely condemned as fraudulent by the United States, the European Union, and other international actors.
The protests, which demanded Lukashenka's resignation, were met with mass arrests, alleged torture, and violent crackdowns that left several people dead.
Tsikhanouskaya's husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, as well as other opposition politicians and activists were arrested and many were sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
Many opposition leaders remain imprisoned or in exile, while Lukashenka refuses dialogue with his critics. Tsikhanouskaya was forced into exile in 2020.
Tsikhanouskaya on November 19 said she was assured by Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna that the Baltic nation would not recognize the "Belarus regime's fake elections."
With reporting by AP
- By RFE/RL
Afghan Teen Wins Children's Peace Prize For Work Advocating For Girls' Rights
Nila Ibrahimi, an Afghan teenager living in Canada, has been awarded the prestigious International Children's Peace Prize for her efforts in advocating for the rights of girls in her native country. "The young change-maker's courageous efforts to advocate for the rights of Afghan girls has seen her recognized as a true inspiration, offering a message of hope for other young people around the world," the Amsterdam-based organizers said on November 19. Following the return to power of the repressive Taliban extremist group in 2021, the 17-year-old fled the country with her family, first to Pakistan, then to Canada, where she lives now. The Taliban has been assailed by international groups and Western leaders for human rights abuses, especially against girls and women.
- By RFE/RL
Scholz Blasts Soft G20 Statement On Russia But Reiterates Stand On Long-Range Missiles
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on November 19 attacked the final declaration of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro for not plainly stating that Russia was responsible for the war in Ukraine.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy -- speaking nearly 11,000 kilometers away in Kyiv -- agreed with those sentiments, he also suggested criticism toward Berlin for not providing Taurus long-range cruise missiles to strike deeper inside Russia as it battles against the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion.
Scholz told the gathered leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin has bombed Ukraine for "1,000 days in which people have had to suffer for the blind megalomania, for the intention to simply expand his country by force."
"It will be insufficient if these 20 [nations] cannot find clear words on Russia's responsibility in this matter. I would have liked to have seen something different," the chancellor said at the end of the summit of the 20 leading industrialized nations and emerging economies.
But Scholz also restated his decision not to send long-range German Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, saying Germany is Kyiv’s largest supporter in Europe and will remain so but that it was important "to do everything we do with prudence."
"In my view, supplying cruise missiles would be a mistake for many reasons," he added, including the danger that it would bring Germany closer to direct conflict with Russia.
According to multiple U.S. media reports, the United States has granted Ukraine permission after months of pleading to use ATACMS long-range cruise missiles to strike deeper inside Russia. The White House has not denied the widespread reports, but it also has not confirmed them.
Meanwhile, Zelenskiy, speaking at a Kyiv news conference, also blasted the G20 leader for failing to act after Putin signed a decree easing Russia’s benchmarks for using nuclear weapons.
"Today, G20 countries are sitting in Brazil. Did they say something? Nothing," Zelenskiy told reporters, adding that they failed to develop a "strong strategy."
Following a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Kyiv, Zelenskiy also said that "I think after statements about nuclear weapons, it is also time for Germany to support corresponding decisions," referring to the reports of the U.S. decision to allow use of long-range missiles.
With reporting by dpa and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Afghan Teacher, Imprisoned Tajik Lawyer Win Prestigious Rights Award
Zholya Parsi, a women's rights activist in Afghanistan, and imprisoned Tajik lawyer Manuchehr Kholiqnazarov have been declared co-winners of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award, often referred to as the Nobel Prize for human rights.
"Two outstanding human rights defenders who have made it their life mission to protect human rights in Afghanistan and in Tajikistan will receive the Martin Ennals Award 2024 on November 21" in Geneva as the award marks its 30th anniversary, organizers said on November 19.
The two "have shown exceptional courage and determination to bring human rights at the forefront despite evolving in deeply repressive environments," the group said.
It is not clear if Parsi would be allowed to travel to the award ceremony, while Kholiqnazarov remains imprisoned in his home country, serving a 16-year sentence.
The jury consisted of 10 leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Parsi, a teach from Kabul, founded the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women (SMAW) to protest the return of policies and practices against women's rights and fundamental freedoms following the extremist Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
The movement quickly grew in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan and now has 180 members and has mobilized communities to resist the Taliban’s policies and practices, organizers said.
Parsi was arrested in the street by armed Taliban members in September 2023 and detained along with her son.
"She was released after three months of torture and ill-treatment under their custody, which further strengthened her resolve to resist Taliban oppression and repression," award organizers said.
Since returning to power, the Taliban has been assailed by international groups and Western nations -- which have not yet officially recognized the extremist group as legitimate rulers -- for human rights violations, especially those against women and girls.
Kholiqnazarov is director of the Lawyers Association of Pamir, one of the few civil society organizations active in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan region.
After mass protests erupted in the region in November 2021 following the extrajudicial killing of Khorugh district resident Gulbiddin Ziyobekov, Kholiqnazarov joined the Commission 44 organization in which members of law enforcement agencies and local civil society representatives joined to investigate the reasons behind the unrest.
But in May 2022, the Tajik authorities renewed their crackdown on protests in the region, leading to the arrest of Kholiqnazarov and a dozen other members of Commission 44.
In December 2022, the Supreme Court sentenced Kholiqnazarov to 16 years in prison after finding him guilty of being part of a criminal organization and of participating in the activities of a banned organization engaged in extremist activities.
Kholiqnazarov pleaded not guilty to the charges.
"We are very proud to honor these two exceptional laureates," said Hans Thoolen, chair of the Martin Ennals Award Jury, said.
- By RFE/RL
Europeans Probe Baltic Cable Damage As Suspicions Turn Toward Russia
European government and the United States have accused Russia of intensifying "hybrid attacks" following reports that Baltic Sea fiber-optic communications cables were damaged by suspected sabotage, although they have not yet directly tied Moscow to the damage.
Moscow has long denied it is involved in sabotaging Western infrastructure to punish European countries for their assistance to Ukraine's defense, but suspicions grew in Western capitals on November 19 that damage to two key Baltic Sea cables were likely the result of deliberate actions.
Ukraine's allies pointed to past incidents of alleged sabotage by Moscow, especially following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has hit the 1,000-day mark amid devastating losses on both sides.
"Moscow's escalating hybrid activities against NATO and EU countries are also unprecedented in their variety and scale, creating significant security risks," the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Britain said in a statement.
"Our European security is not only under threat from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors. Safeguarding our shared critical infrastructure is vital to our security and the resilience of our societies," the statement said.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, during his regular daily briefing, said Washington generally is "incredibly" concerned about hybrid warfare conducted by Russian and that it remains in touch with European allies, although he did not directly mention the cable damages.
The comments come as regional states investigated the cutting of the Baltic cables -- one connecting Finland to Germany and one linking Sweden and Lithuania -- following similar suspicious occurrences in the sea in recent years.
"If Russia does not stop committing acts of sabotage in Europe, Warsaw will close the rest of [Russia’s] consulates in Poland," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.
Boris Pistorius, Germany defense chief, said, "No one believes that these cables were cut accidentally."
"We also have to assume, without knowing it yet, that it is sabotage," Pistorius said.
Swedish prosecutors and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation separately said national authorities had launched investigations into the cut cables.
Moscow has said such allegations are being fabricated by the West to discredit Russia.
CNN in September cited two U.S. officials as stating that Washington believed Moscow was likely to carry out sabotage operations, saying it had been bolstering its secretive marine unit that deploys ships, submarines, and drones to survey the Baltic seabed.
NATO stepped up monitoring critical infrastructure in the Baltic following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline seven months later.
A year ago, Finland said it couldn't exclude that a "state actor" was responsible for damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea.
With reporting by Reuters, CNN, and dpa
Russian Court Sends Bashkir Activist To 9 Years In Prison Amid Crackdown
A court in Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan on November 19 sentenced activist Marat Sharafutdinov, the final defendant in the high-profile Karmaskaly case, to nine years in prison.
The court found Sharafutdinov guilty of preparing to commit hooliganism on ethnic grounds and organizing an extremist organization's activities.
Investigators said the defendant was affiliated with the Bashqort organization that for decades promoted Bashkir language and culture but was banned in Russia and designated as extremist in May 2020.
The case dates back to November 7, 2020, when police and special forces detained about 50 Bashkir activists in the Karmaskaly district.
The reasons for the detentions remain disputed: Some sources claim the activists were attempting to mediate a conflict with the local Armenian community, while others suggest they were traveling to celebrate a holiday.
While in detention, several activists filed complaints with the Investigative Committee, alleging illegal actions by police and special forces.
However, in December 2020, the Investigative Committee declined to open a case, citing a lack of evidence of police wrongdoing.
Following additional complaints to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the case materials were sent for further review, but no substantive action was taken.
In January 2021, authorities conducted additional searches and detentions. Law enforcement alleged that weapons and ammunition, including a sawed-off shotgun and gunpowder, were found during the raids. Activists and their families claimed these items were planted by the authorities.
Sharafutdinov was detained on January 13, 2021. His lawyers later stated he had been subjected to violence during interrogations, including blows to the head. In August 2021, Sharafutdinov was reportedly sent to a psychiatric hospital in Bashkortostan for "treatment" due to an alleged "exacerbation of illness."
His case was separated into individual proceedings in August 2021 and subsequently suspended. It was reopened by early 2023, with the trial beginning in August of that year. The hearings were delayed multiple times for various reasons, including Sharafutdinov's health issues.
Other defendants in the Karmaskaly case previously received suspended sentences. However, Sharafutdinov's trial ended with a nine-year prison sentence. His defense team has said it will appeal.
Sharafutdinov’s relatives and supporters have described the sentence as unjust.
Bashkir activists fear the case, along with other high-profile prosecutions, could pave the way for broader crackdowns on former members of Bashqort.
The case has drawn significant public attention, highlighting ongoing tensions between activists and authorities in Bashkortostan.
No Charges Filed Against Iranian Woman Who Disrobed In Apparent Protest
No charges have been brought against the Iranian woman who disrobed in an apparent protest outside her Tehran university, a spokesman for the judiciary said, adding that she had been released from the hospital to her family.
"Given that she has been sent to the hospital and it has been determined that she is sick, she has been handed over to the family and they are currently taking care of her," Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told a news conference on November 19.
The spokesman added that "no judicial case has been filed against this student." It wasn't immediately clear if the comments meant that the case had been permanently closed.
The woman was identified as Ahoo Bahari, a student from the science and research department of Tehran Azad University.
She took off her clothes in public on November 3 in an apparent protest at the university and was arrested shortly afterward.
The circumstances that led to her taking off her clothes remain unclear, but witnesses say she was harassed by the university's security officers over what she had been wearing. One video showed officers violently forcing the unidentified woman into a car.
Reports in Iranian media later alleged she was suffering from mental illness and that she was taken to a psychiatric hospital.
Video footage posted online raised concerns of the woman's safety from international rights groups, who condemned her treatment and demanded her immediate release.
Amnesty International said it had previously published evidence of the government's crackdown on protesters under the pretext of "mental disorders" that needed to be "treated."
Rights groups and Iranian activists have long assailed the government of the conservative Muslim nation for attacks on protesters, often targeting those who challenge strict laws governing women’s dress in public.
New laws increase prison terms and fines for women and girls who breach the dress code in the wake of the mass Women, Life, Freedom protests that followed the death of a young woman while in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation.
Serbia, Kazakhstan Strengthen Economic Ties Amid Toqaev's Visit To Belgrade
BELGRADE -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev have pledged to strengthen economic cooperation between their countries during Toqaev's first visit to Serbia as the Central Asian country's president. At a joint press conference on November 19, Toqaev highlighted the commitment of both nations to expand their bilateral relations, focusing on key sectors such as industry, mining, and health care. Vucic emphasized the deep political and historical bonds between the two countries, pointing to Kazakhstan's longstanding support for Serbia, referencing Kazakhstan’s non-recognition of Kosovo's independence declared in 2008. The two sides signed 10 agreements and memorandums, aiming to foster cooperation in various fields. These include readmission, defense collaboration, and the peaceful exploration and use of outer space. Serbia and Kazakhstan already share a military-technical cooperation agreement, signed in November 2013 and in effect since July 2021. However, the deal has drawn criticism from the European Union, as Serbia’s agreements with third countries will need to be reevaluated if it joins the EU. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.
Jailed Tajik MMA Fighter, Blogger Chorshanbiev's Sentence Extended
Popular Tajik MMA fighter and blogger Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev, who was sentenced in 2022 to 8 1/2 years in prison on charges he and his supporters call politically motivated, has received an additional four-year term for his involvement in a prison fight.
Chorhsanbiev was convicted in a closed trial for "actions disrupting prison operations," Tajik journalist Anora Sarkorova and two sources close to Tajik law enforcement structures told RFE/RL on November 18.
With the new sentence, part of which will be served concurrently, Chorhsanbiev now faces a total of 12 1/2 years behind bars, of which more than two years have been served.
Sarkorova cited her sources in the Justice Ministry as saying that prison officials were instructed to provoke Chorhsanbiev, allegedly to justify extending his sentence. Reports also detail his repeated solitary confinement and physical abuse, including punishment for speaking his native Pamiri dialect of Persian during family visits.
Chorhsanbiev was initially convicted for alleged calls for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order.
The primary evidence was a November 2021 video in which he discussed events in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). Authorities deemed the video an incitement to protests against the state. Chorhsanbiev denied the charges, asserting that his statements were misinterpreted.
In December 2021, Chorhsanbiev was deported from Russia for alleged traffic violations. Upon arrival in Dushanbe, he was detained by military personnel at the airport.
The case is rooted in the November 2021 unrest in GBAO that was sparked by the death of 29-year-old Gulbiddin Ziyobekov during a security operation.
Mass protests erupted, with demonstrators bringing Ziyobekov’s body to government offices, demanding accountability. The protests, which lasted four days, turned violent at times, resulting in three deaths and injuries to around 10 protesters and five security personnel.
Tensions between the government and residents of the restive GBAO have simmered ever since a five-year civil war broke out shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Gorno-Badakhshan, a linguistically and ethnically distinct region, was home to rebels who opposed government forces during the conflict.
While it occupies almost half of the entire country, its population is a mere 250,000. The region is difficult to travel around because of the mountainous terrain, while its economy is wracked by unemployment, difficult living conditions, and high food prices.
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