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A criminal case under five articles against Araz Guliev, the editor-in-chief of the online religious edition xeber44.com, which was transferred to the Lankoran Court of Grave Crimes, has to do with Guliev's journalism and his coverage of believers' protest against the ban on hijabs (headscarves) in schools of Azerbaijan, Azer Guliev, Araz's brother is confident.

Librarians of Tbilisi demand from the city Mayoralty to preserve the Georgia's library network.

Today, the Rostov Regional Court will continue hearing of the case of 17 members of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, accused and suspected of extremism. The Court must decide whether the indictment of two believers of this group was legal. The charge of extremism earlier presented to 14 believers has been already declared illegal by the court.

The Coordination Council of Circassian Public Organizations of Russia has sent an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking to start implementing the measures under the plan for evacuation of Russians from Syria. At the same time, activists of the Circassian organizations have expressed their disagreement with the demand to be a "carrier of the Russian language and culture" for the persons who will need to accelerate the adoption of Russian citizenship.

The initiative group of residents of Vladikavkaz named "Stop 'Electrozink'!" formed on the website "Odnoklassniki" plans to continue their protests. The activists' efforts will be directed towards uniting the environmental movement in all the cities where the Urals Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC) operates.

The former Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who is accused of forming an illegal armed formation (IAF), went on hunger strike in prison, said his lawyer Zviad Kordzadze.

As reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Russia, a large network of manufacturing counterfeit money, part of which was intended to fund extremist organizations in Northern Caucasus, was disclosed.

The Moscow City Court, which today has continued the trial on the murder of Colonel Yuri Budanov, has dismissed the petition of the defence of the accused Yusuf Temerkhanov asking to challenge Judge Andrei Korotkov.

Today, in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), unidentified masked men kidnapped Rezuan Afashagov, a villager Atazhukino, Baksan District, reported his brother Ali Afashagov, who turned to law enforcement bodies and human rights defenders asking to help to find Rezuan.

At least five persons died in Azerbaijan last year as a result of torture, Elchin Bekhbudov, the head of the Azerbaijani Committee against Torture, said today.

Dagestani Department of Federal Antimonopoly Service (DFAS) acknowledged blogger Alexey Navalny’s complaint concerning an auction on purchase of a car for the republic’s Permanent Mission in Moscow announced by the Ministry of National Policy of the region in Moscow partially grounded. The Ministry was ordered to eliminate violations in the auction documentation.

Young resident of Grozny Aina Habibulaeva disappeared on December, 11, under vague circumstances. On the day of her disappearance the girl was wearing a hijab.

Today the Board of Appeals of Moscow city court acknowledged lawful prolongation of custody term to Rustam Mahmudov, defendant on the case of murder of “Novaya Gazeta” political observer Anna Politkovskaya.

Upon a resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation a project of State program of development of North-Caucasian Federal Okrug for the period till 2025 at the cost of 2,55 trillion rubles was adopted. Only 10 per cent of this sum will be financed by state budget. Investments into the Caucasus are necessary, the only problem is control over them, the experts consider.

Defendant Yusup Temerkhanov’s defense on the case of colonel Budanov’s murder in Moscow city court entered a motion to submit him to examination on the polygraph detector, the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent reports.

On December, 15, mass media of Adygea reported the start of a charitable SMS action in support of Syrian Circassians who came to Adygeya from the war-torn Syria. Anyone could send a message with the text "adiga" to the short number 3116 specifying the sum of money one wished to donate in support of compatriots, republican Foundation of aid to repatriates reported.

Residents of the micro-district of Alexandrovka, Rostov-on-Don, report active cutting down a great number of trees in Alexandrovka grove which is according to them, one of the few recreation zones in the micro-district. They fear that new apartment houses will be built there instead of a park. Local authorities state that deforestation is legal and construction of a park has started in the grove.

Twelve non-governmental organizations from Russia, the countries of European Union and member states of “Eastern Partnership” EU program instituted an alliance: European Platform for democratic election (EPDE) whose goal is to secure electoral democratic character.

Within the framework of international project “Toxic metals in children’s goods” ecologists of Volgograd studied children’s toys and costume jewellery on sale in trading networks of the city. High content of toxic metals was discovered in every third sample of toys.

Two men, Mikail Dautov and Imam Arkhimirzoev, were kidnapped by unknown people in the settlement of Valerik, Achkhoy-Martan district of Chechnya, after the evening prayer on December, 16, Ruslan Kutaev, President of Assembly of Peoples of the Caucasus and Head of international Committee for problems of Northern Caucasus, reported. Law enforcement officers are sure that there is no question of kidnapping.