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In the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (RNO-A) a verdict has been passed to a woman-employee of the exchequer, who extorted a bribe from the head of one of the departments of the prosecutor's office. The offender was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment.

Ibragim Mutrazaliev, a resident of Makhachkala and a follower of the Turkish scholar Said Nursi, whose written works were forbidden in Russia by the court in 2007, said that he was summoned to the Department of the Russian FSB for Dagestan, where he was asked to evidence against another Said Nursi's follower - Ziyavdin Dapaev. The latter, against whom a criminal case was opened under the article of the Russian Criminal Code dealing with "organizing the activity of an extremist organization", told about pressure on his relatives.

The missing Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov, son of Shamil Abdurakhmanov, a federal judge of the Leninskiy District of Makhachkala, was recruited by members of the extremist underground and was a member of the grouping engaged in purchase and delivery to militants of regimentals, appliances, components for producing self-made explosive devices. This was stated by the united press centre of law enforcement bodies of Dagestan.

The picket "For Riga without Dudaev", which was planned by activists of the Party "For Human Rights in United Latvia" (FHRUL) on August 25 at the building of the Riga City Duma, was dispersed by municipal police soon after some two dozens of local residents grouped around the picketers. Its organizers are going to sue the police and the mayoralty.

Magomed Guchuchaliev, advocate of Timur (Suleiman) Kurbanmagomedov, who disappeared on August 20 in Makhachkala, reports that the MIA of Dagestan is misinforming the public by stating that his client voluntarily surrendered on August 28. According to the advocate, Kurbanmagomedov was kidnapped and tortured by power agents.

As reported today at the events dated to the International Day of Missing Persons by Leonid Lakerbaya, first vice-premier of the republic, the government of Abkhazia will resume the work of the commission on missing persons.

Representatives of the Azerbaijani blogosphere find unsound the authorities' statements that bloggers are not journalists and arrest of them cannot be regarded as a violation of the freedom of speech.

Several families, evicted on August 13 from the hospital in Isani district, continue their hunger strike in front of the Ministry for the Matters of Refugees and Temporarily-Displaced Persons and Accommodation in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. On August 24, four of them sewed their mouths to show their commitment not to take food. In the opinion of Victor Dolidze, a deputy of the City Assembly of Tbilisi, the authorities are unable to solve refugees' problems.

On August 28 in Moscow four militiamen were detained on suspicion of kidnapping. These employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) have recently returned from Chechnya, and took their psychological rehabilitation. This was reported by Oleg Mitvol, now one of Moscow prefects.

Traces of torture are quite visible on the body of Timur (Suleiman) Kurbanmagomedov, who was detained by law enforcers on August 20, said his brother Zurab Kurbanmagomedov, a resident of Makhachkala.

In Armenia, Ashot Arutyunyan, former head of the criminal police of Charentsavan, accused of incitement of Vaan Khalafyan, 24, to suicide, said in his evidences that there was no suicide; and Khalafyan's death was a result of irresponsible actions of one of policemen.

Today, the special operation in Nalchik, which started on August 27 at 6:00 p.m. in the house located in the crossing of Shogentsukova and Zakharova Streets, was completed. Five persons were killed.

On August 27, in central Volgograd, a team of workers laying underground utilities came across a mass grave. Supposedly, it contains remains of victims of political repressions.

Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Russian FSB (Federal Security Bureau), told today at a working meeting with President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev that the special operations conducted in Northern Caucasus this August resulted in liquidation of more than 30 militants; a number of terror acts were prevented.

As stated to journalists by Bekor Papazyan, executive director of the Fund of National Competitiveness, in spite of the growth of the number of tourists visiting Armenia, no progress is observed in the sphere of quality of services and variety of tours. High hotel prices were mentioned by him as one of the problems.

Today, President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili signed a decree to pardon 211 prisoners. 29 other inmates will have their terms shortened.

The figurants in the murder case of Magomedgadji Abashilov, director of the GTRK (State Television and Radio Company) "Dagestan", have their freedom restriction regime changed: they were released from the SIZO (investigatory detention facility) under recognizance not to leave.

Dadzhimurad Suleimanov, chairman of the territorial electoral commission (TEC) of the Novolak District of Dagestan, who was wounded in the evening on August 27, has died in hospital, a source from the local Ministry of Internal Affairs has reported today.

An explosion happened in Mindeli coalmine, located in the Georgian city of Tkibuli, and killed three and wounded seven miners, the city authorities have reported.

Today at night bodies of a man and a woman with traces of violent death were found in the Chegem District of Kabardino-Balkaria.