News

Valery Dyakonov, a deputy of the municipal duma of the city of Zverevo, Rostov Region, has stated his readiness to join the miners-pensioners who are holding their hunger strike.

The authorities of Azerbaijan hold open repressions against the members of the "Movement for Republic and Karabakh" and other oppositional organizations, who advocate against amending the Constitution. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that this was the leitmotif of today's extraordinary session of the "Movement for Republic and Karabakh".

The Union of Armenian Public Organizations of Samtskhe-Dzhavakhk and Kvemo Kartli has expressed its support of the two Armenian activists - Grigor Minasyan and Sarkis Akopdzhanyan, - arrested in Georgia, and its readiness to provide advocates for defending the interests of the detainees.

Georgia has resumed the natural gas transit from Russia to South Ossetia which was stopped on the day of starting combat actions on August 8, 2008.

In the course of a special operation conducted in Nazran, Ingushetia, two suspected members of illegal armed units have been killed.

Solemn mourning events to mark the 90 years' anniversary of repressions against Cossacks have been held today in the capital of Karachai-Cherkesia.

An operation of rescuing people from snowdrifts has been carried out in Dagestan. 45 persons have been rescued.

Serzh Sargsian, president of Armenia, has pardoned 16 prisoners convicted for taking part in mass riots in Erevan on March 1, 2008.

Yunus-bek Evkurov, president of Ingushetia, has announced that a youth parliament is to be formed soon in Ingushetia.

Members of the Chechen parliament intend to request from the federal center that the monetary compensation to the republic's residents who are victims of political repressions should be considerably increased.

The world economic crisis has affected the labor market in Azerbaijan and resulted in the dismissal of more than 2 thousand people. This has been announced by Fizuli Alekperov, Azeri minister of labor and social protection.

The toughest storm during the last 10 years in western Georgia brought down hundreds of trees, damaged the roofs of hundreds of houses and buildings and broke power transmission lines. More than 200,000 residents were left without illumination. According to preliminary information, two fishermen are missing in the town of Poti.

The II international Russian championship in 71 km marathon swimming race in ice-cold water is to open today in Volgograd. It will last for two days. It is expected that more than 100 best marathon swimmers from Russia, CIS and other foreign countries will take part in it.

Stanislav Markelov accepted politically motivated cases which other lawyers refused to undertake because they were afraid to be knocked out of the system. This was stated today to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent during the funeral of Markelov at Moscow Ostankino cemetery by Olga Trusevich, member of "Memorial" human rights center.

On January 22, the European Court on Human Rights considered three more complaints of Chechen residents which relate to the disappearance of five young people and execution of one man during the period from October 2002 to April 2004.

The complaint about torture and beatings of Ibraghim and Dzhabrail Makhmudovs, defendants accused of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, was considered by investigating officer Petros Garibian who was investigating the case itself. Garibian found no facts of violence or humiliation with regard to Makhmudovs.

Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the party " Yabloko", claims that not all persons guilty of murdering Farid Babaev, leader of Dagestan " Yabloko", have been brought to justice. However, it is difficult to appeal against the court ruling because the key witness for the prosecution was threatened in the court room.

Today, the Nasimin district court of Baku, chaired by Shakhin Abdyllaev, started a preliminary hearing on the suit by Ramil Usubov, head of Azeri MoI, against Leila Yunus, director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy.

The scale of corruption in the Chechen Republic is so serious that it will require drastic measures and serious efforts from the authorities, states Aslambek Apaev, expert of Moscow Helsinki Group on North Caucasus. Some local residents agree with him.

On Wednesday, the Moscow Regional Military Court rejected the petition of the defendants in the case - brothers Ibragim and Dzhabrail Makhmudov - to take them out to the scene of the crime.