Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of October 14-20, 2024

Echo of threats voiced by Ramzan Kadyrov, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, parliamentary elections in 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 October 14-20, 2024, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Echo of threats voiced by Ramzan Kadyrov

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the Ramzan Kadyrov’s statements with the threat of blood feud addressed to senator Suleiman Kerimov and Russian State Duma members Bekkhan Barakhoev and Rizvan Kurbanov, suggesting to contact the law enforcement bodies.

“At a meeting with the public in Malgobek,” Bekkhan Barakhoev claimed that he was not related to the preparation of the assassination attempt on Ramzan Kadyrov, the “Fortanga” portal reports.

When speaking out in support of Suleiman Kerimov after the Ramzan Kadyrov’s threats, Dagestani leader Sergey Melikov has reduced the degree of the conflict, believe the journalists interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot”. At the same time, Dagestani public figure Bulach Chankalaev reported being criticized by his “bosses” because of his statements about the need to reconcile Suleiman Kerimov and Ramzan Kadyrov. Bulach Chankalaev, who resigned from his post as assistant to the Mayor of Makhachkala because of the above criticism, has emphasized that only “top-ranking officials” may express their opinion on such a topic.

On October 12, the Ingush Council of Teips (family clans) held an extraordinary meeting on the occasion of the conflict around the “Wildberries” Company and the statement voiced by Ramzan Kadyrov. Ingush Council member Askhab Goigov has noted it seems that someone is trying to destabilize the region.

The Muftiate of Dagestan announced that it is the authorities who should be engaged in resolving the conflict between Ramzan Kadyrov and Suleiman Kerimov, and society should not be drawn into it.

Persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia

In March 2023, blogger Askhabali Alibekov, an author of the “Dikiy Desantnik” (Wild Paratrooper) YouTube channel, was sentenced to one year and two months of imprisonment. A court recognized that a video posted on his YouTube channel discredited the Russian Armed Forces. In November of the same year, Askhabali Alibekov was released. On March 29, his spouse reported that the prosecutor’s office was not satisfied with the verdict in the case on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. So, the prosecutor’s office challenged the verdict. In May, the case was received by court again.

On October 9, Askhabali Alibekov was sentenced to two years and four months of imprisonment. According to the investigators’ version, during his detention, the blogger hit a policeman twice in the leg. Askhabali Alibekov claimed that he hit the law enforcer by accident, as his own arms were twisted.

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) offered Askhabali Alibekov to go to the special military operation (SMO) zone. Askhabali Alibekov is ready to help the wounded, but does not intend to participate in the fighting, his advocate has reported.

Parliamentary elections in Georgia

Before the parliamentary elections, residents and employees of a nursing home for the elderly in Tsnori had their identity cards seized, an oppositionist reported. Employees of a cleaning service company in Rustavi were also required to hand over their identity documents on the eve of the parliamentary elections. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engaged in monitoring the pre-election campaign have called on the authorities of Georgia to investigate the confiscation of identity documents from voters.

The law enforcement bodies should institute a criminal case on pressure on voters before the parliamentary elections, the Georgian Ombudsman notes. Supporters of the ruling party are offering ordinary voters money for using their identity cards and are demanding from public sector employees to vote for the “right” candidates, the opposition reports.

A total of 3,508,294 voters have been registered to participate in the parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 26, the Central Election Commission (CEC) reports.

As a result of a journalistic investigation, 206 possible corruption deals among top-ranking officials in Georgia have been revealed, involving 201 government officials, among them 16 judges, 37 members of parliament, 32 government members, and 61 municipal employees, one of the NGOs reports in its study.

The pre-election campaign is being conducted with violations, the non-governmental organization “Georgia’s Association of Young Lawyers” has recorded possible instances of the use of administrative resources and blurred boundaries between the state and the ruling “Georgian Dream-Democratic Movement” Party, which is used to manipulate the will of the voters. That has been stated in the Association’s report based on monitoring conducted from August 27 to September 30.

In Tbilisi, a group of people beat up Badri Okudjava, an employee of the “Laboratory for Research of the Soviet Past”, and threw paint at him. The attack was politically motivated, a colleague of Badri Okudjava claimed.

The ruling party of Georgia intends to appeal to the country’s Constitutional Court concerning the impeachment of President Salome Zurabishvili several days before the parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has announced. The Salome Zurabishvili’s power expires at the end of the year. The President plays an important role in forming a coalition government that will help Georgia return to the European path, believes Tina Bokuchava, the leader of the “United National Movement” (UNM) Party.

Meanwhile, the British authorities have cancelled annual meetings at the level of defence headquarters with Georgia due to the adoption by its authorities of the law on foreign agents, as well as anti-Western rhetoric from Georgian politicians.

The Georgia’s membership in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) has been temporarily suspended, the “Interpressnews” reports with reference to the Georgian government administration.

The European Council (EC) has confirmed the suspension of the Georgia’s accession to the European Union (EU). The Council believes that the actions of the Georgian government contradict European values and principles.

On October 20, participants in the “Georgia Chooses the European Union” march gathered in Republic Square, Heroes’ Square, at the Obelisk of 300 Aragvi residents, Mardjanishvili Square, and at the intersection of Amagleba and Asatiani Streets, in order to walk from there to Freedom Square, where the final event in support of Georgia’s accession to the EU was held.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the centre of Tbilisi. This is one of the largest protest actions in the country in recent times. Michael Roth, the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the German Bundestag, has noted that “Georgians are writing history again.”

Official data on natives of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine

By October 20, the authorities and the law enforcement bodies reported about at least 5113 residents of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine, including 2445 residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and 2668 residents of the Southern Federal District (SFD).

In Dagestan, the authorities reported about 1069 local residents perished in Ukraine, in the Volgograd Region – 958, in the Krasnodar Territory – 580, in the Rostov Region – 583, in the Stavropol Territory – 506, in the Astrakhan Region – 390, in North Ossetia – 313, in Chechnya – 208, in Kabardino-Balkaria – 176, in Kalmykia – 97, in Ingushetia – 91, in Karachay-Cherkessia – 82, and in Adygea – 60.