News

On Monday, at the Moscow City Court, Nikita Tikhonov, a murderer of advocate Stanislav Markelov, charged with the creation of the extremist community "Combat Organization of Russian Nationalists" (CORN), has given up his final speech.

On September 21, Chechnya celebrated the Day of Chechen Woman. The holiday was introduced by the authorities in 2009. The festivities were held under enhanced security measures.

Summing up the results of the elections held on September 14 in the regions of Southern Russia; Investment Forum in Sochi, attended by representatives of 37 foreign countries and 74 regions of Russia; uphold of verdict of guilty against Said Amirov pronounced by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation; attack on reporters of the Moscow BBC Office in Astrakhan; departure of the first group of pilgrims from Southern Russia to Hajj; early termination of the visit to Azerbaijan of the mission of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of September 15-21, 2014, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Residents of the villages of Vremenny and Gimry of the Untsukul District of Dagestan report on law enforcers going around households and searching houses.

In Ingushetia, a shootout occurred between law enforcers and militants. As a result, a policeman and one of the attackers were killed.

Leyla Yunus, a rights defender arrested in Azerbaijan, complains that the pressure imposed on her by her cellmates has increased after the visit to the SIZO (pre-trial prison) of the delegation of the Ombudsman's Office.

This autumn, the Prosecutor's Office of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) is to verify the complaints filed about fact of violence against detainees under investigation. This was stated by Magomed Miziev, the Chief of the Prosecutor's Office Department to supervise investigation of crimes in the bodies of the Investigating Department (ID) of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) for the KBR.

Yerevan hosts the International Festival "Literary Ark-2014", which brings together poets and writers from 11 countries, including France, Italy, Croatia, Russia, Poland, the UK, and Denmark.

Today, Vladikavkaz has held the First Congress of Muslim Women of North Ossetia, which was attended by about 100 women. The Congress discussed the women's role in the society, problems of creating a family, fundamentals of marriage and the importance of wearing a headscarf.

Today, residents of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) celebrate the Adygs' Day for the first time. On the occasion, schools and other institutions where Saturday is a working day have a day-off.

Ilgar Nasibov, a human rights defender beaten in Nakhichevan has been charged with inflicting bodily harm to Farid Askerov. The activist believes that the charge against him is politically motivated and that it is filed to "neutralize him".

The case against Marina Baisultanova, a resident of Grozny, accused of severe beating of her stepdaughter, after which the girl fell into a coma, is sent to the court. Marina Baisultanova also faces charges of beating the older sister of the victim.

Oppositional politicians and civil society activists in Azerbaijan welcome the resolution of the European Parliament (EP) calling on the country's authorities to stop pressure on those who criticize the government critics and release the arrested rights defenders. For the first time ever, a document of the European Union has voiced the idea of using sanctions against the Azerbaijani officials responsible for human rights violations, says the opposition.

The house of an entrepreneur, director of one of bus stations of Makhachkala, was attacked by unidentified shooters from a grenade launcher. The incident occurred in the evening on September 19.

Tatiana Borisova, an activist of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch) has held a solo picket in Krasnodar in support of the ecologist Evgeny Vitishko, convicted for damaging the fence around the premise, known as "summer cottage" of Alexander Tkachov, the Governor of the Krasnodar Territory.

Activists of the public movement "Volgograd Parents for Children's Rights" have sent an appeal to 48 deputies of the Volgograd City Duma, claiming the catastrophic situation in kindergartens.

Radjab Mustafaev, who was killed in the village of Semender on September 2, was not a member of an illegal armed formation (IAF). However, investigators refuse to give out his body for burial, the mother of the deceased man states.

Dagestani journalists support the demand expressed by the international human rights organization "Article 19", which calls on the authorities of the Russian Federation to resume the investigation into the murder of Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

A picket in support of Evgeny Vitishko, a convicted member of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch), was held by members of the "Yabloko" Party within the "Week of Actions". According to the party's plan, during a week, in several Russian cities, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Krasnodar, "Yabloko" activists and other supporters of Vitishko held rallies and solo pickets demanding Vitishko's immediate release.

Musanip Ramazanov has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that his son Zarkipli Ramazanov was kidnapped in Makhachkala by some strangers. The father has turned to the Dagestani Regional Public Organization (DRPO) "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy) for help, stating that the kidnapping took place in Dzerzhinsky Street, near the place where Zarkipli works.