News

March 30, 2011 23:00

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of March 21-27

  Strong winds in Kuban (Krasnodar Territory) left hospitals, kindergartens and schools without roofs; in Ingushetia, opposition Khazbiev, sentenced to administrative arrest, was released after Evkurov's interference; in central Yerevan public set up a tent for Ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, who is on hunger strike for the second week, - look these and other events in the review of the week of March 21-27, 2011, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

March 30, 2011 22:50

• Georgia hosts action with demand to release detained oppositionists

  A number of NGOs have held an action in Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi with a demand to release the opposition activists, who spoke in support of Georgian prisoners and were detained on March 25.

March 30, 2011 22:20

• In Rostov Region, Jehovah's Witness states illegal interrogation of her minor children

  As stated by Olga Petkevich, a resident of the village of Leninskiy, Matveyev-Kurgan District of Rostov Region, the principal of the village school and agents of the local ROVD (District Interior Division) questioned her minor children at home, when there were no parents. In her opinion, the reason for interrogation could be in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which she has started confessing recently. On the other hand, the inspector on minors' matters said that the check was organized, because the children often miss classes at school.

March 30, 2011 22:10

• Records, where figurants of Markelov's murder case discuss their weapons, made public at trial

  At the Moscow City Court, where the murder case of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova is considered, prosecutors have released the bugging record, made in the flat leased by the defendants shortly before their detention. They discussed their impressive arsenal - numerous pistols and submachine guns, and the course of investigation into the murders of Markelov and Baburova.

March 30, 2011 22:00

• In Armenia, Raffi Ovannisyan stops his hunger strike

  Today, after 16 days of hunger strike, Raffi Ovannisyan, leader of the Armenian oppositional "Heritage" Party stopped his protest action. The politician said that now he intends to continue his struggle for realization of his demands by other methods.

March 30, 2011 20:00

• Yandiev brothers suspected of committing the act of terror in "Domodedovo" brought to the capital of North Osetia

  Two brothers, Islam and Ilez Yandiev detained in Ingushetia, suspected of involvement in the act of terror in the Moscow airport "Domodedovo" are currently in Vladikavkaz.

March 30, 2011 19:00

• The gunmen of Kabardino-Balkaria did not respond to their parents' call to surrender

  None of the gunmen of Kabardino-Balkaria has yet expressed a desire to go to law enforcement agencies as self-reported criminals in response to a call of a group of residents of Baksan district to lay down arms of their own free will.

March 30, 2011 18:00

• Kagermanov: conflict with Khasavov has no connection with Chechen writer's creative work

  Ahmat Kagermanov representing the Kagermanovs clan in Moscow states that the incident which took place on February, 28, in Tverskaya street had no connection with the creative work of young Chechen writer Arslan Khasavov.

March 29, 2011 23:40

• Azerbaijani public figures demand to stop attacks on journalists

  Baku hosted a forum in support of the freedom of the press. Representatives of the free press and the civil society of Azerbaijan demanded to find and punish the perpetrators of the attack on the observer of the "Azadlyg" (Freedom) newspaper Seimur Khaziev.

March 29, 2011 23:30

• Prosecutor's Office of Ingushetia interrogates journalist Chapanov on article about kidnappings

  Vakha Chapanov, head of the Information-Analytical Agency "Maximum", was summoned on 24 March to the Prosecutor's Office of Ingushetia. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent learnt about it from Mr Chapanov himself.

March 29, 2011 23:10

• In Moscow, people lay flowers at Lubyanka and Park Kultury metro stations

  Hundreds of people are bringing flowers to the places of explosion at the Lubyanka and Park Kultury metro stations. A few minutes after the stations were opened the tables set up for the purpose were in fact covered with red carnations, lilies, roses and chrysanthemums. Now, people are just laying flowers on the granite floor.

March 29, 2011 23:10

• Arrest of suspects of involvement in terror act at "Domodedovo" Airport extended

  The Basmanny Court of Moscow has extended by two months the custody of Ahmed and Fatima Evloev, brother and sister of the suicide bomber, who exploded the "Domodedovo" Airport; they are suspected of complicity in commission of the terror act.

March 29, 2011 23:00

• Records of conversations of suspects in Markelov-Baburova case read out at trial

  The process on the murder case of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova has heard excerpts from the records of tapping of the apartment of the accused Nikita Tikhonov and Evgenia Khasis. According to the prosecution, this material, evidence against the defendants, while the defence believes that the evidence is insufficient.

March 29, 2011 23:00

• In Krasnodar Territory, Prosecutor's Office checks the school where teacher died from TB

  The Prosecutor's Office is conducting a check in connection with the incident in a school of the city of Belorechensk, Krasnodar Territory, where a woman-teacher of physical culture died from tuberculosis (TB). The check should clear out why the fatally sick teacher had taught at school for 6 months.

March 29, 2011 22:50

• Umarov was not identified among militants liquidated in Ingushetia

  According to a high-ranking source from power structures, no remains of Dokku Umarov, one of the leaders of North-Caucasian militants, were found so far among the militants liquidated in the operation of Russian secret services on March 28.

March 29, 2011 22:40

• Day of Anger, April 12, to be held in three cities of Rostov Region

  As announced by Vladislav Ryazantsev, coordinator of the Left-Wing Front, actions on the Day of Anger are scheduled on April 12 in Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog and Shakhty.

March 29, 2011 22:30

• North Ossetia: Beslan resident detained for false call that polyclinic was mined

  In the morning on March 28 employees of the Pravoberezhny ROVD (District Interior Division) of North Ossetia detained the resident of the republic who on March 25 reported to the on duty unit of the Beslan OVD that an explosion device had been planted in the building of the polyclinic.

March 29, 2011 22:20

• Former Sulim Yamadaev's deputy kidnapped by men in masks

  Magomed Taisumov, former deputy of Sulim Yamadaev, commander of the special-purpose GRU battalion "Vostok" (East), assassinated two years ago in Dubai, was beaten at kidnapping.

March 29, 2011 22:10

• Azerbaijani Ombudsperson petitions to transfer Fatullaev to another colony for safety reasons

  Elmira Suleimanova, Ombudsperson in Azerbaijan, has appealed to the Minister of Justice in the context of the alleged threat to journalist Einullah Fatullaev and asked to consider - within the legislation - a possibility to move him to Colony No. 9. However, according to information from the Ministry of Justice, there is no threat to Fatullaev within the local penitentiary system.

March 29, 2011 22:00

• Health condition of Armenian hunger-striker Raffi Ovannisyan is worse, doctors say

  The state of health of the leader of the oppositional "Heritage" Party Raffi Ovannisyan, who is holding, starting from March 15, his hunger strike right in Freedom Square of Yerevan, is causing some concern in doctors; they are persistently urging the protester to stop his action.