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All the facts evidence that Stanislav Markelov was killed because of his professional work. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Cyril Koroteev, lawyer-consultant of the Human Rights Society "Memorial".

Valery Khatazhukov, head of the Kabardino-Balkarian Public Human Rights Centre, believes that the murder of Stanislav Markelov, advocate of the Kungaev family, is an attempt to intimidate human rights activists. This is a political murder, he is convinced.

Stanislav Markelov, advocate of the Kungaev family, was shot dead today point-blank in the centre of Moscow. Yesterday, he took part in the press conference held at the Independent Press Centre on early release of former colonel Yuri Budanov from the colony, where he served his term for murdering Chechen girl Elza Kungaeva.

Today, Stanislav Markelov, advocate of the Kungaev family, plans to send a repeated complaint to the Ulyanovsk Regional Court with a demand to cancel the decision of the Dimitrovgrad District Court on Yuri Budanov's conditional early relief (CER). Mr Markelov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it.

Former colonel Yuri Budanov has declared that he was sorry about his murder of Chechen girl Elza Kungaeva in 2000 in Chechnya. However, Elza's father does not believe him.

The capital of Chechnya was visited by a delegation of Moslem spiritual leaders from the republics of Northern Caucasus. They discussed the political situation in Northern Caucasus and Middle East with President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov.

The administration of Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, has accepted the offer of the European Coalition of Cities against Racism to join the organization. The decision was passed by Muslim Khuchiev, Mayor of Grozny.

Iulon Gagoshidze, State Minister of Georgia on Diaspora Matters, will not take part in the "Congress of Georgians", planned on February 2 in Moscow, since he thinks that the Congress was designed "under the aegis of the government and personally Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, who had encroached on the territorial integrity of Georgia."

On January 16, a rally was held in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, with a demand to stop bombardments of Gaza Strip by Israelis. A proposal was moved by the audience to start an assistant fund to help the Palestinian people. The rally was over 15-thousand strong.

A programme aimed to soothe tension in the labour market of the Rostov Region was developed and approved with the budget of 199 million roubles, to be allocated from the regional budget.

The Stavropol Territorial Court is holding a repeated hearing on charges moved against residents of Ingushetia Ruslan Kostoev and Zurab Tsuroev of blowing up the passenger bus "Pyatigorsk-Stavropol" committed at the bus station in the city of Nevinnomyssk on December 9, 2007.

In the course of the charitable action "Let Us Help Children Together" launched last autumn by the territorial administration, residents of the Krasnodar Territory have raised 5.7 million roubles intended to help heavily sick children.

An explosion of an apartment house in one of micro-districts of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, killed five persons.

The European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg has awarded a priority to seven claims against Georgia filed by residents of South Ossetia and a Russian Army soldier. They will be considered out of turn.

The early release from prison of former colonel Yuri Budanov, who has served his term for kidnapping and murder of a Chechen girl of 17, caused an extremely negative reaction in Chechnya.

The Pyatigorsk City Court, Stavropol Territory, considers a criminal case against a surgeon of the Municipal Establishment of Public Health (MEPH) "Central City Hospital", accused of manslaughter because of improper execution of his professional duties.

Gocha Chaava, a resident of Bargebi village who was kidnapped in the Gali District of Abkhazia has been released and now is at home. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Laurens Kogoniya, head of the Gali ROVD.

On January 16, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, at about 1 p.m. local time, in the Arshakunyants Avenue, a clash burst out between police units and participants of the protest action who rallied near the court building, where a session on the "Case of Seven" was held.

Ombudsman Armen Arutyunyan plans to launch a detailed study of the cases of violence and torture, registered in Criminal-Corrective Establishments (CCEs) of Armenia.

Today at 4:00 p.m., in the city of Zverevo, Rostov Region, a hunger strike was announced by miners-pensioners who demand that court decision be enforced, free-of-charge coal provided to them, as well as discounts in payments for heating.