News

A trial on the appeal of Usman Garisov, resident of Dagestan who on June, 19, was sentenced by Kusar district court to four years of imprisonment in a general regime colony for accusation of contraband and use of drugs, was accomplished in the Appellate Court of Azerbaijan under the chairmanship of judge Mubariz Zeinalov.

Violations in the course of the election campaign in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic were reported today during a press conference by three candidates to the Parliament of Azerbaijan from the opposition block "PPFA-Musavat".

In Georgia, the NGO named "House of Free Thought" has moved an initiative to declare November 7 the "Day of Dignity" in memory of the events of 2007, when the authorities dispersed the action of the opposition; and then announced the state of emergency in Georgia.

The first case in Chechnya after introduction of an official ban on bride abduction with the aim to force a girl into marriage may remain without consequences for the kidnappers. It became clear that the 14-year-old schoolgirl figuring in the case herself had asked her husband to abduct her, as reported by a source from the local Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

The Government of Kabardino-Balkaria is launching electronic document management. Residents of the republic will now be able to receive state services via Internet, Alii Musukhov, Minister of Economic Development and Commerce, reported on November, 2.

The district court of Krasnogvardeiskoe village has treated as extremist some of the materials in the newspaper "Free Kurdistan", which is published in Moscow and distributed among the members of the Kurdish Diaspora resident in the Krasnogvardeiskiy District. The Diaspora is about 3000 strong, making almost 10 percent of the district population.

On November 1, residents of the Tabasaran District, Dagestan, spoke about inaction of law enforcement bodies in combating corruption. A letter was announced at the rally addressing the authorities of Dagestan, North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and the Russian Federation and demanding resignation of Nurmagomed Shikhakhmedov, head of the Tabasaran District.

The amendments and additions to the Constitution, under which in 2013 the country will pass over to a new model of state governance, are pending official endorsement by President Mikhail Saakashvili.

Head of Dagestan Magomedsalam Magomedov has formed a commission under the President of Dagestan to assist in adapting to peaceful life of those persons who decide to stop their terrorist and extremist activities in the republic.

Today in Moscow, the litigation continued on the criminal case under suit of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov against Oleg Orlov, head of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial". At the request of the prosecutor's office, the judicial investigation has passed over to studying written evidences presented by the prosecution.

Today the city of Karachaevsk hosted a mourning rally, dated to the 67th anniversary of the deportation of the Karachay nationals to Central Asia.

All the objects for competitions of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics will be ready for operation in 2012, which will allow running two full-fledged seasons sporting events in the complexes built for the Games. It was stated today in London by Dmitri Chernyshenko, President of the Organizing Committee "Sochi-2014", at the opening of the International Congress "Global Sport Industry".

On November 1, Alikhan Umarbekovich Ortskhanov, born in 1984, a resident of Ingushetia, disappeared in Moscow under mysterious circumstances. His brother Bekkhan Ortskhanov has turned for help to the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

Dokku Umarov, one of the leaders of the underground in Northern Caucasus, said that George Soros, a US billionaire, had allotted money to Ahmed Zakaev, prime minister of the unrecognized Republic of Ichkeria, for holding the Chechen Congress in Poland this September. Zakaev denies this claim, arguing that Umarov is trying to discredit his activities and create an enemy in the face of the West.

The administration of the Georgian city of Kutaisi has taken the monument to Iosif Stalin, located in Victory Square, away from its pedestal. The disappearance of the monument has angered local residents.

On October 31, local residents held an action for cleaning the bank of the Sochi River. About 50 persons within one hour of the campaign gathered 154 bags of household garbage.

The automobile bridge, built from the tombstones, removed from Chechen cemeteries after Stalin's deportation of 1944, was dismantled in the Shali District of Chechnya.

Political scientists Alexander Iskandaryan and Stephan Grigoryan express their opinion that removing Armenia from the list of the countries constituting a menace for Turkey by the Turkish Security Council indicates that Turkey is seeking ways to improve its relations with Armenia as well as with its other neighbours.

The first volume of Memory Book of victims of political repression of Abkhazia out of fifteen is ready for publishing, Yury Lataria, compiler of the book and Deputy Chairman of Association of Memory of victims of political repression of Abkhazia, reported.

According to Temur Yakobashvili, State Minister of Georgia, the Georgian Government is simplifying the procedure of getting labor permits for international organizations of Abkhazia and South Osetia.