News

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.

Today, about 70 traders from the burned Makhachkala marketplace "Dagelektromash" have gathered for a new protest action. They have stated that they received no compensation for the lost property; and the marketplace restoration is slow. In its turn, the Makhachkala administration asserts that those most needy had received some help.

Supporters of Alexei Navalny report that, after they had complaint to the court about the authorities’ inaction, the Mayoralty of Astrakhan has sanctioned two pickets.

The mosque in the settlement of Shamkhal in the Kirov District of Makhachkala was closed at the request of law enforcement bodies. Believers plan to complain to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Prosecutor's Office, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" reports.

Today, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution calling on the Russian authorities to investigate the reports about the detentions and torture of homosexuals in Chechnya. The Russian LGBT Network has reported that within the last six weeks 40 gays were brought away from the republic. According to the Network, detentions of gays in Chechnya have stopped; however, but it is not known how stable this situation is.

The Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) has upheld the verdict to Elgiz Gakhramanov, an activist of the “Nida” movement. His defence intends to file a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court (SC).

Participants of the conference held in Brussels and dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the peace treaty between Russia and the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria have failed to reach a common understanding not only of the future, but also of the actual relationship of the society and the authorities of Chechnya with the Kremlin.

Investigators have instituted a criminal case under Article "Deliberate infliction of serious harm to health from hooligan motives with the use of weapons". A wounded schoolboy stays at the resuscitation ward of a hospital in a serious condition, the Ministry for Public Health reports.

In Azerbaijan, the sentence of a number of activists indicates the problems with human rights in the country, including restriction of freedom of expression, reduction of space for NGOs and official persecution of human rights defenders. This was stated by Nils Muižnieks, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe (CE).