News

Russian musician Boris Grebenschikov, who collaborates with the NGO "Amnesty International" (AI), has voiced his support for Oyub Titiev, involved as a defendant in a criminal case in Chechnya, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" reports today.

On December 17, the Georgian NGO "Centre for Human Rights Study and Monitoring" called on the Prosecutor's Office to investigate a clash between the opposition and the police on December 16.

Elita Aidamirova, a sister of Zargan and Satsita Aidamirov, who disappeared in the Kurchaloi District of Chechnya, has told about the circumstances of the incident that occurred in 2013. According to her story, the investigation into her sisters' disappearance was repeatedly suspended; and family members were under pressure.

Russian authorities create bureaucratic obstacles for Circassian repatriates from Syria and Turkey; and foreign Circassians have no chance to obtain citizenship under a simplified procedure, activists from Adygea and Kabardino-Balkaria have stated.

David Kirkitadze, a detained member of the political council of the parliamentary oppositional "United National Movement" (UNM) Party, has refused to plead guilty and went on a hunger strike in protest against his detention.

The oppositional "European Georgia" Party has called on the authorities not to deprive the detained activist David Kirkitadze of his freedom, treating the violation of the right to assembly as one of the evidences of a deep political crisis.

The Azerbaijani student, who doubted the feat of Mubariz Ibragimov, who perished in Nagorno-Karabakh, was blamed as a traitor in her homeland.

The Armenian Civil Court of Appeal dismissed the lawsuit filed by Robert Kocharyan, the second President of Armenia, with a request to recognize the statements voiced by Nikol Pashinyan as defamation.

Today, Georgian law enforcers have detained David Kirkitadze, a member of the "United National Movement" Party, as part of measures in an investigation into clashes between the opposition and the police on December 16.

The money raised in Northern Caucasus is used to help people, states Abu Umar Sasitlinsky. He has denied the information on financing militants from the "Islamic State"* and the "Jabhat-an-Nusra"*.

Over a week, the "Nagvalou" and "Tsabal" training grounds hosted military exercises, which involved more than 1000 soldiers and officers from Abkhazia and Russia, the TASS quoted on December 17 the press service of the Southern Military District as reporting.

Starting from December 18, the alliance "Strength in Unity" launches protest actions with the demand to hold early parliamentary elections, announces today Grigol Vashadze, one of the opposition leaders, a former Georgian presidential candidate.

The outdoor video cameras located on the route of Oyub Titiev, the head of the Grozny office of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial", on the day of his detention were either inactive, or the records from them did not survive, the representative of the Prosecutor's Office has stated today during the announcement of the materials of the case.

During the last 24 hours, positions of Azerbaijani military servicemen deployed in the Karabakh conflict zone were shelled for 28 times, the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stated today.

During the week of December 10-16, 2018, in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus, two people perished and two 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.

Summing up parliamentary elections in Armenia; inauguration of new president of Georgia against opposition's protests; session of Sharia Court in Ingushetia on border with Chechnya – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of December 10-16, 2018, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

At a protest action in Tbilisi, leaders of the opposition have demanded early parliamentary elections and resignation of the government.

In their solo pickets, two residents of Volgograd have demanded not to admit military actions against Ukraine. They came out with posters "Is there money to go to war?" and "War with Ukraine is our authorities' madness".

The servicemen were brought to Yerevan from Stepanakert with explosive and gunshot wounds, the hospital has reported.

Konstantin and Tsotne Gamsakhurdiya went on a hunger strike, demanding to investigate their father's murder.