News

In Dagestan, as of morning of May 4, the number of residents of Novy Sulak settlement, brought to the Kizil-Yurt city hospital with preliminary diagnosis of sharp intestinal disease, is 26 persons, 11 children among them.

The Georgian opposition, which is now holding termless mass protests with a demand of President Mikhail Saakashvili's resignation, is expressing the intention to picket, in the round-the-clock mode, central highways of Georgia.

The health status of Hero of Russia Sulim Yamadaev causes no concern of the doctors; he started speaking and is prepared to the second surgery because of the wound received during the attempt on him in March 2009. This was reported by Sulim's brother Isa Yamadaev.

Law enforcement bodies of Ingushetia are in search of unidentified persons involved in the murder of a resident of Troitskaya village, Sunzha District, committed on Friday, May 1.

A criminal case was initiated in Armenia on the fact of the attack on Argishti Kiviryan, manager of the electronic edition "Armenia Today". However, the journalist's relatives disagree with the article under which the case was opened.

The Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, where the trial on the events on October 13, 2005, is held, today has started a judicial investigation on the episode about preparation to the attack on the Department on Fighting against Organized Crime (known as "UBOP") of the MIA of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR).

Two persons were arrested in the case on the massacre committed on April 30 in Baku at the Azerbaijani State Oil Academy (ASOA). This is reported in the joint statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and State Office of Public Prosecutor of Azerbaijan, which arrived to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in the evening on May 4.

A decision was made by members of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation (RF), leaders of main Russian non-commercial organizations (NCOs) and Dagestan leadership to set up a joint working group on problems of observance of rights and freedoms in this republic.

In honor of World Press Freedom Day May 3, 2009 the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders expresses its concern about the press freedom situations in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Bans on independent and opposition media outlets, censorship, and harassment of journalists remain serious concerns in all three countries. In addition, in Azerbaijan, unlike Georgia and Armenia, defamation is a criminal offence.

In the city of Cherkessk, the capital of Karachaevo-Circassia, the longest shashlik (kebab) in the world was cooked. The length of the modular skewer with the shashlik made 120 meters. For cooking the meal, 80 shashlik cookers used 400 kilos of meat from 30 young lambs.

In Armenia, Lusine Saakyan, a well-known lawyer and wife of Argishti Kiviryan, hackneyed coordinator of the Internet edition "Armenia Today", who is in hospital in a grave condition, has stated that there are people who try to put the investigation into the attack on her husband onto a wring track.

Asad Gadirov, father of Fardy Gadirov, who committed a massacre on April 30 in the Azerbaijani State Oil Academy (ASOA) in Baku, has renounced his son.

Today, at a meeting with Peter Semnebi, Special Representative of the European Union in the countries of Southern Caucasus, the members of the Georgian parliamentary opposition have stated the need of a fundamental constitutional reform to be undertaken in the country with the aim to restrict the powers of the president in favour of the parliament.

Today, President of the Republic Eduard Kokoity has stated that in the near future South Ossetia will start rebuilding private houses for the funds allocated by Russia.

Today, Georgian mass media have disseminated information that this week additional subdivisions of Russian troops entered the Akhalgori District of South Ossetia. The information was confirmed by Grigol Vashadze, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

Leader of the oppositional Conservative Party of Georgia Zviad Dzidziguri has stated that the actions of the opposition with a demand of Mikhail Saakashvili's will last for 2-3 weeks more.

After the tragedy in the Azerbaijani State Oil Academy (ASOA) the Republic's authorities made a decision to strengthen security in higher educational establishments of the country, as stated today by Misir Mardanov, Minister of Education of Azerbaijan.

Sappers of the "Leader" Special-Purpose Centre of the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) of Russia, who arrived in mid-April to Chechnya to clean the territory of one of the state farms from mines, shells and other explosives, have started using a special robotic complex in their dangerous work.

Today is the official start of the pre-election agitation campaign for the Mayor and Board of Elders of the capital of Armenia; the elections will take place on May 31.

The government of Serbia has made a decision not to send its soldiers to NATO exercises in Georgia to take place from May 6 to June 1; this is reported by the Serbian cabinet of ministers as a result of its regular sitting.