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In 2008, Armenia had the most serious in recent Caucasus splash in violence in post-election period. In Azerbaijan, authorities pressed journalists. Georgia and Russia used excessive force during their war in South Ossetia. These are statements from the annual report of the 2008 US Department of State (DoS) on situation with human rights.

In Dagestan, three journalists of the newspaper named "Chernovik" (Blueprint) were charged under part 1, Article 282, of the Criminal Code, assuming criminal liability for kindling hatred or enmity, and humiliation of human dignity. Earlier, the accusation was presented to Nadira Isaeva, editor-in-chief of the paper.

On February 26, Azerbaijan marks 17th anniversary of events in Khodzhaly, also known as "Khodzhaly tragedy". At night on February 26, 1992, the town of Khodzhaly located in Nagorno-Karabakh and inhabited by Azerbaijanis was seized by Armenian armed units with active participation of the then 366th motorized rifle regiment of the former Soviet Army.

The defendants in Anna Politkovskaya's murder case were acquitted because of a plurality of trifles, which undermined the trust of the jurymen in the version of the investigation, as Murad Musaev, one of the defence advocates, believes. In his opinion, the reason is in non-professionalism of law enforcers.

On February 25 in the evening, a protest action was held at the Embassy of Georgia in Armenia with a demand to release two Armenian activists arrested on suspicion of espionage in Georgian region of Dzhavakhk inhabited mainly by Armenians.

Today, the European Court on Human Rights has unanimously convicted Russia for disappearances of four men in different areas of Chechnya in the period from August 2002 to December 2004. The applicants were awarded compensation for material and mental damage in the sum of 157,000 euros.

It is possible that the case about the death of Magomed Evloev, former owner of the oppositional website "Ingushetia.Ru", will be considered in absentia of the defendant. The defence of the latter - Ibragim Evloev, head of the security of the Ingushetian Interior Minister, charged with manslaughter, - plans to lodge a respective petition.

Today, during a session on the so-called "Case of Seven", Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan, who is presiding over the litigation, has rejected his three challenges lodged by the defence.

The situation in Azerbaijan with human rights remains a concern, conclude the participants of the roundtable held with involvement of the leading human rights activists of the country on February 24 at the Baku Media Centre. On results of discussions, a document was adopted containing an appeal to the authorities to release all political prisoners.

The international Human Rights Watch called the authorities of Armenia, in the HRW report, published on February 25 and covering the elections and post-electoral processes in Armenia in 2008, to make the police responsible for disproportionate use of force against peaceful demonstrators on March 1, 2008, when at least 10 persons perished in clashes with policemen.

In North Ossetia, employees of law enforcement bodies have detained a resident of Vladikavkaz, who employed for working in his flower hothouses six regular soldiers, sent to him by their commander.

Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russian ICPO (Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office), has stated that the investigation has no doubts that the defendants who were acquitted last week had been involved in Anna Politkovskaya's murder.

The action of Georgian radio stations, which have refused to broadcast Russian-language songs during the whole day today, can seriously aggravate already tense relation between Tbilisi and Moscow, asserts Emil Adelkhanov, a human rights activist and a member of the Board of the "Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development".

Sergey Khadzhikurbanov, recently acquitted in Anna Politkovskaya's murder case, a former employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Russian Federation, was summoned to inquiry bodies on another criminal case - on extortion 350,000 dollars from Mr Pavlyuchenkov, a witness in Politkovskaya's case.

The Institute of Reporters' Freedom and Safety of (IRFS) of Azerbaijan has launched a charitable action - "Marathon" event for raising funds for the families of six convicted journalists. The action started on February 25 and will last till March 20 - Novruz holiday especially respected in Azerbaijan.

Today, a Georgian diversive group of four persons tried to kidnap Irakliy Bigvava, a resident of Otobaya village, Gali District of Abkhazia. This was stated by Laurens Kogoniya, head of the Gali District Interior Department (ROVD).

Yesterday, on February 23, in Moscow, near Andrei Sakharov's Centre, at the monument to Berlin wall collapse, a picket was held in memory of the victims of Stalin's deportation of Vainakhs and other nations and in protest of current violations of human rights in Northern Caucasus.

The Investigation of the criminal case of Anna Politkovskaya's murder will continue until all the accomplices of the crime are identified, as Vladimir Markin, official spokesman of the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) has promised.

Elmira Suleimanova, Ombudswoman in Azerbaijan, has expressed her concern about the facts of hazing ("dedovschina") and other facts of non-manual relations still encountered in the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Nadira Isaeva, editor-in-chief of the Dagestan weekly named "Chernovik" (Blueprint), was charged under Article 282 of the Criminal Code ("Kindling of ethnic, racial or religious hostility").