News

On November 1, Alikhan Umarbekovich Ortskhanov, born in 1984, a resident of Ingushetia, disappeared in Moscow under mysterious circumstances. His brother Bekkhan Ortskhanov has turned for help to the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

Dokku Umarov, one of the leaders of the underground in Northern Caucasus, said that George Soros, a US billionaire, had allotted money to Ahmed Zakaev, prime minister of the unrecognized Republic of Ichkeria, for holding the Chechen Congress in Poland this September. Zakaev denies this claim, arguing that Umarov is trying to discredit his activities and create an enemy in the face of the West.

The administration of the Georgian city of Kutaisi has taken the monument to Iosif Stalin, located in Victory Square, away from its pedestal. The disappearance of the monument has angered local residents.

On October 31, local residents held an action for cleaning the bank of the Sochi River. About 50 persons within one hour of the campaign gathered 154 bags of household garbage.

The automobile bridge, built from the tombstones, removed from Chechen cemeteries after Stalin's deportation of 1944, was dismantled in the Shali District of Chechnya.

Political scientists Alexander Iskandaryan and Stephan Grigoryan express their opinion that removing Armenia from the list of the countries constituting a menace for Turkey by the Turkish Security Council indicates that Turkey is seeking ways to improve its relations with Armenia as well as with its other neighbours.

The first volume of Memory Book of victims of political repression of Abkhazia out of fifteen is ready for publishing, Yury Lataria, compiler of the book and Deputy Chairman of Association of Memory of victims of political repression of Abkhazia, reported.

According to Temur Yakobashvili, State Minister of Georgia, the Georgian Government is simplifying the procedure of getting labor permits for international organizations of Abkhazia and South Osetia.

A census of blog owners in "LiveJournal" has been carried out on the initiative of North Caucasian bloggers. Dagestani bloggers have become leaders: out of 538 North Caucasian bloggers 185 fall on this republic.

In the evening of November, 1, some unidentified people killed the Imam of one of the mosques in the town of Khasavyurt, Dagestan, a representative of the municipal law enforcement bodies reported.

Today, in Khuchni village, centre of the Tabasaran District, several hundreds of local residents rallied to express distrust to district head Nurmagomed Shikhmagomedov.

At its sitting on November 1, the National Television and Radio Commission of Armenia considered tender packages of eight bidders-applicants for the right to broadcast: "Kaim", "Paradise", "Dar-21", "Ar", "Shark", "Tavush TV", "Armnews" and "A1".

The editorial board of "Caucasian Knot" has got a message from "Memorial" Human Rights Center informing that Arthur Tsoloyev, brother of Zurab Tseloyev (Tsoloyev) kidnapped on October, 29, by armed people wearing masks and camouflage uniform from his home in Nazran, who according to official information had installed a fougasse in the center of Nazran, perished in 2008. After that Zurab got a militia record.

On October 29, in the settlement of Shamkhal, Kirov District of Makhachkala, law enforcers detained pretty plenty of citizens. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by local resident Shamsudin Magomedov.

The Prosecutor's Office of the Krasnodar Territory has sent to the court the criminal case against the teachers accused of the death of six pupils during bathing this summer in the Yeysk Spit, the Office has reported.

Under decisions of magistrate courts, the organizer and two protesters of the "Strategy-31" action held on October 31 in Rostov-on-Don were found guilty under the article of the Administrative Code: "disobedience to lawful order of a militiaman" and fined.

Armen Gevorgyan, former head of Armenian community in Adzharia, is among the 20 persons arrested by Georgian law enforcers on charges of spying for Russia. However, the members of his community believe that the latter came under suspicion only because of his ties in Russia.

The October 29 session of Dagestani Parliament passed amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Dagestan (RD) and the Law "On Elections of People's Assembly of Dagestan". Under the amendments, the number of seats in the parliament will go up from 72 to 90.

Today the Moscow municipal court prolonged the term of arrest for 3,5 months, till February, 2011, for Eugenia Khasis, figurant of the case of murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova and the defendant on the same case Nikita Tikhonov.

The city of Gelendzhik, Krasnodar Territory, has started its "legal clinic". Free legal consultations to everyone will be provided by law students of the Kuban State University.