News

In 2020, Russia is one of the leaders in the number of imprisoned journalists, Abdulmumin Gadjiev, an editor of the "Chernovik" (Draft) portal among them, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported.

Ali Khamkhoev, a resident of Ingushetia, suspected of using violence against a state official at a rally in Magas, will remain under arrest until January 25, 2021.

Azerbaijani militaries should retreat to their initial positions after their offensive in the vicinity of the Karabakh villages of Khtsaberd and Khin Takher, Russian analysts believe. The incident in the Gadrut District was caused by the parties' unclear agreements; while the Russia's position should be tougher, the experts have stated.

Two junior warrant officers of the Azerbaijani Army have been accused of mocking the bodies of their enemies; and two soldiers – of desecrating graves, the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Azerbaijan has reported.

The mother of Malika Djikaeva, an Instagram blogger from North Ossetia, requested Ramzan Kadyrov to help free her daughter from arrest in Chechnya and apologized for her shocking videos on social networks.

Residents left the villages of Khtsaberd and Khin Takher during the hostilities. The Armenian forces stay in the Khtsaberd village, while in the Khin Takher village, Russian peacekeepers and Azerbaijani soldiers stay and negotiate.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called false the messages reporting that his family members had already left the country. He refused to leave his post ahead of schedule.

In Gudermes, a court found Bekkhan Abdurashidov and Aslan Dukaev, former fighters of the National Guard of Russia, guilty of illegally detaining Alexei Kardashov, a resident of Dagestan, who disappeared after the detention. Each of the law enforcers was sentenced to 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment, and human rights defenders consider the above sentence to be too lenient.

On December 19, on the fortieth day after the end of the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, a three-day mourning for the deceased will begin in Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announces.

A landmine explosion occurred in the Agdam District of Azerbaijan. As a result, a civilian was killed, and two more persons, including a military man, were injured.

The checkpoints in the Lachin Corridor are equipped with protection against gunfire and shrapnel, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed. The situation in the Gadrut District after the recent clash is calm, said Rustam Muradov, the commander of the peacemaking contingent.

Armenian authorities should be more proactive in seeking the restart of negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh within the OSCE Minsk Group, protesters in Yerevan have claimed. Azerbaijan insists that the conflict has already been settled by military means.

Return of refugees, violation of the truce and statement by human rights defenders about war crimes in the Karabakh conflict zone; explosion committed by a suicide bomber in Karachay-Cherkessia; military parade in Baku; opposition boycott on the first day of the Georgian parliament's work, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of December 7-13, 2020, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

During the week of December 7-13, 2020, during the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus, seven persons suffered: one was killed and six were wounded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from open sources.

Some schools in Nagorno-Karabakh have resumed the educational process; 11,580 pupils have returned to their desks. The rest of the schools will start working since early 2021, after the damages caused by the hostilities have been eliminated, the Ministry of Education has announced.

After the ceasefire violation in the Gadrut District, similar incidents are not ruled out in other territories of Nagorno-Karabakh, including in the Lachin Corridor controlled by Russian peacemakers, Armenian analysts have suggested, noting that Russia should react harder in such cases.

The protesters who tried to enter the building of the Adjara Government were detained after a clash with law enforcers, during which one policeman suffered.

In central Tskhinvali, a protest action demanding to punish those responsible for Inal Djabiev's death continues for the ninth day already. A draft amendment to the Constitution of South Ossetia in terms of the appointment and resignation of the Public Prosecutor General has been prepared, said David Sanakoev, an MP and protesters' supporter.

The hostilities in the area of two villages in the Gadrut District have been stopped; and Russian peacemakers have arrived there. Azerbaijani militaries have managed to establish control over the village of Khin Takher, the head of the neighbouring Armenian village of Khtsaberd has informed.

There are no conditions for starting negotiations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, since Nikol Pashinyan may cede power to revanchists, the political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.