News

January 30, 2014 16:06

• NAC: terror acts in Volgograd were committed by suicide bombers Asker Samedov and Suleiman Magomedov

  The initiators of terror acts committed on December 29 and 30, 2013, in Volgograd have been identified by the Buynaksk militants Asker Samedov and Suleiman Magomedov, said the Russian National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC).

January 30, 2014 14:03

• ECtHR finds power agents responsible for kidnapping Yanaev, native of Chechnya, in 2004

  The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled on the complaint "Z. and Khatueva vs. Russia", by recognizing the responsibility of Russian power structures for the kidnapping and probable death of Zhamalaily Yanaev, a native of Chechnya, who disappeared at the airport in Beslan, as Yulia Klimova, an employee of the press service of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", has reported.

January 30, 2014 13:54

• Sochi sets up transport filters to read Olympic automobile accreditations

  Starting from February 1, special electronic filters will control the roads of Sochi, intended to read information from the accreditation certificates attached to motor vehicles, said Andrei Zhukov, the head of the transport directorate of the 2014 Games. The devices are designed to ensure the non-stop movement of the Olympic transport vehicles.

January 30, 2014 13:44

• Chechen resident sentenced to two years on charges of calling for terrorism

  Ramzan Abdurakhmanov, a resident of the Urus-Martan District of Chechnya, was found guilty of inciting terrorism and sentenced to two years in prison. This was reported by a source in the republic's MIA, adding that this is the first case in Chechnya, when a person was convicted of public calls to extremism.

January 30, 2014 11:36

• Sochi residents report mass liquidation of stray cats and dogs before the Olympics

  In the last weeks before the Winter Olympics, Sochi authorities have tightened measure aimed to catch and kill stray dogs and cats, city residents report. However, local animal defenders believe that the money allocated by the administration of Sochi for killing animals should have been used to sterilize them.

January 30, 2014 09:28

• In Georgia, former bosses of Gldani Prison sentenced to nine years under "Tetradze's case"

  The Tbilisi City Court has sentenced three former top managers of Gldani Prison No. 8 to nine years of imprisonment each. Other five defendants were acquitted; one was sentenced to two years in prison; and two others – to six years each.

January 30, 2014 09:01

• Azerbaijan: Karabakh War invalid tries to burn himself, leader of veterans' organization reports

  Maarif Veliev, a Karabakh War invalid, made a self-immolation attempt in the Azerbaijani town of Barda and is now is in hospital, said Etimad Asadov, the head of the public association "Karabakh Veterans". The town authorities refute the information about the self-immolation attempt.

January 30, 2014 05:59

• Russia need no NATO's help in ensuring Olympic safety, experts believe

  In the opinion of First-Rank Captain Konstantin Sivkov, Doctor of Military Sciences and Vice-President of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, the statement about no need of NATO's help in securing the Sochi Olympics is logical and reasonable. Sergey Melkov, Doctor of Political Sciences and Co-Chair of the Association of Military Political Scientists of Russia, also believes that Russia is capable to ensure the safety of spectators and athletes.

January 29, 2014 20:19

• French journalist detained in Dagestani Buynaksk released

  In Dagestan, the earlier detained correspondent of the French Le Figaro, who came to write an article about Zarema Bagavutdinova, an activist of the Dagestani Regional Public Organization (DRPO) "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy), is back at large.

January 29, 2014 20:08

• Dagestani police obliges Salafi believers to report their travels

  Policemen of the Karabudakhkent ROVD (District Interior Division) of Dagestan are collecting written obligations from the members of the local Salafi that they undertake to notify the law enforcement authorities about their intention to travel outside the region, said Elena Denisenko, the employee of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in Dagestan.

January 29, 2014 18:51

• Mayoralty of German Kassel bans exhibition on Sochi Olympics

  Without specifying the reasons, the Mayoralty and the Ministry of Culture of the German city of Kassel cancelled the exhibition "Welcome to Sochi-2014", said Vasily Slonov, the author of the works, a painter from Krasnoyarsk. The opening of the exhibition of satirical posters about the Winter Olympics in Sochi had been scheduled for January 31.

January 29, 2014 18:01

• First cruise ship-hotel for guests of 2014 Olympics arrives in Sochi

  The cruise liner Thomson Spirit has moored at the Imereti Port of Sochi ready to accommodate guests of the Winter Olympics. Floating hotel can house more than 1200 people.

January 29, 2014 17:35

• Jury at Politkovskaya's murder case was shown the pistol that killed the journalist

  At the session of the Moscow City Court (MCC) that considers the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, an observer of the "Novaya Gazeta", the jurors were shown the pistol that killed her. Besides, the court questioned the journalist's daughter Vera Politkovskaya.

January 29, 2014 13:08

• Mutko: 78 Russians will perform at Winter Paralympics in Sochi

  At the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi the Russian national team will consist of 78 athletes from 17 regions, Vitaly Mutko, the Russian Minister of Sports, has announced today; in total, the Russia's delegation will include 195 persons.

January 29, 2014 10:18

• MIA: Olympic Torch Relay passed peacefully in Chechnya

  As reported by the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), all the events dedicated to welcoming the Olympic Flame in Grozny, the Chechen capital, passed in a calm atmosphere; no accidents or serious incidents have been recorded.

January 29, 2014 09:48

• Lavrov: Russia rejects NATO's help in securing Olympic Games in Sochi

  Russia needs no help from the NATO in ensure security of the Sochi Olympics – it is enough to operate the Security Headquarters, where the participating countries of the Olympic Games will be presented, said the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

January 28, 2014 23:02

• Ingushetia: ten thousand people come to welcome Olympic Flame

  On Tuesday, in Magas, the capital of Ingushetia, about ten thousand people welcomed the Olympic Torch Relay in the main street. They came from many villages and towns of the republic.

January 28, 2014 22:14

• Navalny presents his project "Encyclopaedia of Expenses – Price of Olympiad"

  The "Fund for Fighting Corruption" created by the oppositionist Alexei Navalny has launched a new project "Encyclopaedia of Expenses – Price of Olympiad", which tracks the costs of organizing and hosting the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Ilya Djus, the official representative of the Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, has treated the research of the Fund as "incorrect".

January 28, 2014 20:40

• Rights defenders are disappointed with Abdulatipov's activities as head of Dagestan

  Human rights violations, increased pressure on the Salafi community and formation of people's militia – these are the unsatisfactory results of Ramazan Abdulatipov, who is heading the Republic of Dagestan exactly for one year. This is a joint opinion of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the International Crisis Group (ICG) and the human rights organization "Mothers of Dagestan".

January 28, 2014 19:33

• KBR cancels public events in honour of Olympic Torch Relay because of bad weather

  The authorities of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) had to shorten – because of bad weather – the route of the Olympic Torch Relay in the territory of the republic. Local mountain climbers fear that severe weather conditions may complicate the scheduled lift of the 2014 Games Flame to Mount Elbrus.