News

A suspected terrorist was detained for preparing a terror act on Victory Day in one of the shopping and entertainment centres in Sochi, the Russian FSB reports today. During an interrogation, the suspect confessed that he intended to kill more than 50 people.

Representatives of the Council of Europe (CE) should demand from the Azerbaijan’s authorities to stop persecuting oppositionists and journalists, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety has stated, calling for the release of activist and blogger Eyvaz Yakhyaoglu.

The Yessentuki City Court imposed fines ranging from 30,000 to 35,000 roubles on three local residents, finding them guilty of discrediting the Russian armed forces.

A court in Zheleznovodsk has begun hearing the case of 12 policemen accused of disobeying an order to disperse protesters in Magas in 2019.

Avetik Chalabyan, a supporter of the opposition, is suspected of an attempt to bribe the chairman of the student council of the Agrarian University for him to involve 2000 university students in protest actions.

The Shakhty City Court has arrested Anatoly Nurskanov, a local resident, for five days, finding him guilty of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.

The constitutional crisis, which may arise if the oppositional MPs refuse from their mandates, does not guarantee the opposition's victory at early elections, the political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

Mamuka Chkhikvadze, who was detained by South-Ossetian authorities near the border of the region, has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison.

The protest movement has reached its peak and is acting by inertia, as the opposition leaders failed to increase the number of supporters and correctly use the methods of influencing the incumbent government, Armen Badalyan, a political strategist, has stated. The opposition cannot guarantee a change of the political course, even if it comes to power, Andrias Gukasyan, a political analyst, has pointed out.

Askhabali Alibekov, who runs the "Wild Paratrooper" blog on the YouTube, was found guilty of discrediting the armed forces. He disagrees with the ruling and intends to appeal against it.

Since February 24, officials from regional authorities have reported about at least 217 natives of Northern Caucasus and 83 residents of the Southern Federal District (SFD) perished in Ukraine. Most of the dead were natives of Dagestan.

Today, supporters of the “Resistance” movement have held a rally in the Yerevan metro, calling on passengers to join the rally demanding the resignation of the Armenian Prime Minister.

An incident in the central mosque of the village of Manaskent occurred during a gathering of villagers who were discussing the use of land near the mosque, a press officer of the Karabudakhkent district administration told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent, specifying that the gathering took place on May 9.

The Azerbaijani authorities must find and punish those responsible for an attack on journalist Aiten Mamedova as soon as possible, the Committee to Protect Journalists states. The US Department of State also called for an investigation into the attack on Aiten Mamedova.

Former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has been transferred from the Rustavi prison for medical examination to the “Vivamed” clinic in Tbilisi.

From the territory of the Vardenis District, Armenian militaries have shelled at the positions of Azerbaijani soldiers in the Kelbadjar District, after which the latter opened a return fire, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stated.

After students' protests and the statement of the Georgia's Ministry of Education that has urged to take students' opinion into account, the Tbilisi State University (TSU) decided to run the training process during the spring semester in a mixed format, while preserving the remote learning format. However, the TSU will conduct exams in the full-time (classroom) format only.

Residents of Chechnya have formally treated the Memory and Sorrow Day timed to the anniversary of Akhmat Kadyrov's funeral; they continue commemorating deportation victims on February 23, the human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have pointed out.

Batraz Sidamon, a blogger from North Ossetia, is accused of promoting the superiority of Russians over Ossetians and inciting hatred towards the CPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) and the state. The blogger's defence insists that Sidamon has exercised his right to the freedom of speech.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya has upheld the verdicts to Salekh Magamadov and Ismail Isaev, convicted of aiding and abetting illegal armed formations (IAFs). The advocate Mark Alekseev intends to file a cassation appeal.