News

February 07, 2009 02:00

• Court investigation of Anna Politkovskaya's murder is over

  The Moscow District Military Court has completed the court investigation on the murder case of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, as the presiding judge Evgeniy Zubov announced on February 6.

February 07, 2009 01:00

• Chechen authorities contemplate on issuing "prohibition law"

  The authorities of Chechnya want to promulgate restrictions on sale of alcoholic products in the territory of the Republic. The respective ideas were announced by Islam Vazirkhanov, head of the Republic's Department of the Federal Tax Service for Chechnya.

February 06, 2009 23:00

• Organizations of journalists are concerned of the attempt to intimidate the head of "Echo Moskvy" Radio

  The Committee to Protect Journalists, the Union of Journalists of Russia and the Centre of Extreme Journalism are concerned of the attempt to intimidate the head of the "Echo Moskvy" Radio by expressing a veiled threat to Alexei Venediktov, editor of independent radio station "Echo Moskvy". They link the fact that an axe and a video camera were found at the journalist's apartment with his professional activities.

February 06, 2009 22:00

• St-Petersburg residents to invite children from Novye Aldy to excursions

  On February 5, 2009, the Scientific-Information Centre "Memorial" in St-Petersburg hosted a meeting in memory of victims of the tragedy in Novye Aldy village - of the "zachistka" (clean-up) conducted on February 10, 2000, by the Petersburg OMON. To correct the opinion of Chechen residents about St-Petersburg, the organizers of the action offered to invite children from the village to their city.

February 06, 2009 22:00

• Businessman Boris Bairamkulov who disappeared in Karachaevo-Circassia not found yet

  Boris Bairamkulov, disappeared businessman from Dombai (Karachaevo-Circassia), director of the "Bars" Tourist Agency, has not been found yet. After the last rally held in Cherkessk, Bairamkulov's relatives received no new information about the progress in the case.

February 06, 2009 22:00

• President of Chechnya calls former militants back home from Europe

  On February 5, in the course of his meeting in Grozny with Ramzan Ampukaev, representative of the Chechen Diaspora in Europe, Ramzan Kadyrov invited former militants, now living in Europe, to come back home. The Chechen President also rejected his any involvement in the recent murder in Vienna of refugee from Chechnya Israilov, who had earlier worked for his security service. The Kadyrov's meeting with Ampukaev was shown by local television.

February 06, 2009 22:00

• CPJ calls Medvedev to put an end to unpunished murders of journalists

  The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is indignant with the murder of journalist Anastasiya Baburova, who was shot dead together with advocate-human rights defender Stanislav Markelov, and asks President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev to ensure a careful investigation of the crime.

February 06, 2009 21:00

• Czechia holds a march against political murders in Russia

  In the Czech city of Brno, a demonstration took place against political murders in Russia. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Oksana Chelysheva, one of the organizers of the action and deputy head of the Finnish organization "Society of Russian-Chechen Friendship".

February 06, 2009 19:00

• Ingushetia: Voznesenskaya villagers report kidnapping of Meskhetian Turk by power agents

  In Voznesenskaya village, Malgobek District of Ingushetia, power agents have kidnapped a local resident, Meskhetian Turk, and took him away in an unknown direction. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by local residents. The incident happened at about 8:00 p.m.

February 06, 2009 18:00

• Third Caucasian native assassinated these days in Moscow

  In the west of Moscow an unidentified person has opened fire at a man, who died in situ from the received wounds, as reported by a source in the law enforcement bodies of the capital of Russia.

February 05, 2009 23:00

• European Court collects 300,000 euros from Russia for kidnappings and torture in Chechnya and Ingushetia

  The European Court on Human Rights in Strasbourg has found Russia guilty of disappearances of Chechen residents and torturing residents of Ingushetia.

February 05, 2009 23:00

• In Azerbaijan, Appeal Court rejects Mirza Sakit's early relief

  Today, the Baku Appeal Court, presided by Judge Rizvan Safarov, considered the complaint of poet-satirist Mirza Sakit (Sakit Zakhidov) against the non-satisfaction of his petition on early release from custody by the Nariman District Court.

February 05, 2009 22:00

• Human rights activists count 66 political prisoners in Azerbaijan

  According to the Federation of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan (FHROA), in total, there are now 66 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. This was stated by Leila Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, in her interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in the context of the forthcoming discussion at the spring PACE session of the issue of appointing a special rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

February 05, 2009 22:00

• Pavel Ryaguzov, figurant in Politkovskaya's case, refuses from his evidences

  Pavel Ryaguzov, employee of the FSB, accused of excess of his official duties, has refused in the court from his evidences, which he had given in the course of investigation of the murder case of journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

February 05, 2009 22:00

• Pupils of boarding school in Kabardino-Balkaria appeal for help to human rights activists

  Ten former pupils of the boarding school located in Nartan village of Kabardino-Balkaria, where the prosecutor's office had revealed roughest violations of the legislation on accommodation of orphans and children remaining without parental care, have addressed for help to human rights activists. The pupils stand in defence of Mamkhegova, Liudmila Kerimovna, dismissed deputy director for pupils' life-support.

February 05, 2009 21:00

• Moscow human rights activists support "Mothers of Dagestan"

  Human rights activists are indignant with the attacks on the public organization "Mothers of Dagestan for Human Rights" and plan to do everything to defend it. This is the topic of the statement made at today's press conference in the Independent Press Centre in Moscow by representatives of the leading human rights organizations of Russia.

February 05, 2009 20:00

• HRC "Memorial" wants to ask president of Ingushetia to supervise the investigation of hijacking lawyer Itslaev's car

  In Nazran, Ingushetia, a car of the lawyer engaged in investigating kidnappings was hijacked in broad daylight from near the building of the Investigatory Department. Law enforcers demonstrate unwillingness to investigate this incident, which makes human rights activists believe that this is a form of pressure on the advocate.

February 05, 2009 20:00

• Resident of Argun kidnapped by unknown persons in Chechnya

  The law enforcement bodies of Chechnya are finding out the circumstances of the incident that took place last night in Argun, the third city of Chechnya. A local woman-resident addressed the militia with a statement that at night on February 4 a group of armed persons kidnapped her adult son.

February 05, 2009 18:00

• Today is nine years after Novye Aldy residents were executed in Chechnya

  According to human rights activists, nine years ago, in the course of a wide-scale "zachistka" (clean-up) conducted in the settlement of Novye Aldy and adjacent districts of Grozny, 56 persons were killed. In spite of the fact that the power units, which held this "special action", have been established, those guilty of assassinating unarmed people remain unpunished.

February 04, 2009 23:00

• Residents of Prigorodny District, North Ossetia, complain of violations of refugees' rights

  The major issue for refugees is the fate of the Prigorodny District and their return there, as reports Bagaudin Khadziev, employee of the human rights organization "Union of Genocide Victims". Refugees complain that the compensations allocated to forced migrants from the Prigorodny District and Vladikavkaz, are given out not to them.