News

A young woman, who entered into a correspondence dispute with Muslims after her topless photo shoot in Dagestan, apologized for her rash words. She also announced her decision to convert to Islam.

Persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, memory of the victims of the Caucasian War, kidnapping of Pashinyan’s son, death of a girl from Malgobek, scandals in Georgia, 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 May 15-21, 2023, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has accused European and Ukrainian special services of plotting terror acts against him.

The girl who had posted on the Internet pictures from a topless photo session filmed in Dagestan has deleted them after she received dozens of angry comments from residents of the republic. Commentators made threats against her and demanded from tourists to observe local customs.

Svetlana Lelik and Galina Burova from Sochi have stated that they were arrested under a fictitious pretext for disobeying law enforcers' demands. According to the women, they were subjected to physical and psychological pressure.

A court in Novocherkassk has sentenced Dmitry Lykov, a mobilized person, to two years in colony, finding him guilty of leaving the unit without permission.

Law enforcers have drawn up a protocol on discrediting the Russian Army against Victor Cherchenko; and his administrative case has been sent to the Giaginsky District Court of Adygea.

Relatives and friends of Timur Arslanbekov, a coach from Buynaksk, have recorded a video appeal to the President of Russia, in which they demanded to stop the criminal prosecution of the coach and investigate the circumstances under which he was beaten by law enforcers.

The bank where Yana Antonova's mother keeps her money would not unblock her accounts, despite the investigator's resolution, Yana, a Krasnodar activist, has stated.

Chechen law enforcers took away two nephews of Akhmed Zakaev, who lives in the United Kingdom, to some unknown place, his supporters have reported.

The Leninsky District Court of Makhachkala has found Abdulmumin Abdulmuminov, a resident of the city of Makhachkala, guilty of organizing the activities of the "At-Takfir Val-Hidjra" religious association, which is recognized as extremist in Russia and banned.

In Volgograd, a military court began considering a lawsuit filed by a defence plant worker who claimed he had been diagnosed with a chronic illness and requested the court to cancel a decision on his mobilization.

A contract soldier from Volgograd, who wanted to re-pass the military medical commission, was placed in a civilian clinic, and the military medical examination centre agreed to review the decision concerning if he was fit for the military service.

The Astrakhan Regional Court has transferred Temirbulat Zubairov, a native of Dagestan, who is serving his 22-year term, to the prison regime because of the "prisoner's tendency to run away."

The criminal case against Vadim Cheldiev, Arsen Besolov and Ramis Chirkinov, participants in the rally in Vladikavkaz against anti-covid restrictions, was fabricated in order to suppress attempts to create public associations and criticize authorities. This was stated by the human rights project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial".

Alipat Sultanbegova, a Krasnodar journalist, has left Russia after she received a notification that a criminal case had been opened against her for discrediting Russian militaries.

The state prosecutor has asked the court to sentence Diana Tsipinova, a lawyer and a figurant in the case about violence against a policeman in Nartkala, to 2.5 years in prison. The suffered policeman himself treats the punishment as excessive; and Tsipinova's advocate has recalled that she was detained when she was defending her colleague.

Relatives of Leniye Umerova, a Crimean Tatar woman, who was held in the Vladikavkaz temporary detention centre (known as the IVS) for more than four months, cannot get access to the details of her case. Umerova's brother has treated her accusation of espionage as fabricated.

The court ruled that the law enforcement bodies failed to prove the guilt of Gadji Rabadanov in violating the rules for holding an unsanctioned rally in Makhachkala. The case was thus closed. Gadji Rabadanov himself stated that he did not participate in the street protests against the mobilization.

Askhabali Alibekov, a native of Dagestan, who was sentenced to imprisonment in Novorossiysk for posts on his blog, complained of being beaten in a SIZO (pre-trial prison), his wife said.