News

Eight defendants in the case against the military-political leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh made their final statements before a Baku court. All pleaded not guilty to the war crimes charged against them.

Rosaviatsiya temporarily closed the airports in Sochi and Volgograd to flights. Shortly after the flight ban, the mayor of Sochi announced the lifting of the drone alert, although residents had previously heard a series of explosions.

The Supreme Court of Abkhazia sentenced the son of the republic's former deputy defense minister, Batal Pilia, to a lengthy prison term, finding him guilty of murdering the nephew of the first president. 

The Liakhva is the only major river in South Ossetia, and economic activity there threatens not only its wildlife but can also lead to shallowing. Meanwhile, local residents have shown little interest in keeping the river clean, even though water samples have only met safety standards at its source.

Participants in a rally outside the Armenian Embassy in Moscow demanded that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who arrived for a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union Council, release persecuted clergy.

The court sentenced Azerbaijani lawyer and human rights activist Namizad Safarov to four months in pretrial detention on fraud charges. Activists have alleged that the lawyer's prosecution is politically motivated.

The Krasnodar Regional Court has acquitted security officers for the third time in the beating of disabled man Yevgeny Manchenko. The case has also been returned to the trial court twice. The prosecutor's office and lawyers are appealing the decision to the cassation court.

Vsevolod Netreba expressed his remorse at today's court hearing.

Social media users believe the violation of the rights of deceased Ingushetia resident Pyatimat Yevkurova contradicts the principles of Islam and the norms of humanity.

Four flights have been cancelled at Sochi and Krasnodar airports. Schedule changes may remain in effect for two days.

On the anniversary of the independence referendum, members of parliament of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic declared their intention to fight for collective return. Participants in the hearings noted that the Armenian authorities are actively distancing themselves from the issue, encouraging refugees to disperse around the world.

Pyatimat Yevkurova, a seriously ill resident of Ingushetia, spent seven years seeking to see her son, whom her ex-husband had forcibly taken from her. She died without ever seeing her child grow up. Her sister appealed to the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, demanding that those responsible for violating Pyatimat's rights be punished.

Russian political strategist Ivan Revu has been charged with administrative violations of election campaigning rules and the deliberate destruction of competitors' posters, the Abkhazian Prosecutor's Office reported.

South Ossetian activist Tamara Mearakishvili has been unable to obtain a new passport for over a year, preventing her from traveling even within the republic or finding employment. She believes the authorities' actions are linked to her critical comments on social media.

According to amendments to the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations adopted by the Georgian Parliament, restrictions previously imposed on holding rallies on roads now also apply to sidewalks and pedestrian streets. To hold a march, a notification must be submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and violations are punishable by arrest.

Kizlyar City Council deputies elected Ivan Lazurkov, who previously served in the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for Stavropol, as mayor. The candidacy of Alexander Shuvalov, who led the city for 10 years, was not considered.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova called the criticism of Akhmat commander Apti Alaudinov undeserved.

The restrictions on spontaneous protests proposed by the ruling party contradict the Georgian Constitution and make public gatherings without police approval a crime.

A Baku court has begun hearing the case of France-based editor-in-chief of the Azadliq newspaper, Ganimat Zahid. The journalist denied the charge of inciting violence against the state, calling the criminal case persecution for his work.

A million rubles was awarded to the soldier who shot down a drone over Chechnya on December 9, according to the republic's head, Ramzan Kadyrov.