News

Authorities against journalists in Azerbaijan, armed conflict in Northern Caucasus, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, Caucasus and Palestine, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of November 19-26, 2023, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

The increased investigators' attention to the signatories to the appeal in defence of scientists is a continuation of pressure on the Kabardino-Balkarian Institute for Humanitarian Studies (known as KBIGI), Valery Khatazhukov, a human rights defender, has pointed out.

In Chechnya, Alan Khamkhoev, a native of Ingushetia, has been sentenced to a year in penal colony for illegal possession of a pistol with cartridges that he had found. Alan has stated that Chechen investigators falsified the materials of his criminal case.

The Supreme Court of Chechnya has found that a district court in Grozny unreasonably dismissed a complaint filed about the investigators’ refusal to institute a case on torture of actor Timur Debishev. The complaint has been returned to the first instance court.

Ismail Pliev, a resident of Ingushetia, has been fined by 30,000 roubles for his post placed in a social network.

Jonah (Ilya Sigida), a Hieromonk of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), earlier arrested for two days on charges of resisting law enforcers during a search in his church, was fined by 30,000 roubles. The court has treated his article as discrediting the Russian Army.

Shamil Aliev-Gasanov, a native of Dagestan, is charged with terrorism in connection with the arson of the military commissariat (registration and enlistment office) in Murmansk. Such accusations are intended to intimidate initiators of pacifist actions, human rights defenders have pointed out.

Zarema Musaeva has a chance for the conditional early relief (CER), but the decision depends on Chechen authorities, the human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

Dagestani courts have received administrative cases against 515 people, on whom protocols had been drawn up on various offenses committed during the anti-Semitic action and riots in Makhachkala.

The Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has included Idris Yusupov*, a Dagestani journalist, into the register of foreign agents under dubious pretext; this decision is a persecution manifestation of dissidents, Telegram users have indicated.

The appellate court has amended the sentence of Chechen book publisher, Aslambek Ezhaev, pointing out significant violations, but upheld the sentence of 17 years of freedom deprivation on charges of financing terrorism.

Chechen drivers have faced new law enforcers' raids against tinting car windows; attempts to argue with policemen lead to being served with summonses, local residents have reported. The raids are conducted in order to recruit drivers to the special military operation (SMO) zone, Ali Magamadov, a political analyst, has suggested.

After his convoying to colony Abdul-Malik Albagachiev, a native of Ingushetia, has suffered four epileptic attacks; now he suffers from memory problems.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg has pronounced the decision to award relatives of six natives of Northern Caucasus, whose fate stays unknown after enforced disappearances in Chechnya, the compensation in the amount of more than 430,000 euros.

The European Court of Human Rights has awarded compensation of 12,500 euros to Magomed Magomedov, an advocate from Dagestan, who complained about torture by law enforcers in Makhachkala.

Investigators convinced the court to take into custody two police officers suspected of illegally purchasing drugs and falsifying a criminal case against a resident of Ingushetia.

The Southern District Military Court has approved colony terms for Pavel Shnekaev and Bakhtiyar Dosmetov for their refusal to go to the special military operation (SMO) zone in Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has justified the inclusion of the Dagestani journalist, Idris Yusupov*, into the list of foreign agents by his participation in the creation of materials for foreign agents and the dissemination of "unreliable information about the decisions taken by Russian authorities and the policies pursued by them."

The Moscow City Court (MCC) has upheld the arrest in absentia of Denis Mamedov, who, together with his wife Maria, was put on the wanted list in the case of fakes about the Russian Army.

Overall 126 persons are being held under arrest within the criminal case of mass riots at the Makhachkala Airport, Shamil Khadulaev has reported after the visit of the Dagestani Public Oversight Commission (POC) to the SIZO (pre-trial prison). Seven of those arrested refuse to agree with the charges.