News

The Moscow City Court has rescheduled the next session on the murder case of the observer of the "Novaya Gazeta" Anna Politkovskaya for September 2, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has reported. The reason for postponement was the sickness of the defendant Djabrail Makhmudov, who is still at Botkin Hospital after his injury.

In the course of the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus, in the period from August 19 to August 25, 2013, at least 18 fell victim; of them, 11 persons were lost, and seven more were wounded. These are the outcomes of the calculations made by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

Definition of candidates for the heads of Dagestan and Ingushetia to be elected by respective local parliaments on September 8; special operation in Buynaksk and unrest in Karaman in Dagestan; announced sentence to four officials for Krymsk flood; start of hearing in relation to 16 persons accused of links with militants in Karachay-Cherkessia; registration of the first presidential candidate and nomination by opposition of backup united candidate, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of August 19-25, 2013, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Today, Sochi pupils have started their classes – this early beginning of the school year has to do with the upcoming Winter Olympic Games; however, the traditional "First Ring" will sound for the first-year pupils on September 2, said the Department of Education and Sciences of the Sochi City Administration.

In Volgograd, participants of a rally against increased housing and utility urged to recognize the work of the regional, city and district officials in charge of maintaining order in the communal sphere unsatisfactory and dismiss them.

About three hundred residents of the villages of Tarki, Kyakhulay and Alburikent gathered today at a meeting in Karaman to discuss the situation around the land plots of the Kumtorkalin District and adopt an appeal to the Acting Head of Dagestan.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan has registered the incumbent head of state Ilham Aliev as a presidential candidate for the election to be held on October 9.

The arrest of Yadigyar Sadygov, the adviser to the chairman of opposition "Musavat" Party, has been extended until September 27. This was decided on August 24 by the Lenkoran District Court.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan has postponed indefinitely the approval of the nomination of Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the civil movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl), who is under investigation and arrest, as a presidential candidate.

In Yerevan, policemen have detained 16 protesters against construction in Komitas Avenue. A journalist was beaten in the police car, the "NEWS.am" reports.

In the opinion of many locals and human rights activists, the introduction of a number of restrictions in Sochi for the period of preparation and holding of the Olympic Games violates the rights of city residents and visitors alike.

The defence of the students Rafik Avagyan and David Barsegyan, sentenced in Nagorno-Karabakh to 11 and 10 years in prison for treason and espionage, has appealed against the verdict.

Activists of several civil society organizations and political parties have submitted a notification to the Mayoralty of Sochi about a 400-strong rally on environmental issues on September 7.

Natalia Alieva, a resident of the village of Semender, has completely denied her guilt of aiding the members of illegal armed formations (IAFs), said Israfil Gadadov, a lawyer from the Bar "Kavkaz".

The fourth school of Hafizes (people who know Quran by heart), launched in construction in August 2012, was opened on August 23 at the south-western Chechnya, in the city of Urus-Martan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on introduction of a number of restrictions in Sochi at the time of preparation and holding of the Winter Olympic Games-2014. In particular, rallies and assemblies will be banned the city.

On August 23, the lawyer of the Dagestani weekly "Chernovik" lodged his statement to the local FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Dagestan on the fact of a hacker attack, undertaken since August 22 against the paper's website.

On August 23, a mourning rally took place in Central Embankment of Volgograd. The action was attended by about 50 people – war veterans, townspeople, survivors of the bombing, politicians and public figures.

Activists of eleven Georgian NGOs have put forward the candidacy of Ms Tamar Zhvaniya, the head of the UNDP's election projects, for the post of the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Today, Professor Jamil Gasanli from the Baku State University has been elected as the backup presidential candidate of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF).