News

Today, the Baku Court of Appeal (CoA) has dismissed the complaint lodged by the theologian Talekh Bagirzade, who had been sentenced to two years in prison on charges of illegal drug possession. His defence intends to appeal against the verdict at the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan.

As stated by Anzor Aramisov, the head of the Department for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS), the Syrian student Ponezh Nauras should leave Russia for some time; however, it is not a deportation case.

During the period from April 28 to May 4, 2014, at least seven people suffered from the armed conflict in North Caucasus; of them five were killed and two wounded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

The Russian National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC) has stated that terror acts were prevented in Dagestan during the May Day holidays, namely, during the last two days, operative actions resulted in detection of two hideouts with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Today, three persons were killed during a special operation held in Khasavyurt. This was reported by the law enforcement agencies of Dagestan.

The condition of a staff member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), who was wounded on May 4 in Khasavyurt, is extremely grave; and he is in the resuscitation ward. At night, he underwent a series of surgeries. This was reported by Zaur Isaev, the chief physician of the Khasavyurt Central Hospital.

Prior to his death, the resident of Ingushetia, who threw a grenade at policemen in the Chechen Cossack village of Pervomaiskaya, entered a conflict and a fight with policemen. This was reported by local residents. According to their version, the body of the deceased man was given out to his relatives.

Detention and long interrogation of rights defender Leyla Yunus in Azerbaijan; armed clash in Stavropol Territory; festivities in KChR in honour of 57th anniversary of return of deported Karachay nationals to their historic homeland, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of April 28-May 4, 2014, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Azamat Tseboev, a resident of North Ossetia, who is serving his sentence in the high-security penal colony No. 1 in Vladikavkaz and who claimed being unlawfully held in custody after having served his sentence, was placed into the dungeon. His relatives told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it.

In the afternoon of May 4, the Turkish secret services conducted a search in the apartment in Ankara, where the family members of Rauf Mirkadyrov, an arrested Azerbaijani journalist, reside. This was reported by Adelya Babakhanova, Rauf Mirkadyrov's wife.

On May 4, in Vladikavkaz, nine persons came to the picket to protest against the activities of the metallurgical factory of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Electrozink". Organizers of the picket claimed the failure of the state regulatory authorities to act.

The European Union (EU) notes with concern the increase of pressure in Azerbaijan on the media and civil society. This was emphasized by the joint statement of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, and Štefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy.

Activists of the civil initiative "I'm against!" have demanded to reinstate dismissed metro train drivers of the Yerevan Metro. According to the members of the initiative, the metro workers were fired for taking part in the actions against the funded pension system.

The human rights organization "Freedom House" has compiled an annual index for media freedom in 2013. Armenia and Russia were included in the group of countries with no freedom of speech.

On Saturday, May 3, the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR) held festive events dedicated to the 57th anniversary of the return of deported Karachay people to their historic homeland.

Due to long queues at the ferry crossing, a bus trip from Sochi to Kerch may now take from 15 to 20 hours, the ticket sellers at the Sochi bus station report. Sochi residents hope for opening of direct sea links with the Crimea.

A rally, dated to the World Press Freedom Day, was attended by about 40 persons, who gathered in Azerbaijan at the tomb of Elmar Guseinov, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Monitor".

Adil Radjabov, Deputy of Gamyat Suleimanov, the Imam of the mosque "Abu Bakr", has been detained by Azerbaijani police.

On May 2, Judy Clark, an advocate of Johar Tsarnaev, a native of Chechnya, accused of organizing the terror acts in Boston, USA, filed a petition to the court asking to hold a session on the information leaks about her client's case, which, according to her version, may affect the decision to be made by the jury.

Two soldiers of the Azerbaijani Army were wounded during exercises; the state of their health is satisfactory, said the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD).