News

The criminal case against the human rights defender from Yessentuki, Georgy Legkobitov, accused of slandering an officer of the FSB (Russian Federal Security Service), was opened after his statement about violations in the case of his son Sergey, who was convicted in a bribery case.

The termination of the Erasmus+ programme projects will negatively affect the country's educational sector, Parviz Bagirov, the head of the programme's office in Baku, believes.

Residents of the Makhachkala village of Semender reported that they were alarmed by the night shootout, in which law enforcers killed four suspected militants.

The version about belonging of the militants killed in the dwelling settlement of Semender in Makhachkala to the “Islamic State” (IS)* is questionable, while the counterterrorist operation (CTO) was not duly planned, veterans of law enforcement bodies assert.

During a counterterrorist operation (CTO) introduced in Makhachkala, law enforcers killed four men. The Russian National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC) has announced that the casualties were militants if the “Islamic State” (IS)*.

The counterterrorist operation (CTO) introduced in the settlement of Semender was preceded by the CTO regime on June 23, 2024, announced in Makhachkala and Derbent.

Lyudmila Borzilo, an activist from the Rostov Region, was taken to a hospital by order of an investigator. In the hospital, the activist was subjected to pressure with an attempt to convince her to agree to undergo tests for a psychiatric examination.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has found threats announced by Chechen leadership against journalist Elena Milashina, who wrote about persecution of gays in Chechnya, to be a violation of her privacy and the right to the freedom of expression.

The police conducted searches at the houses of human rights defender Georgy Legkobitov in Yessentuki and of lawyer Ekaterina Kuznetsova.

In Azerbaijan, a court sentenced blogger Arzu Sayadoglu to seven years of imprisonment in a penal colony, finding him guilty of extortion of money. The blogger, being well-known for criticizing the country’s authorities, called the charges fabricated.

The "Law on Registration of Foreign Agents", which introduces the notion of an individual-a foreign agent, was supported in the first reading by 84 Georgian MPs. The new bill is a literal copy of the American law, which provides for criminal liability for violating the requirements.

The parents of Kurban Dalgatov, who died after being detained at the Makhachkala police station, have held a picket in the central square of Makhachkala. They believe that the sentence handed down to one of the law enforcers involved is too lenient.

The apology for the death of Stavropol resident Khalit Mustafaev during a chase is four years late, his father emphasizes. The man demands the authorities to bring to justice the police inspector, one of whom participate in the special military operation (SMO), and the other is involved in the criminal case only as a witness.

At an action in Yerevan, activists from public organizations have called on the international community to seek respect for the rights of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan.

The Abkhazian Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced the election results, according to which Badra Gunba was elected president.

Ramzan Kadyrov has gone on vacation for the second time since the start of the year. Less than two weeks passed from his public appearance after the first vacation to the announcement of the second one.

In Vladikavkaz, a court fined Alina Torchinova 10,000 roubles for a comment criticizing inspectors of the road police (known as GIBDD).

Vladimir Akoev, a resident of Vladikavkaz, has posted a comment in the “VKontakte” social network; and the court fined him by 10,000 roubles.

Presidential election in Abkhazia, drone attacks, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, pollution in Anapa, Abkhazian mimosa, 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 February 24-March 2, 2025, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has banned Georgia from extraditing journalist Afghan Sadygov to Azerbaijan until a decision on the merits of the case is made. Human rights defenders intend to seek the journalist's release.