News

December 29, 2021 23:59

• Azerbaijan hands over five POWs to Armenia

  Five militaries taken prisoner on November 16 were returned to Armenia through the mediation of Hungary, the State Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons reported.

December 29, 2021 23:57

• ECtHR demands to suspend liquidation of “Memorials”* in Russia

  In its letter, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) states that the execution of the Russian courts’ decisions on the liquidation of the “Memorials”* NGOs (the International Historical, Educational, Charity and Human Rights Society “Memorial” (International Memorial) and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”) should be postponed until the ECtHR rules on the complaint filed by Russian NGOs against the Russian law on foreign agents.

December 29, 2021 23:55

• Activists near courthouse angered by decision to liquidate HRC “Memorial”*

  Activists who gathered in front of the Moscow City Court met the decision to liquidate the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”* with shouts of “Shame!” and “Shame on you”. The police forces are accumulated near the court building.

December 29, 2021 23:54

• Relatives of Sochi resident Ipatov criticize investigators’ version about his suicide

  Dmitry Ivannikov, a friend of Yevgeny Ipatov, a resident of Sochi, who recorded a video before his death in which he complained about torture by law enforcers, could disclose the causes of the Yevgeny Ipatov’s death. However, Dmitry Ivannikov does not answer phone calls, and the investigators’ version about the suicide of Yevgeny Ipatov is groundless.

December 29, 2021 15:24

• Resident of Ingushetia fined for justifying terrorism

  The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has sentenced Ruslan Ozdoev, a resident of Ingushetia, to a fine of 250,000 roubles, having found him guilty of publicly justifying terrorism.

December 29, 2021 15:17

• MCC liquidates HRC "Memorial"*

  The Moscow City Court (MCC) has ruled to liquidate the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"*.

December 29, 2021 15:09

• Dagestan Ombudsperson indicates problems with adaptation among children who returned from Syria

  After the return of children from Syria, they have problems with social adaptation, since they had been under the influence of the extremist ideology for a long time; they didn't go to school and received no medical treatment, said Marina Yezhova, the Children's Ombudsperson in Dagestan.

December 29, 2021 15:06

• Activist Abubakar Yangulbaev released from police

  Abubakar Yangulbaev, a lawyer for the North-Caucasian branch of the "Committee against Torture" (CaT), who had reported about kidnapping of his relatives in Chechnya, has been set free from the police, but his advocate was not allowed to visit him.

December 29, 2021 15:02

• Words about Ukraine mean Kadyrov's attempt to please Putin

  By declaring the need to annex Ukraine to Russia, Ramzan Kadyrov has tried to win President Putin's approval, Alexei Malashenko and Dmitry Oreshkin, political analysts, assert. The readiness of the head of Chechnya to act as "Putin's infantryman" on the Ukrainian issue is sanctioned by the Kremlin, Ruslan Kutaev, a Caucasian expert, believes.

December 29, 2021 14:48

• Seven persons detained during trial on liquidation of "International Memorial"*

  Among those detained at the building of the Russia's Supreme Court (SC), which has ruled to liquidate the "International Memorial"*, were both supporters and opponents of the organization.

December 29, 2021 14:37

• HRC "Memorial"* asks to check information about kidnappings of relatives of Kadyrov's critics

  The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"* has sent requests to the Russian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO), the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) demanding to prosecute those responsible for the kidnappings of relatives of Chechen bloggers and activists.

December 29, 2021 14:18

• Foreign politicians urge to revise decision to liquidate "International Memorial"*

  The liquidation of the "International Memorial"* indicates the suppression of the freedom of speech and a departure from common European values, while the law on foreign agents is being used to narrow the space for independent critical thinking and dialogue. This was stated by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Chairperson and the US Ambassador to Russia.

December 29, 2021 11:39

• Azerbaijani journalists hold a rally against draft law “On Media”

  The draft law “On Media” will further aggravate the repression against freedom of speech in Azerbaijan, protesters say. They demanded to create a working group to represent the civil society in order to re-discuss the draft law.

December 29, 2021 11:37

• 728 Azerbaijanis return home from Dagestan

  Six groups of Azerbaijani citizens have been sent home from Dagestan across the land border, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan reports.

December 28, 2021 23:53

• Human rights defender Yangulbaev detained in Pyatigorsk

  In Pyatigorsk, law enforcers detained Abubakar Yangulbaev, a lawyer from the North-Caucasian branch of the “Committee against Torture” (CaT), who reported about kidnapping of relatives in Chechnya. No advocates are allowed to visit Abubakar Yangulbaev, his colleagues say.

December 28, 2021 23:51

• Decision to close “International Memorial”* sparks outrage in courtroom

  When the Supreme Court of Russia pronounced a decision to liquidate the “International Memorial”* (the International Historical, Educational, Charity and Human Rights Society “Memorial”), the persons who attended the trial started to chant: “Shame!” Advocates called a request of the Prosecutor’s Office to liquidate the organization unreasonable.

December 28, 2021 22:58

• Skirmish with convoy guards ends in Saakashvili's fainting

  Mikheil (Mikhail) Saakashvili, a former Georgian president, has resisted his convoy guards, who tried to transfer him from the military hospital to a prison. During the incident, he lost consciousness.

December 28, 2021 21:54

• Azerbaijani resident detained for exporting scrap metal from Nagorno-Karabakh

  In the Khodjavend District, Mazakhir Abdullaev, a resident of Azerbaijan, was detained for an attempt to export two tons of scrap metal collected in the non-demined territories of Nagorno-Karabakh.

December 28, 2021 12:03

• Armenia: military serviceman arrested after returning from captivity

  A court in Armenia has arrested for two months Major Narek Eremyan, who had returned from captivity in Azerbaijan. He is accused of violating the rules of military service, his advocate has informed.

December 28, 2021 11:53

• Two hunger-strikers in support of Saakashvili hospitalized

  About 200 people are taking part in a mass hunger strike demanding the release of Mikhail Saakashvili; the action continues for seven days already. Since the start thereof, ten hunger-strikers have been hospitalized; two were taken to hospital on December 27.