News

At least 18 persons were killed and three more wounded during the week of December 12-18 in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. These are the results of calculations of the "Caucasian Knot", based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

An action of protest “Give our votes back!” passed off in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar region, on December, 18. The participants of the meeting came out in opposition against mass forgery at the election of State Duma of the Russian Federation. 45 people all in all gathered in the square. Many of them sealed their mouths with leaflets “My vote is stolen”.

The cable cars of Elbrus area (Kabardino-Balkaria) are completely ready to receive tourists. This was reported by Head of Administration of Elbrus district Aslan Malkarov.

On Sunday, December, 18, a meeting against forgery and election fraud was held in Stavropol. According to official data, about 300 local residents took part in it.

Approval by the State Council – Khase of Adygea – of Aslan Tkhakushinov as the republic's leader; Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia; resonant killing in Dagestan of journalist Khadjimurad Kamalov; fire at chemical plant in Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Territory, which was extinguished only two days later, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of December 12-18, 2011, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Today, a large charity action in memory of Khadjimurad Kamalov, the founder of the "Chernovik" weekly, who was assassinated on December 15, was organized in Makhachkala: food help was rendered to needy and poor families.

Today, in the village of Khasanya of Kabardino-Balkaria, Police Lieutenant-Colonel Vadim Sultanov, 36, an employee of Centre "E", was killed, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the Investigatory Department for Kabardino-Balkaria of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

The participants of the today's rally "For Fair Elections" have demanded to cancel the outcomes of the vote at the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation dismiss the head of the Russian CEC (central Election Commission) and release political prisoners.

Today, a sanctioned picket against falsification of the outcomes of the Russian State Duma elections was held in Sochi.

With the aim to support gifted children living in remote areas, the Rostov Region is opening a centre for distant learning. Now, they form 10 study groups per 10 pupils each.

On December 14, an incident occurred in the military unit "Egnikner" in Nagorno-Karabakh, which resulted in the soldier Narek Avetisyan, 18, losing his right eye. On December 17, Ensign Armen Tovmasyan was detained as a suspect of mutilating the soldier.

Uyryzmag Dzutsev, a supporter of the former presidential candidate Alla Djioeva, was detained by the employees of the South-Ossetian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) on suspicion of illegal possession of ammunition. Now, Mr Dzutsev is at large and at home under recognizance not to leave.

The Caspian Sea will develop cruise tourism, states the agreement on cooperation signed by the Governments of the Astrakhan Region and Ingushetia with the Russian Federal Tourism Agency ("Rosturism").

The analysis of the amendments to the Electoral Code of Georgia has shown that, taken overall, the document "prepossesses for democratic elections," runs the brief press release of the Venice Commission, circulated after the meeting on December 16.

Death penalty could be reintroduced for terror acts, as it is done in Belarus, Alexander Khloponin, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and President's Plenipotentiary for the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD), said on December 16 at a meeting with journalists in the city of Essentuki, Stavropol Territory.

On December 16, Inspector Alexei Petrechenko re-qualified the charge to Dmitry Putenikhin, an activist of "The Other Russia" from Article 296 of the Russian Criminal Code (a threat to an official) to Article 319 (public insult of a state official).

Investigators suspect two residents of the city of Mozdok in North Ossetia in beating of a 13-year-old Russian boy because of his nationality. According to the investigators, on that same day with an interval of 10 minutes, the teenager was twice attacked.

Aslan Sablirov, a resident of Nalchik, claims that power agents kidnapped and tortured him demanding to confess to possession of ammunition and aiding members of illegal armed formations.

On November 16, staff members of the "Maestro" TV Channel, working in emergency mode for several weeks, held a rally in front of the police building of the Vake-Saburtalo Districts in Tbilisi. They demanded to force Erosi Kitsmarishvili, the founder of the management company "Rustavi Media", out of the building.

Today, on December 16, the latest issue of the Dagestani weekly "Chernovik" (Draft) has published the last article, written by its founder Khadjimurad Kamalov. The article was published already after the death of the author.