News

The Polish Border Guard Service decided to extradite blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov, well-known for his criticism of the Chechen authorities, to his homeland. This was reported by the blogger himself on June 17.

Over the past day, the ceasefire on the contact line of troops was broken 20 times, and two villages near the border with Armenia were shelled, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for Azerbaijan reports today.

Kemal Tambiev, detained on suspicion of financing terrorism, reported to his advocate that he testified against Abdulmumin Gadjiev, a journalist of the "Chernovik" (Draft), under pressure and signed an interrogation report without reading it.

An advocate and family members of a person sentenced for giving false testimony in the case on the murder of two schoolchildren in Tbilisi appealed to the General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia. They request to bring to criminal responsibility investigators and prosecutors who considered the resonant case. In case if their appeal is ignored, the defence threatens to organize protest actions.

Avtandil Mamedov, an Azerbaijani citizen, has been detained in Georgia at the request of Baku. Azerbaijani human rights defenders fear that Mamedov will face arrest and torture in his homeland.

The participants in the action demanded resignation of Salome Zurabishvili, President of Georgia; they distributed potatoes among passersby, explaining that this is a reminder of bribery during the election campaign.

By decree of Russian President, Magomed Daudov, Speaker of the Chechen Parliament, has been awarded the Order For Merits to Fatherland of the 4th Degree, Ramzan Kadyrov informed on June 13. By its rewards, the Kremlin "is buying loyalty of regional elites," the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe

The investigating authorities have received the testimonies of Maxim Lapunov that along with him the secret gay prison in Chechnya also kept Andrei Kobyshev, a native of the Volgograd Region, who had disappeared in Grozny, the Radio Liberty reports with reference to Vladimir Smirnov, a lawyer of the Committee Against Torture (CAT).

The week from June 10 to June 16, 2019, passed without victims to 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 other open sources.

Demolition of road signposts on Chechen-Dagestani border; early release of Chechen rights defender Oyub Titiev; unrests in Tbilisi due to possible gay parade, – read about these and other events in the weekly review of the main events in the Caucasus that took place on June 10-16, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Alexander Matovnikov, the plenipotentiary envoy of the Russian president to the North-Caucasian Federal District, decided to suspend the demarcation of territory among Dagestan and Chechnya, Khizri Shikhsaidov, Speaker of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Dagestan, has stated.

Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov has suggested residents of Dagestan to switch their attention over from road signs near Kizlyar to the detention of Abdulmumin Gadjiev, an editor with the "Chernovik" (Draft) weekly. A public resonance outcry will contribute to a fair resolution of Gadjiev's case, the blogger has explained.

In Georgia, the LGBT community is becoming more active, but at the same time, the aggression against it is also growing. This opinion was voiced by political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

Ekaterina Beseliya, a member of the Georgian parliament, requested the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the General Prosecutor's Office to release "the final information" concerning the case on dissemination of the video with her intimate life.

Activists who oppose gay parades began to create a legion to counteract the LGBT Week expected on June 18-23, reported businessman Levan Vasadze, one of the initiators of the legion's creation.

The visit of Chechen law enforcers to Kizlyar and Kadyrov's promise to "break fingers" to commentators are a threat to public safety in Dagestan; the federal authorities should interfere and ensure a competent investigation of the incident, Magomedrasul Guseinov, an activist, said in his appeal to President Putin and heads of law enforcement agencies.

On June 15, relatives of Islam Barzukaev, Mirazali Mirzaliev and Gasan Kurbanov, residents of Derbent, turned to the police to report their kidnapping. On June 16, it became known that all the three were detained for weapon possession, relatives reported.

Kemal Tambiev, a resident of Dagestan, suspected, along with journalist Gadjiev of financing terrorism, was taken to the court with traces of physical violence and told at the session that he had been beaten up.

In their statement posted in social networks, members of the NGO "Khabze" have expressed their outrage at the charges brought against their leader, Martin Kochesoko, and demanded his release.

A large-scale action against LGBT people will be held next week in Georgia, Levan Vasadze, a businessman, has announced, noting that protesters are ready to confront policemen. In his turn, Giorgi Burdjanadze, Deputy Ombudsperson, has called on opponents to the gay parade not to abuse the freedom of self-expression.