News

Manfred Nowak, special UN rapporteur on prevention of torture, has announced today that Moscow allows him to come to Russia and visit Chechnya, among other things. This is going to be the first trip of a UN representative who deals with the problems of torture, for more than a decade.

Natalia Vladimirovna Boichenko from Kabardino-Balkaria has addressed the "Mother's Right" foundation with a request of assistance in the investigation of the death of her son while serving in the army. This is contained in the foundation statement handed over to the "Caucasian Knot."

Boris Stomakhin, permanent author of the "Caucasus-centre" Chechen separatists' site, editor of the "Radikalnaya Politika" newspaper and co-chair of the Revolutionary Contact Association, arrested by militia in Moscow on March 21, is to be transferred from the special department of the city hospital No. 20 to the hospital department of the pre-trial prison "Matrosskaya Tishina." This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Regina Leonidovna, arrestee's mother.

The defence lawyers have appealed against the verdict on the case of death of submariner Alexander Pumane, reports lawyer Valeri Glushenkov.

On March 29, a meeting of protest took place in the village of Kartsa (an outskirt of Vladikavkaz). It was attended by residents of a number of settlements in Prigorodny district of North Ossetia who are relatives of Ingushes kidnapped at different time or missing.

The former inmate of the American prison in Guantanamo Rasul Kudaev who is held in pre-trial prison of Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, is still unable to get necessary medicines and the food which he needs due to his state of health. This has been reported by Fatimat Tekaeva, mother of the detainee, who is refused the opportunity to pass medicines to her son, while the food parcels are limited in weight.

A negative response has been received to the application of academician Eldar Salaev addressed to the Azeri prosecutor's office requesting permission to go abroad for medical treatment.

A roundtable discussion "Situation in North Caucasus and the Condition of Balkars" was held at the Independent press-centre in Moscow today from 12 noon to 14. 00. The discussion was attended by Rasul Dzhappuev, chair of the State Council of Balkaria, representative of Balkars in the Federative Council of National Minorities in Europe and founder of the newspaper "Balkaria"; Lev Ponomaryov, executive director of the movement "For Human Rights"; Ruslan Boziev, deputy director of the Institute of Innovation Activity in Education; Ismail Boziev, deputy of the local self-government body in the village of Khasaniya which now is part of Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria; Alim Khubolov, expert of the movement "For Human Rights"; Ali Abdulayev, director general of "А Аliko" Ltd, and Anna Politkovskaya, columnist of the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper. The roundtable was timed to Balkar People Renascence Day which is marked on March 28.

On March 27, a press-conference of Eduard Obukhov, commander of 102nd operational brigade (OBRON) of Dagestan MIA internal troops, was held, reports the IA REGNUM correspondent.

On March 28, a number of Georgian non-government organizations, i.e., "Young Lawyers' Association," "42nd Article of the Constitution," "Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture," as well as the Georgian Republican Party, published an open letter addressed to the country's leadership, in which they call on the government to make public detailed information on the riot in Tbilisi prison No. 5, reports IA Novosti-Gruziya.

"The problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan is still urgent. According to our observations, it is far from being solved yet, rather, it continues to deepen," said Leila Unus, director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy, to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to her, an analysis of fulfilment of this obligation shows that, out of the initial list of 716 names and an additional list of 107 assumed political prisoners who appeared after the country's accession to the СЕ, there are still 78 prisoners.

On March 26, the Youth Group for Tolerance "ETnIKA" from Krasnodar completed a series of actions within the international action "Your vote against racism!" by the FLASH MOB "STOP RACISM!"

A roundtable "Situation in North Caucasus and Condition of Balkars" is to be held on Tuesday March 28, from 12 noon till 14. 00 at the Independent press-centre in Moscow. The "Forum.msk" reports that the discussion will be attended by Dzhappuev Rasul Soltan-Khamidovich, chair of the State Council of Balkaria, founder of the newspaper "Balkaria" and representative of Balkars in the Federative Council of National Minorities in Europe; Ponomaryov Lev Alexandrovich, executive director of the movement "For Human Rights"; Yazykova Alla Alexeevna, doctor of historical sciences; Boziev Ruslan Sakhitovich, deputy director of the Institute of Innovation Activity in Education; Boziev Ismail Khakimovich, deputy of the local self-government body in the village of Khasaniya; Khubolov Alim Lazhdautovich, expert of the movement "For Human Rights"; Metov Magomed Ilyasovich, director general of "Apatit" Ltd., Abdulayev Ali Amashevich, director general of the "А Аliko" Ltd. Political scientists and sociologists have also been invited.

Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labour Party, stated before journalists that the opposition forces intend to demand resignation of Vano Merabishvili, Minister of Internal Affairs, and the administration of the Department on Enforcement of Punishment. "The actions of the riot squad which used arms against prisoners are illegal," said Natelashvili, reports NEWSru.com.

Two international organizations have made a statement in protection of lawyer Mikhail Trepashkin. "Amnesty International" and the American Bar Association call the persecution of Trepashkin unfair and illegal, reports "Gazeta.Ru."

Today, on March 24, another session of the Khasavyurt town court hearing on the case of the human rights activist Osman Boliev accused of storage, acquisition and wearing of arms took place in Dagestan. Salimat Kadyrova, Boliev's lawyer, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by telephone about the proceedings.

Andrei Sychov and his relatives have completed studying the materials in the criminal case file on his inhuman treatment. During the coming days, the materials are to be handed over to the Chelyabinsk garrison tribunal, reports "Gazeta.Ru."

Today, on March 24, the Khasavyurt town court hearing of the case of the human rights activist Osman Boliev accused of storage, acquisition and wearing of arms continues in Dagestan. Ruslan, the brother of the accused, and lawyer Salimat Kadyrova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by telephone from Khasavyurt during a break in the court session about the proceedings.

In his talk with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, human rights activist Chinghiz Ganizade has stated that now there are about 50 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. "This problem will not be resolved until they are released," he notes.

The location and fate of the assistant of Aslan Maskhadov, president of ChRI killed in March 2005 in Chechnya, are still unknown.