All news

A resident of Irafsky District set fire to a school, a kindergarten, and a private building out of personal hostility, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported. The police version of hooliganism is unconvincing, note Instagram users. They suggest that someone's economic interests stay behind the arson attacks.

In Chechnya, on the Day of Mourning and Sorrow of the Peoples of the Republic, subordinates of the leader of Chechnya visited his father's grave without wearing protective masks and without respecting social distancing. This can be concluded from the report broadcasted by the "Grozny" ChGTRK (Chechen TV and Radio Company). In Chechnya, top-ranking officials do not comply with their own regulations, for violation of which ordinary people are punished, local residents note.

By 10:45 a.m. Moscow time, in Northern Caucasus, 391 new cases of the coronavirus infection were registered within 24 hours, including 119 in Dagestan, the "Rospotrebnadzor" (Russian Federal Agency for Consumer Supervision) reports. Dagestan still leads in the total number of coronavirus-infected people in the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Today, the capital of Georgia, which was closed because of the coronavirus epidemic, has been opened for entry and exit, the Georgian government announces.

The number of videos confirming human rights violations in Chechnya is growing, and that fact irritates the authorities, suggests Alexei Malashenko, a member of the Expert Council of the Carnegie Moscow Centre. Such videos are a form of public protest, Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov believes.

Sasun Margaryan, a soldier of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), has died from a gunshot wound.

The human rights organization "Freedom House" has stressed that politicization of the judiciary is a serious problem in Georgia: the authorities pass legislative acts by disregarding citizens' opinions.

The Chechen authorities have reported on the distribution of monetary help to poor families organized by the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation. However, the residents of the republic interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have claimed that the recipients of the targeted help are often not those who really need it.

Ali Imankhanly and Elkhan Aliev, activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), received 30 days of administrative arrest each for "violating the quarantine regime" and "disobedience to the police," the party has reported.

The broadcasting of war time songs through the loudspeakers installed by the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) on mosques in Makhachkala has triggered a mixed reaction in social networks. The action was not agreed with the clergy, the Muftiate has reported. The MfE explained that they wanted to support those who were on self-isolation because of the coronavirus and apologized to believers.

After the introduction of mandatory wearing of medical masks in public places, law enforcers in Grozny began imposing fines on violators, they would not be lenient, local residents complain.

A video appeal of law enforcers from the Gudermes District about the need of self-isolation is unconvincing, because they had not lost their salaries and the ability to feed their families, commentators on the Instagram and residents of Chechnya have pointed out.

Activists from the group "Help to Syrian compatriots" and the NGO "Paryt" have spread 103 food packages among Circassian repatriates.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has announced the opening, on May 11, of minor enterprises engaged in the sphere of services. However, local businessmen have suggested that under self-isolation, their work will be unprofitable. Once the motor traffic is very limited, receiving permits to reopen servicing stations is senseless, Instagram users have pointed out.

Residents of Georgia celebrate Victory Day amid restrictions associated both with coronavirus and political motives. The country's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has reminded about the ban to use of communist and fascist symbols; and the authorities, due to the epidemic, have limited visits to crowded places. The residents of Tbilisi interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have noted that May 9 is a sacred holiday.

At a sitting of the Armenian parliament, after a verbal skirmish of MPs from the ruling party with those of the opposition, a mass brawl broke out. The Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, has called the opposition's actions a provocation, while human rights defenders have criticized the ruling party, accusing it of intolerance of opponents.

The demand of Magomed Daudov, Speaker of Chechen Parliament, to prosecute men for violating the quarantine by their relatives is against the laws, but is fully consistent with Adats (customary law of certain Muslim nations), analysts believe.

Georgian authorities are supporting the Georgian Orthodox Church in financial, legal and social spheres, while the attitude of the state towards other religions is discriminatory, the Institute of Tolerance and Diversity has stated.

About 100 people came to the Adjara Government House in Batumi on Friday, May 8, demanding the release of two detained men. There were clashes of protesters with policemen; and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported on the detention of four persons.

In Southern Caucasus, including the unrecognized republics, the number of coronavirus deaths has reached 82. Over the past 24 hours, one person died in Armenia and Georgia each.