News

August 22, 2019 22:20

• Growth in number of arrests indicates scale of activists' persecutions in Azerbaijan

  In Azerbaijan, administrative arrests are used to persecute activists and critics of the authorities. Compared with 2011, in 2018 the number of such arrests has grown by more than 2.5 times, says the report prepared by the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI).

August 22, 2019 22:10

• Krasnodar: leaders of national communities react to shooting incident

  The shootout near the marketplace in Krasnodar was the result of a "criminal showdown" rather than an interethnic conflict, a source from the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has voiced out the law enforcers' position. Members of national communities have promised the Krasnodar authorities to intensify work with the youth.

August 22, 2019 18:46

• South Ossetia announces temporary closure of its border with Georgia

  In the period from the evening on August 25 to the morning on August 27, checkpoints on the border with Georgia will suspend operation in connection with the celebration of the anniversary of the recognition of the country's independence, the KGB of South Ossetia announces today. The South Ossetian Ministry of Culture announced the programme of the holiday.

August 22, 2019 18:39

• HRC "Memorial" recognizes Abdulmumin Gadjiev as a political prisoner

  Abdulmumin Gadjiev, an editor of the newspaper "Chernovik" (Draft), who was arrested in a case on terrorist financing, is being prosecuted for political reasons, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has declared today and demanded to release the journalist.

August 22, 2019 16:24

• Azerbaijan claims shelling attacks on four villages in border areas

  The positions of the Azerbaijani troops in the Karabakh conflict zone were shelled 20 times within 24 hours, and villages in the areas bordering Armenia were shelled, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for Azerbaijan reports today.

August 22, 2019 16:14

• New investigation started into case on torture of Nalchik resident

  The investigation into the case on beating of Rustam Kuchmenov, a detained resident of Nalchik, was resumed, and it was handed over to officials from the Investigating Department for Kabardino-Balkaria of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), the Committee Against Torture (CaT) reported on August 21.

August 22, 2019 11:26

• Law enforcers disrupt rally in support of defendants in Ganja case

  On August 21, mothers of the men arrested in the "Ganja case" tried to hold a protest rally in Baku in the support of their sons. Law enforcers stopped the protest action and detained one of its participants.

August 22, 2019 11:14

• Nika Gvaramiya invites dismissed "Rustavi-2" reporters to new TV Company

  At present, the new "Mtavari Archi" TV Company forms its staff, and journalists and presenters of talk shows from the "Rustavi-2”TV Channel are invited to work for the new company, while their salaries will be maintained, reports Nika Gvaramiya, the former general director of the "Rustavi-2" TV Channel.

August 22, 2019 11:03

• Mother of Daniyal Zagirov: SIZO bans doctor's visits to arrested son

  Daniyal Zagirov, a resident of Buynaksk, who was arrested together with his three acquaintances on the charge of involvement in the IS*, complains of spasm attacks and headaches, but he does not receive any medical care of high quality, claims the mother of the defendant.

August 22, 2019 08:12

• Visitors to exhibition in Nalchik recall horror of Beslan terror act

  Residents of Nalchik have attended the two-day photo exhibition "Remember to Live", dedicated to the 15th anniversary of hostage-taking at Beslan School.

August 22, 2019 08:00

• "Rustavi-2" stops news releases

  After the dismissal of the leader and two presenters, the news programme "Courier" has stopped broadcasting on the Georgian "Rustavi-2" TV Company. It became clear to the authors that the channel fell under the control of the ruling party, said Mikheil Sesiashvili, one of those who have quitted.

August 21, 2019 21:47

• Electoral office of presidential candidate Arshba shelled

  Policemen have begun searching for the man who has shelled the electoral office of Oleg Arshba located in the Abkhaz village of Mgudzyrkhua today. The office staff has treated the incident as an attempt to intimidate the presidential candidate and his team.

August 21, 2019 21:38

• Journalist hunger-striking in Baku SIZO demands judge challenge

  Today, Ikram Ragimov, an Azerbaijani journalist, found guilty of extortion, stated his distrust in the court of appeal. He has refused to stop his hunger strike, held already for fourteen days, his relatives have informed.

August 21, 2019 19:41

• Dagestani historian uses irony while answering Kadyrov's questions about Shamil

  Today, Zurab Gadjiev, the chairman of the Dagestani Historical and Geographical Society, has entered a correspondence discussion with Ramzan Kadyrov and voiced some facts when answering his questions about the activities of Imam Shamil.

August 21, 2019 19:30

• Eight Georgian citizens released from detention facility in Tskhinvali

  People detained by border guards on August 20 were handed over to the Georgian authorities, the KGB of South Ossetia reported. The Georgian Prime Minister met the released people.

August 21, 2019 19:17

• Talish residents voice conditions for returning to their village (+video)

  In Nagorno-Karabakh, 52 residential buildings were built and repaired for residents of the Talish village, evacuated during the April war of 2016, and social facilities were erected, officials report.

August 21, 2019 14:15

• Oppositionists see political motives in dismissals of "Rustavi-2" reporters

  On August 20, the general director of the "Rustavi-2" TV Channel announced the dismissals of at least seven employees of the TV Channel. Dismissed reporters are supporters of the "United National Movement" (UNM) Party, and their dismissals point to a change in the editorial policy of the independent TV Company, note opposition politicians.

August 21, 2019 14:00

• Human rights defenders: Grib, Karpyuk, and Klykh transferred to "Lefortovo" SIZO

  Sentenced Ukrainian citizens Pavel Grib, Nikolai Karpyuk, Stanislav Klykh, as well as Alexander Kolchenko and Vladimir Balukha were transferred from regional penitentiary institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN). At present, they are being kept at the Moscow SIZO (pre-trial prison), the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" suggests.

August 21, 2019 11:52

• Detention of opponents of Amulsar mine triggers criticism of Pashinyan

  The detention of opponents of gold mining at the Amulsar deposit during a peaceful rally is unlawful; Nikol Pashinyan should respond to policemen's actions against activists, the human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

August 21, 2019 11:29

• Head of news service fired from "Rustavi-2" TV Company

  Nodar Meladze, the head of the "Rustavi-2" news service, was fired, Paata Saliya, Director General of the TV Company, announced live on air on August 20. He treated a conflict of interest as the reason for Meladze's resignation.