All news

Today, at a meeting in Moscow, Vladimir Lukin, Russian Ombudsman, promised relatives of the kidnapped Dagestani residents to render assistance within his competence.

The highway, which had been for several hours blocked by acquaintances and relatives of Gadji Mustafaev, the resident of the rural settlement of Krasnoarmeisk of the Kirov District of Makhachkala, who was kidnapped on May 25, was opened to traffic. This was reported by Magomed Magomedov, a participant of the protest action.

Today, in the village of Novkhani, in front of the monument to Mamedemin Rasulzade, the founder of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, about 1000 supporters of the opposition Civil Movement for Democracy "Public Chamber" (CMDPC), the block "Karabakh", and a number of other political organizations of Azerbaijan held a rally, dedicated to Republic Day.

Abdurakhman Djakaev, a resident of the Khasavyurt District of Dagestan, suspected of illegal possession of weapons, started reviewing the materials of the criminal case. Sapiyat Magomedova, the lawyer of the suspect, claims Abdurakhman Djakaev being pressured by investigator, and she has filed a complaint to the prosecutor's office.

Today, in Sochi, policemen detained Irina Brovkina, who holds in Sochi a series of single pickets demanding dismissal of Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov.

At least 13 persons became victims of armed confrontation in Northern Caucasus during the past week, from May, 21, till May, 27. Nine of them perished and four got wounded. These are the totals of calculation by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

The problem of radical Islam is discussed by the participants of the first in Russian history International Theological Conference: "Islamic Doctrine Against Radicalism". The event is attended by major Islamic scholars, Russian Muftis, Islamic scientists and experts.

In the context of the country's Independence Day, marked on May 26, the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has amnestied 66 prisoners.

Today, more than 250 persons were taken to police stations of Sochi after a conflict that burst out between local residents and visiting builders. One policeman was hurt, the city UVD (Interior Department) has reported.

In Yerevan, on May 25, a trial took place of the initiative group named "Team" – public figures Karen Shikoyan, Manvel Sarkisyan, Tigran Khzmalyan and Karo Egnukyan, who had spoken against construction in the Mashtots Park. The decision to punish the activists has not been passed yet by the Administrative Court; the verdict will be announced on June 8.

The debates of the parties at the trial of the policeman Magomed Magomedov, accused of beating a 14-year-old boy, are scheduled for June 1. Perhaps, on the same day the sentence will be imposed, said the victim's advocate.

Ali Kerimli, the leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was kept for 4.5 hours at the Chief Police Department of Baku and then released, after receiving an oral warning about the inadmissibility of organizing uncoordinated protest actions.

At night on May 26, friends and acquaintances of Gadji Mustafaev, who had been kidnapped in Makhachkala, blocked the Federal Highway Makhachkala-Astrakhan for two hours. In total, the action involved over 300 persons.

Larissa Emchenova, Sanal Namruev and Naran Ulanov have won the contest of social business projects held in Kalmykia. The best ideas were the proposals to open a private kindergarten; to launch buses on Elista routes adapted for people with disabilities, and organize the collection points for recycling old tires.

Irina Brovkina, who is holding in Sochi a series of pickets demanding resignation of the city Mayor, said that she interrupted her action because of threats from the police.

Malika Aishaeva and Yulianna Khasieva, who were transferred to the Moscow Speransky Children's Clinical Hospital after the road accident near the village of Inozemtsevo, are on the way to recovery. The condition of two other girls – Irina Geiko and Alexandra Samakovskaya – is assessed as grave, said the Department of Paediatrics and Surgery of the Hospital.

The period of investigation into the case on the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, the observer of the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta", has been prolonged till September. This was reported by Karen Nersisyan, the lawyer of Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, one of the defendants in the case.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD), at the training ground of Ashuluk in the Astrakhan Region, no one was injured in explosions of boxes with grenade launcher rounds. This was reported by Colonel Andrei Bobrun, Chief of the press service of the Western Military District.

On May 24, lawyer Sapiyat Magomedova appealed to the Khasavyurt City Court to recognize inactivity of the Chief and the Chief Accountant of the Khasavyurt OVD (Interior Division), who failed to respond to her requests about cash payments to ex-policemen, dismissed from the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for health reasons, as unlawful. The lawyer believes that the ex-policemen do not receive due compensations in full.

Employees of the "Southern Plants" Park in Sochi, who on May 22 went on hunger strike, demanding payment of wage arrears, stopped their protest action after the meeting with the city authorities and the deputies. They agreed to a compromise to temporary become workers of the Sochi National Park, which should merge the "Southern Plants" Park after the official transfer procedure.