News

The protest against the works of strengthening the Chechen bank of the Fortanga River was organized in Ingushetia by "a handful of provocateurs," Ramzan Kadyrov has stated. In their turn, his critics believe that Chechen authorities should have warned the Ingush party of the planned works in order to avoid unrests in the neighbouring republic.

The authors of the petition call on the civil society to unite in defence of the "International Memorial"* and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"* and prevent the closure of these organizations. Facebook users have responded to the call to support human rights defenders and publish their posts with the hashtag #WeMemorial.

An Azerbaijani customs post has been set up on the Kapan-Chakaten road. Residents of six villages of the Syunik Region must cross the border or take a 150-kilometre-long detour. Villagers may face problems with movement and buying foodstuffs, said the head of the Chakaten community. Azerbaijani militaries' actions have violated villagers' rights, the Armenian Ombudsperson has stated.

The "Sirtskhvili" (means "It's Shame") movement has held a rally near the Georgian parliament building with a demand to transfer Mikhail Saakashvili to a civil clinic and hold early elections.

Publication of video evidence of violence and torture against natives of the Caucasus in the Saratov prison hospital; anniversary of the end of the “autumn war” in Nagorno-Karabakh and new armed incidents in the conflict zone; protests by Saakashvili’s supporters in Georgia; debate at the trial against leaders of the Ingush protest; conflict at the border between Chechnya and Ingushetia provoked by the changed channel of the Fortanga River, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of November 8-14, 2021, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

The situation on the eastern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, where the shootout took place on November 14, has stabilized, the parties are negotiating, the Armenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed.

On November 13, a ceremony of opening a monument to victims of political repressions was held in the Reduktorny dwelling settlement of Makhachkala. The monument looks like a heart split in two parts, installed on a pedestal. The halves of the heart are in different colours – black and white. According to the authors' idea, it symbolizes the light and dark sides of the life.

Salekh Rustamov, an activist, who has been on hunger strike for eight days, is risking his life, but will not back down if his demands for release are not met, human rights defenders assert. They called on the head of Azerbaijan to help in releasing the activist.

The work of the "Chechenavtodor" (the Chechen Highway Ministry) performed on the bank of the Fortanga River could in no way affect the border line with Ingushetia, Magomed Daudov, the Speaker of the Chechen Parliament, has stated. He was supported by users of the Chechen segment of the Instagram, who have criticized Ingushes for artificially escalating the conflict.

A former district policeman of the Prikubansky ROVD (District Interior Division) of the Branch for the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR) of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has been sentenced to four year of conditional imprisonment for beating up a local resident.

As a result of a grenade explosion near Shusha (the Armenian name is Shushi), Khafiz Nasibov, an additional service sergeant of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, and two other military servicemen were wounded, the Azerbaijani General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) have reported, treating the incident as a terror act.

About 20 Georgian NGOs have appealed to the Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the Council of Europe (CoE) with a joint statement, in which they demand to ensure the observance of the rights of Mikheil (Mikhail) Saakashvili, a former Georgian President.

In Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian peacemakers have detained a local resident who threw a grenade at Azerbaijani militaries at a checkpoint near the city of Shushi, sources have reported. The authorities of the unrecognized republic have announced the start of an inquiry into the incident.

The Ossetian-Ingush conflict will drag on for decades if it is not resolved now by the comprehensive efforts of the authorities, activists and the society, the North-Ossetian analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have stressed.

Elene Khoshtariya, the leader of the oppositional "Droa" Party, who has been on a hunger strike for the tenth day, needed to be given a drip. She also agreed to take medication if necessary.

Reacting to complaints of tortured natives of the Caucasus in the Yaroslavl colony, the court has appointed compensation of 65,000 roubles to Khasdin Murtazaliev, and 50,000 roubles – to Arthur Gukasyan. Their defence will appeal against the meagre compensations to victims of torture, one of the advocates has stated.

Armenian drivers can move along the 21-kilometre road by paying the customs duties established by Azerbaijan for this road section. Not a single dwelling settlement in Armenia was in blockade; however, the alternative roads to the three villages are currently unpaved.

The Russian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) has demanded to liquidate the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"* for justifying extremism and terrorism. Human rights defenders have objected that recognition of a member of a banned organization as a political prisoner does not mean agreement with his views.

Doctors have failed to save one of the victims of the shooting in the village of Ameterkmakhi, the spokesman for the Dagestani Ministry of Public Health (MPH) has informed. The attacker of the Imam had a land conflict with the Imam's brother, the Dagestan Muftiate has explained.

Today, Yana Antonova has come to the central square of Krasnodar. In her hands, the activist was holding a poster reading: “Hands off Memorial”.