News

In Chechnya, theologians determined the amount of obligatory zakat (alms) to be paid by believers in the month of Ramadan.

The information that an unidentified person threw three grenades into the yard of the house belonging to Rustam Abdurakhmanov, the former chief of the ROVD (District Interior Division) for the Buynaksk District, was not confirmed. This was reported by the Dagestani Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

Georgia is on the right way, but changes are necessary to ensure political pluralism. This was announced in the preliminary opinion of the Venice Commission on the Georgian Constitution Draft, adopted on June 16 and released on June 19.

On June 18, Maria Lasitskene (Kuchina), a track-and-field athlete from Kabardino-Balkaria, the current world champion in high jump, won the third stage of the "Diamond League" in this season and thus secured a place in the final of the international commercial tournament.

Opposition politician Andreas Ghukasyan, charged with organizing mass riots in the Yerevan District of Sari Tag, is also accused of an attempt to commit crimes under three Articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia, including seizure of a building, hostage taking, and carrying weapons.

Since April 1, more than 100 gays from Chechnya and several members of the LGBT community from other regions of Northern Caucasus have applied for help to the "Russian LGBT Network", the organization reports. More than 50 gays have been transported out of Chechnya, and 12 of them have already left Russia, notes a staff member of the "Russian LGBT Network".

On June 16, a message about prepared terror act in Sochi was dispatched through the messenger WhatsApp, Arsen Vishnevsky, an activist, reports. He has noted that the message "was circulated with reference to the FSB on the letter form of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Sochikholod".

Today, in Rostov-on-Don, policemen have brought to the Alexei Navalny's office an administrative protocol drafted up against Elena Kulikova, the office coordinator. Policemen saw a violation in a solo picket held on the other day. This has been reported by one of the volunteers of the Alexei Navalny's office.

Two grenades out of three exploded in the yard of the house of Rustam Abdurakhmanov, a former chief of the Buynaksk ROVD (District Interior Division). Together with grenades, a note with threats was thrown into the yard, said a law enforcement source.

Poets and translators from a number of Russian regions, and from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan took part in the jubilee events dedicated to the 105th birthday of Balkarian poet Kerim Otarov. They noted that Otarov took part in the Great Patriotic War (WW II) and survived the deportation; he was one of the few who did not hesitate to speak out in defence of the Balkarian people.

As reported by the press service of the Governor of the Stavropol Territory, 15,073 victims of the May high water received lump sum payments of 10,000 roubles each; 1222 victims received 50,000 roubles each; and 1411 victims – 100,000 roubles each.

On June 18, law enforcers detained a resident of Novogrozny, who allegedly disseminated on the Internet and WhatsApp a video record of the street with demolished houses. This has been told today to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Isa, a resident of village.

The film " Tesnota" (Closeness) directed by Kantemir Balagov from Nalchik and a film of a Chinese director were awarded the grand prix of the 11th Andrei Tarkovsky International Film Festival "Zerkalo" (Mirror), which was held in the Ivanovo Region.

Joseph Osiurauli, a citizen of Georgia, who was taken prisoner in the Congo, died after an attack of government forces on a camp of the rebel grouping, its leader reports. The wife of Joseph Osiurauli called on the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to re-check the information.

A thunderbolt at an aircraft of the "AtlasGlobal" airline flying from Istanbul to Tbilisi caused its return to the departure airport shortly after take-off. Later, passengers were sent to Tbilisi by another aircraft.

"Direct Line" of Vladimir Putin, during which the Russian President answered some questions voiced by residents of Southern Russia; actions of Alexei Navalny's supporters held in the southern cities of the country on June 12; Nogai People's Congress in Dagestan, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of June 12-18, 2017, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

During the week from June 12 to June 18, 2017, there were no casualties or wounded people in 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.

At SIZO (pre-trial prison) in Baku, the health of Faig Amirov, the financial director of the "Azadlyg" newspaper, has sharply deteriorated, while his medical treatment there is impossible, said his wife. His advocate treats the situation as a violation of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).

A picket in defence of those detained during anti-corruption actions on March 26 and June 12 in Russia was held today in Rostov-on-Don. Apart from protesting against the actions of OMON (riot police) fighters, picketers in Rostov-on-Don demanded to release the politician Alexei Navalny, who is now serving his administrative arrest in one of Moscow special detention centres.

On June 17, activists of the "White Noise" movement held a protest action in Kutaisi under the slogan, "Levan Abzianidze was killed by the state." The action was dedicated to anniversary of Abzianidze's death.