News

Caucasian Knot has received an open letter from Dr. Aaron Roads, executive director of International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. The letter is addressed to the law enforcement authorities in Chechnya; a copy was sent to Vladimir Ustinov, the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, and to Vladimir Lukin, Ombudsman of the Russian Federation. According to the letter, two persons were abducted on April 9, 2006 in Chechnya.

On April 17, in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, at the trial of human rights activist Osman Boliev, accused of keeping, purchasing and carrying arms, the scheduled court session did not take place.

On April 10 in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, at the trial of human rights activist Osman Boliev, accused of keeping, purchasing and carrying arms, the judge rejected the defense petition to examine the authenticity of the signatures of prosecution witnesses, police officers Vitaly Shamber and Konstantin Novitsky on the documents of the criminal case.

in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, at the trial of human rights activist Osman Boliev, accused of keeping, purchasing and carrying arms, the court will proceed to interrogate witnesses for the defense.

Dagestan law enforcement agencies have interrogated the US citizen Kelly McEvers three times this week. The employee of Washington John Hopkins University has come to Dagestan under a UNEADCO program, reports Radio "Liberty."

Investigation of the incident in Dagestan, involving the detention of Kelly McEvers, an American citizen and employee of John Hopkins University, continues. For reference, on the night of March 29, militia officers from Khasavyurt militia station detained her at the exit from the town of Khasavyurt at one of the road traffic control points. The American visited Khasavyurt under a UNEADCO program, upon an invitation of the public organization "Foundation of Humanitarian Initiatives", for taking part in training on tolerance among school-children and youth. Prior to that, she visited Derbent, Selakh Gunib and Ghimry.

An investigation of the case of Kelly McEvers, US citizen, continues in Dagestan.

On March 30, 2006, Timirkhan Makhmadievich Shakhbulatov, born in 1966, was kidnapped by unknown armed persons wearing black clothes near his house in Grozny.

About three thousand residents of Volgodonsk, Rostov oblast, have held a meeting to protect their social interests in connection with the construction of the second block of a nuclear power station.

In March 24-26, the Warsaw Regional Congress of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) of the Council of Europe (CE) states was held on the issues of involving civil society into democratic construction. Andrei Ozharovskiy, expert of the Russian public organization "Ekozaschita!" (Ecology Protection), who took part in the congress told about it to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

On the night of March 29, militia officers from Khasavyurt militia station in Dagestan detained Kelly McEvers, a US citizen employee of John Hopkins University, at the exit from the town of Khasavyurt at one of the road traffic control points. During 8 hours, they checked her documents, although she had all permit documents, including the visa extended till April 16, and confiscated her dictaphone, photo camera and notebook. A video recording was made despite her objections. The detainee was released by 4 a.m. She was met by Khadjimurad Kamalov, director of the publishing house "Freedom of Speech", Ltd.

The next sitting of the Moscow's 9th appellate court of arbitrage which considers the complaint by the Russian office of PEN-club international organization of writers and poets (Russian PEN-Centre) against the ruling of the Moscow court of arbitrage on payment by the centre of 1 million and 18 roubles as a fine for evading the land tax, will take place on Monday, March 3. This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Alexander Tkachenko, general director of the Russian PEN-Centre.

Today, David Sanakoev, ombudsman under the President of the Republic of South Ossetia, has addressed a letter to ambassador Roy Reev, head of OSCE mission in Georgia, and a copy to Gilliom Siemenski, head of Office on Human Dimension under the OSCE mission in Georgia. This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent at the Information and Press department of the unrecognized republic.

Manfred Nowak, special UN rapporteur on prevention of torture, has announced today that Moscow allows him to come to Russia and visit Chechnya, among other things. This is going to be the first trip of a UN representative who deals with the problems of torture, for more than a decade.

Natalia Vladimirovna Boichenko from Kabardino-Balkaria has addressed the "Mother's Right" foundation with a request of assistance in the investigation of the death of her son while serving in the army. This is contained in the foundation statement handed over to the "Caucasian Knot."

Boris Stomakhin, permanent author of the "Caucasus-centre" Chechen separatists' site, editor of the "Radikalnaya Politika" newspaper and co-chair of the Revolutionary Contact Association, arrested by militia in Moscow on March 21, is to be transferred from the special department of the city hospital No. 20 to the hospital department of the pre-trial prison "Matrosskaya Tishina." This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Regina Leonidovna, arrestee's mother.

The defence lawyers have appealed against the verdict on the case of death of submariner Alexander Pumane, reports lawyer Valeri Glushenkov.

On March 29, a meeting of protest took place in the village of Kartsa (an outskirt of Vladikavkaz). It was attended by residents of a number of settlements in Prigorodny district of North Ossetia who are relatives of Ingushes kidnapped at different time or missing.

The former inmate of the American prison in Guantanamo Rasul Kudaev who is held in pre-trial prison of Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, is still unable to get necessary medicines and the food which he needs due to his state of health. This has been reported by Fatimat Tekaeva, mother of the detainee, who is refused the opportunity to pass medicines to her son, while the food parcels are limited in weight.

A negative response has been received to the application of academician Eldar Salaev addressed to the Azeri prosecutor's office requesting permission to go abroad for medical treatment.