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On December 8, the Internet Hall of the Central House of Journalists hosted a press conference of the Coalition of Russian Human Rights Organizations dedicated to publication of final recommendations adopted by the UN Committee Against Tortures.

Vladimir Lukin, human rights commissioner (ombudsman) in the Russian Federation, has held today, on the eve of the International Day for Human Rights Defence, a decoration ceremony with his medal "Hurry Up to Make Good."

The International Helsinki Federation (IHF) is concerned with illegal detainment and initiation of a criminal case against Mokhdan Elgakaev and Myukhdi Aslambekov, residents of Ingushetia who were acquitted from criminal responsibility.

The correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" has learnt from unofficial sources that the prosecutor's office of Nalchik, capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, has initiated a criminal case against unidentified employees of the "T" Centre under Article "Excess of official powers with application of violence and special means."

Statement by Akhmed Zakaev, emissary of Chechen separatists in London, about use by Russian special agencies of radioactive materials in Chechnya is a parcel of rubbish, Nikolai Patrushev, FSB director, has declared.

The State Duma has made an amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure in the third and final reading to postpone introduction of the court of jury in Chechnya till 2010.

The FSB (Federal Security Bureau) of Russia has decoded the archives of Jordanian mercenary Abu Havs, one of Chechen separatists' leaders. He was killed in Khasavyurt.

The Supreme Court has appointed to consider on December 26 possible cancellation of the verdict passed to Nurpashi Kulaev, the only survived participant of Beslan school seizure.

The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office has initiated a criminal case on the fact of assassination in London of Alexander Litvinenko, ex-FSB employee.

The International Press Institute (IRI) has awarded the title of the "World Free Press Hero" to Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya posthumously.

On December 6, the Independent Press Centre held a press conference on the death of Manana Jabelia, a forced migrant from Abkhazia.

Taria Halonen, president of Finland, called the situation with assassinations of Anna Politkovskaya and Alexander Litvinenko, who criticized the Kremlin policy in Chechnya and in Russia as a whole, to be alarming.

Tony Lloyd, rapporteur of the PACE monitoring committee for Azerbaijan, said in his interview to the BBC Radio that the administrative decision to stop the ANS TV Channel was "a very reactionary step."

Up to 40,000 persons from all cities and regions of Abkhazia arrived to the meeting. The government has provided free transport facilities to all who wanted to take part in the event.

Upon instruction of the president of Russia in relation to migrants, they have started to deport people who have no registration out of Russian cities. The decision is most strictly applied to citizens of Georgia, and part of them has already been deported from the country. Among them, there are also natives of Azerbaijan.

In Azerbaijan, a group of writers are asking to release journalist Rafik Tagi who has published his anti-Islamic article in the "Senet" (Arts) newspaper from custody.

Interrogation of Andrei Lugovoj, a Scotland Yard's suspect of poisoning Alexander Litvinenko, that was tonight, has been postponed.

Ramzan Kadyrov, chairman of Chechnya government, has stated that he will strive to bring to responsibility the federal troops commanders in charge of murdered or missing peaceful citizens of Chechnya.

The International Organization "Reporters without Borders" has spread a document condemning an appeal of Iranian spiritual leaders to assassinate two journalists from Azerbaijan.

The Council of Europe is seriously concerned with the death of a Georgian woman, whom Russian authorities were about to deport from Moscow to Tbilisi.