News

The head of the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, and priest Garegin Arsenyan have been arrested on charges of coercion to participate in meetings. 

Zamid Chalayev, commander of the Akhmat Kadyrov Special Police Regiment, posted a collection of approximately 80 orders and medals on social media, along with a photo of a slain militant.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the Azerbaijani presidential administration's ignoring of journalist Ramin Deko's requests, which were sent in 2012, constitutes obstruction of the journalist's professional activities.

Former Makhachkala Mayor Magomed Suleimanov, who is on the international wanted list, is accused of accepting a bribe of 74.5 million rubles and issuing 78 illegal permits for the construction of high-rise buildings. 

A court in Ingushetia sentenced Akhmed Sakalov, who was found guilty of plotting sabotage at a fuel and energy facility and illegally possessing explosive devices.

Eleven soldiers from the Zelenchuksky district were killed in combat. Since the beginning of the Russian operation in Ukraine, authorities have named at least 174 soldiers from Karachay-Cherkessia killed there.

In Armenia, a bishop and six clergymen, as well as several civilians, have been detained on suspicion of abuse of office to organize mass protests

Security forces in Baku prevented Ulviya Ali's mother from visiting her after she came to congratulate her on her birthday. Such restrictions are not common in Azerbaijan and could be seen as pressure on the journalist, the lawyer noted.

An Armenian court held an eight-hour hearing on extending the detention of businessman Samvel Karapetyan, but postponed its decision. The hearing took place amid a protest by Karapetyan's relatives and supporters.

The head of the Investigative Committee ordered a report on the violation of the rights of residents of the village of Novokuli to high-quality road infrastructure.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen spoke with protesters outside the Georgian Parliament, who blocked traffic on Rustaveli Avenue for the 321st day in a row. 

On the occasion of Svetitskhovloba holiday, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili pardoned 70 convicts.

Voting for a new design for the 500-ruble banknote is nothing out of the ordinary, but the Central Bank failed to ensure sufficient transparency, turning the process into a competition between the peoples of the Caucasus, exacerbating the use of administrative resources.

Blogger Areg Shchepikhin, arrested for extremism after being abducted by Chechen security forces from a Moscow train station, told the court that he had been receiving threats from rivals for a long time and recorded a video with ethnic insults to urge them to "stay away."

Those killed during the attack on the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria 20 years ago were remembered during a memorial service held in Nalchik.

The health of activist Nijad Ibrahim, sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, has worsened as a result of a prolonged hunger strike. 

Chechen Minister Akhmed Dudayev called the early end of the "biased voting" for the images on the new 500-ruble banknote a victory. The Dagestan Ministry of Tourism, which had announced a prize draw for voters, has suspended its competition.

Georgian intelligence agencies announced the arrest of three individuals who planned to create a base for members of the Islamic State*, specifically to provide logistical services to like-minded individuals.

A Moscow court sentenced blogger Areg Shchepikhin to five years in prison after he was abducted by Chechen security forces at a Moscow train station.