News

The Georgian seamen released from captivity of Somalia pirates will arrive in Georgia not earlier than one week; they need to pass their medical examination in Kenya, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Sergo Devadze, the father of one of the seamen.

Human rights defenders criticize the Georgian Code of Administrative Offences; protest action of Vladikavkaz residents against operation of "Electrozink" Factory; Orthodox believers of the Caucasus celebrate Christmas; complaint of Azerbaijani UN representative against violations of ceasefire in Karabakh conflict zone; first in the new year skirmish in Chechnya and Kabardino-Balkaria with casualties and victims, - look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of January 2-8, 2012, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Dmitry Abramov, a martial arts trainer, who was wounded during the shooting, arranged on January 2 in Volgograd by a native of Chechnya, has died from his gunshot wounds in a Volgograd hospital.

Georgian football player Georgiy Demetradze, convicted for "membership in thieves' world", has addressed the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg with a complaint against the government of Georgia, said his advocate Marika Pkhaladze.

At night on January 8, at the intersection of Gagarin and Krasnoarmeiskaya Streets, in the territory of the children's educational centre, several dozens of green plants were cut down, Sochi residents report. The administration officials say that the cuttings were legal and refer to the decision of the court. Sochi residents also report about other mass felling of trees - in Kurortny Avenue and in Ordzhonikidze and Sokolov Streets.

A seven year old boy died when attacked by stray dogs in Novocherkassk, said the MIA of the Rostov Region.

On January 8 in Baku, at the sitting of the Civil Movement for Democracy "Public Chamber" (CMDPC), its Coordination Board (CB) was re-elected; and the tasks of this oppositional formation for 2012 were discussed, namely: a demand to release 16 convicts after the last year's spring protest actions, and to raise the issue of resignation of President Ilham Aliev.

As a result of 15 suicide bombings committed in 2011 in the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and Moscow, 64 persons were killed, and at least 224 others were wounded. These are the results of calculations made by the "Caucasian Knot" based on the information of its own correspondents and other open sources.

According to recent data, five members of illegal armed formations (IAFs) were liquidated in a special operation undertaken in the Vedeno District of Chechnya, said a source from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Russia.

Karen Arutyunyan, a resident of Nagorno-Karabakh and a member of the religious community of Jehovah's Witnesses, was sentenced to 2.5 years' imprisonment for refusing to take his regular military service on the pretext of his religious beliefs.

On January 7, Christmas marches "Alilo" were held in the cities of Tbilisi and Batumi. In the Georgian capital the event was blessed by Catholicos-Patriarch Elias II. He met a festive procession and handed sweets and gifts over to the participants.

In the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR), relatives of the arrested oppositional activist Zeinal Bagirzade have refuted the words of the authorities that no violence had been applied to him. Local human rights defenders complain that they were not allowed to meet Bagirzade.

As reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Moscow, the Kuzminki Inter-District Court of the Russian capital has arrested a 29-year resident of the capital of Dagestan, who opened pistol fire at his opponents during a brawl at night on January 6.

Today, Mekhman Aliev and Oktai Gyulyalyev, activists of the "Kura" office, were detained in the Sabirabad District of Azerbaijan. The police have prohibited them to hold a seminar for local residents, who suffered from the devastating flood in the spring of 2010 of the Kura and Araz Rivers.

Today, ecologists have registered a fact of contamination of the Sochi River with mazut (fuel oil). An investigation into the incident has been launched.

Abkhazia is ready to help the members of the Abkhazian Diaspora in Syria, who wish to return to their homeland. Now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Abkhazia is planning to send a mission to Syria, composed of members of the repatriation committee.

Seven persons have fallen victim to a shooting in Nalchik. Two policemen and Alim Chechenov, who attacked them, were killed; three other employees of the road-and-post service (known as DPS) were wounded, as well as one civilian, the MIA of Kabardino-Balkaria reports.

According to preliminary data, violations of fire safety in using furnace heating have caused a large fire and subsequent deaths of four children in a private house near Krasnodar.

The Women's I Muslim Club "Iman" was opened in the Chechen capital for "spiritual and moral education of Chechen women."

At night on January 7, Orthodox believers have celebrated one of the major religious holidays – the Christmas. Many regions of the Southern and North-Caucasian Federal Districts (SFD and NCFD) and in the regions of Transcaucasia held Christmas services.