News

Baku hosted a forum in support of the freedom of the press. Representatives of the free press and the civil society of Azerbaijan demanded to find and punish the perpetrators of the attack on the observer of the "Azadlyg" (Freedom) newspaper Seimur Khaziev.

Vakha Chapanov, head of the Information-Analytical Agency "Maximum", was summoned on 24 March to the Prosecutor's Office of Ingushetia. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent learnt about it from Mr Chapanov himself.

Hundreds of people are bringing flowers to the places of explosion at the Lubyanka and Park Kultury metro stations. A few minutes after the stations were opened the tables set up for the purpose were in fact covered with red carnations, lilies, roses and chrysanthemums. Now, people are just laying flowers on the granite floor.

The Basmanny Court of Moscow has extended by two months the custody of Ahmed and Fatima Evloev, brother and sister of the suicide bomber, who exploded the "Domodedovo" Airport; they are suspected of complicity in commission of the terror act.

The process on the murder case of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova has heard excerpts from the records of tapping of the apartment of the accused Nikita Tikhonov and Evgenia Khasis. According to the prosecution, this material, evidence against the defendants, while the defence believes that the evidence is insufficient.

The Prosecutor's Office is conducting a check in connection with the incident in a school of the city of Belorechensk, Krasnodar Territory, where a woman-teacher of physical culture died from tuberculosis (TB). The check should clear out why the fatally sick teacher had taught at school for 6 months.

According to a high-ranking source from power structures, no remains of Dokku Umarov, one of the leaders of North-Caucasian militants, were found so far among the militants liquidated in the operation of Russian secret services on March 28.

As announced by Vladislav Ryazantsev, coordinator of the Left-Wing Front, actions on the Day of Anger are scheduled on April 12 in Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog and Shakhty.

In the morning on March 28 employees of the Pravoberezhny ROVD (District Interior Division) of North Ossetia detained the resident of the republic who on March 25 reported to the on duty unit of the Beslan OVD that an explosion device had been planted in the building of the polyclinic.

Magomed Taisumov, former deputy of Sulim Yamadaev, commander of the special-purpose GRU battalion "Vostok" (East), assassinated two years ago in Dubai, was beaten at kidnapping.

Elmira Suleimanova, Ombudsperson in Azerbaijan, has appealed to the Minister of Justice in the context of the alleged threat to journalist Einullah Fatullaev and asked to consider - within the legislation - a possibility to move him to Colony No. 9. However, according to information from the Ministry of Justice, there is no threat to Fatullaev within the local penitentiary system.

The state of health of the leader of the oppositional "Heritage" Party Raffi Ovannisyan, who is holding, starting from March 15, his hunger strike right in Freedom Square of Yerevan, is causing some concern in doctors; they are persistently urging the protester to stop his action.

Lithuanian prosecutor Justas Lautsis, witness for the prosecution of Egle Kusaite accused of preparing an act of terror in the territory of Russia, demanded custody for the defendant for the period of trial because according to him, she has threatened him by means of SMS messages. "Caucasian Knot" correspondent received this information from Lithuanian journalist Thomas Chivas.

The Moslems of North Osetia expressed their readiness to help Japan which has suffered from the earthquakes and tsunami in recovery works. This was reported by Ibrahim Dzagurov, mufti's assistant.

On March, 28, Supyan Abdulaev, invariable companion of Dokku Umarov, leader of armed underground, was killed as a result of a special operation carried out by the personnel of enforcement agencies in the mountains of Ingushetia, a source in Ingush law enforcement bodies reported.

The personnel of law enforcement bodies of Dagestan found two girls residents of Kizlyar district of the republic, Patimat Ramazanova and Zeinal Magomedova, who were suspected of involvement in the gunmen's activities and, according to some mass media, had been in search as suicide bombers, a source in law enforcement bodies of the district reported.

Oleg Teplischev, a local journalist, was discharged from the hospital, despite the earlier set diagnosis of brain concussion. He claims that he was discharged without due treatment; and this has to do with the upcoming journalist's trial on alleged charges of assaulting Rifkat Shabanov, a local deputy from the "Edinaya Rossiya" (United Russia) Party.

In the city of Novocherkassk, the Union "Women of the Don" is holding, with the help of the partner organization "Sintem" (Harmony), operating in the Chechen Republic, a workshop for Chechen women with the aim of their psycho-social rehabilitation. The participants of the event note that they would use the new knowledge in their professional activities and daily life.

The project of the European Union (EU) "Support of reintegration of Georgian migrants-returnees and of readmission agreement concluded between Georgia and EU" is aimed at the legislative and political improvement of the Georgian migration system. This was stated by the Czech Ambassador to Georgia Ivan Jestrab at a press conference dedicated to the project.

The participants of the conference "Circassian issue: historical memory, historiographic discourse and political strategy", held in Moscow at the Moscow State Institute for International Relations (known as MGIMO), agreed to set up a working group of Caucasian scientists, "which will consider all approaches to the 'muhajirun' problem, offer ways to address it and formulate concrete proposals that could contribute to decreased acuteness of political tension around the Circassian issue."