News

On June 23, Parviz Gashimli, a journalist and human rights activist, who is kept in SIZO-1 (pre-trial prison) in Baku was placed into dungeon for six days, said his advocate Bakhruz Bairamov. Gashimli's advocates have not yet decided whether to appeal against the decision to place him into the dungeon.

Today, the Frunze District Court of the Saratov Region has found Magamed Iliev, the plenipotentiary representative of the Republic of Ingushetia in the Volga Federal District (VFD), guilty of a large-scale fraud and sentenced him to 5.5 years in a general security colony. The second defendant in the case – Maria Akhlupkina – was sentenced to 4.5 years in same-type colony.

Today, residents of the city of Zverevo have finished their protest march to Rostov-on-Don launched on June 2, after officials promised to consider their demands.

Yesterday, on June 23, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" filed an appeal against the decision of the Zamoskvorechye District Court of Moscow to dismiss the HRC's complaint against the prosecutors' demand for registration as a foreign agent. This was reported by Alexander Cherkasov, Chairman of the Board of the HRC "Memorial".

The "Union of Don Women" has filed an appeal against the decision of the Novocherkassk City Court of the Rostov Region on recognising the NGO as a "foreign agent". The session to consider the appeal should take place within two months, Ildar Shafiev, the lawyer for the Union, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, adding that he had submitted the appeal to the above City Court on June 16.

A camp for Ukrainian refugees, located in the heart of the Cossack village of Kuschevskaya is the first camp deployed in the Krasnodar Territory. The camp is provided with all communications and convenient approach roads. This was reported by the administration of the Cossack village of Kuschevskaya.

Abukar and Islam Evloev, two residents of the village of Sagopshi of the Malgobek District of Ingushetia, detained by law enforcers on June 17, are being tortured and beaten at the IVS (temporary detention facility). This was reported by their relatives.

On June 23, at the session in Strasbourg, the Bureau of the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) approved a draft resolution entitled "Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Council of Europe: what steps are taken in terms of respect for human rights?". The draft resolution has been developed by the initiative of Irish MP Michael McNamara.

In Yerevan, advocates of the defendants in the case against Shant Arutyunyan, the leader of the "Tsegakron" Party, and other participants of the "Million Mask March" held on November 5, 2013, who are accused of hooliganism, require the court to ensure the transparency of the trial against the activist. The defenders believe that the courtroom provided for the trial fails to ensure conditions for effective work.

A clash of the police and activists happened today in Yerevan during a protest action against rise of tariffs on electricity. Several dozens of activists were detained, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports. In the evening, more activists gathered near the central police station demanding to liberate the detainees.

Power agents began persecuting Ilmudin Gasanov, who disappeared on June 20 inDagestan, after the murder in 2008 of his nephew Khalid, who had joined militants. This was reported by Gasanov's relatives, who cannot find his whereabouts for four days, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has reported today.

Today, the Azerbaijan Centre for Resisting Repressions at the Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD) has moved an initiative to the international community to impose sanctions on the Azeri officials who violate human rights. As stated by Leyla Yunus, the Director of the IPD, the list similar to the "Magnitsky List" should include six judges.

A broad range of Azerbaijani oppositional forces have urged the government to promptly sign the association agreement with the European Union. At the same time, they expressed their negative attitude to the prospect of Azerbaijan's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEC).

As reported by the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch), a factory is being built in the dwelling settlement of Kamennomostsky, Republic of Adygea that poses a danger to local residents and tourists. Ecologists have sent their appeals to supervisory authorities and bodies of power, asking them to make a check.

Preliminary voting outcomes at municipal elections in Georgia; armed clashes in Russian-Ukrainian border in Rostov Region and increase of the number of refugees from Ukraine in Southern Russia; next round of Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia, – look these and other news about major events in the Caucasus during the week of June 16-22, 2014, in the review prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

During a check of IDs on the road in the Urus-Martan District, two suspected militants opened fire on policemen out of their car. During an armed conflict, both attackers were killed. According to law enforcers, they were involved in the murder of policeman Magomed Dapaev committed on June 22 in Grozny.

During the week from June 16 to June 22, 2014, the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus claimed one human life, and one person was wounded. These are the results of the calculations made by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

The participants of the rally demanded from Russian authorities to take measures to stop the bloodshed in Eastern regions of Ukraine. Along with the rally, a flash mob was held in Lenin Square of those who disagreed with the demands of rally participants.

Members of the Circassian community in Russia and some other countries have sent an appeal to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk asking them to recognize the genocide of the Circassian nation.

In the evening on June 21, at the Russia's General Consulate in Istanbul, an action of Circassian community was held in protest against persecution of Andzor Akhokhov, the organizer of the anti-Olympic action held on February 7 in Nalchik. The protest was about 60 people strong, Selchuk Baglar, one of the protesters, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.