News

December 14, 2011 19:00

• The court fined an official in Volgograd for her attempt to involve priests in pre-election campaigning

  Regional Public prosecutor's office reports that magistrate of magistracy No 109 in Volgograd fined to three thousand rubles Deputy Head of Administration of Sovietsky district of the city who asked the priests to campaign the congregation for one of the parties at State Duma election.

December 14, 2011 18:20

• Human rights activist Sergey Basmanov arrested in Sochi went on a hunger strike

  Human rights activist Sergey Basmanov in Sochi who is currently serving administrative arrest for insubordination to the police went on a hunger strike as a sign of protest against the judgment.

December 14, 2011 18:00

• The main version of murder of the officer of Committee of Inquiry in Dagestan is his professional activities

  The investigators consider the officer's professional activities as the main version of murder of Arsen Gajibekov acting as Head of Investigative Department (ID) of Committee of Inquiry of Russia (CIR) in Makhachkala district of Dagestan.

December 13, 2011 22:30

• CEMED: amendments to law on political parties in Azerbaijan are restrictive

  Amendments to the law on parties developed by the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan simply imitate the state support of political organizations and create obstacles to the political activities in the country. This conclusion was made by experts of the Centre for Election Monitoring and Education for Democracy (CEMED). Leaders of the political parties also criticize the amendments to the law; however, the authorities insist on advantages of amendments.

December 13, 2011 22:10

• In Azerbaijan, police suppresses action "Let's read books!"

  In Baku, a group of young activists held an action to raise interest in book reading. Police suppressed gathering of activists.

December 13, 2011 22:10

• Dagestani resident surrenders to militants' adaptation commission

  Three days after the meeting of the Dagestani commission for adaptation of militants, who decided to surrender, to civilian life, a 23-year-old Gasan Kurabekov, one more member of the armed underground, voluntarily surrendered himself to Rizvan Kurbanov, Chairman of the Adaptation Commission, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic's Government.

December 13, 2011 22:00

• Film "A Bitter Taste of Freedom" screened in Moscow is based on unique materials, shot during Anna Politkovskaya's life

  On December 8, in Moscow, the conference hall of the office of "Memorial" at No. 5 Karetny Lane made a show of the film by the well-known documentary filmmaker Marina Goldovskaya "A Bitter Taste of Freedom", dedicated to Anna Politkovskaya, the observer of the "Novaya Gazeta". The film contains unique documentary footage shot during several years of the journalist's life.

December 13, 2011 21:50

• Basmanny Court of Moscow extends arrest of suspect of killing Anna Politkovskaya

  The Basmanny Court of Moscow has decided to extend the arrest of Rustam Makhmudov, the accused in the murder case of Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist of "Novaya Gazeta", till March 7, 2012, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed today at the court.

December 13, 2011 21:40

• On December 5-11, five persons were killed in armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

  During the week of December 5-11, the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus took away at least five human lives; and at least 10 persons were injured. These are the results of calculations of the "Caucasian Knot", based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

December 13, 2011 21:20

• Armenia: main witness changes evidence at trial on death of officer Nazaryan

  On December 13, in Armenia, at the trial dealing with the death of Lieutenant Artak Nazaryan, the main witness Private Arman Mnatsakanyan changed his evidence against what he had said at the preliminary investigation, stating now that the officer died not on July 27, as documented in the case files, but early in the morning on July 26.

December 13, 2011 21:10

• Suspects of blowing up "Neva-Express" train refuse to plead guilty at questioning in court

  The Tver Regional Court, where the trial on blowing up the "Neva-Express" train in 2009 continues, has finished questioning all the ten defendants - natives of the village of Ekazhevo in the Republic of Ingushetia. None of them pled guilty.

December 13, 2011 21:00

• In Moscow, kidnappers of members of Armenian Diaspora found guilty

  The Vidnoe District Court of the Moscow Region has sentenced the figurants in the case of kidnapping of Armenians to 9-17 years in prison.

December 13, 2011 20:40

• Chechen authorities are deporting the constructors who worked in a Turkish company "Penta"

  All the constructors who worked in a Turkish company "Penta" will be sent back home on December, 15. This was reported by Federal Migration Service of Chechnya. According to a representative of the office, all the constructors' problems are settled, however local observers state that unpaid wages still remained.

December 13, 2011 20:30

• A cybercafe for disabled people will be opened in Volgograd

  An action "Social Internet is a space for everyone" is starting in Volgograd. A social cybercafe will be opened within the framework of the action on December, 13.

December 13, 2011 20:20

• Defendant on the case of blasting "Neva-Express" needs an urgent operation, his attorney reports

  During a trial in the district court of Tver on December, 12, witnesses on the case were interrogated. Besides, attorney Musa Pliev reported that defendant Tatarkhan Kartoev needed urgent hospitalization.

December 13, 2011 19:00

• A case of ex-Chief of Traffic Police of Armenia accused of embezzlement referred to court

  The case of Margar Oganyan, ex-Chief of Traffic Police of Armenia, accused of abuse of authority and fund embezzlement on an especially large scale was referred to court. This information came from Prosecutor General's of Armenia.

December 13, 2011 18:00

• Human rights activist Basmanov in Sochi arrested for a five-day's term

  Human rights activist Sergey Basmanov, Director of organization "Protection of the citizen's rights and legal interests" detained in Sochi on December, 10, was arrested and is now in a temporary isolation ward.

December 12, 2011 23:40

• Russian opposition disappointed at Dmitry Medvedev's reaction to protest actions

  Representatives of the oppositional parties have expressed their disappointment at the reaction of President Dmitry Medvedev to protest actions of December 10 against falsifications at the elections.

December 12, 2011 23:10

• Nationalists' torchlight procession held in Volgograd

  In the evening of December 11, a torchlight procession of nationalists was held in Volgograd. The action was dedicated to the anniversary of the events in Manege Square in Moscow after the murder of Yegor Sviridov, a football fan. Young people formed the main part of the procession participants.

December 12, 2011 23:00

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

  Mass protests against rigged elections to Russian Duma held in Moscow, St Petersburg and cities of Southern Russia; resignation of South-Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity on agreement with the opposition; mass poisoning of Nalchik residents; start of trial in Krasnodar Territory of figurants in massacre of 12 persons in the village of Kuschevskaya; promulgation of amendments to the Electoral Code of Georgia, - look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of December 5-11, 2011, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".