News

On September 1, the participants of the extraordinary EU summit held in Brussels condemned recognition by Russia of Abkhazia's and South Ossetian's independence. In his turn, Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France, current EU chair, has called to continue dialogue with Moscow and not to break partnership relations.

In Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, an attack was made today on Miloslav Bitokov, editor-in-chief of the independent "Newspaper of the South". He was beaten in the doorway of his own house and hospitalized, as the editorial board of the newspaper reported.

Tonight, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Russian adviser-envoy Andrei Smaga was served a note on break of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The death from militia's hands of Magomed Evloev, owner of the website "Ingushetia.Ru", can be compared with the murder of lady-journalist Anna Politkovskaya; it evidences aggravation of the situation with the freedom of press in Russia, said Miklosh Charasti, OSCE representative on media freedom.

Ombudsman in Chechnya Nurdi Nukhazhiev has demanded, in the context of death in the Kurchaloy District of Askhab Zakriev, 17, that the Military Prosecutor's Office finish the investigation of all the crimes committed by Sulim Yamadaev, commander of the "Vostok" (East) battalion and his fighters.

Despite all the authorities' attempts to translate political struggle into violent actions, the opposition will stick to its principles of holding protests exclusively within the law. This was stated by Levon Ter-Petrosyan, first president of Armenia and leader of the opposition, on September 2 in a press conference. Levon Ter-Petrosyan has also presented three documents, which, by his definition, are of great value for opening a "monstrous plot" of the authorities against the opposition.

The Ministry of Defence of Georgia has stated that "during the armed conflict with Russia the Georgian party never used cluster bombs against population and civil aims of South-Ossetian or any other region."

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, who has already expressed his views on the desirability of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's voluntary retirement, has suggested introducing embargo on arms deliveries to Georgia until the power changes in this republic.

As of August 31, as a result of the TV "Marathon Action" to raise funds for the families of political prisoners and victims of March 1 events on in Armenia, organized by the Armenian community of Los Angeles, over 60 thousand US dollars were raised.

On August 31, President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez declared that his country completely supported Russia's decision to recognize Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's independence. He also named President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili "a US puppet."

The General Prosecutor's Office of South Ossetia has presented charges to the two residents of North Ossetia who have accused Eduard Kokoity of cowardice and were arrested for a skirmish with President of South Ossetia and his guards.

Magomed Evloev, owner of the website "Ingushetia.Ru", who perished on August 31, was buried in Ingushetia. About five hundred persons came today to take part in the mourning ceremony in the house of Evloev's parents in Malgobek.

Russian and Ingush human rights organizations have voiced in favour of prompt investigation into the circumstance of Magomed Evloev's murder. Demands are also expressed to entrust the case to federal, not local, inspectors.

Yuri Turygin, Public Prosecutor of Ingushetia, has stated today that Magomed Evloev, owner of the website "Ingushetia.Ru", got his fatal wound as a result of a random shot. Ingushetian human rights activists and oppositionists do not trust him.

Shortly before his death, relatives and friends of Magomed Evloev, owner of a website "Ingushetia.Ru", tried to fight the oppositionist back from militiamen.

Sergey Bokovoy, a member of the first group of the leading Russian ecologists and a member of the Supreme Ecological Board of Russian State Duma, believes that the territory of South Ossetia is an ecological catastrophe zone.

The North Ossetia gets ready to hold Memory Days on the victims of the act of terror committed on September 1-3, 2004, in Beslan.

On August 31, at midday, an all-Russian action under the motto "Future of Russia is in mothers' hands" is to start in the Theatre Square of Tskhinvali with participation of public organizations of North Ossetia and the "Beslan Mothers" Association of Victims of Terror Acts.

As a result of the war, an essential part of households in Tskhinvali have suffered. According to the data presented by Mayor of Tskhinvali Robert Guliev, we can state that 80 percent of the city's housing fund was damaged.

At least 400 persons are still regarded missing in South Ossetia, and there is no information about them. In his conversation with journalists, David Sanakoev, Ombudsman in South Ossetia, said that the Georgian party denies that there are women and children among their detainees.