News

July 09, 2024 23:09

• Activist attacked in Kabardino-Balkaria, sources report

  Zurab Khatsukov, an activist of the initiative group standing against the construction of a waste sorting complex near the village of Urvan, was attacked. As a result, the activist was brought to a traumatology ward in a hospital and diagnosed with a brain concussion.

July 09, 2024 21:48

• “RusHydro” Company requests public apologies from Nalchik resident for disrespect for Russian anthem

  An employee of the “RusHydro” Company’s branch in Nalchik disgraced his colleagues by disrespecting the Russian anthem at a school graduation event, the “RusHydro” Company claims. The employee has been requested to voice public apologies.

July 09, 2024 18:49

• Kuban Jehovah's Witness* sentenced to colony term

  The Abinsk City Court has found Valery Bailo, a Jehovah's Witness*, guilty of taking part in the activities of an extremist association due to discussion of the Bible and sentenced him to 2,5 years of freedom deprivation.

July 09, 2024 18:09

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of July 1-7, 2024

  Explosion in Volgograd, drone attacks, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, about niqabs and hijabs, 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 July 1-7, 2024, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

July 09, 2024 17:55

• Social media users surprised by apologies from military correspondent for his words about “Akhmat” special forces

  Military correspondent Vladimir Romanov has voiced public apologies after he called members of the “Akhmat” Chechen special forces “TikTokers” and said that their units stayed behind the units in which conscript soldiers serve. Social media users considered the apologies inappropriate and suggested that Vladimir Romanov recorded his video with apologies under pressure.

July 08, 2024 23:51

• Kalmykia: HIV-infected convict achieves his verdict commuted

  The Supreme Court (SC) of Kalmykia has commuted the sentence of an HIV-infected convict, assigning him four years of freedom restriction instead of forced labour.

July 08, 2024 23:38

• Defence of Dagestani Dalgatov's family reports defendants' role in his death

  The eleven Makhachkala policemen, whose case has been sent to court, are accused of torturing Kurban Dalgatov and attempts to hide his violent death, the advocate for Kurban's family has stated. Dalgatov's relatives treat the defendants' boss as also responsible for his death.

July 08, 2024 19:55

• Islamic scholars dispute on aim of banning niqabs in Dagestan and KChR

  The niqab problem is far-fetched for Russia, but the ban thereof introduced in Dagestan and the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR) will be followed by attacks on hijabs and other attributes of Islam, the Islamic scholars interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" are sure.

July 08, 2024 19:38

• Concert organizers doubt need for dress code for performers in Northern Caucasus

  There is no need to introduce a dress code for the pop performers who come to give concerts in the republics of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD), since the performers are sensitive to local traditions, tour organizers have commented on the officials' idea.

July 08, 2024 18:17

• Comedian apologizes to Dagestanis for statements about niqabs

  Omar Alibutaev, an actor and comedian, has apologized to the Dagestani people for his statements about the ban on wearing niqabs. Thus, speaking about niqabs, he said that nightclubs are also contrary to the Dagestani culture.

July 06, 2024 19:34

• Religious scholars claim law violations by Sharia patrols in KBR

  For violating the norms of the Sharia Law, offenders should respond before the Sharia Court; and the patrols that use threats and beatings against violators are doing arbitrariness. This was stated by religious scholars after the detention of Sharia patrols in the city of Tyrnyauz.

July 06, 2024 18:56

• Mikhailovsk resident files complaint with UN Human Rights Committee

  In his complaint lodged with the UN Human Rights Committee Vitaly Fedorenko, a resident of Mikhailovsk, has claimed that six fines imposed on him under the article on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces for expressing personal opinions are unlawful and violate human rights.

July 06, 2024 18:12

• Lawyers treat verdict to Dagestani law enforcers for kidnapping and torture as lenient

  The court handed down an overly lenient sentence to five law enforcers convicted of kidnapping and torturing a woman from Dagestan; and the lengthy investigation into the case is related to the systemic problems in the law enforcement system, lawyers have pointed out.

July 05, 2024 23:57

• Former official from Stavropol Territory repeatedly sentenced in absentia in case on fakes about Russian Army

  The Basmanny District Court of Moscow found Maria Mamedova, a former employee of the Stavropol Territorial Department of the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ), earlier convicted in a criminal case on promoting terrorism, guilty of spreading fakes about the Russian Armed Forces and sentenced her in absentia to eight years of imprisonment in a penal colony. That was reported by the “Mediazona”* portal.

July 05, 2024 23:48

• Chechen activists assess risks for Khalitov

  The publication of threats voiced by Adam Kadyrov against blogger Khasan Khalitov does not reduce the risks for the critic of the Chechen authorities living abroad, but confirms the involvement of the Chechen authorities in the kidnapping of his relatives, a political analyst and a human rights defender state.

July 05, 2024 23:12

• Kremlin and State Duma distance off niqab-ban discussion

  The topic of banning niqabs in the republics of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) is not discussed in the Kremlin, the presidential press secretary has stated. The issues of religious clothing fall within the competence of the clergy, the Russian State Duma MPs have indicated.

July 05, 2024 21:10

• Death case of Dagestani Kurban Dalgatov gets to court

  Eleven law enforcers from Makhachkala have faced trial on charges of torturing Kurban Dalgatov, who died after detention. The cases of two other figurants are being considered separately.

July 05, 2024 19:57

• Haste in opening case against Dagestani blogger Khanov raises doubts about its grounds

  Blogger Khadjimurad Khanov asked for house arrest in a criminal case on illegal arms trafficking, but a court placed him in custody, an advocate and a friend of Khadjimurad Khanov report. The criminal case against the blogger looks strange, since it was instituted several days after the scandal over a niqab, a Dagestani human rights defender and a journalist emphasize.

July 05, 2024 17:48

• Analysts argue about masterminds of militants’ attack in Dagestan

  The involvement of participants in a militants’ attack in Dagestan in the “Islamic State”* and other organizations has not been confirmed; there are no signs inherent in the actions of the above-mentioned terrorist organization, analysts note.

July 05, 2024 17:08

• Law enforcers' provocations put gays in Dagestan under additional threat

  Gays in Dagestan were in danger even before law enforcers held provocations and raids on them; and after the arrest of the gay blogger Matvei Volodin, threats have grown manifold. However, as noted by rights defenders, law enforcers have no real grounds to open cases against gays under the article on extremism.