News

June 11, 2009 21:00

• AI is concerned of further violent disappearances in Chechnya

  It seemed in 2007 that the count of violent disappearances in Chechnya went down, but, nevertheless, neither in 2008 nor in 2009 they did not stop, but, according to some unofficial sources, these figures continue to grow. This is the topic of the memorandum addressed by the independent human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.

June 11, 2009 19:00

• Azerbaijan: amendments to Law on NGOs are assessed differently

  Azerbaijan has drafted a bill of amendments to the Law "On Nongovernmental Associations (Foundations)", which caused serious criticism by representatives of the civil society. In the opinion of the public, adoption of the amendments will be a serious blow on democracy in the country.

June 11, 2009 18:00

• Man who threatened to trigger a grenade detained in Vladikavkaz

  The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of North Ossetia reports that today a man who threatened to blow up a grenade was detained.

June 10, 2009 23:40

• Astrakhan: Muslim leaders fined for too loud appeal to prayer

  The Prosecutor's Office of the Astrakhan Region has established that the Mosque located in the Pobedy Street in Astrakhan is making use, when appealing Moslems to prayer at 4 a.m. and 11 p.m., of sound-amplifying equipment, which breaks the right of people to comfortable night rest.

June 10, 2009 23:10

• In Kabardino-Balkaria, judge rebukes advocate for giving information to journalist

  Judge of the Tersk District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria has announced a rebuke to advocate Mukharbi Kardanov for his presenting information to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about a criminal case considered by this court. The figurant in the case is Askerbiy Khambazarov, a senior operative officer of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, accused under three articles of the Russian Criminal Code.

June 10, 2009 23:00

• ICPO: Budanov was not involved in kidnappings of Chechen residents

  The Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) of the Russian Federation has stated that involvement of former Russian Army colonel Yuri Budanov in disappearances of residents of Chechnya in 2000 was not confirmed. Budanov has evidenced that he could not physically be present at the block-post, where a group of local residents had disappeared without any traces.

June 10, 2009 22:30

• Medvedev: power bodies in Northern Caucasus are inefficient and unpopular

  President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev has stated, at the sitting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation held on June 9 in Makhachkala, that the low efficiency of the authorities in some republics of Northern Caucasus is accompanied by the loss of trust in the authorities and loss of their respect by the population.

June 10, 2009 22:10

• Armenian ecologists worry of fish stock drop in Lake Sevan

  Akop Sanasaryan, chairman of the Greens, stated on June 8 that among Armenian most topical environmental problems are the continued build-up of the coast of Lake Sevan and catastrophic reduction of fish stocks in the Lake.

June 10, 2009 22:00

• Chechnya: over 200 rescuers in search of two missing boys

  In Chechnya, under decision of the head of the local Ministry for Emergencies (MfE), all the fire-fighting forces of Grozny are now involved in searching a boy of 7, who, probably, got drowned in Sunzha River on June 4, and another boy of 5, who got drowned on May 30. This was reported by Timur Taisumov, official representative of Russian MfE for Chechnya.

June 10, 2009 21:00

• Russian human rights defenders demand release of Arshaluis Akopyan arrested in Armenia

  Russian human rights activists express their indignation with political prosecutions in Armenia and demand that the authorities of the country immediately release Arshaluis Akopyan, a representative of the Helsinki Association.

June 10, 2009 20:00

• Alik Le: new "Olympstroy" boss should start dialogue with Sochi residents

  Alik Le, leader of the public organization "Union of Imereti Residents", believes that previous "Olympstroy" bosses tried solving their problems separately from the interests of Sochi residents. According to his story, Taimuraz Bolloev, the new head of this state corporation, has no time for getting into his mission - he should start acting, and his first step should be to start dialogue with the population.

June 10, 2009 18:00

• Evkurov: suspects of murdering Deputy Chair of Supreme Court of Ingushetia established

  Suspects of today morning's murder of Aza Gazgireyeva, Deputy Chair of the Supreme Court of Ingushetia, are established, as reported by President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov.

June 09, 2009 23:40

• In Georgia, journalists demand ensuring freedom of mass media

  On June 8, several dozens of Georgian journalists and members of NGOs held a protest action at the building of the National Commission for Communications with a demand to ensure the freedom of mass media.

June 09, 2009 23:30

• Yuri Budanov interrogated on suspicion of murdering Chechen residents

  Yuri Budanov, who served his term for murdering a Chechen girl, and released in the end of 2008, was interrogated as a suspect under a new criminal case. The ex-colonel is suspected of involvement to murdering three residents of Chechnya.

June 09, 2009 23:00

• "Memorial": clannish traditions are threats to Dagestan

  The Islamic armed underground groupings of Dagestan are a serious danger; and the state should fight them; however even a greater danger is in the clannish lifestyle traditional for the republic, when groups of clans fight for power. This is the topic of the statement made by the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in the context of the recent murder in Makhachkala of Adilgerei Magomedtagirov, Minister of Internal Affairs of Dagestan.

June 09, 2009 22:30

• A military wounded in Ingushetia

  Today in Ingushetia, on the "Kavkaz" Federal Highway, in the area of municipal district Gamurdievo of the city of Nazran, unidentified persons shelled a column of sappers from grenade launchers. A soldier was slightly wounded.

June 09, 2009 22:00

• Apaev: Chechen authorities can hide information about Doku Umarov's death till June 12

  So far, there is no reliable data confirming the death of Doku Umarov, leader of Chechen separatists, who declared himself in 2007 to be the commander of Caucasian mujahads. However, observers do not exclude that the authorities plan to announce Umarov's liquidation by the forthcoming holidays. According to Aslambek Apaev, an expert of the Moscow Helsinki Group for Northern Caucasus, if Umarov was really killed, the fact will be disclosed only by June 12, the Day of Russia.

June 09, 2009 21:00

• Yamadaev brothers' relatives fear for their life

  Relatives of the brothers Isa and Musa Yamadaev, who were summoned by investigatory bodies to the North-Ossetian city of Mozdok for interrogation on the case about disappearance of one of the soldiers of the recently disbanded special-purpose GRU battalion "Vostok", are afraid for their life.

June 09, 2009 20:10

• Danielyan: human rights defender beaten by police for the first time in Armenian history

  The health condition of Arshaluist Akopyan, a representative of the Helsinki Association, who is now in custody in Armenia, is currently normal; he was already visited by advocate Gayane Khachatryan. Mikael Danielyan, human rights activist and chairman of the Helsinki Association told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it.

June 09, 2009 19:00

• "Reporters without Borders" are concerned of appeals to put Internet in Azerbaijan under control

  Jean-Francois Juliar, secretary general of the international organization in defence of the press "Reporters without Borders" (RwB) has sent messages to Ali Gasanov, head of the political division of President's Administration, and Nushiravan Magerramli, chairman of the National Television and Radio Board (NTRB), expressing his concern of the statements proposing to set up control over the Internet space of Azerbaijan.