News

In Azerbaijan, a fire in a Sumgait hostel was explained by short circuit on the third floor. Meanwhile, no explosion occurred in the building, and none of tenants was killed. All the victims are already discharged from hospital. This was reported by the local authorities.

For the fifth day, Darya Polyudova is on hunger with a demand to stop provocations against her. The activist has succeeded in seeking her transfer to another cell, her mother reported.

In Gelendzhik, officials have not come out to participants of a rally of deceived real estate investors and property owners, who fell victim to a fraud with the general plan of the city, and the state-owned media are spreading false information about the protest action. This was announced by organizers of the rally.

Explosions at an ammunition depot in the village of Primorskoe have provoked a "powerful wave of tourists' refusals." Anna Kalyagina, the president of the “Abkhazian Union of Tourism”, has reported this.

On August 5, Leyla Ismailzade, the wife of sentenced Talekh Bagirzade, has told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that five days ago, her husband was brought from the SIZO (pre-trial prison) to the Gobustan prison and was immediately placed in a punishment cell where he was beaten with the result of deterioration in his health.

Today, in Azerbaijan, an explosion has occurred in a hostel of temporary settlers; 25 persons were hospitalized; several of them are grave, doctors report.

According to Irakli Asashvili, the Consul General of Georgia in Istanbul, 45 inmates take part in the hunger strike, announced in protest against the custody conditions in the Turkish prison.

In Adler, a dark-coloured water discharge has occurred on the Chkalovsky beach, and the drains hit the sea. The Sochi administration has stated that it was a discharge of drinking water from the water pipeline.

In Azerbaijan, the defence requests to justify journalist and activist Makhbub Zulfugarly, sentenced to five months of imprisonment on a charge of defamation. The alliance "Azerbaijan without Political Prisoners" has recognized the journalist as a political prisoner.

Today, at 11:00 a.m., more than 500 people came to an authorized protest rally against the actions of the local and regional authorities. The action was held in Gelendzhik in the square in front of the Palace of Culture, Arts and Recreation.

Two witnesses have testified at the trial in the case against Tatiana Karpenko and Natalia Grishina, accused of plotting a terror act in one of the shopping centres in Rostov-on-Don. The witnesses are young women who had been living at the defendants' place for some time.

On August 3 and 4, law enforcers carried out raids to inspect stores and stalls selling Islamic goods and located in the villages and towns of the Achkhoi-Martan, Urus-Martan and Sunzha Districts. Officials from the Chechen Prosecutor's Office told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the conducted raids revealed no violations related to the sale of banned literature and other materials of an extremist nature.

Real estate investors for the residential complexes "Park European" and "Dominant" have stated that the roadmaps for the resumption of facilities construction compiled by the "Gosstroinadzor" (State Construction Supervision Agency) do not contain any pre-set deadlines.

The film "Hostages" directed by Rezo Gigineishvili, a Georgian native, has been purchased for screening by the US HBO cable TV Channel. Earlier, the film was awarded at the "Kinotavr" Film Festival.

In Nalchik, the first screenings of the film 'Tesnota' (Closeness) directed by Kantemir Balagov and awarded the prize of the Cannes Film Festival are held without sold-out notices. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by staff members of a cinema.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has combined the complaints of Zamin Gadji, Afghan Mukhtarly, Khakimeldostu Mekhtiev, Ilgar Nasibov, Ramid Ibragimov, Etimad Budagov, Idrak Abbasov and Taplyg Farkhadoglu into one proceeding, and sent questions to the Azerbaijani government on the unified case.

Gezyal Bairamly, the deputy chair of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), who is being kept in custody at the Baku SIZO (pre-trial prison), has complained about the aggravation of her health problems. This was reported by her advocates.

According to the Abkhazian Ministry of Defence (MoD), there are no threats of new explosions in the area of an ammunition depot in the village of Primorskoe. In Sukhumi, physicians prepare to discharge six injured Russian citizens from the hospital.

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.