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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".

Starting from December 18, an amnesty was launched on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The amnesty will affect the persons, who are serving their sentences for committing minor crimes. However, the amnesty will not affect the political prisoners from Northern Caucasus and persons convicted under the anti-extremist legislation and under the terrorism-related articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The issue of the need to convene the World Congress of Circassian People had been raised long before the detention of Circassian activists that happened on December 13. This was declared by Mukhamed Cherkesov, the chairman of the movement "Adyge Khase-Circassian Parliament" in Karachay-Cherkessia. Aslan Beshto, the former leader of the movement "Adyge Khase" in Abkhazia, believes that detentions are not the reason for convening an extraordinary congress.

The activeness of the Muslim community has played a significant role in the fact that the Krasnodar Regional Court has cancelled the earlier decision to ban the translation of the Koran made by Elmir Guliev. This was stated by the Candidate of Political Science Rinat Mukhametov, Deputy Director of the Foundation for the Support of Humanitarian Initiatives "Altair".

Gadji Makhachev, Deputy Prime Minister of Dagestan, was lost in a road accident that occurred in Kutuzov Avenue in Moscow. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has learnt about it from an official of the government of Dagestan.

The Tsentralny District Court of Sochi has found Alexander Valov guilty of violating the order of organizing and holding rallies and sentenced him to 50 hours of mandatory works. Mr Valov would not agree with the court ruling and intends to appeal against it within 10 days.

The Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has stated that she will not go to the Olympic Games in Sochi, indicating human rights violations in Russia and foreign policy factors as her reasons.

At the trial conducted by the Baku Court of Grave Crimes of seven activists of the movement "Nida" and of Ilkin Rustamzade, a member of the organization "Free Youth", the defendant Mamed Azizov said that during the investigation, he was forced to sign a testimony that he did not give, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Fifteen protesters against the construction of a water intake station on the Samur River have been released after serving their administrative arrest, said the on duty unit of the Magaramkent ROVD (District Interior Division). Meanwhile, the village meeting of deputies passed a resolution to suspend the construction of the water intake facility.

Today, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, which is considering the Nalchik attack case, has extended the term of detention of all the figurants by three more months – till March 26, 2014.

Activists of 30 human rights NGOs of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, which make up the South-Caucasian Network of Human Rights Defenders, have held a joint seminar, where they announced their countries' most typical problems in the human rights movement. After meeting the Georgian Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili, they decided to intensify cooperation among themselves and with international organizations, and to expand their ranks by inviting new members.