News

The former Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who is accused of forming an illegal armed formation (IAF), went on hunger strike in prison, said his lawyer Zviad Kordzadze.

As reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Russia, a large network of manufacturing counterfeit money, part of which was intended to fund extremist organizations in Northern Caucasus, was disclosed.

The Moscow City Court, which today has continued the trial on the murder of Colonel Yuri Budanov, has dismissed the petition of the defence of the accused Yusuf Temerkhanov asking to challenge Judge Andrei Korotkov.

Today, in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), unidentified masked men kidnapped Rezuan Afashagov, a villager Atazhukino, Baksan District, reported his brother Ali Afashagov, who turned to law enforcement bodies and human rights defenders asking to help to find Rezuan.

At least five persons died in Azerbaijan last year as a result of torture, Elchin Bekhbudov, the head of the Azerbaijani Committee against Torture, said today.

Dagestani Department of Federal Antimonopoly Service (DFAS) acknowledged blogger Alexey Navalny’s complaint concerning an auction on purchase of a car for the republic’s Permanent Mission in Moscow announced by the Ministry of National Policy of the region in Moscow partially grounded. The Ministry was ordered to eliminate violations in the auction documentation.

Young resident of Grozny Aina Habibulaeva disappeared on December, 11, under vague circumstances. On the day of her disappearance the girl was wearing a hijab.

Today the Board of Appeals of Moscow city court acknowledged lawful prolongation of custody term to Rustam Mahmudov, defendant on the case of murder of “Novaya Gazeta” political observer Anna Politkovskaya.

Upon a resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation a project of State program of development of North-Caucasian Federal Okrug for the period till 2025 at the cost of 2,55 trillion rubles was adopted. Only 10 per cent of this sum will be financed by state budget. Investments into the Caucasus are necessary, the only problem is control over them, the experts consider.

Defendant Yusup Temerkhanov’s defense on the case of colonel Budanov’s murder in Moscow city court entered a motion to submit him to examination on the polygraph detector, the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent reports.

On December, 15, mass media of Adygea reported the start of a charitable SMS action in support of Syrian Circassians who came to Adygeya from the war-torn Syria. Anyone could send a message with the text "adiga" to the short number 3116 specifying the sum of money one wished to donate in support of compatriots, republican Foundation of aid to repatriates reported.

Residents of the micro-district of Alexandrovka, Rostov-on-Don, report active cutting down a great number of trees in Alexandrovka grove which is according to them, one of the few recreation zones in the micro-district. They fear that new apartment houses will be built there instead of a park. Local authorities state that deforestation is legal and construction of a park has started in the grove.

Twelve non-governmental organizations from Russia, the countries of European Union and member states of “Eastern Partnership” EU program instituted an alliance: European Platform for democratic election (EPDE) whose goal is to secure electoral democratic character.

Within the framework of international project “Toxic metals in children’s goods” ecologists of Volgograd studied children’s toys and costume jewellery on sale in trading networks of the city. High content of toxic metals was discovered in every third sample of toys.

Two men, Mikail Dautov and Imam Arkhimirzoev, were kidnapped by unknown people in the settlement of Valerik, Achkhoy-Martan district of Chechnya, after the evening prayer on December, 16, Ruslan Kutaev, President of Assembly of Peoples of the Caucasus and Head of international Committee for problems of Northern Caucasus, reported. Law enforcement officers are sure that there is no question of kidnapping.

Collapse of building in construction in Taganrog killing five and injuring over ten persons; first meeting of special representatives for settling Georgian-Russian relations; verdict to one of the figurants in the Anna Politkovskaya's murder case; announcement of suspects of murdering Gekkiev, a journalist of the GTRK "Kabardino-Balkaria"; earthquake in several regions of South of Russia; dispersal of another action of opposition in Azerbaijan, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of December 10-16, 2012, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

At the trial of the attack on Nalchik, the defendant Amur Khakulov gave his testimony; according to the investigation, he was a member of the grouping, which attacked the OMON (riot police) base in Kabardino-Balkaria. According to Khakulov, he did not know about the attack and did not make a single shot.

Today, the Adler District Court of Sochi will hear the lawsuit lodged by the State Corporation (SC) "Olympstroy" against Natalia Kalinovskaya, the chair of the territorial public self-government "Psou", and her deputy Svetlana Berestenyova on removal of obstacles to the use by the SC "Olympstroy" of the land of the coastline.

Human rights activists of Azerbaijan share the concerns of the international "Committee to Protect Journalists" (CPJ) based in New York about the fate of the media people arrested in the country. They agree with the assessment of the CPJ and also urge the Azerbaijani authorities to release the arrested journalists and human rights defenders.

As reported on December 12 to the press conference by Valentin Bazrov, the deputy chairman of the government of North Ossetia, the construction of the cement plant in Alagir was suspended because of dissatisfaction of local residents.