News

In Finland, journalist Mikael Storsjo is accused of helping 22 Chechens to enter Finland via Turkey without visas. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by Ilyas Akhtaev, a Chechen, who is now in Finland waiting for his refugee status.

As stated at a briefing in Tbilisi by Nikoloz Vashakidze, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, another round of Geneva talks on security in the Caucasus was fruitless again because of Russia's unconstructive position. The Russian party believes that Geneva negotiations have no alternative.

As reported by Vladimir Markin, spokesman of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), at night on March 7 in Makhachkala Ramazan Utarbiev was detained, a participant of the fight, during which on December 6, 2010, Yegor Sviridov, a fan of the "Spartak" Football Club, was killed.

Social art project "Shrovetide Now" passed off on March, 5 and 6, in Rostov Children's and young people's Art Center, with informational support of Committee of Youth Policy of Rostov regional administration. The young people presented a modern review of the folk holiday.

Last night some unidentified people fired upon militia personnel in the village of Semender, in the suburbs of Makhachkala, four militiamen got wounded, a representative of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Dagestan reported.

On March 5, Galina Kozhevnikova, 36, a human rights defender and deputy director and one of the founders of the "Sova" Information and Analytical Centre passed away.

As reported by the regional Ministry for Emergencies (MfE), in the Kazbek District of Dagestan, local rescuers saved 15 residents who got under a snow avalanche; one person died.

Activists from the Human Rights Watch plan to hold a press conference in Moscow to discuss the report of this organization "Women should know their place: enforcement of Islamic dress code for women in Chechnya".

Today in Elista, the Central Hurul "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni" has hosted a solemn prayer service on the occasion of the Kalmyk national holiday named Tsagaan Sar and symbolizing the advent of spring. Alexei Orlov, head of the republic, issued a decree announcing March 5 to be a day off.

As a result of the monitoring held in the courts of Azerbaijan, violations have been revealed, which stimulate corruption; in this context, disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against 17 judges.

Two activists of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus", who were arrested after their picnic action in the Tuapse Region of Kuban (unofficial name of the Krasnodar Territory), have addressed the German Embassy in Moscow with a request for political asylum.

With the aim to unite and consolidate efforts to address local residents' problems, public activists of the resort city of Sochi, Krasnodar Territory, have set up a social movement "City Public Council - Civil Forum of Sochi", where any person may be a member.

A complain against inefficient preliminary investigation into the murder in Chechnya of Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the HRC "Memorial", namely, against non-admission of victims' representatives to the required materials of the case will be filed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), as the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by advocates of Svetlana Estemirova, Natalia's sister.

Today, the Parliament of Chechnya has unanimously approved - at its extraordinary session - the candidacy of Ramzan Kadyrov as head of the republic for the second term in power; his candidacy was brought to the parliament on February 28 by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

On March 4, law enforcers of Nazran, Ingushetia, tried to detain a local resident. He resisted and exploded himself by triggering a bomb.

On February 25, the leaders of the Chechen Diaspora in Norway held a rally near the Norwegian parliament against mass deportation of Chechen refugees to Russia. For those immigrants from Chechnya who obtained their residence permits in this country, a ban will be introduced on visits to their homeland.

On March 4, the Nizami District Court of the city of Gyandzha passed a ruling on a 1-month arrest of Bakhtiyar Gadjiev, an active Facebook user. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent learnt about it from his brother Vugar Gadjiev.

The Azeri parliament has ratified the Declaration on the "Southern Gas Corridor", a joint document with the European Union (EU).

Starting May this year, the authorities of the capital of Adzharia will offer a new service to city visitors. The guests of the resort will be able to use bike taxis. The most environment-friendly, cheap and safe transport will move around the old town, the seaside promenade and the botanical gardens.

Russia will not give guarantees of non-use of force to Georgia, because Moscow does not threaten Tbilisi, said Grigory Karasin, State Secretary and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, at the 15th round of Geneva talks on security and stability in Transcaucasia, held in the evening on March 4.