News

Hunger strike of Ingush activists in Nalchik SIZO; ten years after murder of Natalia Estemirova; ECtHR's decision on "Rustavi-2" Georgian TV Company; completion of nomination of candidates for the presidency of Abkhazia; escalation of the conflict on Georgian-Azerbaijani border, – read about these events in the review of the main events in the Caucasus for the week of July 15-21, 2019, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Magomed Katsiev has written an appeal to the President of Russia, stating that the Ingush activist, Khasan Katsiev, received law enforcers' threats at the SIZO (pre-trial prison), who demand from him to plead guilty.

Ayaz Magerramli, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), has reported five cases within a year, when border guards prevented, with no legal grounds, him to leave the country. Mr Magerramli has associated these bans with his political activities.

At the action in Zugdidi, opponents of sexual minorities have collected signatures for adoption of the jaw prohibiting LGBT propaganda.

On July 14-20, Azerbaijani militaries fired more than 900 shots at the positions of the Defence Army, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) has informed.

On July 20, investigators charged Zarifa Sautieva, her advocate, Bilan Dzugaev, has reported. He is sure that this was done in violation of her client's rights, who was detained within the case of clashes at a rally in Magas.

Military servicemen from fourteen countries will take part in the "Agile Spirit 2019" multinational exercises, which will be held in Georgia from July 27 to August 9, 2019, the Georgian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed.

Law enforcers have neutralized ammunition and explosives found in the militants' hideout in the Urus-Martan District, the Chechen Military Commandant's Office has reported.

This year, 10,000 residents of Dagestan and 2600 residents of Chechnya will make the pilgrimage to Mecca. The first flight from Grozny is scheduled for July 22, the local Muftiate has informed.

Over the last 24 hours, positions of Azerbaijani troops were exposed to 19 shelling attacks on the border with Armenia and in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed.

In Ukraine, the rating of the former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is only 2.9%.

The Tbilisi City Court has ruled to arrest Koba Koshadze, a bodyguard of Irakli Okruashvili, the leader of the "Victorious Georgia" Party. He is charged with illegal possession of weapons.

The Chechen natives, who refused to give their consent to the marriage of their daughter, have appealed to the Moscow police stating that the daughter has disappeared. The matchmakers are not involved in the abduction, because traditions prevent them from hiding the whereabouts of the bride, the press secretary of Ramzan Kadyrov believes.

The team of the "Rustavi-2" TV Company demands to set up a public council to monitor the actions of the new leadership and any personnel changes.

Outraged by the information about the beating of Bagaudin Myakiev, a member of the Council of Ingush Teips, the activists, who went on a hunger strike in the Nalchik SIZO (pre-trial prison), decided to stop their protest after the meeting with the officials of the prosecutor's office, the members of the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of Kabardino-Balkaria have informed.

Cars of the parishioners of the "Tangim" mosque in Makhachkala were stopped on the road immediately after the Friday namaz (prayer) under the pretext of breaking traffic rules, the believers told the "Caucasian Knot".

Zaur Shokuev, a member of the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of Kabardino-Balkaria, has appealed to Irina Kasyanova, the Ombudsperson of the Omsk Region, after Rustam Missirov, an inmate and a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, submitted a complaint about violations of his rights.

The Baku authorities have failed to sanction an action of the oppositional Popular Movement of Azerbaijan (PMA), scheduled for July 20; the movement calls for speeding up the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The organizers have treated the refusal to sanction the demonstration as a violation of the freedom of assembly.

The shares of the "Rustavi-2" TV Company were just formally documented for Kibar Khalvashi, while they were actually bought out by the oppositionist Irakli Okruashvili, the latter's advocates have asserted. They demanded to arrest the assets of the "Rustavi-2" for the period of litigation with Khalvashi.

Abdulkakhir Izrayilov, who headed the administration of the leader and government of Chechnya, was appointed the Chechnya's supervisor to the Caucasus Directorate of the "Rostechnadzor" (Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Ecological, Technological, and Nuclear Issues). In Chechnya, the senior positions are occupied by the same officials from the "Ramzan Kadyrov' team," local residents notice.