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Festive prayers on the occasion of Eid al-Adha were held in mosques in Chechnya under strict sanitary measures due to coronavirus. Some residents of the republic had to refuse from performing the rite of sacrifice, since after several months of self-isolation they have no money to buy meat.

The ban on rallies is justified by residents' right to health, Arman Tatoyan, the Armenian Ombudsman, believes. In his turn, Avetik Ishkhanyan, a rights defender, is objecting by stating that restrictions make it harder for residents to convey their concerns to the authorities, objected human rights activist.

Wearing an award with the image of General Yermolov, who in the Caucasus is treated as a "bloody executioner", has expectedly drawn criticism addressed to the colleague of Zamid Chalaev, the commander of the Akhmat Kadyrov Chechen special regiment, historians assert. They linked the appearance of the Yermolov Medal on the law enforcer's chest with professional deformation.

The number of activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), arrested after the July 15 rally in Baku, has reached 18; 16 other activists are criminally persecuted.

At detention of Ruslan Dadashev, a resident of Izberbash, law enforcers seized a pistol and explosives, but his relatives assert that the weapon had been planted on him. After the detention, pressure was exerted on Dadashev, his advocate has stated.

A decrease in the percentage of positive cases of the coronavirus infection to the number of daily tests indicates a stabilization of the situation with the COVID-19 epidemic, Armenian experts announce.

In Azerbaijan, mosques cancelled festive prayers. The authorities also banned the slaughter of sacrificial animals outside designated areas. Meanwhile, in large cities, the sale of meat was organized online and by order in stores.

During a search in a house of Murad Musaev, a resident of Kizilyurt, law enforcers found a pistol and detained the man on suspicion of helping a young woman to leave for Syria, the mother of the detainee said. According to her, there were no weapons in the house before the search.

Today, many of believers have come to the Juma Mosque for the festive prayer on the occasion of the holiday of Eid al-Adha. Despite the call voiced by the Muftiate, the believers wore no masks, Makhachkala residents noted. This year, some of the residents of Dagestan, whose incomes decreased because of the quarantine regime, refused to buy sacrificial cattle and go to visit their relatives and friends.

Holiday namazes (prayers) on the first day of the Sacrifice Holiday in mosques of Southern Russia were supposed to be held in compliance with sanitary security measures, but not all believers in Dagestan, Chechnya and the Stavropol Territory came there in medical masks and observed the social distance.

During the last 24 hours, the positions of Azerbaijani troops stationed in four villages on the border with Armenia and in the Karabakh conflict zone were shelled for 49 times, the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed. In its turn, the MoD of Armenia accused Azerbaijan of shelling seven dwelling settlements.

In Tbilisi, about 20 people took part in an action in memory of the victims of repression near the house where the NKVD was located in Soviet times. The descendants of those repressed took part in the mourning ceremony; they told about how they were touched by the great terror.

After the July 15 rally in support of the army in Baku, 16 activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) were brought to criminal responsibility; 13 were arrested, ten were released after interrogation by the police; the fate of five more activists is unknown. This was announced by Seimur Khazi, PFPA Deputy Chairman.

This year, due to the pandemic, the pilgrimage to the Muslim shrines in Saudi Arabia is taking place without believers from other countries, including from Northern Caucasus. The number of Hajj participants was reduced from 2.5 million to ten thousand.

The Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation has failed with its promise to distribute sheep for sacrifice on the Eid al-Adha holiday to all those in need, residents of Chechnya claim, pointing to the non-transparency of help distribution by the Foundation.

Ramzan Kadyrov was offended that the United States imposed sanctions not only against him, but also against his family members. This opinion was voiced by Mikhail Roschin, an expert on the Caucasus, and Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations. Mass actions in support of the leader of Chechnya were organized by Ramzan Kadyrov's subordinates, who wanted to show their loyalty to the leader of Chechnya, said Professor Alexei Malashenko.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) excluded a complaint filed by activists Malakhat Nasibova and Ilgar Nasibov from cases under consideration. The plaintiffs accepted the offer of the Azerbaijan's authorities on an amicable agreement and 17,000 euros in compensation.

A colleague of Zamid Chalaev, a commander of the Chechen special forces regiment, demonstrates a medal "For Service in the Caucasus", which can be easily bought in an online store, Instagram users note. A Zamid Chalaev's post became a rare case of formal confirmation of the participation of Chechen natives in hostilities in Donbass.

This year, residents of Chechnya have noted a significant decrease of the trade in sacrificial animals on the eve of Eid al-Adha (Kurban-Bairam) holiday. During collective prayers in mosques, it is prescribed to observe social distance and the mask regime, the Chechen Muftiate has stated.

Because the border is closed due to the pandemic, residents of Abkhazia cannot receive medical care in Russian hospitals; and some have lost their incomes and need authorities' support. This was stated by the participants of the rally held in the city of Gagra.