News

Russian information resources will go to court against the "Imedi" TV Channel for the illegal, in their opinion, use of their materials in the scandalous report about alleged invasion of Russian troops into Georgia and assassination of President Saakashvili.

Today, at the Arbitration Court of Vladikavkaz, the Department of "Rospotrebnadzor" (Russian Federal Agency for Consumer Supervision) in North Ossetia rejected an amicable agreement on the lawsuit with the "Electrozink" Factory. In the opinion of the Department's representatives, the terms of the agreement fail to meet the requirements for creating a due sanitary-protective zone around the enterprise.

Israpil Shovkhalov, editor-in-chief and Abdullah Duduev, chief-editor, of the Caucasian independent magazine "Dosh", detained by unknown power agents in Ingushetia, told the details of the incident and expressed their opinion that people of the Ingush President had nothing to do with it. They also supported the MIA's version that they could have been taken for foreign journalists.

Today, another hearing was held in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, on the criminal case initiated against journalists of the local weekly "Chernovik", accused of kindling national, racial and religious enmity. After interrogation of several witnesses, the litigation was postponed till March 16 because of necessity for the judge to study the submitted petitions.

The family of the deceased businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili, who was the founder of "Imedi", has treated the hoax about invasion of Russian troops into the country as a provocative experiment and demanded to immediately return the confiscated TV Company back to them.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Russian Federation has treated the report about simulated Russian invasion into Georgia put on air by the "Imedi" TV Company as irresponsible and immoral. Andrei Nesterenko, official spokesman of the MFA, expressed hope that the international community would duly appraise the incident. A number of western diplomats have already made their damning statements to this end.

On March 15, the Russian Constitutional Court will consider the compliance of the amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP) adopted in December 2008, which cancelled the option of jurymen in a number of litigations, with the Constitution of the Russian Federation. In Dagestan, differing opinions can be heard on criminal trials by juries.

The court has rejected the claim lodged by Mayor of Elista against mass media on defence of his honour, dignity and business reputation.

The outcomes of the third contest of photo works "From civil journalism – to civil action", held by the Internet medium "Caucasian Knot".

A rally of deceived interest-holders in housing construction was held today; by a visual estimate of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent the event was at least 150-person strong.

On March 11, the builders of the dwelling district for resettlers from Imereti Lowland in Sochi began their strike. They refused to go to work until they are paid their salary debts for several months. About one hundred persons are on strike.

Today, Magomedtaga Nurulaev, 30, a resident of Mutsalaul village, Khasavyurt District of Dagestan, has stated that he was tortured and robbed by power agents.

Members of the Volgograd-based UNESCO Club named "Child's Dignity" Irina Molovichko, Ulyana Ilyakhina and Tatiana Zagumennova, accused of plundering grant money in the sum of 18,000 roubles in 2006-2008, received conditional custody terms. The convicts refused to plead guilty, asserting that the court has passed an unfair sentence.

Experts explain the coloured snow that fell on March 9 in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories by the presence of dust, sand and clay particles in precipitations brought by the wind from Northern Africa, and state that the deposits are harmless.

The political crisis in Armenia that stemmed from essential violations in the course of the 2008 presidential election is not over, and the atmosphere in the country continues to remain tense. This was stated in the report of the United States' Department of State (DoS) published on March 11.

At night on Saturday, March 13, the Dagestan city of Buinaksk suffered from a powerful landslip. Rescuers evacuated 82 persons, including 26 children, the local Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) reports.

The international human rights organizations "Committee to Protection Journalists", Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have made statements on the refusal of the Baku Appeal Court to cancel the verdict to bloggers Adnan Gadjizade and Emin Milli, convicted to 2 and 2.5 years of imprisonment respectively.

On March 11, Hilary Clinton, State Secretary of the USA, presented another regular report on the situation in the sphere of human rights in the world. The document published in the official website of the US Department of State (DoS), dedicates 73 pages to criticism of the situation with human rights in Russia.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CE) has reminded the government of Armenia about the need to enforce the decision of the European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) on the "A1+" TV Company. According to the verdict, Armenia should give chance to the Company to take part in the tender for broadcasting frequencies and for its return on air.

Schools teachers of several districts of the Chechen Republic see no salaries for two months already. The issue was discussed on March 11 in Grozny at a sitting with participation of the head of the Ministry of Education, city and regional departments of education and school directors. The authorities promise to solve the problem in the near future.