The case opened against the policemen from the city of Malgobek, accused of torturing a detainee and receiving a bribe in the form of an apartment, has been transferred to the court.

Georgia has ceased to be a safe country for the women who run away from the North Caucasus due to a change in the country’s political course and the accessibility of the country for Russian citizens. It is still risky for Zaira Pirova to return to Dagestan.

The family should accept the choice of Dagestani native Zaira Pirova and stop searching for her in Georgia, social media users note. Their opponents demanded that the girl should be returned to her family.

A court in the Stavropol Territory has sentenced a local resident to nine months of probation, finding him guilty under a criminal article on repeated discrediting of Russian militaries.

A court in Baku has sentenced Rail Abbasov, an activist, to 6.5 years in jail, finding him guilty in a fraud case.

The head of Chechnya has called tinting of any car windows in Chechnya unacceptable and suggested that those who are afraid of raids "stay at home."

A notification of an advocate an hour and a half before the start of the hearing at the Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya, which left Zarema Musaeva in custody in the case on disorganization of the activities of the penal colony, violated the equality of the parties and the defendant’s right to defence.

In Tbilisi, students of seven higher education institutions hold protest actions with the demand to release the people arrested during protests against the suspension of Georgia’s European integration and to hold new parliamentary elections.

Zaira Pirova, a native of Dagestan, who fled to Georgia, has contacted her relatives, but was unable to convince them that she had left home voluntarily. She said that she missed her family. The girl's father gave her two days to think about it and promised that if she returned, she would be "treated specially."

The collection of letters for those detained at protest actions was organized near the Georgian Parliament. Daily protests against the suspension of European integration have been held in Georgia for the 42nd day in a row.

The father of Zaira Pirova, who fled from Dagestan to Georgia, claims that his daughter was abducted and is kept under a threat to execute her family. However, human rights defenders object stating that Zaira had left home voluntarily and left Russia because of her relatives' attempts to find her.

In Tbilisi, participants of the protest actions admitted that they came to Rustaveli Square on Christmas night to remind people of humanity and the need to continue the country’s European path.

Vladimir Yarotsky, a resident of Krasnodar, who was earlier fined for calls for terrorism, has been charged under a criminal article on spreading “fakes” about the Russian Army.

The toughening of Azerbaijan's of rhetoric towards Russia will not entail any fundamental changes in bilateral relations. At the same time, Moscow has no chances to put pressure on Azerbaijan and force it to abandon its demands in connection with the air crash; and Aliev is using the disaster to demonstrate the independence of his foreign policy.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Azerbaijan has lifted the ban on leaving the country from Takhira Takhirgyzy, the mother of Rufat Safarov, the arrested human rights defender.

Zaira Pirova, a resident of Dagestan, left for Georgia because of being forced to marriage and pressure in the family. However, her relatives are trying to find her. The girl claimed that she was in danger in the family.

Chechen Ombudsperson Mansur Soltaev considered the detention of a 16-year-old girl in a hijab in Amursk a violation and demanded from the authorities to punish those responsible.

In Tbilisi, protesters intentionally went out into the streets wearing masks, thereby violating the recently introduced ban. Students from two universities have joined the demands to release actors Andro Chichinadze and Vepkhiya Kasradze, who are accused of participating in group violence.

Tragedy of the Baku-Grozny flight, pollution in Anapa, drone attacks, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, protests 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 December 30, 2024 -January 5, 2025, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.