News

March 18, 2014 21:35

• In Dagestan, four witnesses testify in favour of human rights defender Bagavutdinova

  In Buynaksk, at the trial of the case of Zarema Bagavutdinova, an activist of the Dagestani Regional Public Organization "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy), accused of promoting terrorist activities, four witnesses have testified in favour of the human rights activist, said Ziyavutdin Uvaisov, Zarema's advocate.

March 18, 2014 21:13

• Excessive formaldehyde concentration revealed in Nizhni Cherek school

  As stated by Rinat Barakov, the spokesman of the Department of the "Rospotrebnadzor", the inquiry into the incident of poisoning of pupils in the village of Nizhni Cherek was over: a concentration of formaldehyde exceeding the exposure limit by 4.5 times was detected in school premises.

March 18, 2014 19:48

• North-Caucasian militants finally confirm Umarov's death and elect new leader

  Doku (Dokku) Umarov is dead, and Ali Abu-Mukhammad is a new leader of the "Imarat Kavkaz", says a statement released today by one of the websites that supports the North-Caucasian militants.

March 18, 2014 15:36

• Witness in Politkovskaya's murder case rejects earlier evidence

  Today, at a session of the Moscow City Court (MCC), where the case of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, an observer of the "Novaya Gazeta", is considered, a defence witness Maxim Chervonya Ogly has renounced his evidence given at the preliminary investigation.

March 18, 2014 13:57

• In Chechnya, case against five local residents accused of killing policemen is sent to court

  Five residents of Chechnya are to appear before the court on charges of killing in 2012 four staff member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for Bashkortostan, who were on an official trip. This was reported by the Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya. Officials indicate that all of the defendants plead guilty.

March 18, 2014 11:42

• Experts mention inter-clan fighting, militants' revenge and "Chechen trace" as versions of attempt on Khasavyurt Mayor

  When considering the issue who might order to assassinate Saigidpasha Umakhanov, Mayor of the Dagestani city of Khasavyurt, experts identify several versions, including those related to inter-clan fighting in Dagestan, militants' revenge and struggle for power in the city, where a large number of Chechens live.

March 18, 2014 10:58

• EU imposes sanctions against Senator from North Ossetia because of situation around Crimea

  Alexander Totoonov, a member of the Russian Federation Council from North Ossetia was put on the list of persons, against whom the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions because of the situation around Crimea. Alexander Totoonov has said the sanctions will not change his position.

March 18, 2014 07:30

• Editor-in-chief of "Modern Kalmykia", detained in Elista, goes to law against policemen

  Valery Badmaev, an editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Modern Kalmykia", who was on March 14 detained in Elista on charges of disorderly conduct, intends to appeal to court against the actions of policemen and charges against him.

March 18, 2014 03:13

• In Armenia, journalistic organizations speak against draft law "On Fakes"

  A number of journalistic organizations issued a statement against the initiative of members of the National Assembly of Armenia to amend the Civil Code. The amendments provide prosecution of media that publish and disseminate comments of unidentified Internet users (fakes).

March 18, 2014 00:02

• Relatives of Chechen resident Askhab Murtazaliev report on his kidnapping (+video)

  On February 28, Askhab Murtazaliev, a resident of the Cossack village of Grebenskaya of the Shelkovskoy District of Chechnya, was kidnapped. Since that time, his relatives cannot reveal his whereabouts. This was reported on March 17 by Sudan Murtazalieva, the mother of the kidnapped man.

March 17, 2014 23:24

• Izberbash resident states power agents' pressure after she complained to SC

  Zarema Magomedova, a resident of the Dagestani city of Izberbash, complains about the pressure put on her by local law enforcers who summon her for questioning to the police station without presenting any documents.

March 17, 2014 22:32

• Abkhazia officials: deported Ukrainian journalists working without accreditation

  The filming crew of the Ukrainian TV Channel "1+1", composed of the journalist Natalka Pisnya and the cameraman Sergey Kiselyov, who were deported at night on March 13 from Abkhazia, had worked in the republic without accreditation, said today the State Security Service (SSS) of Abkhazia.

March 17, 2014 18:54

• Khasavyurt Mayoralty refused to sanction picket of Novosasitli villagers against police voluntarism

  Bureaucrats of the Mayoralty of the city of Khasavyurt have refused to sanction the applied protest action referring to the absence of information about the organizer of the action in the application, said a resident of the village of Novosasitli.

March 17, 2014 17:52

• Azerbaijani court sentences oppositionists Yagublu and Mamedov to 5 to 7 years in prison

  Today, the Sheki Court of Grave Crimes has passed verdicts to 18 defendants in the case of riots in the city of Ismailly; the well-known oppositionists Ilgar Mamedov and Tofig Yagublu received real prison terms.

March 17, 2014 16:52

• Rally in Novocherkassk demands to cancel construction of kindergartens in "Krasnaya Vesna" Grove

  The participants in the rally held on March 15 against felling trees in the "Krasnaya Vesna" (Red Spring) Grove in Novocherkassk to clear up place for building kindergartens, have signed a petition addressed to the authorities and demanding to preserve the natural object, said one of the organizers of the rally.

March 17, 2014 10:47

• Chechnya resumes compensation payments to victims of political repressions

  This week, Chechnya resumes compensation payments to victims of political repressions suspended in 2011, and they will be completed till the end of this March. In total, the lists of beneficiaries of the compensations included more than 95,000 people.

March 17, 2014 09:55

• "EcoWatch": Evgeny Vitishko is not allowed to be visited because of quarantine

  Evgeny Vitishko, an activist of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch), who is in a penal colony in the Tambov Region, is not allowed to be visited because of quarantine. This was reported by ecologist's relatives.

March 17, 2014 09:35

• On Day of Circassian Language, Tbilisi hosts presentation of Adyg writer's book

  On March 14, on the Day of Circassian Language, the Circassian (Adyg) Cultural Centre presented in Tbilisi the reprinted edition of the book "Kortaneti Stories" written by Mikhail Lokhvitsky, a Soviet writer, an ethnic Circassian. In the book, the writer tells the readers about the life of one of the Georgian villages.

March 17, 2014 09:03

• Observers from Southern Russia find no violations during referendum in Crimea

  The referendum on the Autonomous Republic of Crimea's reunification with Russia as a subject of the federation was held without violations. This was reported by observers from the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories.

March 17, 2014 09:00

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of March 10-16

  Closing ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi; rallies in support of and against the actions of the Russian authorities in Crimea; special operations in Nalchik, in which the leader of the local militants was killed, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of March 10-16, 2014, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".