News

A statement voiced by the Chechen Minister for Public Health concerning no obligations to wear medical masks contradicts the law enforcers' requirements, local residents say. Despite the imposed quarantine regime, Ramzan Kadyrov considered outdoor recreation acceptable and called a bonfire a cure to prevent coronavirus infection.

Agil Gumbatov, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), has been sent for compulsory treatment after criticizing the authorities of Azerbaijan on social networks. This was claimed by a spouse of Agil Gumbatov and his political associates.

The human rights Union "For Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan" has included 140 persons into the updated list of political prisoners, including five journalists, seven political activists and 54 believers.

To prevent the spread of coronavirus, 780 employees of the Georgian penitentiary system have agreed to live in jail premises until April 21, the head of the country's Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has informed.

By majority of votes, the Armenian MPs have adopted, in the first reading, the bill allowing to follow, during the state of emergency caused by the epidemic, the citizens' travels through special applications on mobile phones, as well as to analyze the calls made by them. Human rights defenders have treated the bill as inefficient and able to negatively affect the authorities' image.

The authorities of Chechnya are reacting to the situation with the coronavirus spread in their common way, the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" said in their comments on the harsh measures introduced in the republic.

As a result of a shelling attack from the Azerbaijani side, two Armenian soldiers and a child from the village of Voskevan were wounded, the Armenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reported. The wounded persons were taken to Yerevan; the health condition of the wounded child is assessed as grave.

During the week of March 23-29, 2020, three men were killed during the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus; there was no information about the wounded ones. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

Residents of Chechnya warn their acquaintances about raids on quarantine violators who may face beating up with plastic pipes. Djambulat Umarov, a Chechen Minister has called the video with law enforcers armed with pipes a "joke."

The "Eyewitness" mission has refused to monitor the elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) because of the coronavirus and urged to postpone them. Journalists from at least 13 Armenian media also decided not to go to cover the voting.

Starting from March 31, Georgia imposes a general quarantine and a curfew. Two new cases of the coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Georgia, and the total number of coronavirus-infected people reached 100.

Friends and colleagues of Abdulmumin Gadjiev retract the idea to hold solo pickets because of the coronavirus quarantine. The activists called on people to support the Dagestani journalist by writing posts in social networks and instant messengers.

For the refusal of self-isolation, the Chechen law enforcement bodies threaten dozens of quarantine violators with detention or car seizure. Local residents note that by placing dozens of violators together, law enforcers themselves violated the quarantine regime.

Spread of the coronavirus infection in the Caucasus; special operation in Kabardino-Balkaria; protest actions with the demand to postpone elections in Nagorno-Karabakh, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of March 23-29, 2020, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Elchin Mamed, the head of the NGO "Legal Enlightenment of Sumgait Youth" and the editor-in-chief of the "Yukselish Namine" (For Revival) website, is accused of theft. He claims that he was detained under a false complaint filed by a woman from Sumgait.

On air of the republic's TV channel, an elderly woman from Gudermes, has repented of providing occult services, and her adult son – of not keep track of her mother. Residents of Chechnya found the son's public repentance excessive.

Vardan Arzumanyan and Mais Bakhdadyan, Karabakh War veterans and supporters of the opposition, continue their hunger strike. Their health condition has aggravated, and they had to call an ambulance, but refuse to stop their protest action.

Breaking their own imposed bans is a usual practice for Chechen authorities, Ruslan Kutaev and Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya have noted in their comment on the solemn opening of the Palace of Arts in Grozny amid the restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus.

Law enforcers with polypropylene pipes in hands are on duty on roads in Chechnya and use pipes against quarantine violators. Local residents report that they beat up people who drive in cars without masks, although it is impossible to buy masks in Chechnya, the "Novaya Gazeta" writes.

The leaders of Nogai NGOs have called to mitigate the freedom restriction measure of Elmira Kenzhibulatova, a resident of the Tarumovka District of Dagestan, who was arrested after her return home from Syria. The woman went to the Middle East to pick up her child and not to take part in hostilities, her relatives and activists assert.