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The case of Anar Mamedov, the editor-in-chief of the "criminal.az (criminalaz.com)" website, indicates that the authorities have stopped looking for far-fetched reasons for persecuting independent media outlets, and decided to openly persecute them for specific publications, the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) has stated.

Idris Yusupov, a journalist of the newspaper "Novoye Delo" (New Cause), detained near a Salafi mosque in Makhachkala, reported that he had been released from the police station without any explanations. Another detainee reported that law enforcers wanted to draw up protocols against him and two other believers, but changed their minds.

Rostov activist Anastasia Shevchenko was arrested for her political views and participation in peaceful assemblies, stated the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial". The criminal proceedings against the activist prove preparation of a new wave of repression, rights defenders believe.

On February 7, residents of the Gumbetovsky District took part in a meeting on the issue of the border between their district and Chechnya. The neighbouring republic voiced a number of claims on the land plots, a specialist on land issues announced.

Idris Yusupov, an employee of the Dagestani newspaper "Novoye Delo" (New Cause), was brought to a police station after filming the detention of three persons near a Salafi mosque in Makhachkala. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) does not confirm the information about the believers' detention.

Makka Khamkhoeva, a resident of Ingushetia, explained she felt aggrieved when she said that the Chechen authorities should help those in need and not give gifts to female singers.

Ovannes Galstyan, who demands to resume funding of his film "My Grandma's Curls", has given up the idea of a dry hunger strike, explaining that he wanted to save his strength for further struggle. The consideration of his lawsuit to the National Cinema Centre (NCC) of Armenia is deliberately protracted, he said.

The regional permanent representatives of Ramzan Kadyrov have no deputies, the Chechen Minister, Djambulat Umarov, has commented on the detention of Murad Saidov, a Deputy Permanent Representative in the Crimea.

The court that is considering the case of Oyub Titiev, the head of the Grozny office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", is supporting all the prosecution's arguments and rejects all the defence's motions, since they reveal gross falsifications, Oyub Titiev's advocates assert.

The publication about the detention in Chechnya of Bekkhan Yusupov has helped save his life, says Igor Kochetkov, the head of the Russian LGBT Network. Yusupov's advocate claims that prior to his client's arrival in Grozny, he was in mortal danger.

The authorities of Chechnya and Dagestan have agreed to fix the mutual border by the end of 2019. The parties have reached an understanding on this issue; it remains to finalize technical issues, said Khizri Shikhsaidov, the Speaker of the Dagestani Parliament. Both authorities do not claim for any territories, Magomed Daudov, the head of the Chechen Parliament, has stated.

Elnur Guseinzade, whom the authorities of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) consider to be a prisoner of war, has been declared wanted by Azerbaijan for state treason. This decision violates Guseinzade's rights, who refused to return to his country, the spokesman of the NKR's president and rights defenders have stated.

On the eve of the All-Russian Census, Circassian activists have announced a flash mob "#yacherkesAty?" (I'm a Circassian, and you?) with the aim to unite all the Circassians under the common international name "Circassians". Facebook users have supported the action order to exclude an artificial split of one nation during the census.

Temirlan Machalikashvili's father asked Georgian MPs to comment on the initiative to set up a commission to investigate the special operation in Pankisi, in which his son was killed.

Ramzan Kadyrov stood up for Murad Saidov, the deputy of his permanent representative in the Crimea, who was detained after the conflict with a Chechen businessman, who lives in the Crimea. According to Kadyrov, Saidov legally owned the firearm seized from him.

On February 4, after a search, law enforcers took a resident of Khasavyurt away with them and since then his fate is unknown, reported relatives of the detainee.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya took into account the time that a local resident spent at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) and reduced by six months his sentence for trying to join militants in Syria, the Prosecutor's Office reported.

The defence of the head for the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in Grozny was refused in conducting a handwriting examination of police protocols and excluding the results of the physical and chemical examination from the evidence list. The court also refused to include in the case file the evidence to prove the existence of a police rapid response team (known as GBR) in Kurchaloi.

In Grozny, a gate has been installed on the territory of a common yard of several multi-storey buildings and a brick wall is being under construction. The authorities failed to respond to the residents' complaints, an author of a video stated.

The court decided to leave in custody Robert Kocharyan, the second President of Armenia, accused of overthrowing the constitutional order. The defence found a political motive in the court decision.