News

The actors of the burned down building of the State Drama Theatre of South Ossetia are unsatisfied with the progress of reconstruction work and demand to build a new modern building with preservation of the architectural appearance of the old theatre. In defence of their position, as the actors told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, they are ready to go out to a rally.

Today, the federal judge of the Lenin District Court of Vladikavkaz pronounced the decision in favour of journalist Lora Tskaeva, who filed a lawsuit against Alexander Pikalev, the cleric of St. George's Cathedral, the blogger of the "Livejournal".

The victims in the case of the gas cylinder explosion at wedding in Vladikavkaz in June 2011 would demand cancellation of the court's verdict to the defendant Vadim Vazagov.

The Armenian government has decided to dismantle trade stalls in the park near Mashtots Avenue in the three-year term. The resolution came into force on March 15.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev instructed the Prosecutor's Office to verify compliance with the law in the case against the ecologist Suren Gazaryan. This was reported today by Mikhail Fedotov, the head of the Presidential Council on Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.

Today, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev signed a decree on pardon, which was timed for the spring holiday of Nowruz.

On March 17, in Baku, the Committee for Youth Protection (CYP), uniting the leading oppositional and independent youth organizations in Azerbaijan, will hold a rally demanding to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, release political prisoners and eliminate corruption. The Baku Mayoralty sanctioned the action.

On March 14, part of the Chechen capital has been de-energized during the daylight hours. The power engineering services explain the incident by conducting of maintenance works; however, local residents are convinced that power cuts are focused.

In the city of Samara, the man, who threw a banana from grandstand in the direction of Roberto Carlos, Captain of the Makhachkala "Anji" FC during the match of the Russian Championship "Krylia Sovetov" FC "Anji" FC, has been identified.

The Federal Court of the Lenin District of the capital of Dagestan has ruled to return to Ziyavdin Dapaev, the follower of Turkish theologian Said Nursi, who earlier was found guilty of organizing an extremist organization, the books confiscated by law enforcement agents. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Ziyavdin Dapaev himself.

A continuing hunger strike began in Astrakhan. The number of its participants includes six persons, who, in particular, demand cancellation of the results of the elections of the Mayor and the Astrakhan City Duma, the of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The 57-year-old Olga Kolodtseva, injured at collapse of the residential building in Astrakhan on February 27, died at the Alexander and Mary Hospital after sharp deterioration of health. This was announced today by Nadezhda Larina, Deputy Chief Physician. Thus, the death toll in the collapse of the building has increased to 11 persons.

Chechen athletes, who came to the city of Nizhny Novgorod to participate in the Russian Championship on Karate, were refused to stay at a hotel because of their nationality. This was reported by Magomed Nadaev, the honoured coach of the republic on karate.

In the city of Nazran, unidentified men in camouflage and masks kidnapped Akhmed Chumakov, a 21-year-old local resident. This was reported by the Investigatory Department of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) in the Republic of Ingushetia.

In Imishli District of Azerbaijan, 10 local residents went on hunger strike, demanding fair compensation for the consequences of flooding.

The Savyolovo District Court of Moscow arrested Mairbek Umaev, a 42-year-old unemployed native of Chechnya, accused of the murder of Ruslan Akhtakhanov, the prominent Chechen poet and social activist.

At the Azerbaijani Gobustan closed prison, three prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment went on a hunger strike. The prisoners demand to reconsider their criminal cases.

In Azerbaijan, persons, who earlier blackmailed Khadidja Ismailova, the staff member of the Azerbaijani Office of the Radio Station "Radio Freedom", threatening to disseminate her intimate filming, executed their threats on March 14.

The "Caucasian Knot" has won a prestigious award – the Geuzenpenning Medal. The presentation ceremony of the Medal, awarded to the edition for its human rights activities, was held on March 13 in the Netherlands.

In the park near Mashtots Avenue, police disperses the participants of the sitting day-and-night picket. This was reported by the activist Mariam Sukhudyan.