News

Turkmen oppositionist Rozgeldy Choliev has been forcibly deported to Turkey after his three-week stay in the neutral zone of the Russian Sheremetyevo Airport. His partner with a small child remained in Karachay-Cherkessia after the activist had been expelled from the university. Rozgeldy Choliev has been denied the consideration of his refugee status application in Russia.

Former policeman Suleiman Gezmakhmaev, who spoke about extrajudicial killings, made up a story to obtain asylum in Europe, said Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya.

Aslan Iraskhanov, a former commander of the Akhmat Kadyrov special-purpose police regiment, has been appointed the acting Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Chechnya to replace Apti Alaudinov. Earlier, Aslan Iraskhanov has been included in the US sanctions list.

Former policeman Suleiman Gezmakhmaev, who gave to the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta” an interview about the extrajudicial executions in Chechnya, used psychotropic substances and fled Russia, while owing large amounts of money. This was reported by his relatives on the air of the “Grozny” TV Channel.

The presence at the trial is a chance for Ingush activists to convey their position to the society, the human rights defenders, Oleg Orlov and Natalia Taubina, believe. For their systematic violations, the defendants can be removed from the courtroom, but they must be allowed to be present at sentencing and their last plea, said Genry Reznik, a lawyer.

The faith of Jehovah's Witnesses* is not banned; it does not call for hatred or enmity and is no threat for the state, the Dagestani believers have stated in court. Due to house arrest, the defendants cannot work and support their families, Arsen Abdullaev's wife and Anton Dergalev's mother have stated.

The idea of the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper to go to court in connection with the harsh attacks of the head of Chechnya was supported by 71% of the voting participants. Some Facebook users found a lawsuit appropriate, while their opponents doubted that the court would be impartial.

The participation of girls from the "Sunzha" ensemble in the action with treating the truck drivers stuck on the highway aroused discontent of some of residents of Ingushetia. The head of the ensemble, Umar Guliev, has recorded a video message of apology.

On Tuesday (March 23), Akhmed Barakhoev, Barakh Chemurziev and Malsag Uzhakhov were unable to take part in the court session due to poor health. Magomed Abubakarov, an advocate, has linked this with the hunger strike conducted by the activists. Doctors insisted that Uzhakhov and Sautieva stop their hunger strike.

In Yerevan, the movement “To Save the Motherland” will unblock Bagramyan Avenue to avoid the inconvenience for residents of the Armenian capital. However, they do not intend to stop the street fighting, activists of the movement announce. The tents, which were located on Bagramyan Avenue, will be set up at the entrance to the parliament building, a member of the ARF “Dashnaktsutyun” reported.

Five Ingush activists, who declared a hunger strike in protest against the detention of Zarifa Sautieva, stopped their protest action at the request of the Muftiate and the Ingush Council of Teips. Advocate Boris Kodzoev wrote about the above on his Facebook page.

Kakha Sabanadze, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, is leaving his post after the “Mtavari Arkhi” TV Company has made public an interview with a former law enforcer who spoke about secret surveillance of political and religious leaders.

Both contract soldiers who had disappeared near Djermuk have been evacuated; one of them died, the other was hospitalized in grave condition, the Armenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed.

A Makhachkala court has supported Inna Khatukaeva, a correspondent of the "Chernovik" (Draft) weekly, who demanded to recognize her detention at a rally in support of the oppositional leader, Alexei Navalny, on January 23 unlawful.

The forced migrants living in the "City of Dreams" dwelling settlement in the capital of Adjara have held a protest action. They fear that they will not get the apartments in the houses now being built, and asked to conclude individual contracts with them.

The evacuation of two lost Armenian soldiers is complicated by a severe blizzard; the condition of one of them is of medium gravity.

The participants of the pickets in support of Abdulmumin Gadjiev, a journalist of the "Chernovik" (Draft) weekly, held in Makhachkala, have opposed unjustified arrests and political persecutions. Passers-by supported the picketers less actively than usual, one of the picketers said.

The pressure on relatives of Suleiman Gezmakhmaev will give nothing to law enforcers, since the case has an incredible resonance, Ruslan Kutaev, President of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, believes. Given the interest of Chechen authorities in Gezmakhmaev's public repentance, even his distant relatives should fear for their lives, Igor Kalyapin, the head of the Committee against Torture (CaT), is sure.

About 150 people returned to Berdzor after the autumn war, the administration of the Kashatag District of Nagorno-Karabakh has reported. In order for the rest to come to the city, it is necessary to increase the volume of social help and provide security guarantees, local residents believe.

Abuzaid Vismuradov, a commander of the “Terek” unit, and Ayub Kataev, the former chief of the Argun police, have been banned from entering the EU countries because of their involvement in torture, extrajudicial executions, and harassment of LGBT people in the republic.