News

May 17, 2010 23:00

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of May 10-16

  Human rights are still trampled on in the south of Russia and Southern Caucasus; Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists fail to reach information armistice; Georgia and Azerbaijan suffer from calamities; investigation reports establishment of organizers of Moscow metro terror acts; house restoration stopped in South Ossetia; co-chairs of Geneva debates visit the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian conflict zones, - look up these and other events in the review of the week of May 10-16, 2010, in the Caucasian regions prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

May 17, 2010 23:00

• Khloponin: Russia should perceive Northern Caucasus as its strategic region

  Vice-Premier Alexander Khloponin, Plenipotentiary of Russian President in the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD), believes that Russia should form its attitude to the Caucasus as to country's strategic region.

May 17, 2010 22:00

• Human rights activists find the idea of independent NCFD Ombudsman "unripe"

  The issue of potential appointment of Ombudsman in the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) may be raised at the nearest meeting of Russian President with human rights defenders to take place on May 19, said Valentin Gefter, a member of the Board at the President of the Russian Federation for Promotion of Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights. In his opinion, we need a certain concept on how to address the problem of human rights observance in Northern Caucasus; however, the idea of NCFD Ombudsman, according to his version, is under-formulated and under-discussed. Other human rights activists partly agree.

May 17, 2010 21:00

• In Vladikavkaz, picketers try drawing attention to "Electrozink" problems

  In the capital of North Ossetia, members of the initiative group "Electrozink. What we breathe in?" at the website "Odnoklassniki.Ru" are holding a picket trying to draw public attention to the court decision on suspending the work of the "Electrozink" Factory.

May 17, 2010 20:00

• Militiaman suspected of excess of powers when in Chechnya detained in Primorski Krai

  Igor Ivanchenko, head of public safety militia of the OVD (Interior Division) of the Arseniev City District, Primorski Krai, was put behind bars after a criminal case was opened against him under Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for excess of official powers in 2007, when he was sent to official service trip to Chechnya.

May 17, 2010 19:00

• Case of attack on Nalchik will be further proceeded by professional judges

  In session of the trial on the case of attack on Nalchik, the court dismissed the petition of the majority of defendants and their advocates on passing the case to the Supreme Court for the jury trial. The Court finds that the failure to form an objective and impartial panel of judges does not give the court grounds for granting this petition.

May 17, 2010 18:00

• In Grozny the abducted young man was released after being tortured, a human rights activist informs

  Resident of Staropromyslovsky district of the capital city of Chechnya, abducted by unidentified security forces members on the morning of 13 May was released the same evening. For hours, the young man was severely beaten and tortured. The MIA in Grozny refused to comment on this information.

May 15, 2010 23:00

• In Georgia, electoral commission staff signs Code of Ethics

  Today in Georgia, the members of electoral administrations and employees of constituency and local electoral commissions all over the country simultaneously signed the Code of Ethics, having undertaken to strictly observe the electoral legislation at execution of their professional duties. In total, the document now has 48,064 signatories.

May 15, 2010 22:00

• Ten oppositional protesters arrested in Azerbaijan

  In the capital of Azerbaijan, 13 participants of today's protest action of the oppositional block "Azadlyg" were administratively punished late at night. Ten of them were sentenced to 7-10 days of administrative arrest, the rest three were fined.

May 15, 2010 20:00

• Russian President slates Vasily Golubev to Governor of Rostov Region

  Today, President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev has brought Vasily Golubev, his nominee to the post of local Governor, for consideration of the Legislative Assembly of the Rostov Region.

May 15, 2010 20:00

• Two persons killed by shelling in Dagestan

  As reported by the MIA of Dagestan, at night on May 15 in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, unidentified persons opened automatic fire on a car and killed two persons.

May 15, 2010 18:00

• In Tbilisi, police forbids lawyers to put their tent at the Parliament

  In Tbilisi, the police did not allow the lawyers holding a rally to put their tent in front of the building of the Parliament. As reported by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent from the place of events, policemen arrived in several minutes after the lawyers started installing their tent and stopped their activities.

May 15, 2010 17:00

• In Baku, police disperses picket of oppositional block "Azadlyg"

  Today in capital of Azerbaijan, policemen prevented a protest action of the opposition and detained its participants.

May 15, 2010 16:00

• Well-known blogger detained in Moscow

  Blogger Alaudin Dudko, known in the Internet under the nick ingushetiya_ru, is in Butyrka SIZO (pre-trial prison) as a suspect of storing drugs and explosives. Dudko treats it as provocation.

May 15, 2010 14:00

• South Ossetia marks the Mother Tongue Day

  Today, the Republic of South Ossetia marks the Day of the Ossetian Language. Tskhinvali and regional capitals held celebratory actions.

May 15, 2010 11:00

• Khloponin: no need to return CTO to NCFD

  Alexander Khloponin, Russian Vice-Premier and President's Plenipotentiary for the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD), sees no need to return the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime to the territory of the District.

May 15, 2010 10:00

• Armenia starts international comic strips festival

  From May 14 on, in capital of Armenia has launched the Second International Festival of Comic Strips. Their cartoon stories are presented by 20 well-known masters from France, Italy, Russia and the United States.

May 15, 2010 07:00

• Tskhinvali has problems with water supply

  For several days already the population of Tskhinvali has been experiencing difficulties with water supply. Experts of the united on duty-dispatch service of the government of South Ossetia strain efforts to eliminate failures at the water line caused by heavy rains in the mountains.

May 14, 2010 23:50

• Resident of Makhachkala complains against the securities officials who performed special operation in her house

  Today, a resident of Makhachkala Aziza Akhmedulayeva approached with a letter to the heads of security forces in Dagestan, Vice-Premier of Dagestan Rizvan Kurbanov, and Commissioner for human rights in Dagestan Umupazil Omarova, to make an official investigation into preparation of special operation on May 8.

May 14, 2010 23:40

• At trial over Fatulleyev held in Azerbaijan statements of prosecution witnesses concluded

  In the Garadag district court of Baku, at a trial of the earlier sentenced journalist Eynulla Fatullayev who is charged with drug possession this time, the statements of prosecution witnesses concluded. As it was reported by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, evidences were given by the convicts of prison colony No12 where Fatullayev is serving time. Witness Orudge Bairamov has stated that in the colony Fatullayev allegedly confessed him to using drugs during his service in the army.