Georgians living in Rostov take part in Dovitoba national holiday February 12, 2004 14:16 Director of the Scientific Research Institute of the Caucasus Professor Nikolay Avdulov called this day a holiday of wisdom, good and education.
Azerbaijan human rights activists point to necessity to change priorities of their activity February 12, 2004 14:06 "It is essential that we stop concentrating our attention on setting 10-15 political prisoners free. It is time to switch over to the solution of really urgent problems of the country's population," said Tamilla Kerimova, a member of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly National Committee of Azerbaijan.
Baku police disperse unauthorized picket of opposition February 12, 2004 13:29 Action participants demanded that the arrested editor-in-chief of the opposition Yeni Musavat newspaper, Rauf Arifoglu, and a contributor of the Baki Khabar newspaper, Sadig Ismailov, be released.
Olivier Dupuis: war in Chechnya can be stopped with help of UN February 12, 2004 12:16 On 6 February, the European Parliament member, Olivier Dupuis, issued a statement in reply to the accusation by Russian President Putin against the Maskhadov administration.
Ella Pamfilova: Chechen refugees in Ingushetia are under psychological pressure February 12, 2004 11:18 According to the chairwoman of the presidential commission on human rights, unidentified people have threatened refugees with FSB (Federal Security Service) if they refuse to leave tent camps within two weeks.
US journalist found in North Caucasus February 12, 2004 11:11 An American journalist presumed missing in the North Caucasian region of Russia for three days was seen "alive and kicking" on Wednesday morning.
UN bars Chechnya to aid workers February 12, 2004 10:49 The United Nations has told the Kremlin not to expect any increase in its or other aid agency staff in Chechnya until a kidnapped Dutch aid worker has been released.
Death penalty replaced with "slow death" February 11, 2004 23:27 During the six years since the abolition of capital punishment, at least 30 inmates serving life sentences and four prisoners sentenced to death who were subsequently amnestied, died, i.e. nearly every fourth.
Abkhazian Defense Ministry denies information of Georgian media about oppression of Georgians in Abkhazian Army February 11, 2004 21:17 "People of different nationalities serve in the Abkhazian Armed Forces, and Georgians do to. But no one of them have been oppressed and even more so subjected to torture because of their nationality," reads a press release by the Ministry of Defense.
Illegally detained residents of Avtury village set free February 11, 2004 17:32 In no more than an hour after the detention, the military tried to deny the fact itself that the young men were taken into custody. However there were witnesses who saw the detainees being conveyed to the territory of the former farm.
Book "Human Rights Monitoring" presented in Baku February 11, 2004 17:16 The book "Human Rights Monitoring" was presented by Saida Godjamanly, director of the Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, at the office of the Bureau on February 9.
Abkhazian authorities denounce detention of Ukrainian ship by Georgian frontier guards February 11, 2004 16:02 Abkhazian State Security Service Chairman Givi Agrba holds that the Georgian party committed a gross violation of the Moscow Ceasefire Agreement of 14 May 1994.
Refugees in Satsita camp receive humanitarian aid for two months February 11, 2004 15:42 Representatives of the Danish Refugee Council explained to the displaced persons that they took such a step because they feared they would be likely denied access to refugee camps in the near future.
"Purge" in Agishbatoy village February 11, 2004 15:33 Several locals were reportedly detained in the course of the "purge".
Ombudsman of Karachaevo-Cherkessia takes oath February 11, 2004 15:22 Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia Vladimir Titarenko took the oath at a session of the republican National Assembly.
European Union prepares draft on EU's policy towards Russia February 11, 2004 15:08 The press release on the occasion reads that the draft suggests increasing pressure on Russia in such issues as human rights, a situation in Chechnya, media freedom, and cooperation in the cause of preservation of the environment.
US journalist disappears in North Osetia February 11, 2004 14:44 A journalist's disappearance has been reported by the consul of the US Embassy. He turned to the Moscow police asking for help overnight.
Russian President to be informed about problems of residents of Chechnya displaced to Ingushetia February 11, 2004 14:26 Russian President's Commission on Human Rights is preparing materials on the problems of people displaced from the Chechen Republic to Ingushetia and will hand these documents over to the President.
Rights of Sochi National Park defended in court February 11, 2004 13:53 Greenpeace Russia won in the Russian Supreme Court the suit to abolish the part of the resolution of the Russian Government by which it withdrew 33,222 hectares of land from the Sochi National Park (including 11,000 hectares of land of the reserved zone, where any economic activity is prohibited) and gave it to the Sochi All-Republican National Natural Reserve.
Russian radicals see connection between terrorist act in metro and initiative of European Parliament members to establish UN administration in Chechnya February 11, 2004 13:01 We call your attention to the statement by Nikolay Khramov, secretary of the Russian Radicals movement, member of the Transnational Radical Party General Council, in connection with the 6 February terrorist act in the Moscow metro.