News

December 29, 2008 21:00

• The Armenian court hearing on the "Case of Seven" put off till January 9

  In Armenia, judge Mnatsakan Martirosian adjourned the court hearing on the "Case of Seven" and explained his decision by the defendants' contempt of court. In particular, when the judge entered the court room all the seven defendants continued to sit. The next hearing is appointed for January 9.

December 29, 2008 21:00

• Three militiamen to be tried in Stavropol krai

  Three detectives are going to be tried in Kislovodsk, Stavropol krai, for abusing their powers and applying violence with regard to a lawyer. This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent at the press-service of the investigation department under the RF Prosecutor's Office in Stavropol krai.

December 29, 2008 19:00

• Tskhinvali: Georgia accumulates troops on the border with South Ossetia

  Georgian authorities accumulate armored troops at the border with South Ossetia, reports the press-service of the South Ossetia Ministry of Defense.

December 29, 2008 18:00

• Chechen residents held a second meeting against early release of Budanov

  Today, Chechen residents have held a second meeting in Grosny against the grant of parole to former colonel Yuri Budanov convicted for murdering Chechen girl Elza Kungaeva.

December 27, 2008 23:00

• Trial of seven oppositionists suspended in Armenia

  In Armenia, Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan has interrupted a session of the process of seven oppositionists accused of a putsch attempt, having motivated his decision by disrespect for the court allegedly exhibited by the defendants. The following session was appointed on January 9.

December 27, 2008 21:00

• Four suspected militants detained in Dagestan

  On December 26, in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, four suspected participants of illegal armed formations were detained.

December 27, 2008 17:22

• Several families in Chechnya lose their flats for non-payment of municipal bills

  The administration of the capital of Chechnya has launched an active campaign aimed to increase collections for municipal services. In the opinion of Grozny officials, it is the time "to pay in full for the benefits of civilization." Apartment rental agreements are cancelled with those who fail to pay for their flats.

December 27, 2008 15:11

• Spaniards to help Astrakhan Region in using wind energy

  The government of the Astrakhan Region and the LLC "FERSA-Cherkessk", an affiliate of the Spanish Company "Fersa Energias Renovables", have signed a contract on construction of windmills in the Astrakhan Region.

December 27, 2008 13:00

• North Ossetia already has over 20,000 jobless persons

  According to the Republic's Department for Statistics, the number of unemployed persons in North Ossetia has already exceeded 20,000, as Rimma Gutieva, chair of the Republic's trade union organization, has reported.

December 27, 2008 11:00

• Tourist zones suffer from global crisis in Karachaevo-Cherkesia

  On the eve of the New Year, the most popular resorts of Karachaevo-Cherkesia - Dombai and Arkhyz - remain practically without tourists. Hotels drop rates, and "one-day tours" are gaining popularity. Experts of the tourist business say that it is the effect of the financial crisis.

December 27, 2008 10:00

• Karabakh War veteran is on his 27th day of hunger strike in Armenia

  Sarkis Atspanyan, a citizen of France and a veteran of the Karabakh is holding his hunger strike in detention for the 27th day already. In the morning on December 26, he refused to drink water.

December 27, 2008 08:10

• Saakashvili: parliament to acquire more powers in Georgia

  New amendments to the Constitution of Georgia will simplify the procedure of government's dismissal by the parliament, while the president will not be able to dissolve the parliament. This was declared on December 26 by President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili, who gave comments on his legislative initiative, which will be discussed by the parliament on December 29.

December 26, 2008 23:00

• President of Ingushetia is looking for the millions allocated from the federal budget

  President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov has found out that hundreds of millions roubles allocated from the federal budget are disappearing in his Republic. He told about it at his meeting held in Magas on December 24 with Liudmila Alekseeva, Chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), and Valery Borschov, a member of the MHG and of the Bureau of the "Yabloko" Party.

December 26, 2008 22:00

• "Ekozaschita!" demands to stop radiation emissions from NPP in Rostov Region

  The Volgodonsk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is making, upon permission of the authorities, regular emissions of small dozes of radioactive substances into the environment. Ecologists assert that this is harmful for local residents and ecology. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman of the NGO named "Ekozaschita!" (Ecology Protection).

December 26, 2008 22:00

• Azerbaijan to hold referendum on Constitution in March

  The referendum on amendments and additions to the Constitution of Azerbaijan will take place on March 18, 2009. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that this decision was passed today by the country's parliament.

December 26, 2008 21:00

• In Rostov Region, organizer of protest action of miners-pensioners proves his rightness in court

  In the Rostov Region, all the attempts to bring Valery Dyakonov, one of the organizers of the picket and hunger strike of miners-pensioners and deputy of the city duma of Zverevo, to administrative responsibility have ended in a failure. The court found no violations of the law in Mr Dyakonov's actions.

December 26, 2008 19:00

• In Krasnodar, ecologists to hold protest action in defence of Utrish

  On December 28, in Krasnodar, the Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus will hold a protest action "In Defence of Utrish Unique Nature Complexes".

December 26, 2008 17:00

• Board of jurymen for the process on attack on the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria not formed yet

  The fourth round of choosing jurymen held at the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria for the trial on the events on October 13, 2005, brought only one juryman. Meanwhile, the term of appointment of the earlier selected jurymen expires already on January 1.

December 25, 2008 22:00

• Chechnya holds rally against release of Budanov

  A mass protest action is now held in the capital of Chechnya in the context of early relief from the colony of former Colonel Yuri Budanov, guilty of murdering Chechen girl Elza Kungaeva, 17, in March 2000.

December 25, 2008 22:00

• In Karachaevo-Circassia, journalist Akbasheva beaten at performance of her professional duty

  The attack on December 22 in the capital Karachaevo-Circassia on journalist Zhanna Akbasheva was committed when she was performing her editorial task. She thinks that she was beaten for her publications criticizing the Republic's authorities.