News

The new battalion "West-Akhmat" has been already staffed by residents of Chechnya. It will subordinate to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Ramzan Kadyrov has announced.

The new battalions, the formation of which was announced by the head of Chechnya, will become part of the "Rosgvardiya" (Russian National Guard), experts assert. In their opinion, it was Kadyrov's initiative; and it strengthens the position of his followers in the country's military-defence hierarchy amid the special operation in Ukraine.

The Defence Committee of the Russian State Duma has offered to recruit school graduates for the army service under contract. Instagram* users have criticized the idea, stating that school graduates are too young for the contract military service.

Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov, a native of Dagestan, was arrested on the charge of involvement in the “Islamic State” (IS, a terrorist organization, banned in Russia by the court, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”). The suspect repeatedly made money transfers to IS members, the Russian FSB reports.

The number of publications that decided to boycott Nikol Pashinyan’s online press conference has grown to 54. Media representatives called on the chair of the Armenian government to return to the pre-pandemic format of press conferences to allow journalists asking questions in person.

In Nalchik, a court sentenced Zaurbek Zhambekov to a two-year suspended sentence for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces and involving a child in a crime. Zaurbek Zhambekov was accused of forcing his daughter to tear away the letter Z from a car. The defendant pointed out that the sign Z is not an official state symbol.

Azerbaijani human rights defender and journalist Elchin Mamed went on a hunger strike ahead of the consideration of his applications for conditional early relief (CER). He does not believe in the fairness of the court and wrote appeals to renounce Azerbaijani citizenship and grant him political asylum in the EU countries.

A court in Novocherkassk, Rostov Region, has fined a local resident for his comment in a social media criticizing the Z symbol and the people who use it. The human rights project "OVD-Info"* has reported about this on its Telegram channel.

Ilham Salmanov, a police sergeant, was hospitalized after a mine explosion in the village of Ashagy Seidakhmedli, Fizuli District. His state of health is assessed as satisfactory.

Echoes of Ukraine in Southern Russia: fire at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery and persecution of pacifists; transfer of Zarema Musaeva’s case to a court in Grozny; end of the strike at the “Borjomi” factories, and protest action against the current authorities in Georgia; refusal of the initiator of the protest movement in Armenia to participate in street actions, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of June 20-26, 2022, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Rashad Aliev, a resident of the Azerbaijani city of Jalilabad, was sentenced to 15 days of arrest for disobeying the police's demands.

Four military battalions "with an impressive number of personnel" will be formed in Chechnya, which will include "exclusively Chechen guys," Ramzan Kadyrov has stated.

Authorities of Georgia must guarantee the safety of LGBT Week participants, as LGBT opponents threaten to disrupt the events, the organization "Tbilisi Pride" has stated.

It is planned to form a company of volunteers in Ingushetia and send it to the military operation in Ukraine. Instagram* users have criticized this idea, suggesting officials to send their sons to Ukraine.

Amid criticism of the silencing the death toll in Ukraine, Ramzan Kadyrov has announced the sending of a new group of volunteers to the special military operation in Ukraine.

The Committee for the Protection of Victims of Cross-Border Persecutions and Repressions has been created due to increased pressure on critics of the course of the Azerbaijani authorities both at home and abroad, the founders of the new human rights organization have explained.

Bosses of "Borjomi" factories have begun paying salaries and wages to the strikers; and they resumed working, Giorgi Diasamidze, the chairman of the Georgian Trade Union of Agricultural, Trade and Industry Workers, has informed.

All those responsible for the murder of two people during the conflict with shooting in the village of Nigavan, Aragatsotn Region, should be punished, the casualties' relatives have stated at a protest action held in the town of Aparan.

Azerbaijani air carriers have resumed flights to Russia, interrupted in March, as this route is in great demand and commercially profitable, the Baku analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe. In their opinion, Azerbaijan has managed to solve the issue of insuring aircrafts and passengers flying to Russia, by bypassing the sanctions via Turkey.

A group of unknown persons attacked the filming team of the "Pirveli" TV. Nanuka Kadjaya, a journalist, was insulted and physically assaulted by the attackers.