News

The deadline fixed by the hunger strikers at the "Independent Azerbaijan" university to the Ministry of Education for resolving the issue of restoring their status of students expires today.

On June 20, Georgiy Kheviashvili, the Georgian Minister on Refugees and Resettlement, and Navid Hussein, representative of the UN High Commissar on Refugees in Georgia, visited the Pankisi Gorge (Eastern Georgia).

On June 19, a meeting of local residents protesting against the arbitrariness of Sapiyulla Karachaev, head of the administration of Kumtoraklin district, Dagestan, took place in Korkmaskala, the district centre.

The international working team on searching for missing hostages and prisoners of war has made a regular visit to Stepanakert (Nagorny Karabakh).

The first interrogation of Osman Boliev, head of "Romashka" human rights organization, fixed for today at the internal affairs department of Khasavyurt (Dagestan) in relation with the new criminal case initiated against him has not taken place.

On Friday June 16, more than three hundred residents of Sergen-Yurt village in Shalinsk district of Chechnya held a meeting which lasted several hours, with a demand to set free their detained fellow-villagers.

The "Caucasian Knot" editorial office has received an open letter from representatives of human rights organization, devoted to the investigation of circumstances of the tragedy in Beslan.

In the course of the picket of the Popular Front Party activists in front of the Iranian embassy, more than ten participants were arrested and one put to hospital. This was contained in the report of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) sent to the "Caucasian Knot".

The "Civil Assistance" committee and the "Memorial" human rights centre express their deep concern about the situation of Zaurbek Talkhigov who serves 8.5 years of prison for an attempt to set free the hostages from the Theatre Centre on Dubrovka in October 2002.

The fact that P. Siradjov, an emigrant from Azerbaijan held in the American Guantanamo prison, will be sent not to his home country but to Holland has been reported on June 14 by human rights activist Elchin Bekhbudov.

More than 100 residents of Zelenchuk district, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, who are dissatisfied with the construction of a system of Zelenchuk hydroelectric stations, have blocked traffic today on the highway in the vicinity of the village Hussa-Kardonik.

Aslan Bezrukov, a well-known public figure and entrepreneur in Adygea, was released on bail yesterday on June 14 from the pre-trial prison.

Lawyer Rashid Gadjily is going to act as defence lawyer for the students of the "Independent Azerbaijan" university who are on hunger strike.

Some ethnic groups residing in Krasnodar Territory have not been recognized as citizens of the Russian Federation.

Another criminal case has been initiated in Khasavyurt, Republic of Dagestan, against Osman Boliev, head of "Romashka" regional human rights organization.

The Moscow city court has postponed for unspecified period of time the consideration of release of notary Fail Sadretdinov acquitted earlier on the case of murder of Paul Khlebnikov, chief editor of Forbes Russian version.

The hunger strike of several scores of students of the "Independent Azerbaijan" university has been lasting for 14 days already.

Academician Eldar Salaev, former president of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, has left for the United States of America for a course of treatment. Elman Salaev, the son of the academician has reported this to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The Soldiers' Mothers Committee claims that a 19-year-old resident of Krasnodar region in Kuban, drafted to the army, was beaten and dropped from the train during transportation of a group of soldiers from Krasnodar region to Khabarovsk distribution centre.

Chechen prosecutor's office employees are conducting an additional check on the criminal cases initiated in the past against officers of Khanty-Mansijsk riot squad, suspected of illegal detentions of citizens and the use of torture with regard to them.