News

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.

The message about the state order on purchase of a luxury car worth 8.5 million roubles for the Ministry of Finance of Dagestan, which was published in his LiveJournal by the well-known blogger and lawyer Alexei Navalny, caused great resonance in the Internet. According to the latest data, the Dagestani Ministry has refused to buy the expensive foreign-made car.

Valery Kuznetsov, Prosecutor of the Rostov Region has made a presentation to the Governor of the Rostov Region, asking to consider the issue of compliance of Grigory Skripka, Chairman of the Regional Committee for Environment Protection and Natural Resources, to his post. In the opinion of the Prosecutor's Office, he exhibited inaction and abuse of official powers.

The man, who was killed during today's shelling in Makhachkala, was a former FSB officer; he was recently employed as assistant of the head of the Russian Federal Tax Service (FTS) for Dagestan, said a source in law enforcement bodies.

A law enforcement officer was killed today during a shootout in central Nazran. Besides, a suspected militant was killed and one more was wounded.

Magomed Gaziev, a resident of the village of Shamkhal, who was kidnapped on March 1 by unidentified persons, is kept in the temporary detention facility (known as "IVS") of Makhachkala, where he was beaten and tortured, as his relatives report.

As reported by Anna Usachova, head of the press service of the Moscow City Court, Judge Alexander Zamashnyuk, who is presiding at the trial on the murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, will be guarded for the purpose of his security.