Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of August 5-11

Five years after start of August 2008 events in South Ossetia; Muslims celebrate 'Id al-Fitr; arrest of Karachaevsk Mayor; death of militant leader of Kabardino-Balkaria; oral hearing at trial on flood in Krymsk; explosion at the police building in Volgograd; a major road accident with passenger bus in the Stavropol Territory, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of August 5-11, 2013, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

South Ossetia: five years after August 2008 warfare

Five years ago a fight broke out of Georgia against South Ossetia, referred now by historians "August events"; they ended with Russia's recognition of independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and break of Georgian-Russian diplomatic relations. South Ossetia held various actions dated to the events – commemoration rallies, laying wreaths to monument to fallen soldiers, roundtables and exhibitions. At one of these events, political analysts from South Ossetia stated that the interpretation of the August events as a Russian-Georgian conflict creates a terminological confusion and puts South Ossetia outside the conflict.

In their turn, authorities of Georgia and Russia declared, on the eve of the anniversary of the events of August 2008, their efforts to improve bilateral relations and the conditions under which this is possible. The Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev insisted on Georgia's recognition of its guilt at the beginning of the war, while the Georgian Minister of Justice Teya Tsulukiani indicated the violation of the territorial integrity of her country. Observers in Georgia have concluded that real peace in bilateral relations is still far away.

Muslims of Southern Russia and Northern Caucasus celebrate Eid al-Fitr'

On August 8, Muslims of Southern and Northern Caucasus, as well as believers in other regions, began celebrating Eid al-Fitr (Uraza-Bayram). In Azerbaijan, Chechnya, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria, the days-off lasted till August 11. InMoscow, according to different sources, from 149 to 180 thousand people took part in celebrating the holiday. As reported by the Council of Muftis of Russia, the number of those who celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Moscow has gone up. Sources from Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAMs) of Southern Russia and Northern Caucasus note that the number of Muslims who observe the fasting of Ramadan, which ends with Eid al-Fitr, has also increased.

Karachay-Cherkessia: Karachaevsk Mayor removed from office and put into custody

On August 8, investigators decided to detain the Mayor Karachaevsk Soltan Semyonov, who was on federal wanted list on the fact of misuse of budget funds, and who himself appeared for questioning. On August 9, the Cherkessk City Court satisfied the investigator's motion, removed Semenov from office and arrested him for two months. As stated by Andrei Ostroukhov, Semyonov's advocate, at the court session, the criminal case against the Mayor of Karachaevsk is of customized and political nature.

Kabardino-Balkaria: local militant leader Fakov assassinated

At midnight on August 7, inNalchik, in the micro-district named "Alexandrovka", two traffic policemen tried to stop a Lada Priora car for inspection. The people inside opened fire. One of the policemen was wounded and later died in hospital. The response fire shot dead four persons who were in the car. Security officials later reported that the leader of the underground of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia was among them. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Kabardino-Balkaria, it was Khasanbi Fakov, the local leader of the armed underground. Militants have confirmed the death of Fakov and his wife Irina Ortanova in Nalchik.

Krasnodar Territory: parties' arguments are over at the trial on flood in Krymsk

The Abinsk District Court of the KrasnodarTerritory has held debates on charges of negligence and service forgery during the flood in Krymsk in July 2012. On August 6, the court listened to the prosecutor, who demanded conviction to real terms in a settlement-colony for three defendants – Vasily Krutsko, the former head of the Krymsk District; Vladimir Ulanovskiy, the ex-Mayor of Krymsk; and Viktor Zhdanov, the Acting Head of the District Department for Disaster Prevention and Civil Protection. Besides, he demanded to sentence Irina Ryabchenko, the former head of the Nizhnebakansk rural settlement, conditionally. On August 7, the court listened to the defence – the advocates said that the guilt of former officials had not been proved; thus, they should be acquitted on all charges.

Volgograd: explosion near police building

On August 7, at 2:30 a.m. Moscow time, an explosive device was triggered near the office building of the special battalion of the Road-and-Post Service (known as DPS) of Volgograd in the Kirov District of the city. At 4:20 a.m., an on duty officer, while examining the service car park of the similar battalion in the Voroshilov District of Volgograd, detected another bomb, which was defused by OMON (riot police) experts. Nobody was killed or wounded. Investigators have not yet voiced the versions of the explosions. Local activists do not exclude a possible association with the upcoming visit of President Vladimir Putin to Volgograd at night on August 24 for taking part in the bike show, and also indicate that law enforcement bodies had failed to take proper lessons after explosions on April 26, 2011, when two blasts occurred in Volgograd: outside the gates of the city GIBDD (traffic police) and at the gym of the local MIA. Nobody was hurt then, but the explosions caused destructions.

Stavropol Territory: major road accident with passenger bus

At night on August 6, on the road Kropotkin-Novoalexandrovsk, near the village of Yuzhny in the StavropolTerritory, a passenger bus running on the route "Adler-Stavropol" got overturned. It was initially reported about one casualty and 17 persons hospitalized as a result of an accident. However, under the update of the local Ministry for Emergencies (MfE), in total, 31 passengers of the bus were taken to the NovoalexandrovskDistrictHospital; of whom 17 people, including three children, were hospitalized. A criminal case was opened under the article "Violation of traffic rules and vehicle operation, entailing a human death". The basic version as to the reason of the accident refers to the excess of travel speed permissible for this road section and adverse weather conditions – the road was wet with rain.