News

April 21, 2020 19:53

• Defence points to political context of Yagublu's arrest

  A court in Baku refused to satisfy the defence's complaint against the arrest of the oppositional politician, Tofig Yagublu. The activist himself said that his arrest was preceded by his publications criticizing the authorities.

April 21, 2020 12:39

• Rights defender challenge termination of Kuchmenov's torture case

  There are many contradictions in the case of torturing Rustam Kuchmenov, a resident of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), the lawyers of the Committee against Torture (CaT) have noted and sent a complaint against the dismissal of the case to the court. Kuchmenov's father told about signs of beatings on his son's body and noted that this is not the first incident involving law enforcers.

April 21, 2020 12:38

• Rights defenders demand state protection for journalist threatened by Kadyrov

  The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has demanded to ensure state protection of the journalist, Elena Milashina, and initiate a criminal case against the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. The rights defenders' appeal was signed by over a hundred people.

April 21, 2020 12:02

• Azerbaijani oppositionist sentenced for video clip about policeman

  Alizamin Salaev, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), has been sentenced to a real prison term on charges of defamation and insult after posting a video clip in social networks criticizing a policeman. The PFPA treats the verdict as politically motivated.

April 21, 2020 12:00

• On April 13-19, one person fell victim to armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

  During the week of April 13-19, in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus, one person was killed; no information about the wounded ones was received. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from open sources.

April 21, 2020 11:40

• Residents of Chechnya and Orientalists treat Mufti's appeal not to let women to funerals as justified

  Residents of Chechnya, except for close relatives of the deceased, should not attend funerals and commemorations during the pandemic, said the Mufti, Salakh Mezhiev. The Orientalists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have explained the Mufti's words by a desire to reduce the number of funeral participants.

April 21, 2020 11:38

• Report about apologies for fundraising indicates charity monopolization in Chechnya

  The official's participation in the report criticizing a resident of Chechnya for raising money for treating her child indicates the intention of regional authorities to monopolize charity activities, human rights defenders assert. Requests to help a sick child always find sympathy among Chechens.

April 20, 2020 22:51

• Georgia denies development of dangerous pathogens in Lugar laboratory

  Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), announced that in Georgia, the Lugar laboratory could be engaged in development of dangerous pathogens. The laboratory does not conduct any research for military purposes, but fights against the coronavirus infection, states Paata Imnadze, the deputy director of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC).

April 20, 2020 22:44

• In Azerbaijan, over half of coronavirus-infected patients recover

  In Azerbaijan, the number of people infected with the coronavirus infection increased by 38 people and reached 1436. More than half of them – 791 people –have already recovered.

April 20, 2020 22:42

• Azerbaijan announces shelling attack on its village in Karabakh conflict zone

  The positions of the Azerbaijani troops in the village on the border with Armenia and in the Karabakh conflict zone were shelled 30 times within 24 hours, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Azerbaijan reported.

April 20, 2020 22:32

• In North Ossetia, protesters throw stones and bottles at law enforcers

  In Vladikavkaz, a spontaneous protest action against the regime of self-isolation is underway. Law enforcers called for reinforcements. Protesters began throwing stones and bottles at the law enforcers.

April 20, 2020 15:12

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of April 13-19, 2020

  Increase in the number of coronavirus-infected people in Southern Russia and in the countries of Southern Caucasus; celebration of Easter by Orthodox believers amid the spread of the coronavirus infection; second round of the presidential election in Nagorno-Karabakh; attack on law enforcers in Dagestan, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of April 13-19, 2020, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

April 20, 2020 14:30

• "Novaya Gazeta": in Chechnya, law enforcers struggle with coronavirus instead of doctors

  Residents of Chechnya are so scared by authorities and law enforcers that they are afraid to inform doctors about COVID-19 symptoms, the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper writes. The information from the letter from Kadyrov's press secretary to the editor-in-chief of the "Novaya Gazeta" should lead to a check for coronavirus in the Chechen hospital, the journalist, Elena Milashina, has emphasized.

April 20, 2020 14:28

• Coronavirus statistics in Chechnya shows different perception of epidemic by residents and authorities

  The increase in the number of coronavirus cases has to do not only with the infection spread, but also with the growing number of tests, experts have explained. The doubts of residents of Chechnya about the quarantine efficiency are caused primarily by the position of the authorities, Svetlana Gannushkina, a human rights defender, believes.

April 20, 2020 14:24

• Social network users stand up for woman who raised money to treat her child in Chechnya

  The woman from the Gudermes District, who was publicly criticized by officials for raising money for treating her child, had asked for help because of hopelessness, Instagram users have suggested.

April 20, 2020 11:17

• Resident of Chechnya publicly apologizes for raising money for his niece treatment

  The head of the Gudermes District has criticized, on the TV air, the woman who has raised money through social networks for the treatment of a child in parallel with receiving help from the Kadyrov Foundation. A woman's relative apologized to the camera for her.

April 20, 2020 11:15

• Azerbaijani temples hold Easter services without parishioners

  At night on April 20, temples of Azerbaijan held their Easter services without believers because of anti-coronavirus measures.

April 19, 2020 12:36

• Seven PFPA activists arrested during quarantine

  Over the past ten days, the number of arrested members of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan (PFPA) has reached seven. Ali Kerimli, the party leader, is deprived of the Internet and mobile communication, the party has informed.

April 19, 2020 12:18

• Call of Garegin II to release Kocharyan faces criticism in Armenia

  Robert Kocharyan, the second president of Armenia, is the only one arrested person, whom Catholicos Garegin II has called to release because of the coronavirus threat, residents of Armenia have noted, suggesting that the clergyman's initiative is a political one.

April 18, 2020 19:25

• Georgia: emergency regime extended due to rising number of coronavirus infections (+video)

  During the last 24 hours, the number of COVID-19 infection cases in Georgia went up by 15 and reached 385. The country's president announced the extension of the state of emergency until May 10.