News

March 07, 2019 19:42

• Son of Makhachkala woman to be returned from Syria, Chechen authorities announce

  An 11-year-old son of a woman from Dagestan, who asked Ramzan Kadyrov to help find him, has been found in Syria, the Chechen authorities report.

March 07, 2019 18:55

• Titiev's case results in closure of "Memorial" office in Chechnya

  The court running the case of Oyub Titiev, the head of the Grozny office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", is frankly supporting the prosecution; however, the defence hopes for his release after sentencing, his advocates have stated. After Titiev's and the pressure on his colleagues, the office of the HRC "Memorial" in Chechnya was closed, Oleg Orlov, the head of the "Hot Spots" programme at the HRC, has stated.

March 07, 2019 18:37

• Two Dagestan residents sentenced for links with militants

  The court has sentenced two brothers from the Kizlyar District, accused of participating in the armed underground, to nine years in prison each, the Prosecutor's Office has informed.

March 07, 2019 11:13

• Azerbaijan: defence claims rights violation of arrested PFPA activists

  A court in Baku has rejected complaints against the 15-day-long arrest of three activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA): Sagif Gurbanov, Magerram Rzaev and Tofig Mamedov were accused of disobeying police; their defence claimed violation of their rights.

March 07, 2019 11:11

• Armenian authorities report steps to return convict Kazaryan from Azerbaijan

  Armenian officials are making every effort to return Karen Kazaryan, sentenced to 20 years in an Azerbaijani high-security colony, back home. Kazaryan's parents claim that the jail has markedly worsened their son's poor health.

March 07, 2019 11:09

• Defence of Chechen native appeals against his arrest after brawl in Moscow

  The arrest of Imran Malsakov, a native of Chechnya, within the case of a mass brawl in the "Neolit" Cafe in Moscow is not justified, since the formal claimed no damage, the defence has stated. The court will consider the complaint against Malsakov's arrest on March 11.

March 07, 2019 07:51

• Russian Vice-Premier speaks out in defence of Dagestani traditions

  Residents of Dagestan and other regions have the right to rely on their local traditions and beliefs when evaluating works of art, said Vitaly Mutko, Russian Vice-Premier, after disputes about the relevance of the play "The Hunt for Men" staged in Makhachkala.

March 07, 2019 07:49

• Azerbaijani rights defender Gasanov links his detention with list of political prisoners

  Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Political Prisoners' Monitoring Centre, was detained on Wednesday and released after a talk about his participation in the oppositional rally in January. Gasanov has treated it as pressure because of his human rights activities.

March 07, 2019 07:47

• Call for "big jihad" demonstrates Kadyrov's resentment against blogger Abdurakhmanov

  The outcome of Djambulat Umarov's discussion with the blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov has forced Ramzan Kadyrov to re-interpret his father's calls for jihad. The journalist Maxim Shevchenko has tried to defend Akhmat Kadyrov's position in a dispute with Abdurakhmanov, but social network users doubt the sincerity of his arguments.

March 06, 2019 22:56

• Dagestani resident detained in case on threats to organizers of Egor Kreed's concert

  A writer of the "Imamat of Dagestan" page on Instagram is suspected of extremism for posts calling for the disruption of the anime festival and the Egor Kreed's concert in Makhachkala, sources from the regional law enforcement bodies reported.

March 06, 2019 22:52

• Three militants detained in Chechnya, a source reports

  A 21-year-old resident of Chechnya together with his two friends attacked fighters of the National Guard of Russia, a source from the law enforcement bodies reported.

March 06, 2019 22:49

• Activists demand to allow import of right-hand drive cars to Armenia

  At a protest rally, Zorik Igityan, a member of the movement "Right-Hand Drive", has claimed the solution of the problem is delayed due to the fact that the parliament failed to include in its agenda a bill approved by the Armenian government.

March 06, 2019 22:48

• Defence reports major violations in Oyub Titiev's case

  Advocates of the head of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" office in Grozny, accused of possessing marijuana, have conducted an experiment, which, according to them, indicates falsification in the case. In particular, the defenders believe it was impossible to remove the scotch tape from the package allegedly found with Oyub Titiev in a way it was presented in the case.

March 06, 2019 14:56

• Fired Ingush activist disagrees with court ruling

  The court made a biased decision by refusing to reinstate Angela Matieva, fired for absenteeism; the judgement will be challenged, the activist herself has stated.

March 06, 2019 14:52

• Azerbaijan reports shelling of pre-border villages

  Within the last 24 hours, 22 shelling attacks were recorded, including of the areas bordering on Armenia, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed.

March 06, 2019 10:26

• Abkhaz CC put a full stop in Lukava's pardoning

  The president's decree to pardon Giorgi Lukava complies with the norms of the country's constitution, and the head of Abkhazia acted within the bounds of his powers, the Abkhaz Constitutional Court (CC) has explained.

March 06, 2019 10:21

• Conflict at Yerevan State University turns into criminal case

  At night on March 4, student activists captured the video blogger Narek Malyan, their opponent in the conflict over the resignation of the rector of the Yerevan State University (YSU) and try to throw him into a garbage bin. They explained their actions by the "revolution logic," but they were condemned by the country's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. A criminal case on hooliganism was opened.

March 06, 2019 08:58

• Baku authorities refused to sanction march in support of political prisoners

  The Baku authorities has denied the idea of the "Musavat" Party to hold a march and rally on March 10 with a demand to release political prisoners, explaining this by inconveniences for townspeople. The initiators have treated the refusal as a restriction imposed on the freedom of assembly.

March 06, 2019 08:56

• Head of "Circassians' Wealth" Fund released

  Nalchik court has transferred Oleg Umarov, the founder of the "Circassians' Wealth" Charity Fund, from custody under house arrest.

March 05, 2019 23:53

• ReAl proposes parliament to introduce direct election of Baku Mayor

  The "Republican Alternative" Party (ReAl) submitted to the Azerbaijani parliament bills on direct election of the Baku Mayor, free tuition at universities, and resolution of the problem of debts on loans caused by the devaluation of the national currency.