News

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of South Ossetia will not take part in the military exercises "Kavkaz-2009", held now in a number of regions of Southern Russia. The Caucasian Knot correspondent has learnt about it from Eduard Gabaraev, Chief of Artillery of the Ministry of Defence.

The Joint Statement of Presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia on the main principles of finalizing delimitation of the state border and distribution of water resources of the Samur River defines the parameters of the compromise, on the basis of which mutually acceptable settlement of these problems in the interests of two countries are possible.

Chechen authorities use new ways of pressing militants: their relatives are deprived of children's allowances and pensions, reports Natalia Estemirova, member of the Grozny branch of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

The Tbilisi Appeal Court has upheld the decision of the City Court of February 20 to reject the claim of the family of the late businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili asking to deprive his relative Joseph Kay of the right to execute Patarkatsishvili's will, including disposing of his property.

On July 1, Nikol Pashinyan, an activist of the opposition and the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Armenian Time", got out of his underground status, where he was for 15 months. He appeared at the State Office of Public Prosecutor and stated his voluntary surrender.

In Nazran, the figurants in the so-called "Case of Twelve" have expressed their discontent with cancellation by M. V. Zadvornov, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Ingushetia, consideration of their case with participation of jurymen; they announced a hunger strike, which was then suspended.

On July 1, a clash burst out in the capital of Georgia between taxi drivers and supporters of the opposition, who keep blocking the Rustaveli Avenue for almost three months already with their demand of President's resignation. Taxi drivers arrived to the building of the parliament in an organized column and demanded to open the Rustaveli Avenue for traffic.

In 2009, five persons have been kidnapped in Ingushetia. And in total since 2002, over 170 persons were kidnapped in this republic, as reported by Magomed Mutsolgov, a member of the expert council on human rights in Russia and leader of the human rights organization named "Mashr".

Today, at the next round of consultations in Geneva on security and stability in the Caucasus, Georgiy Bokeriya, deputy minister of foreign affairs, has stated that Georgia is ready to sign a non-use of force treaty in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He has noted that only Russia can be the counterpart of such treaty.

Human rights defenders have doubts as to appearance of Maskhud Abdullaev, son of Chechen field commander Supyan Abdullaev, who was deported from Egypt, on air of one of TV Channels of Chechnya.

The Kazan-based Company "Royal Time" will build the first casino in the gambling zone "Azov-City", which is created in the border of the Krasnodar Territory and Rostov Region, before the end of 2009.

A source in law enforcement bodies have reported that in the outskirt of Nechaevka village, Kizilyurt District of Dagestan, unknown persons have shot dead four local residents.

The attempt on President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov was committed not by a mentally sick person or drug addict, but by a cool-hearted and cruel killer, confident of his rightness, the operative-investigatory group reports.

On July 2, South Ossetia will start battalion tactical exercises without combat shooting of the 4th Military Base of Ministry of Defence of Russia. The exercises will be held at the training range in Tskhinvali District, some 20-25 kilometres to the north of Tskhinvali.

As a result of shelling and blowing up of a car near the militia station of the city of Derbent, one militiaman was killed in situ and four others received wounds of various gravity. Witnesses say that 8 peaceful residents were wounded.

Starting from July 1, in Azerbaijan, the price for natural gas, delivered to the population, goes up from 47.2 manats (56.6 US dollars) up to 100 manats (about 120 US dollars).

The international human rights organization Amnesty International has stated that human rights are still violently broken in Northern Caucasus, while access of NGOs to the region is hindered.

The main base of the mission of OSCE observers in Georgia, located in Karaleti village, Karel District, has ceased to exist today.

Russian inquiry bodies have resumed their investigation into the murder of Paul Khlebnikov, former editor-in-chief of Russian Forbes, as reported by Larissa Maslennikova, who is representing the interests of the Khlebnikovs.

Maskhud Abdullaev, son of Supyan Abdullaev, a close associate of leader of militants Doku Umarov, a student of the Al-Akhsar University, who was deported from Egypt, is nowadays in Chechnya.