News

In 2011, the Russian Federation saw 397 instances of oppression against members of the international religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. This was reported by believers themselves, who state increased pressure on them. Officials from law enforcement bodies claim that they are acting in accordance with the law.

Today a bus of a tourist company overturned in Cherkessk district of Kabardino-Balkaria. One person perished, seven more got wounded.

Law enforcement bodies of Georgia have returned a painting by Niko Pirosmani, a famous primitivist painter, back to the country. The painting "Organ-Grinder", which had been illegally taken out of Georgia a few years ago, was offered for sale in a foreign country in the "black market".

Prices on public transport went up in Chechen Republic since January, 1. The residents of Grozny have to pay ten rubles ($0,3) for the ticket instead of the prior sum of seven rubles. Local residents are malcontent with the growth of the prices. Representatives of the Ministry of Transport say this is a coercive measure.

In the evening of January, 1, Sovietsky district court passed a judgment of arrest of Elina Marzoeva and Ruslan Magkaev accused of organizing an unauthorized procession in the center of the capital of North Ossetia for a term of 15 days.

“Sitronics” company submitted an official application on organizing a free economic zone (FEZ) in the territory of “Mars” plant in Armenia in the beginning of 2012, Minister of Economy Tigran Davtyan reported. According to him, the application will be considered by a an interdepartmental committee for forming the FEZ and then passed over to the Government.

About 200 Circassians from Syria, where riots are on since March 2011, appeal to Russian leadership and government of Adygea asking for help in their resettlement to Russia; Governor of Stavropol Territory takes control over situation in the city of Lermontov, where the mayor and city manager are in open conflict; first sentence on mass slaughter in Kuschevskaya; exchange of prisoners between Georgia and South Ossetia; actions in defence of political prisoners, supported in Southern Russia, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of December 26, 2011, to January 1, 2012, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Today in the town of Baksan, Kabardino-Balkaria, unidentified attackers shelled the car with Police Colonel Murat Shkhagumov, the commander of the special fast response detachment, and his children.

Today in the morning, an aircraft with about 200 Russian tourists, making flight from Egypt to Rostov-on-Don, was forced to land in Sochi because of fog at the destination airport. The passengers spent more than eight hours at Sochi Airport, took off for destination in the evening.

Corporal Besik Niniashvili, a serviceman of the Georgian peacekeeping contingent, stepped on a mine and died in Afghanistan.

Today at the Moscow "Domodedovo" Airport, several international and about 20 domestic flights, more than half of them to Southern Russia, were delayed under claimed bad weather conditions at destination airports.

Elina Marzoeva, the organizer of the unsanctioned peaceful march in Vladikavkaz against arrests of supporters of Alla Djioeva, an ex-presidential candidate of South Ossetia, is still kept at the Zaterechny police department. Three other protesters are still in custody.

Magomed Magomaev, a resident of the village of Burtunai, Kazbek District of Dagestan, reports about lawlessness of policemen. According to his story, he was beaten and robbed at the Kizilyurt ROVD (District Interior Division).

The two activists, who took part in the action on December 30 in Rostov-on-Don demanding to release Russian political prisoners and were detained, wrote their explanations about participation in an unsanctioned event and were set free in two hours.

Today, Nadyr Yunusov, a policeman of the Khasavyurt ROVD, who had been arrested on charges of complicity in the attempt on Natalia Mamedkerimova, a division head of the Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan, was released from custody.

On the eve of the New Year, President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili pardoned 114 inmates convicted for committing various crimes. Journalists were told today about it by Khatuna Kalmakhelidze, the head of the Ministry for Corrections, Probation and Legal Aid.

Resettlement of the Adygs (Circassians) living in the Syrian Arab Republic to their historical homeland in the territory of Russia is a logical and necessary step, given the tense situation in Syria. This opinion was expressed by the residents of Adygea, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

On December 30, in Baku, the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) tried to hold an unsanctioned protest action against the arrest of Zeinal Bagirzade, a member of the Nakhchivan Branch of the Party. Several persons were detained.

This year, the Volgograd pre-school establishments have added 3156 additional places; it was done within the campaign aimed to reduce the waiting list of the parents willing to put their kids to pre-school institutions. However, the members of the initiative group, who struggle for the rights of children, have stated that these measures were insufficient.

The billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has recently announced his intention to go into politics, has addressed the official structures of Georgia with a request to assign Georgian citizenship to him.