News

A group of sappers of the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) of Russia has arrived to Chechnya and started demining the rural territory in the vicinity of Grozny. They will have to examine about 50 hectares of arable land.

Since April 20, in the south of Chechnya, in the Itum-Kalin and Vedeno Districts, the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime was announced. Some local observers believe that these could be power agents' response actions to the Kremlin's decision to cancel the CTO regime that had survived in Chechnya for more than nine years.

The delegation of human rights activists from Azerbaijan was invited to Strasbourg to the regular session of the PACE to take place on April 27-30.

Today, in Baku, near the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan, a picket was held by a group of activists of the youth movement "Dalga" (Wave). Their demand was to restore expelled 4th year student Pyarviz Azimov at the Lenkoran State University (LSU).

In Tbilisi, in the square in front of the parliament, supporters of the opposition have resumed their rally with participation of more than 10,000 protesters. Oppositionists plan to install "prison cells-cages" along the whole Rustaveli Avenue, and the local Union of Journalists "Objective" starts its project "Free Street Television" for broadcasting "alternative news" onto a big screen.

On April 22, the Moscow Garrison Military Court will continue debates on the case of Vladimir Bukreev accused of bribe-taking. Bukreev, who passed a verdict of guilty in 2003 to Colonel Yuri Budanov for murdering a Chechen girl, is complaining of violations in the course of the trial.

The majority of defendants who figure in the criminal case on the events on October 13, 2005, in Nalchik refuse to admit their guilt. Some of them have admitted only the charge under Article 222 of the Russian Criminal Code - "Bearing and storage of arms".

The family of Robert Kocharyan, the second president of Armenia, who brought an action to the general court of Centre-Nork-Marash community against the oppositional daily newspaper "Aikakan Zhamanak" (Armenian Time) claims compensation moral damage in the sum of 16 million drams (some 40-42 thousand US dollars).

Political prisoner Sarkis Atspanyan, kept in custody at the Nubarashen criminal corrective establishment, has disseminated a statement with his complaint on bad health condition need of a repeated examination.

The city of Elista, the capital of Kalmykia, is hosting the constituent assembly of a new public organization - the "Union of Repressed Nations of Russia". Representatives of six nations are taking part in the event.

A bill was submitted to the State Duma assuming to exempt victims of terror acts from paying taxes on the help that they receive in kind. Its appearance was caused by the scandal around children-victims of Beslan.

President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov has stated that 47 families, which were in the state of feud, reached reconciliation. According to the President, it brings hope for peace to be settled in the region.

At about 8:00 a.m. today, in Ingushetia, in the village of Verkhni Alkun and adjoining territory, the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime was introduced. Power agents are searching militants.

Former commandant of Chechnya Sergey Kizyun, who was attacked in a car in central Moscow together with ex-deputy of State Duma Ruslan Yamadaev, has recognized the latter's killer by his eyes. Mr Kizyun has stated that they had been attacked by Aslanbek Dadaev, a native of Chechnya. Dadaev's advocates would not agree with Sergey Kizyun.

A number of objects, built in South Ossetia for Russia's money, will remain in RF's ownership. According to political scientist Dmitri Oreshkin, this Russia's decision is caused by the desire to keep control over spending of the 10 billion roubles, which RF plans to allot on restoration of South Ossetia.

The events that took place almost simultaneously in Ingushetia on April 19 - attempts on Alikhan Geroev, head of the criminal investigation department of Sunzha OVD, and religious figure Musa Esmurziev - are not linked with each other. This is the opinion of human rights activist Magomed Mutsolgov, leader of the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization "Mashr" and a member of the Expert's Board of Russian Ombudsman's office.

The prosecutor asked the court to sentence Vladimir Bukreev, former deputy chair of the North-Caucasian Regional Military Court, who passed a verdict of guilty in 2003 to Yuri Budanov for killing a Chechen girl, to ten years of imprisonment.

President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov is sure that Ingushetia, which is bordering on the Chechen Republic, will not be negatively affected by cancellation of the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime in Chechnya.

In Kurchaloy District of Chechnya, during the last two months, part of salary money of the medical personnel of the district hospital was deduced. The medical people are indignant but fear to complain.

In response to NATO's military exercises in Georgia, planned in the territory of Georgia from May 6 to June 1, 2009, Abkhazia will hold its own ones, as Republic's President Sergey Bagapsh has stated.