News

On September 25, evacuation of people from buildings of the Chechen capital after bomb threat calls was carried out in a calm environment, the police report. Combat engineers checked all the buildings from which people were evacuated. However, they did not find any explosive devices.

The North-Caucasian District Military Court continues hearings in the case on creation of a sabotage-terrorist grouping in Karachay-Cherkessia. At the trial, defendant Lilit Khozieva spoke about her relations with Amir, the circumstances of a search in her home, and the pressure put on her by law enforcers.

Friends of Chechen singer Zelimkhan Bakaev have told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they did not succeed in contacting the singer within a day after the appearance of the video in which he reported his stay in Germany.

Activists of Abkhaz NGOs are preparing a rally in support of Ruslan Gvashev. He is ready to die and runs consciously to that. This was reported by David Dasaniya, the leader of the project "The Caucasus is our common case".

The video, in which the Chechen singer Zelimkhan Bakaev confesses that he is in Germany, is badly directed and poorly staged, Bakaev's acquaintances and rights defenders Svetlana Gannushkina and Tatiana Lokshina told the "Caucasian Knot".

In the centre of the Chechen capital, people have been evacuated from several buildings because of anonymous calls about bomb threat.

Today, on September 25, the public organization "Zhyegu" (Hearth) has addressed the Chair of the Krasnodar Territorial Court. The authors of the appeal note that they are "outraged by Ruslan Gvashev's prosecution and categorically disagree with the court's judgement."

Remains of a human body supposedly belonging to Dokku Umarov, the leader of the "Imarat Kavkaz"*, were found in mountains of Ingushetia and brought to Moscow for examination. This has been reported today by sources from the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

Today, students of the Ilia State University have gathered in front of the university building to protest against the decision to terminate contracts with some lecturers.

In Azerbaijan, the civil movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl) has officially announced its transformation into a political party. The first constituent congress of the new political organization is scheduled for October 29.

Today, advocate Israfil Gadadov has found out that Akhmed Akhmedov, a specialist for Islamic medicine, is being kept at the ROVD (District Interior Division) for the Kirov District of Makhachkala. According to him, he learned the above fact from policemen at a ROVD checkpoint. However, the advocate himself was not able to see his client, since the policemen did not allow him to visit Akhmed Akhmedov.

Four out of five relatives of Abbas Kuzhulov, sentenced for involvement in the armed underground and killed in Chechnya on September 21, are released after kidnapping. However, the whereabouts of an Abbas Kuzhulov's son still remain unknown. This was reported in the rights defenders' collective statement released in a social network.

Mass evacuations in seven southern cities after reports about mined buildings; rally in Baku with a demand to investigate reports about bribery by ruling elite of European lobbyists; refusal to pardon the former Makhachkala Mayor Said Amirov, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of September 18-24, 2017, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

During the week of September 18-24, 2017, seven persons fell victim to the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of them, two were killed and five others were wounded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

43-year-old Akhmed Akhmedov, well-known in Dagestan as a specialist in Islamic medicine as "Doctor Akhmad", stopped contacting his relatives and friends in the afternoon on September 24.

On September 23, the tourist complex "Medovye Vodopady" (Honey Falls) held the 6th International Festival of Karachay and Balkar Culture "Ayran Feast on Honey Falls".

Today, a video has been posted on the Internet, in which Chechen singer Zelimkhan Bakaev admits he stays in Germany and invites his friend from Holland to come to his place.

An administrative arrest of Akhsan Nuruzade, a religious activist and a member of the "Muslim Unity"movement, will be challenged. This was reported by his advocate Yalchin Imanov. According to him, after the detention, Akhsan Nuruzade was subjected to pressure.

On September 23, the action under the slogan: "Stop Corruption, Freedom for Political Prisoners!" was held at the stadium in the Yasamal District of Baku. According to the preliminary estimates, the action gathered about 3000 people. The rally was provoked by the information stating that the Azerbaijani ruling elite bribed lobbyists in Europe.

Anastasia Titova, the leader for the Kuban branch of the "Party of Progress", has claimed she was detained for half an hour by border guards at the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow before leaving for Warsaw.