News

February 23, 2011 23:00

• Georgian Labourites protest against sending military instructors to Afghanistan

  The decision of the Parliament of Georgia to send eleven artillery officers to Afghanistan as instructors for local servicemen has caused protest of the Labour Party, which believes that Georgian troops should not serve there. Meanwhile, Tengiz Gogotishvili, head of the NATO Information Centre in Georgia, is strongly objecting and states that Georgia is interested in Afghanistan's stabilization.

February 23, 2011 22:20

• Count of flu casualties in Georgia reaches 25

  As of February 23, 25 persons died from flu in Georgia, as reported the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Most of them died from H1N1 virus.

February 23, 2011 22:10

• Teplischev states there are proofs of Astrakhan Mayor's involvement in dubious land deals

  The Astrakhan independent journalist Oleg Teplischev has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he possesses plenty of documents confirming involvement of the Astrakhan Mayor Sergey Bozhenov in seizure of land plots and further awarding them to his relatives. Valentin Bogdan, lawyer of the movement "For Human Rights", talks about a possible links between the incident with Deputy Shabanov and the journalist's investigation. Bozhenov has not yet commented Teplischev's statements, while Shabanov insists that it was the journalist who had attacked him.

February 23, 2011 22:00

• Ingushetia holds ceremonies dated to 67th anniversary of deportation

  In Ingushetia, where today they commemorate victims of the total deportation of Ingush nationals to Middle Asia and Kazakhstan in 1944; several hundreds of persons took part in a nationwide rally that took place near the Memorial Complex to Victims of Political Repressions.

February 23, 2011 21:30

• Adygea holds rally in defence of civil rights

  About 200 citizens of the republic, mainly Maikop residents, gathered to hold a rally in the central square of the city.

February 23, 2011 21:00

• Chechen authorities launch website on 1944 deportation

  A new website named "Never-to-be-forgotten" appeared on the Internet; its topics are the issues relating to Stalin's deportation. The site was launched by the Archive Department of the Chechen Government and the Committee on Youth Matters with the support of the republic's parliament. It took them about four months to start a new web portal; and its database already keeps 60,000 deportees' personal files.

February 23, 2011 20:00

• Issa Khashagulgov, resident of Ingushetia, suspected of two terror acts

  On February 22, the Lefortovo District Court held a session on the case of Issa Khashagulgov. Judge Alexander Rybak extended his custody till May 25, 2011. The prosecution believes that Khashagulgov was involved in the terror act in Vladikavkaz in September 2010; his relatives insist on his innocence.

February 23, 2011 19:00

• Action of nationalists held in Moscow, unregistered by militia

  According to unofficial sources, several dozens of young men have organized a march today in the afternoon in the Izmailovo Park and shouted nationalist slogans. The militia has not confirmed this information yet.

February 23, 2011 18:00

• "Russian March" held in Volgograd

  At midday on February 23, the "Russian March", sanctioned by the authorities, started from the House of Culture "Metroelectrotrans" in Volgograd. The main slogan of Volgograd nationalists was: "Down with Corruption and Russophobia in Governmental Bodies!"

February 22, 2011 23:50

• Five power agents wounded in the Kabardino-Balkaria

  Five law enforcers received gunshot wounds of varying gravity in the course of a clash with suspected militants in Kabardino-Balkaria.

February 22, 2011 23:40

• US criticize Georgia for attempts of rapprochement with North-Caucasian republics

  According to General James Clapper, Director of the US National Intelligence Service, the latest steps of the official Tbilisi towards the nations of Northern Caucasus is a factor that could increase the tension in the region.

February 22, 2011 23:20

• Resident of Nakhichevan complains of lawlessness of the NAR's MIA

  Nadir Mamedov, a resident of Nakhichevan, said that he was forced to leave the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) because of police pressure. This statement was made at a press conference on February 21 in Baku in the office of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS). The NAR's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) denied putting any pressure on Mamedov.

February 22, 2011 23:10

• Verkhovskiy: trial on Markelov and Baburova will be long and scandalous

  The litigation on the murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova will be long and scandalous, since it has caused resonance in the ultra-right-wing environment. This is the forecast of Alexander Verkhovskiy, director of the "Sova" Information-Analytical Centre.

February 22, 2011 23:00

• Activists of "Beslan Mothers" meet Medvedev

  Today, members of the Association of Victims of Terror Acts "Beslan Mothers" had a meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, who came to Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, to hold a sitting of the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC).

February 22, 2011 23:00

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

  Assassination of tourists, collapse of ropeway and miraculously prevented terror act have called into question the tourist attractiveness of the Elbrus region; however, prospects of another ski resort - the pre-Olympic Sochi - continue gaining momentum; "Edinaya Rossiya" failed to find any "fresh" candidates for heading Chechnya; refugees' active protests in Georgia brought ownership rights to them, - look these and other events in the review of the week of February 14-20, 2011, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

February 22, 2011 22:00

• In Sochi, resettlement from places of Olympic construction to be completed by summer

  Sochi now sees the final phase of building new residential districts for resettlers from the places where future Olympic objects will appear. About half of the families agreed to the governmental compensations. Most of them hold their housewarming parties; some of the settlers preferred to receive money. However, some citizens still refuse to sign agreements, finding compensation amounts to be inadequate.

February 22, 2011 21:00

• Dagestan: shopkeeper shot dead, local residents report

  According to one of local residents, an owner of the shop selling alcohol was assassinated in a suburb of Makhachkala; however, the Dagestani Ministry of Internal Affairs did not confirm this information.

February 22, 2011 20:00

• When in Vladikavkaz, Medvedev called to fight Internet-based extremism

  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has noted, when speaking at the sitting of the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC), held in Vladikavkaz, said that fight against extremists on the Internet, including religious ones, should be waged by creating special resources.

February 22, 2011 19:00

• "Caucasian Knot" correspondents were not admitted to Khashagulgov's trial

  Today, before the court session on the case of Issa Khashagulgov, a resident of Ingushetia accused of possessing weapons, at the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow, journalists of the "Caucasian Knot" Lydia Mikhalchenko and Ekaterina Seleznyova, as well as defendants' relatives, were not let into the courtroom without presenting any legal grounds.

February 22, 2011 18:00

• Patriarchate of Georgian Orthodox Church provides residence to refugees

  In Georgia, the IDPs (internally displaced persons), who had been picketing the Ministry for Refugees' Matters and Accommodation for five months, have moved into the temporary residence provided to them by the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church.