News

In Georgia, Tsotne Gamsakhurdia, the son of the first President of Georgia, who is serving his sentence on charges of attempting to commit a premeditated murder, was forced in the morning of July 14 from the prison in Gldani to the Rustavi prison No. 17.

The report "Living with Uncertainty" about the refugee situation in the Gali District of Abkhazia, prepared by the international human rights organization "Human Rights Watch" (HRW) does not reflect the real situation, Maxim Gvindzhiya, the Abkhazian Foreign Minister, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

150 people came to the rally against kidnapping, torturing and killing of Muslims, which was held today near Toturbiykala village of Khasavyurt District of Dagestan.

On July 15 in Moscow in the second anniversary of the murder of human rights activist Natalia Estemirova, about 100 people gathered in the premises of the international NGO "Memorial" on the evening of her memory.

In the course of the diggings on the territory of the church of 40 Saint Martyrs of Sebaste in Abanotubani District of the city of Tbilisi Georgian archaeologists discovered the ruins of the residence of Vakhtang Gorgasali, First King of Georgia, and kitchen utensils, crypts and Roman baths-thermae.

According to journalist Sulim Yunusov, a native of Kurchaloi District, who had been granted political asylum in Germany, about three weeks ago in Chechnya the houses of parents whose sons joined illegal armed formations, have been burned.

The next action of solidarity with three arrested press photographers was held in Tbilisi. Its organizers, representatives of the media holding "Aliya", submitted an appeal to the German Ambassador to Georgia to exert influence on the Georgian authorities. Representatives of the opposition also participated in the event.

In Georgia about 70 refugee families from South Ossetia and Abkhazia received a written warning from the Ministry of Internally Displacement Persons, Resettlement and Refugees to leave the building they occupied till July 18. In case of disobedience they are threatened to be evicted forcibly.

Special programmes on learning foreign language have been developed in the capital of the 2014 Olympics. According to the City Mayoralty's intention, not only the personnel involved in serving guests and participants of the Games, but also the citizens should learn English at the communication level. Sochi residents are offered language courses free of charge, but the local population is not eager for learning English.

In Armenia near the international airport "Zvartnots" a free economic zone has been established. On July 14 in Yerevan the agreement to that end was signed.

Today at about 11:30 a.m. an explosion occurred at the turn to Mutsalaul village of Khasavyurt District of Dagestan, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the republic.

In the Journalists' Mini-Park in Grozny, local NGO activists held a rally in memory of Natalia Estemirova, the well-known Chechen human rights defender, who was murdered two years ago. Several dozens of persons came to take part in the rally.

Zaipulla Gazimagomedov, former emir of Levashi group, fellow fighter of the leader of Dagestani gunmen Magomedali Vagabov killed in August, 2010, appealed to the Committee for adaptation of gunmen asking to allow him serve his penalty in the territory of Dagestan.

Relatives of the Moslems detained in North Osetia intend to go on a hunger strike if there appears no progress in the investigation by the end of the week, Madina Chibirova, mother of two detained members of the Moslem community, declared.

A commemoration meeting devoted to human rights activist Natalia Estemirova timed to the second anniversary of her murder passed off on July, 14, in St. Petersburg. During the meeting a film “Who Killed Natasha?” shot by journalist Milain Soluis on the order of French TV was first shown in Russia.

On July 15 in Khasavyurt District of Dagestan on the turn to the village Mutsalaul a protest rally against kidnapping, torture and murder of Muslims will be held, said Rasul Ismailov, a resident of Khasavyurt, the co-chair of the human rights organization "Civil Alternative".

On August 8 the Khamovniki District Court of Moscow will held a court session to consider two appeals on the case of Oleg Orlov, Chairman of the Board of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial".

The 29th meeting of within the framework of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism with the participation of representatives of Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the EU and the UN was held in the city of Gali. The Abkhazian side has once again raised the issue on kidnapping of Merab Kolbaya, a resident of the Gali district, accused by the Georgian side of involvement in terror acts in Georgia, by the Georgian special services.

Doctors amputated an upper limb of Victor Dvorakovskiy, who was detained in Stavropol Territory on suspicion of involvement in terrorism, reported Natalia Zharikova, the head of Health and Information Department of the resort city of Zheleznovodsk.

Today in Moscow the press conference "The first results of an independent investigation into the murder of Natalia Estemirova" was held, during which a report with the results of the investigation holding by the "Novaya Gazeta" (New Newspaper), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" . The report's authors the appeal to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to take personal control over the due process of law in the investigation into the Natalia's Estemirova murder.