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The US State of California has adopted a resolution in support of the efforts of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) to develop as a free and independent nation. This is the fifth US state to recognize the independence of the NKR.

In Dagestan, relatives of Felix Agaragimov, the Imam of the village of Kurkent, the Suleiman-Stalsky District, cannot find his whereabouts. The local ROVD (District Interior Division) fails to confirm the fact of his detention.

On May 8, unidentified persons blasted the monument to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War (WW II) in the village of Sogratl in Dagestan. The information about the fact was received by the SMS-service of the "Caucasian Knot".

Asabali Mustafaev, the advocate of Kyamalya Bananyarly, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), sentenced to administrative arrest for participating in the May 6 protest action, asserts that his client was tortured and abused in the Nasimi district police department.

Today, in Volgograd, Nadezhda Kireeva, a resident of Volgograd and a mother of many children, has been detained by policemen in Alley of Heroes. She told about that to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. Nadezhda Kireeva has noted that Olga Stepanova, another mother of many children, was detained together with her.

On May 8, at least 20 followers of Salafism were brought to a police station in Khasavyurt. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by a local resident. According to the resident, who introduced himself as Arsen D., on May 7 and 8, in Khasavyurt, the police conducted raids against local followers of Salafism.

Sapiyat Magomedova, an advocate of Magomed Aliev, a resident of Dagestan, suspected of involvement in an act of robbery, has appealed to the head of the Inherent Security Department of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) in Dagestan with a complaint about the actions of staff member of the SIZO (pre-trial prison) No. 1 of Makhachkala.

On May 7 and 8, in Baku, the court sessions were held at the trial in the case against Anar Mamedli, the head of the Centre for Election Monitoring and Democracy Training (CEMDT), and two other civil society activists. The court listened to the testimonies of 18 witnesses who did not testify about the commitment of any wrongdoing by the defendants.

Zarema Magomedova, a resident of Dagestani city of Izberbash, claims that staff members of the local GOVD (City Interior Division) forced her to give biological samples to determine her DNA against her will. According to the woman, apart from her, at least 15 persons were invited to the police station.

In Yerevan, the movement "DEM.AM" ("I'm against!") has held an action to protest against mandatory accumulative pension system. The protest procession was attended by several thousands of people.

In Makhachkala, Major of the FSB Department for Dagestan was killed as a result of an armed attack. This was reported by the Investigating Department of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) for Dagestan. The Major has become the eighth law enforcement officer killed in Dagestan since the beginning of 2014.

In the city of Khasavyurt in Dagestan, the advocate is not allowed to meet his clients – Sadiyat Arslanova and Aisha Abakarova, volunteers of the Charity Fund "Be merciful", who had been arrested for three days for disobeying the police.

The Supreme Court of Dagestan has invalidated the investigators' decision to stop the criminal case initiated against the policemen suspected of beating the lawyer Sapiyat Magomedova. This was announced today by the victim herself and confirmed by a source from the court office.

In Baku, activists of the human rights campaign "Art for Democracy" had to make a presentation of their report "Freedom of Artistic Expression in Azerbaijan: Creativity under Pressure" right in the street. Half an hour before the planned start of the event, the administration of the Central Park Hotel notified the organizers that it was impossible to rent a room there.

On May 7, the Urus-Martan City Court of Chechnya continued considering the criminal case initiated against Ruslan Kutaev, the President of the "Assembly of Caucasian Peoples", accused of drug possession. During the session, the court questioned first prosecution witnesses – policemen and witnesses who were present during the search.

On May 7, in the settlement-colony No. 2 of the Tambov Region, Evgeny Vitishko, a convicted activist of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch), was visited by activists and members of the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of the Tambov Region. During the meeting, the activist gave Evgeny Vitishko about 400 letters and books.

Tonight, in Makhachkala, during the shootout that occurred at the crossing of Yaragsky and Irchi Kazak Streets, policemen have killed three members of illegal armed formations (IAFs). A passerby was wounded. This was reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Dagestan.

Advocates of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is accused of organizing the terror act in Boston, have appealed to the court and asked to ban reading out at the trial the testimony given by their client in the hospital. On May 7, the motion was filed to the federal court in Boston (Massachusetts).

In Nizhnevartovsk, fighters of the Special Rapid Response Unit (known as SOBR) have liberated five hostages captured by a man who opened fire on policemen. The assailant has been detained.

On May 6, in Tskhinvali, in front of the Temple of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, people held a mourning rally to pay tribute to the memory of the victims in the South-East of Ukraine and the victims killed in the assault of the Trade Unions House in Odessa.