Guarding of Russian military railwaymen in Abkhazia strengthened June 19, 2008 16:35 After two explosions on June 18 in Sukhumi suburb, the guard of Russian railway troop servicemen, who are repairing the railway in Abkhazia, was intensified.
Kabardino-Balkaria: Ambassadors of Belgium and Netherlands meet mother of a militant accused of attacking Nalchik June 19, 2008 12:59 On June 18, during their visit to Kabardino-Balkaria, plenipotentiaries of the Netherlands and Belgium Yan-Paul Dirkse and Bertrand de Krommeburg had a meeting with Mariam Akhmatova, mother of a suspect in the criminal case related to the attack on Nalchik in October 2005.
Chechnya: attempt to intimidate employees of the HRC "Memorial" June 18, 2008 19:25 On June 17, power agents detained four employees of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in the Urus-Martan District of Chechnya and threatened to execute them.
Armenian General Prosecutor's Office refused to recognize casualties of March 1 events in Yerevan to be victims June 18, 2008 17:20 The official answer of the State Office of Public Prosecutor of Armenia to the request of the Chairman of the Helsinki Association of Armenia Mikael Danielyan of May 11 runs that none of the March 1 casualties has been qualified as a victim.
Azerbaijani Avars ask President of Dagestan to protect them from "Azerization" June 18, 2008 15:12 Today, the Executive Committee of the Avar National Council has addressed an open letter to President of Dagestan Mukhu Aliev. The appeal makes emphasis on the situation with the Avars who live in Azerbaijan.
Paul Khlebnikov's murder case returned to the prosecutor's office June 18, 2008 14:08 The Presidium of the Supreme Court of Russia has rejected the cassation presentation lodged by the General Prosecutor's Office on the murder case of the editor-in-chief of the Russian version of the Forbes Magazine Paul Khlebnikov. The case will go back to the prosecutor's office.
Investigation of Anna Politkovskaya's murder is over June 18, 2008 14:02 The Investigatory Committee at the Russian Prosecutor's Office has informed today about the completion of the investigation in relation to the persons accused of murdering the observer of the "Novaya Gazeta" Anna Politkovskaya.
South Ossetia accuses Georgia of building frontier fortifications June 18, 2008 12:49 Sources in South Ossetia assert that Georgia is hurriedly erecting fortifications in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone. The South-Ossetian part of the MCC (Mixed Control Commission) appeals to the peacekeepers and the OSCE to register these violations.
Residents of Kalmykia mark Buddha's birthday June 18, 2008 11:42 In Kalmykia, June 18 has been announced a day-off in honour of Buddha Shakyamuni's birthday. President of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has signed a corresponding decree.
US Helsinki Commission to assess situation in Ingushetia June 17, 2008 14:40 On June 19 in Washington, representatives of the US Helsinki Commission and Russian experts on the Northern Caucasus will speak to a briefing on aggravation of situation in Ingushetia.
PACE mission members meet the first Armenian President of Armenia Ter-Petrosyan June 17, 2008 14:04 On June 16 late at night, co-Rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Mission George Colombier and John Prescott had a meeting with Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first president of Armenia. They discussed the fulfilment process of the PACE's Resolution No. 1609 and ways out of the internal political crisis in Armenia.
Russian MFA: withdrawal of peacemakers from Abkhazia will aggravate situation June 17, 2008 13:15 Andrei Nesterenko, and official spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, has stated today that phasing out the peacemaking operation in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone will entail aggravation of the situation in the region.
Azerbaijan: health condition of the journalist hospitalized after arrest remains grave June 17, 2008 11:17 In Azerbaijan, the health condition of journalist Emin Guseinov, who was exposed on June 14 to physical and moral pressure at a police station, remains grave. He is still unable to eat and drink anything but water, experiences strong pains in his head and dizziness, and cannot move by himself.
Conflict of "Vostok" battalion versus authorities of Chechnya to continue on the Internet June 16, 2008 18:34 Soon a new website can appear on the Internet - an attempt of the command of the GRU's "Vostok" (East) battalion to break through the information blockade held against it by the authorities of Chechnya.
Institute for Peace and Democracy demands to punish the policemen who beat journalists in Azerbaijan June 16, 2008 18:28 The Institute for Peace and Democracy has moved a demand to punish the policemen who thrashed on June 14th in the capital of Azerbaijan the journalists and human rights activist who celebrated the 80th birthday of Cuban revolutionary Ernesto (Che) Guevara.
Armenia: protest action demands to release oppositional editor June 16, 2008 17:18 Today is two years after arrest of Armand Babadzhanyan, editor-in-chief of the "Zhamanak-Yerevan" newspaper. A group of his colleagues, journalists and NGO representatives have held a protest action today in the capital of Armenia with a demand to release Mr Babadzhanyan.
"Kinotaurus" Russian Film Festival over in Sochi June 16, 2008 14:14 Today, the Sochi Winter Theatre has held the official closing ceremony of the 19th "Kinotaurus" Russian Open Film Festival. The prize for the best feature film was given to the "Shultes" film by director-debutant Bakur Bakuradze. The monetary worth of the prize is 625,000 roubles.
In Chechnya, three frontier guards lost in militants' attack on motor column June 16, 2008 12:08 Three frontier guards were killed and five more wounded in the Urus-Martan District of Chechnya, where militants attacked a motor column of the FSB Department.
European Court for Human Rights accepts a complaint from Dagestan June 16, 2008 10:04 On June 16, 2008, Adilgerey Omarov, an advocate from Dagestan, received a notification letter from Strasbourg saying that his claim about collecting 3 million euros from the Russian budget in favour of his client Gasan Baisultanov has been accepted for consideration by the European Court for Human Rights.
Azerbaijan: force applied to journalists at protest action June 14, 2008 13:23 On June 13, about one hundred of parents of high school graduates who failed their test examination came to the building of the Parliament of Azerbaijan to express their protest against the new procedure of issuing certificates. A conflict burst out between the journalists who covered the action and law enforcement bodies.