All news

On September 28, Patimat Takhnaeva, a research officer from the Institute for Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she was refused in examining materials at the Central State Historical Archives of Georgia.

Archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze, sentenced in the case on an attempted poisoning of the Georgian Patriarch's secretary and illegal storage of weapons, has started hunger strike to protest against a refusal in a phone conversation with his relatives. This was reported by Mikhail Ramishvili, an advocate of archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze.

Criminal proceedings against participants of a prayer service held near the Tulip Tree on the Circassian Day of Memory are a well-organized and thought-out campaign. The authorities try to equate prayer services to rallies in an attempt to force activists to coordinate events on the Adyg Days of Memory and Sorrow. This opinion has been expressed by advocate Marina Dubrovina.

On September 25, journalists of the Adjara TV for the first time registered flagrant violation of the rights of Georgian citizens at the Turkish-Georgian checkpoint of Sarpi. On the Turkish side, checkpoint officers attacked members of a film crew for the Adjara TV, who arrived at the border after people had reported assault.

Today, the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) has been recognized by Senate of the US state of Michigan, which has become the eighth USA state to do so.

Seiran Sargsyan, a serviceman of the Defence Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) was shot dead today by fire from the Azerbaijani side, the NKR’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) reports.

Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadygov was placed to the dungeon (punishment cell) after he had complained about violation of his rights in a penal colony, his wife has reported today. Officials from the Penitentiary Service claim the prisoner was rude towards warders.

Three female activists of the "Alliance of Patriots of Georgia" have explained their decision to stop the hunger strike by physicians' recommendations. 14 people continue to participate in the protest action.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has pronounced a resolution to pay to Tural Gadjibeili, an activist from the "Musavat" Party, the compensation in the amount of 10,500 euros. The ECtHR has recognized the activist's arrest for participation in the demonstration in Baku on March 12, 2011, as unjustified.

A picket and procession of LGBT activists cannot be held in front of minors. This was declared by the Bataysk authorities. They refused to sanction the LGBT action notified by activist Nikolai Alekseev.

The Staropromyslovsky District Court violated the right to defence of Magomed Taramov and Jamalai Tazbiev, sentenced on the charge of trying to leave for Syria. The violation was in the fact that the Court failed to provide the defence with the access to the criminal case before sending it to a higher court instance. This was claimed by advocate Khava Akhmadova.

On September 26, the Czech newspaper "Hospodarske Noviny" reported that the Czech government supplied Azerbaijan with modern artillery mounts "in spite of the embargo." According to the newspaper, an investigation has been launched in the Czech Republic, and the chiefs of the Czech law enforcement agencies are summoned for questioning.

The works created by nine designers of Circassian costume from Kabardino-Balkaria and Adygea are presented at a show in the Nalchik Palace of Trade Unions. The designers believe the growing interest of young people in the Circassian costume makes it possible to say that the national clothes have a good future.

US congressmen, Republican Christopher Smith and Democrat Jim McGovern, have presented a bill providing for sanctions against violators of human rights in Azerbaijan. The congressmen called on the US government to spread the Global Magnitsky Act on the officials involved in the repressions against persons who criticized the Azerbaijani authorities.

Akhmed Akhmedov, a specialist in Islamic medicine, has been released from the police on recognizance not to leave. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by the detainee's wife. Akhmed Akhmedov is charged with arms trafficking, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reports.

Doku Umarov, the leader of the banned terrorist organization "Imarat Kavkaz"*, died of poisoning with a highly toxic substance. This was reported by a source familiar with the results for the forensic examination of the human body remains found in Ingushetia.

About 300 participants of a rally in Sukhumi have appealed to Russian and Abkhaz presidents asking them to save the life of Ruslan Gvashev and provide the Black Sea Adygs-Shapsugs with the right to hold their memorial prayers at the Tulip Tree.

A woman-hunger-striker, a supporter of the "Georgian Patriots’ Alliance", who is protesting for the fourth day at the Georgian parliament, has complained of poor health. Irma Tsoragauli, a hunger-striker, has stated that should the protesters’ demands be not met, on October 1, 17 more hunger-strikers would join the 17 current activists.

The amount of subsidies allocated to the republic should be increased taking into account the high birth rate in Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov has stated.

The burial of Doku (Dokku) Umarov, the leader of North-Caucasian militants, and of several members of the underground was found as a result of a long-term targeted search, the FSB reports.