All news

March 20, 2009 19:00

• In Armenia, commander of internal troops dismissed because of March 1, 2008, events

  A number of top officials responsible for the events on March 1, 2008, in Yerevan were dismissed from the law-enforcement system of Armenia. This was reported to the session of the National Assembly by Ovannes Unanyan, deputy commander of the Police of the Republic of Armenia. Among those who lost their post are also the commander of internal troops and his deputy.

March 20, 2009 18:00

• Four suspects of preparing terror act killed in central Makhachkala

  Today in Makhachkala special agents have shelled a car with, presumably, members of a subversive and terrorist group inside, who refused to surrender and opened fire on militiamen.

March 19, 2009 23:40

• Bakradze: Tbilisi is ready to dialogue with Sukhumi and Tskhinvali

  The official Tbilisi is ready to hold dialogue with the leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This was stated by David Bakradze, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, at today's meeting with students and academia of the Iliya Chavchavadze State University.

March 19, 2009 23:30

• Allocation of land plots temporarily stopped in Sochi

  Acting Mayor of Sochi Anatoly Pakhomov, who is in this post from January 20, has announced a temporary moratorium on allocation of land plots for real estate construction, including dwelling houses, having accused bureaucrats of corruption.

March 19, 2009 23:10

• Casualties of combat collision in Kabardino-Balkaria identified

  The personalities of today's casualties of the combat collision in the city of Baksan, Kabardino-Balkaria, have been established. A criminal case was initiated on the fact of rendering armed resistance to militiamen under the articles of "Illegal storage of arms" and "Attempt on life of a law enforcer".

March 19, 2009 23:00

• Moscow court satisfies two claims of Dubrovka victims

  The Zamoskvoretskiy Court of Moscow has ruled to pay out some 130,000 roubles under two claims lodged by the victims of the terror act in Dubrovka against plundering hostages' belongings. However, the defence was dissatisfied with the ruling and plans to appeal against it.

March 19, 2009 22:00

• Defendants in Nalchik attack case challenge the head of prosecution group

  Today, at the hearings about the attack on power structures in Kabardino-Balkaria, the defendants have petitioned challenge to Olga Chibinyova, head of the prosecution group, under the motive that this employee of the prosecutor's office "did everything to protract the trial not to admit formation of the board of jurymen."

March 19, 2009 21:10

• North Ossetia commemorates victims of 1999 terror act

  Today, people in North Ossetia paid tribute to the victims of the explosion in the Central Marketplace of Vladikavkaz in 1999. Then, as a result of a terror act, 54 persons were lost, more than 80 were wounded.

March 19, 2009 21:00

• CEM&DT head: Azerbaijani referendum cannot be regarded democratic

  Anar Mamedli, head of the Centre for Election Monitoring and Democracy Training (CEM&DT), told journalists today that violations and deficiencies in the course of the referendum held on March 18 in Azerbaijan evidence it failed to meet European practice and cannot be regarded free and democratic.

March 19, 2009 20:00

• In Ingushetia, human rights activists give different estimates to militants' amnesty

  Ingush human rights activists find the intention of Ingushetia's authorities to hold peaceful dialogue with militants' helpers to be a stabilizing factor and think that the amnesty is necessary. At the same time, they assess the system of "pardoning", offered by the authorities, as difficult to implement and inefficient.

March 19, 2009 19:00

• Alekseeva: although roundtable in Dagestan was a "lumpy pancake" the dialogue should be continued

  The meeting of the head of Dagestan Mukhu Aliev with Russian human rights defenders and members of the Commission of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation for Interethnic Relations and Freedom of Conscience on March 10, as well as subsequent public hearings, was not senseless; the time will define the effect thereof. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Liudmila Alekseeva, chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group.

March 19, 2009 18:00

• Gulashvili: Georgian Times to restart soon

  The Georgian Times newspaper suspended by journalists because of pressure exerted by Georgian authorities will soon be restarted. Its owner Malkhaz Gulashvili has promised to go on criticizing the incumbent authorities in the pages of his media.

March 18, 2009 23:30

• In Armenia, opposition discusses putting political prisoners on electoral list

  The Armenian National Congress (ANC) is discussing the issue of participation of political prisoners in elections of deputies of the Yerevan City Council. Armand Musinyan, press secretary of the ANC, has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it.

March 18, 2009 23:00

• Georgia gives refugee status to Sergeant Glukhov

  Alexander Glukhov, Junior Sergeant of the Russian Army, who ran away from his unit deployed in South Ossetia, was awarded in Georgia a refugee status and all the privileges as stipulated by the Georgian legislation. This was stated by Shota Utiashvili, official spokesman of Georgia's MIA.

March 18, 2009 22:30

• Parliament of Armenia gives legal interpretation of the term "mass disorders"

  On March 18, the National Assembly of Armenia adopted, by overwhelming majority of votes, in the second reading, amendments to Articles of the Criminal Code No. 225 "On Mass Disorders" and No. 300 "On Power Usurpation".

March 18, 2009 22:10

• Gachechiladze: cement factories in Abkhazia will result in ecological catastrophe

  The construction of cement factories in Abkhazia, announced this February will have catastrophic consequences for the Abkhazian coastal line. This was reported by Georgiy Gachechiladze, leader of the Green Party of Georgia, to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

March 18, 2009 22:00

• Charges dropped from Georgians detained in South Ossetia

  The authorities of South Ossetia have dismissed all the charges from the citizens of Georgia, detained in Tskhinvali by the Republic's law enforcement bodies in late February for illegal crossing the border.

March 18, 2009 21:00

• Oppositional paper closed in Georgia

  After a search of the son of Malkhaz Gulashvili, owner of the oppositional newspaper Georgian Times, published in the Georgian language, which was treated by the publisher as "psychological terror" by Georgian authorities, the edition was stopped.

March 18, 2009 20:00

• Azerbaijani opposition challenges voter turnout at referendum

  Ali Akhmedov, executive secretary of the party in power "New Azerbaijan", has stated that the high voter turnout at the referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Azerbaijan is an evidence of people's support of the amendments.

March 18, 2009 19:00

• Incident of kidnapping in Chechnya was a feign

  The information about kidnapping of the resident of the Grozny District of Chechnya, who had earlier worked as inspector, was not confirmed. It was found out that the incident was staged (feigned) with the aim to conceal a woman's murder.