News

Experts of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) will not be able to hold their own independent investigation into the murder of human rights defender Natalia Estemirova, as it is contradictory to the Russian legislation. This was stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Russian Federation.

In the opinion of Yamadaevs' relatives, the trial of the two persons, accused of an attempt on the former commander of the "Vostok" special-purpose GRU battalion, Hero of Russia Sulim Yamadaev, who by official data was assassinated in Dubai on March 28 this year but by statements of his relatives is alive and under protection of the police, will allow making responsible both the executors and organizers, and the direct customer of this crime.

On July 22 in Sochi, Rank III Captain Evgeniy Tsapko, a serviceman of the Military Unit 2159, stopped his protest hunger strike that he conducted since June 22, because of a sharp aggravation of his health condition.

The kidnapping of the resident of Ingushetia Batyr Albakov, who was then killed on July 21 during special operation in Sunzha District of the republic, was imitated by his accomplices with the aim to conceal the fact of his departure to militants. This is the opinion of the Department of FSB for Ingushetia.

In the nearest ten days, the Chechen Republic is planning to set up special groups for demining farmlands. The respective decision was passed upon agreement with the Ministry of Emergencies (MoE) of Russia.

Today, the Sabail District Court of the city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, under the chairmanship of Famil Nasibov, rejected the complaint submitted by young bloggers Adnan Gadjizade and Emin Milli against the actions of the Sabail District Police.

Armen Arutyunyan, Armenian Ombudsman, has addressed Gevork Danielyan, Minister of Justice, with a request to help in organizing medical examination of Arman Babadzhanyan, now imprisoned editor-in-chief of the oppositional newspaper "Zhamanak" (Time), whose health condition has sharply worsened.

The version of Natalia Estemirova's murder for the sake of causing harm to President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov can be excluded from consideration in view of the circumstances of the murder. This was stated by Svetlana Gannushkina, chair of the public charitable organization for helping refugees and forced migrants "Civil Assistance", head of the network "Migration and Law" of the HRC "Memorial".

The arrested bloggers and youth activists Adnan Gadjizade and Emin Milli have lodged a suit against the Sabail District Police Department. It will be considered on July 23 by the Sabail District Court of Baku under the chairmanship of Famil Nasibov.

The Federation of Circassian Hases of Turkey (KAFFED), which unites representatives of all Caucasian nations, condoles with Natalia Estemirova's relatives and friends and condemns the customers and executors of her murder.

Konstantin Baranov, leader of the Rostov-on-Don branch of the all-Russian organization "Young Europe", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he was summoned to the Regional Prosecutor's Office in the context of his statements that appeared in media about threats, which he receives from neo-Nazis.

In the nearest two weeks, all the administrative buildings, commercial sites and other throngs of citizens in Grozny will be equipped with video surveillance cameras.

In Ingushetia, in Ordzhonikidzevskaya village, today, at about 3:00 a.m., a shop that was selling alcohol beverages among other things was blown up. There were no victims, but the building was strongly damaged.

A high-ranking source in power agencies of the Southern Federal District has reported that the investigation had defined a circle of suspects of murdering Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the HRC "Memorial".

Residents of Sochi Nuriet and Zarema Achmizova have lodged a complaint to the military public prosecutor of the Sochi garrison against Roman Nistratov who had humiliated, in their opinion, the national dignity of local residents of Golovinka settlement and members of Sochi national minority - Shapsugs (Adygs).

The International Federation of Human Rights (French abbreviation - FIDH) expresses its concern about the departure of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" from the Chechen Republic. The leaders of the Federation believe that the absence of "Memorial" in the republic will create a failure in defence of human rights.

Rashid Aluash, adviser of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Russian Federation, believes that by consenting to hold an independent international investigation into Natalia Estemirova's murder, Russian leaders will manifest their commitment to reveal the culprits.

Batyr Albakov, who was kidnapped and later found dead and who was labelled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ingushetia as a militant, was killed for the sake of statistics. This opinion was stated by Magomed Khazbiev leader of Ingush opposition. Human rights defenders note many strange things in this murder. Arsen Sakalov, director of the Nazran-based fund "Legal Initiative" said that as a whole, it happens extremely seldom that the kidnapped person is presented as militant.

Members of Azerbaijani NGOs have resolutely condemned the decision of the Baku Appeal Court to uphold the ruling of the Sabail District Court to arrest youth activists and bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Gadjizade for the period of two months.

According to Mikail Ezhiev, leader of the NGO "Human Rights Centre of the Chechen Republic", members of local NGOs treat the murder of human rights defender Natalia Estemirova as a provocation. In their opinion, its aim was to kindle a military conflict between Chechnya and Ingushetia.