News

The acquittal of law enforcers who beat Krasnodar resident Yevgeny Manchenko has been cancelled, and the court’s decision has encouraged the victim’s family and human rights defenders. The man has not recovered six years after his leg injury.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg has found the pre-trial arrest of Talekh Bagirzade, the leader of the Muslim Unity Movement, and his supporters, Zulfugar Mikayilov and Elman Agaev to be unlawful.

The General Prosecutor Office of Georgia has launched an investigation against foreign organizations and organizations under foreign control, accusing them of sabotage and hostile activities. The case has been instituted based on a denunciation from a public movement associated with the “Georgian Dream” Party.

The “Turan” news agency has suspended its activities because of financial difficulties. The editorial staff intends to return to work in a different format.

In Tbilisi, protesters have demanded the release of all political prisoners, including Mziya Amaglobeli. The mothers of detained activists, Giorgi Terishvili and Andro Chichinadze, took part in the protest; they accused authorities of repressions.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has upheld the complaint lodged by Olga Olkhova, a resident of the settlement of Maisky, who was fined on charges of discrediting the Russian Army.

Within the last two months, the list of Azerbaijani political prisoners was added with 17 new names; and the total number of human rights defenders in this list has reached 357 persons. The list was compiled by Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, and Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners.

Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadygov, who was arrested in Tbilisi, stays in severe condition. He regularly loses consciousness and does not receive the necessary nutritional supplements.

Marina Melikhova faces the threat of eviction of her family from their house in Adygea. Earlier, the activist was engaged in business, and she was declared bankrupt, accused of tax evasion. Law enforcers broke into the development centre that the activist opened in Krasnodar. A court marshal claimed that the Marina Melikhova’s house is used as a hostel.

Human rights defenders have declared Alexei Lelikov, a Jehovah's Witness* from Krasnodar, who was sentenced to six years and five months, to be a political prisoner. They treat the charges brought against him as discriminatory. On February 4, a court in Krasnodar sentenced Lelikov to six years and five months in colony.

The court session on the “Abzas Media” case was postponed due to the defendants’ refusal to participate in the hearings in protest against their inhuman treatment. Farid Mekhralizade, an economist, said that he was forcibly brought to the court.

The name in Russian has been removed from the facade of the building where the Russian House is located. The organization has suspended its activities due to the demand of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), says the latter’s page on the Facebook*.

About 20 people have gathered at the house of activist Marina Melikhova in Adygea to support her protest against the eviction of her family.

In Derbent, an unidentified person took possession of a policeman’s pistol and opened fire on him, sources reported.

The “Toplum TV” portal has suspended its activities in Azerbaijan because of persecution of journalists. The resource will continue its activities from abroad.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya has left Zarema Musaeva in custody within the case of disorganizing the work of the colony.

Timurkhan Ibragimov, a convicted native of Dagestan, has complained that he was tortured in order to obtain the necessary testimonies in a criminal case from him.

Presidential election in Abkhazia, pollution in Anapa, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, drone attacks, 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 3-9, 2025, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Rashad Ramazanov, an Azeri blogger, convicted within a drug case, has complained about violence from colony staff and poor custody conditions.

A Baku court has left Djalal Djavadov, an activist, under arrest despite his claim of torture after his detention and falsification of his confessions.