News

The special operation against members of the armed underground started on March 17 goes on in the high-mountainous Vedeno District of Chechnya. One of the militants liquidated there was identified as an Arabian mercenary and one of militants' leaders; however, earlier the reports of power agencies did not mention the name of Abu Khaled.

Young Turkish film directors Muzhde Arslan and Aitar Demirtas are making films about the Armenian girls who were kidnapped during World War I and then forced to marry Turks.

Former militiaman Anver Ibraghimov accused of beating to death Eduard Gurtskaya, resident of Abkhazia, refuses to plead partially guilty.

The Prosecutor's Office of Stavropol Territory has completed its check of a cold injury of children who had got to the hospital after fortifying procedures during kick-boxing training. Upon its results, local officials were punished, the coach was dismissed and criminal investigation against him is under way.

The exhibition "Gallery of Hearts" continues in Rostov-on-Don, featuring art photographs of children from children's homes. The exhibition is held for the purpose of developing the institution of adoptive families. The feedback is already in place - some of its visitors have started to get specifically interested in adoption.

On March 17, a meeting in support of the rights of suspects in the case of murder of Adilgerei Magomedtagirov, Dagestan minister of interior, was held in Makhachkala.

Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov is in favour of preserving the staff of the republic's law enforcement bodies and cancellation of dispatching to Chechnya of militia units from other regions. At the same time, the activity of the local militia causes criticism among the population.

About seventy students of the faculty of economics, technologies and mathematics of the State University of Tourism and Resort Activities in Sochi have voluntarily given their blood, and they intend to use the earned money to buy diapers, toys and medicines for the babies abandoned by their parents and catered for at the Sochi infectious diseases hospital.

In case the court ruling to Tsotne, the son of the first president of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia, is unfavourable for the Gamsakhurdia family the followers of the first president and members of his family threaten with new actions of protest.

One of the militants killed in the course of a special operation in Vedeno district of Chechnya was Abu Khaled, a well-known leader of militants who was responsible for the security of Dokku Umarov, stated Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov.

The opposition political forces, which have united into the "National Council", are preparing a lawsuit against Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili and Georgi Arveladze, head of the "Imedi" TV company, in connection with the "special report" on alleged intrusion of Russian troops into Georgia broadcast on March 13.

Alexei Martynenko, previously convicted, who threatened to explode the building of Frolovo district department of internal affairs in Volgograd region has surrendered. "The shahid's belt" with which he threatened militiamen has proved to be a dummy.

The first steps aimed at introducing the reforms promised to the Council of Europe will be implemented by the Armenian authorities even before the April session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. This has been announced by David Arutyunyan, head of the Armenian delegation in PACE.

Ganimat Zakhidov, chief editor of the "Azadlyg" ("Freedom") newspaper, granted pardon yesterday by the decree of the Azeri president, was released today morning from the specialized medical establishment of the country's Penitentiary service.

Umar Garisov, resident of village Karanayaul, Kayakent district, complains that his brother Osman Garisov has been in Azeri pre-trial prisons since February 10. Today, Umar Garisov has relayed that the incident happened at the Azeri customs house where the brother was returning home from his pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

The pistol from which Daniil Sysoev, provost of the Moscow Apostle Thomas cathedral, had been murdered on November 19, 2009, was found on Beksultan Karybekov, born in Kirghizia, killed in the capital of Dagestan. This has been made known in the RF ICPO.

On March 16, Sharaputdin Gadzhiev, Federal Judge of the Leninskiy district court of Makhachkala, Dagestan, changed the measure of restraint for the journalists of the local weekly "Chernovik" from the recognizance not to leave to the obligation to appear before court. The judge also granted the petition of the defence to conduct another comprehensive psychologico-linguistic expert analysis of the newspaper materials in the federal centre of forensic examination under the Russian Ministry of Justice.

Yakub Kartakaev, born in Dagestan, accused of murdering a militiaman in the Moscow's district of Kuntsevo, has stated today in the Zamoskvoretsk district court of Moscow that he shot in self-defence in response to the abuse of power by MIA officers.

Nikolai Volkov, ex-deputy of Volgograd regional Duma, is suspected of raping under-aged children. The militia arrested the influential businessman but he managed to escape. A criminal case has been initiated on the fact of the Volkov's flee.

In Astrakhan, a number of local deputies and journalists have gone on a hunger strike. In this way they protest against "political repressions and framed criminal cases against opposition activists."