News

Nukri Khuhia, Director of penal colony No 15 in the settlement of Ksani, Central Georgia, submitted a report of resignation after disturbances among the convicts that started in the penal facility.

Officials in Azerbaijan often make statements about freedom of the Internet; however, the practice of arrest of journalists, human rights defenders, and bloggers for on-line statements contributes to the formation of self-censorship. This was stated by Emin Guseinov, Director of thee IRFS, at the international conference, entitled "Human Rights and Internet Governance are Inseparable".

The budget of Georgia returned to Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili 48 million US dollars, which were paid by him as a penalty in this July. This was reported today by David Narmaniya, Minister for Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia.

Four inmates of the penal colony "Salyn IK-1" inflicted to themselves superficial cuts of their forearms and necks with blades from disposable razors to express their protest against the holding of personal search. Besides, seven more prisoners also injured themselves, and one of them was hospitalized. This was stated by the Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) of Kalmykia.

Relatives of Aslan Cherkesov, who serves his sentence in the Krasnoyarsk Territory for the murder of Yegor Sviridov, have claimed a pressure, exerted on the prisoner, and a hunger strike, held by him in protest. However, the Chief Department of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) of the Krasnoyarsk Territory treats the information as false.

Bacho Akhalaya, ex-Minister of Internal Affairs, who returned to Georgia, is ready to answer all questions, related to his activities at the position of the Chief of the Department of Corrections at the Ministry of Justice.

Builders of bypass road in Kobuleti (Georgia) again held a protest action. They claim that the employer has violated an agreement, reached several days ago.

Last week, on October 29-November 4, 2012, at least 12 persons fell victim to the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of these, 8 persons were killed and 4 wounded. These are the results of calculations of the "Caucasian Knot" based on own materials of the edition and information from other open sources.

Actions of nationalists in cities of Southern Russia on the National Unity Day; resignation of the government of Kabardino-Balkaria; preliminary results of census and Raffi Ovannisyan's intention to run for presidency in Armenia; killing of imam of Dagestani mosque; sentencing of ex-policemen accused of torturing detainees; and a hunger strike of oppositionists in Ingushetia, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of October 29-November 4, 2012, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Relatives of Ruslan Medzhidov killed in a special operation in Dagestan on October, 30, state that he was kidnapped by unknown people on October, 28, the killed young man’s mother, resident of Kaspiysk Svetlana Alieva, reported.

An action in protection of the square named after Lado Gudiashvili, one of the oldest squares in Tbilisi, passed off in Georgia on November, 3. 150 people participated in it.

Fifteen convicts in penal colony No 12 in the settlement of Ksani, Central Georgia, sewed up their mouths as a sign of protest demanding to replace the administration of the penal facility.

On November, 4, Head of “Mehkh-Khel” regional civil movement Idris Abadiev was invited to Nazran municipal Department of Interior Affairs for a talk that lasted about four hours.

In Georgia, labour contracts have been terminated with 36 journalists of the "Imedi" TV Company. According to the dismissed journalists, no explanations were provided.

Today, the Ingush oppositionist Magomed Khazbiev, who was put in jail on October 19 for 15 days for an administrative offence, was released.

On November 3, in Kabardino-Balkaria, a shuttle (fixed-route taxi) ran against a passenger car: three persons were killed and ten more injured, the spokesman of the republic's MIA has reported.

As reported by the spokesman of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD), on November 2 and at night on November 3, the Armenian Armed Forces shelled the location of the Azerbaijani troops.

In North Ossetia, the court has sentenced Soslan Dzagoev, a 29-year-old criminal detective from Vladikavkaz, to 3.5 years in prison for abuse of power, expressed through beating and torturing a detainee.

As reported on November 3 by Ia Bobokhidze, the editor-in-chief of the "Akhali Gazeti", and Manana Managadze, an activist from the centre for defending civil interests "Argus", seven inmates were holding hunger strike for five days at the Kutaisi prison.

At night on November 2, a mass beating of inmates by the prison staff took place in the colony "Salyn IK-1", located in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia. In protest, prisoners cut their veins; some of them tried to put themselves on fire, said Nina Efremova, an activist of the international public movement "Unity".