News

In Baku, on January 13, a confrontation occurred of the workers of the Mayoralty with the three families who refused to move out of the house defined for demolition in the area of Flag Square. The families refused to leave the three-storey building and stood as a "human shield" in front of the excavator.

Ilyas Nalgiev, ex-Chief of the Karabulak GOVD (Interior Division), who was wounded in explosion, is in critical condition in resuscitation ward. The attempt on him took place at the night before sentencing of a resonant case of torture, in which Ilyas Nalgiev was a defendant.

Human rights defenders in Azerbaijan express their concern about the military service of unhealthy young people and non-combat losses in the armed forces of the country. Alekper Mamedov, the head of Centre for democratic civilian control over armed forces, reported about new facts of recruitment of seriously ill young people.

The court ordered to return to the budget of the Tarumovka District of Dagestan 2.9 million roubles, spent by officials for buying a foreign-made car. This was reported by the local Prosecutor's Office.

The oppositional activist Zeinal Bagirzade, arrested in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) of Azerbaijan, told his brother that during the first three days after his detention he had been subjected to physical and psychological pressure.

Representatives of the "Tegut Protection Group" continue to insist that the Armenian government failed to fulfil its obligations. In connection with that fact, the public organization repeatedly appealed to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee.

The results of the contest for the best comment of readers of the Internet edition "Caucasian Knot", available through the social network Facebook, are summed up. During the period from December 30, 2011, to January 12, 2012, readers voted for the posts, selected by the edition. As a result, the largest number of votes went to the comments made by Milana Dudaeva, Bekkhan Gelgoev and Ismail Aliev, who would receive prizes.

Following the results of 2011, the Internet edition "Caucasian Knot" entered the ten most cited news sources of the Runet and showed a significant movement in the rating among 7900 media, information about which was included in the study of the "Medialogy".

Law enforcement agents and soldiers, who surround the village of Gimry of the Untsukul District starting January 9, beat several villagers and shot from submachine gun into the air. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Shamil Abdullaev, a local resident.

On January, 12, Union of youth and students' organizations of Azerbaijan accomplished the "Campaign of aid to Somali" which started at the beginning of October, 2011.

A sixteen-years-old resident of Ingushetia was found in the stanitsa of Nesterovskaya, Sunzha district, a source in the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the republic informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Border guards in Georgia detained a citizen of Azerbaijan Ilgar Guseinov. He is accused of illegal crossing the border with Abkhazia.

Committee of Inquiry (CI) of Russia reported that Suren Mkrtchyan, General Director of "Casabella" limited corporation, was detained within the framework of a criminal case of an explosion in an Italian restaurant "Il Pittore" in Moscow, he is currently being interrogated.

Jambulat Doskaziev, district police officer of "Lagansky" inter-district Department of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Russia, is suspected of murder. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Arslan Churiumov, Senior assistant Head of Investigative department of Kalmykia for intercommunication with mass media.

On January 11, the county police of Canakkale in Turkey detained eight Georgian citizens accused of operating a brothel. In the near future, according to the Turkish party, they will be deported to their homeland.

The Volgograd Regional Central Election Commission (CEC) has dismissed Sergey Smirnov, the chairman of one of territorial election commissions (TECs), who on December 6, 2011, refused to recount the votes in his district after the State Duma elections.

In early 2012, during the New Year and Christmas holidays, the vicinities of Mount Elbrus welcomed about three thousand tourists, two times less than last year, said the press-service of the administration of the Elbrus District of Kabardino-Balkaria.

The Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) has issued a statement expressing concern about the fact of collapse of the Armenian Church Surb Nshan in Tbilisi and calling on the Georgian authorities to take immediate steps to save it.

An explosion occurred in a private medical centre "Med-Luxe" in Kizlyar, which wounded two persons. The reasons of the explosion are being established, said the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) of Dagestan.

On January 11, believers of Rostov-on-Don and the town of Matveyev-Kurgan held two rallies against abortions. Their participants were handing out leaflets and held talks with passers-by.