News

Mukhammad Magomedov, an activist of the Dagestani Public Organization "Union of the Just" and a co-organizer of the rally in Moscow against Caucasophobia scheduled for January 26, is suspected of involvement in an extremist organization. According to Magomedov, he is now under recognizance not to leave.

The Stavropol authorities have cancelled the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime, which was introduced in several districts of the Territory after a series of murders of men, whose bodies were found in cars. This is reported by the press service of the operative headquarters of the FSB for the Stavropol Territory.

The murders of six people in the Stavropol Territory have to do with militants' attempts to disrupt the Olympics in Sochi, local law enforcers believe. Experts have also noted that investigators fail to disclose important circumstances of these resonant crimes.

In the city of Adler, policemen of the Tsentralny ROVD (District Interior Division) of Sochi detained Yakov Babakov, a native of Dagestan, whose brother had recently converted to Islam, said Babakov's relatives.

The 2014 Olympics is "an attractive target for terrorists"; therefore, the Americans willing to visit the Sochi Olympics "should be careful about their safety", the US Department of State has stated. By urging its citizens "to be vigilant", the US Office reminds them about the terror acts in Volgograd, which is about 680 kilometres away from Sochi.

Members of the organization named "Former Political Prisoners" have criticized the acquittal by the Gori City Court of former employees of the Ksani Prison No. 15.

At the hearing of the case on the demolition of the monumental pump-room built in Sochi parkland, the Tsentralny District Court dismissed the prosecutor's suit.

Relatives of Sakinat Gadjieva, a resident of the village of Gimry, Untsukul District of Dagestan, who disappeared on January 9 along with her 4-year-old child, cannot locate her whereabouts.

The Adler District Court of Sochi has dismissed the suit lodged by the Directorate for Construction and Reconstruction of Highways of the Black Sea Coast of the Federal Road Agency 'against the Adler District Administration, demanding to repeal its resolution on recognizing the above house uninhabitable.

Today, Yerevan has hosted a march in support of Shant Harutyunyan, the leader of the "Tsegarkon" Party, and other detainees after the "Million Mask March". Over 300 marchers have demanded to lift the ban imposed on detainees to see their relatives, subject them to fair trial and release them.

As of today, the Olympic contractors owe about two million roubles to their workers; however, all the debts will be paid out before January 14, said Dmitry Kozak, Russia's Vice-Premier, adding that during the Olympics Sochi will still keep over 30,000 non-resident workers.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said today that Khosta town park will serve as a so-called “protest zone” during Winter Olympics. He also stressed that it’s prohibited to hold any meetings or demonstrations near Olympic venues.

Today, the Basmanny Court of Moscow has extended till March 13 the detention in custody of Mikhail Stolyarov, the former Mayor of Astrakhan, accused of taking bribes.

Alikhan Kuzgov, Secretary of the Security Council of Ingushetia, has refuted the announcement made by Kaloi Akhilgov, ex-Secretary of the Ingush leader, stating that the Security Council recommended Ingush residents not to travel to the Krasnodar Territory on the eve of the Olympic Games without prior notification to the Security Council of Ingushetia.

By January 10, the Krasnodar Territory has selected six athletes to participate in the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, and it is a record number. This was reported by the press service of the resort city. Earlier, only three athletes from Kuban took part in the Winter Olympic Games during the entire history of previous Winter Games.

In the morning of January 10, Shant Harutyunyan, the leader of the "Tsegakron" Party, who was arrested during the "March of Millions of Masks", stopped his hunger strike. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by the Department of Public Relations and Media of the Armenian Ministry of Justice.

On January 9, the Belgian Senate adopted a resolution to reject the boycott of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. However, Belgian officials have expressed their concern about the human rights situation in Russia. The draft resolution with demand for boycott was put forward by the local Green Party.

In preventing terror acts on the eve of the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia can receive only informational assistance from the Pentagon. This was reported by Alexander Goltz, a military expert, a deputy editor of the online publication "The Daily Journal", when he commented on the information about the offer of the US Department of Defence to provide appropriate assistance to the Russian Federation.

The Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya has revealed the fact of theft of 15 million roubles in the transaction between the state unitary enterprise and the private company. The trial of the case is to begin shortly. This was reported by the Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya on January 9.

In the Stavropol Territory, military men from stationed army units are brought in to protect public order. All vehicles and people entering the borders of the region are subjected to inspection.