In line with a decree issued by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, all economic sanctions, introduced against the Adjarian autonomy on March 15, were lifted during the night of March 18-19.

"The main thing is that democratic system and peace have been maintained. There is no conflict between Adjaria and Georgia," the Georgian president emphasized after his talks with Aslan Abashidze.

We call your attention to the statement issued by a number of Georgian civil society activists concerning the developments in Adjaria.

"In the current pre-election period, some political parties have made attempts to use the discontent a certain part of the society has with Mkalavishvili's detention and methods the police has used in order to gain political benefits. Manipulating religious issues and using personal feelings of individuals in order to improve one's own rating is morally unacceptable everywhere, especially in a country that has been suffering from religious violence for years," reads the statement.

On March 17, the Nalchik City Court satisfied the claim by the regional brunch chairman of the All-Russian Movement for Human Rights, Valery Khatazhukov, against the department of the Russian Ministry of Justice in the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria concerning the registration of the branch.

The leader of the NGO League of People's Defense, ex-parliamentarian Irina Sarishvili-Chanturia, calls upon all non-government forces and non-government organizations (NGOs) to demand that the blockade against Adjaria be stopped.

Action participants are expected to go on foot from Tbilisi along the central motorway in the direction of the post at the Choloki River (Adjaria's administrative border).

Over 100 Tuapse residents were not able to vote in the elections of the Russian president and regional governor on March 14 as their names were not put on the lists of precinct election commissions.

By efforts of Armenian communities, one educational institution opened in each of the three towns: Nizhniy Tagil, Krimsk, and Goryachiy Klyuch, reported the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia.

Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov's security service officers stationed in the Achkhoy-Martan district of Chechnya are maintained at the expense of district budget employees, reports the Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship.

Chechnya's State Council has consented to confirmation of Sergey Abramov as prime minister.

Proceeding from the fact that "Ponomarev, as the organizer, was not given permission to hold the meeting," Judge Oksana Suleymanova found him guilty of breaking the established order of arranging the meeting and imposed a penalty of 1,000 rubles on him as a punishment.

Chairwoman of the Moscow Helsinki Group Lyudmila Alekseyeva does not agree with the authorities' plan to resettle people from the last two tent camps for Chechen refugees in Ingushetia.

"He must leave or we will clear him off," Guram Saladze, an activist of the Our Adjaria coalition, declared.

The agreement on this meeting was reached during the talks in Batumi between chairman of the Georgian parliament Nino Burdjanadze and the Adjarian leader.

The workshop is conducted within the framework of the program of the European Commission and the Council of Europe. It is arranged by the Judicial Training Center with the assistance of the Media Division of the Council of Europe Directorate General of Human Rights.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, announced it at a press conference, summarizing results of his visit to Baku.

The application for the holding of the action on March 18 filled by the organizers of the picket, who have been protesting against the war in Chechnya for already four years, was rejected almost for the first time.

On March 12, the Sabailsky Court pronounced judgment on the suit brought by the former director of school No 249, Mirfaig Mirgeidarli, against the Azadlig newspaper and human rights defender Saida Godjamanli.

Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Nino Burdjanadze and State Security Minister Zurab Adeishvili arrived in Batumi to conduct negotiations with Adjaria's leader Aslan Abashidze.