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Yesterday, on January 19, it became known about a new kidnapping in Chechnya. This time, a resident of the city of Gudermes, aged 24, became the victim of the crime committed back in early January.

Former Budanov's advocate Alexei Dulimov, who defended his interests in the court of the cassation instance, has stated that Colonel Yuri Budanov has nothing to do with the murder of Stanislav Markelov, advocate of the Kungaev family.

Novruzali Mamedov, 70, head of the Talysh Cultural Centre and editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Tolyshi Sado" (Voice of Talysh), who was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for "state treason", was transferred from Investigatory Isolation Facility No. 1 to Penitentiary Establishment No. 15.

Russian human rights activists are shocked by the murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov, who worked in the cases of Budanov and "Cadet" related to murders of peaceful Chechen residents.

Aslambek Apaev, expert of the Moscow Helsinki Group and Chairman of the Committee in Defence of Forced Migrants' Rights, told in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that after his meeting in Ingushetia with refugees from Northern Ossetia he and other human rights activists were shadowed by unknown people in a car that had no identification symbols.

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.