News

The international scientific and practical conference "Public Relations and Human Rights in the South of Russia: Background, Modern Times and Perspectives" was opened on May 30 in Volgograd at 10 a.m. in the congress hall of the scientific council of Volgograd state university (VolSU).

The state of health of Ali Insanov, ex-Minister of Health of Azerbaijan who is under arrest, has sharply deteriorated today.

Yesterday, on May 28, Andreas Gross and Andres Herkel, co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee, had a press-conference upon the results of their two-day visit to Azerbaijan.

Marat Kulakhmetov, commander of Combined Peacekeeping Forces (CPKF), states that "the Georgian party has set free 41 Ossetians.

Sozar Subari, Georgian ombudsman, intends to meet with the Ossetians from the Tzkhinvali region arrested by the Georgian police on May 27.

Mikhail Mindzayev, South Ossetia Minister of Internal Affairs, has disclosed to the "Caucasian Knot" the names of the two Russian citizens who are currently held as hostages by the Georgian power authorities.

According to the press-service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia, two Ossetian hostages have been released.

Yesterday, on May 28, mass actions of the Azeri population protesting against violations of their rights continued in Teheran and other cities of the country.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that the Chief Directorate of RF General Prosecutor's Office in SFD has adopted a decision to drop criminal prosecution of the participants in the October 13 events, due to their death.

The main topic of discussions was continuing kidnapping of people in the Chechen Republic.

Valeri Kuznetsov, prosecutor of Chechnya, when meeting human rights activists on May 25 in Grozny, stated that the investigation of the kidnapping of Bulat Chilaev, member of the "Civil Assistance" committee on support of refugees, and Aslan Israilov, resident of Grozny who had disappeared together with him, was progressing at a normal rate and taken under special supervision.

On May 25, members of the "Civil Assistance" committee on assistance to refugees and of the "Memorial" human rights centre held a picket in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, protesting against the kidnapping of Bulat Chilaev, employee of the "Civil Assistance" medical program.

The Azerbaijan General Prosecutor's office has officially permitted Academician Eldar Salaev, who is under investigation, to go abroad for medical treatment.

On May 25, a meeting of representatives of human rights organizations of the "Civil Assistance" committee and the "Memorial" human rights centre with Chechen President Alu Alkhanov took place in Grozny, the Chechen capital.

Representatives of Russian and foreign human rights organizations consider the verdict passed on Friday in Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia, with regard to Nurpashi Kulaev, involved in the terrorist act in Beslan, as justified.

As has been reported to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" in the Baku office of the Movement for National Awakening of South Azerbaijan, actions of protest of Azerbaijanis in Iran, which started on May 22 in connection with the publication in the "Iran" newspaper of insulting caricatures of Azerbaijanis, continue.

The relatives of Bulat Chilaev, employee of the "Civil Assistance" committee for assistance to refugees kidnapped in Chechnya on April 9 by soldiers of unknown units, have been notified that Bulat and Aslan Israilov, resident of Grozny who disappeared simultaneously with him, were killed on the day of "disappearance," reports Svetlana Gannushkina.

Today, from 2 to 3 p.m., the "Civil Assistance" committee and the "Memorial" human rights centre held a picket protesting against kidnapping of Bulat Chilaev, employee of the program of assistance to sick people of the "Civil Assistance" committee.

The Council of Europe information centre in Azerbaijan has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that Andreas Gross and Andres Herkel, co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan, are arriving with a two-day visit today.

Today, after the completion of the picket of protest in Grozny against the kidnapping of Bulat Chilaev, employee of the "Civil Assistance" committee, which, as already has been reported by the "Caucasian Knot," is to be held from 2 to 3 p.m. on the Akhmad-Khadji Kadyrov square in the Chechen capital, a meeting of human rights activists with Chechen President Alu Alkhanov will take place.