News

The prospect of improving the human rights situation in Azerbaijan and mitigation of the repressive regime in this country is pushed to the background because of the interest of the EU and the US in strengthening relations with the official Baku.

Today, Timur Zakaryaev, a resident of the Kizlyar District, has been brought to the police station to be questioned concerning the content of his posts in social networks. He has been released on recognizance not to leave.

In Grozny, according to the Mayor's Office, the rally on the occasion of the Day of Russia was attended by tens of thousands of people. Public employees and students claimed that they took part in the event not voluntary.

Today, prayer at mosque in Nasyr-Kort has been attended by Ingush leader Yunus-Bek Evkurov, imams, and theologians.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CMCE) has announced its intention to consider the issue on taking "strict measures", if Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the opposition movement "Republican Alternative", is not released from prison by the Azerbaijan's authorities until September 2015.

The preliminary court hearing on the appeal filed by human rights defender Rasul Jafarov could be postponed because of the first European Games held in Baku. This was stated Fariz Namazly, an advocate of Rasul Jafarov.

At the trial in the case against former Mayor Said Amirov, Shikhakhmed Omarov, the former head of the Sovietskiy District of Makhachkala, has described the circumstances of the seizure of documents from the administration of the capital of Dagestan in 2011.

The first European Games are opened in Azerbaijan in an atmosphere of the government repressions, which are unprecedented in the post-Soviet era in the country. This was announced by the "Human Rights Watch" (HRW). The Azerbaijan's authorities deny the allegations and claim the absence of political prisoners in the country.

The defence of Arslan Khairullin has filed a complaint to the court about the investigators' inaction concerning the complaint filed about beating committed by law enforcers.

Today, the capital of Azerbaijan holds the opening ceremony of the first European Games. The "Athletes' village" raised flags of Azerbaijan and the Olympic committees of 50 countries. Baku holds the opening ceremony of the European Games against the background of traffic jams and crowds of tourists.

Correspondents of the British newspaper "The Guardian" are refused in the accreditations to the European Games in Baku. The newspaper associates the reasons for the refusal with the publication of materials on the facts of the suppression of freedom in the country.

The Soviet District Court of Makhachkala has extended until July 15 the detention in custody of Ibadullo Nabotov, a staff member of a Dagestani mosque, accused of illegal possession of weapons. An advocate of Ibadullo Nabotov has reported that the criminal case is to be brought to the court soon.

Khamzat Chumakov, the Imam of the mosque of Nasyr-Kort, and his supporters have claimed that they speak only for peaceful means of the resolution of the conflict, which has resulted in a shooting incident at the mosque. They have assured that they will restrain from aggression even in case if the mosque is temporary closed.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has released an online game depicting prisoners taking part in prison competitions. The game has been timed to the opening of the European Games in Azerbaijan.

The Lenin District Court of Makhachkala has pronounced the decision to leave one of the leaders of the public organization "League of the Just" under house arrest until June 22.

The Supreme Court of Dagestan has upheld the resolution on the arrest of Kurban Askandarov, the Deputy Imam of one of the mosques in Makhachkala. This was reported by his advocate. No formal charges have been filed against Kurban Askandarov yet.

The statements made with regard to Elena Milashina, a journalist of the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta", published in the article "US uses pawns" at the information agency "Grozny-Inform", are the evidence of a direct threat, which is not to be ignored. This opinion has been expressed by natives of Chechnya interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Relatives have identified the men killed in a special operation carried out in the vicinity of the village of Atazhukino as Rustam Kodzokov and Asker Khatkov. This was reported by a source in the law enforcement bodies.

Today, the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime has been introduced in the Suleiman-Stalsky District of Dagestan by the decision of the operational headquarters. The CTO regime covers an area of about 667,000 square kilometres.

The editorial office of the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" has appealed to the Russian presidential administration and the law enforcement bodies with a request to treat the article "US uses pawns" published by the information agency "Grozny-Inform" as a threat to the safety of Elena Milashina, a special correspondent of the "Novaya Gazeta".