News

In the context of the working visit to France of Ilham Aliev, President of Azerbaijan, protest actions were held in Paris. The Armenian Diaspora held protest in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy against pardoning of Ramil Safarov, the killer of Gurgen Margaryan; while members of the Azerbaijani and Turkish Diasporas organized a protest in front of the Armenian Embassy in Paris against occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

Attorneys of Zaurbek Magomedov killed near a mosque in Khasavyurt on August, 16, appealed to Khasavyurt city court asking to acknowledge criminal proceedings against the deceased unlawful. The claim has not yet been considered.

Today, Roland Akhalaya, a majoritarian parliamentary candidate of the "United National Movement" in the city of Zugdidi and a former prosecutor of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, held a protest action at his house. He said that his election campaign was impeded and accused some journalists of provocations.

Refugees from Chechnya living in the temporary accommodation centre (TAC) "Promzhilbaza" in the city of Karabulak in Ingushetia have decided to stop their hunger strike, Asya Khadisova, one of the protesters, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

11 families of refugees from Chechnya are on a hunger strike in the territory of "Promzhilbaza",the town of Karabulak, Ingushetia. 88 families reside there but only 16 out of them are displaced persons from Chechen Republic and have a right to live there. This was declared by a representative of the Ministry of external relations, national policy, press and information of Ingushetia. Besides, not all the tenants of "Promzhilbaza" support the participants of the action of protest.

Internet provider "Optica-Telecom" in Dagestan blocked access to the web-sites of Google company. It was done upon instructions of supervising bodies given in the oral form. Internet operators were advised to block access to the web-sites where one could see the film "Innocence of Muslims", a source in the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Dagestan reported.

Today, North Ossetia marks the 10th anniversary of descent of the Kolka Glacier to the Genaldon (Karmadon) Gorge. Residents of the republic and Taimuraz Mamsurov, the republic's leader, laid flowers to the monument, erected to honour the memory of the deceased and missing persons.

Sergey Tsapok, the defendants in the case of murder of 12 persons in the village of Kuschevskaya, cut his hands at trial during jury selection. The court session was rescheduled for October 8. This was reported by a representative of the Krasnodar Regional Court.

Today, on September 20, the republic of South Ossetia began celebrating of the 22nd anniversary of the Republic's Day. Tskhinvali hosted a military parade to honour the holiday.

Today in Volgograd, in Lenin Square, a sanctioned rally was held against increase of utility tariffs. It was organized by the local regional committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) as part of the All-Russian protest action.

The refugees from Chechnya, who are on hunger strike in the temporary accommodation centre (TAC) "Promzhilbaza" in the city of Karabulak in Ingushetia, have reported about threats they receive from the authorities of Chechnya and Ingushetia. According to the protesters, armed persons are permanently patrolling the TAC; they make tours, film everything by video cameras and write down the passport details of the hunger-strikers.

Ekaterina Zguladze, who was First Deputy Interior Minister, has been presented to the post of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia.

Today, Tbilisi students hold a march against violence in the prisons of Georgia. Several thousand persons are on the way - in an organized column - along Rustaveli Avenue to the President's residence.

Temirkan Ashabokov, Irina Tanova and Arthur Tanov, residents of the city of Baksan, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), report that power agents in masks tried to get into their house. According to their version, the police want to exert pressure on them in the context of the criminal case earlier initiated against them, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" reports.

A new Chief of Gldan prison No 8 of Tbilisi the news of cruel treatment of prisoners in which appeared several days ago was appointed in Georgia. There is also a new Head of Department of Execution of Sentences, representative of the Apparat of Prime Minister of Georgia Shota Utiashvili reported. The convicts in Gldan prison are having meetings with their relatives who wish to receive evidence that no violence is used against their people.

Mayor of Sochi, law enforcement officers, the Cossacks and local organization of Society for Krishna Consciousness reached a consensus concerning the incident that took place during a religious procession of Krishna worshippers in the beach of Sochi. The conflict is settled, the participants of the meeting informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Today during trial on the case of assault at Nalchik on October, 13, 2005, preventive punishment to defendant Anzor Ashev was altered, he is now on his his own recognizance. Preventive punishment to the rest defendants who are kept in custody was prolonged for three more months.

In the evening of September 19, in Tbilisi, the protest action at the state office building, organized in connection with the abuse of prisoners in the Gldani Prison, was finished. Today, the organizers of the action plan to continue the protest actions.

The Office of the Georgian Ombudsman has repeatedly informed the leaders of the country of violations of the rights of prisoners, including those in the prison No. 8. This was reported by Georgy Tugushi, Ombudsman in Georgia.

Yesterday, on September 18, in Sochi, court marshals began the eviction of Mzokov family from their house No. 17 in Jan Fabricius Street because of the plans for construction of an Olympic facility.