News

On October 27, MPs of the Astrakhan City Duma formulated and introduced to the regional Duma the amendments to the regional bill on the formation of local self-administrations in the region. According to those amendments, the Mayor of the regional centre is to be elected from the MPs. Such a formulation was supported by the majority of the Astrakhan City Duma MPs.

In Ingushetia, the Deputy Interior Minister, the head of Investigating Department is suspected of illegal obtaining of a housing certificate for the amount of about 6.5 million roubles. This was reported by the press officer of the Ingush Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has accepted for consideration the lawsuit filed by the Georgian Labour Party (GLP) claiming massive falsifications during municipal elections in 2014. This was reported by Shalva Natelashvili, the leader of the GLP, on October 27.

On October 26, people were evacuated from the RostovAirport, after some unknown person informed about a bomb in the aircraft ready to leave for Moscow. The bomb was not found; and the craft flew to the destination.

Today, Yerevan has hosted a commemoration action of the victims of the terror act committed on October 27, 1999, in the National Assembly of Armenia. Despite the fact that seven people had been convicted for the terror act, the issue about its organizers is still open.

Today, within the consideration of the appeal complaint against the sentence to Ruslan Kutaev, the President of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, at the Supreme Court of Chechnya, his defence has stated the need to examine the photos made at studying the scene of the crime.

The health status of the arrested rights defender Intigam Aliev has worsened, his lawyer Djavad Djavadly and relatives have reported. The defence intends to appeal against the decision to extend Aliev's arrest, said the advocate.

Today, in front of the building of the Armenian Parliament, a protest action was held against the amendments to the legislation on paying benefits to mothers. The protesters demanded to revise the bill, since they believe that the amendments violate women's rights.

Today, a road accident happened in the Prigorodny District of North Ossetia, involving the car of Ibragim Lyanov, the head of the administration of the Djeirakh District of Ingushetia. The official died in the place of the accident.

The Astrakhan Committee of Soldiers' Mothers has appealed to the Prosecutor's Office for the Southern Military District (SMD) with a request to identify and punish the persons responsible for the death of a regular soldier killed in a road traffic accident in Dagestan. According to Anatoly Salin, the head of the Astrakhan Committee of Soldiers' Mothers, the soldier regular burned in an overturned car, and one more soldier from the Astrakhan Region became disabled.

Russian Supreme Court's decision on appeals lodged by convicts for massacre in the village of Kuschevskaya, Krasnodar Territory; verdicts of guilty against Bacho Akhalaya and Vano Merabishvili, Mikhail Saakashvili's close associates in Georgia; mass rally in Yerevan, demanding resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of October 20-26, 2014, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Three advocates of Kurman-Ali Baichorov, the Imam of Kislovodsk engaged in the case have made a decision to support the hunger strike. The advocates claim the unprecedented violation of the defendant's rights and declare the need to draw the attention of the federal government to the situation in the Predgorny District Court of the Stavropol Territory.

During the week of October 20-26, 2014, at least seven persons fell victims to the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of them, four persons were killed, and three others were wounded. These are the results of calculations made by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

In Stavropol, Square of the 200th anniversary of the city hosted a rally in support of forests. The rally was sanctioned by the authorities, and, according to the organizers, it was attended by about 70 persons. The rally participants have adopted a resolution demanding to provide the public with a casting vote in matters concerning natural resources, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The Government of Georgia is developing a plan of actions to combat domestic violence as a part of the signed "Istanbul Convention". At the first meeting of the interdepartmental commission on domestic violence held on October 22, Irakli Garibashvili, the Prime Minister of Georgia, issued instruction to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to present to the public a unified national strategy.

Leaders of the "Prosperous Armenia", the "Heritage" and the "Armenian National Congress" (ANC) Parties have announced the establishment throughout the country the headquarters of the nationwide movement aimed to mobilize citizens to take part in the protest movement. According to oppositionists, the mobilization will be held when needed.

In the Gudermes District of Chechnya, a member of an illegal armed formation (IAF), who presumably arrived from Dagestan, was shot and killed in the shootout. This was reported on October 25 by the Chechen authorities. The police search for the other suspected militant involved in the armed clash.

In Azerbaijan, Hilal Mamedov, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Tolyshi Sado", has returned to the penal colony No. 17 after the celebration of his daughter's wedding. He has expressed the hope that the possibility for a temporary stay on the loose will be available to other prisoners.

Adam Abubakarov, an advocate of Kurman-Ali Baichorov, the Imam of Kislovodsk, accused of drug trafficking, has declared a hunger strike to protest against the actions of the Judge of the Predgorny District Court of the Stavropol Territory.

Amina Okueva, the wife of Adam Osmaev, a native of Grozny, accused of plotting a terror act against Russian President Vladimir Putin, has nominated herself to the elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Amina Okueva calls Russia "a treacherous and cowardly enemy".