News

Isa Munaev, a former Chechen field commander and the leader of the "International peacekeeping battalion named after Johar Dudaev", who fought in Donbas as part of the forces of the antiterrorist operation (ATO), perished near the town of Debaltsevo.

On February 2, Vasily Golubev, the Governor of the Rostov Region, decided to extend the emergency regime throughout the entire region, and instructed the heads of municipalities to prepare additional places to accommodate Ukrainian refugees.

Policemen are clearing up the circumstances of the incident with beating up of supporters of the "Pre-Parliament"; a decision to open a criminal case will be made on the outcomes of the check, Felix Arutyunyan, the head of the press service of the police under the Government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

James Appathurai, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, has stated that the alliance would not recognize the legitimacy of the alliance treaty signed by Russia and South Ossetia, but cannot prevent the signing thereof.

The decision of the Court of Appeal (CoA) in the case of the Armenian participants of the "Million Mask March" was caused by the position of the authorities on the matter, said the convicts' defence.

This appeal was addressed today to the leadership of the country and the region by Vladimir Ostapuk, the leader of the Environmental Council under the Mayor of Sochi. He stated that in preparation for the Winter Olympic Games, 20 species of insect pests were brought into the city; they are now destroying green areas of the city-resort.

Today in Nalchik, a gathering of parishioners took place in the context of the beating of Anzor Shkhanukov, the Imam of the "Mansour" Mosque. According to the believers, the gathering was attended by more than 300 people, who demanded to investigate the attack on the Imam.

According to the poll, conducted by the "Levada Centre" on January 23-26, 44% of respondents assessed the current situation in Northern Caucasus as a prosperous and peaceful, while 40% of respondents treat the situation as strained; and 4% – as critical and explosive.

Today, the Armenian Court of Appeal (CoA) dismissed the advocates' complaint in the case of "Million Mask March".

In Azerbaijan, the health condition of Yadigyar Sadygov, an adviser to the head of the "Musavat" Party, who is serving his prison sentence on charges of hooliganism, has deteriorated. He was hospitalized from his colony to the prison hospital of the Ministry of Justice. His defenders believe that his arrest had contributed to exacerbation of his chronic heart disease.

Two young men wearing beards were detained in Grozny by agents of unidentified power services; they were beaten up; and their beards were shaved off by force, their acquaintance has reported.

Anzor Shkhanukov, the Imam of the "Mansour" Mosque Nalchik, who was beaten up near his house, said that earlier threats against him were posted on one of the websites.

Armenian investigators took assays of blood and hair from Valery Permyakov, who is accused of committing a massacre in Gyumri, for analysis. At the same time, Armenian investigators said that they had not conducted the investigative experiment yet.

Mass protests of entrepreneurs in Yerevan, demanding to repeal amendments to Law "On Turnover Tax"; appointment of a new MIA boss in Georgia; second within a month visit of Presidential Envoy Melikov to Derbent, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of January 26 to February 1, 2015, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

During the week from January 26 to February 1, 2015, two persons were killed in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

Today, in Grozny, at about 1:00 p.m., an attempt was committed on the Ingush opposition leader Magomed Khazbiev, his advocate Khedi Ibrieva, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Anzor Shkhanukov, the Imam of the "Mansour" Mosque, was hospitalized after being beaten up by unidentified men, said Valery Khatazhukov, the head of the Public Human Rights Centre of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR).

Anatoly Lutsyk, the Chairman of the City Assembly of Sochi, has rejected the request of the builder Nikolai Belugin to organize a charity fundraising event in favour of defrauded builders of Olympic facilities.

On January 31, Yashar Aliev, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UN, speaking at the session of the UN Security Council, dedicated to debates on protection of civilians in armed conflicts, asked for help in freeing Shakhbaz Guliev and Dilgam Askerov from their imprisonment in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

In the evening on January 31, Volgograd hosted an anti-war picket demanding peace in South-East of Ukraine. It was the second on that day in the city. The picketers told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they received threats.