Georgian Patriarchate opposes marijuana decriminalization January 12, 2018 10:03 The draft law on decriminalization of soft narcotic drugs in Georgia fails to account important measures to prevent and combat the drug addiction, the Patriarchate has stated.
Armenian rights defenders note a decrease in military losses in 2017 January 12, 2018 06:04 60 soldiers and officers of Armenia deceased in 2017. Of them, 22 were killed as a result of violation of the ceasefire regime and non-combat losses amounted to 38 people, reports the Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly. According to the organization, in 2016, the losses of the Armenian armed forces amounted to 175 people.
Political analysts: residents of Chechnya tired of "leaderism" and criticize authorities January 12, 2018 05:52 When residents of Chechnya dare to voice public appeals with criticism of the authorities or complaints, they are driven by despair and a desire to achieve justice. Exposing themselves at risk, authors of such appeals often underestimate the experience of other critics of the authorities, experts believe.
Experts report connection of military exercises in Northern Caucasus with conflict in Syria January 12, 2018 04:48 A significant number of military exercises in the Southern Military District can be explained by the Russia's participation in the struggle against the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS) in Syria.
Armenia's Ambassador to Denmark wins lawsuit against his country at ECtHR January 12, 2018 03:24 Alexander Arzumanyan, the Armenia's Ambassador to Denmark and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, has won a lawsuit against Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The court has obliged the Armenian authorities to pay him 2500 euros.
Film about First Chechen War on YouTube scores over 2 million viewings in three days January 11, 2018 21:49 In the film "The Man After the War" produced by video blogger Yuri Dud, Oleg Sitnikov, who fought in the First Chechen War, campaign, and Yuri Shevchuk, the leader of the DDT group, who came to Grozny in 1995, talk about the war and the life after it. The video helped Sitnikov to embody his dream of buying a new car.
Relatives of Temirlan Machalikashvili demand his rehabilitation January 11, 2018 17:41 Today, the funeral of Temirlan Machalikashvili, who died after being wounded by law enforcers, took place in the village of Duisi in the Pankisi Gorge. His father appealed to the Georgian Prosecutor's Office demanding to assess law enforcers' actions.
Kabardino-Balkarian athlete Maria Lasitskene wins All-Russian tournament January 11, 2018 17:31 Maria Lasitskene (Kuchina), an athlete from Kabardino-Balkaria, has won the All-Russian tournament in high jump and pole vaulting.
Countrymen of hijab dancer treat a scandal with her videos as a PR step for promotion January 11, 2018 15:45 The actions of a young woman from North Ossetia, who posts in Instagram scandalous videos with dances in hijab, show more desire for PR steps rather than insolence, her countrymen suggest. The young woman does not face any danger in her homeland, believe the local Deputy Mufti and a journalist.
Chechen residents alarmed: critic of Wahhabism re-appointed Kadi of Grozny January 11, 2018 13:07 The return of Adam Ilyasov to the position of the Islamic judge of Grozny may provoke a new surge of persecution of young men wearing beards, local residents believe.
US Department of State warns tourists about danger of visiting Northern Caucasus January 11, 2018 13:06 Tourists from the United States are advised not to travel to Northern Caucasus, Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia.
HRC "Memorial" reports threats to relatives of Chechen rights defender Oyub Titiev January 11, 2018 10:54 Law enforcers have demanded from relatives of Oyub Titiev, the detained Chechen rights defender, that his son and brother should appear at the police, otherwise they would face troubles. This was reported by the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".
At action in Kiev, Azerbaijanis demand to protect them from criminality January 11, 2018 10:41 On January 10, members of the Azerbaijani community held a rally near the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ukraine in Kiev, demanding to investigate the crimes committed against Azerbaijani businessmen. The Ukrainian police promised to take measures.
Azerbaijan accused Armenia of 125 bombardments per day January 11, 2018 10:28 On January 10 and 11, during shelling on the contact line, Armenian militaries used sniper rifles, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stated.
Elderly woman's story puzzles authorities of Azerbaijan and Chechnya January 11, 2018 00:14 For the third week, the Azerbaijani and Chechen authorities cannot identify a 104-year-old woman found in the Goranboy District of Azerbaijan. The woman voiced her desire to leave for Chechnya after Ramzan Kadyrov had promised to help her.
In Stavropol Territory, village council head accused of recruiting fighters for IS January 10, 2018 22:49 A case against the head of the Kucherlinsky village council, accused of recruiting a resident of the Stavropol Territory to the ranks of Syrian militants, was brought to court.
Pankisi detainee accused of aiding and abetting terrorists January 10, 2018 20:49 Zurab Idoidze, a resident of Georgia, was accused of aiding and abetting Akhmed Chataev and members of his grouping. The detainee pleads not guilty, his advocate reported.
Turkish authorities arrest Georgian citizen acquainted with Akhmed Chataev January 10, 2018 20:18 Gocha Saginadze, a Georgian citizen, detained in Turkey on the charge of having connections with terrorists, has been taken into custody. His wife is to be deported from the country, the agency "Interpressnews" reports with reference to Milliyet.
Azerbaijan scales up its forces in Afghanistan at US' request January 10, 2018 19:07 Military analysts have treated the increase of the number of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in Afghanistan as making overtures to the USA. According to their forecasts, such an increase will not lead to a deepening of the Azerbaijan-NATO partnership.
Activist Zviad Kuprava and his wife beaten in Tbilisi January 10, 2018 17:44 Zviad Kuprava, the leader of the "Centre for Law Enforcement Reform", and his wife were injured as a result of an attack.