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The Chechen blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov, has commented on the testimonies of the Chechen law enforcer, Suleiman Gezmakhmaev, about torturing detainees widespread in Chechnya and Chechen authorities' reaction to the publication of the "Novaya Gazeta".

On March 19, Azerbaijan handed remains of 15 persons found in places of last autumn's hostilities over to Karabakh rescuers. The total number of bodies and remains found in the Karabakh conflict zone has reached 1518, the State Emergency Service (SES) of Nagorno-Karabakh has informed.

Apti Alaudinov, the Deputy Minister of the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), personally prosecuted dissidents on trumped-up cases and intimidated critics of the authorities. In connection with the above, he has got in the republic the reputation of a cruel person, note human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

According to veterans of the special services interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", a FSB video depicting the detention of a terrorist in the capital of Adygea looks staged. A version stating that terrorists decided to choose Maikop for an explosion in a shopping centre also raises doubts, Caucasian experts point out.

The Russian authorities should study the information made public by the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" about extrajudicial killings in Chechnya and protect the newspaper's journalists from possible harassment, states Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.

Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the dismissal of Chechen Police Chief Apti Alaudinov, the "Kommersant" reports today.

The political crisis in Armenia has not only led to opposition fragmentation, but also exacerbated social and economic problems; therefore, the agreement on holding parliamentary elections was the optimal decision, the analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

Now, a trip to the store is much more expensive; people have to either reduce the number of purchased foodstuffs, or choose cheaper items to the detriment of their quality, the Volgograd residents interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" assert.

Shakir Nazarov, an Azerbaijani citizen, needs medical treatment at home, but for two weeks he stays at the Dagestani camp "Ogonyok" (Flicker), awaiting to cross the border. The number of residents of the temporary accommodation centre (TAC) is constantly changing, as many are losing hope of returning home in the near future, Mr Nazarov himself has stated.

The chalet "Achipse", which is believed to be Putin's residence, includes a personal cable car and a helipad. The residence itself is adorned with copies of medieval tapestries made by hand in Italy, gilded vases worth 187,000 roubles each and other luxury items from a trading house that has been a supplier to the Russian Imperial Court for 400 years, says the publication of the edition "Sobesednik" (Interlocutor).

Before the war, Karabakh authorities promised housing to refugees from Azerbaijan, who had been on the waiting list for more than 30 years, but now officials have forgotten about them and are busy only with the housing problem of new forced migrants, refugees have complained.

Vladimir Putin should organize a check of the activities of the "Novaya Gazeta", the Chechen Parliament has stated. After Elena Milashina's publication, Shamsail Saraliev, a State Duma MP, has appealed to the Russian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO).

The North-Caucasian Muftiates are accepting believers' applications for performing Hajj to Saudi Arabia, but because of the pandemic, the quotas for regions and the rules for making the pilgrimage have not been finally defined.

The Chechen law enforcement bodies promise that "everything will be fine" and try to persuade relatives of Ilyas Saduev, deported from France, to refuse hiring an advocate by agreement in order to deprive him of real defence in court, human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" suggest.

Today, two persons have been detained in a case on rallies in Magas, and one of them has got an injury during the detention, advocates Magomed Bekov and Djabrail Kuriev report.

Human rights defenders suggest that the readiness to "stop insults" to Chechen law enforcers, which was demonstrated in their address to President Putin by colleagues of the former law enforcer, whose evidence was made public by the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta", should be regarded as a threat to the newspaper's correspondents.

Elections to the Armenian parliament will take place on June 20, and a relevant agreement has been reached after consultations with members of parliamentary parties, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reports today.

Fighters from the Akhmat Kadyrov special-purpose police regiment, who call on to close the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" because of its critical posts, should address their claims to a court, and not to Vladimir Putin, Russian President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov states.

The journalists of the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper are ready to stop working if this is guaranteed by the cessation of human rights violations in Chechnya, the newspaper's press service reported in response to the demands of the rally participants in Chechnya to close the edition.

On March 17, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Russia adopted a fatwa, which recognizes the "Sputnik V" vaccine against coronavirus admissible from the viewpoint of the Sharia Law, said Ildar Alyautdinov, the Chief Imam of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque.