News

Residents of the settlement of Minbashi, Sabirabad district of Azerbaijan, recommenced their actions of protest demanding resignation of local municipality Ruhulla Godjaev and representative of executive authority of the settlement Beiler Iskanderov. They also demand release of Coordinator of the staff of civil community "Kura" Oktay Giulalyev.

The participants of the hunger strike in Astrakhan protesting against the results of Mayor's election held an unauthorized street action which developed into a collision with supporters of the incoming Mayor Mikhail Stolyarov.

In Azerbaijan, Oktai Gyulalyev, the coordinator of the civil organization "Kura" was sentenced to 12-day administrative arrest on charges of disorderly conduct.

Election of Speaker and Vice-Speaker in Abkhazia; verdict to Georgian citizens accused of drug trafficking in Malaysia; protest action against "Electrozink" Factory in Vladikavkaz; reintroduction of direct election of Volgograd Mayor; the second round of repeated presidential election in South Ossetia, - look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of April 2-8, 2012, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

To support participants of the political hunger strike, who do not recognize the results of the election of the Mayor of Astrakhan, a number of public figures, journalists and politicians go to visit them.

Sergey Udaltsov, the coordinator of the movement "Left-Wing Front", announced the beginning of a hunger strike in solidarity with Oleg Shein, ex-candidate for the position of Mayor of Astrakhan. At present, five members of the "Left-Wing Front" participate in the hunger strike.

In Azerbaijan, seven activists, who were detained prior to the opposition rally held on April 8 at the time of distributing leaflets calling to participate in that action, were sentenced to administrative arrests.

Today, six teachers from the Centre for Creative Development and Humanitarian Education in Krasnoarmeyskaya Street held a rally, demanding to stop felling of trees and construction of parking facilities in the territory of the educational institution.

On April 8, in Square of the 200th anniversary of Stavropol, the activists of the movement "Ecological Patrol" held a picket aimed at drawing attention to the problem of the destruction of urban forests. At the picket, the activist collected signatures on an appeal to the top-ranking officials of the country.

At least 28 persons suffered in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus in the period of April 2-8: 22 persons were killed and 6 wounded. These are the results of calculations made by the "Caucasian Knot", based on own materials and information from other public sources.

Russian nationalists from Krasnodar, Slaviyansk-on-Kuban, Novorossiysk, the stanitsa of Dinskaya, Armavir and other places of Rostov and Stavropol regions came to take part in the "Russian jog". The action passed off without incidents.

Ex-Head of KGB Leonid Tibilov was elected President of South Ossetia after polling 56,12% or 15 786 votes of the electorate, Chairperson of Central Election Committee (CEC) Bella Plieva reported. David Sanakoev polled 42,65% or 12 439 votes. Turnout of voters made 71,26%.

The participants of the 10-thousand-strong rally in the capital of Azerbaijan have demanded to hold early parliamentary elections, release political prisoners, eliminate corruption and settle the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

Today, a picket in support of the group of girls named "Pussy Riot" took place in Volgograd, where the picketers read verses and tried to communicate with the audience. Then they were attacked by some unknown persons, who were later detained by the police.

On April 6, the Stavropol Territorial Branch of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) held a rally against corruption in the road sector of the city of Stavropol. The picket was held outside the building of the city administration in Karl Marx Avenue and gathered over 30 participants.

The public debates on amendments to the Constitution have been initiated by the oppositional Christian-Democratic movement with the aim to make it possible for the leader of the coalition "Georgian Dream" Bidzina Ivanishvili to take part in the parliamentary elections.

The aim of the action launched in the republic is to prevent offences committed in the global network and increase users', first of all schoolchildren's, technical awareness.

The mothers' appeal of April 7 signed by twelve women, who are bringing up from four to twelve children, put forward a number of social and economic demands to President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.

In the city of Gagra, Abkhazia, in the yard, where members of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses come for their prayer meetings, a grenade went up. There were no casualties, but the building was damaged. Believers say about recent increased pressure on them.

On April 6, in the village of Sulu-Tepe, located a few kilometres off Baku, the security service of the oil company SOCAR was using construction equipment to demolish the houses, which the company treats as illegally built. In protest against demolition, local residents took a fight with the workers.