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The European Union (EU) notes with concern the increase of pressure in Azerbaijan on the media and civil society. This was emphasized by the joint statement of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, and Štefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy.

Activists of the civil initiative "I'm against!" have demanded to reinstate dismissed metro train drivers of the Yerevan Metro. According to the members of the initiative, the metro workers were fired for taking part in the actions against the funded pension system.

The human rights organization "Freedom House" has compiled an annual index for media freedom in 2013. Armenia and Russia were included in the group of countries with no freedom of speech.

On Saturday, May 3, the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR) held festive events dedicated to the 57th anniversary of the return of deported Karachay people to their historic homeland.

Due to long queues at the ferry crossing, a bus trip from Sochi to Kerch may now take from 15 to 20 hours, the ticket sellers at the Sochi bus station report. Sochi residents hope for opening of direct sea links with the Crimea.

A rally, dated to the World Press Freedom Day, was attended by about 40 persons, who gathered in Azerbaijan at the tomb of Elmar Guseinov, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Monitor".

Adil Radjabov, Deputy of Gamyat Suleimanov, the Imam of the mosque "Abu Bakr", has been detained by Azerbaijani police.

On May 2, Judy Clark, an advocate of Johar Tsarnaev, a native of Chechnya, accused of organizing the terror acts in Boston, USA, filed a petition to the court asking to hold a session on the information leaks about her client's case, which, according to her version, may affect the decision to be made by the jury.

Two soldiers of the Azerbaijani Army were wounded during exercises; the state of their health is satisfactory, said the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD).

During the May Day celebrations, policemen of the Volgograd Region held extensive checks at DPS (road-and-post service) checkpoints, local residents report. According to a source from the local GIBDD (traffic police), the checks have to do with a search for four residents of Dagestan, suspected of involvement in terror acts, and will last until May 12.

Residents of the village of Gurta in Adzharia are protesting against the construction of the Shuakhevi hydroelectric power plant (HPP) and intend to boycott local elections.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has completed the consideration of the complaint lodged by Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the civil movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl), against the Government of Azerbaijan. The decision on the complaint will be announced on May 22, said Fuad Agaev Mamedov's advocate.

The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has called on the Azerbaijani authorities to strengthen the guarantees of the freedom of expression and the press, recommending, in its report, to ensure the right to a fair trial on the issues relating to the freedom of expression.

On Friday, May 2, the Georgian MPs passed the Law "On prohibition of all forms of discrimination". In the third and final reading it was supported by 104 MPs.

The man who threw a grenade at policemen, died from multiple fragmental wounds. None of the policemen was hurt, says the press service of the Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) in Chechnya.

In the capital of Azerbaijan, three young men who took part in an unsanctioned action on the occasion of International Workers' Day were sentenced to various terms of administrative arrest. Another detainee was sent to public works.

The Azerbaijani MPs Ali Guseinli, Elmira Akhundova and Ganira Pashayeva have offered the authorities to close the Baku office international human rights organization "Transparency International" (TI).

A territorial operative headquarters is working in the "Kavkaz" Port, whose task is to provide the passengers waiting for a ferry with hot food and medical aid, said the press service of the administration of the Krasnodar Territory. The facility was launched by the decision of the Krasnodar Governor Alexander Tkachov.

Professor Mikhail Savva, the director of grant programmes of the Southern Regional Resource Centre (SRRC) spoke at the roundtable in Krasnodar on "Promoting public control over the penitentiary system" and stressed the need for a prison reform in Russia.

In Azerbaijan, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes has completed the judicial inquiry into the case of Abdula Abilov, 32, an active user of the Facebook and founder of the group "Let's stop toadies!" He is accused drug trafficking. On May 1, he said that he was prosecuted for political reasons.