News

The European Court on Human Rights has recognized eligible the received complaint of Alaudin Sadykov from Chechnya, who was subjected to torture by militaries and militiamen in 2000.

Bakanai Guseinova, advocate of Nariman Mamedyarov, plans to strain her efforts to completely stop criminal prosecution of her client. Mr Mamedyarov himself will have to undergo surgery on his arm broken by power agents. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Ms Guseinova.

The change of Ingushetian leadership had little effect on the situation in the criminal sphere, since militants' leaders - Dokku Umarov, Magasu and others - who pursue the aim "to create some Caliphate or Emirate" and "to disintegrate Russia - like once the Soviet Union was disintegrated" are indifferent to who keeps the power. This was stated by President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov.

The Prigorodny District is a part of North Ossetia, but Ingush refugees should return to their homes, as President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov has stated.

Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner of the Council of Europe on Human Rights, finds it reasonable to open an office on human rights in the Gali District of Abkhazia. This was announced today in Sukhumi at the meeting with President of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh. The meeting discussed the issues of ensuring human rights in Abkhazia.

Within the investigation of the criminal case on a student's murder in a mass fight on February 8 in the centre of Rostov-on-Don, nobody is detained so far. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by a source in the Investigatory Department of the ICPO (Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office) of the Russian Federation for the Rostov Region.

Today, Kakha Bendukidze, head of the State Office of Georgia, has confirmed his resignation.

In the Rostov Region, half of the persons accused of corruption crimes are militiamen, the other half falling on employees of the education system, public health, supervising bodies and administrations of different levels.

Arsen Ambartsumyan, Minister of Labour and Social Matters of Armenia, has reported to the session of the National Assembly that according to the Ministry, by the end of January, because of the global economic crisis, about 3500 person lost their jobs in the country.

The Kabardino-Balkarian Human Rights Centre has hosted a presentation of the memoirs of Konstantin Chkheidze entitled "General Dautokov-Serebryakov in Civil War".

In the highway in the Kaspskiy District of Georgia, unidentified persons have attacked a car and kidnapped a referee who was making his way to a match of the National Football Championship.

In the city of Malgobek, Ingushetia, unidentified persons have heavily wounded the art director of the children's dancing ensemble "Zori Ingushetii". He received a wound in his abdominal cavity, and is currently operated on.

Today, an explosion of utility gas in a private house located in Valerik village, Achkhoy-Martan District of Chechnya, has injured seven persons, including six children.

The Georgian party has handed over to Russia a list of 32 militaries, who disappeared in the course of Georgia's conflict with South Ossetia and Abkhazia in August 2008.

Anna Lauren, a Finnish journalist and a correspondent of the state-owned TV and Radio Company "Yuleisradio", has come to Ingushetia with the aim to make reports; she is now writing a book about Northern Caucasus and warfare during the Russian-Georgian conflict in 2008, willing to help residents of her country "to have a sober look at the Caucasus."

The Moscow District Military Court has completed the court investigation on the murder case of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, as the presiding judge Evgeniy Zubov announced on February 6.

The authorities of Chechnya want to promulgate restrictions on sale of alcoholic products in the territory of the Republic. The respective ideas were announced by Islam Vazirkhanov, head of the Republic's Department of the Federal Tax Service for Chechnya.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, the Union of Journalists of Russia and the Centre of Extreme Journalism are concerned of the attempt to intimidate the head of the "Echo Moskvy" Radio by expressing a veiled threat to Alexei Venediktov, editor of independent radio station "Echo Moskvy". They link the fact that an axe and a video camera were found at the journalist's apartment with his professional activities.

On February 5, 2009, the Scientific-Information Centre "Memorial" in St-Petersburg hosted a meeting in memory of victims of the tragedy in Novye Aldy village - of the "zachistka" (clean-up) conducted on February 10, 2000, by the Petersburg OMON. To correct the opinion of Chechen residents about St-Petersburg, the organizers of the action offered to invite children from the village to their city.

Boris Bairamkulov, disappeared businessman from Dombai (Karachaevo-Circassia), director of the "Bars" Tourist Agency, has not been found yet. After the last rally held in Cherkessk, Bairamkulov's relatives received no new information about the progress in the case.