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Detention in Chechnya of the leader of the representative office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"; guilty verdict to journalist Afghan Mukhtarly in Azerbaijan; death in Tbilisi of a man wounded in a special operation in the Pankisi Gorge, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of January 8-14, 2018, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

The European External Action Service (EEAS) has demanded to investigate the kidnapping and prosecution of Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Mukhtarly.

More than 90 artefacts of the Sarmatian culture, made of precious metals, are exhibited at the Volgograd Regional Museum of Local History. Many of those artefacts have never earlier been exhibited for public.

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian militaries have violated the ceasefire for 126 times by using large-calibre machine guns, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stated.

The family of Chechen rights defender Oyub Titiev, accused of drug dealing, has left Chechnya for security reasons, Pyotr Zaikin, Titiev's advocate has stated today.

On 11 January, the human rights organizations the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Human Rights Watch, the Amnesty International, the International Federation of Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture issued a joint statement demanding from Russian authorities to release the rights defender Oyub Titiev.

A video clip on behalf of the militants of the "Vilayat Kavkaz", a branch of the "Islamic State" (IS), banned in Russia by a court decision, with the call to kill prominent Russian rights defenders has been spread in the WhatsApp instant messenger, in a number of Telegram channels and among users of the Facebook.

Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadygov, convicted on charges of assaulting a woman in the reception room of the head of the Jalilabad District, has faced a new charge three months before the end of his prison term.

Today, about 300 residents of Vladikavkaz came out to picket in support of relatives of Vladimir Tskaev, who died at the police after interrogation. His close relatives fear that policemen want to "hush up" his death.

The high death rate from illnesses in Armenian prisons indicates poor medical care and authorities' inhumane policy, Arthur Sakunts and Aikui Arutyunyan, rights defenders, have stated.

Law enforcers have detained Nurmagomed Taimasov, a resident of the village of Gubden, after finding ammunition in his house. According to his relatives, the cartridges and a grenade were planted there.

The woman, who has recorded critical video appeals to the head of Chechnya and his mother, confirmed her readiness to apologize to Kadyrov, if relatives of the disappeared Chechens get at least their remains.

The video appeals to the head of Chechnya and his mother were recorded by Aishat Guchigova, who lives in France, her relatives have reported, stating that they are ashamed of her words; and one of her relatives wished her death for criticizing Kadyrov.

Relatives of Khamzat Baimuradov, suspected of killing the chief of the police station and shot dead during his detention, fear of blood feud, residents of the Avtury village reported. Relatives and friends had no chance to bury the Khamzat Baimuradov's body, since bodies of killed terrorists were not given out to family members, the police reported.

The US Department of State is concerned over the verdict to Afghan Mukhtarly and calls on Azerbaijan to release the journalist.

Starting from January 1, the fund for payments to families of deceased soldiers and officers and soldiers who became disabled as a result of wounds began to be replenished due to the monthly mandatory deductions from a salary of each working resident of Nagorno-Karabakh in the amount of 1000 drams (about 2.1 US dollars). This was stated by Ashot Gulyan, Speaker of the Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament.

Law enforcers explain the detentions of parishioners of the mosque located in Omarov Street by the prophylactic measure.

Over the past three years, the murder of the Avetisyan family members committed on January 12, 2015, for which Valery Permyakov, a Russian regular soldier, was sentenced, became the most resonant, but far from the only incident involving soldiers of the Russian military base in Gyumri.

The Balaken District Court of Azerbaijan has found journalist Afghan Mukhtarly guilty of illegal crossing the border, smuggling and rendering resistance to a public official, reported his advocate.

Tonight, a 104-year-old woman, found in the Goranboy District of Azerbaijan, has been sent to Grozny, reported the Baku shelter "Mother Teresa's Sisters".