News

Residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) of the Russian Federation celebrated the day of May 9 Day of Victory in World War II with holiday festivities and parades. Major cities held military parades, and many towns organized "Memory Watches". The festivities ended with salutes and fireworks.

Today, at 5:00 p.m., in Krasnodar, in the park named after Zhukov, in front of the regional administration building, oppositional "people's festivities" were held. The protest action was attended by 30 civil society activists, including members of the "Yabloko" Party, the "Spravdelivaya Rossiya" (Fair Russia) Party, the CPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation), and non-partisan citizens with white ribbons and white balloons.

Today, the Shamil District Court of Dagestan listened to prosecution witnesses in the case against policeman Magomed Magomedov, who is suspected of beating of a 14-year-old teenager.

Inspection on the fact of beating at the Krasnoyarsk SIZO-1 (pre-trial prison) of Aslan Cherkesov, a native of Nalchik, who was sentenced for the murder of Yegor Sviridov, a football fan, has been completed. This was reported by the press service of the Chief Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) of the Russian Federation in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Norwegian Sjur Lindebraekkes Award for democracy and human rights has been given to the Russian Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" and Svetlana Gannushkina, Chairperson of the "Civil Assistance" Committee, whose activity is largely associated with the republics of Northern Caucasus.

The magistrate's court in Moscow sentenced blogger Alexey Navalny and Coordinator of "Left Front" Sergey Udaltsov to 15 days of administrative arrest for accusation of insubordination to the police. Both oppositionists do not acknowledge themselves guilty.

Deputy of Astrakhan regional Duma, member of "United Russia" party Alexander Kolachevsky declared his intention to commit self-immolation in case if on May, 10, regional court grants the motion of Investigative Department of Directorate of Federal Security Service to prolong the term of his daughter Natalia Kolachevskaya's stay in the investigative isolation ward.

Resident of Makhachkala Rashid Ismailov was kidnapped by unidentified armed people on May, 8. This was reported by representatives of Dagestani regional organization (DRO) "Human Rights Protection".

In Dagestan, construction works in the Gimri Tunnel are being slowed down again. This was reported by workers engaged in the reconstruction of the tunnel and by residents of the Untsukul District. According to representatives of the Limited Liability Company (LLC) "Mostotryad-99", the work is being continued ahead of schedule.

Jafar Khanmagomedov, a resident of the city of Derbent, who was earlier considered to be kidnapped, is kept at SIZO (pre-trial prison), and he is suspected of possessing an explosive device. Investigatory Division of the Derbent OVD (Interior Division) also verifies his involvement in organizing an illegal armed formation (IAF) or participation in it.

Today, residents of the city of Kaspiisk in Dagestan honoured the memory of victims of terror act committed on May 9, 2002. No celebrations of Victory Day are carried out in Kaspiisk.

On May 8, at the plenary session, the Parliament of Georgia unanimously adopted in the third reading the amendments to the Law "On Political Unions of Citizens". More than 102 MPs supported the amendments.

The authorities of Georgia returned the park located on Mtatsminda mountain to the family of late businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili, his sister Mziya Patarkatsishvili reported.

On May 8, on the eve of the 67th anniversary of Victory in the World War II, in the area of the state border between Russia and Georgia, near a long-term fire point, a meeting of veterans was held. Georgian veterans, who were invited to the event, did not come to the meeting, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

About 1050 families whose houses were destroyed as a result of the earthquake in Zagatal district of Azerbaijan were accommodated in tents. According to more precise data, over 2000 buildings are in an emergency state, Elman Ramazanov, First Deputy Head of the district, Chairman of regional Emergency Situations Committee, informed.

Over one thousand foreign tourists, a delegation from Armenia headed by President of the republic Serzh Sargsyan and representatives of Armenian diaspora abroad came to Nagorno-Karabakh to take part in celebrations timed to May, 9.

At night of May, 9, about 50 residents of “Gagarinsky” micro-district came out to Chaikovskiy street demanding to stop night works on construction of a dubbing roadway which is being carried out near apartment houses.

Elections of MPs of the Armenian Parliament held on May 6 show a continuing distrust of citizens in the electoral process, since the information about violations has not received adequate response even during the pre-election campaign. This was stated by Artur Sakunts, the head of the Vanadzdor Office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly, at a press conference.

At present, 10 persons injured in explosion of balloons at the meeting of the Republican Party of Armenia held on May 4 are still at resuscitation wards of Yerevan hospitals.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Armenia's first President, the leader of the oppositional Armenian National Congress (ANC), waives the parliamentary mandate in favour of Grant Bagratyan, ex-Prime Minister of Armenia. This was announced by the leader of the ANC at today's rally in Yerevan.