News

Isa, one of the brothers of Sulim Yamadaev, former commander of the "Vostok" special-purpose GRU battalion in Chechnya, could not be involved in disappearance of Alikhan Khaladov, a soldier of the battalion. This is the assertion of close relatives of Yamadaev brothers and one of former "Vostok" fighters.

A resident of the Itum-Kalin District of Chechnya was wounded by an explosion of a grenade-launcher round. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by a source from the Chechnya's MIA. The incident happened in the high-mountainous village of Tazbichi. The victim was hospitalized with plural fragmental wounds.

Today at the celebratory event on the occasion of the Day of the First Republic of Armenia, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has emphasized his readiness to announce amnesty to the oppositionists arrested in the course of mass disorders in Yerevan on March 1-2, 2008.

The Makhachkala Mayoralty has stated that till the end of May all the debts to power suppliers would be covered and called the actions of the Dagestan Energy Sales Company, which restricted electricity supply to the capital of Dagestan, illegal.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Azerbaijan has rejected the cassation complaint lodged by Novruzali Mamedov, head of the Talysh Cultural Centre (TCC), convicted to 10 years of imprisonment on charge of high treason. Mamedov's advocate finds the decision unjustified.

Sergey Bagapsh, President of Abkhazia, has stated that Vice-President Raul Hadjimba just could not match his team, and his resignation is in no case an evidence of any deep crisis of the Republic's power.

In the course of pre-election campaign of Mayor of Kislovodsk, Stavropol Territory, to be held on May 31, the authorities are actively using their administrative resources, as reported by candidates for the Mayor Boris Sazonov and German Barbashov.

On May 27 in Ingushetia, six more persons were released out of the fifteen residents of Ingushetia earlier arrested on suspicion of illegal bearing firearms and ammunition. Thus, as of today, only one member of this grouping is still in custody.

There are two figurants - Elchin Gasanov and Ruslan Gitinomagomedov - in the murder case of Gadji Abashilov, Director of the VGTRK (State TV and Radio Company) "Dagestan". Now, their case is already in the court; as to the customers of the crime, another criminal case will be investigated in this respect.

Today by 5:00 p.m., the special operation in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, aimed to liquidate a group of militants, was over; there were two of them, not four, as supposed earlier. There is no official information about the liquidated bandits, however, Zaur Krymukov, head of the division for fighting extremism, said that there was no militants leader Anzor Astemirov among the casualties, but there was Murat Ristov, Russia's champion in sambo (art of self-defence, Russian style of wrestling) in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

The Russian Federation has again lost at the European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg; this time on three cases initiated by residents of Chechnya who accused Russia's authorities of disappearance and murder of their relatives.

The family of Kocharyan, ex-President of Armenia, lodged a claim against the oppositional newspaper "Armenian Time", willing to close the edition and make its publisher bankrupt. This was stated by advocate Tigran Atanesyan at the court judicial session on May 26. In his opinion, the verdict of the court is completely predefined: it will satisfy the claimant.

By appointing General-Lieutenant Vladimir Shamanov, former commander of one of military formations in Chechnya, to be the Chief Commander of Airborne Forces (known as "VDV") of Russia's Ministry of Defence the country's leadership have demonstrated to the whole world that they encourage the people who were notable for special cruelty when commanding troops in Chechnya. Aslambek Apaev, expert of the Moscow Helsinki Group for Northern Caucasus, said about it to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

On June 2, the Criminal Cassation Court of Armenia will start considering the complaint of Sarkis Atspanyan, a citizen of France, a veteran of the Karabakh War and an activist of the opposition, convicted to 3.5 years of imprisonment on charges of false informing.

Military inspectors are clearing the circumstances of shelling Benoy village, Vedeno District, committed by federal troops from long-range artillery back at night on May 4, but still very poorly covered. On May 26, this issue was discussed by Chechen Parliament.

After a poisoning that happened on May 26 in one of military units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, six soldiers are still in hospital. 158 militaries have been already discharged and sent back to their unit.

Inspectors of the Astrakhan Region have opened a criminal case against a militia officer from Kalmykia suspected of kidnapping a human, later sold by him into slavery.

In Karachaevo-Circassia, over 5000 persons are engaged in knitting garments. At the same time, during the latest five months the number of officially registered unemployed workers in the republic has increased by a third and reached 8000.

The General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of the Russian Federation has submitted to the Supreme Court the final version of the official protest against the Court's verdict on the murder case of Anna Politkovskaya, journalist of the "Novaya Gazeta". The GPO demands to cancel the acquittal verdict.

President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has the whole republic in his ownership. This was the comment made by Sergey Stepashin, Chairman of the Russian Federation Audit Chamber, on the data of the incomes of the President of the Chechen Republic.