News

The court in Krasnodar has appointed a hearing for June 5, where it will consider the further freedom restriction of Mikhail Savva, whose detention expires on June 12. His wife Elena Savva told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it. The session of the Oktiabrsky District Court of Krasnodar is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on June 5.

Today, Mekhman Zametdinov, an activist of the civil movement "Nida" (Shout), was detained by the police and subjected to administrative arrest for 10 days, said Elmin Badalov, the spokesman for the movement. The Khatain District Court has confirmed the decision to arrest Zametdinov, but did not specify what he was accused of.

Rasim Aliev and Mekhman Guseinov, the employees of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), said that on June 3 in Baku they were exposed to policemen's pressure while covering a rally of solidarity with the ongoing demonstrations in Turkey in support of local activists. Law enforcement authorities promise to conduct an investigation.

The US State of Louisiana has passed a resolution in support of the efforts of Nagorno-Karabakh to develop as a free and independent state, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

The refugees from Georgia living in the collective centres in Tskhinvali claim that they are forced to live in dilapidated buildings in the absence of natural gas; and these problems are addressed by nobody.

The Azeri writer Khalida Khalid and her driver and assistant Shamkhal Guseinov, released on June 3 inIran, had been held in this country for over a month in violation of the Convention on Diplomatic Service and the rights of the detainees, said Vafa Guluzade, a former state adviser on foreign policy.

The case of 16 Jehovah's Witnesses, who are tried in Taganrog since May 30, shows the absurdity of the Russian anti-extremism legislation, experts in human rights said at a press conference in Moscow.

On Monday night, an attack was committed on Irina Lukyashko, a reporter of the Internet-based medium "Yuga.ru". Two teenage girls beat the journalist and took away her bag, purse and cell phone, Irina Lukyashko herself told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Iranian authorities have released two citizens of Azerbaijan – the writer Khalida Khalid and her driver and helper Shamkhal Guseinov, who were arrested on April 30, said Elman Abdullaev, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan.

On Monday, the Tsentralny District Court of Sochi dismissed the petition of the investigation to change the recognizance not to leave of the journalist of the Public Television of Russia (PTR) Nikolai Yarst for custody. Instead, the court appointed a two-month home arrest.

On Monday, at the trial of the attack on Nalchik on October 13, 2005, the defendant Murat Kashirgov said that several defendants had gone on hunger strike. According to Kashirgov, the protest was caused by the fact that the defendants' complaints remain within the SIZO and fail to reach the destinations.

Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the movement "Republican Alternative" ("ReAl") has stopped the hunger strike in the penalty chamber (dungeon), said his lawyer Khalid Bagirov. The information about Mamedov's hunger strike is not true, said Mekhman Sadygov, a representative of the Penitentiary Service.

The strike held in the Batumi Port by employees of the company "Batumi International Container Terminal", who demanded higher wages and better working conditions, is over. The strikers demanded higher wage, to open a medical centre at the enterprise, and take measures to ensure labour safety.

Russian school graduates start taking their USEs, during which a number of violations were fixed in South of Russia; Makhachkala Mayor detained on suspicion of organizing a murder in Dagestan; Georgia protests against Russia's demarcation actions on the border with South Ossetia; establishment of the oppositional National Council of Democratic Forces of Azerbaijan prior to the upcoming presidential election; women's hunger strike demanding more places in kindergartens of Volgograd, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of May 27-June 2, 2013, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

As reported by Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), the mayor of Makhachkala Said Amirov was detained on suspicion of organizing a murder of an investigator in Dagestan. On June 1, the police blocked Parkhomenko Street in Makhachkala and, according to eyewitnesses, surrounded the house of Said Amirov. A source from the republic's law enforcement bodies said that the mayor was detained and taken out of the city in a helicopter.

The data on terrorist activity in Russia in 2012, published in the annual report of the US State Department, are essentially diverging from the data conducted by the "Caucasian Knot" on the basis of its own materials and information from open sources. The report of US State Department contains information about 182 terror attacks committed in Russia in 2012. Meanwhile, the statistics on the North Caucasus compiled by the "Caucasian Knot" shows a significantly lower figure.

The historical centre of Baku has launched a two-day festival "European Town", which has aroused a great interest in residents of the capital of Azerbaijan, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports. The festival was held with the aim to expand the knowledge of European values and promote Azerbaijan-EU relations.

A picket under the motto "For Russian circus without cruelty" that was held on the embankment of Volgograd brought together about forty protesters. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has learnt from Tatiana Ryabinova, the organizer of the picket and coordinator of the "Vita" Centre in Defence of Animals' Rights, that the picket of 30 people had been agreed with the authorities.

On Monday, the Oktiabrsky District Court of Stavropol continued the preliminary hearing on the case of Igor Bestuzhy, the former head of the city administration. It was held behind closed doors; and the court retired to the jury room until June 5.

In the city of Nakhichevan, authorities are forcibly evicting nine families of retired militaries and veterans of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from their apartments, the residents of the military township are complaining. "In 1987, we received a warrant for the apartment. Now, the authorities of Nakhichevan have brought the police here and demand to quickly abandon the flat," a veteran Abdullah Orudjov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.