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The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) should speak publicly about the shortcomings of the Paralympic Games in Sochi and the problem of creating a barrier-free environment in the city, taking into account the situation as seen by independent observers. This was reported by the international human rights organization "Human Rights Watch" (HRW).

Members of Azerbaijani and international human rights organizations have criticized the decision of the court to sentence to long terms of imprisonment Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the civil movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl), and Tofig Yagublu, Deputy Chairman of the "Musavat" Party, a columnist of the newspaper "Yeni Musavat".

Evgeny Vitishko, an activist of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus", has sent to the Russian Ombudsman a complaint about the fact that his rights were violated while he was convoyed to the settlement-colony.

Maxim Chervonya Ogly, one of the key witnesses in the case of journalist Anna Politkovskaya's murder, who retracted his testimony on Tuesday, claimed that he had given them under threats coming from law enforcers.

In Buynaksk, at the trial of the case of Zarema Bagavutdinova, an activist of the Dagestani Regional Public Organization "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy), accused of promoting terrorist activities, four witnesses have testified in favour of the human rights activist, said Ziyavutdin Uvaisov, Zarema's advocate.

As stated by Rinat Barakov, the spokesman of the Department of the "Rospotrebnadzor", the inquiry into the incident of poisoning of pupils in the village of Nizhni Cherek was over: a concentration of formaldehyde exceeding the exposure limit by 4.5 times was detected in school premises.

Doku (Dokku) Umarov is dead, and Ali Abu-Mukhammad is a new leader of the "Imarat Kavkaz", says a statement released today by one of the websites that supports the North-Caucasian militants.

Today, at a session of the Moscow City Court (MCC), where the case of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, an observer of the "Novaya Gazeta", is considered, a defence witness Maxim Chervonya Ogly has renounced his evidence given at the preliminary investigation.

Five residents of Chechnya are to appear before the court on charges of killing in 2012 four staff member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for Bashkortostan, who were on an official trip. This was reported by the Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya. Officials indicate that all of the defendants plead guilty.

When considering the issue who might order to assassinate Saigidpasha Umakhanov, Mayor of the Dagestani city of Khasavyurt, experts identify several versions, including those related to inter-clan fighting in Dagestan, militants' revenge and struggle for power in the city, where a large number of Chechens live.

Alexander Totoonov, a member of the Russian Federation Council from North Ossetia was put on the list of persons, against whom the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions because of the situation around Crimea. Alexander Totoonov has said the sanctions will not change his position.

Valery Badmaev, an editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Modern Kalmykia", who was on March 14 detained in Elista on charges of disorderly conduct, intends to appeal to court against the actions of policemen and charges against him.

A number of journalistic organizations issued a statement against the initiative of members of the National Assembly of Armenia to amend the Civil Code. The amendments provide prosecution of media that publish and disseminate comments of unidentified Internet users (fakes).

On February 28, Askhab Murtazaliev, a resident of the Cossack village of Grebenskaya of the Shelkovskoy District of Chechnya, was kidnapped. Since that time, his relatives cannot reveal his whereabouts. This was reported on March 17 by Sudan Murtazalieva, the mother of the kidnapped man.

Zarema Magomedova, a resident of the Dagestani city of Izberbash, complains about the pressure put on her by local law enforcers who summon her for questioning to the police station without presenting any documents.

The filming crew of the Ukrainian TV Channel "1+1", composed of the journalist Natalka Pisnya and the cameraman Sergey Kiselyov, who were deported at night on March 13 from Abkhazia, had worked in the republic without accreditation, said today the State Security Service (SSS) of Abkhazia.

Bureaucrats of the Mayoralty of the city of Khasavyurt have refused to sanction the applied protest action referring to the absence of information about the organizer of the action in the application, said a resident of the village of Novosasitli.

Today, the Sheki Court of Grave Crimes has passed verdicts to 18 defendants in the case of riots in the city of Ismailly; the well-known oppositionists Ilgar Mamedov and Tofig Yagublu received real prison terms.

The participants in the rally held on March 15 against felling trees in the "Krasnaya Vesna" (Red Spring) Grove in Novocherkassk to clear up place for building kindergartens, have signed a petition addressed to the authorities and demanding to preserve the natural object, said one of the organizers of the rally.

This week, Chechnya resumes compensation payments to victims of political repressions suspended in 2011, and they will be completed till the end of this March. In total, the lists of beneficiaries of the compensations included more than 95,000 people.