News

In Tbilisi, the number of Georgian opposition members put to hospital in the course of the hunger strike has reached 12 people. About 70 people continue the strike.

Pensioners in Kislovodsk (Stavropol Krai) demand that the fight with corruption in the city should be accomplished. They put their demand into an appeal submitted to the prosecutor's offices of SFD, Stavropol Krai and the city of Kislovodsk, to the Krai Duma and administration, administration of Kislovodsk and chair of the city Council of Deputies.

In Krasnodar Krai, Anatoli Malyshev, resident of Tuapse, tried to burn himself in protest against his family eviction from the dormitory.

Today, the North Caucasus military district tribunal declined the cassation appeal of General Vasili Fomin, deputy commander of the North Caucasus military district internal troops of RF MoI, against the judgment of Rostov military garrison tribunal.

Mustafa Pogorov, uncle of Pogovorova Aishat who was run over by an APC in the Prigorodny district of North Ossetia, claims that the incident was a premeditated murder.

Thomas Hammerberg, Council of Europe High Commissioner on Human Rights, who came to Armenia on a three-day visit, stated in an interview to the radio "Liberty" that he was concerned with the human rights situation in Armenia.

On the night of March 16, a group of unknown persons attacked Osman Kiazymov, a known lawyer, in Azerbaijan. The persons tried to kidnap the lawyer.

An appeal of Pavel Nagibin, activist of "Another Russia", against the conditions of his custody at the pre-trial prison of Rostov's Kirov district militia unit will be considered on March 18 by the Pervomaiski district court of Rostov-on-Don.

An amendment in the Armenian President's decree "On Announcing a State of Emergency", relating to the mass media activity, was made on March 13 and entered into force on the following day but, in effect, it is a formality introduced "as a smokescreen".

On March 14, a second session of the Military Prosecution Office of North Ossetia headed by Judge Alexander Kamanin was held on the case of officer Seitmagambetov who had run over a woman in November 2007 while driving an APC.

Yesterday, Agyl Khalilov, correspondent of the newspaper "Azadlyg" who had been attacked by unknown persons on March 13, was giving evidence to the investigation officers until late at night.

Most leaders of the opposition party "Armenian National Movement" (ANM) have been arrested in Armenia. Out of 25 members of the party board, only three persons are out of prison.

In Dagestan, director general of the "Nastoyascheye Vremya" (Present time) newspaper, has prohibited the publication of the issue in which journalists placed the materials on violation of the freedom of speech by the founders.

Yesterday on March 13, on the fifth day of hunger strike of the Georgian United Opposition which is being held in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, five of its members were brought to the hospital within the day.

Yesterday, on the night of March 13, two unknown persons attacked Agyl Khalilov, correspondent of the opposition newspaper "Azadlyg" in Azerbaijan, near his house and inflicted knife wounds on him.

Mikhail Kriger, one of the leaders of the Anti-war Club (AWC) protesting against the RF oppression policy in the North Caucasus, is sentenced to pay a fine of one thousand rubles.

No temporary residence points for forced migrants (TRP) have remained on the territory of the Chechen Republic. From now on, the TRPs are officially referred to as the "dormitories" and those who live in them - as the "persons who need to improve their living conditions".

Representatives of the human rights organization MAShR have stated that Mr Mutsolgov, who was killed yesterday, on March 12, in the course of a counterterrorist operation, for 7 months already was not their employee.

The 2007 report of the US Department of State on situation with human rights fails to register any visible progress in Azerbaijan in this sphere. Moreover, in some aspects there is an obvious swing-back.

In the opinion of Sozar Subari, Ombudsman of Georgia, the authorities have illegally dismissed Nana Mgebrishvili - sister of disgraced ex-Minister of Defence of Georgia Irakliy Okruashvili - from her position at the Tbilisi Supervision Service.