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- By RFE/RL
COVID-19: One Iranian 'Dying Every 10 Minutes'; Romania Urges Expats To Stay Away
The global coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 230,000 people 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.
Iran
The death toll from the coronavirus in Iran continues to rise as the worst-affected country in the Middle East prepares for scaled-down celebrations of Norouz, the Persian New Year.
"With 149 new fatalities in the past 24 hours, the death toll from the virus has reached 1,284," Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said on state television on March 19.
“Unfortunately, we have had 1,046 new cases of infection since yesterday,” Raisi added.
Iran has the third-highest number of registered cases after China and Italy.
With the country reeling from the outbreak, officials have recommended that Iranians stay home during the March 20 holiday, a time when hundreds of thousands usually travel to be with friends and relatives.
The government has closed schools at all levels, banned sports and cultural events, and curtailed religious activities to try and slow the spread of the virus.
Kianoush Jahanpour, the head of the Health Ministry's public relations and information center , noted on March 19 that the data on the outbreak means an Iranian dies every 10 minutes from COVID-19, while 50 infections occur each hour of the day.
"With respect to this information, people must make a conscious decision about travel, traffic, transportation, and sightseeing," he added.
Despite the dire circumstances, many Iranians were angered by the temporary closure of Shi'ite sites, prompting some earlier this week to storm into the courtyards of two major shrines -- Mashhad's Imam Reza shrine and Qom's Fatima Masumeh shrine.
Crowds typically pray there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, touching and kissing the shrine. That's worried health officials, who for weeks ordered Iran's Shi'ite clergy to close them.
Earlier on March 19, officials announced that the country wouldn’t mark its annual day celebrating its nuclear program because of the outbreak.
Georgia
The Georgian government has ordered the closure of shops except grocery stores and pharmacies beginning March 20 to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The measure, announced on March 19, also exempts gas stations, post offices, and bank branches. The South Caucasus country has so far reported 40 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, and no deaths.
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia on March 19 said he would declare a state of emergency, as many countries in Europe already have, if health authorities advise him to do so.
"As of today, I would like to emphasize that there is no need for this. However, in agreement with the president, we have decided, as soon as that need arises, that we will be able to make this decision within a few hours," he said.
Romania
President Klaus Iohannis has urged Romanians working abroad to refrain from traveling home for the Orthodox Easter amid fears of a worsening of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Romania has been under a 30-day state of emergency since March 16.
Iohannis made the appeal in a televised speech on March 19 as thousands of workers returning from Western Europe were slowly crossing into Romania after having clogged Hungary's borders both to the west and the east for two days in a row.
Romania is the European Union's second-poorest country, and at least 4 million Romanians work abroad, according to estimates.
The bottlenecks were worsened by Hungary's decision to close its borders on very short notice from March 17 at midnight -- a measure relaxed by Budapest after consultations with the Romanian government.
"Romanians from abroad are dear to us, and we long to be with them for Easter," Iohannis said. "However, that won't be possible this year.... We must tell them with sadness but also with sincerity not to come home for the holidays," he added.
Some 12,500 mostly Romanian travelers had crossed into Romania in 4,600 vehicles as of the morning of March 19, Romanian border police said.
They said 180 people were immediately quarantined, while some 10,000 were ordered into self-isolation once they reached their destinations.
The rest were mostly travelers in transit toward Moldova and Bulgaria, according to the police.
Romania has confirmed 277 coronavirus cases.
One of the patients is in serious condition in intensive care, while 25 people have recovered, according to health authorities.
No deaths have been reported so far.
However, authorities are concerned that the massive number of Romanians returning, mostly from Italy and Spain -- the European countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic -- will lead to a spike in infections in the run-up to Orthodox Easter on April 19.
The Romanian military has started building an emergency hospital in Bucharest amid fears that the country's crumbling health-care system will not be able to cope with the outbreak.
Ukraine
Some 900 Ukrainians are embarking on March 19 on a train journey from Prague to Kyiv as part of an evacuation plan amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The train is set to travel through the Czech Republic and Poland, where it will make a stop at Przemysl, before heading to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv and the capital.
Yevhen Perebiynis, the Ukrainian ambassador to Prague, tweeted that more than 3,000 Ukrainians residing in the Czech Republic had asked to be evacuated.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Zhytomyr, Serhiy Sukhomlyn, said the city located 140 kilometers west of Kyiv recorded its first coronavirus infection.
Sukhomlyn said the patient, aged 56, had recently returned from Austria.
As of March 19, there were 21 confirmed cases of the respiratory illness in six regions and the capital, Kyiv, the Health Ministry said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine recorded its third death linked to COVID-19 in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region.
An elderly woman died one day after visiting a hospital with severe flu-like symptoms, according to the Health Ministry.
Russia
Russian officials have reported the country's first death connected to the coronavirus outbreak, but quickly backtracked, saying an elderly woman perished due to a detached blood clot.
The Moscow health department said on March 19 that the 79-year-old, who had tested positive for COVID-19, died in a Moscow hospital from pneumonia related to the virus.
Svetlana Krasnova, head doctor at Moscow's hospital No. 2 for infectious diseases, said in a statement that the woman had been admitted with "a host of chronic diseases," including type 2 diabetes and heart problems.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin then confirmed the coronavirus-releated death, saying on Twitter, "Unfortunately, we have the first loss from the coronavirus infection."
Hours later, however, health officials put out another statement saying an autopsy had confirmed the woman had died of a blood clot.
A subsequent official tally of the number of official coronavirus cases in Russia showed 199 confirmed infections but no deaths.
It was not clear whether the woman's death would eventually be counted as a result of the virus.
Though President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that the situation was "generally under control," many Russians have shown a distrust for official claims over the virus, and fear the true situation is much worse than they are being told.
Amid a recent rise in the number of cases, officials have temporarily barred entry to foreigners and imposed restrictions on flights and public gatherings.
The national health watchdog on March 19 tightened restrictions for all travellers from abroad with a decree requiring "all individuals arriving to Russia" to be isolated, either at home or elsewhere.
Russia Rushes To Build Hospital For COVID-19 Treatment
Serbia
Serbia has closed its main airport for all passenger flights and said it will shut its borders for all but freight traffic in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The government banned commercial flights to and from the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade on March 19.
However, the airport will remain open to humanitarian and cargo flights, according to the Ministry of Construction, Traffic, and Infrastructure.
Later in the day, President Aleksandar Vucic said that as of March 20, Serbia's border crossings will be closed for all passenger road and rail transport.
"Nothing but trucks will be allowed to enter," Vucic said. "From noon tomorrow we will also halt commercial passenger transport inside the country."
The move comes after some 70,000 Serbs working in Western Europe and their families returned to Serbia in the last few days despite appeals by authorities not to do so.
Serbia currently has 103 confirmed coronavirus cases, with no fatalities.
The Balkan country had already imposed a state of emergency, introduced a night curfew for all citizens, and ordered the elderly to stay indoors.
Pakistan
Authorities in Pakistan have closed shrines of Sufi saints in the capital, Islamabad, and elsewhere while access to museums, archaeological, and tourist sites have been banned as confirmed coronavirus cases jumped to 301, mostly in pilgrims returning from Iran.
Two Pakistanis who had returned from Saudi Arabia and Dubai became the country's first victims when they died on March 18 in the northwest.
Schools have already been shut in Pakistan.
Thousands of Pakistanis, mostly pilgrims, have been placed into quarantine in recent weeks at the Taftan border crossing in the country's southwestern province of Balochistan after returning from Iran, one of the world's worst affected countries.
Pakistani authorities on March 19 plan to quarantine hundreds more pilgrims who returned from Iran. These pilgrims will be kept at isolated buildings in central Pakistan for 14 days.
Uzbekistan
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev’s influential son-in-law says police have identified individuals who allegedly published the names of Uzbek nationals who tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Otabek Umarov, who is also the deputy head of the president’s personal security, said on Instagram that officials are now trying to determine the legality of the perpetrators’ actions.
A joint working group set up by the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor-General’s Office has also identified 33 social media accounts involved in “disseminating false information that provokes panic among people,” Umarov wrote.
He called the accounts a “betrayal” of the country and a matter of “national security.”
Umarov’s comments come amid a campaign by the Uzbek government to crack down on information that incites panic and fear among the public amid the coronavirus crisis.
On March 16, the country’s Justice Ministry said that, according to Uzbek law, those involved in preparing materials with the intention of inciting panic -- and those storing such materials with the intent to distribute them -- will face up to $9,400 in fines or up to three years in prison.
Those who spread such information through media and the Internet face up to eight years in prison, the ministry added.
The statement came a day after the Central Asian nation announced its first confirmed coronavirus infection, which prompted the government to introduce sweeping measures to contain the outbreak, including closing its borders, suspending international flights, closing schools, and banning public gatherings.
The number of infections had risen to 23 as of the morning of March 19, the Health Ministry said.
The ministry said that the 23 individuals are all Uzbek nationals who had returned home from Europe, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Health Ministry regularly updates its social media accounts with information on the outbreak in Uzbekistan. Posts are frequently accompanied by the hashtag “quarantine without panic” in both Uzbek and Russian.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
The Kazakh national currency, the tenge, has continued to weaken sharply as the number of coronavirus cases in the oil-rich Central Asian nation reached 44.
Many exchange points in Nur-Sultan, the capital, and the former Soviet republic's largest city, Almaty, did not sell U.S. dollars or euros on March 19, while some offered 471 tenges for $1, more than 25 percent weaker than in early March when the rate was around 375 tenges.
The tenge has plunged to all-time lows in recent days following an abrupt fall in oil prices and chaos in the world's stock markets caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
The Kazakh Health Ministry said on March 19 that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country had increased by seven to 44.
In neighboring Kyrgyzstan, three people, who returned home from Saudi Arabia several days ago, tested positive for the virus, which led to three villages being sealed off in the southern Jalal-Abad region.
In two other Central Asian nations, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, no coronavirus cases have been officially recorded to date.
Armenia
A relative of an Armenian woman blamed for spreading the coronavirus in the South Caucasus country alleges that criminal offenses have been committed against members of their family.
It emerged last week that the woman had traveled from Italy before attending a family gathering with dozens of guests in the city of Echmiadzin, disregarding health warnings about the coronavirus pandemic.
The woman, whose name was not released, later tested positive for the virus and was hospitalized. Dozens of other people who attended the gathering were placed under a 14-day quarantine.
Armenia has reported a total of 122 cases so far, including dozens in Echmiadzin. It has not yet reported any deaths.
Echmiadzin was locked down and a nationwide state of emergency has been announced in a bid to slow the spread of infection in Armenia.
Many on social media in Armenia expressed anger over what they said was irresponsible behavior by the woman.
Some ridiculed the woman and used offensive language against her. A photo of her also was posted online.
The woman’s lawyer, Gohar Hovhannisian, said that one of her relatives who lives abroad filed a complaint with the public prosecutor on March 17.
The complaint alleges that personal information about infected people was illegally obtained and published by the press and social media along with insults and photographs.
"It affects the mental state of a person. Imagine that a person is sick and such language is used against her or him and her or his personal data are published," Hovhannisian said.
The Prosecutor-General's Office forwarded the report to police to investigate the case.
Human rights activist Zaruhi Hovhannisian, who is not related to the lawyer, noted that the protection of personal data is enshrined in Armenia’s law. He said that disclosure of personal data in this case made it possible to identify the infected woman.
"Moreover, under the law on medical care and public services it is forbidden to disclose medical secrets, talk about people’s medical examinations and the course of their treatment as well as to pass these data to third parties," the activist said.
Earlier this week, a shop owner in Yerevan filed a complaint with police alleging that he had been attacked by three relatives of the woman in question for posting a joke about her on Facebook.
Police said they had identified and questioned three people over that complaint. But the authorities did not reveal their identities.
Azerbaijan
The Azerbaijani capital, Baku, has been sealed off to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the South Caucasus state.
According to a government decision, as of March 19 entrance to Baku, the nearby city of Sumqayit, and the Abseron district has been banned for all cars, except ambulances, cargo trucks, and vehicles carrying rescue teams and road accident brigades. The measure will run until at least March 29.
All railway links between Baku, Sumqayit and the Abseron district, and the rest of the country were also suspended.
Azerbaijan has reported 34 confirmed coronavirus cases, with one fatality.
In neighboring Armenia, where authorities announced a state of emergency until April 16, the number of coronavirus cases is 115.
Elsewhere in the South Caucasus, Georgia, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases reached 40.
Afghanistan
The United States is temporarily suspending the movement of new soldiers into Afghanistan as a way of protecting them from the coronavirus outbreak.
U.S. Army General Scott Miller said in a March 19 statement that the move could mean that some of the troops already on the ground in Afghanistan may have their deployments extended to ensure that the NATO-led Resolute Support mission continues.
"To preserve our currently healthy force, Resolute Support is making the necessary adjustments to temporarily pause personnel movement into the theater," he said.
“We are closely monitoring, continually assessing and adjusting our operations so we can continue to protect the national interests of the NATO allies and partners here in Afghanistan," he added.
About 1,500 troops and civilians who recently arrived in Afghanistan have been quarantined, Miller said, stressing that this was purely a precautionary measure and “not because they are sick.”
Earlier this month, the United States began reducing its troop presence in Afghanistan as part of a peace deal signed in February with the Taliban.
The agreement sees an initial reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from about 13,000 to 8,600 soldiers.
Miller did not mention the agreement in his statement.
So far, 21 U.S. and coalition staff exhibiting flu-like symptoms are in isolation and receiving medical care, Miller’s statement said.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Romanian, and Uzbek services, AP, AFP, Reuters, Digi24.ro, G4media.ro, and Hotnews.ro
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Ukrainian Oligarch Firtash Among 8 Hit By Latest U.K. Sanctions
Influential Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash is among eight people targeted by fresh British sanctions that accuse the group, which includes his wife, Lada, of large-scale, international corruption.
Angolan-Russian billionaire Isabel dos Santos and Latvian politician and businessman Aivars Lembergs are also among those hit by the new sanctions announced on November 21.
The British government accuses Firtash of bribing officials to secure mining licenses for his companies and profiting illegally from Ukraine's gas-transportation system.
Firtash is also linked to financier Denys Horbunenko, a resident of the United Kingdom who was added to the sanctions list on November 21 for his association with Firtash.
Firtash has faced legal scrutiny in Ukraine over embezzlement and money-laundering accusations involving fraudulent gas-trading schemes.
The United States has been seeking his extradition from Austria on charges of bribing Indian officials.
Firtash, who gained prominence in the 2000s through his joint venture RosUkrEnergo with Russian energy giant Gazprom, has denied allegations of working in Russia's interests.
Dos Santos, daughter of former Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, is Africa's first female billionaire. She is accused of corruption in Angola, where she allegedly exploited her political connections for personal gain.
Dos Santos claims she has held Russian citizenship since birth, as she was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 1973 under the former Soviet Union.
Lembergs, a former populist mayor of the Latvian city of Ventspils, has been convicted in Latvia of corruption and sentenced to five years in prison. He claims the charges against him are politically motivated.
The sanctions are part of a British efforts to combat international corruption and disrupt the financial networks of individuals accused of abusing their power for personal enrichment.
The measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and restricting these individuals from accessing the U.K.'s financial system or entering the country.
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ICC Issues Warrants For Israel's Netanyahu, Gallant, Hamas Military Leader
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on November 21 issued arrests warrants for Muhammad Deif, a military commander of U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group Hamas, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
All three are accused of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes connected to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and Israel's subsequent military intervention in the Gaza Strip.
The announcement follows the statement by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in May that he was seeking arrest warrants for those responsible for alleged crimes in connection with the war in Gaza.
Israel has not recognized the ICC's jurisdiction. The court has said Israel's acceptance of the court's jurisdiction is not required.
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Russian Art Museum Raided Amid Investigation Of Former Director
Russian police have conducted searches at the PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art in the city of Perm, as well as at the home of its current director, in connection with a case against former director Marat Gelman, REN-TV reported, citing anonymous sources.
The PERMM Museum announced on social media that it would remain closed until 3 p.m. local time due to "technical reasons."
Gelman, a well-known art dealer who currently lives in Montenegro, where he owns an art gallery, was placed on Russia’s federal wanted list in December 2022 under a criminal charge, though details of the accusation remain unclear.
In an interview with Current Time, Gelman suggested that the charges might be in connection with him "discrediting" the Russian military, a common pretext used against critics of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Gelman has been a vocal member of the Anti-War Committee and a member of the Permanent Committee of the Free Russia Forum. He has repeatedly expressed his support for Ukraine and his opposition to Russia's war efforts.
The raid in Perm is part of a broader pattern of increasing pressure on Gelman. In the past week, he was added to Russia's list of "terrorists and extremists," with a designation indicating an ongoing criminal case against him.
Critics argue this move is part of a crackdown on anti-war activists and dissenting voices within and beyond Russia.
With reporting by REN-TV
Serbia Arrests 11 Over Train Station Roof Collapse That Killed 15
The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced on November 21 that 11 people were arrested after being found responsible for the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in Serbia's second-largest city.
The huge canopy collapsed on November 1, killing 15 people and seriously injuring another two.
The accident occurred after the railway station, built in 1964, had been renovated twice in recent years by a consortium of four companies -- China Railway International and China Communications Construction, France's Egis, and Hungary's Utiber.
Among those arrested are former Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic, and the ex-director of Railway Infrastructure, Jelena Tanaskovic.
They face charges of committing criminal acts against public security, endangering the public, and irregular construction work, the prosecutor said in a statement, adding that they faced up to 12 years in prison.
The arrests came after public protests that turned violent demanded the punishment of those responsible amid accusations of corruption that resulted in substandard renovation work on the railway station.
In a message on X, Vesic wrote that he had not been arrested, but had "voluntarily responded to the call of the police officers" and "made himself available to police authorities."
Vesic, an official from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, resigned after the accident on November 4 but said he did not accept blame for the accident.
Tomislav Momirovic, who headed the Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Ministry from 2020 to 2022, submitted his resignation as trade minister on November 20.
The same day, Tanaskovic resigned as head of Serbian Railway Infrastructure.
Opposition politicians have voiced scepticism about the arrests and demanded that the case be handed over to organized-crime prosecutors.
Belarusian Opposition Leader Condemns Extradition Of Activist From Vietnam
The office of Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has issued a statement condemning the recent extradition from Vietnam to Belarus of Vasil Verameychyk, who fought on the Ukrainian side against invading Russian troops.
Verameychyk, who moved to Vietnam after he was denied permission to settle in Lithuania because of he had previously served in the Belarusian Army, was detained in Vietnam earlier this year.
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Despite international appeals, Vietnamese authorities proceeded with his extradition in late October 2024.
Tsikhanouskaya's office described the extradition as a direct consequence of the repressive policies of the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, highlighting the regime's efforts to target opponents beyond its borders.
The statement emphasizes the urgent need for stronger international mechanisms to protect human rights, not only for Belarusians fleeing repression but also for those supporting Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia's ongoing invasion.
It calls on the international community to adopt individualized approaches when reviewing cases for international protection, end cooperation with the Belarusian security forces, and suspend bilateral agreements on extradition and legal assistance with Belarus.
Additionally, the statement advises Belarusians abroad to remain vigilant against potential actions by Lukashenka's security services.
It recommends consulting resources like Pashpart.org to identify countries deemed unsafe for Belarusians at risk of persecution.
Jailed Russian Mathematician Miftakhov Placed In Solitary Confinement
Russian mathematician and political prisoner Azat Miftakhov has been placed in solitary confinement for seven days.
According to a support group for Miftakhov, the decision came after he reported feeling endangered by his current cellmate.
In a letter shared by the group, Miftakhov explained that instead of being transferred to another cell, he was put in solitary confinement.
It remains unclear whether Miftakhov will be returned to the same cell after completing his time in solitary.
His support group says that his cellmate appears to be mentally ill. Miftakhov said that the man had undergone treatment while in pretrial detention but was nonetheless sentenced to more than 10 years in prison and is now being held in a general cell without access to medical care.
Miftakhov is currently serving his sentence in a prison in Dimitrovgrad in the Ulyanovsk region. In March 2023, he was sentenced to four years in prison for "justifying terrorism."
The charges stemmed from comments Miftakhov allegedly made while serving a previous sentence expressing support for Mikhail Zhlobitsky, who carried out a suicide bombing in 2018 at a Federal Security Service building in Arkhangelsk. Only Zhlobitsky was killed in the bombing.
Before this, Miftakhov served five years and nine months on charges of hooliganism for allegedly participating in an attack on a Moscow office of the ruling United Russia party in 2018.
He and his supporters have maintained his innocence, stating that he was tortured during the investigation and coerced into signing a confession, which he retracted.
In 2019, the Russian human rights organization Memorial recognized Miftakhov as a political prisoner.
Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Firing Intercontinental Ballistic Missile In 'Massive' Attack
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.
"On the morning of November 21, 2024...Russian troops attacked the city of Dnipro (facilities and critical infrastructure) with missiles of various types. In particular, an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation," the air force said in its statement on Telegram.
The Kremlin has refused to comment on the alleged firing of the ICBM.
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, Russian aircraft also launched a hypersonic Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile and seven subsonic 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.
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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 this week, Ukraine reportedly used ATACMS to strike a military facility in Russia's Bryansk region after Biden was reported as 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 use Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike inside its territory would mark a serious escalation of the conflict.
On November 21, Moscow said a new U.S. missile defence base in the Polish town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, which was opened on November 13 as part of a broader NATO missile shield, will lead to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger.
"This is another frankly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilising actions by the Americans and their allies in the North Atlantic alliance in the strategic sphere," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"This leads to undermining strategic stability, increasing strategic risks and, as a result, to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger," Zakharova said.
Poland rejected the claim, saying there were no nuclear missiles at the base.
"It is a base that serves the purpose of defense, not attack," Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski said on NOvember 21.
Amid growing tensions, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv closed down 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.
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.
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
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