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By the level of sexual minorities' rights, Azerbaijan takes the last, 49th place in the annual ranking of the ILGA-Europe – the European branch of the International Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgenders and Intersexuals. Russia is ranked 48th; Armenia – 47th.

Chairpersons of the Supreme Court (SC) of Dagestan always influenced the political decisions in the republic. This opinion was voiced by advocates Rasul Kadiev and Rinat Gamidov. Magomed Magomedov believes that Ruslan Mirzaev has failed to keep the position of the chairperson of the Dagestani SC because of high competition and pressure of lobbyists.

Today, in Baku, the court has pronounced the decision on the forced delivery of Leyla and Arif Yunus, who stay abroad. According to an advocate, for the next step, they will be put on the international wanted list. Experts doubt that the Yunus spouses will be extradited to the Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies.

The activists have marked the International Day Against Homophobia by gathering in front of the State Chancellery building in Tbilisi. They spoke in protection of the rights of people with non-conventional sexual orientation. Meanwhile, in the Georgian capital, counter-actions dedicated to the Day of Solidarity and Holiness of Family were launched.

Today, on the International Day Against Homophobia, the Anti-Discrimination Centre "Memorial", the Centre for Civil Liberties and the FIDH, are launching a campaign of messages of solidarity with LGBT people of Chechnya and Donbas.

Rashid Gadjiyasulov, a Dagestani alpinist, being a member of a group from Russia and Ukraine, has made an ascent to the highest mountain of the world.

Tatiana Moskalkova, High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, has reported that the appeal of the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" with the indication of the specific names and surnames of the gays persecuted in Chechnya had been sent to the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF). In Grozny, officials called the campaign to protect gays in Chechnya an attempt to exert pressure on Ramzan Kadyrov.

The meeting of Mikhail Fedotov, the chairman of the Human Rights Council (HRC) under the President of Russia, with Ramzan Kadyrov has become the first visit of the HRC members to Chechnya after the republic was excluded from a series of travelling sessions in Northern Caucasus in June 2016.

The decision of the Supreme Court (SC) of Russia to liquidate the "All-Russian Azerbaijani Congress" is of political nature, and it can seriously damage the Russian-Azerbaijani relations. This was stated by the Azerbaijani MPs who demanded to audit the Russian cultural centres in the country. The Russian SC has made an unreasonable decision.

The "Apricot Country" Party has turned to the Central Election Commission (CEC) with a demand to invalidate the elections to the Board of Elders.

Law enforcers have detained an entrepreneur and two other persons, suspected of involvement in the collapse of the apartment house in Volgograd.

For almost 6.5 last years, Volgograd saw five explosions of domestic gas, including four in apartment houses. Since January 2011, these explosions killed 10 persons and injured other 51.

On May 15, a request was submitted to the Investigating Department for the Republic of Ingushetia of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) to invite for questioning Ingush leader Yunus-Bek Evkurov in the case of an attack on journalists and human rights defenders at the border of Chechnya and Ingushetia in March 2016. This was reported by Andrei Sabinin, a lawyer of the international human rights group "Agora".

On May 15, the website of the President of Ukraine published a list of individuals and legal entities subjected to the sanctions imposed against them. According to the updated sanctions list, the restrictions are imposed on 1228 individuals.

This afternoon, an entrance of a four-storey building has collapsed in the Soviet District of Volgograd. The explosion of domestic gas damaged 16 apartments in a residential building. According to the preliminary information, three persons were killed, and eleven others needed medical assistance.

Today, in connection with the information about harassment of gays in the Chechen Republic, three French LGBT associations have filed a lawsuit to the International Criminal Court against Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

On May 15, Togrul Babaev, an advocate of Ali Insanov, the former Minister for Public Health, filed an appeal against the guilty verdict pronounced to his client. According to Togrul Babaev, "the criminal case was fabricated in order not to release Ali Insanov from prison upon completion of his first term."

The Proletarsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don has imposed a fine in the amount of 15,000 roubles on Elena Kulikova, a coordinator of the Alexei Navalny's pre-election campaign headquarters, for participating in the rally on March 26.

Ruslan Zeitullaev, recognized as an organizer of the Crimean unit of the terrorist organization "Hizb ut-Tahrir", banned in Russia, has began his new hunger strike in protest against the verdict and persecution of activists. This was reported by advocate Emil Kurbedinov.

A resident of North Ossetia offered a woman together with her friend to act as agents in the sale of her newborn baby. They were detained, investigators report.