News

November 29, 2021 15:18

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of November 22-28, 2021

  Special operation in Karachay-Cherkessia; negotiations between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Sochi; start of proceedings on the lawsuit for the liquidation of the “International Memorial”*; protests in Southern Russia against the introduction of QR codes; Kadyrov’s new threats against Ingushetia and the exercises of the Chechen law enforcement bodies near the border, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of November 22-28, 2021, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

November 29, 2021 14:29

• On November 22-28, two persons fall victim to armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

  During the week of November 22-28, 2021, during the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus, at least two people perished; no information about the wounded ones was reported. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from open sources.

November 29, 2021 14:22

• Number of signatures to petition in defence of "Memorials"* exceeds 115,000

  The petition demanding to prevent the closure of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" and the "International Memorial" has already gathered 115,158 signatures.

November 29, 2021 14:15

• Azerbaijani oppositionist suspected of drug dealing

  Shakhin Gadjiev, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), has been detained on suspicion of illegal drug circulation. His party colleagues believe that Gadjiev is persecuted for his political activities.

November 29, 2021 12:51

• Dagestani lawyers urge State Duma MPs to investigate torture in Saratov prison hospital

  The Russian State Duma MPs should use their right to conduct a parliamentary inquiry into reports prisoners' torture, including natives of the Caucasus, practised at the Saratov prison hospital, Dagestani lawyers have stated.

November 29, 2021 12:49

• Doctors treat continuation of hunger strike by activist Salekh Rustamov as life-threatening

  On the 23rd day of his hunger strike, Salekh Rustamov cannot move and is extremely weak, his brother said. Doctors of the prison hospital treat his health condition as grave and warn that if Salekh continues refusing to drink water, his life is in danger.

November 28, 2021 12:06

• ECtHR stands up for four Armenian POWs

  The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled to apply security measures in relation of four Armenian soldiers who were taken prisoners of war (POWs) by Azerbaijan during the November 16 border clashes.

November 28, 2021 11:31

• Opposition demands resignation of Armenian President and Premier

  The participants of the rally organized by the "Liberation Movement" have called for the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister, and Armen Sarkisyan, the President, in order to prevent the delimitation of the border with Azerbaijan, which is unfavourable for Armenia.

November 28, 2021 11:11

• Analysts argue about outcome of Pashinyan and Aliev meeting in Sochi

  The meeting of the Prime Minister of Armenia with the President of Azerbaijan in Sochi with the participation of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, will entail no important consequences, but it has prepared a platform for further dialogue, Armenian analysts believe. The vector laid down in Sochi corresponds to the plans of Azerbaijani authorities; and the main result of the talks will be the acceleration of unblocking communications in Karabakh, their Azerbaijani colleagues have noted.

November 27, 2021 18:48

• Georgian analysts treat Garibashvili's call for dialogue with Russia as blackmail of the West

  By means of the statement by Irakli Garibashvili, the Prime Minister of Georgia, about the need for progress in relations with Russia, Georgian authorities are trying to make it clear to the West that they are independent in shaping their politics. But in reality, Georgia has no discussion topics with Russia, except for the issue of returning the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Georgian analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

November 27, 2021 18:24

• Military's remains found in Nagorno-Karabakh

  In the vicinity of Varanda, Karabakh rescuers have found remains of a military serviceman, bringing the total number of bodies and remains of Armenian militaries and civilians found in the Karabakh conflict zone to 1702.

November 27, 2021 17:27

• Police abandons claims against opponents of QR codes in Sochi

  Law enforcers have cancelled the administrative protocol on Vladislav Zhironkin, who was collecting signatures of Sochi residents against the QR code system, the activist himself has informed.

November 27, 2021 16:32

• Court refuses to reconsider riot case in Ganja

  The Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) has dismissed the defence's motion that asked to consider the complaint against the verdict to Yunis Safarov and 11 other figurants in the case of the events in Ganja with a repeated full or partial judicial investigation.

November 27, 2021 12:27

• Court of Appeal confirms Kocharyan's innocence

  The Court of Appeal has rejected the complaint lodged by the Prosecutor's Office, which demanded to cancel the decision to stop the criminal prosecution of Robert Kocharyan, the second President of Armenia, under the case of dispersing a rally in Yerevan on March 1-2, 2008.

November 27, 2021 12:11

• Blogger from Dagestanskie Ogni reports details of attack on him

  Ramis Agabekov, an activist, has complained to the police about the attack on him. The blogger claims that he was beaten up for publishing posts in social networks about the sale of school land in the city of Dagestanskie Ogni.

November 27, 2021 11:58

• Krasnodar activist suspected of contempt of court

  A judge of the Fourth Court of Cassation has drawn attention to the fact that Yana Antonova, a Krasnodar activist, sent a complaint to the court in the envelope, bearing a copy of the painting by a Dutch medieval painter "Skinning a Corrupt Judge". The judge has suggested that in this way Antonova wanted to demonstrate her contempt of the court, and appointed a hearing on this matter.

November 27, 2021 08:56

• Rights defenders urge to acquit leaders of Ingush protests

  The conviction of seven civil society leaders in Ingushetia would cross the hopes for any legal oppositional activities in the country, activists of the "Memorial"* and other human rights organizations have stated.

November 27, 2021 08:45

• Kadyrov's statements remind of Chechnya's long-standing claims to Ingush villages

  Residents of the eight villages, which Ramzan Kadyrov has threatened to alienate from Ingushetia, are ethnic Ingushes, Yakub Gogiev, a geographer, has stated. Back in 2013, Chechnya formally included the settlements of the Sunzha District of Ingushetia into itself, Timur Akiev, a rights defender, has noted.

November 27, 2021 08:32

• Teacher arrested for 25 days for picket in support of "Memorial"*

  The Presnya District Court of Moscow has arrested Alexei Belenkin, a teacher of music, for 25 days, who unfolded the poster: "We are Memorial"* at the building of the Russian Supreme Court (SC). The court has received cases against three other activists.

November 26, 2021 23:14

• CTO legal regime cancelled in Karachay-Cherkessia

  The restrictions imposed in Karachay-Cherkessia for the duration of the counterterrorist operation (CTO) have been lifted. Firearms and an explosive device were found at the place of a shootout.