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On May 20, in Armenia, the court of general jurisdiction of the Kotaik Region dismissed the motion filed by the defence of Vardan Petrosyan, a famous actor and satirist, to change the pre-trial restriction measure and to release him from custody. Advocates intend to challenge the court's decision at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

At the solemn meeting in Cherkessk on May 21, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the end of the Caucasian War, Circassian leaders reiterated their call for the republic's authorities to help in resettlement of Syrian Circassians and establish the Committee on Compatriots' Affairs, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

On May 21, in Baku, at the trial of Anar Mamedli, the head of the Centre for Election Monitoring and Democracy Training (CEM&DT), and two activists Bashir Suleimanly and Elnur Mamedov, the prosecutor asked to sentence the defendants to prison terms ranging from 8 to 9 years imprisonment.

In the evening on May 20, in the Shapsug aul of Akhintam, located in the Greater Sochi, Circassian activists held an action of lighting candles and launching Chinese lanterns into the sea in memory of the Caucasian War, which lasted for 101 years. Commemorative events were also held by Adygs-Shapsugs also on the coast, in the villages of Golovinka and Mugukhabl.

As reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), a 25-year-old resident of the village of Dugulubgey was detained on suspicion of possession of explosive devices and providing help to members of illegal armed formations (IAFs).

The jury verdict against five defendants that found them guilty of killing the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya is just a small step towards the triumph of justice. However, the trial has left a lot of questions, said the human rights organization Amnesty International (AI).

The Buynaksk City Court has sentenced Zarema Bagavutdinova, an activist of the Dagestani Regional Public Organization (DRPO) "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy), accused of promoting terrorist activities, to five years of imprisonment in a general security colony, said her lawyer Ziyautdin Uvaisov.

On May 21, at the Moscow City Court (MCC), the daughter and son of journalist Anna Politkovskaya moved a civil suit against the defendants in the case of killing her mother, demanding compensation of moral harm in the amount of one million roubles from each of them.

Timur Kuashev, a Circassian activist, rights defender and journalist, has been set free from the police division of the city of Nalchik. He told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he would appeal against the actions of law enforcement bodies.

Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe (CoE) have announced a joint action plan for 2014-2016, aimed to fulfil the country's commitments to this international organization. It provides for measures to strengthen the protection of human rights, the rule of law and the fight against corruption.

On May 20, policemen detained a resident of Grozny, in whose flat they found a TT pistol and ammunition, an officer of the Chief Department of the MIA for Chechnya told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The reception office of the network "Migration and Law" of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in Sochi was addressed by more than 1500 migrant workers, whose rights had been violated. Human rights activists hope that the organizers of the Football World Cup, to be held in Russia in 2018, will take into account the lessons of the Olympics.

The body of the man, which was found in a burnt car and recognized by relatives as Omaraskhab Alibegov, the Imam of the village of Stalskoe, Kizilyurt District of Dagestan, was not officially identified; and no criminal case in connection with his death was initiated, said Rasul Temirbekov from the Investigating Committee.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports from the Moscow City Court (MCC) that the jury has unanimously found all the defendants in the murder case of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya guilty.

The North-Caucasian Branch of the State Museum of Oriental Arts in Maikop has opened the exhibition called "Caucasus in Eyes of 19th Century Artists", dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the end of the Caucasian War and displaying over 70 reproductions of the works by Russian and European artists.

As reported by Andrei Rudomakha, the coordinator of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch), a petition to cancel the ruling of the Tuapse District Court on Evgeny Vitishko's placement into colony for three years, was put forward by the Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Krasnodar Territory.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports with reference to a source from the City Court of Buynaksk, that the state prosecution has asked the court to sentence Zarema Bagavutdinova, an activist of the Dagestani Regional Public Organization "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy), to six years in prison on charges of promoting terrorism.

So far, the Makhachkala-based "Anji" Football Club (FC) will pay to the UEFA one million euros from the imposed fine of 2 million euros, Alexander Udaltsov, the PR Director of the FC, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. In his words, the money will be taken from the FC budget.

Civil society activists of Azerbaijan have urged Thorbjorn Jagland, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE), who is on his official visit to Baku, to help in releasing political prisoners. He was given a list of 30 political prisoners, who, according to human rights activists, should be immediately released.

Safety in Southern Caucasus is impossible without resolution of conflicts and regional cooperation. This was the leitmotif of the roundtable, organized in Baku by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation from Germany.