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Germany Condemns Iran's 'Inhumane Regime' After Execution Of Iranian-German National
Germany’s foreign minister on October 28 condemned Iran's “inhumane regime” after the execution of Iranian-German national Jamshid Sharmahd following his conviction on disputed terrorism charges.
The Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's judiciary, reported that the death sentence against Sharmahd was carried out on October 28 "after final confirmation of the court's decision by the Supreme Court.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock strongly condemned the Iranian regime for executing the 69-year-old Sharmahd, saying in a statement that it “shows once again what kind of inhumane regime rules in Tehran: a regime that uses death against its youth, its own population and foreign nationals."
Baerbock added that Berlin had repeatedly made clear "that the execution of a German national would have serious consequences."
Sharmahd, who also had U.S. residency, was accused by Iran of heading a pro-monarchist group that Tehran believes was behind a deadly 2008 bombing and of planning other attacks in the country.
Fourteen Iranians were killed and 210 others wounded in the attack at the Sayyid al-Shuhada Husseiniya mosque in Shiraz during a ceremony to mourn the death of Imam Hussein, the third imam of Shi'a Muslims.
Iran's Intelligence Ministry accused Sharmahd of planning the bombing, a charge his family dismissed as "ridiculous."
The U.S. State Department referred to Iran's treatment of Sharmahd as “reprehensible” and described his judicial proceedings a “sham trial.”
"We have long made clear that we oppose the way Iran carries out executions, often in a way that fundamentally violates human rights,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on October 28.
Sharmahd was detained under unclear circumstances and accused by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry of being a member of the Iranian opposition group Kingdom Assembly of Iran, or Tondar.
Based in Los Angeles, Tondar says it aims to overthrow the Islamic republic and reestablish a monarchy similar to that of Cyrus the Great. It runs pro-Iranian opposition radio and television stations abroad, as well as social media channels.
The director of Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, called the execution "a case of extrajudicial killing of a hostage aimed at covering up the recent failures of the hostage-takers of the Islamic Republic."
"Jamshid Sharmahd was kidnapped in the United Arab Emirates and unlawfully transferred to Iran, where he was sentenced to death without a fair trial," said Amiry-Moghaddam in a statement.
The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights said: "The unlawful abduction of Sharmahd, his subsequent torture in custody, the unfair show trial and today's execution are exemplary of the countless crimes of the Iranian regime."
His family long maintained his innocence and say he was seized by Iranian authorities in while travelling through the U.A.E.
Sharmahd's daughter, Gazelle Sharmahd, last year said her father was barely able to walk and talk due to health conditions that prison authorities failed to properly treat. She said then that her father suffered from Parkinson's disease.
With reporting by AFP and AP
Zelenskiy In Iceland For Talks On 'Victory Plan' To End War In Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Iceland to attend a summit with leaders of the Nordic countries.
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Zelenskiy said on Telegram on October 28 that while in Iceland he will take part in the fourth Ukraine-Northern Europe summit and hold bilateral negotiations with the prime ministers of Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. He also plans to meet with the president and representatives of Iceland’s parliament.
"Our discussions will focus on support for the Victory Plan and the areas where our cooperation can yield maximum results: financing Ukrainian weapons production and long-range capabilities, preparations for winter, maritime security, restrictions on the Russian shadow fleet, defense support, training and equipping of Ukrainian soldiers," Zelenskiy said.
Iceland's parliament in April adopted a resolution on support for Ukraine through 2028, including Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and the security of the civilian population, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction. Iceland also allocated almost 2 million euros ($2.1 million) to a Czech initiative to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine.
Separately on October 28, Britain added new sanctions on three Russian public relations agencies and their senior staff, accusing them of "attempting to undermine and destabilize Ukraine and its democracy."
The new sanctions target Russia's state-funded Social Design Agency (SDA), its partner company Structura, and a third company, Ano Dialog. The sanctions include three senior managers at each company.
The three firms and their leadership were responsible for a "vast malign online network, also commonly known as Doppelganger," which floods social media with fake posts, counterfeit documents, and other material.
SDA and Structura had attempted "interference operations" aimed at Ukraine, while SDA had tried "to incite protests in half a dozen European countries," the U.K. government said.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "resorting to clumsy, ineffective efforts to try and stoke unrest" to destabilize Ukraine.
"Today's sanctions send a clear message: We will not tolerate your lies and interference, and we are coming after you," he said in a statement. "Putin's desperate attempts to divide us will fail. We will constrain the Kremlin, and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."
With reporting by AFP
'They Stole Your Vote,' Georgian President Says, As Tens Of Thousands Rally To Protest Elections
TBILISI -- Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets on October 28 after President Salome Zurabishvili accused the country’s ruling party of employing Russian-style tactics in parliamentary elections whose official results she refuses to recognize.
Demonstrators gathered outside the main parliament building in central Tbilisi as criticism mounted over voting irregularities, and Georgian election monitors claimed to have uncovered a large-scale fraud scheme that altered the election outcome in favor of the ruling party.
Official results of the October 26 election gave the ruling Georgian Dream party more than 54 percent of the vote, enough to maintain control of the government.
“You did not lose the election," Zurabishvili told the demonstrators. "They stole your vote and tried to steal your future, but no one has the right to do that, and you will not let anyone do that!”
She vowed to defend the South Caucasus nation's path toward Europe.
“We have no alternative and nothing else we want to leave this country for the next generations,” she said.
In calling for the protests on October 27, Zurabishvili said that the official result was evidence of a “Russian special operation -- one of the new forms of hybrid warfare carried out on our people, our country.”
In an interview with Reuters on October 28, Zurabishvili expounded on her comments, saying that she was not directly accusing Russia of falsifying the vote. Rather, Zurabishvili said, she was saying that the “very sophisticated” methods of using “multiple forms of fraud” mirrored tactics used by Russia’s Federal Security Service.
Zurabishvili alleged that Georgian Dream had clear links to Moscow, which she said was evidenced by Russia’s messages of support following the vote and the government’s passage of a controversial “foreign influence” law similar to Russia’s own “foreign agent law.”
The legislation has been harshly criticized by Washington and Brussels, and the parliamentary elections held on October 26 were seen as a test of Georgia’s democratic credentials as it continues on its paths toward NATO and EU membership.
The U.S. State Department said on October 28 that the United States joined calls from election observers for a full investigation of reports of election-related violations.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also said that further consequences if the Georgian government's direction does not change had not been ruled out.
WATCH: Georgian journalists said they faced intimidation and violence while covering the country's crucial parliamentary elections on October 26.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Tbilisi to show support for Georgian Dream.
Orban, whose country currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency, was booed as he left his hotel near the Georgian parliament where tens of thousands had gathered.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused the opposition of attempting to "shake the constitutional order" of the country and refusing to accept defeat. In apparent allusion to the "foreign influence" legislation, he accused the opposition of standing behind pro-Western NGOs he claimed were "fighting for the nontransparency of their own finances."
But Kobakhidze said his government remained committed to European integration amid concerns that the election could harm the country’s relations with the West and show a turn toward Moscow.
People who spoke with RFE/RL on October 28 said they were concerned about the tense situation.
"I’m very afraid. It's evident that the political tension is escalating," said Ketevan Kipiani. "I’m not ruling anything out, given what’s been happening recently. The fact is, neither side is backing down. I don’t think there’ll be civil conflict, though."
WATCH: RFE/RL asked residents of Tbilisi how they felt about the results of Georgia's October 26 parliamentary elections. Here are their responses.
Nino Gureshidze told RFE/RL the situation was driving a feeling of hopelessness.
"But I still believe that, with the help of our international partners and wise decisions by Georgian politicians, we might get out of this crisis. However, there could also be negative outcomes," Gureshidze said, referring to the possibility of unrest and conflict.
The elections were marred by "an uneven playing field, pressure, and tension,” according to a joint observer mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Council of Europe, European Parliament, and NATO.
Election observers also decried recorded instances of vote buying, double voting, physical violence, and intimidation.
A coalition of monitoring organizations known as My Voice said at a briefing on October 28 that on election day its observers from 1,131 precincts said there were more than 900 cases of violation of election procedures.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “while international and local observers agreed that election day was generally well-administered, we note reports of irregularities and sporadic violence.”
He added that “international observers have not declared the result to be free and fair.”
As election returns started coming in, members of the opposition noticed the disparity between official results that showed Georgian Dream faring much better than opposition exit polls had predicted.
Tina Bokuchava, chairwoman of the United National Movement, which leads the Unity To Save Georgia coalition, said that “we do not intend to recognize the outcome of this stolen election.”
Uzbek Ruling Party Cruises To Parliamentary Victory With No Opposition
Uzbekistan’s ruling party loyal to President Shavkat Mirziyoev was headed to an easy victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by electoral authorities on October 27.
The Central Election Commission said that Mirziyoev’s Liberal Democratic Party was positioned to take 64 of the 150 seats in the lower house of parliament, despite recent reforms and predictions by the president that the election would be marked by “strong competition.”
However, the election was run with no opposition parties registered. The only competition the ruling party faced was from four "pocket" parties close to the president, according to experts.
All five parties that participated passed the voting threshold needed for parliamentary representation.
The Central Election Commission said that voter turnout was nearly 75 percent, more than enough for the authorities to consider the election a success.
Election monitors, rights groups, and average citizens were less convinced.
A monitoring team from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), in its initial assessment on October 28, said that “given the problems that our observers identified in yesterday's voting, counting, and tabulation, much more must be done to enhance transparency and confidence in the officially announced turnout and results.”
The vote was a trial run for a new mixed electoral system, the result of revisions to Uzbekistan’s constitution and electoral code. Under the changes, only half of the 150 parliament deputies are elected by voting for political parties. The other 75 candidates are elected individually.
Azay Guliev, special coordinator and leader of the OSCE short-term observers team, said that while the reforms represented progress, “significant challenges remain in the realization of fundamental freedoms, particularly the rights to association, peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression.”
The OSCE also said the five parties’ campaigns were essentially “devoid of real challenges to the policies of the ruling party or to each other,” while media coverage was “limited by restrictions on free expression.”
“In a landscape where the five registered parties share a common support for government policies, voters were not presented with genuine alternatives,” said Sargis Khandanyan, head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation.
RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service cited Uzbek citizens as expressing concerns about low voter turnout, despite the claims by officials.
One social media user was quoted as saying that the “American presidential election is more important to us than our own.”
The London-based director of the Central Asia Due Diligence group, Alisher Ilkhamov, meanwhile, was quoted by AFP as saying that the elections were just a "routine procedure" that allow "no place for institutional opposition and a real divide of power."
- By RFE/RL
NATO Confirms North Korean Troops In Russia, Says It Shows Putin's 'Desperation'
The NATO military alliance has confirmed that North Korean troops have moved to Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.
Speaking in Brussels on October 28, NATO chief Mark Rutte called the move a "significant escalation" in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and said it shows Russian President Vladimir Putin's "desperation" after "more than 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded" in the war.
Rutte’s comments follow weeks of reports suggesting that North Korea was sending troops to Russia in a further sign of increasingly closer ties that include the delivery of North Korean ammunition and weapons for use against Ukraine.
The latest reports, which originated from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, have suggested that more than 3,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, with more than 12,000 expected by December.
Fighter pilots are also among the personnel being sent to Russia, according to South Korean intelligence.
There are rising concerns that the troops and pilots could boost Russian forces in Ukraine, while some analysts have suggested that they may be intended to defend Russian territory or to construct defenses in Russian-held territory in Ukraine.
Last week, South Korean politicians who had been briefed by the country’s spy agency said that the North Korean soldiers sent to Russia had not been deployed in combat zones in Ukraine but were receiving “specialized training” at various locations for military equipment, including drones.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with their South Korean counterparts later this week in Washington.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said on October 28 that Austin and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun will discuss the deployment of North Korean soldiers, adding that there will be no limitations on the use of U.S.-provided weapons on them.
“If we see [North Korean] troops moving in towards the front lines, they are co-belligerents in the war,” Singh said. “This is a calculation that North Korea has to make.”
In his remarks, NATO chief Rutte said that North Korean troops had been deployed near Russia’s western border with Ukraine.
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“I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region,” he said, mentioning the Russian region that was the target of a surprise Ukrainian incursion in August.
Rutte’s remarks came after a high-level South Korean delegation, including top intelligence and military officials, addressed officials at NATO headquarters.
Putin first visited North Korea to hold talks with its leader, Kim Jong Un, in 2000.
With both sides heavily sanctioned by the international community, Moscow and Pyongyang have worked to expand their military and trade ties, particularly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In September 2023, Putin and Kim Jong Un met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East, and Putin got the red carpet treatment in June during his return to North Korea.
Their dealings reportedly include North Korea’s provision of ammunition and weaponry, including missiles, to Russia in exchange for Moscow possibly helping Pyongyang with its controversial space program.
The United States has previously expressed concerns about the "deepening relationship between these two countries."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned last week that Russia intended to deploy troops from North Korea in combat areas as early as October 27. He called for "tangible" international pressure on the two countries to get them to respect UN legislation.
"The world can clearly see Russia's true intentions: to continue the war," he said. "This is why a principled and strong response from global leaders is essential."
With reporting by AP
U.S. Warns Iran Of 'Severe Consequences' For Any New Attacks
The United States warned Iran at the UN Security Council on October 28 of "severe consequences" if it undertakes any further aggressive acts against Israel or U.S. personnel in the Middle East.
"We will not hesitate to act in self-defense. Let there be no confusion. The United States does not want to see further escalation. We believe this should be the end of the direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran," U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.
The Security Council met after Israel struck missile factories and other sites in Iran on October 26. It was retaliation for Iran's October 1 attack on Israel with about 200 ballistic missiles.
Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir Saied Iravani accused Washington of being "complicit" through military support for its ally. He added that Iran “reserves its inherent right to respond at a time of its choosing to this act of aggression."
Tehran warned earlier that Israel can expect retaliation for its attack on Iranian military sites, even as the country’s supreme leader appeared noncommittal on continuing tit-for-tat strikes between the two regional foes.
Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said on October 28 that Israel will face “bitter consequences” for carrying out air strikes on Iranian territory two days earlier.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, also speaking on October 28, said that Tehran would use all available tools to respond to Israel's attack.
Israel has said it successfully carried out "targeted and precise" retaliatory strikes on Iranian military sites on October 26.
The strikes -- which came in response to an Iranian missile barrage against Israel on October 1 that itself was in response to the killing of an IRGC commander -- came amid fears that Israel might launch a major attack that risked seriously escalating the possibility of all-out war between the two regional powers.
Experts suggested that the strikes gave both Israel and Iran an off-ramp to avoid a broader regional war.
Iran has said that it received warning from Israel ahead of the strikes, the latest in a series of attacks and strikes between Israel and Iran related to Israel’s ongoing retaliatory war in Gaza and Iran’s role in supporting anti-Israel militant groups in the region.
Iranian officials have insisted that Iranian defenses intercepted most of the projectiles that Israel fired on October 26 but have acknowledged that four Iranian military officers were killed in the attacks.
Speaking on October 27 to the families of the Iranian military officers who were killed, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the Israeli action as a “miscalculation” but stopped short of calling for an Iranian response.
Instead, Khamenei called on government officials to “understand the capability” Iran had and advised that while it was wrong to “exaggerate” the impact of the Israeli strikes, it was also wrong to “minimize” them.
IRGC commander Salami was quoted by Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency as saying that Israel’s military action had "failed to achieve its ominous goals."
Salami also said the strikes were indicative of "miscalculation and helplessness" by Israel as it continues to battle the Iran-back groups in the Gaza Strip and in Lebanon.
The Palestinian group Hamas is a U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group that sparked Israel’s war in Gaza with a deadly assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israel has also launched an air assault and invasion against Hezbollah from southern Lebanon, part of which it controls. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party.
Reports suggest that satellite images of the aftermath of the Israeli strikes against Iran on October 26 appeared to damage facilities at military bases that in the past have been linked to Iran’s secretive nuclear program and to its ballistic-missile program.
Iran has not acknowledged damage at either its Parchin or Khojir military bases that were reportedly targeted.
Bulgaria's GERB Poised To Win Vote, But Tricky Coalition Talks Ahead
SOFIA -- Partial official results show that Bulgaria's center-right GERB party is poised to win the country’s parliamentary elections, but without enough support to break a prolonged political stalemate.
The pro-Western GERB party took 26.15 percent of the vote held on October 27, according to a Central Election Commission tally of nearly 90 percent of voting districts.
The reformist PP (We Continue The Change) was in second with 15.14 percent and the far-right, pro-Russia Revival Party had 13.7 percent, according to the partial results published on October 28.
Six other parties passed the 4 percent threshold needed for parliamentary representation, including one pro-Russia party that will enter parliament for the first time.
The results, based on low voter turnout, show GERB will fall short of a parliamentary majority, paving the way for complicated negotiations to form a coalition government.
Bulgaria has been unable to establish a stable government since large-scale anti-corruption protests brought down former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s cabinet in 2020. Since then, six elections have failed to break the stalemate.
GERB previously announced that Borisov would be its candidate for prime minister if it secures at least 80 out of 240 seats in parliament.
But PP has said it would not support Borisov for the position and has demanded an independent prime minister with strong anti-corruption credentials.
In addition to the Revival Party, two of the parties on track to enter parliament are seen as being pro-Russia.
Greatness, which was in the previous parliament, took 4.08 percent of the vote. Morality, Unity, Honor (MECH) – whose abbreviation in Bulgarian means “Sword” -- took 4.65 percent of the vote.
MECH, which will enter parliament for the first time after a surprising showing, casts itself as "pro-Bulgarian, patriotic, and nationally responsible."
Upon its formation in October 2023, MECH chief Radostin Vassilev said that the party’s policies would be similar to those of Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban.
While Hungary is a member of the European Union, Orban opposes many of the bloc’s positions and maintains close relations with Moscow.
- By RFE/RL
How The World Sees The Disputed Georgian Elections
The ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in the October 26 parliamentary elections following the release of official results, but the pro-Western opposition refused to accept the outcome, calling it a Kremlin “coup” and a “Russian special operation.”
Western leaders and organizations on October 27 also called into question the electoral procedure and results, with many expressing concerns about alleged irregularities and calling for investigations, but they remained mostly cautious in their remarks.
Still, some nations, mainly those bordering Russia and always wary about Kremlin meddling, condemned the elections.
Election authorities officially gave the Kremlin-friendly Georgia Dream party 54.8 percent of the vote, with the combined opposition around 37 percent.
However, polls commissioned by the opposition gave Georgian Dream far below 50 percent.
Nearly all of the opposition, as well as pro-Western Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who long ago broke with Georgian Dream, said they would not accept the results and called for street protests on October 28.
Here are comments from others around the globe:
“While international and local observers agreed that election day was generally well-administered, we note reports of irregularities and sporadic violence.
“International observers have not declared the result to be free and fair.
“We condemn all contraventions of international norms and join calls from international and local observers for a full investigation of all reports of election-related violations.”
-- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
"The campaign was competitive but subdued, and contestants could generally campaign freely.
"But reports of intimidation, coercion, and pressure on voters persisted, especially on public sector employees and the economically vulnerable, raising concerns about the ability of some voters to freely form their opinions and cast their vote without fear, at odds with OSCE commitments and international standards."
-- Report of OSCE International Election Observation Mission-Georgia
“Election observers report an uneven level playing field, a divisive campaign in polarized atmosphere, and significant concerns over the impact of recent legislative amendments on this election process.
“We call on the Central Election Commission of Georgia and other relevant authorities to fulfill their duty to swiftly, transparently, and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof. Those irregularities must be clarified and addressed. That is a necessary step to rebuilding trust in the electoral process.”
-- Joint statement by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the European Commission
“We note the OSCE/ODIHR preliminary assessment and call on the Central Election Commission and other relevant authorities to fulfill their duty to swiftly, transparently, and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof.
“These alleged irregularities must be seriously clarified and addressed.”
The November European Council meeting in Budapest “will assess the situation and set the next steps in our relations with Georgia.”
-- Charles Michel, president of the European Council
“The president of Georgia has announced that the parliamentary elections were falsified. Europe must now stand with the Georgian people.”
-- Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski
"The OSCE reports on Georgian elections confirm multiple irregularities and violations. What a disgrace. I applaud the [Georgian] people who came out to vote en masse despite intimidation. Their wish for a European future must be respected by any Georgian government."
-- Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, former NATO assistant secretary-general for public diplomacy
"Reports of irregularities in Georgian elections give rise to grave concern. Closely following the evaluations of international and local observers."
-- Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna
“We have seen claims and counterclaims regarding the election’s outcome, including legitimate concerns about the fairness of the overall election process.
"The primary domestic observer group, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), is still finalizing the detailed report of its parallel vote tabulation, which we urge everyone to respect.
“While Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections saw greater turnout than the last two elections, demonstrating Georgian citizens’ commitment to the democratic process, it is clear that the preelection period failed to meet fundamental standards for democratic elections.
“State-sponsored efforts to discredit election observers, legislation targeting civil society, and voter intimidation reported by observers both leading up to and on election day severely undermined the fairness of the process.”
-- NDI, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based democracy watchdog
"Elections in Georgia were held in a polarized and restrictive environment, undermining inclusivity, transparency, and fairness, which significantly compromised the democratic integrity of the election process."
"Although the election administration generally conducted the process professionally and efficiently, ENEMO expressed concerns regarding the CEC's independence and impartiality. The cumulative impact of these observed issues significantly compromised the democratic integrity of the election process."
-- Montenegro-based European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO)
Hungary and Russia were among those that welcomed Georgian Dream's victory, often accusing the West of interfering in the process.
"Despite interference attempts, the Georgian people made their choice clear: the patriotic, family supporting governing party achieved a sweeping victory in the election.
"During our remaining [EU] presidency, and of course beyond, we will give our Georgian friends every support they can to help them succeed in their European integration efforts."
-- Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto
"Georgians won! Well done."
-- Margarita Simonyan, chief editor of the Kremlin-funded news agencies RT and Sputnik
Hungary's Orban To Visit Georgia Following Disputed Elections
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will visit Georgia on October 28-29, the government in Tbilisi said on October 27. Following a series of meetings, Orban and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze will make statements to the media, Kobakhidze’s office said. Orban was the first foreign leader to congratulate the ruling Georgian Dream party following the October 26 parliamentary elections, weighing in before first official results were announced. Orban's illiberal domestic politics and West-skeptic foreign policy have been an inspiration to Georgian Dream, and he has become a key ally to Georgia's leaders. The pro-Russian Georgian Dream celebrated an apparent election win, but the pro-Western opposition is calling foul. Election monitors said there were “critical violations” in the vote. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Georgian Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. VP Candidate Vance Calls Putin 'Adversary' But Declines To Call Him An 'Enemy'
U.S. vice presidential nominee JD Vance -- Republican Donald Trump's running mate -- acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “clearly an adversary” of the United States, but he declined to call him an “enemy” during an interview with NBC News broadcast on October 27. “Just because we don’t like somebody doesn’t mean we can’t occasionally engage in conversations with him,” Vance said, adding that to end the Ukraine war, “we’re going to have to engage in some sort of negotiations” with Kyiv, Moscow, and NATO allies. Asked if he would call Putin an “enemy,” Vance responded: “We’re not in a war with him, and I don’t want to be in a war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.”
Moscow Claims Advances In Eastern Ukraine As Kherson Blasted By Russian Shells
The Russian military claimed to have made advances in eastern Ukraine, while authorities in Kyiv said the Kremlin’s forces continued their relentless attacks on the regional center of Kherson on October 27, killing at least two civilians.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, again threatened that the Kremlin would “respond” if Kyiv’s Western allies allowed Ukraine to use long-range weapons deep inside its territory.
"It's too early to say yet, but, of course, our military department is thinking about it and will offer various responses," Putin told state TV in remarks broadcast on October 27.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been pressing Western partners for permission to use long-range missiles deeper inside Russia to target sites used to launch attacks against Ukrainian cities.
Western allies have so far been reluctant to allow such use outside of the border region for fear of igniting a wider conflict that could involve Russian and NATO forces.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said army units "liberated” the settlement of Izmaylivka, a Ukrainian village of some 200 people north of the industrial hub of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region.
That area in eastern Ukraine has been the focus of recent Russian drives along the front lines of its full-scale invasion, which has struggled to make significant progress through nearly 33 bloody months of battles.
In the regional center of Kherson, Ukrainian authorities reported stepped up Russian drone and rocket attacks in and around the city of 280,000 people.
Regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram on October 27 that one person was killed and a 45-year-old man was hospitalized after Russian shells hit near the city's post office.
Earlier in the day, Kherson authorities said a 71-year-old resident was killed and at least five injured in a Russian drone attack.
In its October 27 daily briefing, the Ukrainian military said the "situation at the front remains difficult [with] the enemy using its superiority in manpower and equipment."
It also said the Ukrainian military "over the past day" had "neutralized four tanks, 23 armored combat vehicles, 39 artillery systems, 73 UAVs of operational and tactical level, 100 cars, and a unit of special equipment."
It also claimed that Russian forces had lost 1,440 soldiers, although it did not specify if they were killed, wounded, or captured.
The claims could not immediately be verified, and neither side generally speaks about the numbers of soldiers or amount of equipment lost.
With reporting by AFP
Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Laureate Moved To Hospital, Husband Says
Narges Mohammadi, the imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner and rights activist, has been moved to a Tehran hospital after suffering health issues for more than two months, her husband said on October 27. “After nearly nine weeks of medical denial, Narges Mohammadi has finally been hospitalized thanks to the support of civil and human rights activists, the Free Narges Coalition, and pressure from the global community and media,” Taghi Rahmani wrote on X. Rahmani, who is living in Paris, added that the delay, “along with years of imprisonment and solitary confinement, have caused serious harm to Narges’s health.” Mohammadi, 52, has been in and out of prison for the past 20 years. She is currently serving a 12-year sentence in Tehran's Evin prison for "spreading propaganda."
Georgian President Won't Recognize Vote Results, Calls For Protests, Alleges Russian Interference
TBILISI -- Pro-Western Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has broken with the ruling Georgian Dream party, said she will not recognize the results of parliamentary elections held on October 26 and alleged that the country has been the victim of a “Russian special operation.”
Zurabishvili did not present any evidence to back up her claim in a brief statement to the media in Tbilisi on October 27.
"As the only remaining independent institution in this state, I want to say that I do not recognize this election. It cannot be recognized. It would be the same as recognizing Russia's entry here -- Georgian subordination to Russia,” she said.
“I didn't come to Georgia for [Russian domination]. Our ancestors did not live for this. We will not tolerate this. It cannot be taken away from Georgia -- its European future," she added.
She called for street protests starting on October 28 at 7 p.m. in the South Caucasus nation, which has seen mass demonstrations in recent months against the ruling Georgian Dream party, which critics accuse of being pro-Russian and of having eroded democratic norms.
She blasted what she called a “Russian special operation -- one of the new forms of hybrid warfare carried out on our people, our country.”
The Georgian Dream party celebrated an apparent win in the vote, but the pro-Western opposition cried foul and election monitors said that “critical violations took place,” including voter intimidation and physical violence.
WATCH: Georgian journalists said they faced intimidation and violence while covering the country's crucial parliamentary elections on October 26.
Western observers also demanded an investigation into alleged irregularities.
With ballots from more than 99.6 percent of precincts counted, Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said that Georgian Dream took 54.8 percent of the vote.
However, polls commissioned by the opposition indicated far lower numbers for Georgian Dream, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Nearly all opposition parties have refused to accept the results reported by the election authorities.
The vote was seen as a crucial test of the EU-candidate country’s democratic credentials, and one that Brussels had said could determine Georgia’s chances of joining the bloc.
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- an ally of the Georgian Dream leadership -- is set to visit Tbilisi on October 28-29, officials said on October 27.
Orban, who was the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream following the parliamentary elections -- weighing in before first official results were announced – is scheduled to hold a news conference with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze following the meetings.
Amid the concerns expressed in the West over the results, Orban wrote on social media that Georgian Dream had scored an "overwhelming victory."
'Stolen Election'
Members of the opposition, claiming the early returns were fraudulent, promised to contest the results, leading to the possibility of legal wrangling and street protests.
Tina Bokuchava, chairwoman of the United National Movement, which leads the Unity To Save Georgia coalition, announced early on October 27 that “we do not intend to recognize the outcome of this stolen election.”
Zurabishvili, writing on social media as early returns came in late on October 26, declared that the top four opposition parties had themselves taken enough of the vote to form a parliamentary majority.
Zurabishvili later said there had been "deeply troubling incidents of violence" at some polling stations.
In the meantime, initial assessments by election monitors painted a dire picture of voting day.
A joint observer mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Council of Europe, European Parliament, and NATO said in a statement that election day was "marred by an uneven playing field, pressure, and tension.”
WATCH: Georgia's pro-Western opposition leaders say they will not recognize the results of the country's parliamentary elections on October 26, claiming the pivotal vote was "stolen."
While generally well-organized, the observers said there was a “tense environment” and that the uneven playing field “undermines trust in the outcome.” In the end, the process was “not enough to bring an election in line with international democratic principles,” the observers said in a joint statement.
The OSCE also decried recorded instances of vote buying, double voting, physical violence, and intimidation.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “while international and local observers agreed that election day was generally well-administered, we note reports of irregularities and sporadic violence.”
He added that “international observers have not declared the result to be free and fair.”
“We condemn all contraventions of international norms and join calls from international and local observers for a full investigation of all reports of election-related violations,” Blinken said.
EU Council President Charles Michel said the alleged irregularities in the voting process “must be seriously clarified and addressed.”
'Critical Violations'
Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White, the head of the European Parliament monitoring delegation, said Georgian Dream used hostile rhetoric and “promoted Russian disinformation” and conspiracy theories ahead of the election in an attempt to “undermine and manipulate the vote.”
"During our observation, we noted cases of vote buying and double voting before and during elections, especially in rural areas," said Romanian lawmaker Iulian Bulai, head of the delegation sent by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), speaking at a joint news conference held in Tbilisi by heads of election-observation missions.
"The presence of cameras of the ruling party in the polling stations and people in front of polling stations tracking and possibly controlling voters let widespread climate of pressure and party-organized intimidation, and the feeling of 'Big Brother is watching you,' as one of our observers depicted it," Bulai said. "I should also mention that while observing inside a polling station in the countryside, one of the PACE teams had its car vandalized."
The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) said in its assessment on October 27 that the elections were marred by a polarized and restrictive environment that undermined inclusiveness, transparency, and fairness.
“Critical violations” that were reported by the organization’s 95 observers included violence against opposition politicians, voter intimidation, smear campaigns against election observers, and misuse of administrative resources related to the election.
The nongovernmental organization Fair Elections (ISFED) said that it had not recorded major problems with the vote count but that vote itself fell short due to voter intimidation.
“The preelection environment and the facts revealed on election day had a significant impact on the election and its results,” said ISFED chief Nino Dolidze. “Many problematic incidents and violations were observed during the voting process.”
Russian Dreaming
Georgian Dream, in power since 2012, used to pursue a pro-Western agenda but in the last two years has reversed course toward Russia.
Perceived efforts by the government to curtail democratic rights, including the adoption of a “foreign influence” bill akin to that of Russia’s “foreign agent law” led to mass protests in Georgia and criticism from Brussels earlier this year.
That Georgian Dream was poised to extend its control of parliament despite exit polls indicating it would not fare so well triggered outrage among the opposition.
Two opposition exit polls predicted that Georgian Dream would not receive more than 42 percent of the vote, whereas the results had it winning more than 54 percent.
The polls also suggested that four opposition parties -- the Coalition for Change, Unity-To Save Georgia, Strong Georgia, and For Georgia -- would combined have a clear majority, whereas the official initial results had them receiving only 37 percent combined.
The official early results had the four positioned to cross the 5 percent threshold to secure seats in parliament.
Iran's Khamenei Says Israeli Strikes Should Not Be Exaggerated Or Minimized
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned against either exaggerating or minimizing the impact of Israeli’s October 26 retaliatory strikes against Iran.
Speaking on October 27 to the families of Iranian military officers killed in the attack, Khamenei described the strikes as a “miscalculation” by Israel.
However, while he called on government officials to “understand the capability” Iran had, he stopped short of calling for an Iranian response that would extend the series of tit-for-tat strikes between the two archfoes.
“Of course, they are exaggerating,” he said in reference to Israel, which said it successfully carried out "targeted and precise" strikes on military sites.
“Exaggerating them is wrong, but minimizing them is also wrong,” Khamenei said, adding that Iran cannot just say that “it was nothing, it didn’t matter.”
Tehran has asked Switzerland, which holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, to call an extraordinary session to condemn Israel following the air strikes, which came in retaliation for Iranian rocket strikes earlier this month.
While Iranian officials have insisted that Iranian defenses intercepted most of the projectiles that Israel fired, they also said four Iranian military officers were killed in the attacks.
The strikes did not target Iranian nuclear or oil-production facilities, as some had expected.
U.S. President Joe Biden on October 26 defended Israel’s right to defend itself but also expressed concern that the tit-for-tat strikes between the two bitter enemies could lead to a wider Middle East war.
Iran had been on edge for several weeks, with many government officials and observers around the globe saying they expected Israel to hit back after Iran fired around 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1.
Tehran said that those strikes were in retaliation for an earlier attack by Israel that were part of military actions against Iran-allied groups -- mainly Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, triggered the current war in the Gaza Strip when its fighters crossed into Israel on October 7, 2023, and killed some 1,200 people. They also took 251 Israeli hostages.
The Israeli retaliatory war has devastated Gaza and killed more than 40,000 people, according to Hamas-led Palestinian authorities.
Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets and drones into Israel, saying it would continue the action until the fighting in Gaza is stopped.
Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah's political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.
Most of Hezbollah’s leadership has been wiped out in Israel air strikes since late September.
- By Reuters
Uzbekistan Electing Parliament Loyal To President
Uzbekistan votes in parliamentary elections on October 27 that, in the absence of opposition parties, is certain to produce a legislature loyal to President Shavkat Mirziyoev, despite constitutional reform bringing some procedural changes. Political power in the nation of 37 million is concentrated in Mirziyoev's hands and parliament rarely opposes laws drafted by his cabinet. The main change introduced under the 2023 constitutional reform is a switch to a mixed election system, in which only half of the 150 deputies are elected by voting for political parties. The other 75 candidates will be elected individually.
Bulgarian Exit Polls Raise Fears Of Another Prolonged Political Stalemate
SOFIA – In what appears to be the continuation of a long-standing political deadlock, exit polls gave former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s center-right GERB party the most votes in Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections but without enough support to form a government by itself.
The influential Alpha Research/BNT exit poll gave GERB 26.4 percent of the vote, followed by the reformist PP (We Continue The Change) at 14.9 percent and the far-right, pro-Russia Revival Party at 12.9 percent, amid low turnout.
An exit poll conducted for bTV by Market Links had similar results, albeit with a slightly higher figure for GERB.
Other parties appeared to score enough to reach the 4 percent minimum requirement to gain seats in parliament, with two other groupings near that level.
The vote, which began at 7 a.m. local time and ended at 8 p.m., is being tracked on this live blog by RFE/RL’s Bulgarian Service. Official results are expected on October 28.
Borisov’s pro-Western GERB party is not expected to win enough seats for a parliamentary majority and will need to form a coalition.
GERB announced that Borisov would be their candidate for prime minister if it secures at least 80 out of 240 seats in parliament.
PP (We Continue The Change) has said it would not support Borisov for the position and have demanded an independent prime minister with strong anti-corruption credentials.
Bulgaria has been unable to establish a stable government since large-scale anti-corruption protests brought down Borisov’s cabinet in 2020.
Since then, six elections have failed to break the stalemate.
The last election in June was inconclusive, with politicians failing three times to put together a coalition government.
Voting in the June election marked an all-time low in postcommunist Bulgaria, with just 34 percent of eligible voters participating.
Voter turnout was expected to be even lower for the October 27 vote, with the Gallup survey predicting only 31 percent would cast ballots.
In August, President Rumen Radev accepted the proposed cabinet of acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, giving poverty- and corruption-stricken Bulgaria a caretaker government.
Glavchev was appointed as the caretaker prime minister after the government collapsed in March under similar circumstances.
After casting his ballot, Glavchev said that he was voting “for a European and stable Bulgaria with a regular, stable government that respects the constitution of the country and is guided by the interests of the people."
- By RFE/RL
UN Security Council Sets Urgent Session On Iran-Israeli Conflict At Tehran's Request
The UN Security Council has agreed to hold an emergency session at Tehran's request following Israel's missile strike against Iran in the early morning hours of October 26.
The Swiss mission, which holds the council's rotating presidency, said the meeting would take place on October 28 at Tehran's request and with the backing of Russia, China, and Algeria.
Earlier on October 27, Tehran asked the council to call the extraordinary session to condemn Israel following the air strikes, which came in retaliation for Iranian rocket strikes earlier this month.
Amir Saeid Iravani, the Iranian envoy to the UN, claimed in a letter to the Security Council that Israel’s “unlawful and aggressive actions” were a violation of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a “flagrant breach of international law and the UN Charter.”
While Iravani and other leaders in Tehran have insisted that Iranian defenses intercepted most of the projectiles that Israel fired, they also said four Iranian military officers were killed in the attacks.
Danny Danon, Israel’s UN ambassador, blasted Iran's remarks, saying Tehran was "trying to act against us in the diplomatic arena with the ridiculous claim that Israel has violated international law."
"As we have stated time and time again, we have the right and duty to defend ourselves and will use all the means at our disposal to protect the citizens of Israel," Danon said.
Israel struck Iran in the early morning hours of October 26 in what it called a "targeted and precise" attack in retaliation for earlier Iranian attacks on Israel. Israel said it solely struck military sites and not nuclear or oil production areas.
U.S. President Joe Biden on October 26 defended Israel’s right to defend itself -- Washington was apprised by Israel of the move ahead of time -- but he also expressed concerns that the tit-for-tat strikes between the two bitter enemies could lead to a wider Middle East war.
The letter called on the Security Council to “take a firm stance and condemn the Israeli regime for committing these acts of aggression strongly and unequivocally.”
Iravani added that Iran is requesting that the president of the Security Council “convene an urgent meeting to address this severe violation and unlawful actions and ensure accountability of this criminal regime.”
The Security Council comprises five permanent members, each with veto power – including the United States, Israel’s closest ally, making it nearly certain the council would not condemn Israel’s actions.
Along with other permanent members Russia, China, Britain, and France, 10 other countries are in the council on a rotating basis.
Iran had been on edge for several weeks, with many government officials and observers around the globe saying they expected Israel to hit back. Tehran said its strikes were retaliation for an earlier attack by Israel.
The attacks were part of Israel’s recent actions against Iran-allied groups -- mainly Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, triggered the current war when its fighters crossed into Israel on October 7, 2023, and killed some 1,200 people. They also took around 251 hostages back to the Gaza Strip.
Israeli retaliation has devastated Gaza and killed more than 40,000 people, according to Hamas-led Palestinian authorities.
Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets and drones into Israel, saying it would continue the action until the fighting in Gaza is stopped.
Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah's political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.
Most of Hezbollah’s leadership has been wiped out in Israel air strikes since late September.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Gunmen Kill 10 Police In Attack In Southern Iran
An attack on a police patrol in southeastern Iran has left 10 officers dead, the Interior Ministry said. The attack occurred in Gohar Kuh, in Sistan-Baluchistan Province, some 1,200 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tehran. No group has claimed responsibility so far. The Tasnim news agency, which is linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, reported an attack on "two police patrols returning to their police station." Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni has ordered an investigation into the incident, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. Sistan-Baluchistan has been rocked by a spate of deadly attacks targeting security forces in recent months. Those previous attacks have been claimed by Jaish al-Adl, a Baluch separatist militant group that is believed to be operating out of neighboring Pakistan. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. Officials Say Russia Behind Fake Video Of Pro-Trump Votes Being Destroyed
U.S. authorities have said that Russian actors were behind a fake video circulated on social media that purported to show the destruction of mail-in votes cast for Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump in the swing state of Pennsylvania ahead of the November 5 presidential election.
The video, which had millions of views on platforms such as X, after appearing on social media on October 24, depicted a man sifting through ballots from Pennsylvania's Bucks County and tearing up those cast for Trump.
The man, who was black, appeared to be ripping up ballots marked for the Republican candidate, while leaving intact ballots marked for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is black.
"The Intelligence Community (IC) assesses that Russian actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an individual ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania, judging from information available to the IC and prior activities of other Russian influence actors, including videos and other disinformation activities," the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in a joint statement issued on October 25.
The statement said that the video was debunked within three hours by local election officials and law enforcement officials after citizens reported it to authorities.
"This Russian activity is part of Moscow's broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the U.S. election and stoke divisions among Americans, as detailed in prior ODNI election updates," the statement said.
Analysts who monitor Moscow's foreign-influence campaigns had previously linked the video to a Russian propagandist group known as Storm-1516 or CopyCop.
Observers say that Storm-1516, which has previously posted several videos containing fake claims about Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, is an offshoot of the Internet Research Agency, a former Russian propagandist network based in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, and established by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner.
The U.S. intelligence community warned that more disinformation and propaganda actions orchestrated by Russia are likely to surface in the run-up to the November 5 poll.
"In the lead-up to Election Day and in the weeks and months after, the IC expects Russia to create and release additional media content that seeks to undermine trust in the integrity of the election and divide Americans."
5 People, Including Teenager, Killed In Russian Strikes On Ukraine
Three civilians were killed and seven wounded, including a child, in Russian shelling in Ukraine's southern Kherson region over the past 24 hours, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on the morning of October 26 on Telegram. In Kyiv, a Russian drone strike killed a teenager during an hourslong nighttime attack, said Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Ukraine's capital. In the larger Kyiv region, a woman was killed in a drone attack and a 13-year-old boy was wounded, regional Governor Ruslan Kravchenko said. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
Georgian Dream Hails Victory, While Opposition Decries 'Stolen Election'
TBILISI -- The pro-Russian Georgian Dream party is set to extend its control of parliament, according to preliminary results of the country's October 26 elections, but the stark difference in exit polls triggered cries of a "stolen election" from the pro-Western opposition.
Georgian Dream, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, garnered just over 54 percent of the vote, with more than 99 percent of districts counted. According to the initial results published by the Central Election Commission on October 27, four opposition parties were positioned to cross the 5 percent threshold to secure seats in parliament.
Opposition forces -- the Coalition for Change, Unity-To Save Georgia, Strong Georgia, and For Georgia -- received just over 37 percent of the vote combined.
Fueling opposition protests in the vote's aftermath, exit polls conducted on behalf of pro-government and opposition organizations showed significantly different results.
WATCH: Georgia's Pro-Western opposition leaders say they will not recognize the results of the country's parliamentary elections on October 26, claiming the pivotal vote was "stolen."
Whereas Georgian Dream received 56 percent in the exit poll conducted by pro-government Imedi TV, it did not receive more than 42 percent in the two opposition exit polls.
Final results are expected to be announced on October 27.
According to the preliminary results, Georgian Dream would hold 89 seats in the 150-member chamber -- enough to maintain its government but not enough for an absolute majority to allow it to make major constitutional changes.
The United National Movement, which leads the Unity-To Save Georgia coalition, immediately rejected the results reported by Georgia’s election authorities.
"We announce on behalf of the United National Movement that we do not accept the results of the stolen election, and we do not intend to recognize the outcome of this stolen election,” party Chairwoman Tina Bokuchava said in the early morning hours of October 27.
She called on the other opposition parties to also take a stand against the reported results, adding that "big protests" are likely later in the day.
Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of Strong Georgia, insisted that the opposition had won the election, which is crucial to the Caucasus nation's future path in Europe.
"Congratulations on the defeat of the Russian government in Georgia!” he said following the closing of polls.
Nika Gvaramia, a member the Coalition for Change, said his grouping would not recognize the posted outcome, calling the process a "coup d'etat."
For the first time, Georgia used a new electronic ballot-counting system -- with a paper backup -- allowing results to be announced just a few hours after polls closed at 8 p.m. local time. The election commission said there were only minor glitches.
Natia Yoseliani, a spokeswoman for the commission, told the media earlier that after "minor technical defects," the vote took place "in a calm environment" at all 3,111 polling stations.
Turnout was nearly 59 percent, the commission said, the highest since 2012, when Georgian Dream came to power.
Possibly seeking to stave off street protests, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, a member of Georgian Dream, warned the opposition that any "illegal" actions "will be met with a very harsh reaction from the state."
President Salome Zurabishvili, who has broken with the ruling party and supported the anti-government protest movements, said on social media that "European Georgia” opposition parties are “winning with 52 percent despite attempts to rig elections and without votes from the diaspora.”
However, Ivanishvili, the former prime minister who founded Georgian Dream, congratulated supporters following the release of the Imedi TV exit poll.
"It is rare for any party anywhere in the world to achieve such success in such a difficult situation," he said. "I assure you, our country will achieve great success in the next four years. In four years we will do a lot, and in another four years Georgia will one of the most successful countries in the world."
The vote was cast as a defining moment for the country, which gained its independence from Moscow three decades ago.
Georgian Dream portrayed the elections as a choice between peace and war, claiming an opposition victory would drag Georgia into another war with Russia. The two countries fought a brief war in August 2008 that cemented Russian control over part of Georgia's territory.
The opposition framed the vote as a choice between the West and Russia and between democracy and authoritarianism, a narrative echoed by officials in the United States and Europe, who have been critical of Georgian Dream for democratic backsliding.
Tensions were high in the run-up to the vote, with Georgian Dream claiming the West was interfering in the election and the opposition accusing Russia of spreading disinformation.
Street Violence
Scuffles and accusations of fraud surfaced during the vote.
An RFE/RL correspondent reported an incident in the southern city of Marneuli, where a member of an opposition party in a voting station was allegedly beaten up by a Georgian Dream representative amid reports of ballot-stuffing.
In Rustavi, a city some 20 kilometers southeast of Tbilisi, RFE/RL correspondent Davit Mchedlidze was verbally abused and prevented from doing his job at a polling station by unidentified individuals who attempted to take his phone away.
A witness told RFE/RL that the unidentified persons were on the territory of the precinct, in violation of the law. Although the police were called, none arrived, the witness told RFE/RL.
Observers for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) who monitored the election will hold a press conference on October 27 to present their take on the fairness of the vote.
The Young Lawyers Association, a nongovernmental organization, said it observed “significant violations" of the electoral process, including physical violence, threats of violence, interference with the work of polling observers, and the violation of vote secrecy.
The group said its observers recorded about 300 “instances of irregularities.”
Russian Reaction
Georgian Dream was founded by Ivanishvili, Georgia's richest man, who made his fortune in Russia.
After casting his ballot, Ivanishvili urged Georgians to show up and vote in large numbers, while accusing the opposition of being in the service of an unnamed "foreign state" that would drag Georgia into a war against Russia.
"We have a very simple choice: either we elect a government that will serve you, the people of Georgia, Georgian society, take care of the country, or we elect an agent of a foreign state that will only follow orders from abroad," Ivanishvili said, adding that Georgia would then be faced with "catastrophe and ruins."
The Kremlin has made no secret that it prefers a victory by Georgian Dream.
Margarita Simonyan, the chief editor of the Kremlin-funded news agencies RT and Sputnik, cheered the election results.
"Georgians won! Well done," she wrote in a tweet, implying Western interference.
Opinion polls show that Georgians are broadly supportive of joining the EU and NATO but are also keen to avoid conflict with Russia and are deeply conservative on issues such as LGBT rights.
Among the controversial bills that Georgian Dream has passed is a law requiring groups that receive 20 percent or more of their funding from abroad to register as "foreign agents."
Opponents dubbed it the "Russian law," describing it as authoritarian and inspired by similar laws used to curb dissent in Russia.
Passage of the legislation earlier this year drew massive protests and prompted the United States to impose sanctions on several Georgians and threaten to end aid to Tbilisi.
The EU may consider temporary cancellation of its visa-free regime with Georgia if the elections are "not free and fair," the bloc's ambassador to Tbilisi said in September.
Other controversial legislation has clamped down on gay rights.
"This is a referendum between war and peace, between immoral propaganda and traditional values. This is a referendum between the country's dark past and a bright future," Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said after voting.
Opposition Groups
A new electoral rule put in place prior to the vote requires parties or coalitions to receive at least 5 percent to make it into parliament. That motivated Georgia's opposition parties to form coalitions that have a better chance of making it over that threshold.
The four main opposition groups directed their fire at the ruling party rather than each other, having had the common goal of ending 12 years of rule by Georgian Dream and reviving Georgia's stalled bid to join the European Union.
They had agreed that in the case of an opposition victory, they would allow Zurabishvili to form a technocratic government that would restore good relations with the West and repeal the most authoritarian laws that Georgian Dream passed in the run-up to the campaign.
Zurabishvili, whose role is largely ceremonial, has been at odds with Georgian Dream.
Russia Adds Literary Critic, Activists To 'Foreign Agents' List
Russia's Justice Ministry has added several more names to its list of so-called "foreign agents."
Among those added to the "foreign agents" register are renowned literary critic and professor Oleg Lekmanov; politician Nikolai Kavkazsky, a member of the Yabloko opposition party; activist and member of the Free Udmurtia movement Artyom Medvedev; blogger Anton Khardin; and the Astra news outlet.
Lekmanov, a visiting professor at Princeton University, left Russia in February 2022 due to his opposition to Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Kavkazsky is also a human rights and LGBT activist. He has sharply condemned the war in Ukraine and was arrested for six days for an anti-war action. He has been repeatedly attacked because of his political views.
Medvedev, who advocates for the independence of the region of Udmurtia from Russia, has taken part in the events of the Forum of Free States of Post-Russia, which the Russian authorities have classified as an "undesirable organization," and was fined.
Khardin is a popular blogger, with over 127,000 subscribers to his Telegram channel. He opposes the war in Ukraine and has spoken out against political repression in Russia.
Astra is an independent Telegram channel with current news from Russia and the world. It also publishes news that is not published by official Russian media.
The Russian law, introduced in 2012 and expanded in 2022, requires organizations receiving foreign funding to register as "foreign agents," subjecting them to burdensome reporting, auditing, and labeling requirements.
Critics say that the legislation forms part of a systematic campaign to stifle criticism of the government and curtail the work of rights defenders and independent media.
In a landmark ruling this week, the European Court of Human Rights said Russia's "foreign agent" law violated the European Convention on Human Rights, and that it is "arbitrary" and used in an "overly broad and unpredictable way."
The case was brought to the court by 107 plaintiffs, including major media outlets and human rights organizations such as RFE/RL's Russian Service (Radio Svoboda) and the Memorial human rights group.
The court ruled on October 22 that the law imposed "severe restrictions" on the plaintiffs’ activities and found that their designation as "foreign agents" amounted to "intimidation."
Biden Hopes For End To Mideast Escalation After Israeli Strikes On Iran
U.S. President Joe Biden expressed hope Israeli air strikes on Iran would bring an end to the current chapter of escalation in the Middle East, even as Hezbollah fired dozens of projectiles into northern Israel.
Israel struck Iran overnight in what it called a "targeted and precise" attack in retaliation for Iranian attacks on Israel earlier this month, the military said. Four Iranian soldiers were killed in the bombing, Tehran said.
Iran has been on edge for several weeks, with many government officials and observers around the globe saying they expected Israel to hit back. Tehran said its strikes were retaliation for an earlier attack by Israel.
The Biden administration had been concerned that Israel might target Iranian oil facilities or its nuclear facilities.
Iran's economy is heavily dependent on oil exports but a strike on energy facilities could have triggered a spike in global oil prices ahead of the U.S. election, where inflation is a key issue.
"Looks like they didn't hit anything but military targets," Biden told reporters on October 26, adding that Israel had informed him prior to the strikes. "I hope this is the end."
Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militant group backed by Iran, condemned the attack and fired more than 200 projectiles at Israel.
Israel said fragments from 30 rockets damaged buildings and cars in one northern town but that no one was killed.
Missile Facilities Targeted
The Israeli military said it targeted manufacturing facilities making missiles used to attack Israel over the last year.
Israeli warplanes also hit "surface-to-air missile arrays and additional Iranian aerial capabilities, that were intended to restrict Israel's aerial freedom of operation in Iran."
Earlier, the IDF said the attack was launched "in response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the state of Israel."
"The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7 on several fronts, including direct attacks from Iranian soil," it added.
Iran said that four of its soldiers had been killed in the Israeli attack, and confirmed that military sites were targeted in the region surrounding the capital, Tehran, and other parts of the country. It said the strikes caused "limited damage."
The semiofficial news agency Tasnim reported that Iran was resuming flights as normal after a brief interruption.
Iran’s currency and financial markets posted gains on October 26 after the government said the strikes caused limited damage. They had declined over the previous two weeks amid concerns over escalation.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Iran not to respond to the Israeli strikes.
"On the question of the strikes, I think we need to be really clear that Israel does have the right to defend itself, but we are urging -- and have been urging all sides -- to show restraint. And that is why I am very clear today: Iran should not be responding to this," Starmer said in Samoa, where he is attending a Commonwealth summit.
White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said Washington was advised of the strikes ahead of time, calling them "an exercise of self-defense and in response to Iran's ballistic-missile attack against Israel on October 1."
The Pentagon, meanwhile, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, about the strikes.
Austin reiterated that the United States was committed to Israel's security.
Israel has a right to defend itself, though Washington was determined to prevent the conflict from expanding, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said in a statement.
Around the same time, an Israeli air strike targeted some military sites in Syria's central and southern parts, according to the Syrian state SANA news agency.
Concerns have been growing that Iran and the United States would be drawn into a regional war amid Israel's intensifying assault in Lebanon on Hezbollah -- a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.
The air strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon have been accompanied by a ground operation.
Hezbollah -- designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party -- has supported another Iran-backed group, Hamas, which has been the target of a withering assault by Israel over the past year.
Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, triggered the current war when its fighters crossed into Israel on October 7, 2023, and killed some 1,200 people. They also took around 251 hostages back to the Gaza Strip.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. Businessman Convicted Of Attempting To Export Mining Equipment To Iran
A U.S. jury has convicted a man for conspiring to avoid sanctions imposed on Iran by attempting to ship U.S.-made heavy machinery used in mining to the country.
Brian Assi, also known as Brahim Assi, was convicted on October 24 of attempting to export goods from the United States to Iran without a license and other related charges, the Justice Department said in a news release on October 25.
Assi conspired with individuals affiliated with Tehran-based Sakht Abzar Pars Co. (SAP-Iran) to export the machinery indirectly to Iran without first obtaining the required licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the department said.
According to evidence presented at trial, Assi was a Middle East-based salesman for a multinational heavy-machinery manufacturer with a production plant in Florida.
Assi and his Iranian co-conspirators orchestrated the scheme by locating an Iraq-based distributor to serve as the purchaser of two blasthole drills from a subsidiary of Assi's employer.
Assi facilitated the sale of the blasthole drills and attempted to export them to Iran through Turkey, concealing any Iranian involvement in the transaction from his employer.
He claimed the drills were destined for use in Iraq, but in fact Assi intended for his Iranian co-conspirators to ship the items from Turkey to Iran in circumvention of U.S. export-control and sanctions laws.
"The defendant schemed to unlawfully export U.S.-origin mining drills to Iran, while deceiving his employer into believing that they were being sent to Iraq," Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said in the news release.
Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement in the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), said the verdict makes clear that the BIS will work tirelessly to uncover schemes no matter how hard the perpetrators try to hide them.
"We take action whenever we uncover attempts to evade our sanctions, especially when those efforts are designed to support adversaries like Iran," he said.
Assi is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Russian Air Strikes Kill At Least 4 In Ukraine
Russian air strikes late on October 25 that hit civilian buildings in Kyiv and Dnipro killed at least four people, local officials in the Ukrainian cities said.
A Russian drone struck a residential building in Kyiv, killing one person and injuring four, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said on Telegram.
A separate missile strike in the central city of Dnipro hit a residential building and a hospital, killing three people and injuring at least nine, Governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram.
Klitschko initially said two people were injured and were treated at the scene but later said one of the injured people had died.
Serhiy Popko, the head of the capital's military administration, said a fire broke out and spread to several apartments in the building located in a district west of the city center.
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A picture posted on social media showed a high-rise building shrouded in smoke with fires burning on one of the top floors.
Klitschko said the building was in the Solomyanskiy district and also said the top floors were on fire.
An air-raid alert preceded the strike around 9 p.m. local time for Kyiv and the region around the city as well as in a number of other regions. The alert warned that Shahed drones were moving west from the Chernihiv region.
Before the strike in Kyiv, Popko warned that drones had been launched toward Kyiv and told people to go to shelters.
Lysak said the strike in Dnipro triggered a fire in a residential building. He initially said two women were killed there. In a later post he said a teenage boy and an 8-year-old girl were among the injured.
Other online reports said several strikes hit different areas of Dnipro and included pictures showing damage after an explosion at a city hospital.
Ukrainian regional officials said earlier on October 25 that Russian strikes had killed two people and wounded six in two areas of Ukraine.
In the eastern Donetsk region, Russian troops struck a post office, killing two people and wounding a third, regional Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.
"The Russians have once again launched a deliberate attack on a civilian facility -- a post office -- and have also damaged administrative buildings," Filashkin said.
In the southern region of Kherson, heavy Russian shelling of 27 localities, including Kherson city, wounded five civilians, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Telegram.
"The Russian military targeted critical infrastructure, cell towers, and residential areas," Prokudin said.
With reporting by Reuters
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