News

Explosion in high-rise building in Volgograd that deprived hundred people of housing; start of trial on massacre of Avetisyan family in Armenia; meeting of presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of December 14-20, 2015, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Non-profit organizations (NPOs), which commit violations in their activities, face liquidation. This was reported by an official of the Chechen Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

The conflict between Russia and Turkey has resulted in the increased pressure on repatriates in the republics of Northern Caucasus. This opinion was voiced by members of the Circassian Diaspora, who gathered for the protest action in front of the building of the Russian General Consulate in Istanbul.

During the week of December 14-20, 2015, at least 7 persons suffered in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of them, four persons were killed, and three 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.

In Dagestan, two incidents with air guns have occurred during the same day: in the Kazbek District, a local resident wounded an 11-year-old child in his eye, and in the Untsukul District, a teenager made a shot on a 12-year-old boy, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reports. According to the police, both incidents occurred as a result of careless handling of weapons.

Today, at about 12:00 a.m. Moscow time, in Volgograd, an explosion occurred in a residential house. According to the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE), the explosion in an apartment of a multi-storey building caused a collapse of blocks. As a result of the explosion in the residential building in Volgograd, a block of the building from the second to the ninth floors has collapsed.

In the period of December 13-20, 18 Armenian soldiers were killed, and more than 20 soldiers were wounded. This was reported by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Azerbaijan.

Law enforcers suspect a 21-year-old female resident of the Rostov Region of having relations with members of illegal armed formations (IAFs) and of plotting a terror act. This was reported by sources from the law enforcement bodies. The information has not been confirmed officially. Relatives of the young woman claim that she is receiving medical treatment in Egypt.

In Istanbul, Circassian activists have held a protest action in front of the building of the General Consulate of Russia in Istiklal Street in connection with the arrest of repatriate Adnan Khuade and his daughter in Adygea.

An audio appeal of a resident of Chechnya, in which she criticized Ramzan Kadyrov for ways of collecting payments for housing and utility services, has acquired a wide resonance in the Chechen segment of the Internet. Then, the Chechen State TV and Radio Company "Grozny" featured a story about the meeting of the author of the appeal with Kadyrov, at which she retracted her words.

A meeting of Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan took place today in Bern, Switzerland, at the background of reports of violations of the ceasefire regime in the conflict zone. Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliev expressed their support to the mechanism of investigating incidents on the border and measures aimed to settle the conflict, suggested by the OSCE.

The Russia's Supreme Court (SC) has finished announcing the appeal complaints lodged by the figurants of the case on the attack on Nalchik. The convicts ask to commute their sentences up to complete acquittal.

Until January 17, 2016, Chechen residents must fully repay their debts for electricity, gas and water for 2015, the head of the republic Ramzan Kadyrov has declared. The authorities of Chechnya have an agreement with the federal centre that in case of successful repayment of the debts for 2015, the centre will write off the republic's debt of 24 billion roubles accrued over the past years, said a source from the republic's Ministry of Housing and Utilities.

In the village of Sernovodskaya, Sunzha District, a new mosque was opened, designed to house 3000 parishioners. In the coming weeks the republic will open two other large mosques – in the city of Shali and the village of Avtury.

By their condemning of the "Islamic State" (IS), the leaders of the Juma Mosque, located in Hungarian Fighters Street in Makhachkala, made an efficient step in the efforts to protect the Muslim youth, said the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

In Makhachkala, relatives of Khasavyurt residents, accused of raping a minor, have stopped their protest because of deterioration of their health.

Before December 31, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) of Russia will exclude the movement "For Human Rights" from the registry of "foreign agents". This decision is connected with the liquidation of the regional branch of the movement in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), said Lev Ponomaryov, the leader of the movement.

The Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan has sent the case of the local resident Yusup Magomedov, accused of involvement in an illegal armed formation (IAF) to the Khunzakh District Court.

Inna Blenaova, a resident of Nalchik, suspected of aiding Robert Zankishiev, the leader of the local branch of the "Islamic State" (IS – a terrorist organization banned in Russia), who was killed during a special operation on November 10, is at home: the court chose a freedom restriction measure for her in the form of house arrest.

The Armenian National Congress (ANC), which has initiated collection of signatures under the appeal to the Constitutional Court (CC) of Armenia challenging the outcomes of the referendum, managed to collect only 19 instead of required 27 MPs' signatures. However, the oppositionists announced a new justification for going to the CC.