News

On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, in Yerevan, activists held an action in protest against an LGBT flag raised by the British Embassy in Armenia. Armenian activists have treated that act of the British Embassy as agitation and demanded public apologies.

In Makhachkala, members of the film crew of the American "PBS NewsHour" TV Channel, who were carrying out an edition's assignment, were detained together with believers of the mosque in Omarov Street after Friday prayers. In an hour and a half, the journalists were released and left the region.

In Astrakhan, participants of two pickets have informed the public about Alexei Navalny and also searched for volunteers to collect signatures for his registration as a presidential candidate. Each picket involved up to 10 people.

Medical officers of the Medical Department of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have pronounced diagnose of varicose veins for blogger Mekhman Guseinov sentenced for two years of imprisonment. However, they rejected the need for surgery. An advocate of the blogger does not agree with the decision of the medical officers.

Yakha Beksultanova, who had complained to Ramzan Kadyrov about the inaction of the authorities after the fire in Grozny, which deprived 95 people of their housing, brought a public apology.

On May 19, clients of the "MegaFon" mobile operator in the Southern and North-Caucasian Federal Districts (SFD and NCFD) reported about interruptions with mobile communication and Internet. Problems were not massive, the mobile operator stated.

One of the suspects killed in an armed clash in the Dagestani village of Karamakhi has been identified as Nasu Ataev, a 40-year-old leader of the "Kadar" militant grouping. Three of his subordinates were killed together with him, the "Kommersant" reports with reference to a source from the law enforcement agencies.

The lawsuit lodged to the International Criminal Court (ICC) with a demand to check the information about mass killings of people of non-traditional sexual orientation in Chechnya is aimed at increasing pressure on Russia to "save human lives." This was stated by activists of LGBT associations-initiators of the lawsuit.

The Baksan District Court has sentenced Bella Nakhusheva, a resident of the village of Islamey, to 4.5 years in jail for aiding and abetting a militant.

The activities of Herbert Salber, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the co-chairman of the Geneva Discussions, who congratulated Anatoly Bibilov on his victory at the presidential election in South Ossetia, harm Georgia. This was stated by the opposition "United National Movement" (UNM) Party.

Levon Varuzhan, a tenant of the house, destroyed in Volgograd by an explosion of domestic gas, who had survived the Spitak earthquake, complains about non-payment of compensation and problems with evacuation of his belongings; however, the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) asserts that all the tenants have taken out their things out of ruined apartments.

The declaring former Azerbaijani citizens, now living in Dagestan, as wanted is legal, if they had deserted prior to taking Russian citizenship, Azerbaijani lawyers believe. The state mobilization service has added that deviationists are not exempted from responsibility, when they change their citizenship.

Unsettled land relations in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) have led to the killing of farmer Ruslan Kumakhov; villagers should receive a priority right to lease the land, the Association of Regional Peasants’ Farms (known as AKKOR) has stated. Ruslan Kumakhov was killed for his defending villagers’ interests before the lessees, the peasants believe.

The verdicts to Marina Djandjgava, Inga Tutisani and Annik Kesyan, convicted for state treason, should be abolished, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial” has stated.

At the court session on May 18, the state prosecutor stated the defendants’ guilt of the attempt to create a Caliphate in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) and called on the court to treat critically the defence witnesses’ testimonies.

A native of Chechnya was forced to leave Russia for the United States after she received two stabbings in Moscow. According to the woman, who was born a man, but changed the sex, the persecutions of people of non-traditional sexual orientation began in Chechnya back in 2007, the “Dozhd” (Rain) TV Channel reports.

According to the law enforcement agencies, the militants killed in the Buynaksk District of Dagestan were involved in an assassination attempt on the head of the administration for the village of Karamakhi and cases of extortion of money from entrepreneurs. The leader of the "Kadar" militant grouping was identified among the killed suspects.

The "Russian LGBT Network" has reported on evacuation of 43 homosexuals from Chechnya. Of them, nine gays already stay abroad. Alvi Karimov, the spokesman for the leader of Chechnya, has stated that he is not aware about the appeals for visas filed by Chechen natives with non-conventional sexual orientation.

In the centre of Rostov-on-Don, in Stanislavsky Street, archaeologists have discovered an ancient burial, presumably made about 2000 years ago.

The visit of pilgrims from Abkhazia to Jerusalem has resulted in the exchange of statements between the Tbilisi and Sukhumi officials. According to the authorities of Abkhazia, the religious issues were added to the list of bans on freedom of movement and international humanitarian communication.