Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of July 29-August 4, 2024

Exchange of Khangoshvili’s killer, major fire in Azov, drone attacks, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, repressions in Azerbaijan spread to Georgia, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of July 29-August 4, 2024, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Exchange of Khangoshvili’s killer

Twenty-six people took part in a prisoner exchange. The Russian side handed over sixteen prisoners at the airport in Ankara, while the USA and other Western countries released eight prisoners, and the lists of prisoner exchange also included two children of prisoners who returned to Russia.

In addition to Oleg Orlov*, Kevin Lik, and Andrei Pivovarov, the number of prisoners released by the Russian side also included Ilya Yashin*, politician and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza*, Alexandra Skochilenko, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, politicians Liliya Chanysheva, Kseniya Fadeeva, Vladimir Ostanin, journalist Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and others.

Vadim Krasikov, sentenced to imprisonment in Germany for the murder in Berlin of Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, also returned to Russia.

Major fire in Azov

On August 4, a tire warehouse burned in the Rostov Region. The local authorities reported a threat of the fire spreading to neighbouring facilities.

The fire was localized by the evening. The Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) and the local authorities have not yet reported the causes of the fire.

Drone attacks

The Krasnodar authorities have decided to pay 2 million roubles to local residents whose relatives perished as a result of a drone attack. In their comments on Telegram, users called on the authorities to solve the problem through proper defence of the city, and not by paying compensation.

On August 3, Rostov Region Governor Vasily Golubev reported in his Telegram channel that at night, the region was attacked by 55 drones launched from the direction of Ukraine. No casualties were reported. “We will help everyone restore the damaged property,” the Rostov Region Governor emphasized.

One drone launched from the direction of Ukraine was shot down over the territory of Krasnodar Territory and the Sea of Azov, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported on the same day. The day before, a residential house in the Yaseni farm yard was damaged as a result of a drone attack, and residents were evacuated.

According to the Russian MoD’s information, a drone launched from the direction of Ukraine was shot down in the Rostov Region on the night of July 31. “Eleven fixed-wing UAVs were intercepted and destroyed over the Belgorod Region, four – over the Bryansk Region, and a\one UAV was intercepted over each of the Kursk, Kaluga, and Rostov Regions and the Republic of Crimea,” the Russian MoD reports in its Telegram channel.

Persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia

During the consideration of a case instituted against blogger Kharchenko*, a court pronounced a pre-trial restriction measure in the form of a ban on certain actions. However, a public prosecutors and victims requested the court to toughen the pre-trial restriction measure for the blogger, citing the fact that the defendant violated the ban on leaving Gelendzhik. The court placed blogger Kharchenko* under house arrest, and the court of appeal considered it necessary to apply an even tougher pre-trial restriction measure in the form of detention in a SIZO (pre-trial prison).

The Leninsky District Court of Krasnodar imposed a fine on 62-year-old historian Ryabchikov. The court considered his entry on a social network, posted in April 2022, to be discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. In his post, Ryabchikov wrote: “I have repeatedly told everyone I could communicate with that I was and has been a pacifist.”

The Central District Court of Sochi fined local resident Irina Kostrova 30,000 roubles under the article on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. The reason for the protocol drawn up against Irina Kostrova was her several posts on a social network.

Repressions in Azerbaijan spread to Georgia

In Baku, a court sentenced Elnur Gasanov, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), to three years of imprisonment in a drug case. The activist claims that he is being persecuted for criticizing the traffic police and top-ranking officials of the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

Former diplomat Emin Ibragimov, who has been on a hunger strike for the ninth day at a SIZO (pre-trial prison) against his unlawful arrest, has been deprived of medical care. The human rights organization “Line of Defence” recognized Emin Ibragimov as a prisoner of conscience. Emin Ibragimov had earlier complained about restrictions on his rights to phone conversations and visits. The activist also claimed receiving threats at the SIZO. Emin Ibragimov is not subjected to pressure at the SIZO, and his rights are not violated, the Azerbaijani Penitentiary Service reports.

The Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) dismissed the complaint filed against the arrest of Talysh researcher Igbal Abilov. He is accused of collaborating with the Armenian special services. A father of Igbal Abilov said that his son’s connections with Armenian citizens were purely scientific in nature. On July 31, a group of scientists from different countries requested the authorities of Azerbaijan to stop persecuting their colleague.

On July 31, Ulvi Gasanli, the director of the “Abzas Media”, kept at a SIZO in Baku, posted an article on the above-mentioned resource in which he reported about the torture used against prisoners in the penitentiary institution. Ulvi Gasanli demanded to investigate cases of torture and punished those guilty of using torture. The Azerbaijani Penitentiary Service claimed they had received no complaints about torture.

On August 3, Afghan Sadygov, the head of the Azerbaijani website “Azel.TV”, was detained in Tbilisi at the request of the Azerbaijani prosecutor’s office, which demanded the extradition of the journalist. The charges of extortion brought against Afghan Sadygov are fabricated, states his wife, journalist Sevindj Sadygova. In Tbilisi, a court arrested Afghan Sadygov for two months.

The authorities of Georgia refused to grant political asylum to Azerbaijani activist Avtandil Mamedov. If the court of appeal upholds the above decision, Avtandil Mamedov faces deportation to Azerbaijan, where a decision has been made to arrest him.

Official data on natives of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine

By August 4, the authorities and the law enforcement bodies reported about at least 4632 residents of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine, including 2241 residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and 2391 residents of the Southern Federal District (SFD).

In Dagestan, the authorities reported about 974 local residents perished in Ukraine, in the Volgograd Region – 870, in the Rostov Region – 516, in the Krasnodar Territory – 508, in the Stavropol Territory – 459, in the Astrakhan Region – 350, in North Ossetia – 299, in Chechnya – 202, in Kabardino-Balkaria – 157, in Kalmykia – 89, in Karachay-Cherkessia – 77, in Ingushetia – 73, and in Adygea – 58.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.