News

On November, 20, the Magistrate of Urup district of Karachay-Cherkessia fined local community of “Jehovah's Witnesses” in the settlement of Kurdjinovo to 50 thousand rubles acknowledging them guilty of mass distribution and storage of printed matted included into the federal list of extremist materials.

In Azerbaijan, the Civil Movement for Democracy "Public Chamber"(CMDPC) has supported – after public hearing on December 4 on 2013 presidential election – the memorandum on electoral reform. However, some of the debaters expressed doubt on the possibility to change the situation in the country through elections and spoke in favour of protest actions with the aim to force the authorities to start democratic reforms.

On December 4, the Voroshilov District Court of Volgograd considered a petition of the prosecutor's office asking to treat the appeal of Vladimir Kvachkov, a retired colonel of the so-called GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff), who is now kept at the Lefortovo Prison of the FSB under the charge of a putsch preparation, as an extremist material. The court dismissed the above petition of the prosecutor's office; however, the latter intends to challenge the ruling.

The Moscow City Court (MCC) has upheld the cassation lodged by the prosecutor's office against the ruling of the Lefortovo District Court to initiate a criminal case against the official who stormed the Dubrovka Theatrical Centre during the terror act. Now, the victims in the terror act case intend to challenge the MCC's decision at the supervisory instance.

In Moscow, at the trial on the murder of Colonel Yuri Budanov, the court has dismissed the petition lodged by advocates of the defendant Yusup Temerkhanov, who asked to add the photos made from the video, which had allegedly fixed the moment of investigatory actions conducted in the place of the crime, to the case files.

Many victims of the flooding in Krymsk have not yet received new housing. This is stated in the today's report of the commission of the Public Chamber (PC) of the Russian Federation for social policy, labour relations and citizens' living standards.

So far, there is no information about setting up a joint Ossetian-Ingush post on the Chermen Circle, said Akhmed Kotiev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Ingushetia. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of North Ossetia also does not confirm that the post near the village of Chermen can become a joint one, noting that regiments of the Russia's MIA, sent from different regions of the country are on duty there. In their turn, bloggers give varying estimates as to the importance of this checkpoint.

Today CEC of Armenia promulgated the results of special parliamentary election held on December, 2, in Armenia according to which upon the totals of voting representatives of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Robert Sarkisyan and Arman Saakyan won the election.

During today’s session the Parliament of Georgia adopted a resolution of acknowledging 190 citizens serving penalty political prisoners and 25 more political refugees.

In the evening of December, 5, an armed assault at broadcaster of STRC of KBR Kazbek Gekkiev took place, he died as a result.

Anna Kokoeva, wife of ex-editor of an oppositional web-site Uasamonga.ru Soslan Kokoev, activist of campaign office of candidate for presidency of North Ossetia Alla Djioeva, went on a hunger strike in Elista. The woman was detained for suspicion of bribing an official of the penal facility.

A thirty-two-year-old woman healer, resident of Baksan district, was killed in Kabardino-Balkaria, Committee of Inquiry of Russia in the republic reported.

Today, the Tbilisi City Court has ruled to arrest for preliminary two months in absentia four former employees of the department for constitutional security of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) – Data Akhalaya, Soso Topuridze, Geronti Alaniya and Oleg Melnikov.

The parliamentary faction of the oppositional "Armenian National Congress" (ANC) has already collected 34 signatures in favour of appeal to the Constitutional Court about the recent boycott by the parliamentary majority of the extraordinary session of the parliament, said Levon Zurabyan, the faction leader.

In Moscow today, the Tver District Court has extended till March 7 the arrest of Ruslan Zhamborov, the head of the Department for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) of the Federal Post Service of Russia; this was announced by Alexandra Berezina, the press secretary of the court.

Today, twelve prisoners of the Ksani Colony sick with AIDS and tuberculosis went on hunger strike, said Sozar Subari, Minister for Punishment Enforcement of Georgia.

The village of Balakhani, Untsukul District of Dagestan, is still blocked by power agents, while the adjacent forest is on fire, local residents assert. However, as stated by a source from the Untsukul ROVD (District Interior Division), there is no fire threat to the villages located in the district.

Evidence of witnesses for state prosecution received at a trial on Yuri Budanov’s case today play no fundamental role for the defense party, Valentin Varkentin, attorney of defendant Yusup Temerkhanov, declared.

Chechen authorities are going to build three new modern railway stations that would meet increasing demands of the republic in the towns of Grozny, Gudermes and Argun. A suggestion of including this project into the State program of development of North-Caucasian Federal Okrug till 2025 was submitted to Federal Center.

Ruling coalition the “Georgian Dream” in Georgia prepared an amendment stipulating entry into effect of already adopted constitutional regulations of extension of powers of Prime Minister for account of limiting the President’s authority. This amendment is expected to come into effect at the moment of inauguration of next Head of the state.