News

The family of Kocharyan, ex-President of Armenia, lodged a claim against the oppositional newspaper "Armenian Time", willing to close the edition and make its publisher bankrupt. This was stated by advocate Tigran Atanesyan at the court judicial session on May 26. In his opinion, the verdict of the court is completely predefined: it will satisfy the claimant.

By appointing General-Lieutenant Vladimir Shamanov, former commander of one of military formations in Chechnya, to be the Chief Commander of Airborne Forces (known as "VDV") of Russia's Ministry of Defence the country's leadership have demonstrated to the whole world that they encourage the people who were notable for special cruelty when commanding troops in Chechnya. Aslambek Apaev, expert of the Moscow Helsinki Group for Northern Caucasus, said about it to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

On June 2, the Criminal Cassation Court of Armenia will start considering the complaint of Sarkis Atspanyan, a citizen of France, a veteran of the Karabakh War and an activist of the opposition, convicted to 3.5 years of imprisonment on charges of false informing.

Military inspectors are clearing the circumstances of shelling Benoy village, Vedeno District, committed by federal troops from long-range artillery back at night on May 4, but still very poorly covered. On May 26, this issue was discussed by Chechen Parliament.

After a poisoning that happened on May 26 in one of military units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, six soldiers are still in hospital. 158 militaries have been already discharged and sent back to their unit.

Inspectors of the Astrakhan Region have opened a criminal case against a militia officer from Kalmykia suspected of kidnapping a human, later sold by him into slavery.

In Karachaevo-Circassia, over 5000 persons are engaged in knitting garments. At the same time, during the latest five months the number of officially registered unemployed workers in the republic has increased by a third and reached 8000.

The General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of the Russian Federation has submitted to the Supreme Court the final version of the official protest against the Court's verdict on the murder case of Anna Politkovskaya, journalist of the "Novaya Gazeta". The GPO demands to cancel the acquittal verdict.

President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has the whole republic in his ownership. This was the comment made by Sergey Stepashin, Chairman of the Russian Federation Audit Chamber, on the data of the incomes of the President of the Chechen Republic.

The manifestations and political battles that took place on May 26 in Tbilisi gave grounds to cast a new look on the situation in the country. Politicians and observers note that the struggle of the oppositionists has passed over to a new level.

Andjey Zaukha, Polish TVN channel correspondent, calls the attack on him in Moscow on May 24 when he was crossing the street "an absolute accident" not connected with his journalist's work.

Lawyer Boris Kuznetsov who represented the interests of Levon Chakhmakhchian, convicted earlier ex-senator of Kalmykia, expects his criminal case to be dropped and intends to get rehabilitation.

The new law prevents people of South Ossetia from electing persons whom they trust to manage the state, although elections are arranged in order to periodically delegate the right to govern the society on behalf of people. This is the view of Vissarion Aseev, deputy of the RF National Assembly and a political scientist.

For several years now Moslems in Karachai-Cherkess have been persecuted only because they regular pray, refrain from smoking or drinking, and their wives wear hijabs, runs the open letter of the relatives of persons accused of an attempt of a violent coup and preparation of terrorist acts on the republic's territory, who are on trial now in Cherkessk.

Vage Stepnian, representative of Armenian Ombudsman in the Group on Collecting Facts about March 1, 2008 intends to leave his post. Stepanian explains his decision by a heavy confrontation in the Group between representatives of the authorities and the opposition.

Eight out of fifteen Ingushetia residents detained for illegal possession of arms and ammunition have been released, the others are under check. This information is claimed by a source of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent at the republic's law enforcement agencies.

Today, about one hundred residents of the Sulak village seized an electric substation and switched on the cut off equipment. In the evening, Makhachkala residents again blocked the city streets in a protest against switching off light.

The central stadium of Tbilisi, Georgian capital, with the 80,000 capacity is overcrowded. Tens of thousands of opposition representatives and their supporters, including oppositionists from West Georgia headed by Giya Gachechiladze, well-known singer and brother of the opposition leader Levan Gachechiladze, have gathered in order to mark Georgian Independence Day and demand resignation of Michail Saakashvili, Georgian president.

The statements of presidents of Chechnya and Ingushetia on the number of militants in their republics widely differ form the data from MoI and FSS, claims Anatoli Tsyganok, head of the Military Forecasts under the Institute of Political and Military Analysis.

On May 25, a 19-year old resident of Urus-Martan district, Chechnya, was kidnapped by officers of unidentified power authorities.