News

The Baptist community of the city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, has expressed its anxiety in the context of an article that appeared in an oppositional newspaper and in which Baptists were accused of standing "against the Allah and Islam," and treated as foreign spies.

A private radio company named "Radioeye" has provided its frequency for Radio Liberty's broadcasting in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Until now, the Jehovah's Witnesses, detained by the FSB on March 3 in Khasavyurt, cannot get back their literature, which had been recognized by the Bryansk examination as non-extremist, and believers' personal records; therefore, they filed an application to the prosecutor's office. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by Grigoriy Martynov from the press service of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

On March 17, the court in Helsinki made a decision not to extradite Chechen refugees Gataevs to the authorities of Lithuania, having sent their application for refuge to a new consideration. This was reported by Oksana Chelysheva, a human rights defender and journalist, one of the heads of the Finland-based organization "The Society of Russian-Chechen Friendship".

Bondo Kurdadze, editor-in-chief of the Georgian newspaper "Chance", applied for political asylum to President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovich. In his letter to the Ukrainian leader Mr Kurdadze asserts that his family has been receiving telephone threats for a couple of recent days.

Today, Judge Olga Vereshchak from the Meschanskiy District Court of Moscow has ruled to reject the claim lodged by Shamil Sheikhov, a resident of Makhachkala, in defence of his honour, dignity and business reputation against Chairman of the LDPR and Deputy of the State Duma of Russia Vladimir Zhirinovsky and editorial board of the newspaper "LDPR". The claimant told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he was shocked by the verdict.

Astrakhan sees the third day of the hunger-strike announced by deputies and activists of opposition parties. Today, it became known that Nazarbek Shnanov, head of the Pre-Volga Organization of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) has joined the action, increased its strength to seven persons.

The Kirov District Court of Astrakhan has arrested two employees of the city UVD (Interior Department), who, under the version of the investigation, had beaten a detainee forcing him to confess. In total, six persons figure in the case.

Residents of Sochi assert that in 2007 ill-conceived plans of holding a Winter Olympiad in subtropics encroached on their rights to favourable environment, housing and property. Besides, they believe that the territorial authorities are breaking, under the pretext of appraising their property with the aim of illegal confiscation not for state needs, the law on privacy and individual information.

The special operation against members of the armed underground started on March 17 goes on in the high-mountainous Vedeno District of Chechnya. One of the militants liquidated there was identified as an Arabian mercenary and one of militants' leaders; however, earlier the reports of power agencies did not mention the name of Abu Khaled.

Young Turkish film directors Muzhde Arslan and Aitar Demirtas are making films about the Armenian girls who were kidnapped during World War I and then forced to marry Turks.

Former militiaman Anver Ibraghimov accused of beating to death Eduard Gurtskaya, resident of Abkhazia, refuses to plead partially guilty.

The Prosecutor's Office of Stavropol Territory has completed its check of a cold injury of children who had got to the hospital after fortifying procedures during kick-boxing training. Upon its results, local officials were punished, the coach was dismissed and criminal investigation against him is under way.

The exhibition "Gallery of Hearts" continues in Rostov-on-Don, featuring art photographs of children from children's homes. The exhibition is held for the purpose of developing the institution of adoptive families. The feedback is already in place - some of its visitors have started to get specifically interested in adoption.

On March 17, a meeting in support of the rights of suspects in the case of murder of Adilgerei Magomedtagirov, Dagestan minister of interior, was held in Makhachkala.

Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov is in favour of preserving the staff of the republic's law enforcement bodies and cancellation of dispatching to Chechnya of militia units from other regions. At the same time, the activity of the local militia causes criticism among the population.

About seventy students of the faculty of economics, technologies and mathematics of the State University of Tourism and Resort Activities in Sochi have voluntarily given their blood, and they intend to use the earned money to buy diapers, toys and medicines for the babies abandoned by their parents and catered for at the Sochi infectious diseases hospital.

In case the court ruling to Tsotne, the son of the first president of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia, is unfavourable for the Gamsakhurdia family the followers of the first president and members of his family threaten with new actions of protest.

One of the militants killed in the course of a special operation in Vedeno district of Chechnya was Abu Khaled, a well-known leader of militants who was responsible for the security of Dokku Umarov, stated Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov.

The opposition political forces, which have united into the "National Council", are preparing a lawsuit against Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili and Georgi Arveladze, head of the "Imedi" TV company, in connection with the "special report" on alleged intrusion of Russian troops into Georgia broadcast on March 13.