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Russia has fulfilled all its commitments to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the organization of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. This was stated on December 23 by Vitaly Mutko, the head of the Russian Ministry of Sports.

Residents of Taganrog held a rally to protest against the existence in the city centre of the temple complex of the religious association of the Church of Jesus of Latter-Day Saints in Russia, parishioners of which are called Mormons. The protest action was held on December 21; and according to various sources, it was attended by 30-80 persons.

On December 25, the City Court of Tskhinvali will hold a session to define the legality of the unauthorized occupation of people in need of better housing of apartments in new houses.

On December 23, the Soviet Court of Makhachkala granted the lawsuit filed by Khabib Budaikhanov, a resident of the city of Khasavyurt, Dagestan, whose verdict was cancelled five years after announcement, and ruled to compensate his moral harm in the amount of 250,000 roubles.

During 2013, the law enforcement bodies of Dagestan took a number of repressive actions, which heightened the tensions and increased the level of discontent from the part of strictly practicing Muslims. These actions included mass detentions of Muslims for document check, taking their DNA assays, check and closing Muslim cafes, kindergartens, schools, and restricting access to mosques. The "Caucasian Knot" acquaints its readers with the chronicle of events.

On December 22, about forty persons, including public figures, human rights defenders and intellectuals, came to the library named after Dostoevsky in Moscow to meet the authors of the book "Nobody But Me" dedicated to the deceased advocate Stanislav Markelov.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has refused to go to the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, the German magazine Focus reported on Sunday, citing its sources in government circles. The German delegation will be headed by Thomas de Maiziere, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, says the magazine.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head of "Yukos", recently released from colony, has stated that Russia's territorial integrity is a priority and it is necessary to prevent separation of the North-Caucasian regions from the rest of the country. While in prison, he was recognized by human rights activists to be a political prisoner.

Today, at a session of the National Assembly, the parliamentary majority has voted for the ratification of the gas agreements with Russia. The oppositional MPs did not vote and left the hall in protest.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has stated that Russian authorities should immediately stop their pressure on the activists of the movement for Circassians' rights, who criticize the preparations for the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan has reported today that Sultanat Krymova, a local resident, was sentenced by the Kaspiisk City Court to two years of colony-settlement for possessing the so-called "suicide bomber's (shahid's) belt".

Last night, a Nigerian citizen, who studies at one of the higher educational institutions of Volgograd, got a knife wound. This was reported by a source from the law enforcement bodies of the region.

Staff members of the Dagestani secret services have resolved the murder of Gadji Aliev, Imam of the village mosque in Dagestan, committed a year ago. This was reported by an official from the law enforcement bodies of the republic.

On December 20, a 23-year-old resident of Chelyabinsk, who was called for military service in this November, escaped from the military unit of Vladikavkaz, claiming moral humiliation and abuse occurring there. This was reported on December 22 by Valeria Prikhodkina, Principal of the Chelyabinsk "Schools of Conscript", who referred to the soldier's sister.

During the week of December 16-December 22, 2013, at least 25 persons suffered in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of them, 11 persons were killed, and 14 persons were wounded. These are the results of calculations made by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

None of the resonance murders of journalists in Dagestan has been resolved. This was stated by relatives and colleagues of the killed journalists at the evening of memory held in Makhachkala.

Today, three staff members of the criminal investigation department tried to bring to the police station Natalia Kalinovskaya, an assistant to the MP of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Chair of the Territorial Self-Administration (known as TOS) "Psou".

The journalist Nikolai Yarst will not be covered by the amnesty launched on December 18, since he had been sentenced under the Article classified as "grave". This was reported by Marina Dubrovina, the journalist's advocate.

Restrictions have been imposed in the territory of Chechnya on the sale of alcoholic beverages during the New Year holidays. This was reported by local residents. The republic's authorities deny the introduction of any such measures.

In Sochi, residents of Chebrikov Street complain about the inaction of the authorities and public services, which for more than three months fail to take proper measures to eliminate the accident at the sewage and water-supply pipes. According to Sochi residents, several houses became virtually uninhabitable.