News

July 21, 2009 22:00

• After Estemirova's murder, there were several more kidnappings in Chechnya

  At least six or seven persons were kidnapped and illegally detained in the last two-three days in the territory of the Chechen Republic. This was reported by the HRC "Memorial". According to human rights activists, they received this information from a spokesman of the local Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

July 21, 2009 20:00

• Armenia: human rights activist put into overcrowded prison cell

  A well-known human rights activist Mikael Danielyan, head of the Helsinki Association, complained to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that custody conditions of Arshaluis Akopyan, an activist of the Association, are very hard.

July 21, 2009 19:00

• Opposition in Ingushetia starts a new website

  The Ingush opposition has launched a new website, which will work in the manner of the former "Ingushetia.Ru ", when the deceased Magomed Evloev was its owner. This was stated today by Magomed Khazbiev, one of Ingush oppositionists.

July 21, 2009 18:00

• Françoise Petre: Estemirova's murder stirs up Russian emigration

  The murder of human rights defender Natalia Estemirova has pushed Russian emigrants to dynamic actions. They held a rally in Estemirova's memory on July 17 in Paris. Françoise Petre, employee of the Bureau for Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that earlier they were rare guests at this sort of actions.

July 20, 2009 23:00

• Week in the Caucasus: main events in July 13-19

  Murder of human rights advocate Natalia Estemirova causing resonance in Russia and abroad; another meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents; crash of Iranian aircraft with Armenian passengers onboard - see these and other news in the review by "Caucasian Knot" of the main events in the Caucasus on July 13-19.

July 20, 2009 23:00

• Medvedev expresses condolences to "Memorial" on Estemirova's death

  The Grozny office of the HRC "Memorial" has received a cable from Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, in which he condoles on the death of Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the Centre.

July 20, 2009 22:20

• Chechen residents fear stronger repressions by power agents after "Memorial" leaves the republic

  The decision of the leadership of the HRC "Memorial" to suspend the work of the Centre in Chechnya is ambiguously treated in the republic. Some people find it reasonable, while others express fear that suspension of the human rights organization will untie hands of power agents, who have recently sharply strengthened their punitive and repressive actions.

July 20, 2009 22:00

• "Memorial" closes up its work in Chechnya

  The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", which is leaving Chechnya, plans to finish all the cases started in the in republic. According to Oleg Orlov, the chairman, the lawyers of "Memorial" will finalize all the cases filed by them to the European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) on behalf of residents of Chechnya.

July 20, 2009 21:00

• NGOs plan to independently investigate Estemirova's murder

  An independent public commission is now set up in Russia for investigating the circumstances of the death of the well-known Chechen human rights defender, employee of the HRC "Memorial" Natalia Estemirova.

July 20, 2009 21:00

• Natalia Estemirova's body was found in the same place, where wounded Magomed Evloev was found

  The body of assassinated Natalia Estemirova was found in the area, where last year the fatally wounded Ingush oppositionist Magomed Evloev was detected, who had been detained on the previous day by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ingushetia at Magas Airport. In the opinion of a source in law enforcement bodies of Chechnya, this circumstance and a number of others evidence that the kidnapping and murder of the renowned human rights activist were parts of a carefully devised action.

July 20, 2009 20:10

• Moscow GUVD accepts application of Kadyrov's advocate on initiating a criminal case against Orlov

  On July 20, the GUVD (City Interior Department) of Moscow accepted the application submitted by Andrei Krasnenkov, advocate of President of Chechnya, and requesting to open a criminal case against Oleg Orlov, Chairman of the HRC "Memorial".

July 20, 2009 20:00

• Azerbaijan: Appeal Court rejects bloggers' complaints

  On July 20, the Baku Appeal Court continued considering the appeal complaints lodged by bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Gadjizade, who challenged the decisions of the first instance court about their arrest for 2 months on accusation of hooliganism.

July 20, 2009 19:00

• Court accepts claim of newspaper "Chernovik" against Public Prosecutor and "Rossvyazkomnadzor" of Dagestan

  Today, a judicial session took place in Dagestan on the claim of "Rossvyazkomnadzor" (Federal Agency for Supervising Communications) to close the independent newspaper "Chernovik" (Blueprint), where the paper has lodged a counterclaim against Igor Tkachov, Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Dagestan and the territorial department of "Rossvyazkomnadzor" for Dagestan. The judge has accepted the counterclaim.

July 20, 2009 18:00

• Mary Robinson: Estemirova's death is a tragic example of cold-blooded murder of a courageous human rights activist

  The murder of Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the HRC "Memorial" is another tragic example of a cold-blooded murder of a courageous human rights activist, runs a personal statement of Mary Robinson, President of the International Commission of Lawyers. According to Ms Robinson, Natalia Estemirova was one of the most courageous and inspiring human rights defenders she had ever met.

July 18, 2009 23:00

• Foreign media advise Medvedev to dismiss Kadyrov

  The leading western media, while making comments on Natalia Estemirova's murder, express their concern that this not the first crime against human rights activists and critics of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov and his Kremlin patrons.

July 18, 2009 22:00

• Azerbaijan: killers of journalist Elmar Guseinov still unfound

  On July 17, advocates of the freedom of speech in Azerbaijan commemorated Elmar Guseinov, editor-in-chief of the popular Azerbaijani "Monitor" magazine, who was shot dead by hired gunmen on March 2, 2005.

July 18, 2009 21:00

• Georgian Parliament toughens regulations on manifestations

  On July 17, the Parliament of Georgia adopted three bills "On Assemblies and Manifestations", "On Police" and Code of Administrative Offences, which assume tougher regulations on holding manifestations and more severe punishments for beaching them.

July 18, 2009 20:00

• "Memorial" leader Oleg Orlov is ready to face Ramzan Kadyrov in court

  Oleg Orlov, Chair of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", is ready to litigate with President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, who is now preparing, via his advocate, his claims to the court and Moscow GUVD (City Interior Department) in the context of Mr Orlov's statements about Mr Kadyrov's responsibility for the murder of human rights defender Natalia Estemirova.

July 18, 2009 19:00

• Chechen TV channels convince viewers that certain forces murdered Estemirova to blacken Kadyrov

  In Chechnya, TV channels are quoting, in their news programmes, the authorities of the republic, who keep asserting that the murder of human rights defender Natalia Estemirova was backed by certain forces willing to blacken the peoples of Chechnya and Ingushetia and Ramzan Kadyrov personally.

July 18, 2009 18:00

• HRC "Memorial" suspends its work in Chechnya

  The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" suspends its activity in Chechnya after the kidnapping and murder of its employee Natalia Estemirova.