News

Today, the first-instance court in Armenia has found activist Narek Akopyan guilty of using violence to a policeman at the protest action against the increase of electricity tariff. Akopyan was sentenced to six months in prison; but he intends to appeal against the verdict.

In Azerbaijan, the state prosecutor has suggested to find the rights defender Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus guilty on all points of the indictment and sentenced them to 11 and 9 years in prison, respectively, said Shokhrat Allakhmanov, the defendants' advocate.

The first open session on the case of the desertion and theft of firearms by Valery Permyakov, who is also accused of massacring the Avetisyan family in Gyumri, will take place on August 12. The court has extended his arrest until January 30, 2016.

Private households of residents of Krasnodar Territory will not be affected during the construction of access roads to the bridge across the Kerch Strait, said Roman Starovoit, the head of the Russian Federal Road Agency ("Rosavtodor").

The chief nurse of the Republic's Children Hospital of Dagestan and her acquaintance are figurants in the criminal case about a sale of a newborn for 450,000 roubles. Both suspects are under house arrest.

The establishment of the single Union of Circassian (Adyg) Public Associations (UCPA) of the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR) is not aimed to consolidate the Circassian movement in the region, said the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot". In their opinion, the Union has been set up by the authorities in order to have influence on the International Circassian Association (ICA).

As stated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), 18 residents are internationally wanted for committing terrorist crimes. Other 16 residents of the republic are on the federal wanted list.

The residents of Makhachkala, who yesterday blocked Yaragskiy Street in protest against electricity outages in their homes, have reported today about restoration of electricity supplies.

Ara Zograbyan, an advocate, has petitioned about acquittal of Narek Akopyan, a protester against the increase of electricity tariff, who is accused of using violence against an authority.

The activities of the "Committee for Prevention of Torture" (CPT), which has replaced the "Committee against Torture" (CaT), which is working in Chechnya, were launched starting August 3. It unites several organizations that work directly with victims and will carry out executive functions.

The Baku Court of Grave Crimes has completed the judicial investigation in the case of the rights defender Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus. Their defence has stated violations of the law in the course of the trial.

The members of the movement "Arise, Armenia!" demand dissolution of the Commission on Regulation of Public Services (CRPS) of Armenia – they have started collecting signatures on this issue.

Supporters of the retired colonel Volodya Avetisyan have stopped their ten-day-long rally in his support. Karabakh War veterans are preparing a new wave of protests, said Gagik Sarukhanyan, the organizers of the picket.

The social doctrine of Russian Muslims signed by Islam believers is largely reiterating the earlier adopted documents, and in reality will not be a factor of revaluation of views and stimulation of social activity, said the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

The Prosecutor's Office of the Krasnodar Territory has approved the indictment to the Krasnodar activist Darya Polyudova and transferred her case to the court.

In the evening on August 4, the intersection of Sormovskaya and 30th Irkutsk Division Streets was blocked by residents of Krasnodar, who were outraged about permanent electricity outages in the Komsomolsky micro-district of the city.

The observers believe that rights defenders and the Ombudsperson must protect the rights of Gennady Afanasiev and Alexei Chirnij – the key witnesses in the case of "Sentsov's group".

The loud statements, made by the head of Chechnya in support of suspects of committing grave crimes, are linked to his confidence in the support by the Kremlin, said the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot". According to their version, the recent statement in support of Sagid Murtazaliev demonstrates the Kadyrov's intention to protect his retinue.

An official check has been appointed in relation to two Dagestani policemen, who have videoed an interrogation of a Chechen power agent, who, as they said, disgorged himself onto a beach in Makhachkala.

Formally, the trial of Leyla and Arif Yunus in Baku is open; however, their supporters could not attend the today's session.