News

While in 2008, the average bribe in North Ossetia, by the revealed corruption crimes, was 16,000 roubles, in 2009 - 29,000 roubles, in 2010 it reached 70,000 roubles, whereas the average bribe in Russian regions is 27,000 roubles, said Arthur Ahmetkhanov, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.

As stated by Asya Gevorkyan, a resident of the Novopokrovskiy District of the Krasnodar Territory, a criminal case about beating is falsified against her father - Gayk Gevorkyan, 50, - while he himself is a victim.

Maria Ameli (real name Madina Salamova), 25, a writer and a native of North Ossetia, does not lose hope, after the decision to deport her has stirred up the Norwegian society, to stay in Norway. Human rights activists and Maria's friends are sure that the trial and deportation decision were acts of retaliation from the authorities for exposure of corruption among bureaucrats in her book "Illegal Norwegian".

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has passed a decision on the complaint of the employee of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", who worked with Natalia Estemirova. The complaint concerned abduction in 2003 in Grozny of a certain Gisaev by Russian militaries. The court has obliged Russia to pay a compensation of 55,000 euros for moral harm to the complainant and 1957 euros to his representatives for rendered legal services.

On January 18, the Parliament of Chechnya considered a bill, which assumes creating the post of Ombudsman on Children's Rights.

Walk to the sea was fatal for three small children in the Rostov Region; residents of Shakhty evaluate their Mayor differently; Georgian-Russian relations are fuelled up by another "spy scandal", - look these and other events in the review of the week of January 10-16, 2011, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

As reported by the Investigatory Department (ID) for the Volgograd Region of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation, a criminal case was initiated against Alexander Gorbunov, head of the administration of the Krasnoarmeiskiy District of Volgograd, and his deputy Roman Karatanov, suspected of abuse of office.

Rashid Belmekhov, head of the Forestry Administration of Adygea, has treated the accusation of negligence moved against Madzhit Khatukai, head of the Maikop Forestry, as undeserved attitude and a mistake.

The court session on the lawsuit of the representative of the head of Chechnya Andrei Krasnenkov against the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" on protection of his business reputation, to be held today at the Tver Court of Moscow, did not take place. Mr Krasnenkov asked to postpone the trial.

The inhabitants of the hostel, located in Mayakovsky Settlement, Staropromyslovskiy District of Grozny, who are registered in different parts of the republic, did not want to go to the places of their residence, despite all the conditions in place for their return, the city officials assert.

The Office has initiated criminal cases on insults and death threats to Natalia Shelimova, correspondent of the newspaper "Nashe Vremya" (Our Time).

In the course of the rally in Pushkin Square in Moscow in memory of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova assassinated two years ago 21 persons were detained.

About 200 persons came to commemorate lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, assassinated two years ago in St Petersburg.

On January 19, the Soviet District Court of the city of Ulan-Ude (Buryatia) found Tatiana Stetsura and Nadezhda Nizovkina guilty of inciting hatred and enmity to militaries and employees of law enforcement bodies and fined each of them by 100,000 roubles.

The Ministry of Transports and Communications of the Chechen Republic has introduced a ban on smoking during driving for drivers of regular buses and fixed-route taxis. Violators will face dismissal. This innovation, according to the ministry, should reduce the risk of traffic accidents.

In the Lori Region of Armenia unidentified persons set the car belonging to Narine Avetisyan, editor-in-chief of the "Lori" TV Company, on fire. The Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly treats this fact as another attack on the journalist.

After human rights activists have spread information about forced eviction by power agents of residents from the hostel in Mayakovsky Street in Grozny, the process was suspended; however, several residents have not got their keys back.

As reported by a source from law enforcement bodies, in the Oktiabrskiy District of Grozny, a group of armed men in camouflage captured and taken away two men.

The special service VSD (Lithuanian State Security Police) dealt with Egle Kusaite, starting several years before her arrest, as a sort of "bait" to find out the intentions of Muslims in the country. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by the Lithuanian journalist Thomas Chivas, who is covering Egle Kusaite's case and attending court sessions in Vilnius.

Vladimir Finenko, head of the water supply shop at the Municipal Unitary Enterprise (MUE) "Vodokanal" of the city of Semikarakorsk, Rostov Region, for whose fault, according to investigators, 96 citizens got poisoned with drinking water, will face trial. The criminal case against him was sent to the Semikarakorsk District Court for consideration on the merits.