News
Iranian Rapper Previously Sentenced To Death Released From Prison
Toomaj Salehi, an Iranian rapper who was acquitted in court after being sentenced to death over his protest songs against the Islamic republic, was released from custody on December 1, a news agency linked to the judiciary reported. Mizan quoted the Isfahan judiciary as saying that “Salehi, sentenced to one year in prison for the crime of propaganda against the state, was released from prison after serving his sentence.” Salehi was sentenced to death by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court in May on a "corruption on Earth” charge, but the Supreme Court overturned the punishment. Salehi was arrested in October 2022 after making statements in support of protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died in police custody for allegedly wearing her head scarf improperly. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.
Serbia's Vucic Says Probe Launched Into Explosion Kosovo Blames On Belgrade
BELGRADE -- Serbia is conducting a "serious investigation" into the explosion on the Ibar-Lepenac Canal in Kosovo, President Aleksandar Vucic said as he again rejected accusations by Pristina that his government was involved in the attack.
"Belgrade and Serbia had no knowledge [of the incident], nor would it ever occur to us to do that, and we will prove it,” Vucic said in a public address on December 1, without providing details.
“We have some suspicions, but we will not talk about them. We have information about who might be the perpetrator," he added.
Vucic emphasized that he "does not want to say that [Kosovo Prime Minister Albin] Kurti organized everything" but said the investigation "will show everything."
He also accused Kurti of using the incident to bolster his grip on the north of Kosovo, where a local Serbian majority refuses to recognize the government in Pristina and looks to Belgrade as their capital.
Vucic said Serbia is ready to work with the European Union, NATO-led KFOR, and even Pristina in the investigation.
The explosion on November 29 struck a canal that sends water to Kosovo's two coal-fired power plants -- which account for most of the country's power output -- and provides much of Kosovo's water supply.
Kurti called the blast a "criminal and terrorist attack" by northern neighbor and bitter rival Serbia, without providing evidence, and said the attack aimed to "damage perhaps the most important infrastructure" in the country.
On November 30, Kosovo said it had arrested eight people on charges related to the blast. Police alleged that most of those detained belonged the ethnic-Serbian group Civilna Zastita (Civil Protection), which Kosovo has declared a terrorist organization.
The EU, without placing blame, on November 30 denounced the explosion at the Kosovo canal as a "terrorist act."
"It is a despicable act of sabotage on Kosovo's critical civilian infrastructure, which provides drinking water for considerable part of Kosovo's population and is a vital component of Kosovo's energy system," the bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a statement.
Washington also condemned the attack, with spokesman Matthew Miller saying, “We will support efforts to find and punish those responsible and appreciate all offers of support to that effort.”
Tensions are habitually high between the two Balkan neighbors. Serbia has not recognized Kosovo's independence, which it declared in 2008.
Kosovo has an ethnic Serbian majority in several districts, while ethnic Albanians overwhelmingly populate the rest of the Balkan country.
With reporting by Reuters
RFE/RL Journalist Arrested, Beaten During Protests In Georgian Capital, Lawyer Says
TBILISI -- An RFE/RL journalist says he was beaten and arrested by security forces as he walked near Georgia's parliament in Tbilisi.
Jano Chkadua, a lawyer for Beka Beradze, told RFE/RL that his client said he was walking in the vicinity of an anti-government rally early on December 1 when he was seized by security personnel.
Details remain scarce, but Beradze told his lawyer he was not working at the time and was walking with friends near his home in the area of the protests sparked by a government decision this week to halt the country's European Union membership drive until 2028.
After being seen by a doctor, Beradze was transferred to a temporary detention center, Chkadua said.
Chkadua told RFE/RL that Beradze had noticeable injuries on the right side of his forehead.
"When they discovered he was a journalist at RFE/RL, they became more aggressive and began beating him. He was then thrown into a minivan with other detainees and beaten for about an hour," Chkadua alleged.
The allegations could not immediately be confirmed.
The Ministry of Health said 44 people had been injured overnight on November 30-December 1.
More than 100 people have been arrested in the past three days, according to authorities, as Georgia has been thrown into turmoil since the Russian-friendly Georgian Dream party claimed victory in disputed parliamentary elections in October.
Pro-Europe Georgians have also been angered by an announcement from Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze that his government was suspending EU accession talks and would reject budgetary grants from Brussels "until the end of 2028."
Georgia's Interior Ministry has claimed that protesters have “verbally and physically” assaulted police officers and had thrown various objects at security forces.
However, various videos from the rally showed police beating protesters.
Reacting to the crackdown, Kobakhidze suggested on November 30 that there were "isolated" incidents of police brutality but "systemic violence" against security forces by protesters.
The United States, meanwhile, on November 30 condemned Georgian authorities for what it called "the excessive use of force by police against Georgians seeking to exercise their rights to assembly and expression."
Serbian Protesters' 'Red Messages' Mark Month Since Deadly Rail Station Accident
Thousands of Serbs marched to mark one month since the collapse of a concrete train station canopy that killed 15 people in the city of Novi Sad, with youth groups joining a procession from the station to central Freedom Square on December 1. During the walk, marchers stopped 15 times and silently paid respects to each of the 15 fatalities. Red paint representing blood was spread as "red messages" to the authorities. The November 1 incident has turned into a political headache for President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling party, with protesters demanding those responsible be held accountable. The accident occurred after the railway station, built in 1964, had been renovated twice in recent years by a Chinese-led consortium. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.
Fresh Protests Erupt In Georgia As Demonstrators Block Public Broadcaster Building
TBILISI -- Georgia's prime minister has said President Salome Zurabishvili must leave office at the end of her term later this month, despite her pledge not to, while anti-government protesters -- who are supported by Zurabishvili -- took to the streets again, scuffling with security forces at key sites in the capital.
Demonstrators gathered on December 1 in the courtyard of the Channel 1 public broadcaster, blocking the entrance and vowing to stay until leaders of the organization resign.
Protesters also demanded the broadcaster report on the demonstrations of the pro-European groups as they stand opposed to the Russian-friendly Georgian Dream-led government.
Channel 1 said in a statement that "viewers are watching the unprecedented pressure” on its journalists.
"Channel 1 was and will remain free and will defend editorial independence despite any pressure," it said.
There were no immediate reports of arrests or injuries at that site or near the parliament building, but video by Current Time showed large crowds of protesters and security personnel facing off, with water cannons and tear gas being fired.
The Interior Ministry warned “the aggressive participants of the rally to stop illegal activities, otherwise the ministry will take appropriate measures granted by law."
It also warned parents to keep their children away from the “violent environment.”
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's comments earlier in the day set up a showdown with Zurabishvili, a day after she called the newly elected parliament illegitimate and vowed to remain as president. Demonstrations in the capital, Tbilisi, have turned increasingly chaotic and violent.
Georgia has plunged deeper into a political crisis that started in late October, when the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in parliamentary elections. The opposition said the vote was marred by fraud. Western countries have called for an investigation.
Thousands of demonstrators had returned to the streets of Tbilisi on November 30 for a third night to protest against the government's decision to suspend accession talks with the European Union.
In central Tbilisi, police fired tear gas and water cannons at demonstrators, some of whom chanted "traitors" and held photographs of journalists who they say were beaten by police. Demonstrators have erected barricades on Tbilisi's main avenue.
More than 200 people have been arrested in the past three days, officials said.
Zurabishvili, who has allied herself with pro-European opposition, asserted that parliament does not have the right to choose her successor following the end of her term in December and she vowed to remain in office.
"There is no legitimate parliament, and therefore, an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a new president," she said on November 30.
"Thus, no inauguration can take place, and my mandate continues until a legitimately elected parliament is formed," she said
On December 1, Kobakhidze dismissed her pledge, saying she would have to leave the office.
Kobakhidze also dismissed the United States' announcement that it would suspend its strategic partnership with Georgia. Calling it a "temporary event," he said his government would talk to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump when it takes office in January.
Kobakhidze also accused opponents of the halt to EU talks of plotting a revolt, along the lines of Ukraine's 2014 Euromaidan protests.
Sparked by the president's decision to spurn closer ties with the EU, months of protests in Kyiv culminated that February in violent street clashes. The president, Viktor Yanukovych, later fled the country.
"Some people want a repeat of that scenario in Georgia," he said. "But there will be no Maidan in Georgia."
A State Department spokesman criticized the decision to suspend EU talks, saying it "made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin."
"The United States condemns the excessive use of force by police against Georgians seeking to exercise their rights to assembly and expression, including their freedom to peacefully protest," Matthew Miller said in a statement.
U.S. authorities have sought to pressure Georgian officials, imposing sanctions on dozens of government officials whom Washington said had "undermined" democracy and human rights in the country.
The European Union's new foreign policy chief warned Georgian authorities over violence against demonstrators.
"It is clear that using violence against peaceful protesters is not acceptable, and the Georgian government should respect the will of the Georgian people," Kaja Kallas told journalists during a trip to Ukraine.
Putin Approves New Budget With Record Defense Spending
President Vladimir Putin has approved a new, multiyear budget that sets defense spending for next year at record-high levels, signaling no let-up in Russia's determination to defeat Ukraine.
The approved budget, which was published on the government’s main website on December 1, calls for 35.5 percent of all spending to be allocated for national defense in 2025. That’s up from a reported 28.3 precent this year.
The spending plan had been approved by both houses of Russia’s parliament over the previous 10 days. At 13.5 trillion rubles ($145 billion), defense-related spending is at a level not seen since the Cold War.
While the budget showcases the government’s intention to pump money into the armed forces and security agencies, it also shields up to a third of expenditures from public scrutiny – a break from past budgets.
The government has presented the draft budget as "balanced", with the deficit falling to 0.5 percent compared to this year's projected deficit of 1.7 percent.
The flood of government spending has caused the economy to wobble in recent months. Officials have steadily ratcheted up already high wages and benefits for volunteer soldiers to fight in Ukraine, a sign that recruiting efforts are growing more difficult as the war stretches on more than 32 months.
But that has resulted in labor shortages in many industries, driving up wages and prices. Prices for basic staples like potatoes or butter have skyrocketed in recent month. The unemployment rate has dropped to 2.4 percent
The central bank, meanwhile, has hiked interest rates to levels not seen in years, in a bid to cool down the economy. But that in turn has dampened real estate transactions -- as mortgages become unaffordable -- and prompted business leaders to grouse about the potential for bankruptcies.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which started in Feb. 2022, has become Europe’s biggest land war since World War II.
- By RFE/RL
Russian Drones Target Kyiv Overnight; 3 Killed In Southern City
Russia launched dozens of attack drones at the Ukrainian capital, officials said, in the latest of a series of air strikes that have battered Kyiv and its power grid.
No injuries were immediately reported in the December 1 attack. Ukrainian air defenses shot down about a dozen of the drones, military administrator Serhiy Popko said in a post to Telegram.
In the southern city of Kherson, however, Russian drones killed at least three people were killed and seven others were wounded, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
Ukraine’s air force said 78 drones in total were launched at targets across the country overnight, and it claimed 32 of them were intercepted or downed. Another 45 drones were "locationally lost," the force said, as a result of electronic jamming.
For months now, Russia has pummeled Ukraine with both drones and missiles, targeting not only military sites but also energy infrastructure in what appears to be an effort to demoralize and exhaust the civilian population.
Experts have warned that large parts of Ukraine could face heating or power outages or blackouts during the winter.
Ukraine has used its own drones to target Russian infrastructure and other sites across the border. In the Bryansk region, a child was reportedly killed by a Ukrainian drone early December 1, Governor Alexander Bogomaz said in post to Telegram.
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.
In Kyiv, meanwhile, the European Union's newest top officials arrived in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian leadership. The trip by European Council President Antonio Costa and Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, came on their first day in their new roles.
"From day one of the war, the EU has stood by the side of Ukraine," Costa said in post to X. "From day one of our mandate, we are reaffirming our unwavering support to the Ukrainian people."
Both Kallas and Costa have been strong supporters of Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion, and their visit comes as Kyiv struggles to hold off a relentless Russian offensive across large parts of the 1,100-kilometer front line.
The European Union says its institutions and member countries have provided around $133 billion in aid to Ukraine since the start of the all-out invasion.
"In my first visit since taking up office, my message is clear: the European Union wants Ukraine to win this war," Kallas wrote on X. "We will do whatever it takes for that."
Speaking to reporters after talks with the visiting EU officials, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy argued that an invitation to join NATO was necessary for his country’s survival. And he said there was still time for the United States to convince "skeptics" in Europe about membership in the alliance.
NATO has stated that Ukraine should eventually become a member of the alliance, but resistance from some European allies has resulted in little progress toward that goal. For its part, Moscow has cited Ukraine's potential membership as one of several justifications for launching its all-out invasion.
Zelenskiy also told reporters that an invitation to join must apply to all of Ukraine's territory. However, he conceded that the alliance’s defensive arrangement could not apply to the occupied parts of Ukraine.
With reporting by Current Time and Reuters
Ruling Social Democrats Take Early Lead, But Romanian Election Outcome Unsure
BUCHAREST -- Romania's ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) appears to have taken an early lead in pivotal parliamentary elections, which could determine the fate of the country’s pro-Western policies, including its future assistance to Ukraine.
The December 1 vote comes a week after the country’s disputed presidential election in which a pro-Russian, far-right candidate pulled off a surprise first-round victory.
With 27 percent of polling stations reporting, the left-leaning PSD led with 24.3 percent of the vote, with the far-right, ultranationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) next at 17.9 percent.
Experts caution that such early official results can be misleading as votes from the larger cities often come last and could move results sharply in either direction.
The official results reflect an exit poll conducted by CURS and released by Digi24 as voting ended at 9 p.m. in Bucharest, giving the PSD 26 percent, with the AUR next at 19 percent.
The Liberal Party (PNL) -- a junior coalition partner to the PSD – and the center-right Save Romania Union (USR) followed with about 15 percent each in the exit polls.
The party gaining the most votes will likely nominate the prime minister.
If no party -- as expected -- reaches a parliamentary majority, hard negotiations will follow on forming a government and could depend on the outcome of next week's presidential runoff.
Analysts have suggested a tenuous coalition could develop with the left-leaning PSD and the center-right PNL and USR combining forces. Such a development would help ensure Romania's pro-Western policies against the emerging far-right -- and often Russian-friendly -- parties.
Experts have cautioned that exit polls could be misleading following surprising results from the presidential first round a week earlier and the fact that crucial diaspora voting is not included in the polls.
Full results in the December 1 parliamentary elections -- which featured some 10,000 registered candidates -- are not likely to be known until at least midday on December 2, or even later.
Far-right candidates, who also performed surprisingly well in the presidential election first round, were expected to make gains in the parliamentary voting.
Turnout was reported at 52.36 percent, or about 9.43 million voters, the highest in parliamentary elections in 12 years, according to officials.
Turnout in the 2020 parliamentary vote was reported at 32 percent.
No major irregularities were reported by the early evening.
Diaspora results – with some 643,000 eligible voters – could play a key role, although it is unclear which parties foreign-based Romanians favor.
More than three dozen parties and coalitions, along with independent candidates, were competing for seats in the bicameral legislature: 329 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 136 in the Senate. Exit polls indicated similar voting patterns for both legislative bodies.
A preelection poll had showed the far-right AUR leading the pack with 22.4 percent backing, just ahead of the ruling Social Democrats at 21.4 percent.
The AUR has staked out anti-Western positions, questioning Romania's membership in the European Union and NATO, alongside xenophobic and other conspiratorial rhetoric.
Under outgoing President Klaus Iohannis, Romania has been a strong supporter of NATO, as well as neighboring Ukraine in its fight against the 2 1/2-year-old Russian invasion.
A shift toward more Russian-friendly leaders could endanger support for Ukraine, analysts say.
The center-right USR, meanwhile, was polling at 17.5 percent, according to the survey. Its candidate for president, Elena Lasconi, will face pro-Russian, far-right candidate Calin Georgescu in the December 8 runoff vote.
The Liberal Party was listed at 13.4 percent.
Along with the divide between the East and West, Romanians have expressed concerns about the country's ailing economy and rampant corruption.
The diaspora vote is also expected to be heavy. By 7 p.m. Romania time, officials said more than 115,000 Romanians had cast ballots voted in Italy, 110,000 in Britain, and 108,000 in Germany.
Moldova is a key voting space for Romanian elections. Most of Moldova was part of Romania until the end of World War II and many Moldovans also hold Romanian citizenship.
By 7:30 p.m., officials reported that more than 73,000 Romanian citizens had voted in Moldova. In last week’s presidential election, more than 80,000 cast ballots in the country.
Experts have voiced caution about preelection polling figures, pointing to Georgescu's unexpected victory in the first round of the presidential vote on November 24.
Lasconi, a small-town mayor who is a vocal supporter of Romania's NATO and EU alliances, finished second in that vote, barely beating leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
The Central Election Bureau has begun a court-ordered recount of all ballots cast in the first round, as accusations swirled that Georgescu illegally used TikTok to boost his campaign, among other alleged irregularities.
The Constitutional Court is expected to validate the first-round results on December 2 after the parliamentary vote is completed, people familiar with the court’s plans told RFE/RL's Romanian Service.
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service
Moscow Bars, Nightclubs Raided Amid Crackdown On LGBT Community
Moscow police on November 30 raided several bars and nightclubs in the Russian capital as part of the government’s crackdown on “LGBTQ+ propaganda,” state media reported. The Russian state-run TASS news agency said phones, laptops, and cameras were seized and club visitors had documents inspected. One year ago, Russia’s Supreme Court ruled to ban the “LGBTQ+ movement” as an “extremist organization." Russian authorities for years have engaged in a crackdown on LGBT rights throughout the country. Since December 2022, the dissemination of positive information about homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgenderism has been banned, subject to fines. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.
Georgian President Calls Parliament 'Illegitimate' As U.S. Suspends 'Strategic Partnership'
TBILISI -- Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, an ardent critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, called the nation’s parliament illegitimate and vowed to remain in office when her term ends next month, while Washington said it was suspending its "strategic partnership" with the country.
Georgia has been thrown into turmoil since parliamentary elections in October -- in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote -- with the opposition and Western governments arguing that the poll was marred by violations and Russian influence.
Zurabishvili on November 30 said the “illegitimate” chamber does not have the right to choose her successor following the end of her term in December and vowed to remain in office.
"There is no legitimate parliament, and therefore, an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a new president,” Zurabishvili said.
“Thus, no inauguration can take place, and my mandate continues until a legitimately elected parliament is formed," she added, setting up a likely showdown over the office with Georgian Dream.
Separately, Washington blasted the security measures used against Georgians who have taken to the streets following the disputed elections and after a November 28 announcement by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze that his government was suspending EU accession talks and would reject budgetary grants from Brussels "until the end of 2028."
"The United States condemns the excessive use of force by police against Georgians seeking to exercise their rights to assembly and expression, including their freedom to peacefully protest," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
"By suspending Georgia’s EU accession process, Georgian Dream has rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin," he said.
"Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership, which was based on shared values and commitments to democracy, rule of law, civil society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and anti-corruption efforts. As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism."
“We reiterate our call to the Georgian government to return to its Euro-Atlantic path, transparently investigate all parliamentary election irregularities, and repeal anti-democratic laws that limit freedoms of assembly and expression,” Miller added.
More than 100 people were detained in a massive pro-EU rally in Tbilisi on November 29 as Georgian police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters.
Georgia's Interior Ministry said protesters had “verbally and physically” assaulted police officers and had thrown various objects at security forces.
Various videos from the rally showed police officers beating protesters.
Reacting to the crackdown, Kobakhidze suggested on November 30 that there were "isolated" incidents of police brutality but "systemic violence" against security forces by protesters.
"On one side, there was violence, on the other side there were incidents," he said in a press conference.
The opposition called for renewed protests on November 30, with several thousand demonstrators gathering near the parliament waving EU and Georgian flags. Officials said protesters damaged walls of the legislative building using stones and other objects.
Police in riot gear used water cannons and tear gas to subdue the crowd shortly after midnight on December 1. Fires were also reported at the parliament grounds.
On the first night of protests, some 43 demonstrators were detained "as a result of illegal and violent actions,” according to the Interior Ministry.
Kobakhidze on November 30 said that a "difficult" few months lay ahead of Georgia but added that he expects relations with the West to "reset."
Zurabishvili, who has long sided with the protesters, condemned the "brutal and disproportionate attacks on the Georgian people and media," likening the crackdown on November 29 to "Russian-style repression."
The next day, she urged the Georgian diaspora to “wake up” and help protesters by speaking to the media and appealing to the authorities where they live.
“[You] can no longer be silent and pretend nothing is happening in the homeland,” she wrote on Facebook.
On November 28, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for new legislative elections in Georgia and sanctions on senior members of the Georgian Dream party.
In its resolution, the European Parliament said the election result election did "not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people."
It also called on the European Union, which froze Georgia's EU membership application last month, to place sanctions on key officials within the ruling party, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Gharibashvili, billionaire power broker and party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze.
Romanians Vote For Parliament Amid Ongoing Presidential Election Disputes
BUCHAREST -- Even as disputes remain over the first round of last week’s presidential election, Romanians return to the polls on December 1 to choose their parliamentary representatives as the battle between East and West rages in the Black Sea nation.
The country’s far-right and often pro-Russia elements -- which performed surprisingly well in the presidential election -- are expected to make gains in the parliamentary vote as well.
More than 10,000 candidates have registered to compete for seats in the bicameral parliament --329 seats in the lower house Chamber of Deputies and 136 in the Senate.
A poll conducted by AtlasIntel indicated the far-right, ultranationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) leading the pack with 22.4 percent backing, just ahead of the ruling the Social Democratic Party (PSD) at 21.4 percent.
The AUR has staked out strongly anti-Western positions, questioning Romania's membership in the European Union and NATO, alongside xenophobia and conspiratorial rabble-rousing.
Under incumbent Klaus Iohannis, Romania has been one of Kyiv's staunchest allies, but a shift toward more Russia-friendly leaders could endanger support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, analysts say.
The center-right Save Romania Union (USR) was at 17.5 percent. Elena Lasconi, a pro-West former small-town mayor for the USR, will compete on December 8 in a runoff presidential vote against pro-Russia, far-right candidate Calin Georgescu.
The Liberal Party (PNL) -- a junior coalition partner to the PSD – was listed at 13.4 percent.
If no party wins a majority of seats, coalition negotiations will follow. The party gaining the most votes would likely nominate the prime minister.
Along with the divide between the East and West, Romanians have expressed concerns about the ailing economy and rampant corruption.
Voting began late on November 30 among the Romanian diaspora, which may be pivotal in the parliamentary election -- although it is not initially clear which parties it will favor.
Moldova is a key voting space for Romanian elections. Most of Moldova was part of Romania until the end of World War II and many Moldovans also hold Romanian citizenship.
Political parties must capture at least 5 percent of the votes at a national level to qualify for parliament. Political alliances of two parties must attain 8 percent, alliances of three parties must get 9 percent, and alliances of four parties or more must achieve 10 percent.
Pre-vote polls may not be indicative of the final results, however.
In the November 24 presidential first round, independent candidate Georgescu shocked the field by coming from nowhere to lead the voting, gaining nearly 23 percent.
Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, finished second in that vote, barely beating favored leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the PSD and leading to the runoff against Georgescu.
Ciolacu resigned as PSD party leader following his disappointing showing in the presidential election.
Romania's Central Election Bureau has begun a court-ordered recount of all ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election, as accusations swirled that Georgescu illegally used TikTok to boost his campaign, among other alleged irregularities.
The Constitutional Court ordered the recount on November 28 after officials from the Supreme Council of National Defense demanded that the authorities take "urgent" steps, saying Georgescu was granted "preferential treatment" by the social media platform. TikTok has denied any wrongdoing.
Sources have told RFE/RL's Romanian Service that the Constitutional Court, which was originally set to validate the results of the first round of the election on November 29, will do so on December 2 after the parliamentary vote is completed.
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy.
Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.
- By RFE/RL
Polish PM Says Fortifications On Russian, Belarusian Borders Are 'Investment In Peace'
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in a visit to his country's border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, called the development of military fortifications there and along the frontier with Kremlin ally Belarus "an investment in peace." "Everything we are doing here is meant to deter and discourage any potential aggressor, which is why this is truly an investment in peace," Tusk told a news conference on November 30. "We will spend billions of zlotys on this -- but right now all of Europe is watching with great satisfaction and will support these investments and our actions if necessary." The project -- called East Shield -- is designed to eventually protect 800 kilometers along the NATO nation’s borders with Russia and Belarus.
Russian Warplanes Bomb Aleppo Rebels; Iran Says Consulate Attacked
Russian warplanes have joined Syrian air forces to bomb Islamist-led rebels who had taken much of the northwestern city of Aleppo in the biggest challenge to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule in the battle-torn Middle East nation in several years.
Iran, meanwhile, said on November 30 that the rebels had attacked its consulate in Aleppo, calling it "aggression by terrorist elements," although it said there were no injuries and provided few details about the incident.
The Russian and Iranian foreign ministers expressed support for longtime ally Syria, according to Iranian state media, which quoted Iran's Abbas Araqchi as telling Russia's Sergei Lavrov in a call that the attacks were part of an Israeli-U.S. plan to destabilize the region.
The air strikes came a day after Islamists and their Turkish-backed allies breached Syria's Aleppo in a surprise offensive against forces of the Assad government. Reports on the ground said the rebels had captured much of the city, although details remained sketchy.
The Syrian military confirmed that rebels had entered Aleppo. It did not confirm the air attacks, but Russia's Defense Ministry said its air force carried out strikes on the rebels.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on November 29 that Russia regarded the rebels’ actions as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.
"We are in favor of the Syrian authorities bringing order to the area and restoring constitutional order as soon as possible," he said.
Reuters quoted two Syrian military sources as saying that Russian and Syrian warplanes had targeted rebel sites in an Aleppo suburb on November 30. The sources said the Kremlin has promised Syria extra military aid, expected to arrive within two to three days.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the fighters, led by the Islamist extremist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement, took control of "half of the city of Aleppo," forcing government forces to pull back.
HTS in the past has had links to the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) extremist groups, although many leaders reportedly split off from those organizations. It was formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusrah and the Al-Nusrah Front, which was Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria and has been deemed a terrorist organization by the UN and the United States.
In May 2018, the U.S. State Department added HTS to the Al-Nusrah Front's existing December 2012 designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
The rebels’ offensive began on November 27, prompting the Syrian military to close all main roads in and out of the city.
Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the armed rebels had been preparing for the operation since September, but Turkey had so far prevented it from taking place.
The Aleppo violence breaks a pause in the Syrian civil war, which has been mainly quiet over the past four years.
The conflict involved the Assad government backed by Moscow and Tehran against Syrian-Kurdish rebels supported by the United States, while Turkey aided separate rebel groups. The U.S. military still has a number of troops deployed in Kurdish-held areas of Syria.
Terror organizations, including Islamic State, also were involved in fighting.
Russia, Turkey, and Iran signed an agreement in 2019 to freeze the conflict at then current positions.
The Syrian Observatory said at least 16 civilians were killed on November 30 when an air strike, likely carried out by Russian warplanes, hit Aleppo. It said the attack "targeted civilian vehicles" at an intersection, leaving an additional 20 people wounded.
This incident brings the total number of fatalities in the city over the past four days to 327.
The British-based observatory compiles its information from battlefield sources and has been influential throughout the Syrian civil war.
Syria’s army command acknowledged that rebels had entered Aleppo. Rebels had previously controlled the city before being driven out by Russia-backed forces eight years ago.
"The large numbers of terrorists and the multiplicity of battlefronts prompted our armed forces to carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening the defense lines in order to absorb the attack, preserve the lives of civilians and soldiers, and prepare for a counterattack," the Syrian Army said.
The fighting comes amid fears of a wider war in the Middle East.
Israeli forces in Gaza are battling extremists from Hamas – deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU – and a cease-fire hangs in the balance in Lebanon, where Israel has struck the leadership of Hezbollah, also designated a terrorist group by Washington. The EU blacklists Hezbollah’s military arm but not its political wing.
Israeli attacks have also taken place against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Trump Has Sought Orban's Take On Ukraine War, Sources Tell RFE/RL
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has held multiple phone conversations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban since winning the November 5 presidential election, according to sources who spoke to RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service.
Hungarian government sources said Trump has sought Orban’s opinion on ending the Ukraine war, which has continued to drag on since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
On the campaign trail, Trump criticized the billions of dollars that the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion.
He has also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.
Orban, who has maintained friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, has been critical of EU aid for Ukraine and has obstructed the bloc’s sanctions regime against Moscow.
Preparations are reportedly under way for Orban to take a second crack at a peace mission in December to bookend Hungary’s rotating EU presidency after his first attempt in July when Budapest’s tenure started.
In a move criticized by several EU leaders, Orban traveled to Moscow to meet Putin in July after a trip to Kyiv with a mystery cease-fire proposal for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He then traveled to China and finally the United States to meet Trump, who was then on the presidential campaign trail.
Details of a potential peace mission in December are not clear, but sources suggested to RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service that it may involve delivering Trump’s messages to Zelenskiy, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Serbia Denies It Was Behind Water Canal Blast In Kosovo
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic denied as "baseless accusations" by Kosovo that it was behind an explosion that damaged the Iber-Lepenc water canal supplying Kosovo’s two main coal power plants. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the November 29 blast a "criminal and terrorist attack" by northern neighbor and bitter rival Serbia. He said the attack aimed to "damage perhaps the most important infrastructure" in the country. The attack did not cause any casualties. Authorities say some regions may have no electricity on November 30, while the capital, Pristina, may be short on drinking water while the damage is fixed. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Kosovo Service, click here.
Ukrainian President Says NATO Membership Can End 'Hot Phase' Of War
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says being admitted into NATO could end what he described as the “hot phase of the war” waged by Russia.
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.
In an interview with Sky News aired on November 29, Zelenskiy suggested that he would be willing to consider a cease-fire if Ukraine’s unoccupied territories fell under NATO’s protection, as long as the invitation to join the alliance recognized Ukraine’s international borders.
Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and has been occupying 20 percent of Ukrainian territory since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
"If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control," Zelenskiy said, adding that the occupied eastern parts of the country could then be taken back “in a diplomatic way.”
This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the billions of dollars that the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion.
Trump has also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.
Earlier this week, Trump named Keith Kellogg, a retired army lieutenant general who has long served as a top adviser to Trump on defense issues, as his nominee to be special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
Kellogg has advocated telling the Ukrainians that if they don't come to the negotiating table, U.S. support would dry up, while telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that if he doesn't come to the table, the United States would give the Ukrainians "everything they need to kill you in the field."
For the past several months, Russia has been battering Ukrainian cities with increasingly heavy drone, missile, and glide-bomb strikes, causing casualties and damaging energy infrastructure as the cold season settles in.
Earlier this month, a senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned that Moscow's targeting of Ukraine's energy infrastructure could make this winter the "harshest since the start of the war" nearly three years ago.
Ukraine has launched several counterattacks since the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, the top foreign supporter of Ukraine in its battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, and Kyiv's European allies authorized the use of long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.
- By RFE/RL
Hezbollah Proclaims Tenuous Cease-Fire With Israel 'Divine Victory'
The leader of Hezbollah has claimed that its cease-fire deal with Israel is a "divine victory" for the Lebanese political party and militant group.
In his first address since the cease-fire took effect on November 27, Naim Qassem said on November 29 that the Iran-backed group had "won because we prevented the enemy from destroying Hezbollah" and weakening the Lebanese "resistance."
Hezbollah, which controls much of southern Lebanon and has representatives in parliament, is designated in its entirety by the U.S. as a terrorist organization but the EU has blacklisted only its military wing.
The cease-fire ended nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel ramped up the pressure by launching a ground offensive in southern Lebanon in October and carrying out massive aerial bombardments of Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut and elsewhere.
The truce ends the presence of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israel, too, must withdraw its ground forces from Lebanon within 60 days of the deal going into force.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on November 26 warned Hezbollah that Israel would take action if it suspected that Hezbollah had violated the agreement.
On November 29, hours before Qassem made his speech, Israel said it had struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon after detecting militant activity.
The United States and France are overseeing the implementation of the truce, which includes provisions for thousands of Lebanese soldiers moving into southern Lebanon to work with UN peacekeepers and keep Hezbollah away from the Israeli border.
Hezbollah had been launching rockets at northern Israel since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. It said it would stop its attacks only after Israel ended its war in Gaza.
Over the past 14 months, Israel killed nearly the entirety of Hezbollah's leadership, including Qassem's predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, and decimated the group's military arsenal.
Israel has vowed to ensure Iran cannot continue to fund and arm the group, and has warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against facilitating Iranian aid for Hezbollah.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Jailed Former Moscow Anti-War Lawmaker Gorinov Handed New Prison Sentence
Imprisoned former Moscow municipal deputy Aleksei Gorinov, known for his outspoken criticism of Russia's war against Ukraine, has been handed a new three-year prison sentence for "justifying terrorism."
After a three-day trial, a Russian military court on November 29 handed down the sentence to the 63-year-old, who is in poor health.
In his closing statement, Gorinov, one of the most prominent jailed dissidents left in the country after a major prisoner swap with the West earlier this year, accused Russia of committing a "bloody slaughter" in Ukraine.
Earlier this week, Gorinov revealed ongoing struggles with illness, saying there was "no treatment available," for his ailment, which his lawyer said was bronchitis.
Gorinov was first sentenced in July 2022 to seven years in prison for spreading "fake news" about the Russian military because of his public opposition to Russia's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
In October 2023, the authorities opened a new case against him, accusing him of "justifying terrorism" based on alleged conversations with fellow inmates about Ukraine's Azov Regiment.
During the hearing, Gorinov firmly denied any ties to terrorism. "I am far from any ideology of terrorism," he said.
"I am a committed internationalist and an opponent of war and violence, as I have consistently stated publicly throughout my life."
Gorinov's initial conviction stemmed from an anti-war speech he delivered at a city council meeting in Moscow's Krasnoselsky district.
He was the first person sentenced under Russia's new law criminalizing "fake news" about the military, introduced after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier this year, Gorinov was transferred from a detention center in Moscow to a prison in the Vladimir region. He complained of harsh conditions, including solitary confinement in a cold cell without a mattress, blanket, or access to hot water.
Dmitry Muratov, editor in chief of the Novaya gazeta newspaper and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross for an urgent inspection of the conditions Gorinov was being held in.
Following this, local officials and prosecutors inspected the facility, resulting in Gorinov's relocation to a slightly improved cell with a window that opens and closes, a functioning toilet, and reportedly no mice.
Gorinov has been repeatedly subjected to punitive measures, including spending extended periods in solitary confinement. In spring 2023, he spent 48 consecutive days in a punishment cell, a treatment often reported by other political prisoners in Russia.
- By RFE/RL
Iran, European Powers Agree To Continue Dialogue
Iran and three European powers agreed to continue their dialogue "in the near future" after a meeting in Geneva as intelligence officials warned Tehran's nuclear proliferation poses a "critical threat" in the coming months.
Negotiators from Iran and the so-called E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) met in Switzerland to discuss a range of issues, including Iran's expanding nuclear program, its military support for Russia, and conflicts in the Middle East.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X on November 29 that the talks in the Swiss city focused on the latest bilateral, regional, and international developments, "especially the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions."
"We are firmly committed to pursuing the interests of our people, and our preference is the path of dialogue and engagement," Gharibabadi said.
Ahead of the meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said it would be a “brainstorming session” to see “if there really is a way out” of the current nuclear impasse, among other issues.
Separately, the spy chiefs of Britain and France raised the alarm about Iran’s growing relationship with Russia and its accelerating nuclear program.
The meeting in Geneva came a week after the 35-member board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a censure resolution against Iran.
It also tasked the UN nuclear watchdog to prepare a “comprehensive and updated assessment” on the state of Iran’s expanding nuclear program, including past and present attempts to develop a bomb.
The report could pave the way for referring Iran’s case to the UN Security Council to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions lifted under the terms of the 2015 agreement with world powers.
In response to the resolution, Iran said it would begin enriching uranium with thousands of advanced centrifuges at its key nuclear facilities in Fordo and Natanz, the IAEA announced on November 29.
The agency noted, however, that Iran would be enriching uranium to 5 percent purity -- even though it is enriching uranium with less advanced machines at 60 percent.
Richard Moore, head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, said on November 29 that if Russia were to meet its Ukraine war objectives, “China would weigh the implications, North Korea would be emboldened, and Iran would become still more dangerous.”
He added that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were “a continued threat” -- a sentiment shared by Nicolas Lerner, head of France's foreign intelligence service.
"Our services are working side by side to face what is undoubtedly one of the threats, if not to say the most critical threat, in the coming months -- the possible atomic proliferation in Iran," Lerner said in Geneva.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
U.K. Prosecutor Says Bulgarian Accused Of Spying For Russia Discussed Killing Journalist Grozev
A Bulgarian accused of spying for Russia in Britain discussed in text messages the possibility of kidnapping or murdering investigative journalist Christo Grozev, British prosecutors said during the trial of members of an alleged spy ring.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan said a group of Bulgarians, accused of spying for Russia, followed Grozev, with one member, Orlin Rusev, exchanging messages with the alleged head of the network, Austrian citizen Jan Marsalek, in which they discussed kidnapping or killing Grozev.
Grozev has worked for the investigative outlet Bellingcat. He led an investigation by the media network on the 2018 poisoning of the Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England.
Rusev and another Bulgarian national, Biser Dzhambazov, have pleaded guilty to espionage charges, while three others -- Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanchev -- are currently on trial at London's Central Criminal Court for being part of the spy ring.
The three defendants have denied the charge of conspiracy to spy between August 2020 and February 2023.
Prosecutors told the court Rusev lead the Bulgarians and directed them after receiving instructions from Marsalek.
Marsalek -- who is said to have connections to Russian intelligence dating back to at least 2014 -- is now believed to be in Russia.
Ukraine Says It Struck Russian Oil Depot, Radar Station
Ukraine said it struck an oil depot and an air-defense radar inside Russia early on November 29 amid an escalation of attacks by both Moscow and Kyiv ahead U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House.
Ukraine's military General Staff said a strike on the Atlas oil depot in Russia's Rostov region sparked a fire at the facility, which was previously hit by a similar attack earlier this year.
"Atlas is part of the Russian military-industrial complex, which provides the supply of petroleum products for the army of the Russian Federation," it said in a statement on social media.
It added that a radar station housing a Russian Buk-M3 antiaircraft missile system was destroyed in a separate attack in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhya region.
Yury Slyusar, the acting governor of the Rostov region, acknowledged the blaze at an "industrial complex" in the area where the refinery is located, saying more than 100 responders were battling to extinguish the fire.
For the past several months, Russia has been battering Ukrainian cities with increasingly heavy drone, missile, and glide-bomb strikes, causing casualties and damaging energy infrastructure as the cold season settles in.
Ukraine has launched several counterattacks since the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, the top foreign supporter of Ukraine in its battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, and Kyiv's European allies authorized the use of long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump was critical of Biden for pouring billions of dollars into Ukraine to help it fight.
Trump also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.
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.
That possibility appears to have prompted both Moscow and Kyiv to try and solidify geographical positions before Trump takes office in January.
Later on November 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appointed Mykhaylo Drapatiy as the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces and named Oleh Apostol as a deputy commander in chief of the country's armed forces.
Writing on Telegram, Zelenskiy said the Ukrainian Army needed "internal changes to achieve our state's goals in full."
Meanwhile, Russia's stepped-up attacks have targeted energy infrastructure, leading to the introduction of emergency power outages in the regions including Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk.
Kyiv had also reportedly been forced to disconnect several nuclear power units from the network during attacks. Ukraine gets more than half of its electricity from nuclear plants.
Russia's offensive comes as temperatures across Ukraine dropped to around zero degrees Celsius.
Earlier this month, a senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned that Moscow's targeting of Ukraine's energy infrastructure could make this winter the "harshest since the start of the war" nearly three years ago.
Romania Begins Ballot Recount Amid Accusations Of Social Media Violations
Romania's Central Election Bureau has begun a court-ordered recount of all ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election as accusations swirled that surprise winner Calin Georgescu illegally used TikTok to boost his campaign.
The Constitutional Court ordered the recount on November 28 after officials from the Supreme Council of National Defense demanded the authorities take "urgent" steps, saying Georgescu was granted "preferential treatment" by the social media platform. TikTok has denied any wrongdoing.
Georgescu, a pro-Russian far-right independent candidate, scored a surprise victory in the first round of the election on November 24, garnering nearly 23 percent of the vote.
He is set to face off against center-right Elena Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, in the December 8 runoff after both pushed ahead of favored leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
Sources have told RFE/RL's Romanian Service that the Constitutional Court, which was originally set to validate the results of the first round of the election on November 29, will do so on December 2 after the recount is finished.
Without the backing of a party, Georgescu's campaign relied heavily on TikTok, where his account had 1.6 million likes and where he posted videos of himself attending church, doing judo, running on a track, and speaking on podcasts.
The Supreme Defense Council said it had found evidence suggesting that "cyberattacks" had been used to influence the outcome of the election.
Georgescu alleged that state institutions were attempting to deny the will of the people.
Protesters have rallied in Bucharest for several days against Georgescu, with many accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of interfering in Romania's internal affairs.
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy.
Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.
Georgian Police Use Water Cannons, Tear Gas To Disperse Pro-EU Protesters In Tbilisi
Georgian police have used water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators gathered near the parliament in Tbilisi to protest the government's decision to suspend talks to join the European Union.
Reports say police also used tear gas to break up the rallies in the late hours of November 29.
President Salome Zurabishvili, a staunch critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, condemned the "brutal and disproportionate attacks on the Georgian people and media", likening the crackdown to "Russian-style repression."
"These actions will not be forgiven! Those responsible for the use of force should be held responsible," she wrote on Twitter.
Protesters have hit the streets for the second day running after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said his government was suspending EU accession talks and would reject budgetary grants from Brussels "until the end of 2028."
More than 100 Georgian diplomats have slammed the government's halting of EU membership talks after security forces violently dispersed protesters and journalists at a rally in Tbilisi over the move.
More than 30 people were hospitalized early on November 29 after police used tear gas, water cannons, and beat some of the thousands gathered to vent their anger over Kobakhidze's announcement.
The Interior Ministry said 43 people were arrested "as a result of the illegal and violent actions" during the first night of protests on November 28, while parliament raised its security level to the maximum -- code red.
Security forces violently dispersed protesters and journalists at the November 28 rally in Tbilisi.
In response, more than 100 serving Georgian diplomats signed an open letter criticizing the policy change, saying it violated the constitution, which commits to the pursuit of EU membership.
"The stalling of the accession negotiation process will lead to the isolation of the country," they wrote.
"Without the support of the Western partners, Georgia remains face to face with threats that are especially intensified in the background of the ongoing processes in the international and security environment."
More than 100 people working at the Public Services Development Agency, which operates under the Interior Ministry, also issued a statement warning that suspending EU accession talks will only serve to hurt national interests.
Even Tbilisi's biggest clubs opted to close their doors on November 29 to bolster the protests, saying in a joint statement that the "energy on the dance floor should be taken to the streets."
Georgia has been thrown into turmoil since the October parliamentary elections -- in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote -- with the opposition and Western governments arguing the vote was marred by violations and Russian influence.
Early on November 29, riot police moved to clear out the peaceful demonstrators, with masked police firing rubber bullets and brutally beating protesters and journalists.
RFE/RL Georgian Service journalist Davit Tsagareli was punched and thrown to the ground by a riot police officer as he reported live from the scene, while earlier RFE/RL captured footage of a police officer repeatedly hitting TV Formula journalist Guram Rogava on the head.
After Rogava fell to the ground, the officer fled the scene. The journalist was hospitalized with injuries to his face and head.
"His condition is satisfactory. He has facial bone fractures, as well as a fracture in his neck. At this stage, it does not require surgical intervention," the doctor who treated Rogava at the hospital told journalists.
Kobakhidze blamed the protesters for the violence, saying that if it were not for their actions, "there would be no need to break up the gathering."
Zurabishvili joined the protest in Tbilisi on November 28 in a show of solidarity with the demonstrators.
"I am with these people. The resistance has started and will not end until we have new elections," she told reporters.
She also confronted a row of riot police, telling them that it was their "duty to protect" Georgia's sovereignty and asking them whether they "serve Russia or Georgia."
Demonstrators in Zugdidi told RFE/RL's Georgian Service that the ruling Georgian Dream party was moving away from the EU and pushing the country toward Russia.
"Georgian authorities cut off all relations with the European Union and also refuse to receive funding. This will certainly lead to an economic collapse," Manana Mikawa, a teacher, told RFE/RL.
Earlier in the day, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for new legislative elections in Georgia and sanctions on senior members of the Georgian Dream party.
In its resolution, the European Parliament said the result of the election did "not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people."
It also called on the European Union, which froze Georgia's EU membership application last month, to place sanctions on key officials within the ruling party, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Gharibashvili, billionaire power broker and party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze.
Speaking at the Georgian Dream headquarters, Kobakhidze said Tbilisi was suspending accession talks while also rejecting all budgetary grants from the EU until 2028.
"We are not going to join the European Union by begging and standing on one leg, but in a dignified manner with a sound democratic system and a strong economy," the prime minister told reporters without taking any questions.
Earlier, during a parliamentary session to approve his government, Kobakhidze said his government's goal was for Georgia to join the EU by 2030.
"We are ready to observe and take into account all conditions [set by the EU] that do not go against our national interests," he said to applause from Georgian Dream lawmakers.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of the controversial "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as "serving" outside powers.
The United States in July announced it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning that it was backsliding on democracy.
Rights Groups Demand Release Of Pakistani Journalist
Several rights organizations have demanded the release of veteran journalist Matiullah Jan, who was detained by Pakistani authorities on November 27 and held on terrorism-related charges. Jan had been covering protests by the supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. In a statement on November 28, Amnesty International condemned Jan's "arbitrary" arrest on "trumped-up charges," describing it as "an affront on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom." The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the authorities to "ensure Jan's safety" and called for his release. To read the full story by RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal, click here.
President Joins Protesters In Tbilisi As Georgia Shuns EU Accession Talks
Protesters gathered outside the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on November 28 said his government was suspending EU accession talks until 2028 and would not accept budgetary grants from Brussels.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, a staunch critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, joined the protest in Tbilisi to a rousing welcome from demonstrators, who shouted her name.
"I am with these people. The resistance has started and will not end until we have new elections," she told reporters.
She also confronted a row of riot police, telling them that it was their "duty to protect" Georgia's sovereignty and asking them whether they "serve Russia or Georgia."
Western governments have questioned the October parliamentary elections in Georgia -- in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote -- arguing that the elections were marred by violations and Russian influence.
Smaller pro-EU protests were also being held in Batumi, Gori, Kutaisi, and Zugdidi. Photos and videos of the rallies in Tbilisi and elsewhere showed protesters carrying Georgian and EU flags.
Demonstrators in Zugdidi told RFE/RL's Georgian Service that the ruling Georgian Dream party was moving away from the EU and pushing the country toward Russia.
"Georgian authorities cut off all relations with the European Union and also refuse to receive funding. This will certainly lead to an economic collapse," Manana Mikawa, a teacher, told RFE/RL.
Earlier in the day, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for new legislative elections in Georgia and sanctions on senior members of the Georgian Dream party.
In its resolution, the European Parliament said the result of the election did "not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people."
It also called on the European Union, which froze Georgia's EU membership application last month, to place sanctions on key officials within the ruling party, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Gharibashvili, billionaire power broker and party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze.
Speaking at the Georgian Dream headquarters, Kobakhidze said Tbilisi was suspending accession talks while also rejecting all budgetary grants from the EU until 2028.
"We are not going to join the European Union by begging and standing on one leg, but in a dignified manner with a sound democratic system and a strong economy," the prime minister told reporters without taking any questions.
Earlier, during a parliamentary session to approve his government, Kobakhidze said his government's goal was for Georgia to join the EU by 2030.
"We are ready to observe and take into account all conditions [set by the EU] that do not go against our national interests," he said to applause from Georgian Dream lawmakers.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of the controversial "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as "serving" outside powers.
The United States in July announced it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning that it was backsliding on democracy.
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