Itar-Tass overnight news cycle for November 18 - 3.

.Former Kyrgyz officials on trial over April 7 massacre.

BISHKEK, November 18 (Itar-Tass) - A court in Kyrgyzstan's capital
began trial on Wednesday of former senior officials accused of exceeding
of authority, use of violence and complicity in premeditated murder of two
or more people.
Among those accused of grave crimes are 28 people, including former
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and several of his relatives: Bakiyev's
brother Zhanybek who headed the State Guards Service, the president's son
Marat, former Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov, former Defense Minister
Baktybek Bakiyev, former head of the National Security Service Murat
Sutalinov and head of Bakiyev's Secretariat Oksana Malevannaya.
Many officials were charged in absentia, including Bakiyev, because
after the government overthrow they immediately left the country. Six of
the defendants have been put on the international wanted list.
On Tuesday, police tightened security around the building if the
Palace of Sports where the trial is held. The adjacent area is heavily
patrolled by police units.
The criminal cases comprises 60 volumes.
Taking part in the trial are 18 lawyers, seven prosecutors, more than
300 injured parties and their representatives.
The defendants and injured parties' relatives were accommodated at the
opposite sides of the hall. The injured parties' behavior was quite
aggressive. They demandedt that the defendants speak louder when naming
their addresses. "Death for death: we'll burn your houses," the injured
parties chanted. They also insisted that the authorities run the trial on
television.
The criminal case over the massacre was opened after the tragic events
on April 7. On that day, several thousand Opposition supporters gathered
for a rally in Bishkek's central square near the House of Government. The
rally demanded Bakiyev's resignation, and some activists tried to enter
the main administrative building. The guards opened fire at people,
killing 87 and wounded hundreds. Despite the authorities' resistance, the
House of Government and then the whole republic came under the
Opposition's control. Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his relatives fled the
republic.


.Russia not to send personnel to Afghanistan - envoy.


BRUSSELS, November 18 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's permanent representative
at NATO Dmitry Rogozin said Russia will be working with NATO on
Afghanistan actively, but that it will not send its personnel there under
any circumstances.
"I'm hoping we'll finish the coordination of the expanded agreement on
ground cargo transit for the NATO forces in Afghanistan through the
Russian territory before the summit," Rozogin said in an interview to
Itar-Tass ahead of the Russia-NATO Council summit in Lisbon on November 20.
"A range of goods cleared for transportation along Russian railways
has been expanded, but Russia will never agree to the shipment of "lethal
cargoes" - i.e. any kinds of armaments and ammunition.
"We won't agree to military transit, as it contradicts the Russian
legislation," Rogozin noted
The agreement on the railway transit of "non-lethal cargoes" through
Russia to Afghanistan was signed at the Bucharest summit of the
Russia-NATO Council in April 2008.
Rogozin expressed the hope that the NATO countries will be ale to
coordinate before the summit their participation in setting up a special
foundation under the Russia-NATO Council for financing the "helicopter
packages."
According to Itar-Tass information, this "helicopter package envisions
the supply of up to 20 Mi-17 helicopters to Afghanistan, spare parts,
maintenance, and training of Afghan technicians and pilots. It is a joint
project of the Russia-NATO Council, not a gift, according to the Russian
representative.
"We're providing the helicopter package together with European
countries, the USA and Canada, and we're hoping that they will make a
contribution. A special foundation to finance the project must be set up.
Russia will be a participant in the foundation, and will make a financial
contribution. The discussion of practical details of the supply of
helicopters is the next stage. If there's money, there'll be supplies,"
Rogozin went on to say.
It should be noted that Russia will not send a single person to
Afghanistan, but it is ready to help train Afghan specialists in its
territory. The third aspect of cooperation in Afghanistan is the fight
against narcotics, according to the envoy.
"In Lisbon, we intend to coordinate expanding the Russia-NATO
Council's project to train drug police for Afghanistan. Firstly, the
project envisions broader opportunities at the training center in
Domodedovo, Moscow region, which has been operating for four years and
trained 529 Afghan specialists, and a decision is expected to open a
second center in St Petersburg.
"We saw the high level of training of our graduates, who took part in
the recent joint American-Russian-Afghan operation to destroy a drug lab.
Each destroyed Afghan drug lab means thousands of saved lives in Russia
and Central Asia states," the Russian permanent representative said.
-0-myz


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