News

Tumso Abdurakhmanov, a Chechen blogger, has got in touch with human rights defenders, but failed to specify the reason for his long silence and his current whereabouts.

The defendants in the "Ingush case" were awakened mid-night and taken to court; and in response to elderly people's request to bring them later, the judge threatened to conduct the trial without them, the activists' advocate has stated.

Vadim Kharchenko*, a blogger from Gelendzhik, has not been in contact for two weeks, his acquaintances say. They express their fear for the life of the blogger. Vadim Kharchenko* was arrested in a criminal case on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces, sources reported.

Public activity of Ramzan Kadyrov, continuation of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and peace negotiations, reaction of the Caucasus to the earthquake in Turkey, struggle of the Azerbaijani oppositionists, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of February 13-19, 2023, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Yaroslav Savin, a member of the political council of the regional branch of the "Parnas" Party, earlier imprisoned for petty hooliganism, has announced a hunger strike at the special detention centre (also known as IVS).

A court in Tambov has fined a combatant in Chechnya by 30,000 roubles, treating a sticker with a crossed-out Z sign as discrediting militaries. He refused to plead guilty.

The Supreme Court (SC) of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) has cancelled the ruling of a lower court on bringing Svetlana Semyonova, a resident of Nalchik, to administrative responsibility.

The court fined a resident of Astrakhan for an inscription discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.

A court in Astrakhan has sentenced Yaroslav Savin, a member of the "Parnas" Party, to five days of arrest, finding him guilty of petty hooliganism. Savin was also fined by 30,000 roubles for the image of the Ukrainian flag in the Telegram channel.

Vladimir Atamanchuk, a Sochi resident, who was fined twice for discrediting the Russian Army, has complained that he was taken to the Internal Affairs Directorate, where the investigator urged him to refuse from an advocate and asked if he had a boat.

Wopke Hoekstra, the head Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), has called on Russian authorities to ensure the safety and observance of the rights of the Chechen Idris Arsamikov.

Three female students from Dagestan have been reinstated at the Novocherkassk Medical College (NMC) after they managed to reach a compromise on the dress code with college bosses.

The Supreme Court (SC) of North Ossetia has denied all the arguments of Ruslan Totrov's defence and upheld the court's ruling to fine him for discrediting the Russian Army.

The court has sentenced Kemran Agabekov, a protester against mobilization, to a fine of 150,000 roubles for assaulting a policeman. Taking into account the fact that the Makhachkala resident was under arrest during the investigation and trial, the fine amount was reduced to 50,000 roubles.

Idris Arsamikov, whose whereabouts were unknown after being detained by Chechen law enforcers at a Moscow airport, has claimed in the video posted in a social network that he was at home in Chechnya and intended to go to the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.

The authorities of Russia must immediately report the whereabout of Andrei Pivovarov, the director of the organization “Open Russia”* and release him.

Bagaudin Gaitukiev, a children’s doctor from Ingushetia, accused of aiding and abetting militants for purchasing medicines for two members of an illegal armed formation, has been charged under terrorist articles.

Idris Arsamikov, a native of Chechnya, who was detained at a Moscow airport, where he flew from the Netherlands aiming to visit his father's funeral, had been detained three times in Chechnya; and his documents were taken away, the SK SOS Crisis Group has informed.

Olesya Ovchinnikova, a resident of Krasnodar, who was fined for talking in a restaurant about the special military operation (SMO), said that she had left for Armenia and had no plans to return to Russia. The decision to fine Ovchinnikova will be challenged, her advocate has stated.

The proposal addressed by Ramzan Kadyrov to heads of Russian regions not to report the casualties is in line with the Kremlin's desire given that the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine has been on for a year already, political analysts have noted.