News

The rally in Makhachkala against "arbitrariness of law enforcers", which was attended on November 21 by about a thousand persons, ended with adoption of an appeal to presidents of Russia and Dagestan Dmitry Medvedev and Magomedsalam Magomedov. The appeal notes that the republic sees a real civil war, as a result of which several hundreds of people perished within the last year only.

The Lenkoran District Court of Azerbaijan has sentenced Aidyn Djanyev, a regional correspondent of the newspaper "Khural", to three years in jail for disorderly conduct in relation to the mosque Akhund. Journalists believe that Djanyev was punished for his newspaper article with criticism of the clergy.

On November 20, Yerevan hosted the third international exhibition of dogs of all breeds of the rank CACIB (candidates for international beauty champions), named "Armenia-2011". One of the main objectives of the event, as stated by the organizers, was promotion of the indigenous Armenian Gampra Wolfhound.

The Orenburg Branch of the Interregional Public Organization "Committee Against Torture" holds a public inquiry into the death of Armen Sargsyan, a local resident, on November 18 in the premises of the operative and investigatory unit of the MIA Department for Orenburg; his father has applied for legal aid to human rights defenders, who do not exclude that he was tortured to death.

Location of Rasul Magomedov, teacher of the Russian language and literature in a secondary school of Balakhna, who disappeared in Makhachkala on November, 17, under vague circumstances, is still unknown in Dagestan.

Rafig Tagi, writer of political essays, who underwent an assault on November, 19, in Baku does not rule out that the motive for the attempt might have been his publications in which he touched upon religious issues.

In January, 2012, a joint Armenian-Russian astronomic program “Observing space debris” will be launched. This was reported by Aik Arutiunyan, Director of Biurakan Observatory.

Magomed Markhiev, ex-Vice Premier of Ingushetia, Head of republican social insurance fund, was operated on as a result of a robbery assault. His leg was dismembered and he is still in a grave state.

The Department of Investments and Project Support of the Krasnodar Territory has launched a telephone hotline on improvement of the investment climate in the region.

On November 21, employees of the OVD (Interior Division) of the township of Shamkhal (Kirov District of Makhachkala) detained eleven locals; two of them were heavily beaten, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by the father of one of the detainees – Magdan Taimaskhanov.

Within the Sixth Day of Circassian Culture, held on November 7 at the European Parliament, a declaration on national rights of Circassians was adopted.

Russia's payments for renting the Gabala Radar Station (RS) are not adequate to the value of the station and the risks of Azerbaijan, said Araz Azimov, Deputy Foreign Minister.

Today, employees of the Kizilyurt ROVD (District Interior Division) have detained two nephews of Uzlipat Gazieva, a resident of the village of Chontaul of the Kizilyurt District – Ramazan, 26, and Magomed, 23, Abdulkerimov. The woman has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about the incident.

On November 22-23, Yerevan will be the venue of a forum devoted to the development of Armenian-Turkish economic relations. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has learnt about it at the Yerevan office of the "Eurasia" Foundation, one of the organizers of the forum.

In the morning on November 20, a shot from the Azerbaijani side killed Migran Margaryan, born in 1992, a regular soldier of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army (NKDA). The Karabakh party believes that he was shot dead by an Azerbaijani sniper.

Villagers from Shamkhal, where on November 19 several residents were detained, were among the participants of the rally in Makhachkala "against arbitrariness of law enforcement bodies". The speakers urged residents of Dagestan to protect their rights, by overcoming their fear, and promised new protests.

Rostov-on-Don has seen a series of solo pickets in support of Maxim Slipchenko and Evgeniy Melnikov, arrested for 10 days. According to the organizers of the actions, on November 13-19 from two to seven persons held pickets in Rostov-on-Don, at the building of the Russian Presidential Envoy in the Southern Federal District (SFD).

The today's meeting in Makhachkala of Austrian businessmen with the leadership of Dagestan has announced the upcoming visit to the republic of "Raiffeisenbank" officials to open a representative office. The talks involve also representatives of the "Audi" Concern.

Committee of Inquiry of Kabardino-Balkaria informed that three gunmen were killed during a special operation in Nalchik.

Non-recognition of the presidential election in South Ossetia (the second round to be held on November 27) by most countries in the world; struggle of North-Ossetian believers for their Orthodox priest; Catherine Ashton's visit to Southern Caucasus, accompanied by protests against human rights violations in Azerbaijan; State Duma election campaign, which in Southern Russia cannot do without scandals and protests, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of November 14-20, 2011, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".