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Russian Ruling Party Sticks With Medvedev As Chairman, Other Familiar Faces
Dmitry Medvedev, the former president and longtime sidekick to Vladimir Putin, has won a new five-year term as chairman of the ruling United Russia party.
He was chosen unanimously at a party congress on December 4 that also returned other veteran leaders to senior posts.
Medvedev is currently the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, a standalone part of the presidential administration with formal and informal influence on security-related policies.
He maintains leadership of the party following elections in September that highlighted declining support for United Russia.
Critics say it took the systematic elimination of challengers like jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, along with fraud and administrative resources to keep the Kremlin-backed United Russia in tight control of government in the face of a falling standard of living for most Russians.
"We will try to help every person regardless of his political convictions," Medvedev told delegates after his reelection.
Medvedev served as president for one term from 2008-12 in a move that allowed Putin to claim compliance with Russia's constitutional two-consecutive-term limit upon his return.
Boris Gryzlov was reelected as United Russia's chairman of the supreme party council, a post he has held since 2002.
Andrei Turchak was also given a new term as secretary of United Russia's general council.
United Russia's support was 28.6 percent in late November, according to state polling agency VTsIOM.
The Communist Party was second at around 18 percent.
Putin's current stint as president has seen the jailings of political opponents, a further consolidation of Kremlin influence over media, a tightening of prohibitions on dissent, and the use of a controversial "foreign agent" law to frustrate and shut down independent NGOs and journalists.
- By RFE/RL
Iran's Army Says Air-Defense 'Test' Behind Blast Over Nuclear City Of Natanz
Iranian state television has said the country's military fired a missile to test air defenses over Natanz, a city that houses nuclear sites.
The announcement came after unconfirmed local reports on December 4 of a blast in the sky above the city, in central Iran, about 200 kilometers from the capital, Tehran.
"Iran's air-defense units fire missile to test [the] rapid-reaction force over Natanz city," read a bulletin on Press-TV, Iran's English-language international broadcaster.
Natanz hosts an underground center for centrifuges that enrich uranium, which is at the center of Western allegations of secret military nuclear activities.
"Such exercises are carried out in a completely secure environment...and there is no cause for concern," army spokesman Shahin Taqikhani told state TV, according to Reuters.
AFP quoted a spokesman as saying, "An hour ago, one of our missile systems in the region was tested to assess the state of readiness on the ground, and there is nothing to fear."
The army was responding after widespread concern from locals who witnessed the unexplained blast.
No drills or exercises had been announced prior to the incident.
"Local sources have reported hearing a large explosion in the Natanz sky," the ISNA news agency said earlier on December 4. "No official source has yet confirmed or denied the report."
The semiofficial Fars news agency quoted a reporter in a nearby city as saying an intense light had been seen and a blast rang out.
"No exact details are available about this," Fars quoted a local governor as saying, according to Reuters.
Later, Press-TV published a breaking story that said simply that "Iran’s air defense force" had confirmed the "test."
Iran blamed Israel for what it called an attack on Natanz when a power cutoff caused a blackout at the facility in April.
Multiple incidents at Iranian nuclear and scientific facilities and assassinations of leading nuclear scientists have been blamed by Iranian officials on Israel or the West.
A seventh round of international talks in Vienna aimed at reviving a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers including the United States ended on December 3 with talk of new setbacks.
Israel has threatened to take military action if diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability fail.
Iran has consistently rejected accusations it is developing nuclear weapons and says its atomic activities are for civilian aims, despite findings by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Tehran previously obfuscated and deceived over its nuclear activities.
Secretary-General Rafael Grossi warned after a trip to Tehran last month that time was running out for the IAEA to gain access to reinstall cameras at a workshop in Iran that makes parts for advanced centrifuges, saying its inspectors would soon be unable to "guarantee" equipment there was not being diverted to a potential secret nuclear program.
With reporting by Reuters
Belarus Alleges Border Violation By Ukrainian Military Helicopter
Belarus's border authority has alleged, without producing evidence, that a Ukrainian military helicopter flew up to a kilometer into Belarusian territory, underscoring increasingly tense bilateral relations as Minsk and its ally Moscow test Western resolve in the region.
Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the accusation by the Belarusian state border service on December 4, which said the alleged overflight happened during military drills, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
There was no outside confirmation of such a violation.
Belarus is engaged in a bitter diplomatic standoff with the West over Alyaksandr Lukashenka's crackdown on dissent since a disputed election in 2020 and what the European Union has called his "weaponization" of Middle Eastern migrants to create a crisis on Belarus's border with EU members Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
The European Union, United States, and other Western powers this week imposed a fifth round of sanctions on Lukashenka and his elites over alleged rights and other abuses.
Lukashenka has increasingly relied on the diplomatic, economic, and military support of Moscow, which has recently staged joint military drills and last month launched regular air patrols over Belarus's western border.
Russia has also been accused of a major troop buildup in its west in what Kyiv and Washington have suggested is part of preparations for a possible invasion of Ukraine.
In July, Lukashenka fully closed Belarus's border with Ukraine after he alleged that the United States and its allies had been plotting a coup to topple him from power, the latest such accusation rejected by Washington or its allies.
Minsk on November 30 reversed policy to recognize Russia's 2014 seizure of Crimea from Ukraine -- a takeover that has been overwhelmingly rejected in the United Nations -- as Kyiv continues to battle Kremlin-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, many of the thousands of Iraqis and other migrants from the Middle East hoping to travel to the West remain camped out in Belarus near the Polish border.
Belarusian sources have said thousands have already been flown back to the Middle East since Turkey and other countries began cooperating more closely to thwart Minsk's alleged efforts to ship in migrants to put pressure on the EU border.
An Iraqi Airways flight left Minsk for Irbil on December 4 with more than 400 people aboard, according to officials at Minsk's international airport.
Many more third-country migrants are still camping out in subzero temperatures, including at an emergency shelter at a logistics center in Bruzhi.
With reporting by Reuters and RIA Novosti
- By RFE/RL
Biden, Putin Set Video Call For Next Week To Discuss Ukraine, Other Issues
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will hold a secure video call on December 7 to discuss Ukraine and other topics, the White House and Kremlin have confirmed.
The virtual meeting comes as Washington and Kyiv say Moscow has amassed tens of thousands of troops along with tanks and heavy weaponry in western Russia and could be planning an offensive as early as January.
"President Biden will underscore U.S. concerns with Russian military activities on the border with Ukraine and reaffirm the United States’ support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the White House said on December 4.
The two leaders will also discuss a range of topics, including strategic nuclear weapons, cyberattacks, and regional issues, the White House said.
Earlier this week, Putin reiterated Russia had "red lines" about any prospective NATO membership for Ukraine and raised concerns about Western weapons supplies to Kyiv and military drills in the Black Sea.
The Kremlin said that the Russian leader would seek binding guarantees precluding NATO's expansion to Ukraine during the call with Biden.
Washington has rejected Russia's ultimatums. "I don't accept anyone's 'red line,'" Biden told reporters on December 3.
"What I am doing is putting together what I believe to be the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he's going to do," Biden said.
U.S. officials have said they are uncertain of Russia's motives and whether Putin has made the political-military decision to stage an offensive against Ukraine.
Russia forcefully seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and is backing separatists in eastern Ukraine in an ongoing conflict that has claimed more than 13,200 lives.
A report in The Washington Post on December 3, citing a U.S. official and an unclassified intelligence document, said Russia could be planning a multifront offensive involving up to 175,000 troops as soon as early next year.
Earlier on December 3, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told lawmakers that the country's intelligence had assessed that the "likelihood of large-scale escalation by Russia exists."
"The most likely time to reach readiness for escalation will be the end of January," Reznikov said.
Ukraine has estimated around 95,000 Russian troops are currently near its borders.
Biden is also expected to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in this week, according to Ukrainian officials.
Moscow blames Ukraine and its Western backers for fanning recent tensions, pointing to what it says is a similar Ukrainian military buildup and a failure by Kyiv to meet its commitments under the Minsk agreements aimed at putting an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Some analysts say Russia is saber-rattling to extract concessions from the United States and its allies over issues such as NATO's eastward expansion, weapons shipments to Ukraine, and the stalled Minsk agreements.
Biden and Putin have had one face-to-face meeting since the U.S. president took office in January, sitting down for talks in Geneva last June. They last talked by phone in July.
During those talks, Biden pressed Putin to rein in ransomware and cybercrime attacks emanating from Russian soil. Ransomware attacks have continued since then.
With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
Thousands Of Serbs Protest 'Anti-Environment' Laws; Vucic Vows To 'Solve Problems'
BELGRADE/NOVI SAD -- Thousands of demonstrators have protested around the country with blockades in Belgrade and other cities to oppose new legislation on property expropriation and referendums that they contend favor private companies over citizens and the environment.
Main streets and a highway in the capital were blocked by protesters.
Minor incidents and some skirmishes were reported as demonstrations took place in Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Sabac, Nis, Kragujevac, Subotica, Uzice, and Raska.
The protests come as long-standing public opposition mobilizes against plans for a huge Anglo-Australian lithium mine in western Serbia and with reports trickling out of alleged neglect for environmental and labor safeguards at a handful of major Chinese-run facilities in the country.
Serbia suffers from some of Europe's worst pollution, and critics lay much of the blame on government corruption and lax regulatory enforcement to encourage the flow of foreign investment into the Western Balkans' biggest economy.
For the second Saturday in a row, activists took to the streets over the authorities' recent moves to lower the referendum threshold and allow for swift expropriation of private property if deemed in the public interest.
A fight broke out in Novi Sad between protesters and a small number of young men who threw stones at those gathered to block a main boulevard.
There was no police presence at that event, in an echo of similar standoffs last week where groups of counterprotesters were allowed to manhandle demonstrators.
Ahead of the rallies, the Interior Ministry warned that the blockades were illegal.
President Aleksandar Vucic had said there would be no action against the protesters by lay enforcement "as long as they do not endanger the lives and property of people and institutions."
Speaking during a trip to western Serbia on December 4, Vucic said he had not yet signed the amendment to the law on expropriation, which was passed by his Progressive Party (SNS) allies in parliament a week ago.
The deadline for his signature is December 10.
Vucic said he disagreed with the changes to the expropriation law as passed and pledged to seek changes, but he did not specify what those changes would be.
The approved bill allows for private property to be taken, with compensation, within five days if it is deemed to be in the national interest.
Vucic said that is insufficient time for owners to challenge such a finding.
Vucic already signed new legislation eliminating the threshold for minimum participation in national referendums.
He has previously pledged to hold a referendum on Anglo-Australian mining and mineral giant Rio Tinto's $2.4 billion plans for a 250-hectare underground mining complex near Loznica.
On November 27, thousands of protesters blocked traffic at roads and bridges in Belgrade and other cities and towns.
Several demonstrators were detained.
Environmental groups and civil society organizations argue recently adopted amendments to the Law on Expropriation and the Law on Referendum will pave the way for foreign companies to circumvent popular discontent over projects such Rio Tinto's.
Serbian authorities have rejected the accusations, saying the new laws are needed because of infrastructure projects.
Rio Tinto has said it plans to present an environmental impact study by the end of this year, and next year begin the four-year construction of the mine to exploit a massive deposit of jadarite, a mineral high in lithium and borates that was discovered in 2004.
Experts have warned the project could destroy farmland and further pollute the waters of a country already racked by severe levels of air, land, and water pollution.
Rio Tinto has vowed to respect all Serbian laws and denied its project will endanger the environment.
Vucic said during a visit to the planned mine site in Gornje Nedeljice, near Loznica, that he wanted to hear all of the citizenry's concerns and promised he will ask Rio Tinto to protect public health.
"What is important is that we talk and try to solve problems," Vucic said.
- By RFE/RL
Russia Blasted Over 'Unprecedented' Pressure On Jailed Journalist's Lawyers
Human rights and media-freedom watchdogs are calling on Russia to stop prosecuting media lawyers and allow reporters to receive proper legal assistance as the authorities are "stepping up their harassment" of journalists via the controversial "foreign agents" law.
Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued the pleas this week after one of the lawyers defending Ivan Safronov, a jailed investigative reporter charged with treason, fled Russia late last month.
Yevgeny Smirnov fled to Georgia after the Leningrad regional bar association initiated disciplinary proceedings against him at the behest of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Smirnov, who is accused of failing to be present for six investigative procedures without a valid reason, is the second lawyer defending Safronov to flee Russia in the past three months.
Ivan Pavlov also left to Georgia in September after the authorities opened a case against him earlier this year for allegedly disclosing classified information about the Safronov investigation -- an allegation he denies.
Amnesty International on December 1 expressed deep concern about the "unprecedented pressure" placed by the authorities on Pavlov and Smirnov, and about "the continuing unlawful pressure" exerted on Safronov and the conditions of his pretrial detention.
"The actions of the Russian authorities violate the rights to fair trial, freedom of expression, and freedom of association, as well as are entirely inconsistent with the obligations to protect human rights defenders," the London-based human rights group said in a statement.
Safronov was arrested and charged with high treason in July 2020. He is accused of passing secret information to the Czech Republic, a university in Switzerland, and Germany's intelligence service.
A former adviser to the head of Russian space agency Roskosmos and a onetime journalist, he has rejected the accusations against him and many of his supporters have held pickets demanding his release.
A wanted notice has been issued for Pavlov, who headed the St. Petersburg-based legal-defense organization Komanda 29, and he was placed on the "foreign agents" list in early November along with four former colleagues.
The coalition of lawyers and journalists was dissolved in July over its alleged links to a Czech nongovernmental organization branded by the Russian authorities as "undesirable."
"These proceedings and this use of the 'foreign agents' label against media lawyers is designed solely to put additional pressure on the journalists they defend, to isolate these journalists, and to deter those who could assist them," Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, said in a statement on December 3.
Cavelier urged the Leningrad regional bar association and the Russian Justice Ministry "not to yield to the FSB's pressure and to drop all the baseless proceedings against lawyers who defend journalists, so that they can practice their profession in the manner prescribed by the law."
The Russian authorities a year ago began to place media outlets and journalists on the "foreign agents" list, and are now targeting lawyers, the Paris-based group said, noting that the head of the Mass Media Defense Center, a source of expertise and legal assistance for media in difficulty, became the first lawyer to be placed on the register in October.
When it was first promulgated in 2012, the "foreign agents" law originally targeted organizations that receive foreign funding, and which the government deems to be engaged in political activity. It has since been amended repeatedly and increasingly used to target media outlets and individual journalists and bloggers.
The law requires targeted organizations to be registered, to identify themselves as "foreign agents," and to submit to audits.
The designation also restricts other media from citing a "foreign agent" organization without including a disclaimer.
According to RSF, the wording of the legislation "has become so vague that it is now easy for the authorities to use it against anyone they want to silence."
The law is used "to intimidate not only journalists and sources but also the readers and advertisers of a media outlet placed on the list, with the aim of making the outlet gradually disappear," the group said.
On December 3, Russia's Justice Ministry labeled four current and former RFE/RL journalists as "foreign agents," adding their names to a list of about 100 media entities and journalists.
The regime of President Vladimir Putin "is escalating its campaign against journalists who dare to report the facts inside Russia's own borders," RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said.
- By RFE/RL
Biden Says He'll Make It 'Very Difficult' For Russia To Attack Ukraine
U.S. President Joe Biden has said that he is prepared to "make it very, very difficult" for Russia to launch an attack against Ukraine, amid growing Western concerns over Moscow’s intentions in the face of a Russian military buildup near the Ukrainian border.
The warning came as Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to hold a video call in the coming days, both sides confirmed on December 3.
Washington and Kyiv say Moscow has amassed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's border, and is potentially planning an offensive as early as January.
But U.S. officials have said they were unclear of Russia's motives and whether Putin has made the political-military decision to stage an offensive.
Some analysts say Russia is saber-rattling to extract concessions from the United States and its allies over issues such as NATO's eastward expansion and weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Russia forcefully seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and is backing separatists in eastern Ukraine in an ongoing conflict that has claimed more than 13,200 lives over the past seven years.
"What I am doing is putting together what I believe to be the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he's going to do," Biden told reporters.
The president said his administration was in "constant contact" with Ukraine and European allies about the situation, following weeks of reports Russian troops, tanks, and heavy weaponry were massing near the Ukrainian border.
A report in The Washington Post on December 3, citing a U.S. official and an unclassified intelligence document, said Russia could be planning a multifront offensive involving up to 175,000 troops as soon as early next year.
Earlier on December 3, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told lawmakers that the country's intelligence had assessed that the "likelihood of large-scale escalation by Russia exists."
"The most likely time to reach readiness for escalation will be the end of January," Reznikov said.
While Ukraine has estimated that around 95,000 Russian troops are currently near its borders, the U.S. intelligence assessment put the current number at 70,000 but predicted a potentially higher buildup.
"The plans involve extensive movement of 100 battalion tactical groups with an estimated 175,000 personnel, along with armor, artillery and equipment," an administration official told The Washington Post.
Moscow blames Ukraine and its Western backers for fanning recent tensions, pointing to what it says is a similar Ukrainian military buildup and a failure by Kyiv to meet its commitments under the Minsk agreements aimed at putting an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Earlier this week, Putin reiterated Russia had "red lines" about any prospective NATO membership for Ukraine, and raised concerns about Western weapon supplies to Kyiv and military drills in the Black Sea.
Washington has rejected Russia's ultimatums about weapon supplies and Ukraine one day joining NATO, but the issue is likely to dominate discussions between Biden and Putin.
The Kremlin said that the Russian leader would seek binding guarantees precluding NATO's expansion to Ukraine during the call with Biden.
"I don't accept anyone's red line," the U.S. president said.
It's unclear what the U.S. response would be to any Russian offensive. At a NATO ministerial in Latvia on December 1, Secretary of State Antony Blinken threatened "a range of high-impact economic measures that we've refrained from using in the past."
He did not specify what sanctions were being weighed, but one potential could be to cut off Russia from the SWIFT system of international payments, a move that would be devastating to the Russian financial system.
With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, and The Washington Post
Azerbaijan Urged To Probe 'Horrific' Beating Of Opposition Activist In Custody
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on Azerbaijan to conduct a "prompt, impartial, and thorough" investigation into the violent dispersal of a peaceful protest by police in Baku earlier this week, and the "horrific" beating of an opposition politician and vocal government critic while in detention.
"Azerbaijani authorities have yet again demonstrated brazen contempt for people's right to hold peaceful protests and used violence to quash dissent," Giorgi Gogia, associate Europe and Central Asia director at the New York-based human rights watchdog, said in a statement on December 3, two days after police detained dozens of protesters gathered in central Baku.
In a tweet on December 2, the U.S. Embassy in Baku expressed deep concern about the violence against the protesters, and said it supported "peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression, as enshrined in Azerbaijan’s constitution."
Among those detained during the December 1 rally was a leading member of the opposition Musavat Party, Tofiq Yaqublu, who sustained multiple injuries while in police custody.
Yaqublu, 60, said police beat him while demanding that he say on camera that he would stop criticizing Azerbaijan's leadership.
"Yaqublu's horrific mistreatment was an attack on both an individual and the right to peaceful assembly," Gogia said. "Given Azerbaijan's poor record of addressing police abuses, the authorities need to ensure an effective, impartial investigation and hold to account those responsible."
The Azerbaijani government has been widely accused of human rights abuses, including torture and arbitrary detention.
The participants at the December 1 rally demanded the release of opposition activist Saleh Rustamli, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence on what HRW called "spurious" money-laundering charges.
Rustamli has been on a hunger strike since November 6, after parliament adopted an amnesty bill that is expected to release 3,000 prisoners but did not apply to his case.
Police cordoned off areas of Baku's center ahead of the protest, but several dozen protesters managed to make their way to the city center, chanting "Free Saleh Rustamli."
Police and security officials in civilian clothes immediately intervened and "forcibly restrained protesters, twisting their arms, and violently dragging them," including Yaqublu, to police vehicles, HRW said.
About 40 demonstrators were rounded up, the group said, adding that most of them were released shortly thereafter in the outskirts of the capital.
At least five were sentenced by courts to up to 30 days of administrative detention.
Appearing in a video after his release, Yaqublu was badly bruised and said he was nearly suffocated by officers.
Yaqublu told RFE/RL he had officially filed a complaint at the Prosecutor-General's Office.
The Interior Ministry has denied that police beat the opposition politician or subjected him to any pressure, but said that Yaqublu's allegations will be investigated.
Opponents of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Western countries, and international human rights groups say his government has persistently persecuted critics, political foes, independent media outlets, and civic activists.
Aliyev, who has ruled the country of almost 10 million people since shortly before the death of his father and predecessor, Heydar Aliyev, in 2003, has shrugged off the criticism.
Russia Hits Record 75,000 Monthly COVID-19 Deaths In October
Russia's state statistics agency, Rosstat, has tallied 74,893 deaths from COVID-19 in October, the highest monthly number since the pandemic began.
The agency reported on December 3 that total deaths from the pandemic through October reached over 537,000, the worst fatality count in the world behind the United States and Brazil.
Statistics for November, when the country faced a surge of infections, haven't been released.
The government's official COVID-19 death figures are almost half the Rosstat numbers.
The discrepancy can be explained by the government's coronavirus task force taking into account deaths where the virus was established as the primary cause of death after a medical examination.
Rosstat publishes figures under a wider definition for deaths linked to the virus.
The surge in infections is largely attributed to the highly infectious Delta variant and low vaccination rates, with only around 40 percent of Russians fully vaccinated.
Russia in recent months has faced its deadliest and largest surge of coronavirus cases, with both figures regularly breaking records.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
Current, Former RFE/RL Journalists Labeled As 'Foreign Agents' By Russia
Russia's Justice Ministry has labeled four current and former RFE/RL journalists as "foreign agents" -- a designation used by the government to designate what it says are foreign-funded organizations that are engaged in political activity, as well as people linked to them.
RFE/RL Tatar-Bashkir-Service and Idel.Realities journalists Alina Grigoryeva, Andrei Grigoryev, Regina Khisamova, and former contributor Regina Gimalova were added to the Russian registry of "foreign agents,"the ministry said.
Idel.Realities is a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service.
The controversial "foreign agent" legislation was adopted in 2012 and has been modified repeatedly while being increasingly used to shutter civil-sector and media groups in Russia.
It requires nongovernmental organizations that receive foreign assistance, and which the government deems to be engaged in political activity, to be registered, to identify themselves as "foreign agents," and to submit to audits.
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly condemned the Russian authorities' move and reaffirmed the Tatar Bashkir Service's determination to keep reporting for audiences inside Russia, a mission that he called "more important than ever."
“Even as the Kremlin increases its threats against Ukraine, the Putin regime is escalating its campaign against journalists who dare to report the facts inside Russia’s own borders," Fly said.
"Despite today’s designations, RFE/RL's Tatar Bashkir Service will continue to serve its audience inside Russia. Its work is more important than ever.”
The "foreign agents" label has led to several NGOs, media organizations, and other groups to shut down as they lose revenues from advertisers.
The designation also restricts other media from citing a “foreign agent” organization without including a disclaimer.
Most recently, the "foreign agents" legislation was used by Russian authorities last month to kick off the process of shutting down one of the post-Soviet world's most prestigious human rights organizations, International Memorial.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. Says It Wants To Be Prepared In Case Russia Invades Ukraine, Hopes To Make Aggression 'Very, Very Difficult'
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration says it wants to be prepared in case Russia invades Ukraine and the onus is on Moscow to change its behavior toward its neighbor, as warnings over a buildup of Russian troops near the border intensified on December 3.
The White House rebutted Russian demands this week over the West's relations with Ukraine by saying that "NATO decides who joins NATO, not Russia," and added that U.S. security assistance to Ukraine remains under consideration.
Administration spokeswoman Jen Psaki also said that the United States was ready to impose sanctions or take other punitive measures against Russia if it escalates its actions with respect to Ukraine.
The White House declined to say whether military planning is among the moves being considered as part of a "comprehensive" set of measures for Ukraine.
It also said it couldn't tell what Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans were with respect to Ukraine but that Moscow had taken steps that could allow for an invasion.
"That is why we want to be prepared and in an area we have expressed serious concern about," Psaki said.
Biden said hours earlier that he was readying initiatives to "make it very, very difficult" for Russia to escalate militarily against Ukraine, as Kyiv expressed fears of an attack next month amid a troop buildup in western Russia.
The warning came after a Russian official suggested Biden and Putin would speak by video "within days" but possibly after the Russian leader's scheduled trip next week to India.
Psaki said the White House was preparing for a possible call with Putin to discuss the Ukrainian situation.
"What I am doing is putting together what I believe to be the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he's going to do," Biden said.
Biden told reporters that his administration was in "constant contact" with Ukraine and European allies about the situation, following weeks of reports that more than 90,000 Russian troops, tanks, and heavy weaponry were amassing near the border with Ukraine.
Russia invaded and forcibly seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, while Russia-backed separatists also launched a conflict in eastern Ukraine against the Kyiv central government. Peace efforts have lowered the intensity of fighting but commitments on both sides remain unmet.
NATO and Western leaders have repeatedly warned of consequences if Russia escalates the situation militarily.
Earlier on December 3, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told lawmakers that Ukrainian intelligence had "emphasize[d] that the likelihood of large-scale escalation by Russia exists."
In an address to Ukrainian parliamentary deputies, Reznikov added that "the most likely time we must be ready to stand against such an escalation will be the end of January." He said the best way to reduce the threat was to "work together with our [Western] partners" and "make the price of possible escalation unacceptable for the aggressor."
Putin aide Yury Ushakov said that "a concrete date and time" for a videoconference between Biden and Putin was set but that "it is better to wait until all the parameters are fully agreed on with the American side, and then, we will be able to officially announce it."
He added that Putin would repeat a demand by Moscow for a legally binding commitment to “exclude any further NATO expansion eastward and the deployment of weapons systems that would threaten us on the territories of neighboring countries, including Ukraine.”
Moscow has consistently denied participating in the Ukrainian conflict despite overwhelming evidence of troops, equipment, and other Russian support for the separatists in a war that has killed more than 13,200 people.
Putin reportedly spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on December 3 and complained of Ukraine's use of Turkish-made drones in the ongoing conflict.
He called the alleged use of Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles "provocative," the Kremlin said.
Erdogan was quoted as saying on November 29 that he was willing to act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, despite strained relations over Ankara's sale of armed drones to Kyiv earlier this year.
On December 1, Russia's Defense Ministry said that more than 10,000 Russian troops had started military exercises near the Ukrainian border.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on December 2 in Stockholm that "the United States and our allies and partners are deeply concerned by evidence that Russia has made plans for significant aggressive moves against Ukraine, including efforts to destabilize Ukraine from within and large-scale military operations."
Lavrov told Blinken that Moscow needed "long-term security guarantees," which would halt NATO's eastward expansion.
Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, cited "significant national security interests of the United States and of NATO member states" if Russia attacked Ukraine.
With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Kremlin Says Preliminary Date Set For Putin-Biden Video Call
An aide to Vladimir Putin told reporters on December 3 that a video call would be held between the Russian leader and U.S. President Joe Biden after the former's trip to India next week.
Yury Ushakov did not specify when exactly the video call will take place, saying that final details of the talks were still being worked out.
"The contact is to take place within days. We already have a concrete date and time for this videoconference. But it is better to wait until all the parameters are fully agreed on with the American side, and then, we will be able to officially announce it," Ushakov said.
Ushakov said the two leaders would discuss the progress of the implementation of agreements made between Biden and Putin in Geneva in June, "unsatisfactory" bilateral ties, and "Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, the Ukraine crisis, and the dialogue on strategic stability."
Ushakov stressed that Moscow hopes Russia's demands for legal guarantees against NATO expansion eastward would also be discussed, adding that the Russia-initiated idea of holding a summit of the United Nations' Security Council leaders "will likely be discussed" as well.
Reports of a Russian buildup of tens of thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border in recent weeks prompted the United States and several of its NATO allies to reiterate their support for Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity in recent days.
A day earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia to withdraw its troops deployed near Ukraine and seek a diplomatic solution to escalating tensions in the region, warning Moscow of "severe costs" in case of an aggression against its neighbor.
Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014. Shortly thereafter, Moscow began supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict in which more than 13,200 people have died.
Ukraine and Western officials say Russia has kept tens of thousands of troops and heavy equipment near the Ukrainian border since war games held in western Russia earlier this year.
Russia has denied it is plotting an attack and blames Ukraine and its Western backers for fanning tensions, pointing to what it says is a similar Ukrainian military buildup.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax
Belarusian Mother Of Five Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Challenging Election Results
MINSK -- A court in Minsk has sentenced Volha Zalatar, an activist and mother of five children, to four years in prison for running an online chatroom that challenged the official results of last year's presidential election, which handed victory to strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka despite opposition claims the balloting was rigged.
The Minsk City Court on December 3 found Zalatar guilty of running the dze.chat online community, which a court in Minsk had earlier deemed to be an "extremist" operation.
Anton Matolka, who says he is in fact the administrator of dze.chat, called Zalatar's case and her sentence politically motivated, saying that she had never run the chat group, but did organize events for it such as tea talks and concerts as a volunteer.
The 38-year-old Zalatar, who has been recognized as a political prisoner by rights organizations in Belarus, was arrested in March. Her children range in ages from four to 17 years.
Zalatar's sentence is one of many in recent months pronounced against activists as Belarusian authorities suppress dissent in any form since the disputed presidential election in August 2020.
Rights activists and opposition politicians say the poll was rigged to extend Lukashenka's 26-year rule. Thousands have been detained during countrywide protests and there have been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment by security forces. Several people have died during the crackdown.
Many of Belarus's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country, while Lukashenka has refused to negotiate with the opposition.
The United States, the European Union, and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenka as the winner of the vote, and imposed several rounds of sanctions on him and his regime, citing election fraud and the police crackdown.
- By RFE/RL
U.S., Europeans Disappointed By Iran's Stance In Nuclear Talks
The United States and European powers have voiced disappointment at what they said was Iran's lack of seriousness in the latest round of negotiations on reviving a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.
The talks between Iran and the remaining parties to the nuclear agreement -- Britain, France, and Germany (known as the E3), China, and Russia -- were resumed on November 29 in Vienna after a five-month hiatus, with the United States participating indirectly.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on December 3 that the talks were paused because Iran does not seem to be serious about doing what is necessary to return to compliance with the deal.
Speaking at a conference in Washington, Blinken said the United States would not allow Iran to draw out negotiations while continuing to advance its nuclear program, warning that Washington will pursue other options if diplomacy fails.
"What we've seen in the last couple of days is that Iran right now does not seem to be serious about doing what's necessary to return to compliance, which is why we ended this round of talks in Vienna," Blinken said.
"We're going to be consulting very closely and carefully with all of our partners in the process itself...and we will see if Iran has any interest in engaging seriously," he said.
The European Union official chairing the meeting said there had been some progress, but further "convergence" was necessary.
"We have identified the challenges ahead. Now it is time to consult with capitals," EU diplomat Enrique Mora told reporters. "We will be resuming here in Vienna next week."
"We have substantial challenges ahead, time is not unlimited, there is an obvious sense of urgency," he added. "But above all we need a certain convergence of policy to start negotiations."
Diplomats are aiming to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which began unraveling in 2018 when former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to exceed limits on its nuclear program.
Trump's successor, Joe Biden, has said the United States is ready to rejoin the JCPOA, provided Iran resumes observing the deal's conditions.
Senior E3 diplomats in a statement expressed "disappointment and concern" in the negotiations after Iran proposed changes to the text negotiated during the previous six rounds, which started in April and were suspended in June when Iran elected a new president.
"Major changes [have been] demanded [by Iran]," the officials said in a statement, adding that some were incompatible with the 2015 deal.
"Tehran is walking back almost all of the difficult compromises crafted after many months of hard work," they added.
The E3 diplomats went on to say it was "unclear how these new gaps can be closed in a realistic time frame."
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki accused Iran of failing to come to Vienna with "constructive proposals."
But Iran's top negotiator sounded a defiant note in response to Western criticism, saying the European side can propose their own drafts for discussion, state media reported.
"There is no problem if the Europeans also provide drafts, and they can be discussed, but they must be based on principles approved by both sides," Ali Bagheri Kani said, according to state broadcaster IRIB, before leaving Vienna.
Among other things, Iran is demanding the lifting of all U.S. sanctions and guarantees that Washington will not withdraw from any future agreement.
Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency said the talks would "most likely" resume on December 6, but French President Emmanuel Macron warned there could be a longer break in the talks.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Bulgaria's New Fragmented Parliament Convenes Ahead Of Coalition Talks
SOFIA -- Bulgarian lawmakers have convened for their first session of parliament since a newly formed anti-graft party emerged as the surprise winner of the country's third general elections this year.
Lawmakers voted 158-1 with 72 abstentions on December 3 to approve the We Continue The Change party's nominee for speaker, 34-year-old lawyer Nikola Minchev.
Under the constitution, President Rumen Radev will give the party led by two Harvard University graduates a mandate to form the next government.
Radev, who was reelected to a second five-year term last month, told lawmakers that he would start consultations with the parliamentary political groups on December 6.
The co-leader of We Continue the Change, Kiril Petkov, said he was ready to assume the post of prime minister if a coalition agreement is reached with potential partners -- the leftist Socialist Party, the anti-elite There is Such a People party, and the liberal anti-corruption group Democratic Bulgaria.
Petkov said he expected such a deal next week.
Voters in the poorest nation in the European Union went to the polls on November 14 to elect a new parliament in a bid to break a monthslong political deadlock and secure a government to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic as well as rising energy prices and endemic corruption.
Two parliaments elected in April and July had failed to produce governments because of unclear majorities and disagreements between political parties on a new cabinet.
We Continue the Change won the most seats in the last election -- 67 -- but it fell well short of the majority needed in the 240-seat chamber to form a government on its own.
Six other parties entered the fragmented legislature, including the GERB party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, which received 59 seats, and the ethnic-Turkish MRF party with 34 seats.
The Socialists came fourth with 26 legislators, followed by There is Such a People with 25 seats, Democratic Bulgaria with 16 seats, and the pro-Russian nationalist group Vazrazhdane with 13 seats.
Ahead of the vote, Petkov rejected the prospect of forming a ruling coalition with the GERB or MRF parties.
Russian Media Watchdog Files Cases Against Meta And Google
Russia's Roskomnadzor media watchdog has filed suits against Alphabet's Google and Meta's Facebook that could see them fined at much as 10 percent of their local revenue.
The Magistrates Court in Moscow’s Taganka district said on December 3 that the cases originally were filed against the two companies in October over their repeated failure to delete content that Russia considers illegal.
The court added that it will hold hearings into the cases on December 24.
Roskomnadzor has been filing cases against Google, Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok since February, saying the social media giants had failed to remove content that Russian authorities consider illegal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused social media platforms and other tech giants of flouting the country's Internet laws, including a push to force foreign firms to open offices in Russia and store Russians' personal data on its territory.
Many critics say the push has nothing to do with "Internet integrity" and instead accuse the authorities of trying to quell dissent.
Social media companies have already been fined hundreds of millions of rubles for content violations.
Based on reporting by TASS, Interfax, and RIA Novosti
Remains Of 45 Victims Of Bulgarian Bus Crash Arrive In North Macedonia
SKOPJE -- The remains of 45 people, including 12 children, killed in a bus crash in neighboring Bulgaria last week have arrived in North Macedonia for burial.
Two military plane carrying the remains landed at Skopje's airport on December 3, with funerals expected to take place later in the day.
President Stevo Pendarovski, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, and parliamentary speaker Talat Xhaferi were among North Macedonia officials who paid tribute to the victims by laying wreaths on the runway.
Foreign dignitaries also attended the ceremony, including Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani and Albanian Interior Minister Blendi Cuci.
Meanwhile, the public paid tribute to the victims of the crash on Skopje’s Skanderbeg Square.
"I don't know them at all. However, I sympathize with all of them,” said Skopje resident Imrane Sulejmani. "I have a child, and it could have happened to him, too."
A previously announced procession through the capital was canceled at the request of the victims' families.
The bus was traveling from Istanbul to Skopje via Bulgaria on November 23 when it was involved in a fiery crash on a highway outside Sofia.
All of the victims were from North Macedonia. Most were ethnic Albanian tourists.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is being led by the Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office in cooperation with its counterpart in North Macedonia.
Officials in North Macedonia said the initial probe suggested that the tragedy was caused by human error.
Russian Ultranationalist Faces Posthumous Murder Charges
Maksim Martsinkevich, a notorious Russian ultranationalist who died in custody last year, is to be tried posthumously on murder charges, a lawyer representing his family said on December 3.
Lawyer Aleksei Mikhalchik told the TASS news agency that the charges filed posthumously against Martsinkevich by the Investigative Committee were based on alleged confessions he had made in a Siberian prison before his death.
The 36-year-old’s death in a detention center in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk in September 2020 sparked allegations of foul play.
Officials said Martsinkevich, also known by his nickname Tesak (Machete), committed suicide as he faced a possible life sentence over ethnically charged killings committed in the mid-2000s.
Martsinkevich's parents believe their son was murdered while in custody. Their request to launch a probe into his death have been rejected by Russian authorities.
In addition to his neo-Nazi activities, Martsinkevich founded a homophobic group whose aim was to "cure" homosexuals.
Russian authorities opened an investigation against him after several videos showing Martsinkevich and his followers humiliating and beating gays circulated on the Internet in 2013.
In late December 2018, a court in Moscow found Martsinkevich guilty of robbery and hooliganism and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
Before that, Martsinkevich had been convicted three times on extremism charges.
While in prison, he said he had abandoned his neo-Nazi views.
In December 2020, six alleged associates of the ultranationalist were detained and charged with the murders of several individuals from Central Asia.
With reporting by TASS
- By RFE/RL
Kyrgyz Court Refuses To Recognize Books Used By Jehovah's Witnesses As 'Extremist'
BISHKEK -- A court in Bishkek has refused to deem publications from the Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist, rejecting a step by authorities toward completely outlawing the religious group.
The Birinchi Mai district court in the Kyrgyz capital on December 3 rejected a request by the Prosecutor-General’s Office to recognize 11 books, two brochures, and six videotapes belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kyrgyzstan as extremist.
The materials in question were confiscated in 2019 from the religious group, which has operated in the Central Asian nation for more than 23 years, by the State Committee for National Security (UKMK).
Investigators then concluded that the materials "instigate religious hatred," while the Prosecutor-General’s Office asked the court last month to recognize the literature and videotapes as extremist and ban the group's activities in the country.
The Jehovah's Witnesses was officially registered in Kyrgyzstan in 1998. Currently, there are some 5,000 followers of the religious teaching.
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are the only Central Asian nations where Jehovah’s Witnesses are not officially outlawed.
In Russia, a large-scale crackdown on the religious denomination has been conducted since it was labeled as extremist and banned there in 2017.
- By RFE/RL
Belarus Labels RFE/RL's Telegram, YouTube Channels 'Extremist'
A Belarusian court has designated the official Telegram channel of RFE/RL's Belarus Service and some of the broadcaster's social-media accounts as extremist in a continued clampdown on independent media and civil society,
The decision to label RFE/RL's accounts "extremist" -- including its YouTube channel -- was made by the Central District Court on December 3 based on information provided by the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption, known as GUBOPiK.
Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
In a statement, GUBOPiK said that anyone subscribing to channels or other media designated as "extremist" may face jail time or other penalties, such as fines.
"RFE/RL adamantly rejects this ridiculous label," RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said in response to the news.
"We are committed to continuing to provide objective news and information to the Belarusian people, who are in need of independent media more now than ever. The Lukashenka regime continues to make clear that their disregard for the truth and their efforts to restrict access to independent information know no bounds," he added.
Authorities in Belarus have declared hundreds of Telegram channels, blogs, and chatrooms “extremist” after the country was engulfed in protests following the August 2020 presidential election, which authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed to have won and that the opposition says was rigged.
In response, the government has cracked down hard on the pro-democracy movement, arresting thousands of people and pushing most of the top opposition figures out of the country. There have also been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment, and several people have died.
Dozens of news websites have been blocked in Belarus and independent media shuttered as part of a sweeping crackdown on information in the wake of the protests.
The website of RFE/RL's Belarus Service has been blocked within Belarus since August 21, 2020, while the accreditation of all locally based journalists working for foreign media, including RFE/RL, were annulled by the Belarusian authorities in October 2020.
Lukashenka, who has run the country since 1994, has denied any fraud in the election and refuses to negotiate with the opposition on a political transition and new elections.
The West has refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus and has imposed several waves of sanctions against the government and other officials accused of aiding and benefiting from the crackdown.
On December 2, the European Union, the United States, and other key Western allies further tightened the sanctions in response to a crisis on the bloc’s eastern flank that the West accuses Lukashenka of fomenting by funneling thousands of mainly Middle Eastern migrants to the border region in retaliation against the sanctions.
Belarusian national carrier Belavia said on December 3 that it had cut its fleet by about half due to the sanctions. The airline has been accused of flying the migrants to Minsk.
The Belarus Foreign Ministry said on December 3 that the “unprecedented pressure” applied on it could prompt Minsk to retaliate.
"We have repeatedly said that all unfriendly anti-Belarusian steps will be followed by appropriate measures of response. The new round of sanctions is no exception," the ministry said in a statement.
The isolation has made the Belarusian strongman more reliant than ever on Russia, which analysts say is using his weakened position to strengthen its hold over its smaller neighbor.
Residents Of Daghestan's Capital Block Street Demanding Restoration Of Gas Supply
Dozens of residents in Makhachkala, the capital of Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan, have blocked traffic demanding the restoration of natural-gas supplies that were cut off after a leak caused an explosion, killing one and injuring four people in a private house last month.
The protest lasted for several hours until local authorities met with the demonstrators late in the evening on December 2 and promised to solve the issue.
The natural-gas supply to the area was stopped after investigators said that a deadly explosion on November 22 was caused by a gas leak.
According to law enforcement, the tragedy happened because of an illegal connection to a major natural-gas delivery system. Four persons, including two children, remain in hospital with burns from the accident.
On December 1, Makhachkala city authorities said the natural-gas delivery line that was damaged by the blast had been restored, but added that deliveries in the affected area will be fully restored only after inspectors checked every building in the area for possible gas leaks.
Based on reporting by Meduza, Gazeta.ru, and Kavkazsky Uzel
Bosnia Arrests Seven Suspects Over 1992 Massacre
SARAJEVO – Authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina say they have arrested seven people suspected of involvement in war crimes committed against civilians during the 1992-95 Bosnian War.
The suspects were apprehended on December 3 in or near the eastern towns of Bijeljina and Sokolac, Bosnia's State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) said.
It said all seven suspects will be handed over to prosecutors for questioning before a court rules on their possible pretrial detention.
According to Bosnia’s Prosecutor's Office, they were charged with participating in the killing of 22 Bosniaks, including seven children, in the village of Balatun nearly 30 years ago.
At the time, the three suspects were members of the Serb police, it said.
Serb paramilitaries led by Zeljko Raznatovic Arkan seized the Bijeljina area and massacred at least 100 civilians in the town over the following days.
At least 500 civilians were killed in Bijeljina by the end of the war, according to the nongovernmental organization Return Association.
More than 100,000 people were killed in the Bosnian conflict, which ended with a U.S.-brokered agreement that divided the country and its administration largely along ethnic lines among Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats.
This is the second operation to arrest war crimes suspects conducted by SIPA in the last 10 days.
On November 30, the agency arrested nine people in the northwestern town of Novi Grad suspected of crimes against humanity.
Loading... Turkmenistan Has The Slowest Internet In The World
Turkmenistan has been recognized as the country with the slowest Internet in the world, with users needing almost a full day to download a movie.
Cable.co.uk said in a report on worldwide broadband speed in 2021 that Turkmenistan, with an Internet speed of 0.50 megabits per second (Mbps), was the slowest of all 224 countries surveyed, with it taking just over 22 hours and 34 minutes to download a movie file with a size of 5 gigabytes.
That puts the secretive and isolated Central Asian country behind even war-torn nations such as Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, and Afghanistan in terms of Internet speed, the report showed.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has ruled his country with an iron fist, tolerating little dissent while shutting it off from the outside world amid an economic crisis that has pushed many of its citizens into poverty.
The hard-line government in Ashgabat has stepped up control on people's access to information in recent years in an attempt to contain the message coming out of Turkmenistan about people's hardships, while also blocking any information coming from abroad that is critical of the Turkmen government.
Of the 11 former Soviet republics that are members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the research results showed the top three fastest nations were Russia (35.73 Mbps, 66th place overall), Ukraine (25.26 Mbps, 77th overall), and Belarus (19.86 Mbps, 92nd overall). Several other former Soviet satellites in Central Asia fared poorly in the survey, with Kazakhstan (5.83 Mbps, 173rd overall) and Tajikistan (1.82 Mbps, 211th overall) near the bottom of the list.
Three other former Soviet republics -- Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, all of which are now members of the European Union and NATO -- ranked in the top 40 nations. Estonia led the Baltic trio with an average speed of 84.72 Mbps, putting it 22nd overall in the world. Latvia ranked 33rd with a speed of 63.28 Mbps, while Lithuania followed closely, ranked with a speed of 56.17 Mbps, placing it 37th in the rankings.
In Eastern Europe, three countries with the fastest average Internet speed were Hungary (104.07 Mbps, 10th), Romania (67.40 Mbps, 29th) and Slovenia (67.20 Mbps, 30th). The slowest three were the Balkan nations of North Macedonia (15.38 Mbps, 107th), Albania (19.36 Mbps, 96th), and Kosovo (22.21 Mbps, 81st).
Cable.co.uk said the rankings were derived from over 1.1 billion speed tests taken in the 12 months leading up to June 30.
"Though the countries occupying the bottom end of the table still suffer from extremely poor speeds, 2021's figures do indicate that the situation is improving," it said.
Four Ex-State Security Officers Jailed In Serbia For 1999 Murder Of Journalist
BELGRADE -- A Serbian court has sentenced four former state security officers to up to 30 years in prison over the 1999 murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija, an outspoken critic of the late strongman Slobodan Milosevic's government.
Following a retrial 22 years after the killing, the Belgrade Special Court on December 2 handed 30-year prison sentences to both the former head of Serbian State Security, Radomir Markovic, and the ex-head of Belgrade's intelligence branch, Milan Radonjic.
Secret service agents Ratko Romic and Miroslav Kurak were each given 20 years in prison. Kurak was tried in absentia.
The verdicts can be appealed.
A court had convicted the four in 2019, but that ruling was overturned and a retrial ordered.
Ivana Stevanovic, executive director of the Slavko Curuvija Foundation, described the new verdict as “a very important step” in dealing with the politically motivated crimes committed in the 1990s.
Veran Matic, president of the Commission for the Investigation of Murders of Journalists in Serbia, called it “a very important message” for Slavko’s family and colleagues, as well as for all journalists in Serbia.
According to Attila Mong, the Europe correspondent for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalist, the ruling is “an important step in ending impunity in the case," but he said Serbian authorities should “continue to work toward complete justice by identifying those who ordered the murder and pursuing their prosecution.”
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomed the verdict “as a fragile progress in bringing justice for crimes committed against journalists” in the Balkans.
“The accused can still appeal. But if the conviction is not overturned, it can inspire justice in other cases of attacks on Balkan journalists,” the Paris-based media freedom watchdog said.
According to the Independent Journalist Association of Serbia, 32 journalists were physically attacked last year and nearly 100 reported threats.
Curuvija stood out as a sharp critic of Milosevic, who involved Serbia in wars in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo during his heavy-handed 12-year rule.
The owner and editor of two independent newspapers, Curuvija was gunned down outside his home in Belgrade in April 1999, just days after the start of NATO’s bombing campaign that helped end Belgrade's military operations against ethnic Albanians in its then-province Kosovo.
The journalist’s family has accused Milosevic of personally ordering the killing.
Milosevic was arrested in 2001 and held at a UN court in The Hague for genocide and other war crimes committed during the wars that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
The former Serbian president died in the tribunal's detention unit in 2006 before a verdict was reached.
Pilot Who Supports Temporarily Banning Belarus From Voting On ICAO Confirmed To UN Aviation Body
The U.S. Senate has confirmed C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger to be the U.S. representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations' air-safety body.
The 70-year-old Sullenberger, who rose to fame as a commercial pilot who safely landed an Airbus A320 on New York's Hudson River after an in-flight emergency in 2009, said earlier this year that Belarus should be temporarily barred from voting at the ICAO because of its diversion of a Ryanair flight in May.
"More action needs to be taken," Sullenberger told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 29 during his nomination hearing.
He noted that under certain conditions the ICAO can temporarily remove the voting rights of a state for violating international norms.
“We should be pulling every lever necessary to hold accountable those responsible for this act,” Sullenberger said.
Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich and his Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, were detained when Belarus scrambled a military jet to escort the Athens-to-Vilnius flight which they were on to land in Minsk because of a bomb threat that proved to be false.
Sullenberger said the arrest of Pratasevich "showed flagrant disregard for international norms of aviation security and safety." He said the ICAO "must ensure that those standards are upheld" and he vowed to push for a full chronology of what happened.
The ICAO said on November 9 that an investigative report on the incident will not be released until its next session in January.
Pratasevich and Sapega are currently under house arrest. Pratasevich faces charges of being behind protests that followed a disputed presidential election in August 2020, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The charges against Sapega are less clear.
Based on reporting by Reuters
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