News

The international human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) has recognized Rasul Jafarov, arrested in Azerbaijan on charges of committing economic crimes, as a "prisoner of conscience". The AI has called to release Jafarov; and this demand was also supported by the Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Today, in the Shamil District of Dagestan, unidentified attackers opened fire at a car with a policeman inside, who died from the received wounds, the Dagestani Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reports.

Today, the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Georgia has announced a new charge against the former President Mikhail Saakashvili – of beating the MP Valery Gelashvili in 2005. Investigators have found that the reason for beating Gelashvili up was his interview that he gave in June 2005 to the newspaper "Resonansi", in which Gelashvili expressed his dissatisfaction with the then president and insulted Saakashvili in relation to his personal life, including his wife.

As part of a counterterrorist operation (CTO) conducted in the village of Lechinkay, Chegem District of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), law enforcers blocked a house, where, according to power agents, members of the armed underground could be hiding. As a result of an assault, a suspected militant was killed. Two law enforcers were wounded, said the operative headquarters for the KBR.

In Azerbaijan, Arif Yunus, a staff member of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD), has been detained. The defence believes the court will pronounce the pre-trial restriction measure against Arif Yunus in the form of arrest.

Denga Djavatkhanov, a staff member of the Kizilyurt Advocates' Chamber "Legal Aid", was forced into a car and taken to some unknown destination. This was reported by an advocate of the Advocates' Chamber. According to the advocate, the family members and friends of the kidnapped man believe that "law enforcers are involved in the incident."

On August 4, in Makhachkala, the recreation centre "Kizlyar Lagoon" launched the first international interreligious youth forum. This was reported by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. The forum is open to young people of 16-30 years old, who profess Islam or Christianity.

On August 4, Nikolai Kavkazsky and Maria Efimova, activists of the youth wing of the "Yabloko" Party, held a solo picket in front of the Mission of Kabardino-Balkaria in Moscow. The activists demanded to investigate the murder of Timur Kuashev, a journalist and social activist. Sergey Mitrokhin, the leader of the "Yabloko" Party, has said that he insists on institution of criminal proceedings.

On August 4, the Dagestani Regional Public Organization (DRPO) "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy) was addressed by Ustarkhan Murudov, a resident of the village of Chumli of the Kaitag District of Dagestan. He has filed a complaint about his unlawful detention by the police on July 25.

The Krasnodar Territory has introduced a state of emergency in connection with the increase of the number of forced migrants from Ukraine. This was reported on August 4 by the regional administration. The resolution on the introduction of a special regime in the Krasnodar Territory has been signed by Governor Alexander Tkachov.

The General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Azerbaijan has announced today that the rights defender Rasul Jafarov had used the grants provided by the American Foundation for Democracy (NED) for extracting illegal financial gains.

Khakim Kuchmezov, the chairman of the Kabardino-Balkarian branch of the "Yabloko" Party believes that the autopsy results of Timur Kuashev's body will be released within a month. Experts need a few weeks to establish the reason of Timur's death, said Rustam Matsev, an employee of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

180 out of 438 Ukrainian servicemen, who got at night to the territory of the Rostov Region, have returned to their homeland, said Vasily Malaev, the head of the press service of the Rostov Regional Border Guard Service of the FSB. The soldiers were delivered to the Ukrainian party at the checkpoint "Matveev Kurgan", which is contiguous with the Ukrainian checkpoint "Uspenka", the ITAR-TASS reports.

During the week of July 28-August 3, 2014, at least 9 persons suffered in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of them, 5 persons were killed, and 4 persons were wounded. These are the results of calculations made by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

On August 2, in Baku, the police detained Ruslan Nasirli, a member of the Youth Committee of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP). This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Asif Yusifli, a legal representative of Ruslan Nasirli, a member of the Supreme Majlis of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP).

At night on August 4, in the Rostov Region, Russian border guards opened a humanitarian corridor for 438 Ukrainian soldiers, who sought refuge. This was announced by Vasily Malaev, Spokesperson of the Border Guard Service of the Russian FSB for the Rostov Region.

In Chechnya, employees of budget organizations have reported on deductions from their salaries and demands to allocate money for humanitarian assistance to the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions of Ukraine, where armed conflict is unfolding.

Death of public figure Timur Kuashev in KBR; escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone; arrest of human rights defenders Leyla Yunus and Rasul Jafarov in Azerbaijan, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of July 28-August 3, 2014, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

In the settlement-colony in the Tambov Region, Evgeny Vitishko, a Krasnodar ecologist, has been released from the dungeon (punishment cell). This was reported by the ecologist's supporters in the late evening of August 3.

Staff members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have confirmed that on August 3, the border checkpoint "Gukovo" in the Rostov Region was twice shelled from the Ukrainian territory. According to the Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the territory of Russia is allegedly shelled by fighters of the self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LNR and DNR).