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The journalist Nikolai Yarst will not be covered by the amnesty launched on December 18, since he had been sentenced under the Article classified as "grave". This was reported by Marina Dubrovina, the journalist's advocate.

Restrictions have been imposed in the territory of Chechnya on the sale of alcoholic beverages during the New Year holidays. This was reported by local residents. The republic's authorities deny the introduction of any such measures.

In Sochi, residents of Chebrikov Street complain about the inaction of the authorities and public services, which for more than three months fail to take proper measures to eliminate the accident at the sewage and water-supply pipes. According to Sochi residents, several houses became virtually uninhabitable.

Today, about 200 people gathered at a rally organized in the city of Maikop by the Adyg branch of the Labour Party of Russia. The protesters demanded to revise certain provisions of the pension reform and punish the officials responsible for preparation thereof, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Victims of political repressions from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), who were deported in 1944 from their residential areas to Central Asia are addressing their lawsuits first to their district courts and then – the appellate instance for recovery of their moral harm from the state. After being rejected, they file complaints to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Rostov journalists have set up a commission for meeting the Governor of the Rostov Region Vasily Golubev on the issue of persecution of their colleagues. This was decided at a rally held today for the freedom of speech, said Vladislav Ryazantsev, one of the participants.

On December 20, in Dagestan, power agents detained Magomed Dabaev, a resident of the village of Novy Agachaul, Karabudakhkent District of Dagestan, whose whereabouts are still unknown, according to his relatives. Dabaev was detained on suspicion of aiding militants, said a source from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

The advocates of the journalist Sergey Reznik, who was sentenced to one and a half years in prison for false denunciation, bribery and insulting a power official, have filed a complaint against the decision of the Pervomaiskiy District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Yury Kastrubin, one of the advocates, said on December 20. Another appeal is prepared by the convict himself.

The investigator Vadim Mukov has broken the presumption of innocence by voicing accusations of the suspects of killing Ansar Tebuev, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR) on air of the TV show "Man and Law" of Channel One, the defendants' advocates assert.

The Department of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) for the Republic of Ingushetia has instituted a criminal case on the video entitled "Ingushes are shame of the Caucasus" which was posted on the "YouTube" on the Internet.

As reported by the Chechnya's Ministry of Public Health, seven chief physicians of major hospitals and 50 medical workers of medical institutions were dismissed on the results of the checks conducted in November-December.

Parviz Gashimli, a journalist and a human rights defender, kept at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) of the Ministry of National Security (MNS) of Azerbaijan, has filed a complaint against the court's decision to reject his request to transfer him to the SIZO of the penitentiary service. The consideration of the complaint is scheduled for December 23, said his advocate.

The believers, who were detained after the Friday prayer at the mosque of the village of Leninkent, located in Makhachkala, have been released, said a local resident. The local ROVD (District Interior Division) has confirmed the information.

Today, the Supreme Court (SC) of the Russian Federation has considered the claim lodged by the Sochi public civil movement "Law and Order" demanding to declare illegal the resolution of the Russian government "On Extension of the Territory of Sochi National Park". As reported by Roman Shikarev, an activist of the movement "Law and Order", the SC has ruled to reject the claim.

The advocates of Anar Mamedli, the head of the Centre for Election Monitoring and Democracy Training (CEM&DT), who was arrested on December 17 in Baku, have filed an appeal against placing the activist into custody.

Today, the Pervomaiskiy District Court of Krasnodar has held a preliminary hearing of the case initiated against Professor Mikhail Savva. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that the partially considered case will be retried because of the replacement of the judge.

Today, the court in the city of Tuapse has considered the petition lodged by the local Department of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (known as UFSIN), cancelled the conditional sentence earlier appointed to the ecologist Evgeny Vitishko and sentenced him to a real imprisonment.

In Sochi, on the eve of the Olympic Games, 40 power facilities have been already put into operation, and most of the remaining 9 have been already energized. This was announced by Andrei Cherezov, Deputy Energy Minister of the Russian Federation, at the meeting of the Public Council for the preparation for the 2014 Olympic Games.

Within the preparation campaign for the 2014 Olympic Games, Sochi authorities have introduced fines to be imposed on city residents for poorly cared yards. This was announced by Sergey Yurin, Deputy City Mayor. The maximum fine will amount to 50,000 roubles.

Four journalists from Azerbaijan, namely: Parviz Gashimli, Sardar Alibeili, Hilal Mamedov and Avaz Zeinalov, and four active Internet users, namely: Rashad Ramazanov, Zaur Gurbanly, Araz Guliev and Nidjat Aliev, have been included into the study "Barometer of Media Freedom" conducted by the international organization "Reporters without Borders".