News

An MP from the ruling "Georgian Dream" Party has offered to extend the mass amnesty that is being prepared in Georgia on those convicted for domestic violence. In their turn, human rights defenders believe that the amnesty for this category of convicts may create a dangerous precedent for the society and encourage the commission of such crimes.

The decision of the Mayoralty to hand the building of the cathedral mosque of Rostov-on-Don over to the jazz school is treated as unfair by Muslims who are outraged by this, Mukhammed Bikmaev, the head of the Muftiate of the Rostov Region, has stated.

Seven activists have held a series of solo pickets demanding the release of the Dagestani journalist, Abdulmumin Gadjiev, accused of financing terrorism. From January 10 on, the law obliges activists to change their usual format of actions.

In the village of Shurnukh, people left 12 houses in the eastern part of the village, claimed by Azerbaijan. An owner of one of the above houses was allowed to stay, but he refused to live 100 metres from the border, the local Armenian authorities reported.

Russian military investigators has reclassified a case on the death of the crew of the Russian helicopter shot down in Armenia to a more serious article on premeditated killing, an informed source of the "Interfax" reports.

On January 3, the authorities of Chechnya reported that on the Memorial Day of preacher Kunta-Khadji Kishiev, the village he founded got back its historical name of Khazhi-Evla.

Over 24 hours, rescuers of Nagorno-Karabakh found the bodies of 19 soldiers and one civilian, the spokesman for the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) of Nagorno-Karabakh reports today. According to him, during the period since the beginning of the search, that is, from November 13, 2020, until January 2, 2021, inclusive, the rescuers found the bodies of 1175 soldiers and civilians, the "Sputnik Armenia" reports today. Thus, the total number of the dead bodies discovered has reached 1194.

New Year celebration; return of refugees, victims of explosions, and search for dead bodies in the Karabakh conflict zone; attack on policemen in Grozny, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of December 28-January 3, 2020, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Demarcation of the Russian-Georgian border is possible only after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has stated after Vladimir Putin had instructed to delimit and demarcate the Russian-Georgian border.

The blackmailers who threaten girls with posting their intimate photos are only interested in money; they have nothing to do with fighters for morality, the North-Caucasian journalists and public figures interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

During the week from December 28, 2020, to January 3, 2021, four persons fell victim to the ongoing armed conflict in Northern Caucasus: three were killed and one was wounded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

The law enforcers named in the journalistic investigation into the poisoning of the opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, had visited Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan when the human rights defender, Timur Kuashev, and the activist of the "Sadval" movement, Ruslan Magomedragimov, died there, as follows from the materials published by Khristo Grozev, a Bellingcat's journalist.

The Mayoralty of Rostov-on-Don has handed the building of the cathedral mosque, built in early 20th century and rebuilt in Soviet years, for which the believers had fought, over to the jazz school.

Armenian and Russian border guards are being stationed in a disputed area near the village of Shurnukh, where Azerbaijani militaries have set up their post, Melikset Pogosyan, the governor of the Syunik Region has stated. According to his story, the Armenian party is fully controlling the situation.

An Azerbaijani construction company has presented a project for a five-star hotel complex "Karabakh Victory" to be built in Shusha. Authorities decided to create a seismic station in the city.

An Azerbaijani military post has appeared in the village of Shurnukh in the Syunik Region of Armenia; and residents of a part of the village were ordered to move out by January 5, Akop Arshakyan, the village head, said.

Journalism remains a service to the society, insists Nadezhda Azhgikhina, whose collection "Honest Word" includes interviews with Russian and foreign journalists, including those who wrote about the Caucasus. The author spoke about a new genre invented by Elvira Goryukhina while travelling to hot spots.

Relatives of the deceased policeman, Magomed Djabrailov, have no reason to declare a blood feud, since both attackers were killed, Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, has stated. The teip of the surviving policeman has announced only a quarrel, which cannot be treated as a blood feud, Zaurbek Sadakhanov, a lawyer, has noted.

Relatives of the Timurziev brothers killed in Grozny decided to come from Ingushetia to Chechnya when "emotions subside," Sarazhdin Sultygov, a member of the Ingush teip, has informed. The Council of Teips of Ingushetia has suggested that the Sultygov and Timurziev teips settle the conflict with relatives of Chechen law enforcers in accordance with the Sharia law.

All the prisoners of war (POWs) must be immediately returned to their homeland without any conditions, Arman Tatoyan, the Armenian Ombudsperson, has stated. In his opinion, the words of Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliev, about the fate of the captured Armenian militaries contradict the essence of the peace treaty.