Commission of French Senate rejects draft law on criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide January 18, 2012 22:30 The Constitutional Commission of the French Senate opposed the draft law criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide.
In Dagestan, Zurab Batyrbekov's relatives complain of being pressed January 18, 2012 22:10 Relatives of Zurab Batyrbekov, the disappeared resident of Makhachkala, who was eventually found at the IVS (temporary detention facility) of the city, reported on the continuing pressure on the family by law enforcement agencies.
Azerbaijan: reporters detained while covering protest action of defrauded housing shareholders January 18, 2012 22:00 Today, photographer Etimad Budagov and video operator Rashad Aliev were detained while performing their professional duties during a protest action held by defrauded housing shareholders in front of the administration of President of Azerbaijan. Their photo and video materials were seized.
Mothers in Kabardino-Balkaria created a human rights organization January 18, 2012 20:00 Mothers in Kabardino-Balkaria whose sons were killed on October, 13, 2005, or are in the dock on the case of the attack at Nalchik created a Committee "Mothers of Kabardino-Balkaria in Defense of the Citizen's Rights and Freedoms".
Residents of Pyatigorsk and ecologists ask Khloponin to protect the Mashuk mountain January 18, 2012 19:00 The authorities of Pyatigorsk ignore destruction of a unique natural memorial, the Mashuk mountain. This was a statement of the activists of regional youth environmental movement "Sunny Patrol". They sent a round robin to Alexander Khloponin, Plenipotentiary of the President of the Russian Federation in South-Caucasian Federal Okrug (SCFO), asking him to pay attention to construction on this mountain.
A missing resident of Makhachkala Zurab Batyrbekov found in an investigative isolation ward January 18, 2012 18:00 A twenty-four-years old resident of Makhachkala Zurab Batyrbekov who had been considered missing was found in one of the investigative isolation wards of the town. The detainee's attorney reports that he is suspected of participation in paramilitary groups.
Armenia hosts action in defence of Tegut forest January 17, 2012 23:50 In Armenia, on January 15, the initiative groups "Let's save Trchkan Waterfalls" and the "Tegut Protection Group" organized information and ecological campaign to the Lori Region.
In Baku, private taxi drivers hold protest action January 17, 2012 23:10 On January 16, a group of Baku private taxi drivers held a protest action near the building of the Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan. They were protesting against the Ministry's intentions to ban the use of private cars, whose drivers were not licensed to render service to the population.
Two Dagestani, whose relatives reported their kidnapping, were found at police station January 17, 2012 23:00 In Dagestan, human rights defenders investigate the circumstances of disappearance of two residents of the village of Komsomolskoe of the Kizilyurt District of the republic, who were found at IVS (temporary detention facility). According to witnesses, to whom relatives of the disappeared persons refer, young men were kidnapped by law enforcement agents. The human rights defenders were told at the police station that the young men were detained for violation of public order in state of alcoholic intoxication, policemen also reported on grenades found among the young men's belongings.
In Derbent power agents beat up a local resident, eyewitnesses assert January 17, 2012 22:50 On January 16 in Derbent, OMON (riot police) agents beat an unknown man, the eyewitnesses of the incident report.
Persons, killed in special operation in Chechnya, were earlier kidnapped by power agents, relatives assert January 17, 2012 22:50 Residents of Chechnya, who were declared by the authorities as killed during a special operation, were earlier kidnapped Ali Aidamirov, Khalid Dushaev, and Israil Adizov. This was reported by the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" with reference to relatives of the killed persons.
Teen Sharvili Ramazanov beaten in Dagestan examined by Derbent doctors January 17, 2012 22:40 As reported by Tsukver Ramazanova, the mother of Sharvili Ramazanov, a boy of 14 from the village of But-Kazmalyar, who was beaten in the Magaramkent District of Dagestan, was examined by doctors in Derbent, after the district hospital had refused to take him.
In Turkey, Hrant Dink's killers sentenced to life imprisonment January 17, 2012 22:30 On January 17, the Turkish court sentenced the two persons accused of involvement in the murder of Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the Armenian-Turkish newspaper "Agos", printed in Istanbul, to lifelong imprisonment.
Lawyer: they tried to move Nalgiev into ward for prisoners January 17, 2012 22:10 Tonight at the hospital, armed and masked men tried to move Ilez Nalgiev, the ex-head of the criminal police of the city of Karabulak, who was wounded on January 12 by an explosion triggered near his house, into the ward for prisoners, said Aza Yandieva, Mr Nalgiev's advocate.
Armenia: relatives of victims of riots on March 1, 2008, meet PACE co-rapporteur January 17, 2012 22:00 Today, John Prescott, Co-Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), met in Armenia with relatives and friends of those who perished during the events on March 1, 2008. Parents of the casualties claim that they were not satisfied with the meeting with John Prescott.
The fate of the residents of Nazran kidnapped in December remains unknown January 17, 2012 21:30 Two young men, Ababukar Yevloev and Isa Bulguchev, disappeared on December, 27, in Magas, Ingushetia. A criminal case according to clause "abduction" was initiated on the fact of their disappearance, however up to date the fate of the missing people is unknown.
Oppositionists in Armenia complained to Co-reporter of PACE about investigation of the events of March, 1, 2008 January 17, 2012 21:10 During a meeting between representatives of Armenian National Congress and Co-reporter of PACE John Prescott held on January, 16, the oppositionists complained of an inefficient investigation of the events of March, 1, 2008, in Armenia.
According to physicians, the state of a wounded policeman in Kabardino-Balkaria is stable January 17, 2012 21:00 The physicians estimate the state of a policeman wounded during firing in Baksan as stable. This was reported by Department of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Kabardino-Balkaria.
A policeman accused of running down four pedestrians in Volgograd region acknowledged himself guilty January 17, 2012 20:00 A police major who brought down four pedestrians in the town of Pallasovka, Volgograd region, acknowledged himself guilty. This was reported by Andrey Fedotov, Chief of Pallasov inter-district Investigative department of Committee of Inquiry of Russia in the region.
A citizen of the Russian Federation detained in Georgia for accusation of illegal crossing the border January 17, 2012 19:00 Servicemen of frontier police in Georgia detained citizen of the Russian Federation Armen Gasparyan. He is accused of illegal crossing the Armenian-Georgian border.