News

On June 4, a session of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) was held, at which they discussed the socio-political situation in the country, the socio-economic status of the population, the Karabakh conflict and the issue of releasing the political prisoners, as well as organizational issues.

Employees of the American HBO TV Channel have finished the filming scheduled in Sochi, Dmitri Saltykovsky, the producer of the group of American journalists, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to his story, the detention of journalists by border guards and the court's judgement to impose a fine on him were unlawful; however, they would not file any complaints because of lack of time.

Alexander Valov, the editor-in-chief of the website "BlogSochi", who was arrested by a Sochi court for five days after being detained with American journalists, has no claim to the custody conditions at the Matsesta temporary detention centre (known as IVS). He states that there was no rally, of organizing which he had been accused, and is going to appeal against the actions of power agents and the court, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

On June 5, in the Sunzha District of Ingushetia, a military unit of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) was shelled from a grenade launcher. This has been reported today by sources from the law enforcement bodies. According to them, no one was injured as a result of the incident.

During the week of May 30-June 5, 2016, six persons fell victim to the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of them, at least two persons were killed, and at least four others were wounded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

Visit of members of the Council under the President of Russia for Development of Civil Society and Human Rights to the North-Caucasian Federal District; heavy rainfalls with hail in South of Russia; adoption by German Bundestag of resolution on Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of May 30-June 5, 2016, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

In Azerbaijan, the court has issued the permission for leaving the country for Intigam Aliev, a rights defender, sentenced to conditional imprisonment. Intigam Aliev is allowed to leave Azerbaijan for 10 days to take part in the international conference on civil society development in the countries-members of the Council of Europe.

The violations at the Russian Wrestling Championship began with the selection of the venue. Furthermore, experts from the same country were selected as referees. This was claimed by participants of the meeting of the "Games of Journalists" Press Club.

According to residents of the Sochi village of Dagomys, who have been affected by a new flooding, the officials continue to ignore their demands to clean and arrange water drains. The local residents believe that the authorities fail to understand that it is much more beneficial for them to allocate funds to repair and clean water drains than to regular pay compensation and to eliminate the consequences of cases of flooding.

The two-day rock music festival "Tbilisi JAM Fest 2016" was disrupted shortly after its start. Priests of the monastery located nearby came to the venue of the festival and demanded to stop the concert.

Legal norms were violated during the detention of the US crew of the "HBO" TV Channel and Alexander Valov and Dmitry Saltykovsky, two Russian citizens, in the village of Vesyoloe-Psou in Sochi. This opinion was voiced by Sochi advocates interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

In the district centre of Alexandrovskoye, Terek Cossacks held a rally, at which they demanded to give them back their right to all-people's election of the head of the village. The protestors demanded to amend the charter of the village and to dismiss the Governor.

In Sochi, five FSB agents came to the house of Mardiros Demerchyan when the crew of the US "HBO" TV Channel tried to interview him. The FSB agents warned them that the crew was in the border zone and did not have permission for shooting. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Mardiros Demerchyan.

Today, former policemen from the Terek District, who worked at the border with counterterrorist operation (CTO) area during the two Chechen campaigns, have met members of the Human Rights Council (HRC) under the President of the Russian Federation.

The Parliament of Georgia has adopted the amendments to the Law "On Constitutional Court", taking into account the proposals of the Georgian President, who vetoed the previous version of the draft law.

The Armenian Parliament Standing Commission on Foreign Relations has approved the Armenian-Russian agreement on creation of the Unified Regional Air Defence System in the Caucasus. The issue of the ratification of the agreement will be now discussed at the session of the National Assembly.

On June 3, the festival "Books of Russia" was opened at the Red Square in Moscow. The publishing house of Maria and Viktor Kotlyarov from Kabardino-Balkaria presents its products at the festival. The presentation of the books from the series "The Caucasus" of the above publishing house is scheduled for June 6.

On June 3, in Saint Petersburg, people held an action to protest against the renaming one of the bridges of the northern capital after Akhmat Kadyrov, the first Chechen President.

In Sochi, the FSB has released detained US journalists. Russian citizens Alexander Valov and Dmitri Saltykovsky are accused of violating the procedures for organization and holding gathering in the near-border village of Vesyoloe-Psou.

Alexander Valov, the editor-in-chief of the "BlogSochi", and interpreter Dmitri Saltykovsky, who are now, after being detained with a group of American journalists in the settlement of Vesyoloe-Psou, kept in the FSB building, have stated about power agents' refusal to explain their actions, draw up a protocol and admit an advocate to them.