News

At night on July 16, in the Shatoy District of Chechnya, workers of power agencies kidnapped and took away in unknown direction two local residents - close relatives of the well-known Chechen lawyer Ilyas Timishev, who is representing the interests of suffered residents of the Republic both in local courts and in the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Human rights activists have announced the start of collecting signatures against the war of Russia on Georgia. The statement emphasizes that the Russian Federation, being the stronger party, should exhibit greater restraint.

The information about release of Betilgireev, Zaur Khizirovich, a resident of Serzhen-Jurt village, Shali District of Chechnya, who was brought delivered to the Shali ROVD, was not confirmed. The local resident is still behind bars.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan sent an answer to the request of Djamil Gasanli, Deputy of the National Assembly, on the fact of violence applied to Emin Guseinov, head of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety, on June 14 in the 22nd Police Station of the Nasiminskiy District of the capital of the country.

Arsen Guchapshev, a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, has complained to the Department of Own Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the KBR against pressure on him by certain Chechenov, an operative inspector of the Chegem ROVD, who is a member of the investigatory group in charge of disclosing the murder of entrepreneur Murat Mukov.

The Ingushetian opposition is now preparing a nationwide rally, where they plan to put forward the demand of resignation of Murat Zyazikov and return of Ruslan Aushev back to the post of the president of the Republic.

During the first six months of 2008, 22 violence episodes, including physical and psychological pressure, threats and attacks were committed against journalists in Azerbaijan. The figure is contained in the report named "Legal Status of Media in Azerbaijan", prepared by the Institute of Media Rights and presented today in the press conference.

On July 16, the Baku Appeal Court presided by Mirpasha Guseinov finished considering the appeal complaint lodged by ex-Minister for Economic Development of Azerbaijan Farkhad Aliev, his brother, former head of the "Azpetrol" private company Rafik Aliev, and five more persons.

In the near future, South Ossetia will consider accession of the Republic to the Union State of Russia and Belarus. In the opinion of the authorities, South Ossetia needs to seek ways to ensure its safety.

On Tuesday, the Nasiminskiy District Court of Baku sentenced Sergey Strekalin to 18 months for attacking Agil Halil on March 13 this year. The international journalists' organization "Reporters Without Borders" made a statement, expressing a regret that the trial in Azerbaijan on the case of attack on Agil Halil resulted in punishing the person who had nothing to do with the incident.

Today, Armen Arutyunyan, Ombudsman of Armenia, made a statement, in which he has expressed expediency of early release of Armand Babadzhanyan, editor-in-chief of the "Zhamanak-Yerevan" newspaper.

Speaking to journalists about subscription bagging, initiated by the Centre of Nationwide Movement in support of bringing Robert Kocharyan, the second president of Armenia, to the International Tribunal in The Hague, Stepan Demirchyan, leader of Popular Party of Armenia, has explained that this is a public initiative, and political parties should not consider their accession to it.

Recently, oppositional figures have been more frequent on TV in Armenia; they can speak freely, without censorship, and, in general, the trend is positive, asserts Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the Institute of the Caucasus.

The prosecutor's office of the Novosibirsk Region has sent a presentation to local Internet providers asking them to restrict access of their clients to a number of websites, which are, in the opinion of law enforcers, extremist in nature. Among these websites, there are some resources of Chechen separatists.

The medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (also called Medecins Sans Frontieres - MSF) is shocked by the decision of the Federal Court of Switzerland to share the funds of the ransom paid for release Aryan Erkel, a citizen of the Netherlands and head of the MSF mission who had been kidnapped in Northern Caucasus.

The law enforcement bodies of the Chechen Republic continue to study the circumstances of the incident in Grozny, when as a result of an explosion at the building of the parliament two persons suffered.

At the process in the Nasiminskiy District Court of Baku on the case of Sergey Strekalin, accused of attacking journalist of the "Azadlyg" (Freedom) newspaper Agil Halil, on July 14 Public Prosecutor Eldar Gamzaev asked the court to sentence the defendant to two years of imprisonment with serving the punishment in a general custody colony.

Nurdi Nukhazhiev, Ombudsman in Chechnya, believes that the investigatory actions on the fact of bombardment on October 29, 1999, of a column of refugees on the highway Petropavlovskaya - Goryacheistochnenskaya village, and detection of a mass burial are being held improperly.

Representatives of nongovernmental and human rights organizations of Armenia are happy with their meeting with Thomas Hammarberg, High Commissioner of the Council of Europe for Human Rights.

Starting today, the oppositional Nationwide Movement will bag subscriptions for sending the case of Robert Kocharyan, the second president of Armenia, to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.