News

February 23, 2024 17:53

• Chechens from Aukh warned about inadmissibility of unsanctioned actions

  On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Vainakhs' deportation during the Great Patriotic War (WW II), Muslim commemoration rites will be held in the Novolaksky District of Dagestan, the public organization "Aukh" has informed. It its turn, the local prosecutor's office has warned the organizers that it is inadmissible to hold any unsanctioned actions, including rallies and pickets.

February 22, 2024 23:17

• Student from Adygea fined for discrediting Russian Army

  A court in Maykop has fined a student by 30,000 roubles for her comments in a social network "about the negative nature of using the Russian Armed Forces" during the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.

February 22, 2024 21:06

• Human rights defenders in Northern Caucasus call Oleg Orlov* “hope of Russia”

  The court agreed to include in the case on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces instituted against Oleg Orlov*, the co-chair of the “Memorial” Centre for Defence of Human Rights, the character reference letters in which human rights defenders from Chechnya and Kabardino-Balkaria pointed out the importance of his activities to respect human rights in Northern Caucasus.

February 22, 2024 20:20

• Lawyers dispute on proportionality of punishment requested for Zhuravel for burning Koran

  The punishment of 3.5 years in a penal colony, requested by the prosecutor for Nikita Zhuravel, a native of Volgograd, accused of burning the Koran, is severe by the standards of the Russian law enforcement practice; and the prosecution has incorrectly qualified the defendant's actions, Alexander Verkhovsky believes.

February 22, 2024 18:57

• Law enforcers warn Ingush activists against taking part in unsanctioned actions

  In Ingushetia, law enforcers have invited local activists for prophylactic talks and served them warnings against taking part in extremist and unsanctioned actions, a source has informed.

February 22, 2024 15:42

• Kabardino-Balkarian resident’s case on discrediting Russian Army brought to court again

  In Chegem, a court returned to the police an administrative protocol on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces drawn up against Murat Kyagov due to violations.

February 21, 2024 23:21

• On February 12-18, 2024, three people were killed and policeman wounded in armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

  During the week from February 12 to 18, 2024, during the ongoing armed conflict in Northern Caucasus, four persons were shot dead: three alleged militants were killed and a policeman was wounded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

February 21, 2024 22:16

• Blogger Nozdrinov's advocate claims ignoring defence's arguments by court

  The arguments that the defence of Alexander Nozdrinov, a Krasnodar blogger, brought in the appeal were ignored, said Alexei Avanesyan, his advocate.

February 21, 2024 21:57

• Human rights defender Nagavkin accuses SIZO administration of illegal detention in solitary confinement

  At a court hearing in a case on disorganization of the operation of a SIZO (pre-trial prison), Igor Nagavkin, a human rights defender from Volgograd, complained being illegally kept in solitary confinement for more than 40 days.

February 21, 2024 21:09

• Sochi residents outraged by law enforcers’ behaviour near memorial to Alexei Navalny*

  Residents of Sochi brought flowers to the spontaneous memorial to Alexei Navalny* at the monument to the victims of political repression to express their grief, but the police regularly cleared the monument of flowers, a local activist has expressed his indignation.

February 21, 2024 19:54

• Political analysts voice meaning of actions in memory of Alexei Navalny* for Southern Russia and countries of Caucasus

  In Southern Russia, law enforcers are suppressing the laying of flowers in memory of Alexei Navalny* and persecuting activists, although the law does not prohibit such citizens’ actions, lawyers point out.

February 21, 2024 17:50

• Public prosecutor requests 3.5 years of imprisonment for Nikita Zhuravel, accused of burning Koran

  A public prosecutor has requested the Visaitovsky District Court of Grozny to find Nikita Zhuravel, who burned the Koran, guilty of violating the right to religion and hooliganism and sentence him to three years and six months of imprisonment in a penal colony. That has been reported by the “Chechnya Segodnya” (Chechnya Today) news agency with reference to public prosecutor Milana Baitaeva.

February 21, 2024 16:19

• Blogger Askhabali Alibekov arrested for 15 days for disobeying police

  A court in Kazan has arrested Askhabali Alibekov, a native of Dagestan and the author of the YouTube channel "Wild Paratrooper", for 15 days. An ambulance was called to his trial because of a suspected brain concussion.

February 20, 2024 21:14

• Lawyers stress PO's right to challenge the appointment of Kadyrov's son to ministerial post

  The Civil Service Law provides for the need for higher education in order to hold the position of minister; the Prosecutor's Office (PO) can eliminate the discrepancy on their own initiative or at citizens' request. Lawyers stated this when commenting on the appointment of Akhmat Kadyrov to the post of Minister of Youth Affairs.

February 20, 2024 19:46

• Police reports about prophylactic talks with participants in Navalny's commemoration

  Policemen have conducted prophylactic talks with 14 residents of Vladikavkaz, who, in memory of Alexei Navalny, tried to lay flowers at the memorial to victims of political repressions.

February 20, 2024 18:59

• Defence of suspects of setting fire to military commissariat in Kuban hopes for leniency

  The employee of the military commissariat (registration and enlistment office) in the town of Goryachy Klyuch, Krasnodar Territory, interrogated in the case of the building arson, has failed to confirm any significant damage caused to the commissariat by fire. This gives hope for the mitigation of charges against Boris Goncharenko and Bogdan Abdurakhmanov, their advocate has stated.

February 20, 2024 18:57

• Kuban resident fined for evading military service

  The court has sentenced Vladimir Barzykin, a resident of the town of Korenovsk, the Krasnodar Territory (also known as Kuban by the name of the main river) to a fine, finding him guilty of evading military service.

February 20, 2024 18:09

• Lawyers assess chances of returning rioters' case to Dagestan

  The transfer of the case of five Makhachkala rioters to Krasnodar Territory can be challenged, but success is unlikely, lawyers have indicated. Many residents of Dagestan sympathize with the defendants, but refrain from public support, Magomed Magomedov, a journalist, and Shamil Khadulaev, an activist, have informed.

February 20, 2024 17:49

• Court refuses to commute sentence of journalist Alexander Nozdrinov in fake case

  The Krasnodar Territorial Court has upheld the sentence of Alexander Nozdrinov, a journalist and blogger, sentenced to 8.5 years in jail for spreading fake news about the Russian Army, the human rights project "OVD Info"* has informed.

February 19, 2024 23:16

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of February 12-18, 2024

  Death of Alexei Navalny* and Caucasus, shooting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, reshuffles in government bodies and a shootout in Chechnya, 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 February 12-18, 2024, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.