News

A captain of internal service, officer of Department of Federal Service of execution of punishments (FSEP) of Russia in Dagestan was murdered in Makhachkala, Press service of the republican Ministry of Interior Affairs reported.

The investigation on the criminal proceedings started against Aslan Cherkesov is going on in a prejudged way. This was Sonya Cherkesova's statement at a meeting with journalists in Nalchik.

On March 16, the Department for Chechnya of the Russian Federal Security Bureau (FSB) released an appeal to members of illegal armed formations (IAFs). Militants are invited to lay down arms and return to peaceful life. Activists of local NGOs believe that the appeal contains direct threats against families of IAF members and express serious concern in this connection.

Teachers of some general educational institutions in Chechnya report that their bosses withhold money - in the range of 400-600 roubles on the average - from their salaries. The Ministry of Education of Chechnya states that there are no written applications or oral complaints about it from school teachers. Law enforcement bodies also know nothing about such facts.

On the eve of the rally of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) policemen blocked most of the roads, running from villages to highways, preventing people's arrival in the capital, states the opposition. The police deny this information.

As reported by Anar Gasymov, Einullah Fatullaev's advocate, the life of his client, kept imprisoned in Azerbaijan, is under threat; the lawyer believes that the journalist should be delivered to another place of detention.

The video appeal to public of Pyatimat Khashagulgova, wife of Issa Khashagulgov, a resident of Ingushetia, kept at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) Lefortovo, appeared on the website youtube.com at night on March 16.

The International Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed concern about expulsion from Armenia of four journalists, representing the Finnish public TV Company YLE and called on the authorities of the country to permit entry of the members of the international group of journalists.

Thanks to the assistance of North-Osetian republican non-governmental charity Association of retired and disabled people and victims of unlawful political repression "Nomaran", many persons dispossessed in -30's of the XX century, i.e. over 3000 of them, got back their property and dwellings and three people received flats from the state. Auzhbi Zuraev, leader of the Association, announced this news at a round table conference devoted to the 20-th anniversary of "Normaran"s activities held in North-Osetian Institute of Humanitarian and Social Research.

Today, at about 3:00 p.m. local time (2:00 p.m. Moscow time), on the troops contact line of the Karabakh conflict in the Agdam District of Azerbaijan, the parties to the conflict have exchanged recent detainees-prisoners of war.

On March, 16, an action of protest against Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Erdogan's visit to Moscow passed off in Armenia near the Russian Embassy in Yerevan. The participants of the action demanded dissolution of the Moscow treaty signed between Turkey and Russia 90 years ago.

Opposition activists Arutyun Urutyan and Roman Mnatsakanyan have been released before term from prison in Armenia.

Release of 15 Georgian sailors who have been staying in Somali pirates' prison over six months was deferred until the end of March "for technical and organizational reasons", Sergo Devadze, one of the sailors' father, Manager of "Greenwich-21" company, informed.

Night explosions in Ingushetia, in the neighbourhood of the town of Magas and the settlement of Ali-Yurt, which woke up the villagers of Ali-Yurt turned out to be connected with unknown criminals' assault upon the house of Bashir Gagiev, Chief of investigative isolation ward of Ingushetia.

Preliminary election outcomes in Southern Russia: opposition's complaints against satisfaction of election commissions; Manege Square in Moscow becomes again a "rendezvous" of nationalists; UN Security Council could see a dangerous terrorist in Dokku Umarov; protest actions in Azerbaijan again turn into clashes and arrests, - look these and other events in the review of the week of March 7-13, 2011, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

The information about Mikael Storsjo and his help to refugees from Chechnya, which appears in Russia, is often just repeating the words of Storsjo's opponents, said Kerkko Paananen, secretary of the human rights organization "Finnish-Russian Civil Forum". He believes that the information from people, who have close relations with Russian authorities, is quoted by opposition media in Russia, which is puzzling people in Finland.

As reported by Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), in his speech at conference held in the North-Western branch of the Russian Legal Academy of the Ministry of Justice in St Petersburg, the investigation will have to build its evidence base in the murder case of Anna Politkovskaya, reporter of the "Novaya Gazeta", on indirect evidences for lack of direct ones.

The newspaper "Armenian Time" has refused to implement the decision of the general jurisdiction court prescribing to publish a refutation and pay compensations to three members of the national parliament. On March 9, the edition filed an application to the Court of Appeal an appeal against the verdict of the court passed on February 7.

On March 15, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg made its decision on the case "Tsechoev versus Russia" and obliged the Russian authorities to pay compensation to the applicant Ruslan Tsechoev for the death of his brother in the amount of 15,000 euros, and awarded 2500 euros to representatives of the applicant for their legal work. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", whose lawyers represented the suffered party, said that the ECtHR's decision was formal.

Today, a rally was held in Khasavyurt, in front of the district administration, where statements were announced about massive violations admitted on March 13 during the elections of Deputies to the People's Assembly of Dagestan. The protest action headed by elders brought together about 200 residents of the village of Novy Kostek, Khasavyurt District. The district administration gave no reaction to the rally.