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In the opinion of activists of Chechen NGOs and local residents, the absence of information about the inquiry into the circumstances of the murder on February 11 of several residents of the Achkhoy-Martan District of Chechnya, committed in the Sunzha District of Ingushetia, gives rise to suspicion that this crime may remain unpunished.

Magomed Abdulaev, who was appointed today to the post of the chairman of the government of Dagestan, has defined the main priorities of economic development of the republic. Among the first-order tasks are development of industry, attraction of investments and creation of a free economic zone in Dagestan.

A cultural programme will promote changes in the image of Northern Caucasus and in the attitude to the region, said Alexander Khloponin, Plenipotentiary of Russian President in the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD), at the meeting in Vladikavkaz with members of the creative unions and religious organizations.

Employees of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" have contacted the members of the investigatory group, who told them have reported that the name of the killer of the Chechen human rights defender Natalia Estemirova was not established yet.

Today, Ahmadudin Berziev, a resident of Rakhat settlement, Botlikh District, and father of Shamsullah Berziev, who was detained on suspicion of murdering the Interior Minister of Dagestan, has stated that his son is tortured. The detainee's bodily injuries were confirmed by a medical certificate.

Madina Tsokieva, a resident of Ingushetia and mother of Timur and Magomed Tsokiev, who were announced in federal search on suspicion of preparing and committing crimes, asks for help in defending her sons' rights. Ms Tsokiev? herself told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it.

On February 23, in Ordzonikidzevskaya village an employee of the Department for Ingushetia of the FSB (Federal Security Bureau) of the Russian Federation was killed as a result of shelling of his car.

In Georgia, on the basis of the "Meore Arkhi" (Central TV Channel Two), a new - political - channel is created. The corresponding memorandum was signed on February 23 by David Bakradze, Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, in the Tbilisi office of the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

On February 23, the Southern and North-Caucasian Federal Districts (SFD and NCFD) hosted solemn events dedicated to the Day of Homeland Defender. In some regions, protest actions were dated to the holiday.

In March-April 2010, the 183rd Session of the Executive Council of the UNESCO in Paris will see the presentation "Sustainable Development of Mountainous Territories", prepared by the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, North-Caucasian Mining-Metallurgy Institute and Innovation-Technological Centre.

On February 23, Bilal Ahmedov became the fifth arrested participant of the non-sanctioned march of believers and clashes with the police on February 13. He faced charges under Article 221.3 ("Hooliganism with use of arms or other objects") and Article 315.2 ("Rendering resistance to power officials") of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

Progress in power engineering, tourist-recreational, agro-industrial and innovative-educational sectors will make the basic strategy of development of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD). This was stated today by Alexander Khloponin, Plenipotentiary in the NCFD, at the sitting of the government of North Ossetia.

In early February Merab Merkviladze, director and owner of the television company TV-25, had a meeting with Ombudsman of Georgia Georgiy Tugushi and discussed the issue of asking the local Ministry Finance to write-off part of the company's debts, since otherwise the channel might be stopped.

On February 18, in the centre of Cherkessk, the capital of Karachai-Circassia, at the stela of the "Green Island" Park, a mass fight of young people burst out. On the following day it was continued at the building of the Karachai-Circassian State Academy. Eyewitnesses assert that two crowds were fighting - Karachais against Circassians and Abazins. The militia does not deny the fact of fights, which failed to get into incidents report.

The criminal case under the complaint of blackmail submitted by Tedo Dzhobenadze, a journalist of the Batumi-based newspaper "Batumelebi", was initiated by Prosecutor's Office Adzharia on February 18, and is now run by inspector Gela Makharadze. According to Eteri Turadze, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, so far only her and the owner of newspaper Mziya Amaglobeli were interrogated as witnesses.

Nikita Tikhonov, a figurant in the murder case of lawyer Stanislav Markelov, is now incriminated "murder on motives of political and ideological enmity."

More than a month ago, President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov announced another broad-scale special operation against members of the armed underground. The operation zone covers all the mountainous and a number of foothill areas of the republic; however, no serious results in the war on militants have been reported yet.

Kaloy Akhilgov, press secretary of President of the Republic of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov, asserts that he personally knows three out of five attackers. He told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he "knows exactly who and why attacked him."

Today, the sitting of the presidium of the National Assembly of Dagestan made a decision to put approval of Magomed Abdullaev, nominated by President of Dagestan Magomedsalam Magomedov to the post of the chairman of the government, on the agenda of the forthcoming session.

The latest innovations in the legislation of Azerbaijan concerning the work of mass media and NGOs were criticized on February 23 at the roundtable held in the Norwegian House of Human Rights in Baku. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that debates were run by activists of the civil society of Azerbaijan, members of international organizations and foreign human rights defenders.