Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of July 14-20

International Film Festival "Golden Apricot" in Yerevan; murder of KChR's MP Mukhamed Kunizhev; accusation against journalist Mirkadirov of transferring military secrets to Armenian NGOs, announced byAzerbaijan special services, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of July 14-20, 2014, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Armenia International Film Festival "Golden Apricot" passed with halls packed

On July 13-20, Yerevan hosted the 11th International Film Festival "Golden Apricot", where 70 films from 95 countries were presented in the traditional four contest programmes – feature films, documentaries, "Armenian Panorama" and "Kernel" (short films). The Festival's Grand Prix in the category of "Feature Films" was awarded to the film "Plemya" (Tribe) by the Ukrainian film director Miroslav Slaboshpitskiy. The spectators of the "Golden Apricot" watched more than 200 films – the Festival was a great success; all the halls were packed during the event.

Krasnodar Territory: LDPR nominee is the first registered candidate for Sochi Mayor

On July 19, Alexei Bochkarev, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), was registered as a candidate for the Mayor of Sochi, who will be elected on September 14. The Election Commission is considering applications of two more candidates – Igor Vasiliev, the leader of the local branch of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), and Anton Kirichenko, the nominee of the "Patriots of Russia" Party. Applications can be submitted until July 30. Now the Mayoralty of Sochi is headed by Anatoly Pakhomov, who was elected to the post on April 26, 2009.

KChR: local MP Mukhamed Kunizhev shot dead

On July 15, in the village of Psyzh, Abaza District of the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR), the 41-year-old Mukhamed Kunizhev, a member of the republic's parliament, was shot dead, when playing football at the local stadium. Kunizhev claimed a mandate of the MP of the National Assembly of the fifth convocation to be elected on September 14. Two locals are suspected of the killing, who, according to some sources, had a conflict with the MP related to land issues.

Azerbaijan: special services accuse journalist Mirkadirov of delivering military secrets to Armenian NGOs

In Azerbaijan, on July 15, the court ruled to extend the arrest of Rauf Mirkadirov, an observer of the Russian-language newspaper "Zerkalo" (Mirror) by four months. On July 16, the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) and the Ministry of National Security (MNS) of Azerbaijan issued a message detailing the charges against the journalist. It states that there are grounds to prosecute Mirkadirov for collaborating with special services of Armenia and delivering the information prejudicial to the national security of Azerbaijan to them. The journalist's advocates have denied the charges and claimed a violation of the presumption of innocence in relation to their client.

Abkhazia: CEC registers four candidates for presidency

On July 14, the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Abkhazia registered four presidential candidates, who will run for the post at the early election (after resignation of Alexander Ankvab) scheduled for August 24, namely: Mirab Kishmariya, the Acting Defence Minister; Leonid Dzapshba, the former Interior Minister; Aslan Bjaniya, the Acting Head of the Security Service of Abkhazia; and Raul Khajimba, the leader of the "Forum of National Unity of Abkhazia". Beslan Eshba, the Former Deputy Prime Minister was denied registration based on the conclusion of the linguistic commission of his knowledge of the state language.

Stavropol Territory: investigators close again the case against Deputy Kalugin, while prosecutors find decision unlawful

During the last week it became known that investigators in the Stavropol Territory closed the criminal case against Valery Kalugin, a Deputy of the Territorial Duma, who, according to the investigation, in 2012 knocked down a pedestrian to death by his car. The additional inquiry that the Prosecutor's Office had demanded gave no results; and the case was closed again due to lack of the offense in Kalugin's actions, stated the Investigating Department for the Territory of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF). However, the Prosecutor's Office has again disagreed with the decision and re-sent the case back for further additional investigation.