All news

The opposition has announced the start of protest actions in all regions of Georgia demanding early parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners. A large-scale action is scheduled for May 15 in Tbilisi.

On the eve of Novruz, Azerbaijani authorities extended the coronavirus restrictions until June 1, and banned public transport during the holiday. This led to a decrease in the number of buyers and provoked a jump in food prices, said Eiyub Guseinov, Chairman of the Union of Free Consumers.

The Nalchik City Court has ruled to place Murad Gorbakov, a resident of Ingushetia, in custody for two months on suspicion of beating up law enforcers at a rally in Magas in March 2019.

The Armenian authorities have deliberately protracted the reform of the Electoral Code, since after its updating the influence of the administrative, financial and criminal resources on the election outcomes will be limited, the human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

On March 19, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that the Azerbaijani party was torturing the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) captured in 2020 during the hostilities. Episodes of cruel and degrading treatment and torture occurred both after their capture and during transporting them to detention places, and in these places, says the HRW's statement posted on March 19 on its website.

A court in Georgia found five more persons guilty within the murder case of the 19-year-old football player Giorgi Shakarashvili; one of them was sentenced to nine years in prison, four others – to five years in prison each, the Prosecutor's Office has informed.

All the seven leaders of Ingush protests, including Malsag Uzhakhov, continue their hunger strike at the SIZO (pre-trial prison). Residents of Ingushetia are holding no public actions in support of the detainees, fearing to provoke new arrests in connection with the rally in Magas, the rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The Chechen blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov, has commented on the testimonies of the Chechen law enforcer, Suleiman Gezmakhmaev, about torturing detainees widespread in Chechnya and Chechen authorities' reaction to the publication of the "Novaya Gazeta".

On March 19, Azerbaijan handed remains of 15 persons found in places of last autumn's hostilities over to Karabakh rescuers. The total number of bodies and remains found in the Karabakh conflict zone has reached 1518, the State Emergency Service (SES) of Nagorno-Karabakh has informed.

Apti Alaudinov, the Deputy Minister of the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), personally prosecuted dissidents on trumped-up cases and intimidated critics of the authorities. In connection with the above, he has got in the republic the reputation of a cruel person, note human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

According to veterans of the special services interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", a FSB video depicting the detention of a terrorist in the capital of Adygea looks staged. A version stating that terrorists decided to choose Maikop for an explosion in a shopping centre also raises doubts, Caucasian experts point out.

The Russian authorities should study the information made public by the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" about extrajudicial killings in Chechnya and protect the newspaper's journalists from possible harassment, states Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.

Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the dismissal of Chechen Police Chief Apti Alaudinov, the "Kommersant" reports today.

The political crisis in Armenia has not only led to opposition fragmentation, but also exacerbated social and economic problems; therefore, the agreement on holding parliamentary elections was the optimal decision, the analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

Now, a trip to the store is much more expensive; people have to either reduce the number of purchased foodstuffs, or choose cheaper items to the detriment of their quality, the Volgograd residents interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" assert.

Shakir Nazarov, an Azerbaijani citizen, needs medical treatment at home, but for two weeks he stays at the Dagestani camp "Ogonyok" (Flicker), awaiting to cross the border. The number of residents of the temporary accommodation centre (TAC) is constantly changing, as many are losing hope of returning home in the near future, Mr Nazarov himself has stated.

The chalet "Achipse", which is believed to be Putin's residence, includes a personal cable car and a helipad. The residence itself is adorned with copies of medieval tapestries made by hand in Italy, gilded vases worth 187,000 roubles each and other luxury items from a trading house that has been a supplier to the Russian Imperial Court for 400 years, says the publication of the edition "Sobesednik" (Interlocutor).

Before the war, Karabakh authorities promised housing to refugees from Azerbaijan, who had been on the waiting list for more than 30 years, but now officials have forgotten about them and are busy only with the housing problem of new forced migrants, refugees have complained.

Vladimir Putin should organize a check of the activities of the "Novaya Gazeta", the Chechen Parliament has stated. After Elena Milashina's publication, Shamsail Saraliev, a State Duma MP, has appealed to the Russian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO).

The North-Caucasian Muftiates are accepting believers' applications for performing Hajj to Saudi Arabia, but because of the pandemic, the quotas for regions and the rules for making the pilgrimage have not been finally defined.