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The large-scale NATO and Georgia exercises are intended to show the cohesion of the countries of the Alliance in the face of a potential threat from Russia. Moscow's steps in response should be expected, the Georgian political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

Anastasia Shevchenko, a member of the federal council of "The Open Russia", was arrested for her political views and should be immediately released, the human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) has stated. The Human Rights Council (HRC) under the President of Russia has also expressed concern over the persecution of the Rostov female activist.

The advocate of the policeman Oleg Dzampaev has stated that the indictment was formulated incorrectly; and a number of proofs should be removed from the case. The widow of Vladimir Tskaev, who died after being questioned by the police in Vladikavkaz, has opposed this motion.

All the four attackers on the DPS (road-and-patrol service) post in Nalchik have been identified, investigators have reported. According to sources, one of the attackers was the son of a retired employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

Armenia cannot represent Nagorno-Karabakh in negotiations with Azerbaijan, Nikol Pashinyan said during his first official visit to Russia.

The attack on policemen was committed at a busy intersection in Nalchik, where DPS (road-and-patrol service) posts were often on duty. According to records from surveillance cameras, the attacked DPS inspectors did not expect an attack and were doing their routine work.

Policemen have detained Rafael Guseinzade, a Baku resident, who organized a solo protest action. He said that he came out to protest after the city Mayoralty refused to sanction the rally on January 26.

The clarification of Chechnya's borders with the neighbouring regions, including Dagestan, is explained by the instruction by the country's leadership, Ramzan Kadyrov has stated. He denied that the border changes are due to his "good appetite."

During their raid in the Chechen village of Tsotsi-Yurt, gas inspectors disconnected several private houses, local residents have reported. The gas specialists explained their raids by checking the safety and detection of possible gas thefts. The disconnections occurred amid the resonance around an attempt to write off billion-rouble debts accumulated by residents of the republic.

The position of the head of the "Yabloko" Party in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) is contrary to the principles of the party that supported sexual minorities, said the LGBT "Solidarity" Movement from Stavropol. The party does not share Khakim Kuchmezov's homophobic statements, the press service of the "Yabloko" Party has stated.

The attack on the DPS (road-and-patrol) post in Nalchik, in which four attackers were killed and a policeman heavily wounded, was the first armed incident this year in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) and the third one since October 2018.

Ms Thorhild Sunna Evarsdottir, the Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has presented a list of Azerbaijani political prisoners. She intends to visit Azerbaijan and listen to the position of country's authorities on each of the 130 cases.

A policeman was stabbed in an attack on a DPS (road-and-patrol service) post in Nalchik, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reports.

The administration of the Russian President has agreed that the Hadji Murad's skull should be transferred from the Museum of Saint Petersburg to Dagestan.

The charge under the article on embezzlement filed against former Armenian MP Manvel Grigoryan does not correspond to the case materials, the defence states.

The criminal case about eight residents of Dagestan, killed in a shootout in the Gudermes District of Chechnya in October 2016, is closed. Relatives of the casualties demanded to investigate the case, but they stopped it anyway, the "Mediazona" reports quoting Andrei Sabinin, an Agora's lawyer.

A group of Azerbaijani military servicemen has been sent to Afghanistan to participate in the "Resolute Support" Mission. Two other officers have left for Southern Sudan as observers in the UN peacemaking mission, says the website of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Azerbaijan.

Salamkhan Sampiev, Ruslan Esmurziev, Khusen Kitiev, Magomed Amatkhanov and Elbert Kharsiev, accused of preparing terrorist acts in Ingushetia and at the French Embassy in Moscow, have declared their innocence. According to their version, they gave confessions under torture.

In Chechnya, in 2018, 21 alleged members of the armed underground were killed, whereas in 2017 the number was 18, the republic's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has reported, thus confirming the data of the "Caucasian Knot" on the number of militants killed and suspected of involvement in the armed underground.

A rally against the border closure at the "Ingur" checkpoint took place near the administration building of the Gali District. Residents are unhappy with the time restrictions on crossing the border with Georgia, and they are concerned about the issue of obtaining Abkhaz passports.