News

Today, at noon, a group of Azerbaijani journalists held a protest action, demanding to release Farid Gusein and Shakhriyar Gadjizade, young Azerbaijani poets, arrested in Iran. The action, organized by the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), was dated to incipient litigation against the citizens of Azerbaijan, to be held on August 7.

Over the last five days, in Vladikavkaz, all markets and kindergartens were closed for the third time because of the threat of terror act, and the population was evacuated. This was reported by Alla Akhpolova, Spokesperson of the Regional Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

Successes and failures of Caucasian athletes at London Olympics; polemics of heads of Chechnya and Ingushetia after special operation in Galashki; set up of office in North Ossetia to help compatriots in Syria and real measures already taken in Armenia; announcement of the date of parliamentary elections in Georgia; debates on future of Stavropol, including return of pre-revolutionary names to its streets, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of July 30-August 5, 2012, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Rovshan Bairamov, an Azerbaijani wrestler of Greco-Roman style (55 kg) has won the silver medal at London Olympic Games, having been defeated in the finals by Khamid Mohammed Soriano Reikhanpuru, a representative of Iran. Emin Akhmedov, another Azerbaijani wrestler of Greco-Roman style (74 kg) has won the bronze medal.

On August 5, Ripsime Khurshudyan, a female representative of Armenian, won for the country the first medal of the London Olympic Games, having occupied the third place in the competitions in weightlifting in the weight category over 75 kg. Armenian athlete Arsen Djulfalakyan became vice-champion of the Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling in weight category of up to 75 kg.

Supporters of the ruling party "United National Movement", purposefully brought to the village of Beshumi in Adzharia for the "Shuamtoba" holiday, blocked the way to billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili and leaders of the coalition "Georgian Dream". During the conflict several journalists suffered, activists of the coalition assert.

A spontaneous protest action related to the kidnapping of Adam Khairulaev, a resident of the village of Komsomolskoye, Kizilyurt district of Dagestan, took place today in Kizilyurt. Adam's relatives plan to meet again tomorrow.

Today, the famous tennis player Maria Sharapova, a member of the delegation of the Krasnodar Territory within the Russian Olympic team in London, has won the Silver Medal in single tennis competition.

Vladimir Zhamborov, the head of the administration of the leader of the Kabadrino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), who figures in the case on state property theft and who on August 3 was brought from the Tver Court by an intensive care ambulance with a suspected myocardial infarction to the Bakulev Medical Centre, has been transferred from the intensive care unit (ICU) to a standard ward, his daughter Zamira Zhamborova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov voiced out criticism of the head of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov. In his comment on the special operation conducted in the Ingush village of Galashki, he has treated the activities of the authorities of Ingushetia against terrorism as insufficient. Kadyrov's statement followed the Evkurov's one that Chechen power forces had not carried out any operations in Galashki.

In the long jump tournament that started on August 3 two Armenian athletes Arsen Sargsyan and Vardan Pakhlevanyan failed to qualify for the 12 best athletes admitted to the final.

Today, a group of 12 adolescents aged 14-20 from Maikop went to a six-day correction trip to mountains of Adygea. Accompanied by two adults, they will cover the route "Through the mountains to the coast of the Black Sea."

This morning, the State Ensemble of Folk Song and Dance "Islamey" took off from the Krasnodar Airport for London, where on August 4-7 it will take part in the cultural programme of the "Sochi Centre" within the 30th Summer Olympic Games, Aslan Nekhai, the director of the ensemble, has reported.

In Sochi, Vazgen Isusyan, a resident of the village of Baranovka, affected by a landslide, has filed a lawsuit against the inaction of local self-government. Local bureaucrats have failed to render the necessary help and did not fulfil their promise to pay for the lost property, said Mr Isusyan.

As reported by Asbeg Taimaskhanov, a resident of Dagestan, in the village of Komsomolskoye, Kizilyurt District, armed men in camouflage and masks kidnapped a local resident Adam Khairulaev, 28, and took him away to some unknown place.

On Friday, August 3, activists of the "Yabloko" Party held a series of pickets at the Permanent Mission of the Krasnodar Territory in Moscow, demanding resignation of the governor Alexander Tkachov.

Today, the Tver Court of Moscow has ruled to extend till December 5 the custody of two senior officials of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), accused of a huge theft of state property by selling the Philharmonic Hall in Nalchik, Ruslan Koblev, an advocate of one of them, has reported.

Today, in front of the General Prosecutor' Office (GPO) of Armenia, a protest action was held with a demand of immediate acquittal and release of convicted young activists of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) Tigran Arakelyan, Artak Karapetyan, David Kiramidzhyan and Sarkis Gevorkyan.

Today, Dmitry Ushakov, representing the Krasnodar Territory, has won the silver medal at 2012 Olympics in trampoline jumping.

In Rostov-on-Don, during celebration of the Day of Russian Airborne Forces (known as VDV Day), the police detained 150 persons for administrative offences; 67 of them are former and current VDV servicemen. According to the Chief Department for the Rostov Region of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), clashes of the police with a large group of former VDV servicemen took place on the embankment of the Don River.