News

March 22, 2024 16:26

• Lawyers assess Somryakov’s chances of regaining Russian citizenship

  Krasnodar resident Alexander Somryakov, convicted of spreading fake news about the Russian Army, can challenge the decision to deprive him of Russian citizenship, but the prospects for restoring citizenship are doubtful. If Alexander Somryakov retains his second citizenship, he could be deported after his release, lawyers note.

March 21, 2024 23:14

• Russian authorities ignore thousands of appeals about Chechen native Seda Suleimanova’s fate

  None of the institutions which received appeals with requests concerning the fate of Seda Suleimanova, who was taken by her relatives to Chechnya, checked the information about the possible murder of the young woman. More than 2000 appeals were forwarded to the Chechen law enforcement bodies, who organized the detention of Seda Suleimanova in Saint Petersburg.

March 21, 2024 22:16

• Irina Skorovarova sentenced conditionally

  The Taganrog City Court has sentenced Irina Skorovarova, accused of repeatedly discrediting the Russian Army, to 2.5 years and six months of probation (conditional imprisonment).

March 21, 2024 21:13

• Defence points to possible law enforcers' involvement in financing Balabanov, accused of preparing commissariat arson

  Mikhail Balabanov, accused of preparing to set fire to the military commissariat (registration and enlistment office) in Nevinnomyssk, had initially paid the hostess of the rented apartment only 3000 roubles; he had no more money, Vyacheslav Savin, his advocate, has stated. However, then he got money from somewhere and paid the rent in full.

March 21, 2024 19:57

• Mother of athlete Tsomartova, who disappeared in Dagestan, announces reward of 5 million roubles

  The mother of Anna Tsomartova, who disappeared in Dagestan in February, announced a reward of 5 million roubles for anyone who would help bring her daughter back. The woman warned that she would not give up and would continue the search.

March 21, 2024 18:52

• Human rights defender Nagavkin continues his hunger strike in SIZO for 13th day

  Human rights defender Igor Nagavkin has been on a hunger strike for the 13th day in a SIZO (pre-trial prison). He demands to be visited by the Prosecutor of the Volgograd Region, a sister of the arrested human rights defender states.

March 21, 2024 17:17

• In Karachay-Cherkessia, woman arrested in case on spoiled ballots

  A court has placed under arrest a resident of Karachay-Cherkessia, who was detained at a polling station for damaging with paint the filled- out ballots at the Russian presidential election.

March 20, 2024 23:16

• Sochi law enforcers treat detention of activist Vladimir Atamanchuk as mistake

  Vladimir Atamanchuk, an activist from Sochi was released by policemen on the day of his detention after a call from his advocate. They have stated that the detention was a mistake.

March 20, 2024 22:13

• Chechnya sets trend of demonstrative support for Putin by regional elites

  Demonstration of maximum support for the incumbent power, characteristic of regions of Northern Caucasus, and especially of Chechnya, where authorities reported almost 99% of votes for Putin, has become a norm for many Russian regions. The election gave local elites a chance to show their loyalty to the Kremlin, analysts believe.

March 20, 2024 19:17

• Kadyrov's son orders to search for violators of Chechen traditions in social networks

  By the order of the son of the head of Chechnya, the servants of republic's the Ministry for Youth Matters are instructed to look for the social network users, whose actions are against the Chechens' culture and mentality in order to properly educate them.

March 20, 2024 18:25

• Krasnodar resident, convicted for fakes about Russian Army, deprived of Russian citizenship

  The police has sent to Alexander Somryakov, a Krasnodar resident, sentenced to six years of freedom deprivation for spreading fakes about the Russian Army, a notification about the termination of his Russian citizenship, the human rights project "OVD-Info"* has informed.

March 20, 2024 17:59

• Prosecutor demands three years for Taganrog woman for discrediting Russian Army

  The prosecutor has demanded to sentence Irina Skorovarova, a resident of the city of Taganrog, accused of discrediting the Russian Army, to three years in a colony-settlement. This was reported by the human rights project "OVD-Info"* with reference to Sergey Kovalevich, an advocate.

March 20, 2024 17:30

• Activists treat situation with voting irregularities in Southern Russia as catastrophic

  There was practically no independent monitoring at the polling stations, but it appeared to be possible to record more than 160 violations in Southern Russia, noted activists of the “Golos” (Vote) movement*. They questioned both the final numbers of the votes gained by presidential candidates and the turnout data.

March 19, 2024 23:56

• Law enforcers detain Sochi activist Vladimir Atamanchuk

  The police detained activist Vladimir Atamanchuk in Sochi and demanded from him to follow them to a police department.

March 19, 2024 22:51

• Sochi woman placed under house arrest for damaging ballot papers

  A court in Sochi has placed a 62-year-old woman under house arrest until May 15, accusing her of an attempt to spoil ballots with some dye.

March 19, 2024 21:58

• Family of Khavazh Derbichev, resident of Ingushetia, treats his verdict of financing terrorism as reprisal

  The guilt of Khavazh Derbichev, a Malgobek resident, sentenced to 15.5 years within the case of financing terrorism, has not been proven; Khavazh himself and the case witness gave the testimonies obtained by law enforcers under torture, Derbichev's father and his advocate have stated.

March 19, 2024 21:56

• Analysts comment on involvement of Palestinian refugees in election in Northern Caucasus

  The emphasis on the participation of Palestinian refugees in the Russian presidential election in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and Karachay-Cherkessia was made by decision of the Kremlin, a human rights defender and an expert on the Caucasus are sure.

March 19, 2024 19:17

• Ingush activists treat enforcers' warnings as form of pressure

  The activists who have served their sentences within the case of the rally in Magas have linked the law enforcers' increased attention with the anniversary of Vainakhs' deportation and the presidential election. However, the pressure continues all the time after release, and former convicts are unable to get a job in state bodies, the activist assert.

March 19, 2024 17:57

• Election commissions report more than 85% for Vladimir Putin in Southern Russia amid complaints of violations

  In the regions of Southern Russia, Vladimir Putin gets the most votes – 99.28% – in Chechnya. The least number of votes was recorded in the Astrakhan Region, where, according to election commissions, 86.67% voted for the current head of state, reports the information released by the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC).

March 18, 2024 23:20

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of March 11-17, 2024

  Presidential election voting in the Caucasus, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, repressions in Azerbaijan continue, new drone attacks, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of March 11-17, 2024, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.