News

The institution of criminal proceedings against Zarema Musaeva, who was forcibly taken to Chechnya, was expected, and the woman would be kept in Chechnya in order to put pressure on her son, says human rights defender Igor Kalyapin.

Journalist Polad Aslanov was transferred from a prison hospital to a SIZO (pre-trial prison). The day before, doctors examined the convicted journalist for the first time in five days after the end of his hunger strike, reported a spouse of Polad Aslanov.

Ibragim Yangulbaev, a son of Zarema Musaeva, has been put on the federal wanted list in a criminal case on justification of terrorism, the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reports.

Kadyrov’s struggle with the Yangulbaev brothers and his allegation addressed to Kalyapin and Milashina; acceptance by the Armenian parliament of the resignation of Armen Sarkisyan from the post of president; preparations for the elections in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of January 24-30, 2022, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

The newspaper “Novaya Gazeta” called on Alexander Bastrykin, the chief of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), to launch an investigation into a criminal case against Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov under the article on incitement to hatred. A complaint to the ICRF has been filed in connection with the fact that Ramzan Kadyrov ranked Igor Kalyapin, a member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, and Elena Milashina, a journalist of the “Novaya Gazeta”, as accomplices of terrorists.

Today, in Yerevan, participants of a protest action have demanded to leave the tariffs for OSAGO (compulsory motor third party liability insurance) unchanged. During the protest action, five drivers were detained for disobeying the police.

During the week of January 24-30, 2022, no killed or wounded in the ongoing armed conflict in Northern Caucasus were reported. These are the results of the calculations run by the “Caucasian Knot” based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

The temporary suspension of the "Firdaws" is due to a minor error in paying taxes, Aishat Kadyrova, the head of the fashion house and the daughter of the head of Chechnya, has explained. The clothes designed by the "Firdaws" are very expensive and have become a status symbol in Chechnya; therefore, reports on the "Firdaws" tax problems looks unbelievable, Grozny townspeople have noted.

The defence of the "International Memorial"* has filed an appeal against the decision to liquidate the organization. They present six arguments in favour of overturning the decision.

Posters accusing Igor Kalyapin, a rights defender, of supporting terrorists have appeared in the doorway and the door of the apartment of his elderly mother in Nizhny Novgorod. Igor has suggested that posters are a consequence of Ramzan Kadyrov's statement.

The National Assembly (Parliament) of Nagorno-Karabakh has received a bill providing for the assignment of a legal status to the territories that came under Azerbaijan's control.

Muslim Baitaziev, the Chechen Minister of Tourism, has criticized local bloggers for not advertising the region's tourist sites, and put forward bills when offered free visits to the sites to later advertise the in their blogs. Social media users expressed bewilderment at the claims, noting that blogging is also a job that deserves payment.

The participants of the rally held in front of the building of the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo spoke out against violence on Chechen women, condemned the detention of Zarema Musaeva and kidnappings of relatives of Ramzan Kadyrov's opponents.

In 2021, the number of decisions pronounced by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on Azerbaijan has risen sharply, indicating an increase in the number of complaints coming from the country, Khalid Agaliev, the head of the Media Rights Group, reports.

A court in Magas found a doctor from a local clinic guilty in a case on genital mutilation against a girl from Chechnya. However, the doctor was released from punishment due to the statute of limitations, the organization “Justice Initiative”* reported. The human rights defenders announced the intention to challenge the court’s verdict.

Lawyer Ilham Aslanoglu (Takhmazov) is arrested for five months on the charge of defamation. Activists believe that he is being persecuted for exposing crimes committed by militaries against colleagues within the “Terter case”.

The Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts hosts the exhibition of Abdulgamid Kanaev, a master jeweller from the Kubachi village, who works in the almost unused technique of incising with gold and silver. The exposition presents decorative panels, old lamps, and edged weapons, decorated by the master. Folk crafts are beginning to revive, but craftsmen need state support, Abdulgamid Kanaev notes.

The health state of Azerbaijani journalist Polad Aslanov has deteriorated after his 20-day hunger strike, but he is not receiving medical assistance, his spouse states.

Zarema Musaeva does not participate in the investigating proceedings because of her poor health state, and there is no medical unit in the special detention centre where she is being kept, her son Abubakar Yangulbaev says. Human rights defenders applied to the court with the demand to release Zarema Musaeva from arrest because of her poor health, the “Committee Against Torture”* reports.

When commenting on an apology of a young woman from Grozny for her words about men, Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the “Civic Assistance” Committee*, points out that public apologies have become a kind of game and got out of control of the authorities.