News

Investigators reported on the institution of a second criminal case against a resident of the Derbent District, suspected of involvement in an illegal armed formation (IAF).

Media professionals and human rights defenders believe that authorities fail to take action against organizers of the violence. Journalists announced their large-scale action on July 17.

The statement of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) about the shelling of its positions from the Armenian ones stationed in the Gegarkunik District of Armenia has nothing to do with reality, the Armenian MoD has stated.

On July 15, in Shushi, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces fired short submachine gun popples in the direction of Stepanakert, Gegam Stepanyan, the Nagorno-Karabakh Ombudsperson, has stated. He believes that to prevent such incidents, clear inquiry mechanisms should be introduced.

At the request of residents of the Martakert District, Russian militaries have ensured their safety during the wheat harvest near the contact line, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed.

Members of a small indigenous people in Dagestan and Azerbaijan – the Rutuls – have treated the publication of a collection of fairy tales in their mother tongue with interest; parents want to read this book to their children. The publication of the collection guarantees that the Rutul language will not disappear in the next half century, says Svetlana Makhmudova, a philologist the author of the book.

Tofig Yagublu, an Azerbaijani politician, has been sentenced by the Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) to a 2.5-year conditional imprisonment. His guilt was not proved; and his defence will seek his acquittal at the Supreme Court (SC), his advocate has stated.

Three men supplied food to members of the armed underground and transported them in cars across the territory of Ingushetia, investigators reported. One of the three detainees is suspected of illegal possession of weapons.

The Georgian parliament elected judges of the country’s Supreme Court (SC) in violation of agreements with the opposition, the US Embassy claims. Opposition MPs believe that the new judges are fully under the control of the authorities. At the parliamentary hearings, candidates for judges demonstrated their incompetence, the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association stated.

Investigators began checking for slander an article by the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta” about extrajudicial executions in Chechnya, made public by a former fighter of the Kadyrov special-purpose police regiment.

The police removed a banner with portraits of murdered public figures, including Natalia Estemirova, posted in the Pushkar Garden of Saint Petersburg on the anniversary of the human rights defender’s murder.

The authorities have not yet responded to the call of the Muftiate of Kabardino-Balkaria to investigate the circumstances of the July counterterrorist operation (CTO) in Nalchik, human rights defender Zaur Shokuev reported.

The girl, who moved to Makhachkala because of her religious beliefs, has complained that she was seriously injured in a fight in the hospital and because of this she can't find a job. Some users of the social network expressed their support for her, noting the low culture of local residents; however, their opponents pointed to the intemperance of the girl herself.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Ingushetia has agreed to stop considering the case on the illegal missionary activities of Isa Khamkhoev, the republic's Mufti. The SC's decision has freed Khamkhoev from paying the fine, his advocate has explained.

The European Union (EU) threatened Georgia with suspension of financial aid in case of a disruption of the judicial reform; and this was a signal to Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, to resign. However, Bidzina Ivanishvili may ignore the threat and leave Garibashvili as the head of the government, analysts believe.

At night, the positions of Azerbaijani militaries deployed in the vicinity of the city of Shusha were shelled; there were no victims, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed.

On July 13, the wife of Polad Aslanov, an Azerbaijani journalist, sent his complaint about pressure and extortions in the colony to the email addresses of more than 20 foreign embassies.

Tural Safarov, an Azerbaijani film director and blogger, has publicly apologized for his harsh remarks about openly dressed women. The apology does not exempt from criminal liability, the initiators of the campaign against Safarov assert. The collective complaint to law enforcement bodies was supported by 11,000 Instagram users.

For six months already, Arizuman Agaliev, a resident of the Derbent District, cannot get his due subsidized medicines from the Dagestani Ministry of Public Health (MPH); his family has to spend 7000 roubles a month to buy the essential drugs, his wife said.

Today, Arthur Nalbandyan and Aramais Torozyan have got lost in the fog at the Black Lake area, and they could end up on the Azerbaijani territory, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Armenia reports.