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The preliminary investigation of the case of oppositionist Bakhtiyar Gadjiev, who was arrested on March 4 in the city of Gandzha, is over. Although the investigation has accused the young man of evasion from military service, his lawyers and human rights activists believe that Bakhtiyar is persecuted for political reasons. The General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) refused to open a criminal investigation into his beating by the police.

The Nobel Prize Laureate, novelist Orhan Pamuk, who raised the issue of Armenians' genocide in his speeches, was found guilty of insulting the Turkish nation and will have to pay a serious fine.

According to preliminary estimates, 17 persons have been killed in an air attack on the militants' base in Ingushetia. As reported by the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC), after the operation power agents accused two detainees of preparing the terror act at the "Domodedovo" Airport.

The People's Party of Armenia is striving to become an alternative oppositional political force, its chairman Tigran Karapetyan said today at a rally. The party leader again accused the Armenian authorities of their anti-people policy, which has led to mass migration.

The authorities of Chechnya spread a statement denying having purchased Premium class cars for a recently formed sub-unit "Riot squad special battalion "Grozny". The fact of this purchase became public thanks to Rustem Adagamov (drugoi), one of the most well-known Russian bloggers, who posted photos of the cars in his LiveJournal.

A contract duty serviceman of Interior troops of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the Russian Federation was killed tonight in his house in Kizlyar, Dagestan.

Three participants of an oppositional action in defense of the detainees' rights in the capital of Georgia have been sentenced by the court to an administrative arrest, four others will have to pay a fine to a sum of 400 lari (about 230 dollars).

A video was filmed in Dagestan showing a surgeon operating a woman under the general anaesthesia, who is dancing, laughing and quitting the room in the course of surgery.

The civil activist Magomed Khazbiev, who was arrested after dispersal of the protest action against violent disappearances in Nazran, is now back at large, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Major- General Ovannes Tamamyan, ex-head of the Chief Department of the Criminal Search of the Police of Armenia, is accused of abuse of power duties. The officer is under threat of imprisonment for the term of 2-6 years. On March 24, the Court of Yerevan ruled to arrest him for tow months.

In the central districts of Astrakhan, the ground water is flooding the yards and houses of local residents; the reason is in worn-out engineering utilities, absence of the storm water drainage system and location of ground water close to the surface.

As a result of an accident at the water main Edis-Tskhinvali, which was caused by a mudflow, the capital of South Ossetia remained without water.

In Vladikavkaz, a charge was presented to Soslan Abaev, 30, detained on suspicion of murdering Khetag Kozaev, World Youth Champion in boxing. Abaev rejects his guilt and refuses to evidence.

Today at night, Seimur Khaziev, 29, an observer of the oppositional newspaper "Azadlyg" (Freedom) and a member of the Presidium of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was kidnapped and beaten. Currently, he is back at large.

Activists of the Mozdok branch of the All-Russian Bicycle Movement "Rusvelos" took part in the annual action "Earth Hour", held today by the World Wildlife Fund with the aim to promote a transition to more ecology friendly lifestyle.

In the Chegem District of Kabardino-Balkaria, when law enforcers tried to stop his car, a local resident threw a grenade at them. The grenade blew up, but hurt nobody.

The children's choreographic ensemble "Gloria" from Karachay-Cherkessia took the first place at the 4th International Festival in France "PARIS, JE T'AIME!" (I love you, Paris), the final round of which took place on March 24.

Representatives of power bodies and power organizations, who reacted to complaints of the defendants figuring in the case on the attack on Nalchik in 2005 and visited the SIZO (pre-trial prison), located in Nalchik, the capital of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), are drafting a special report based on talks with detainees and examination of their custody conditions.

The Fan Club of the "Anji" FC named "Wild Division" has sent letters to FIFA President Joseph Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini asking them to assess manifestations of racism in Russian football. It concerns an incident on March 21 in St Petersburg during the match of the Russian football championship between "Anji" (Makhachkala) and "Zenit" (St Petersburg) when the captain of "Anji" Roberto Carlos was subjected to racist outburst from "Zenit" fans.

At its closed meeting on March 24, the court of general jurisdiction of the administrative districts of Kentron and Nork-Marash decided to arrest Major-General Ovannes Tamamyan, former head of the Chief Department for Criminal Investigation of the Police of the Republic of Armenia, for the term of two months on charges of abuse of office.