News

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is satisfied with the cooperation agreements signed on August 12 with the Russian "Rosneft". Independent experts agree that it is a good foundation for a long-term partnership, but so far – just a declaration of intent.

Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Education and Sciences invited protesting students to discuss the increased tuition fees at universities. However, protesters refused to talk in the ministry, demanding a public discussion of the problem, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The first open court session on the criminal case of the Rostov journalist and publisher Alexander Tolmachov, who is accused of extortion, is scheduled for August 21 at the Lenin District Court of Rostov-on-Don. The session will be chaired by a judge from the Kuschevskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory.

On August 13, the repeated medical examination of the health condition of Said Amirov, dismissed Mayor of Makhachkala, was held in Moscow. The advocate has told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the re-examination revealed signs of deterioration in the health state of Amirov.

Today, the Nasimi District Court of Baku has extended for two months, till November 4, the period of detention of Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the civil movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl), accused of organizing mass riots.

Today, the court that considers the murder of Anna Politkovskaya has adjourned interrogation of four prosecution witnesses because of unauthorized departure of an advocate. The hearing on the case will continue on August 15.

Two residents of Chechnya, who suffered today in the road accident that killed Albert Kazharov, the Senator (member of the Russian Council of the Republic) from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) and his driver, are in the intensive care unit, said a source from the reception ward of the Nalchik hospital.

Russian authorities are persecuting ecologists, human rights activists and journalists who are criticizing the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, says a statement the international Human Rights Watch (HRW).

On August 13, at the session of the Tbilisi City Court, Bacho Akhalaya, former Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA), delivered his final speech. He calls the allegations of using torture against special fighters groundless and considers himself and the other defendants in the case not guilty.

The meeting of relatives of Tariel Sarkarov, a Russian citizen, who was detained in the village of Kamervan of the Gabala District of Azerbaijan, with staff members of the Consulate of the Russian Federation was scheduled for August 13 and was to be held in Baku. However, it was not held. There is no information about the detainee' fate.

Activists of the Rostov Regional Branch of the "Spravedlivaya Rossiya" (Fair Russia) Party went to the court aiming to remove from registration their rivals from the Regional Branch of the "Rodina" (Motherland) Party at elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Rostov.

The Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Volgomost" has commissioned the pedestrian bridge across the Sochi River, which is on the list of Olympic facilities, with a delay of five months. The opening and commissioning of a traffic bridge over the same river is delayed indefinitely, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Azerbaijani experts have different opinions about the August 13 visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Baku. According to political analyst Rasim Musabekov, the visit meant a resumption of a top-level dialogue. In his turn, Mekhman Aliev, Director of the Azerbaijani News Agency "Turan", asserts that the signed agreements are not first-order ones.

The policeman Ruslan Shakhbanov, who opened fire at DPS (road-and-post service) agents, has refused to undergo a medical examination for the presence of alcohol in his blood, said Yegor Balashov, the spokesman of the Investigating Department for Dagestan of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

In July 2013, at least 65 people suffered from the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus; of them, 46 people were killed and 19 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.

Investigators see no association of the murder in Dagestan of Revshan Lukmanov, the head of the regime division of SIZO-1 (pre-trial prison) of Makhachkala, with the murder of Eldar Magaramov, an ex-employee of the UFSIN (Department of the Russia's Penitentiary Service), said the spokesman for the Investigating Department for Dagestan of the ICRF.

David Usupashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, has apologized to the diplomats, who were present at the reception hosted by the US Navy warship in Batumi, for the behaviour of President Mikhail Saakashvili. According to political analyst Tornike Chulukhadze, mutual public criticism expressed by Saakashvili and Prime Minister Ivanishvili creates a bad image of the country.

Today, the Nasimi District Court of Baku has ruled to extend the arrest of Tofig Yagublu, Deputy Chairman of the "Musavat" Party until December 4.

The National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) of Azerbaijan has appointed, for August 18, a rally in support of screenwriter Rustam Ibragimbekov, a presidential candidate. The rally will also demand to ensure free and fair presidential election.

On August 12, the Nalchik City Court began hearing the criminal case of journalist Igor Tsagoev, charged with an aggravated assault. The defendant refused to plead guilty.