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Today, the Leninskiy Court of Makhachkala has held a preliminary hearing on the criminal case, where 5 journalists of the "Chernovik" weekly are defendants. The criminal case comes back to the Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan.

Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the ICPO, has presented the above figure of those who suffered in the war in South Ossetia in August 2008 as the latest result of the investigation into the conflict in the Caucasus.

On June 1, the body of Murat Ristov, world champion in combat sambo (Russian style of self-defence), who was killed on May 28 in Kabardino-Balkaria, was rendered to the mould in his homeland - Karachaevo-Circassia. Ristov was trained and became a well-known sportsman in Adygea.

The majority of bride kidnappings in Ingushetia take place upon prior agreement between the families of the would-be couple. According to Magomed Mutsolgov, a member of the advisory board on human rights in Russia and leader of the human rights NGO "Mashr", only five percent of such kidnappings end with opening of criminal cases.

On July 2, in the capital of Armenia, supporters of the opposition held a several thousand strong rally and then marched along the streets of Yerevan.

Two suspected militants were blocked today at night in a flat of a dwelling block in Nalchik. As reported by a source in law enforcement bodies, they surrendered to militiamen.

Today, at about 3:30 a.m. Moscow time, an unidentified person has thrown a grenade into the yard of a private household in Nazran, where Rustam Khalukhaev, deputy head of the division for fighting extremism of the Department for Fighting Organized Crime (UBOP) of Republic's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), lives.

Russia has lost a case at the European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) on the claim of Zina Pukhigova, a resident of Chechnya, and should pay 39,757 euros for disappearance and death of her husband Salman Abdulazizov in February 2001.

In Grozny, as reported by Ruslan Alkhanov, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic, a militant was killed, who had prepared terror acts against the Republic's leadership, including President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov. Also, a woman-militant was wounded and detained; a militiaman was wounded in a special operation.

The investigation considers the leader of Chechen militants Doku Umarov and his subordinate and leader of Ingush underground Ali Taziev, also known as Magas, to be the main suspects of organizing the attempt on President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of South Ossetia will not take part in the military exercises "Kavkaz-2009", held now in a number of regions of Southern Russia. The Caucasian Knot correspondent has learnt about it from Eduard Gabaraev, Chief of Artillery of the Ministry of Defence.

The Joint Statement of Presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia on the main principles of finalizing delimitation of the state border and distribution of water resources of the Samur River defines the parameters of the compromise, on the basis of which mutually acceptable settlement of these problems in the interests of two countries are possible.

Chechen authorities use new ways of pressing militants: their relatives are deprived of children's allowances and pensions, reports Natalia Estemirova, member of the Grozny branch of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

The Tbilisi Appeal Court has upheld the decision of the City Court of February 20 to reject the claim of the family of the late businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili asking to deprive his relative Joseph Kay of the right to execute Patarkatsishvili's will, including disposing of his property.

On July 1, Nikol Pashinyan, an activist of the opposition and the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Armenian Time", got out of his underground status, where he was for 15 months. He appeared at the State Office of Public Prosecutor and stated his voluntary surrender.

In Nazran, the figurants in the so-called "Case of Twelve" have expressed their discontent with cancellation by M. V. Zadvornov, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Ingushetia, consideration of their case with participation of jurymen; they announced a hunger strike, which was then suspended.

On July 1, a clash burst out in the capital of Georgia between taxi drivers and supporters of the opposition, who keep blocking the Rustaveli Avenue for almost three months already with their demand of President's resignation. Taxi drivers arrived to the building of the parliament in an organized column and demanded to open the Rustaveli Avenue for traffic.

In 2009, five persons have been kidnapped in Ingushetia. And in total since 2002, over 170 persons were kidnapped in this republic, as reported by Magomed Mutsolgov, a member of the expert council on human rights in Russia and leader of the human rights organization named "Mashr".

Today, at the next round of consultations in Geneva on security and stability in the Caucasus, Georgiy Bokeriya, deputy minister of foreign affairs, has stated that Georgia is ready to sign a non-use of force treaty in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He has noted that only Russia can be the counterpart of such treaty.

Human rights defenders have doubts as to appearance of Maskhud Abdullaev, son of Chechen field commander Supyan Abdullaev, who was deported from Egypt, on air of one of TV Channels of Chechnya.