Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev attempted to commit suicide before being deported from Germany to Tajikistan, The Insider investigative group reported on November 6, citing self-exiled Tajik opposition activist Sharofiddin Gadoev.

According to the report, German police officers found Ergashev lying in a pool of blood in a cell in a deportation center.

Ergashev reportedly cut himself in the stomach, body, and arms, and had damaged his veins. He received hospital treatment and in spite of his condition, Ergashev was still scheduled to be deported to Tajikistan on November 6.

"Realizing that returning to Tajikistan means inevitable reprisals and brutal repression by the [Tajik President] Emomali Rahmon's regime, Ergashev attempted to commit suicide," Gadoev told The Insider.

"Ergashev would prefer death than falling into the hands of the 'butchers' of a regime known for its ruthless reprisals against political opponents," Gadoev added.

The 40-year-old is a prominent member of Group 24, an opposition movement that is banned in Tajikistan and part of the Reforms and Development of Tajikistan movement established by exiled dissidents.

His activism has included participating in demonstrations in Berlin, notably during a protest against Rahmon's visit to Germany in September 2023.

An administrative court in the German town of Kleve ruled to deport Ergashev on October 28.

Three days later, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the court decision saying that returning Ergashev to Tajikistan would violate international law prohibiting "refoulement" -- the practice of returning individuals to countries where they face the risk of torture or cruel, inhumane treatment.

This principle is enshrined in various international treaties to which Germany is a signatory, it said.

Germany has faced criticism for similar actions in the past. In 2023, two Tajik dissidents, Abdullohi Shamsiddin and Bilol Qurbonaliev, were deported to Tajikistan, where they were immediately detained and later sentenced to lengthy prison terms on dubious charges related to attempts to overthrow the constitutional order.

Reports indicate that Shamsiddin has faced mistreatment while incarcerated.

Ergashev has been in Germany since February 2011 and applied for asylum on political grounds that same year.

Despite several applications, his asylum requests have been consistently rejected.

According to his lawyer, German immigration authorities have expressed doubts about the sincerity of Ergashev's commitment to opposition causes.

The Tajik government is known for its systematic persecution of opposition members, especially those affiliated with banned groups like Group 24.

A recent report by HRW highlighted Tajikistan as a country of major concern regarding transnational repression, noting that the government actively targets critics abroad on charges of extremism and terrorism, leading to severe penalties and mistreatment upon forced return.

Given Ergashev's documented activism and participation in protests, he is seen by activists as a clear target for persecution by the Tajik authorities.

HRW urged the German authorities to immediately suspend Ergashev's deportation and conduct a thorough review of his protection needs, emphasizing that he should not be sent back to a country where he faces a serious risk of torture.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on November 6 that it had summoned Moldova's ambassador to protest what the Kremlin described as the "hostile and discriminatory" treatment of Russian election observers by Moldovan authorities. Moldova's pro-Western incumbent President Maia Sandu defeated Russia-friendly challenger Alexandr Stoianoglo in a November 3 runoff vote in balloting marred by accusations of Russian interference and voter fraud. Moscow, without providing evidence, has claimed the vote was unfair and refuses to recognize Sandu as the legitimate president of the country. International election observers said the election was administered "efficiently and professionally."

A Ukrainian drone made an incursion into Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan in an attempt to strike the city of Kaspiysk near the Caspian Sea. Russian air defense intercepted the drone, the first time such an attack has been reported, but not before falling debris injured a 16-year-old girl. The attack prompted the temporary suspension of operations at Makhachkala Airport, Daghestan's main air hub. Kaspiysk, home to Russia's Caspian Flotilla, is strategically important due to its proximity to Russian military assets. Ukrainian sources claim the strike damaged two Russian missile ships that have been active in missile strikes against Ukraine. The attack highlights Ukraine's growing ability to target critical Russian military infrastructure far beyond the front lines. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Armenian citizen Armen Balian, who fought alongside Ukrainian troops against invading Russian forces, has been detained in Moscow and charged with mercenary activity, the Russian Investigative Committee said on November 6. Balian, 36, was arrested at Domodedovo Airport last month upon his arrival to the Russian capital and charged with recruiting and participating as a mercenary in an armed conflict. According to the Investigative Committee, Balian traveled to Ukraine in November 2022 via Moldova and enlisted, participating in military operations as part of territorial-defense units. He served in various conflict zones, including the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions. Balian reportedly admitted to his involvement in the fighting and acknowledged his role as a mercenary in Ukraine. The case against him is still under investigation and further details are yet to be disclosed. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Russian nationalist and former separatist commander Igor Girkin, also known by his alias Strelkov, has lost his appeal against a four-year prison sentence he was handed for calling for "extremist activity."

Russia's Supreme Court announced its decision to uphold the ruling in a closed-door hearing on November 6, confirming that Girkin’s imprisonment would be carried out. He is currently serving time in a prison in the Kirov region.

Girkin, a former colonel in Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and a key figure in Russia's 2014 occupation of Ukraine's Crimea and Donbas regions, was sentenced in January 2024 for criticizing President Vladimir Putin and other Russian leaders.

The court found that his public remarks, made in two Telegram posts, amounted to calls for extremist activity. Girkin has denied any wrongdoing and rejects the accusations.

Girkin was arrested in July 2023 after posting criticisms of Putin’s handling of the war in Ukraine, which he described as poorly executed and mishandled.

He accused the Russian president of "cowardly mediocrity" and even called for his resignation, stating that Russia needed "someone truly capable and responsible" to lead the country.

While in custody, Girkin, 53, expressed interest in participating in the 2024 Russian presidential election. He made efforts to organize a campaign and collect signatures in support of his candidacy, but ultimately failed.

Despite his incarceration, Girkin continued to push for his involvement in the war in Ukraine, requesting multiple times to be sent to the front lines. However, the requests were denied, a move Girkin and his supporters believe was the result of an unofficial ban on him by Russian authorities.

His wife, Miroslava Reginskaya, confirmed in September that her husband's requests to join the ongoing invasion of Ukraine had been rejected twice even though Russia is recruiting prisoners to fight in the war.

Girkin, who rose to prominence as a commander of Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014, was instrumental in the military operations that led to the occupation of Crimea.

In addition to his prison sentence in Russia, Girkin faces international legal challenges.

In November 2022, a Dutch court convicted him and two other defendants in absentia for their role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014, which killed all 298 people onboard.

The plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over territory controlled by the separatists in eastern Ukraine. Investigators have suggested there are "strong indications" that Putin was personally involved in the incident, although Russia has denied any responsibility for the attack.

With reporting by TASS and Interfax

Russia has massed some 45,000 troops in Kursk likely in preparation of a counteroffensive to expel Ukrainian forces from the region, Ukrainian commander in chief General Oleksandr Syrskiy said on November 6, adding that Moscow was also seeking to beef up its effectiveness with North Korean soldiers.

Syrskiy's comments on social media came the same day that Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, ratified a treaty with Pyongyang envisioning mutual military assistance, a move that comes as Washington has confirmed the deployment of 10,000 North Korean troops to Russia.

"The enemy concentrated about 45,ooo troops there. And it is trying to increase their number. Russia's own troops are not enough in this direction, so they are trying to attract military personnel from North Korea there," Syrskiy wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine claims to control more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory in Kursk following a surprise incursion inside the Russian region bordering Ukraine that began August 6.

Kyiv's move came as a surprise as its depleted forces were struggling in Ukraine's east against a grinding offensive by more numerous, better-equipped, and better-armed Russian forces.

Syrskiy said the incursion was needed as a preemptive strike against an expected Russian attack from Kursk into Ukraine's Sumy region.

"That is why it was decided to conduct a preemptive offensive operation with the transfer of hostilities to the territory of the enemy in the Kursk region," Syrskiy wrote.

He also claimed that since the start of Ukraine's incursion into Kursk, 7,905 Russian soldiers were killed, 12,220 were wounded, and 717 were captured.

The figures advanced by Syrskiy could not be independently confirmed.

Earlier on November 6, Ukraine's air defenses shot down 38 out of the 63 drones launched by Russia at nine regions -- Odesa, Mykolayiv, Kyiv, Sumy, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhya -- the air force reported on Telegram.

Twenty-two other drones were lost after their navigation systems were jammed by Ukrainian electronic-warfare units, the air force added.

Separately, the governor of the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhya said that the number of casualties following a Russian missile strike on his region had grown to seven dead and 25 wounded.

Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine's cities and energy infrastructure as a third winter of war draws near. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its air defenses downed three Ukrainian drones over the Kursk and Oryol regions.

TBILISI -- An opposition rally is under way in Tbilisi outside Georgia's Appeals Court, the fourth protest in as many days against the results of parliamentary elections claimed by the ruling Georgian Dream party amid allegations of widespread fraud.

The opposition, which has refused to recognize the result, has been holding large protests in Tbilisi after the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party, which has been in power for the past 12 years, claimed victory with 54 percent of the vote.

Georgia's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili also refused to recognize the validity of the results, alleging massive fraud and Russian interference.

The protest in Tbilisi came after a court in the central city of Gori on November 6 rejected a petition by election monitors calling for the annulment of results in several election precincts in the city, where violations of the vote's confidentiality were observed during the October 26 parliamentary election.

A coalition of monitoring organizations known as My Voice filed a petition in the Gori court against the Central Election Commission (TsSK) calling for the annulment of results in 14 of the city's precincts where violations had been documented.

My Voice has said its observers from 1,131 precincts said there were more than 900 cases of violations of election procedures.

But presiding judge Nino Gogatishvili refused to accept the petition after five hours of hearings, prompting representatives of My Voice to say they will appeal the decision in the Appeals Court.

SEE ALSO:

Georgian Opposition Stages Rally Outside Court Of Appeal

Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered outside the Appeals Court where complaints are being filed against decisions by lower courts that rejected requests to annul votes because of fraud. Opposition leaders were banned from attending the Appeals Court proceedings, prompting them to protest outside the building.

"I am a citizen of Georgia, the court proceedings are under way, they are public, so you must let me in. You are breaking the law now, you know it better than me.... You are not in Russia, are you?" Anna Dolidze, one of the leaders of the Strong Georgia party, told police blocking the entrance.

Another opposition leader, Giorgi Vashadze of the Unity -- National Movement bloc, demanded that dubious votes be annulled.

"We demand that the court recognize the right to secrecy of the vote, guaranteed by the constitution of Georgia, which was utterly violated, and annul the election results. The first precedent was created in the Tetritskaro court. It was confirmed that the election results were falsified. We won, and someone is trying to steal this victory," Vashadze told RFE/RL.

"The protest will continue without interruption, it will not stop until we celebrate the final victory that the people gave us."

In Tetritskaro, Judge Vladimir Kuchua ruled in favor of the complaint filed by a civic group called the Young Lawyers' Association, deciding to annul the result at 30 polling stations based on evidence presented by the group.

The TsSK challenged his decision, declaring them unfounded, prompting the opposition in turn to challenge the commission's ruling at the Appeals Court.

Kuchua has been hailed by the opposition as a rare, courageous magistrate to go against Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012.

Zurabishvili also protested on X.

"The Tbilisi Appeals Court has denied political parties their right to enter the chamber where the election frauds are judged !!!! That is justice as the « Georgian dream » sees and practices it…" Zurabishvili said.

Nika Melia, one of the leaders of Coalition for Change, has said demonstrations will continue for new elections.

"In the coming days and weeks, our task is to fill Tbilisi with people. All major squares, streets, avenues should be full of people," Melia said.

Another opposition group, the Girchi Party, has also joined the call for fresh elections, arguing that the confidentiality of the vote had been violated on October 26.

The party, which did not pass the 5 percent threshold needed to enter parliament, has scheduled a rally outside the parliament building for November 9 and urged the TsSK to call new elections within one week. It has also appealed to Georgia's Western partners not to recognize the results of the vote.

The Minsk City Court has issued the first-ever sentence in Belarus under a law passed more than two years ago for "denying the genocide of the Belarusian people."

According to a statement on November 5 from the Vyasna Human Rights Center, a 55-year-old plasterer from the Minsk district, Andrey Savitski, was sentenced to three years in a penal colony on the denying genocide charge and a separate charge accusing him of “insulting" Belarusian authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

The charges stemmed from Savitski’s social media posts about Lukashenka and about the Belarusian village of Khatyn, where 149 people died in March 1943 after being rounded up by occupying Nazi troops and taken to a barn that was then set on fire.

Savitski was reportedly detained in February and held in custody since then. The arrest was carried out by officers from the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBAZIK) and the Special Rapid Response Unit (SAHR).

According to the Internal Affairs Ministry, Savitski denied in his posts the “genocide of the Belarusian people by German occupiers during the Great Patriotic War, rehabilitated fascists, and attributed crimes committed by the occupiers to Soviet citizens."

The case was the first to be prosecuted since the law on the Genocide of the Belarusian People was enacted in January 2022. Vyasna said Savitski was sentenced on October 30.

Lukashenka's regime frequently uses accusations of denying the genocide to target Belarusian opposition activists. Independent historians in exile have criticized Belarusian authorities for substituting the term "genocide of the Belarusian people" for "Holocaust of the Jewish people," which echoes the Soviet narrative.

Disputes continue in Belarusian society and among Belarusian historians regarding some events during World War II on the territory of Belarus.

NOVI SAD, Serbia -- Protesters hurled red paint and stones at city hall in Novi Sad on November 5 as they demanded accountability for the deaths of 14 people in the collapse of a concrete canopy at the city’s train station.

The glass doors of city hall were shattered when a group of masked men threw incendiary devices inside the building, prompting riot police to respond with tear gas. The protesters also dumped manure in front of city hall.

Misa Baculov, a representative of the civic group Be a Hero and a former mayoral candidate, said the manure "symbolizes what they've been doing to us for years."

The protesters demanded the resignations of Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and Novi Sad Mayor Milan Djuric, as well as the immediate arrest and punishment of those responsible for the collapse of the canopy.

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They also called for public access to the contract with the Chinese consortium that recently renovated the station and the disclosure of other secret contracts with private companies involved in major national infrastructure projects.

The station reopened in July after a three-year renovation led by the Chinese consortium CRIC & CCCC. Serbian railway authorities said that the canopy outside the main entrance of the station was not part of the renovation.

Baculov urged protesters to remain peaceful and called on the police to open the doors of city hall so the protesters' demands could be delivered.

Thousands initially gathered at the train station, where the canopy collapsed on November 1, and then marched through central Novi Sad holding banners reading: "You are guilty, you will answer."

Photos of the victims, including children, were carried at the front of the march, and the crowd chanted "Resignations," "Prison," and "Arrest the gang."

A strong police force was deployed in Novi Sad ahead of the gathering, which was organized by opposition parties and civic groups. It began with a moment of silence for the victims near the site of the accident.

Some demonstrators threw stones and other objects at the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) office, breaking windows.

The flag of the SNS party was removed from the office before the protest began, and the building was plastered with photos of government officials that the protesters say should be held responsible.

President Aleksandar Vucic responded by saying the flag had been “destroyed and removed by those who claim to love Serbia more than we, the decent citizens of this country."

So far, only one government minister, Goran Vesic, has resigned. He announced he would step down effective November 5 from the job of minister of construction, transport, and infrastructure but denied responsibility for the collapse of the canopy.

The cause of the collapse remains unclear.

Vucic noted that it will be "difficult" for prosecutors and courts to establish criminal liability, but he acknowledged that the canopy, though not part of the renovation, had glass added to it.

"However, it held up for two years, and it’s questionable whether that caused the collapse or if it was due to 60 years of corrosion. Experts will have to determine that," Vucic told Happy TV on November 4, adding that "the steel cables were worn out."

The Novi Sad High Public Prosecutor's Office has so far questioned 48 individuals, including Vesic, the director of the Novi Sad Institute for Monument Protection, and officials from Serbian Railways and Infrastructure.

The prosecutor's office has also seized documents from multiple institutions and companies and ordered expert analyses to determine the cause of the collapse and those responsible.

Russia is responsible for an operation aimed at igniting fires on cargo or passenger aircraft bound for North America, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Western security officials.

The newspaper reported on November 5 that the devices that ignited in July in depots of global courier DHL in the British city of Birmingham and the German city of Leipzig were part of a test run in the Russian plot.

Last month, Polish officials said four people had been detained as a result of the investigation into parcels that caught fire while being sent by courier in Europe and bound for the United States and Canada.

"The group's activities consisted of sabotage and diversion related to sending parcels containing camouflaged explosives and dangerous materials via courier companies to European Union countries and Great Britain, which spontaneously ignited or detonated during land and air transport," Polish prosecutors said in an October 25 statement.

"The group's goal was also to test the transfer channel for such parcels, which were ultimately to be sent to the United States of America and Canada," the statement said, adding that foreign intelligence services were to blame, though it did not directly accuse Russia of involvement.

Reuters quoted Kestutis Budrys, a national security adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, as saying on November 5 that the parcels were "part of unconventional kinetic operations against NATO countries that are being undertaken by the Russian military intelligence."

Russia has not commented on the report.

The report came on the day U.S. voters are heading to the polls in a presidential election. However, the Wall Street Journal did not tie the parcels directly to the balloting.

Many Western intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of involvement in sabotage acts in Europe, which they have said are targeted at destabilizing allies of Ukraine, where Russia is fighting a war after launching the full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

A court in Uzbekistan's Ferghana Province has sentenced 51-year-old Alisher Xoliqov to five years in prison for mercenary activities with the Russian armed forces in a landmark case highlighting the growing issue of foreigners enlisting to fight in Ukraine.

The November 4 court ruling shows the risks faced by Central Asian migrants and the harsh legal consequences of their involvement in Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Xoliqov, an Uzbek citizen, initially moved to Russia in search of work.

His troubles began in November 2023, when, after an altercation with a Russian employer over unpaid wages, he was detained by the police.

Facing the threat of criminal prosecution, Xoliqov was coerced into signing a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry. Media reports say he was allegedly pressured to enlist because of his vulnerability as a migrant worker.

Despite only serving a few months in the Russian military, Xoliqov was deployed to the front line in Ukraine in early 2024.

In February, after crossing the Ukrainian border, his unit was attacked by a drone and he sustained serious injuries.

He was hospitalized in Moscow for treatment and after his discharge, Xoliqov was offered Russian citizenship, which he declined, opting instead to return to Uzbekistan.

He received 800,000 rubles (around $8,000) in compensation for his brief service, but back in Uzbekistan he was subsequently charged with mercenary activities.

The case has sparked concern over the growing trend of Central Asian nationals being recruited into Russia’s military, often under dubious circumstances.

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Central Asian governments, including Uzbekistan, have repeatedly warned their citizens about the risks and legal consequences of participating in the conflict in Ukraine.

However, economic hardship and a lack of opportunities at home continue to drive many migrants to seek work in Russia, where they end up joining the army or mercenary groups fighting in Ukraine.

In recent months, other Uzbek nationals have been sentenced for similar offenses.

In October, a court in Uzbekistan's Samarkand Province sentenced a 56-year-old man to three years in prison for mercenary activities. A month earlier, a Tashkent court handed down a parole-like sentence to an alleged member of the Wagner group, a Russian paramilitary organization, who had not participated in combat but was involved in the group's failed mutiny and march toward Moscow last year.

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Russia Pressures Central Asian Prisoners To Fight In Ukraine As 'Expendable Force'

The judicial response to mercenary activities is part of a broader effort by Central Asian authorities to curb the participation of their citizens in foreign conflicts, especially in Ukraine.

These developments also underscore the complex legal and ethical questions surrounding migrant labor and military recruitment in the context of an ongoing war that has drawn in individuals from many countries, particularly former Soviet republics.

With reporting by Uznews.uz

Iranian religious scholar and civil activist Sedigheh Vasmaghi said there is no legal basis for admitting a young woman into psychiatric care because she took her clothes off in apparent protest against harassment outside her Tehran university.

"Even if someone suffers from mental health disorders, diagnosing that is not up to judicial authorities or the police, not to mention that admitting someone into a psychiatric facility should not be a punishment," Vasmaghi told RFE/RL's Radio Farda on November 5.

"Punishments need to be legal…. Whoever [admitted her] has committed an illegal act," said Vasmaghi, who lives in Iran.

Videos emerged on social media on November 2 showing a young woman stripped to her underwear and walking around outside a university in Tehran.

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The circumstances that led to her taking off her clothes remain unclear, but witnesses say she was harassed by the university's security officers over what she had been wearing. One video showed officers violently forcing the unidentified woman into a car.

Reports in Iranian media later alleged she was suffering from mental illness and that she was taken to a psychiatric hospital.

Rights groups have condemned her treatment and demanded her immediate release.

Amnesty International on November 3 said, "Pending her release, authorities must protect her from torture & other ill-treatment & ensure access to family & lawyer."

The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights on November 4 decried what it described as the Islamic republic's use of "psychiatric hospitals as tools of repression to delegitimize acts of protest and silence dissenting voices."

Echoing the same sentiment, Vasmaghi said Iranian authorities had a track record of sending protesters to psychiatric wards to "belittle and punish" them.

"Women have made their decision and they will not retreat" from demanding the freedom to choose how to dress, the activist said.

"The authorities must accept that and stop doing things that increase tensions in society," she added.

Written by Kian Sharifi based on an interview by Hooman Askary of RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iran's judiciary says three people have been sentenced to death by a lower court over the killing in 2020 of Iran's top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in what Tehran says was an Israeli-orchestrated operation.

"The sentencing of these three people was carried out in the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, and they were sentenced to death in the initial stage, and the case is currently in the appeal stage," Asghar Jahangir, a spokesman for Iran's judiciary, said at a news conference in Tehran.

Urmia is a town In Iran's northwestern province of West Azerbaijan close to the border with Turkey.

The sentencing of the three, who have not been named, comes at a time of rising tensions between Iran and Israel amid the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

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How Will The U.S. Election Impact Washington's Iran Policy?

Israel has been blamed for the assassination of at least four other Iranian nuclear scientists suspected of working on Tehran's military nuclear program.

Fakhrizadeh, known as the father of the Islamic republic's nuclear program, had been under U.S. sanctions for his role in Iran's nuclear research and Israel accused him in 2018 of being the architect of Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

"After some investigations, three out of eight people arrested in West Azerbaijan province were accused of spying for the occupying regime of Israel," Jahangir said, adding that the case is now in the "appeal stage."

The three were also accused of bringing unspecified equipment from abroad into Iran for the attack "under the guise of smuggling alcoholic drinks."

Jahangir said the case against the other defendants is still ongoing.

Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in a brazen ambush of his vehicle in the town of Absard, near Tehran on November 27, 2020, which Iran at the time blamed on Israel while suggesting the United States also had an indirect or direct role.

The circumstances of the attack remain unclear. Initial reports immediately after the killing suggested Fakhrizadeh was targeted by a truckful of explosives, several gunmen, and a suicide attacker.

Just days later, the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) offered a different account, saying a machine gun equipped with a "satellite-controlled smart system" that employed "artificial intelligence" was used in the pinpointed killing of the scientist that left his wife, who was traveling with him, unharmed.

Israel has not commented on Fakhrizadeh's killing.

Danil Mukhametov, a former engineer at the Uralvagonzavod military facility in the Urals city of Nizhny Tagil, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on November 5 on charges of high treason.

Mukhametov, who worked at the plant responsible for producing military equipment, including tanks, was convicted for allegedly providing Ukrainian intelligence with classified materials. The court also imposed a fine of 300,000 rubles ($3,035).

Mukhametov's wife, Viktoria Mukhametova, was previously convicted in a separate case for the same offense, receiving a sentence of 12 1/2 years in prison. During her trial, she admitted to handing over the sensitive information for a payment of 100,000 rubles.

Mukhametova struck a deal with investigators, which led to her case being considered separately. Because the proceedings were held behind closed doors, details of the deal are not known, and it is not known whether Mukhametova was under duress when she agreed to separating the cases.

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The couple were detained in March 2023, initially arrested for alleged public misconduct. They claimed they had not been involved in obscene behavior but were nonetheless placed under administrative arrest for 12 days.

Upon release, the couple were rearrested and charged with high treason after further investigation.

More than a dozen scientists and engineers have been arrested in Russia on treason charges since 2018, mostly for activities considered a normal part of their work, such as possessing papers, publishing papers internationally, collaborating with colleagues from other countries, and attending international conferences.

The trial of Mukhametov took place behind closed doors, with details of his defense and plea not made public. The case was overseen by Judge Andrei Mineyev, who also presided over the high-profile espionage trial of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich.

Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison in July on charges of espionage, which he and his employer strongly denied. Mukhametov's case, however, has not been directly linked to Gershkovich's situation.

In August, Gershkovich, RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan were released from Russian custody and returned to the United States as part of a major prisoner swap between Russia and the West.

Judge Mineyev, known for handling high-profile cases, also sentenced U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina in August to 12 years in prison on a treason charge. Karelina was accused of transferring $50 to a Ukrainian foundation, allegedly to support Ukraine's armed forces.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed this act financed Ukraine's military operations against invading Russian troops.

Mukhametov's conviction follows a broader trend in Russia, where high treason charges have led to numerous lengthy prison sentences in 2024. In the first half of this year alone, 52 individuals were sentenced for treason, a significant rise compared to 39 in all of 2023.

Iran's judiciary says a dual German-Iranian national sentenced to death on terror charges died while in prison and was not executed, as previously reported by local media.

Reports from state media that Jamshid Sharmahd was executed surfaced on October 28, sparking a diplomatic row with Berlin that saw Germany shut all three of Iran's consulates in the European nation.

However, Asghar Jahangir, a spokesman for the judiciary, contradicted the reports on November 5, saying a judicial statement on the issue was misquoted as it did not specifically say the death sentence had been carried out. No details on Sharmahd's death were given.

"There was no deadline for the execution of Sharmahd's sentence, he died before the execution of the death sentence," Asghar Jahangir said.

Sharmahd, 69, 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.

He was in Dubai and heading to India for a business trip when he went missing for several days before Tehran announced it had taken Sharmahd into custody and brought back to Iran.

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, who lived in Glendora, California, of planning the bombing, a charge his family dismissed as "ridiculous."

In reaction to the reports of Sharmahd's execution, the European Union put out a statement "strongly" condemning the punishment and accusing Iran of having "illegally" abducting the software engineer, holding him for years "under inhumane conditions without a fair trial."

Western governments and rights groups have long accused Iran of detaining dual citizens to use them as bargaining chips against the West.

TBILISI -- Georgia's opposition staged a third day of protests on November 5 against the results of last month's parliamentary elections claimed by the ruling Georgian Dream party amid accusations of widespread vote-rigging and irregularities at polling stations.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Appeals Court in Tbilisi before beginning a march through the Georgian capital, where traffic came to a standstill in parts of the city. Along the route, the number of marchers continued to grow.

Georgian Opposition Protests Continue After Disputed Elections

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Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream claimed victory in the election, with preliminary official results showing it received nearly 54 percent of the vote.

The opposition and the country's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, refused to recognize the validity of the results, alleging massive fraud and Russian interference.

The site of the protest was chosen by the opposition as the Appeals Court was due to begin the review of rulings by local courts in the towns of Tetritskaro and Gori regarding irregularities during the October 26 vote.

The Tetritskaro court canceled the election results at 30 polling stations due to the violation of the secrecy of the vote, while the Gori court ordered a recount of invalid ballots from 15 polling stations.

In Tetsikaro, Judge Vladimir Kuchua ruled in favor of the complaint filed by a civic group called the Young Lawyers' Association, deciding to annul the result at 30 polling stations based on evidence presented by the group.

Georgia's Central Election Commission (TsSK) challenged the two courts' decisions, declaring them unfounded, prompting the opposition in turn to challenge the TsSK's ruling at the Appeals Court.

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Kuchua has been hailed by the opposition as a rare, courageous magistrate to go against Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012.

One of the leaders of the Coalition for Change opposition bloc, Zurab Japaridze, told RFE/RL that Kuchua was a "decent person."

"They were afraid of the decision made by the judge from Tetsikaro on November 4, who turned out to be a decent person in this corrupt system.... We came here to protest because the entire state system, including the TsSK and the Prosecutor's Office is working to force the citizens of Georgia to make a choice that they did not make," Japaridze said.

"We citizens of Georgia, since we became independent, have always chosen for the country to become part of the civilized world, the West. Now the Russians are forcing another choice upon us," he said.

Nika Melia, one of the leaders of Coalition for Change, has said demonstrations will continue for new elections.

"In the coming days and weeks, our task is to fill Tbilisi with people. All major squares, streets, avenues should be full of people," Melia said.

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Another opposition group, the Girchi Party, has also joined the call for fresh elections, arguing that the confidentiality of the vote had been violated on October 26.

The party, which did not pass the 5 percent threshold needed to enter parliament, has scheduled a rally outside the parliament building for November 9 and urged the TsSK to call new elections within one week. It has also appealed to Georgia's Western partners not to recognize the results of the vote.

Thousands demonstrated in the capital for the second night in a row on November 4 to demand new elections.

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Thousands Protest Georgia's 'Stolen Election' In Tbilisi

The thousands of participant in the rally, which included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, set off from outside the House of Justice and marched about 5 kilometers waving Georgian and European Union flags through the capital, before ending their protest on Tbilisi's Marjanishvili Square.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Islamabad at the start of a two-day official visit during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and other officials, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry announced on November 5. Araghchi and the Pakistani officials will discuss improving bilateral ties and the current crisis in the Middle East, the Ministry said in a statement. The visit also "provides an important opportunity to advance cooperation and dialogue between Pakistan and Iran on a wide range of areas including trade, energy and security," the statement said. Iran and Israel are currently engaged in a standoff, with Tehran threatening to launch another retaliatory strike in response to an Israeli attack on October 26 that targeted Iranian military facilities. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.

A strike on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhya on November 5 killed at least six people and wounded another nine, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram, as Russia launched a fresh wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities.

"Six people died and nine were wounded," Fedorov said, adding that a fire broke out at the missile's point of impact. He said the attack targeted an infrastructure object, without giving details.

The city, with a pre-war population of more than 700,000, is located some 55 kilometers northeast of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, that has been under Russian control since shortly after the start of Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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Earlier in the day, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that the Ukrainian capital had been subjected to two waves of Russian drone attacks on the city's northeastern Obolonskiy district and the southern Holosyivskiy district, although it was not immediately clear whether there were casualties or damage.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, two women were wounded by Russian shelling early on November 5, Mayor Ihor Terekhov announced. A third person was wounded in a missile attack on the region's Kapitolivka village.

In recent weeks, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities have been subjected to Russian strikes on an almost daily basis as Ukraine braces for a third winter of war.

During the two previous cold seasons, Russian attacks largely crippled Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing electricity shortages that added to the hardships of civilians.

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Ukraine's air force separately said Odesa, Ukraine's main Black Sea port, had been targeted by two Kinzhal guided missiles that were shot down. Odesa region is Ukraine's main gateway for the country's grain and other produce exports.

The air force said that its air-defense systems also downed 48 of the 79 drones launched by Russia at 8 Ukrainian regions -- Odesa, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Khmelnytskiy.

Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its air-defense capabilities destroyed six Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region.

The FBI said on November 5 that polling locations in several U.S. states have been the target of bomb threats, many of which appear to originate from Russian domains.

At least two U.S. polling stations in the state of Georgia were evacuated because of the threats, officials said.

Both reopened after about 30 minutes and authorities are seeking a court order to extend voting hours beyond the statewide closing time of 7 p.m. to make up for the time lost during the evacuations.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Russian interference was behind the bomb threats and that, after an investigation, they weren't deemed credible by the FBI.

"They're up to mischief, it seems. They don't want us to have a smooth, fair, and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory," Raffensperger told reporters.

“I want to make sure that everyone in Georgia understands this: Russia picked on the wrong Georgia. They need to pick on the other one, in the Black Sea,” Raffensperger added.

WATCH: Voters in Chicago's Ukrainian community talked about their hopes and fears as they headed to the polls in the November 5 U.S. presidential election.

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Georgia alone received more than two dozen phony bomb threats on Election Day, an FBI official told Reuters.

U.S. intelligence and security officials earlier accused Russia and Iran of ramping up cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns to sow discord in the tense presidential election.

Russian-linked influence actors "are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences," said a statement issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on November 4.

"These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials," it added.

The FBI said in a separate news release on November 5 that it was made aware of two instances of its name and logo being misused in promoting false narratives surrounding the election.

The first is a fabricated news clip purporting to be a terrorist warning issued by the FBI. The news clip reports falsely that the FBI purportedly stated that Americans should “vote remotely” due to a high terror threat at polling stations, the statement said.

"This video is not authentic and does not accurately represent the current threat posture or polling location safety," it said.

The second instance is a video containing a fabricated FBI press release alleging that the management of five prisons in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona rigged inmate voting and colluded with a political party.

"This video is also not authentic, and its contents are false," the FBI said.

The statement didn't say where the fabricated material came from.

U.S. intelligence agencies have warned for months of Russian government-backed efforts to influence the vote that pits former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, and his opponent, Democratic Party nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Opinion polls ahead of Election Day say the race is too close to call, raising tensions as voters head to the polls after an acrimonious campaign.

Polls opened at 5 a.m. on November 5 in some eastern states and will continue across the country, including in Alaska and Hawaii, until the evening hours in those far western U.S. states in a battle between Trump and Harris.

Highlighting an example of the disinformation tactics being used, the U.S. agencies said in the November 4 statement that Russian influence actors recently posted and amplified an article falsely claiming that U.S. officials across swing states plan to orchestrate election fraud using a range of tactics, such as ballot stuffing and cyberattacks.

They also said Russian influence actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona, which involved creating fake overseas ballots and changing voter rolls to favor Harris.

The Arizona secretary of state has already refuted the video's claim as false.

While "Russia is the most active threat," the statement said Iran also remains a "significant foreign influence threat" to the election.

"We have assessed that Iran has conducted malicious cyberactivities to compromise former President Trump's campaign," the intelligence agencies said.

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"Iranian influence actors may also seek to create fake media content intended to suppress voting or stoke violence, as they have done in past election cycles."

The agencies urged voters to "seek out information from trusted, official sources, in particular state and local election officials" in light of the "continued influence efforts by foreign adversaries and the increasing volume of inauthentic content online."

Both Tehran and Moscow have denied playing a role in any disinformation campaigns during the U.S. presidential election.

The outcome of the election may affect Ukraine more than any other foreign country.

The candidates have staked out two very different positions on support for Ukraine, whose defense against invading Russian troops is heavily dependent on U.S. military, financial, and diplomatic support.

Harris has said she would continue President Joe Biden's policy of aiding Ukraine, clearly expressing the desire to see Russia defeated.

Trump has questioned U.S. support for Ukraine, saying Europe should be carrying the bulk of the burden in backing Kyiv against the Russian invasion, and has left NATO's future in doubt.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 4 that 11,000 North Korean troops had reached Russia's Kursk region, according to Kyiv's intelligence agencies.

Zelenskiy said in his evening address that he had been briefed by Ukraine’s intelligence agencies on the movements and regretted that Western allies have not reacted more firmly.

"There are already 11,000 (North Koreans) in the Kursk region," Zelenskiy said. "We see an increase in North Koreans and no increase in the reaction of our partners. Unfortunately."

According to estimates of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry, the number of North Korean troops transferred to Russia is now about 12,000, including 500 officers, three of them generals.

The Pentagon on November 4 estimated the number of North Korean troops in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine slightly lower, at 10,000.

The total number of North Korean forces in Russia "could be closer to around 11,000-12,000," Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told reporters at a briefing.

Top U.S. officials last week put the number of North Korean soldiers in Kursk -- where Ukrainian troops control several hundred square kilometers of Russian territory after launching a ground offensive in August -- at about 8,000 out of a total of 10,000 in Russia.

Ryder said the Pentagon could not at this point confirm reports that they had entered combat, but all North Korean forces are being issued Russian uniforms and Russian equipment.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on October 31 that the troops were expected to be deployed into combat in the coming days. He said they would become legitimate military targets once they entered the battlefield.

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EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell met earlier on November 4 in Seoul with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. They issued a joint statement condemning in the "strongest possible terms" North Korea’s deployment.

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“We are also deeply concerned about the possibility for any transfer of nuclear- or ballistic missile-related technology to [North Korea], which would jeopardize the international nonproliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe,” the statement said.

North Korea and Russia haven't confirmed the North Korean deployment, but they have argued that their military cooperation doesn't break international laws.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui on November 4 in Moscow. State television showed them greeting each other.

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Details of the meeting were not available, but Choe conveyed "sincere, warm, comradely greetings" from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa

Thousands of people demonstrated in Tbilisi for the second night in a row on November 4 to demand new elections after the ruling Georgian Dream party was declared the winner amid allegations of vote-rigging.

The rally ended in Marjanishvili Square after participants, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, gathered near the House of Justice and marched about 5 kilometers waving Georgian and European Union flags through the Georgian capital.

"I am here to support the fight for democracy and freedom of the Georgian people who have been standing up time and time again against the reppression they are facing from the state," Thunberg said.

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Opposition leaders called for continuous waves of protest and civil resistance until the election results are overturned and new elections are called. A new protest is planned for November 5.

Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of Strong Georgia, said the protesters needed to "save their energy" for future rallies, noting that plans were always announced 10 minutes ahead of time.

"The location will be announced, but our route will not be known to [the authorities]," Khazaradze said at the end of the demonstration on November 4. "We should revive the whole of Tbilisi in this way every day."

Thunberg expressed her support for the protest.

"I want to show that I am one of many tens of thousands of people who are standing up in the fight for democracy and freedom for the Georgian people," she was quoted as saying.

Russian-friendly Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012, claimed victory in the October 26 election, with preliminary official results showing that it garnered nearly 54 percent of the vote.

The opposition and the country's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, refused to recognize the validity of the results, alleging massive fraud and Russian interference.

SEE ALSO:

Georgian President Calls Prosecutors’ Summons 'Political Retribution'

The elections continue to draw criticism internationally.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States had made clear that it supports the people of Georgia and their hopes of joining the European Union and their "further integration with their Euro and Atlantic partners."

He told reporters at a briefing in Washington on November 4 that the United States responded to the government’s passage of a controversial "foreign influence" law and legislation curbing LGBT rights by suspending $95 million of the assistance and by putting other assistance under review.

"We will continue to look at whether there are additional measures that are appropriate and if so, we won’t hesitate to use them," Miller said.

The Serbian minister of construction, transport, and infrastructure has announced that he will resign on November 5 following the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station in which 14 people died and three were severely injured. Goran Vesic said that he did not accept responsibility for the incident but was stepping down for "moral reasons." He said he couldn't accept blame for the deaths, "as neither I nor my team bear any responsibility for the tragedy." The cause of the collapse of the concrete canopy is still unknown. Vesic urged the Prosecutor-General's Office to determine accountability for the deaths. Since the canopy collapsed on November 1, critics have called for accountability from the authorities. A protest in Belgrade on November 3 demanded Vesic's resignation.

German prosecutors have dropped a money-laundering investigation into Uzbek-born Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov, but he will be required to pay a fine of 4 million euros ($4.36 million), the prosecutor’s office said on November 4.

Usmanov, 71, will be required to split the payment between charities and the state in an outcome that does not imply any guilt, the prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt said.

"The accused's alleged offenses did not result in any financial damage to the Federal Republic of Germany, the state of Hesse, or any natural or legal person in Germany," a spokesman for the prosecutors said.

He added that "the alleged offenses occurred some time ago."

The proceedings had been provisionally suspended on October 11 with Usmanov's consent, chief prosecutor Georg Ungefuk told RFE/RL.

The 4 million-euro fine will be split between several charitable organizations and the state treasury, with the charities receiving 1.5 million euros and the state treasury receiving the rest.

Usmanov's lawyers said that after more than 2 1/2 years, the investigation had failed to prove the main accusations against him, including that of money laundering.

"We have always insisted on the innocence of our client," Wannemacher & Partner lawyers Uwe Lehmbruck and Markus Gotzens said in a statement, calling it an important step toward protecting the reputation of Usmanov.

A Berlin expert on criminal law told RFE/RL that it would have been practically impossible to prosecute the case. If the case had gone to court, it might have been dismissed due to insufficient evidence. The Frankfurt prosecutor's office likely decided to impose the highest possible monetary penalty and close the investigation.

German investigations of Usmanov, who according to the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index has a total net worth of $14.4 billion, came to light in January 2023. His superyacht worth an estimated $600 million was seized in March 2022.

The billionaire who made his fortune in mining, industry, telecoms, and media was added to the EU and the U.S. sanctions lists shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The EU described him as having "particularly close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin" and having been "referred to as one of Vladimir Putin’s favorite oligarchs" in announcing the sanctions against him.

Usmanov has rejected having any ties to Putin.

The European Court of Justice on February 7 rejected appeals filed by Usmanov and former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov against European sanctions imposed on them for having close ties to the Kremlin and supporting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Usmanov in June filed a lawsuit against the bank UBS Europe SE in Frankfurt over what his lawyers said were unsubstantiated reports made about his transactions that triggered an investigation of him.

With reporting by dpa and Reuters

Kazakhstan has signed eight commercial agreements worth $2.5 billion with Chinese companies, significantly enhancing bilateral economic relations between the two countries. The agreements were signed on November 4 during Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov's visit to Shanghai. The agreements support a broader strategy by Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev and Chinese President Xi Jinping to double trade turnover, which reached a record $41 billion last year, the Kazakh prime minister's press service said. Bektenov's visit highlights China’s growing influence in Central Asia in light of Russia's traditional dominance. As China invests heavily in infrastructure and energy projects, Central Asian states are diversifying their foreign relations to reduce reliance on Moscow. At an investment roundtable, Bektenov emphasized the potential for joint projects and industrial cooperation. Major Chinese firms outlined plans to enhance operations in Kazakhstan, including energy initiatives and localized automotive production. There are already around 5,000 joint ventures between the two countries.

The European Union and South Korea condemned "in the strongest possible terms" North Korea's transfer of weapons to Russia and the deployment of special forces to help the Kremlin with its "unlawful war of aggression" against Ukraine.

The statement came after the bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, and his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, met in Seoul on November 4 as fears grow over Pyongyang's role in the war triggered by Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"This constitutes a serious breach of international law, including the most fundamental principles of the UN Charter," the statement said.

"Such cooperation between the DPRK (North Korea) and Russia is not only in flagrant violation of multiple UNSC resolutions, but it also prolongs the suffering of the Ukrainian people and threatens the security of the world, including that of the Republic of Korea and Europe."

After weeks of intelligence reports warning that thousands of North Korean troops were heading to Russia, confirmation from the NATO military alliance came late last month that Pyongyang's soldiers are not only on Russian soil but have already been deployed in a western region bordering Ukraine.

The Kremlin has neither denied nor directly confirmed the presence of North Korean troops on its soil.

The deployment not only raised fears of a potential escalation of the war in Ukraine, but sent shock waves through the Indo-Pacific region over what the Kremlin may be supplying Pyongyang in return.

"We are closely monitoring what Russia provides to the DPRK in return for its provision of arms and military personnel, including Russia's possible provision of materials and technology to the DPRK in support of Pyongyang's military objectives," the joint EU-South Korean statement said.

"We are also deeply concerned about the possibility for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic-missile-related technology to the DPRK, which would jeopardize the international nonproliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe," it added.