News

The presidential pardon for Sochi residents Oksana Sevastidi, Annik Kesyan, and Marina Djandjgava, earlier sentenced on a charge of high treason for sending SMS-messages to Georgia, has not affected the decision concerning filing complains to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) about violation of their rights. This was reported by advocates.

The border with Georgia will be closed for the period from the evening on August 6 till the morning on August 9. The measure was introduced in connection with "holding memorial events timed to the ninth anniversary of the Georgian aggression." This has been reported today on the Facebook page of the State Security Committee (SSC) for South Ossetia.

On August 3, in Krasnodar, Andrei Kikot, Deputy General Prosecutor of Russia, Veniamin Kondratiev, Governor of the Krasnodar Territory, and Sergey Tabelsky, Prosecutor of the Krasnodar Territory, met 12 representatives of farms. This was reported on the same day by the press office of the General Prosecutor's Office.

On August 3, the defence of Elchin Ismayilly, an Azerbaijani journalist-freelancer, was informed about the completion of the preliminary investigation. Meanwhile, a new charge was brought against the journalist under Article 311 (bribery) of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Russia has refused to consider cassation appeals against the verdict to Zhalaudi Geriev, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, accused of drug trafficking. Defenders intend to continue their struggle at the national level and at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) for recognition of Zhalaudi Geriev as not guilty.

Local residents did not allow builders to drill wells in the Samur Forest, activists reported. According to activists, the villagers "have once again warned the workers that they will not let them destroy the forest."

On August 3, more than 30 video appeals of residents of Cossack villages and farm yards from six districts of the Krasnodar Territory to President Vladimir Putin were published on the Internet. Authors of the video records complain about seizures of land plots by large agricultural holdings.

In the Davitashen District of Yerevan, where as a result of the explosion one person was killed and one was hospitalized in extremely severe condition, other combat shells were discovered.

Activist Vardghes Gaspari has demanded from the Armenian Ombudsman's Office to pay attention to the hunger strike declared in prison by Vardan Gheravetyan and Tigran Manukyan, members of the unit "Sasna Tsrer" (Daredevils of Sassoun), the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The expected meeting of the Russian President with Raul Khadjimba is a response to the visit to Tbilisi of US Vice President Mike Pence, who expressed support for the Georgia's territorial integrity. This opinion has been expressed by Georgian political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

The works begun today and treated by South Ossetia as restoration of the fire-fighting band are the equipment of the borderline, which contrary to the interests of local residents, said Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, the Georgian Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality.

Old women have broken the glass door of the oppositional politician’s office in Krasnodar and ruined the room, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Family members cannot find out the whereabouts of two residents of Khasavyurt, who disappeared immediately after being released from the police department in Nalchik.

In protest against tree felling, Andrei Popkov, a former deputy of the Regional Duma, has planted today a mulberry tree sapling in the place of the cut-down "Widows’ Park", after the city Mayoralty had announced its plans to build a car parking next to the memorial complex instead of the above park.

Kuban activist Darya Polyudova has declared a hunger strike in a penal colony with the demands to stop provocations against her. This was reported by Tatiana Polyudova, the mother of the prisoner.

The chairman of the board for the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has urged the law enforcement agencies to check a playwright Mikhail Zhilkin's message about receiving threats from Chechnya after a Chechen official held Mikhail Zhilkin in Grozny for four years.

In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) has launched a verification after Aslan Cherkesov, who is serving his sentence in the Krasnoyarsk Territory for murdering a fan of the "Spartak" FC, complained about torture and beatings in a penal colony. This was reported by the FSIN Department.

The police are looking for unidentified people who fired at a staff member of the FSIN Department in Makhachkala. The victim was hospitalized, reported the spokesperson for the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN).

Two persons were injured in a mine explosion in a yard of a private house in Yerevan, and one of them died in a hospital.

Four staff members of the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) have been injured while liquidating consequences of an explosion at an ammunition depot in Abkhazia.