News

March 30, 2006 18:47

• The Council of Europe calls for informing it about facts of oppression of Russian NGOs

  In March 24-26, the Warsaw Regional Congress of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) of the Council of Europe (CE) states was held on the issues of involving civil society into democratic construction. Andrei Ozharovskiy, expert of the Russian public organization "Ekozaschita!" (Ecology Protection), who took part in the congress told about it to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

March 30, 2006 18:17

• Militia officers detain a US citizen in Dagestan

  On the night of March 29, militia officers from Khasavyurt militia station in Dagestan detained Kelly McEvers, a US citizen employee of John Hopkins University, at the exit from the town of Khasavyurt at one of the road traffic control points. During 8 hours, they checked her documents, although she had all permit documents, including the visa extended till April 16, and confiscated her dictaphone, photo camera and notebook. A video recording was made despite her objections. The detainee was released by 4 a.m. She was met by Khadjimurad Kamalov, director of the publishing house "Freedom of Speech", Ltd.

March 30, 2006 17:14

• Head of PEN-Centre sees political or commercial motivation behind claims by tax inspectorate

  The next sitting of the Moscow's 9th appellate court of arbitrage which considers the complaint by the Russian office of PEN-club international organization of writers and poets (Russian PEN-Centre) against the ruling of the Moscow court of arbitrage on payment by the centre of 1 million and 18 roubles as a fine for evading the land tax, will take place on Monday, March 3. This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Alexander Tkachenko, general director of the Russian PEN-Centre.

March 30, 2006 16:18

• Penitentiary system reform in Georgia criticized in South Ossetia

  Today, David Sanakoev, ombudsman under the President of the Republic of South Ossetia, has addressed a letter to ambassador Roy Reev, head of OSCE mission in Georgia, and a copy to Gilliom Siemenski, head of Office on Human Dimension under the OSCE mission in Georgia. This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent at the Information and Press department of the unrecognized republic.

March 30, 2006 15:41

• UN special rapporteur on torture to visit Chechnya

  Manfred Nowak, special UN rapporteur on prevention of torture, has announced today that Moscow allows him to come to Russia and visit Chechnya, among other things. This is going to be the first trip of a UN representative who deals with the problems of torture, for more than a decade.

March 30, 2006 14:16

• "Mother's Right" wants the death of an officer in Kabardino-Balkaria to be investigated

  Natalia Vladimirovna Boichenko from Kabardino-Balkaria has addressed the "Mother's Right" foundation with a request of assistance in the investigation of the death of her son while serving in the army. This is contained in the foundation statement handed over to the "Caucasian Knot."

March 30, 2006 13:18

• Stomakhin, arrested author of "Caucasus-centre" Chechen separatists' site, to be transferred to "Matrosskaya Tishina"

  Boris Stomakhin, permanent author of the "Caucasus-centre" Chechen separatists' site, editor of the "Radikalnaya Politika" newspaper and co-chair of the Revolutionary Contact Association, arrested by militia in Moscow on March 21, is to be transferred from the special department of the city hospital No. 20 to the hospital department of the pre-trial prison "Matrosskaya Tishina." This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Regina Leonidovna, arrestee's mother.

March 30, 2006 09:08

• Defence lawyers appeal against verdict on Pumane's case

  The defence lawyers have appealed against the verdict on the case of death of submariner Alexander Pumane, reports lawyer Valeri Glushenkov.

March 29, 2006 19:34

• A meeting of Ingushes in North Ossetia

  On March 29, a meeting of protest took place in the village of Kartsa (an outskirt of Vladikavkaz). It was attended by residents of a number of settlements in Prigorodny district of North Ossetia who are relatives of Ingushes kidnapped at different time or missing.

March 29, 2006 19:15

• Rasul Kudaev arrested in Kabardino-Balkaria deprived of medicines

  The former inmate of the American prison in Guantanamo Rasul Kudaev who is held in pre-trial prison of Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, is still unable to get necessary medicines and the food which he needs due to his state of health. This has been reported by Fatimat Tekaeva, mother of the detainee, who is refused the opportunity to pass medicines to her son, while the food parcels are limited in weight.

March 29, 2006 05:01

• Academician Eldar Salaev not permitted to leave Azerbaijan

  A negative response has been received to the application of academician Eldar Salaev addressed to the Azeri prosecutor's office requesting permission to go abroad for medical treatment.

March 28, 2006 22:58

• Public representatives of Kabardino-Balkaria claim violation of the rights of Balkars

  A roundtable discussion "Situation in North Caucasus and the Condition of Balkars" was held at the Independent press-centre in Moscow today from 12 noon to 14. 00. The discussion was attended by Rasul Dzhappuev, chair of the State Council of Balkaria, representative of Balkars in the Federative Council of National Minorities in Europe and founder of the newspaper "Balkaria"; Lev Ponomaryov, executive director of the movement "For Human Rights"; Ruslan Boziev, deputy director of the Institute of Innovation Activity in Education; Ismail Boziev, deputy of the local self-government body in the village of Khasaniya which now is part of Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria; Alim Khubolov, expert of the movement "For Human Rights"; Ali Abdulayev, director general of "А Аliko" Ltd, and Anna Politkovskaya, columnist of the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper. The roundtable was timed to Balkar People Renascence Day which is marked on March 28.

March 28, 2006 15:09

• Dagestan MIA denies the fact of desecration of Koran by the military

  On March 27, a press-conference of Eduard Obukhov, commander of 102nd operational brigade (OBRON) of Dagestan MIA internal troops, was held, reports the IA REGNUM correspondent.

March 28, 2006 06:09

• Georgian NGOs accuse the government in hiding information about a riot in Tbilisi prison

  On March 28, a number of Georgian non-government organizations, i.e., "Young Lawyers' Association," "42nd Article of the Constitution," "Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture," as well as the Georgian Republican Party, published an open letter addressed to the country's leadership, in which they call on the government to make public detailed information on the riot in Tbilisi prison No. 5, reports IA Novosti-Gruziya.

March 27, 2006 22:50

• Human rights activists: the problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan not solved

  "The problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan is still urgent. According to our observations, it is far from being solved yet, rather, it continues to deepen," said Leila Unus, director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy, to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to her, an analysis of fulfilment of this obligation shows that, out of the initial list of 716 names and an additional list of 107 assumed political prisoners who appeared after the country's accession to the СЕ, there are still 78 prisoners.

March 27, 2006 21:08

• Krasnodar joins international action "Your vote against racism!"

  On March 26, the Youth Group for Tolerance "ETnIKA" from Krasnodar completed a series of actions within the international action "Your vote against racism!" by the FLASH MOB "STOP RACISM!"

March 27, 2006 19:16

• Human rights activists to discuss the situation in North Caucasus and condition of Balkars

  A roundtable "Situation in North Caucasus and Condition of Balkars" is to be held on Tuesday March 28, from 12 noon till 14. 00 at the Independent press-centre in Moscow. The "Forum.msk" reports that the discussion will be attended by Dzhappuev Rasul Soltan-Khamidovich, chair of the State Council of Balkaria, founder of the newspaper "Balkaria" and representative of Balkars in the Federative Council of National Minorities in Europe; Ponomaryov Lev Alexandrovich, executive director of the movement "For Human Rights"; Yazykova Alla Alexeevna, doctor of historical sciences; Boziev Ruslan Sakhitovich, deputy director of the Institute of Innovation Activity in Education; Boziev Ismail Khakimovich, deputy of the local self-government body in the village of Khasaniya; Khubolov Alim Lazhdautovich, expert of the movement "For Human Rights"; Metov Magomed Ilyasovich, director general of "Apatit" Ltd., Abdulayev Ali Amashevich, director general of the "А Аliko" Ltd. Political scientists and sociologists have also been invited.

March 27, 2006 01:06

• Opposition in Georgia: use of arms in suppressing riot of prisoners illegal

  Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labour Party, stated before journalists that the opposition forces intend to demand resignation of Vano Merabishvili, Minister of Internal Affairs, and the administration of the Department on Enforcement of Punishment. "The actions of the riot squad which used arms against prisoners are illegal," said Natelashvili, reports NEWSru.com.

March 24, 2006 22:57

• Trepashkin recognized as political prisoner

  Two international organizations have made a statement in protection of lawyer Mikhail Trepashkin. "Amnesty International" and the American Bar Association call the persecution of Trepashkin unfair and illegal, reports "Gazeta.Ru."

March 24, 2006 19:17

• Witnesses for prosecution interrogated during trial of human rights activist Boliev in Dagestan

  Today, on March 24, another session of the Khasavyurt town court hearing on the case of the human rights activist Osman Boliev accused of storage, acquisition and wearing of arms took place in Dagestan. Salimat Kadyrova, Boliev's lawyer, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by telephone about the proceedings.