News

The family of Murat Borlakov, who died in the Ust-Djegutin ROVD (District Interior Division), is satisfied with the decision of Kazimir Botashev, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR) to detain 11 power agents in connection with the incident.

Three people were killed and one was wounded in the Urus-Martan District of Chechnya, said a source from the republic's law enforcement bodies.

On January 31, two unidentified persons kidnapped in Dagestan two Chontaul villagers; one of them was later released, say the villagers. According to their story, the fate of the second one, who served in Chechnya under contract, remains unknown.

Residents of the village of Atazhukino, Baksan District of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) claim that they were moved into houses built with gross violations of building rules and technologies.

Some of Sochi residents believe that the preparation for the Olympics has brought a great benefit to Sochi as a resort. Others, on the opposite, assert that many social problems remain unresolved because of the Olympics. These are the results of the blitz opinion poll conducted by the "Caucasian Knot" in the city streets one day before the opening of the Games.

Representatives of Circassian organizations claim that the Circassians who have come to the Olympic Games in Sochi from abroad cannot represent the Circassian Diaspora and will be attending the Games as individuals. The International Movement "Patriots of Circassia" has urged them to listen to the opinion of the Circassian community.

Madina Djamalutdinova, a native of Kyrgyzstan, who was detained on February 5 in Dagestan, is suspected of involvement in illegal armed formations (IAFs); today she is arrested by the court for two months, said the lawyer Murad Mallaev. His colleague Ziyavutdin Uvaisov said that in relation to Asya Magomedova, a resident of Dagestan, detained on February 4 as a suspected militants' helper, the court will decide on the freedom restrain measure on February 7.

In Armenia, employers withhold 5 percent of employees' salaries, as required by the new pension system, despite the fact that the Constitutional Court (CC) of the country has suspended the reform and has not yet made its final decision on the matter, participants of the today's march in Yerevan have stated. They demanded that employers adhere to the CC's position in this matter.

Shamil Khubiev, the Imam of the swelling settlement of Mirny, Stavropol Territory, disappeared on February 4; and his family still does not know what has happened to him, one of the relatives said today.

After the intervention of the local Prosecutor's Office, the Administration of Astrakhan has refused to sanction a rally in memory of the victims of the recent terror acts committed in Volgograd, and recalled the earlier issued sanction, said Igor Stenin, the organizer of the rally.

The refusals of the Organizing Committee (OC) "Sochi-2014" to issue fan's passports are political in nature and do not contribute to security of citizens, as politician Boris Nemtsov and political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin have stated.

The participants of the hunger strike in Volgograd state the absence of proper housing; some of them argue that they are on the waiting list for many years.

On February 16, in Sochi, activists of the movement "Law and Order" and "Yabloko" Party intend to hold a rally "against residence-based discrimination of Sochi citizens", and on environmental and socio-economic problems. On February 5, they notified the Mayor of Sochi about their intention.

The Sochi residents, who would like to welcome the Olympic Torch Relay, complain about the absence of information about the route of torchbearers. The "hotline" of "Sochi-2014" Organizing Committee (OC) answers that this information is not disclosed for security reasons.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg has finished the hearing of the case "Sargsyan versus Azerbaijan". The court decision has not been announced yet.

Anatoly Salin, an expert on legal matters of the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers of the Astrakhan Region has sent an appeal to the military prosecutor of the Znamensk Garrison asking assistance in carrying out an additional expertise in connection with the death of Private Vadim Mambetov and establish the persons guilty of his death.

There is a political motive in prosecution of Rasul Kudaev, says the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", which took the decision to treat Rasul as a political prisoner.

Today, Madina Djamalutdinova, a native of Kyrgyzstan, was detained in Dagestan, said Aisha Selimkhanova, an activist of the Dagestani Regional Public Organization (DRPO) "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy), adding that the whereabouts of Djamalutdinova is unknown.

Activists of the LGBT Alliance named "Nefes" (Breath) have collected more than 200 signatures to the petition addressed to the President of Azerbaijan asking to set up a telephone "hotline" for psychological help to members of sexual minorities.

About 15 Circassian nationals living abroad have arrived in Sochi to participate in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. "In total, 26 Circassians from abroad will take part in the ceremony," said Anatoly Kodzokov, the head of the Department for External Relations of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU).