News

In Khasavyurt and the Khasavyurt, Kazbek and Kizilyurt Districts of Dagestan, the search activities are being carried out by law enforcers mainly in the forest areas and do not affect everyday life of population. This was reported by local residents interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Death of Arthur Sargsyan, who held a 25-day hunger strike in Armenia; end of registration of presidential candidates by CEC of South Ossetia and protests of Kokoity’s supporters; decision of ECtHR on beating up journalists and rights defender in Ingushetia, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus on March 13-19, 2017, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

The decision of the Supreme Court (SC) of South Ossetia on the claim filed by Eduard Kokoity, the former president of the republic, is not subject to reconsideration. This was announced by Ilona Khugaeva, the chair of the Court, and Alan Tekhov, the head of the presidential administration.

During the week from March 13 to March 19, 2017, no casualties or victims of the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus were recorded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot", based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

Today, Krasnodar activist Alexei Mandrigelya has been released after 10 days of arrest.

The counterterrorist operation (CTO) legal regime, introduced in Dagestan a week after an attack on policemen near the village of Endirei, has become the second counterterrorist operation in Khasavyurt and the surrounding area since the beginning of the year.

About 20 activists have gathered for a meeting to inform local residents about the danger of flooding of residential houses in case if high-rise buildings are constructed in riverbeds.

Activists have failed to get a response from the authorities to their written demand to bury Arthur Sargsyan into the military pantheon "Yerablur". The marchers have stated that they will continue their sit-in demonstration.

The Muftis of the republics of Northern Caucasus have moved claims to Akhmad Abdulaev, the Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Dagestan, due to the fact that the newspaper of the Dagestani Muftiate "As-Salam" is spread in their republics.

Absence of employment is the main reason why many young people leave the city of Tyrnyauz; and the new head of the Elbrus District, Kanshaubiy Zalikhanov, should remedy the situation, said the residents of the district centre, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

Nine consecutive days, March 18-26, have been announced days-off in Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Novruz-Bayram holiday. Residents of the country state a significant increase in foodstuff prices on the eve of the holiday, primarily on meat, butter, nuts and dried fruits.

The Supreme Court (SC) of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) has held a debate on the case of Magomed Kushtov, a resident of Ingushetia, accused of abducting Laura Lichtman, an Israeli citizen. The prosecution believes that Kushtov's guilt has been proved, and believes that he should be sentenced to eight years in prison.

On the beach in Sochi, in the area of the State Residence "Riviera-6", builders are installing a fence. City authorities had promised to equip a beach in the mouth of the river instead, but the proposed place there is constantly polluted with sewage, said residents of Sochi, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

At the trial on the case of preparing a terror act in Rostov-on-Don, the defendant Maxim Smyshliaev has stated that he had interrupted all contacts with the second defendant, a Ukrainian citizen Arthur Panov, after their personal meeting.

The Pluralistic Democratic Party and the Federation of Circassian Societies of Turkey have demanded from the country’s authorities to create a state television channel in the Circassian language. In exchange, Circassians promise to support the amendments to the Turkish Constitution initiated by the authorities at the referendum on April 16.

The inquiry into the death of Vladimir Tskaev is protracted; however, his relatives expect a fair punishment of those guilty.

The participants of the march in memory of the activist Arthur Sargsyan, who died after a hunger strike, are moving to the building of the Armenian government.

The defendant Anatoly Anchokov told his advocates that he was forced to slander himself. Power agents did not allow him to talk to his advocates, and, like yesterday, took him away from the Cherkessk SIZO (pre-trial prison) to some unknown place, said his advocates.

The court decided to release Zeinal Bagirzade, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), who is serving his eight-year prison term in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR), because of his poor health. This was reported by his brother Yashar Bagirsoi, the chairman of the regional branch of the PFPA.

The president of Georgia should be elected by direct vote, three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of the country insist. They have criticized the draft that envisions election of the president by the MPs.