News

On July 25, seven unidentified persons wearing masks and camouflaged uniforms and armed with machine guns kidnapped two residents of Kantyshevo village, Ingushetia, only 200 meters away from the North Ossetia administrative border with Ingushetia.

Lluis Maria de Puig, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), believes that the temporary parliamentary commission created for investigation of the events on March 1-2 in the capital of Armenia "does not inspire much trust."

Today, the Supreme Court of Karelia has prolonged by 3 months, till October 29, 2008, the custody term for the persons accused on the case of Kondopoga disorders.

Today, the office of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) hosted the presentation of the Electronic database comprising the journalists, who were subjected to pressure in Azerbaijan since 1990. It is placed in the website of the IRFS. The project was implemented at financial support of the Soros Foundation.

Armand Musinyan, press secretary of the National Movement Centre, told journalists today that starting from August 1 (the day of the appointed rally), the actions of the opposition will become more resolute and vigorous.

Zurab Tsechoev, an employee of the human rights Autonomous Independent Organization (AIO) "Mashr", who was kidnapped today in the morning, was beaten and accused of placing lists with addresses of employees of local law enforcement bodies in the website "Ingushetia.Ru", the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by Timur Akiev, head of the HRC "Memorial" office in the city of Nazran.

Ruslan Kishmariya, plenipotentiary envoy of the President of Abkhazia in the Gali District, treated as improbable the message from Georgia that "Abkhazian militiamen killed a Georgian national-resident of the Gali District Zhilber Kuprava, 65, when he was coming back in the morning on July 25 to his native village of Nabakevi from Zugdidi."

The All-Russian Public Organization "Voice of Beslan" has brought an action against the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of North Ossetia and its Russian counterpart. The victims of the terror act are sure that these two state bodies shall pay their moral compensation.

The prosecutor's office of the city of Volgodonsk (Rostov Region) has sent a criminal case to the City Court opened against Anton Sh., 20, accused of sending SMS-messages with appeals to kill Russians.

Today, the Caspian Plaza business centre in the capital of Azerbaijan was the venue of awarding Ann Derse, US Ambassador in Baku, with the prize "Journalists' Friend", founded by the NGO "Political and Civil Rights". The ceremony was attended by MPs, mass media managers and human rights activist of Azerbaijan.

Emin Guseinov, head of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) has addressed the Nasiminskiy District Court of Baku with a statement of claim against the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Azerbaijan and a local police on the fact of his beating on June 14 this year.

On July 23, the magistrate court in Sochi sentenced two residents of the Imereti Valley to 12-day arrest for resisting and threatening the authorities, and for participation in a non-sanctioned rally.

Tonight, the authorities of South Ossetia released Temur Goginashvili, a resident of Georgian village Nikozi, who was detained earlier on murder charges.

Today at night, Agil Halil, correspondent of the Azadlyg" newspaper, left Azerbaijan for France under a private invitation of the organization "Reporters without Borders". It was Halil's fifth attempt to do so.

On July 24, the Moscow City Court held a preliminary hearing on the case of "Ryno-Skachevskiy grouping", accused of nationalism-motivated murders and attacks, including on Caucasian natives. According to Anna Usachova, head of the press service of Moscow City Court, the trial will pass with participation of jurymen.

On July 23 in Gudermes, OMON (Special Militia) fighters of the Chechen MIA beat and detained several dozens of women who gathered at the countryside residence of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov with intent to ask him for help.

The Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya has delivered a criminal case to the court against three Chechen militiamen accused of illegal detention and beating of their colleague from interior forces - an employee of the Republic's OMON (Special Militia Unit).

On July 23, the Yasamal District Court of Baku, presided by Judge Khagani Tagiev, continued considering the claim lodged by Agil Halil, journalist of the "Azadlyg" (Freedom) newspaper against TV Channels AZTV, Space, ATV, Lider, and against inspector of State Office of Public Prosecutor Ali Guliev. The TV Channels deny their guilt.

The Committee in Defence of Political Prisoners and Repressed Persons has voiced its protest against refusal of Armenian authorities to apply early release to Armand Babadzhanyan, editor-in-chief of the "Zhamanak-Yerevan" newspaper.

Yerevan Mayoralty refused to sanction the rally of the Nationwide Movement of Armenia planned for August 1 in the Freedom Square near Matenadaran. At the same, as Levon Zurabyan, representative of the Nationwide Movement Centre, told journalists at today's press conference, the Mayoralty tried "to start bargaining with the opposition."