Azerbaijani activists stop hunger strike in support of blogger Mekhman Guseinov January 23, 2019 09:20 The hunger strike held in the office of the "Musavat" Party was stopped after the Prosecutor's Office (PO) closed the case against Mekhman Guseinov.
Commission on Dagestani-Chechen border created January 23, 2019 09:18 The first meeting of officials of Chechnya and Dagestan to define the border between the two regions was held in Makhachkala.
Oyub Titiev's advocates tell about obstacles for his defence at trial January 23, 2019 00:32 The prosecution has supported the version of the mass failure of video surveillance cameras on the day of Oyub Titiev's detention; and the court refused to examine these cameras. The court rejects all the defence's petitions and fails to provide evidence in Titiev's favour, said Pyotr Zaikin, an advocate.
Cossack tears up poster in defence of Chechen gays at picket in Volgograd January 23, 2019 00:32 Vlad Pogorelov, an activist, has encountered opposition of law enforcers and Cossacks at a picket in Volgograd against persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya and other Russian regions.
GPO upholds Gazprom's refusal to write off Chechnya residents' debts January 22, 2019 21:21 Chechnya's Prosecutor's Office (PO) has unreasonably filed a lawsuit against the Gazprom to write off the debts of local natural gas consumers. The PO has been instructed to support the Gazprom's appeal, the Russian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) has announced.
Mekhman Guseinov's case stopped after Azerbaijani president's interference January 22, 2019 21:03 The Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliev, reacted to Mekhman Guseinov's innocence statement; and investigators have stopped the new criminal case initiated against the blogger, the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) has announced. Emin, Mekhman's brother, has treated the authorities' decision as a concession to the international community.
"Gazprom" treats rumours about writing-off billion-rouble Chechnya's gas debts as fake news January 22, 2019 16:06 The court's judgement on writing off the gas debts of residents of Chechnya has no amount of 9 billion roubles. The Chechen Prosecutor's Office (PO) has removed the debt amount from its press release.
Court considering Oyub Titiev's case ignores chemists' findings January 22, 2019 16:03 The court has refused to add the conclusions about the incorrect investigation of the cannabis, for the keeping of which Oyub Titiev, a rights defender and the head of the Grozny office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", is accused, to the case files. The court has explained this decision by violation of the rules for holding examinations.
At least eight persons continue hunger-striking in Azerbaijan January 22, 2019 11:30 Activists Zafar Akhmedov, Rafig Bakhyshov and Fizuli Guseinov continue their hunger strike in the office of the "Musavat" Party. The journalist Khadija Ismayilova and activist Aigul Djafarova have stopped their hunger strike. At least five political prisoners continue their protest.
Oyub Titiev's defence refutes main prosecution's proofs January 22, 2019 11:28 The examination of the cannabis, the keeping of which is imputed to Oyub Titiev, the head of the Grozny office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", failed to prove its narcotic properties; and the examination results of the wash-offs from Titiev's hands contradict each other. This was stated by experts at the trial. The main proofs in the case are unreliable, said Ilya Novikov, a Titiev's advocate.
Relatives of the woman killed in Gyumri complain to prosecutor about refusal to place the military into Armenian SIZO January 22, 2019 08:56 Investigators have rejected the demand of relatives of Julietta Gukasyan to transfer the Russian military, accused of killing her, from the territory of the military base to the SIZO (pre-trial prison) of Armenia. On January 17, the refusal was appealed against to the prosecutor's office, Arthur Sakunts, a rights defender, has informed.
Residents of Dagestan tell about torture and money extortion January 22, 2019 08:54 Despite the claim of torture, the Makhachkala court has sentenced Yusup Asadulaev to eight years in colony, after finding him guilty of helping Ruslan Darsamov, the leader of the local underground. Asadulaev's brother, who also complained of torture, is being protected by rights defenders, the "Mediazona" has reported.
News of writing off gas debts causes distrust among residents of Chechnya January 21, 2019 23:59 The authorities of Chechnya use all the methods of influencing debtors to pay utility bills; and the writing off of the multibillion-rouble debts for gas contrary to these methods is unlikely to affect ordinary people, residents of the republic said. Chechen lawyers also think it unlikely that the republic's gas debts will be written off.
Chechen authorities offer to improve practice of public apologies January 21, 2019 23:58 The Chechen authorities are ready to make headings for apologies and repentances in mass media so that residents of the republic were responsible "for their words" in social networks or for their actions, said Djambulat Umarov, the Minister of National Policy, External Relations, Press and Information of Chechnya.
Social network users alarmed about plans to revise Dagestani-Chechen border January 21, 2019 18:58 On January 20, the head of Dagestan treated the revision of the border with Chechnya as "a planned mandatory work." Social network users have noticed that Vladimir Vasiliev failed to answer the question about the concession of republic's territories.
Three Russian servicemen perish in Abkhazia January 21, 2019 18:52 Five servicemen from the Russian military base situated in Abkhazia fell victim to a fall of an armoured personnel carrier (APC) into the gorge, the Southern Military District has reported.
Three persons arrested in Southern Russia within the case of financing IS January 21, 2019 14:40 In Dagestan, Krasnodar Territory and Adygea, under the guise of charitable activities, members of the grouping raised money for Syrian militants, the FSB has reported.
Oyub Titiev's defence persuades court to question fingerprint expert January 21, 2019 14:30 The fingerprint examinations of the package with the narcotic drug, which, according to law enforcers, was seized from Oyub Titiev, were held with violations, the defence of the head of the Grozny office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has stated. The court did not question the expert who came to the session, but agreed to summon another expert for questioning.
Georgian cartoon about war in Abkhazia included into Berlinale-2019 programme January 21, 2019 11:35 The animated film "Armed Lullaby" has been included into the programme of the Berlin International Film Festival, to be held in February. The cartoon tells about the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict through the eyes of a child.
Political analysts criticize outcomes of meeting of the MFA heads of Armenia and Azerbaijan January 21, 2019 11:33 The meeting of the heads of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFAs) of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Paris has shown that the international community is trying to reanimate talks on the Karabakh conflict. However, the agenda failed to include issues related to violations of the armistice regime, political analysts have noted.