News

Husein Khubolov, one of the defendants on the case of an assault at Nalchik went on a hunger strike. This became known at a next scheduled trial.

Scientists, writers and public figures, who took part in a conference held within the forum "Buddhism: Philosophy of Non-Violence and Compassion" held in Elista (Kalmykia), have appealed to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) asking to allow a pastoral visit of the Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama XIV to Russia.

Georgian journalists found General Badri Bitsadze, former Deputy Interior Minister of Georgia, who was sentenced in absentia at home to 5.5 years of imprisonment, in Vienna.

Recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by the Pacific State of Tuvalu; PACE inspection of TACs of Chechen refugees in Ingushetia; terror act with dozens of victims; the fifth within a month attempt on high-ranking law enforcer; and the trial of policemen accused of beating lawyer Sapiyat Magomedova, which ended without starting in Dagestan, - look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of September 19-25, 2011, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

On September 21-28, Armenia holds the "Week of Freedom of Information", dated to the International Day of Freedom of Information.

At the trial on the case of the attack on the Baksan Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), interrogation of six witnesses failed, as they came to the session without their IDs.

In the course of the campaign "Let's Stop Lawlessness Together!" youth organizations of North Ossetia collected over 38,000 signatures to the appeal addressed to the country's and republic's leaders asking to adopt legislation to restrict operation of nightclubs in the republic.

On September 24, near the Armenian Church "Surb Astvatsatsin" (St Mary's Church) of the Novo-Nakhichevan and Russian Eparchy, located in the village of Bolshie Saly, Myasnikov District of the Rostov Region, a cross was installed in memory of the repressed priests and teachers of the parish school.

In Sukhumi, the inauguration of the president-elect of Abkhazia for first time took place without official invitation of foreign guests. In his inaugural speech, Alexander Ankvab said that he sees country's successful development in highly skilled work of the government, effective actions of legislators and close cooperation of the civil society with the authorities.

At the Sabail District Court of Baku, at the trial of four oppositionists, arrested for taking part in the April 2 rally, the state prosecutor Djeikhun Kyazimov asked to sentence the accused to 2.5 and 3 years of imprisonment.

On September, 25, activists of the civil movement "Save Historical Memorials" carried out cleansing works in Vankasar church dating back to VI-VII centuries not far from the ancient town of Tigranakert (Nagorno-Karabakh).

As a result of pelting rains which lasted day and night on September, 25, the traffic in the major highways of Batumi (Adzharia, Georgia) was paralyzed for several hours. Water level in the main streets of the town reached 1 - 1,5 meters.

Famous cosmetic surgeons from the USA, Germany and Australia who arrived in Chechnya last week will operate on 30 Chechen children who need oral surgery aid. All the high-priced operations will be performed at no charge.

Igor Berezniuk, defendant on the case of mass disturbances in Manezhnaya square of Moscow last December, appealed against his arrest to the European Court of Human Rights. This was reported by Dmitry Agranovsky acting as the defendant's attorney today.

On September 25, Ales Bialiatski, Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the head of the Human Rights Centre "Viasna" (Spring) – a FIDH member-organization in Belarus, is 49 years old.

On September 23, in Tbilisi, the oppositional party of the former Georgia's Ambassador to the United Nations Irakli Alasaniya "Our Georgia – Free Democrats" held an action of gratitude to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) for the decision on the case of Sandro Girgvliani. The participants of the rally called on the Council of Europe (CoE) to force the Georgian government to fulfil the decision.

The "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" reports, with reference to local residents, that in the valley of the Psou River, in the territory of the Sochi National Park, there is another illegal quarry.

Today, the rural settlement of Ekazhevo, Nazran District of Ingushetia, hosts an extraordinary gathering of villagers in protest against detention on September 18 of Ali Dobriev, Senior Assistant of the Sunzha District Prosecutor, on suspicion of organizing an illegal armed formation (IAF) and preparing a terror act.

The Labour Party of Georgia asks the UN committee on discrimination "to investigate the issue of discrimination of the Georgian language and adopt a resolution against the Anglo-American colonization of Georgia."

The protest action against high gasoline prices was organized by about 20 persons, who plan to send their adopted resolution to Russian President.