News

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has upheld the complaint lodged by Olga Olkhova, a resident of the settlement of Maisky, who was fined on charges of discrediting the Russian Army.

Within the last two months, the list of Azerbaijani political prisoners was added with 17 new names; and the total number of human rights defenders in this list has reached 357 persons. The list was compiled by Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, and Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners.

Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadygov, who was arrested in Tbilisi, stays in severe condition. He regularly loses consciousness and does not receive the necessary nutritional supplements.

Marina Melikhova faces the threat of eviction of her family from their house in Adygea. Earlier, the activist was engaged in business, and she was declared bankrupt, accused of tax evasion. Law enforcers broke into the development centre that the activist opened in Krasnodar. A court marshal claimed that the Marina Melikhova’s house is used as a hostel.

Human rights defenders have declared Alexei Lelikov, a Jehovah's Witness* from Krasnodar, who was sentenced to six years and five months, to be a political prisoner. They treat the charges brought against him as discriminatory. On February 4, a court in Krasnodar sentenced Lelikov to six years and five months in colony.

The court session on the “Abzas Media” case was postponed due to the defendants’ refusal to participate in the hearings in protest against their inhuman treatment. Farid Mekhralizade, an economist, said that he was forcibly brought to the court.

The name in Russian has been removed from the facade of the building where the Russian House is located. The organization has suspended its activities due to the demand of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), says the latter’s page on the Facebook*.

About 20 people have gathered at the house of activist Marina Melikhova in Adygea to support her protest against the eviction of her family.

In Derbent, an unidentified person took possession of a policeman’s pistol and opened fire on him, sources reported.

The “Toplum TV” portal has suspended its activities in Azerbaijan because of persecution of journalists. The resource will continue its activities from abroad.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya has left Zarema Musaeva in custody within the case of disorganizing the work of the colony.

Timurkhan Ibragimov, a convicted native of Dagestan, has complained that he was tortured in order to obtain the necessary testimonies in a criminal case from him.

Presidential election in Abkhazia, pollution in Anapa, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, drone attacks, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of February 3-9, 2025, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Rashad Ramazanov, an Azeri blogger, convicted within a drug case, has complained about violence from colony staff and poor custody conditions.

A Baku court has left Djalal Djavadov, an activist, under arrest despite his claim of torture after his detention and falsification of his confessions.

The authors of the appeal to the Azeri President have asked him to facilitate the release from custody of Shakhnaz Beilargyzy, a journalist, who needs medical treatment.

Marina Melikhova, an activist, has complained about authorities’ demand to evict her and her children from their home in Adygea and asked for help to defend their house.

Elza Soltaeva, a native of Chechnya, who fled to Kazakhstan from domestic violence, reported that she stayed in a safe place. Making the situation public helped save the young woman, who was beaten by her father and husband, human rights defenders noted.

The short terms of imprisonment to which mobilized Kirill Soshkin and contract soldier Vyacheslav Takhmazyan have been sentenced for leaving their military unit can be explained by their admission of guilt and the fact that they reported for duty on their own.

Mziya Amaglobeli, the founder of the "Batumelebi" and "Netgazeti" outlets can move around the hospital ward, where she continues her hunger strike, but her health condition is a cause for concern, doctors have stated.