News

On January 16, the Institute for Peace and Democracy in Azerbaijan will make public its list of judges who are passing politically-motivated verdicts. In the opinion of the organization, analysis of the legislative base and operation of the judicial system allows to conclude on the absence of an independent judiciary in Azerbaijan.

Ruslan Demilkhanov, 30, resident of the Starye Atagi village of the Groznenskiy Rural District of the Chechen Republic, is trying to bring Vadim Rechkalov, journalist of the "Moskovskiy Komsomolets" ("MK") newspaper, to responsibility.

The Amnesty International organization intends to attract attention of international community to the facts of attacks on journalists in Azerbaijan.

The international "Human Rights Watch" organization has accused Azerbaijani authorities of voluntary arrests and beating of opposition activists and of using tortures against them.

The Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan (HRCA) welcomes the judgment of the Chamber of the European Court for Human Rights (ECtHR) dated January 11, 2007, on Application No. 34445/04 of Sardar Dzhalaloglu (Mamedov), a former political prisoner.

Mr. Rene Van der Linden, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), sees no reason now to start an international investigation into the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

Mr. Rene Van der Linden, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), does not exclude, that a report will be prepared under the auspice of the Council of Europe on the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

Today, the European Court for Human Rights has recognized that Sardar Dzhalaloglu, opposition leader, was tortured by Azerbaijani police in 2003.

Today, the Nasiminskiy Court of the capital of Azerbaijan has extended the custody term of publicist Rafik Tagi and Samir Sadagatoglu, editor of the "Sanat" (Arts) newspaper.

Yesterday, on January 10, Special Militia ("OMON") fighters dispersed a meeting held in the centre of Moscow near the Ministry of Defence of Russia in defence of Evgeniy Khudiakov and Sergey Arakcheev, interior officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, accused of murdering peaceful residents of Chechnya.

Today, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria has announced its verdict to two members of jama'at "Yarmuk."

Anzor Emkuzhev, investigator of the prosecutor's office of the city of Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, has informed the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" that the criminal case initiated against the members of the Republic's Administration for Fighting Organized Crime (Centre "T") under the Article "Excess of service duties with use of violence and special means" is at the stage of preliminary investigation.

Ruslan Demilkhanov, whose photo was published by the "Moskovskiy Komsomolets" newspaper with a comment that he is "a good sniper" and 33rd militant allegedly attracted by Yunus Matsiev to capturing Beslan school on September 1, 2004, "shot from nothing more than a children's catapult."

The Board of Chechen Refugees in Azerbaijan has addressed Mr. Anthoniu Gutterish, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, to draw attention of the international community to the "trend of serious aggravation of situation with Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan.

Magomed Mutsolgov, head of the human rights organization "MAShR," has addressed the Spanish authorities not to extradite Murad Gasaev, an earlier detained resident of the Republic of Ingushetia.

The parents of Ruslan Demilkhanov, whose photo was published by the "Moskovskiy Komsomolets" ("MK") in an article stating that he was the 33rd militant, allegedly attracted by Yunus Matsiev to Beslan school capture on September 1, 2004, have promised to move to court on collection of moral damage from the "MK" and to send a letter to the paper. Ruslan Badalov, president of the Chechen Committee for National Salvage (CCNS) told about it to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot."

Journalists' investigation of Anna Politkovskaya's murder "committed in February will be full-scale unfolded," Dmitri Muratov, Editor-in-Chief of the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper, has stated on live air of the "Echo Moskvy" Radio Station.

On December 25, 2006, the "Moskovskiy Komsomolets" ("MK") newspaper published an article "33rd Beslan Militant" signed by journalist Vadim Rechkalov.

Lawyer Tatiana Psomiadi has informed the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" that announcement of a verdict to two members of the "Yarmuk" jama'at has taken place at the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria.

Today, the International Department of the Committee Against Tortures has lodged a complaint to the European Court for Human Rights on behalf of Aslan Dovletukaev, a resident of Chechnya.