News

Special operation in Tbilisi; fire in Batumi hotel; detention of Suleiman Kerimov in France; shoot-out as a result of business partners' conflict in Dagestan; verdict to Umar Djabrailov accused of hooliganism; protest actions of defrauded housing co-investors in Krasnodar and Volgograd, – read these news storiesin the review of the main events in the Caucasus for the week of November 20-26, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Three awards of the International Film Festival in Gijon (Spain) were granted to Anna Urushadze's film "Scary Mother".

Aniuar Geduev, a free style wrestler from Kabardino-Balkaria has accepted the proposal of the Iranian club "Bimekh Razi". He will fight as a member of the team at the World Club Championship in Tehran on December 7-8.

Polina Bogusevich, a 14-year-old Muscovite, has won the International Song Contest "Junior Eurovision-2017" that was held in Tbilisi. The participant from Georgia took the second place.

The "Christie's" Auction House, which has put up the 1841 Imam Shamil's dagger for the auction, has failed to publish evidence of its authenticity, historians have noted. In case of real historical value, in their opinion, such exhibits should be purchased for Russian museums.

Akim Kuliev, suspected of setting fire to the building of the district administration in Dagestan, is tortured and "cut his belly open," Khabib Nurmagomedov, a Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, has written in his Instagram.

A rally of defrauded housing co-investors into five residential complexes in Volgograd was sanctioned for 200 participants; however, it was attended by 30 people more, the organizers have reported. The protesters demanded to finish building their houses.

When amending the general plan of Sochi, officials mislead townspeople and hide the true state of affairs with the city development, said the participants in the meeting of activists, who are against public hearings on the general plan.

The Makhachkala Airport is last major asset of Suleiman Kerimov and his family in Dagestan, while his charity projects the businessman implements mainly in Southern Dagestan, the Dagestani journalists, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", believe.

The Azerbaijani militaries have violated the ceasefire in the Karabakh conflict zone, the Nagorno-Karabakh's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stated.

The entrance to the territory of Georgia is closed for residents of Dagestan and Chechnya after the special operation in Tbilisi, users of social networks report.

In the evening on November 24, a major fire broke out in Batumi, the capital of Adzharia, in the five-star "Leogrand" Hotel. Tonight the fire was extinguished. According to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), 11 people perished in the fire; three fire-fighters have also suffered. In total, 21 persons were hospitalized.

The donations collected during the annual telethon (TV marathon) organized by the "Hayastan" All-Armenian Foundation should help implementing important infrastructure projects, for which the budget money is not enough. However, the raised amount has decreased in comparison with the past year, and that fact can be explained by the lack of the philanthropists' confidence in the authorities of Armenia. This opinion has been expressed by political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

In the case against Zhirair Sefilyan, the leader of the opposition movement "100th Anniversary Without Regime", public prosecutors use falsified material evidence. This is claimed by the oppositionist's defence.

Alexander Bendenko, a defendant in the case on creation in Karachay-Cherkessia of a unit for the "Islamic State" (IS) recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia by court's decision, has complained of pressure from law enforcers because he had retracted his confession.

On November 24, at the summit of the European Union's Eastern Partnership programme, Armenia and the European Union (EU) have signed an agreement on comprehensive and expanded partnership, initialled in March 2017. The signing ceremony was broadcast live on the "Azatutyun" Radio, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Today, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has deprived four Russian athletes of their medals won at the 2014 Winter Olympics Games in Sochi, stating that they had violated the anti-doping rules. After cancellation of their results, the Russian team lost the first place in the medal standing of the Games.

Today, the man detained during the special operation in Tbilisi has been arrested for the period of the inquiry. His defence intends to appeal against the court judgement, Imed Karkashadze, a detainee's advocate, has stated.

Law enforcers have accused Alikram Khurshudov, the leader for the Shirvan branch of the "Musavat" Party, of attacking a local resident and a policeman. The opposition activist pleaded not guilty. This has been reported today by his advocate.

In the Gaverdovsky village in the Maikop suburb, the construction of a mosque for 500 people has almost been completed, reported the DUM of Adygea.