News

Two Armenian contract soldiers who were moving from one military base to another stopped contacting their colleagues and commanders.

On the night of March 22, about 100 residents of Marneuli came to the square to celebrate the holiday of Novruz, despite the current curfew imposed in Georgia because of the coronavirus. The authorities did not punish violators.

Within two days, more than 100 pilgrims, accompanied by peacekeepers, visited the monasteries of Dadivank and Amaras located on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh that came under the control of Azerbaijan, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Nagorno-Karabakh released a list with 192 names of the dead soldiers and officers. The total number of casualties of the Defence Army increased to 2652. The search for dead bodies and remains at the place of the combat actions has been suspended, Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) reports.

Public outcry provoked by the investigation into extrajudicial executions in Chechnya released by the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”; return of Ingush activist Sautieva to SIZO; scheduling a date for parliamentary elections in Armenia, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of March 15-21, 2021, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

In their comments to Tumso Abdurakhmanov's video about the testimonies of former policeman, Suleiman Gezmakhmaev, about extrajudicial executions and torture of detainees in Chechnya, YouTube users have suggested to disseminate this information as much as possible and translate into foreign languages.

Prior to war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia bought air fighters from Russia, but failed to buy missiles for them, Nikol Pashinyan has admitted, thus confirming the statement by Movses Akopyan, a former employee of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The celebration of the Circassian New Year marked on March 21 has lost its meaning associated with the beginning of field work, and is perceived by residents only as a cultural event, local scientists and activists have noted. On this day, some families lay tables and see the winter off, residents of Adygeisk have informed.

During the week of 15-21, 2021, no information was received about the casualties and wounded persons in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from open sources.

The "Grozny" ChGTRK (Chechen State TV and Radio Company) has released a story, in which Adam Elzhurkaev, the head physician of the Centre for Islamic Medicine, publicly reprimanded Zura Dudaeva, a resident of Achkhoi-Martan, for practicing occultism. The woman said that she was not engaged in witchcraft; and the symbols found in her house were parts of her hobby for religion and philosophy.

The forces hostile to Armenia may benefit from the early elections, the leaders of the "National Democratic Pole" Movement have stated. The rally organized by them was attended by about a thousand people.

Ramzan Kadyrov is the only regional head who dares objecting to Dmitry Perskov, the presidential press secretary; however, the head of Chechnya overestimates his influence; next time the Kremlin will severely siege him, the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have noted.

The Museum of Local Lore in the city of Shakhty, Rostov Region, is hosting an exhibition of the painter, Elena Sukhorukova, entitled "The Hippocrates' Warriors". Her 103 portraits depict doctors who died after being infected with coronavirus across Russia. Visitors to the exhibition have called these doctors heroes; some could not hold back their tears.

The opposition has announced the start of protest actions in all regions of Georgia demanding early parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners. A large-scale action is scheduled for May 15 in Tbilisi.

On the eve of Novruz, Azerbaijani authorities extended the coronavirus restrictions until June 1, and banned public transport during the holiday. This led to a decrease in the number of buyers and provoked a jump in food prices, said Eiyub Guseinov, Chairman of the Union of Free Consumers.

The Nalchik City Court has ruled to place Murad Gorbakov, a resident of Ingushetia, in custody for two months on suspicion of beating up law enforcers at a rally in Magas in March 2019.

The Armenian authorities have deliberately protracted the reform of the Electoral Code, since after its updating the influence of the administrative, financial and criminal resources on the election outcomes will be limited, the human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

On March 19, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that the Azerbaijani party was torturing the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) captured in 2020 during the hostilities. Episodes of cruel and degrading treatment and torture occurred both after their capture and during transporting them to detention places, and in these places, says the HRW's statement posted on March 19 on its website.

A court in Georgia found five more persons guilty within the murder case of the 19-year-old football player Giorgi Shakarashvili; one of them was sentenced to nine years in prison, four others – to five years in prison each, the Prosecutor's Office has informed.

All the seven leaders of Ingush protests, including Malsag Uzhakhov, continue their hunger strike at the SIZO (pre-trial prison). Residents of Ingushetia are holding no public actions in support of the detainees, fearing to provoke new arrests in connection with the rally in Magas, the rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.