News

On October 2, in Strasbourg, a group of emigrants from Azerbaijan held a protest action when Elmar Mamedyarov, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, was delivering his speech at the Plenary Session Hall of the PACE.

Supporters and opponents of the NGO "Free Zone" held rallies at the Tbilisi office of the NGO. The number of people who attended the rally organized by supporters of the NGO was twice as much as the number of those who attended the opponents' rally.

Three militants were killed in a special operation conducted in the settlement of Vremenny, Untsukul District of Dagestan, said a source from law enforcement bodies.

Today, the Russia's Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the decision of the State Duma to deprive the leader of Volgograd Communists Nikolai Parshin of his parliamentary immunity in connection with the criminal case of fraud initiated against him.

Tatiana Borisova, an activist of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch), has been sentenced by the Lenin District Court of Krasnodar to eight days of administrative arrest for disobeying the police.

Kurban Kurbanov, the head of the Derbent District, was detained on October 1 for 48 hours, and is now kept in the temporary detention facility (known as IVS), the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed at the district administration. The experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe that in this case law enforcers have acted in concert with the head of the republic Ramazan Abdulatipov and the Russian federal government.

The defenders of the oppositional politicians Ilgar Mamedov and Tofig Yagublu, convicted on charges of the riots in the city of Ismayilly, stated that since the end of consideration of the appeal complaint on September 24 they are not allowed to meet their clients. The advocates treat it as a violation of their clients' rights.

The European Parliament (EP) has started the process of selecting nominees for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Leyla Yunus, an Azerbaijani rights defender, the Director of the non-commercial organization "Institute for Peace and Democracy" (IPD), has been announced to be one of the seven official candidates nominated for the award.

On October 4-6, the law enforcement bodies of Chechnya will significantly enhance the security measures on the occasion of the upcoming celebration of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha and other holidays, including the City Day in Grozny, the Chechen Youth Day and the Teacher's Day, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Rustam Kerimov, a resident of Grozny, accused of involvement in the hostilities in the territory of Syria, has been sentenced to three years of imprisonment in a common-security penal colony with a restraint of liberty for one year. The decision was pronounced by the Zavodskoy District Court of Grozny, the Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya reports.

On October 1, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) considered the report on the situation in Georgia. During the debates, participants of the PACE session claimed that the Georgian authorities use "politically motivated justice".

In Tbilisi, David Gogokhiya, an activist of NGO "Free Zone", was detained at the place where journalist Zaza Davitaya was beating. He was brought to the police station and beaten by law enforcers. This was reported by Georgy Oniani, an advocate of the activist.

Last night, the office of the NGO "Free Zone" in Tbilisi was attacked by about 40-50 persons. The mob, armed with sticks, attacked the office around midnight on September 30, said Gela Vasadze, the Chairman of the Board of the "Free Zone".

Today, about 60 people gathered in 200 Years of Stavropol Square to hold a picket against the felling of the Taman Forest in connection with the plans to build a perinatal centre there. They demand to hold public hearings on the construction project.

This afternoon, law enforcers have detained Kurban Kurbanov, the head of the administration of the Derbent District of Dagestan, said the spokesman of the Investigating Department for the Republic of Dagestan (RD) of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

The Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has broken the principle of presumption of innocence by accusing Shant Arutyunyan, the leader of "Tsegakron" Party, of committing a crime, said the protesters who held their action in Yerevan.

On September 30, the advocates Anar Gasymly, Alaif Gasanov and Fariz Namazly were not admitted by the personnel of the SIZO (pre-trial prison) to Intigam Aliev, the head of the Legal Education Society. The lawyers said that investigators decided to attract them to Aliev's case as witnesses.

Today, ten residents of the city of Zverevo, Rostov Region, have announced an indefinite hunger strike demanding the restart of suspended payments of benefits for housing and communal services, Valery Dyakonov, a member of the initiative group of Zverevo residents and a Deputy of the City Duma, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The investigation into the criminal case on beating of Sapiyat Magomedova by policemen has been reopened at her request. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Sapiyat Magomedova herself.

The Rostov Region has organized high-level assistance for temporary migrants from the territory of Ukraine, and refugees are provided with all the necessary things. This was reported by Baisa Vak-Voya, the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Russia, when he was summing up the results of his three-day visit to the Rostov Region.