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Mass arrests of Muslims in North Ossetia and beating of believers in Dagestan are provocations on the eve of the 2012 presidential election in Russia and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. This was stated in the statements of the Working Group of the Public Chamber (WGPC) for promoting social dialogue and civil society institutions in the Caucasus.

On June 2, the Baku Court of Appeal dismissed the complaints against extension of custody term lodged by Arif Gadjily, head of the executive office of the "Musavat" Party, Tural Abbasly, chairman of the "Musavat" youth organization, and Muhammad Medzhidli, member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA).

A human life in Dagestan is cheaper than in the rest of Russia; and the Dagestani society is on the brink of civil war - these are the conclusions reached at the travelling session of the Presidential Council on Civil Society Development and Human Rights, held on June 2. It was announced at the session that in general for the NCFD (North-Caucasian Federal District) over 2000 human disappearances remain unsolved.

The investigation into the death of journalist Yuri Schekochikhin, who shortly before his death, namely in 2002-2003, was a member of the public commission of inquiry into the explosions of houses in Moscow and Volgodonsk in 1999, was resumed five times, and then stopped. This was stated by Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the "Novaya Gazeta". According to his story, the newspaper continues its independent inquiry into the death of Schekochikhin.

A non-governmental Constitutional Committee of Georgia consisting of ex-judges, experts and practicing lawyers considers it necessary to from an independent investigative committee that will undertake investigation of the events connected with dispersal of the unauthorized oppositional meeting at night of May, 26, by members of the top brass.

Free English language schools for volunteers are now working at schools of Sochi health resort, Krasnodar region.

Employees of the Inspection of Federal Tax Service of Russia in Krasnodar are suspected of having received a bribe to a sum of 250 thousand rubles.

The Department of Constitutional Security of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Georgia prevented an act of terror two residents of Abkhazia were going to commit upon the instructions of Russian special services, the Georgian Ministry of Interior Affairs reports.

The situation in the penal enforcement institutions of Armenia is becoming worse and the lack of space remains the major problem, human rights activist Arthur Sakunts, Head of Vanadzor office of Helsinki Civil Assembly, declares.

During his meeting with Susanna Dudieva, Chair of the "Beslan Mothers" Committee, and Elvira Tuaeva, a member of the Committee, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev promised to study all the materials of the case on the Beslan terror act and try to give a new impetus to investigatory procedures.

The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) sees widespread human rights violations; most often, they are committed by power agents. This is stated in the report on the outcomes of monitoring of the human rights situation and the state with media, which was conducted during the period from September 2010 to May 2011 in the NAR, located in Azerbaijan, by regional correspondents of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS).

On June 1, the Nasimi District Court of Baku, chaired by Judge Elchin Akhmedov, finished the judicial inquiry into the case of Neimat Panakhly, Chairman of the Party of National Statehood of Azerbaijan (PNSA), accused of hooliganism and causing bodily harm. The prosecutor asked to sentence the defendant to 7.5 years in prison.

Tens of thousands of residents of Abkhazia came in Sukhumi to the square in front of the State Philharmonic Society, where the coffin with the late President Sergey Bagapsh was installed. At noon, the memorial service will begin.

The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) poses no threat to the region. The works to improve its safety have been effective; and we are satisfied with the condition of the object, said today Gabor Vamos, head of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) commission for studying the situation at the NPP.

At the travelling session of the Council under Russian President on Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, which takes place today in Makhachkala, human rights activists and prosecutors spoke about direct dependence of escalation of violence in Northern Caucasus from human rights violations and disregard of the law by law enforcers.

The Moscow Central House of Journalists has held a show of the documentary made by Eugenia Golovnya named "Yuri Schekochikhin. Once I was...". The film lasts for 38 minutes; and the author said that she has much more materials on the topic.

Makhabat Musaeva, a resident of the village of Kokrek, Khasavyurt District, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that her husband Magomed Musaev had disappeared.

The court in Vienna acknowledged Otto Kultenbrunner guilty of the murder of Umar Israilov, Ramzan Kadyrov's former security guard, and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Two organizers of a hunger strike in Rostov colony were sentenced to additional custody terms. Each of them will have to serve one more year of custody.

The documentary "Barzakh" by Lithuanian producer Mantas Kvedaravichius about tortures and kidnapping in Chechnya was not only honoured by several cinema rewards but also became a discovery for many people in Europe.