News

August 13, 2021 12:48

• UNESCO links damage to Gelati Monastery with restorers' errors

  The ancient frescoes in the Gelati Monastery have been damaged by rainwater due to improper restoration of the roof, the UNESCO has claimed. The Georgia's Ministry of Culture has acknowledged the problem and promised to solve it.

August 13, 2021 12:40

• Investigators promise to follow up application on torture of Derbent residents

  For the tenth time, investigators have refused to initiate a criminal case against the law enforcers who had tortured three residents of Derbent, but the head of the Dagestani branch of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) has assured that he would supervise the check, relatives of the Derbent residents have informed.

August 13, 2021 11:45

• Rights defenders tell details of queer girl's abduction by Chechen law enforcers

  The "Russian LGBT Network"* is concerned about the fate of the girl who was abducted a year ago by Chechen law enforcers, and is going to appeal against the decision of the Chechen Supreme Court (SC), which has found the investigator's refusal to investigate the abduction as legitimate. The refusal to investigate the abduction case is unlawful, the advocate has noted.

August 12, 2021 23:53

• Weapon hiding discovered in Ingush village

  A plastic canister with grenades, fuses, and cartridges was found in the village of Dattykh near the border with Chechnya. The canister presumably was hidden in the ground about six years ago, the Department for Ingushetia of the National Guard of Russia reports today.

August 12, 2021 23:46

• Rights defenders explain refusal of a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria to report torture

  After a refusal to file a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), a person convicted in a case on an attack on Nalchik does not even want to talk to human rights defenders by phone, a lawyer of the Human Rights Centre (HRC)“Memorial”* reports. Another complainant died in a penal colony, while the third complainant was transferred to a penal colony with tougher regime of detention.

August 12, 2021 19:25

• Prosecutor’s Office refuses to recognize organizers of gay pride in Tbilisi as victims

  Members of the “Ashamed” movement were not victims of attacks during the disruption of the gay pride parade in Tbilisi, and their office was not damaged, the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office declares. The Institute for the Study of Democracy criticizes investigators for the fact that none of the organizers of the riots has yet been detained.

August 12, 2021 19:23

• Nagorno-Karabakh claims Azerbaijanis’ attack on contact line

  Today, the Azerbaijani armed forces have tried to break through the line of contact of the troops, but the Defence Army threw them back to their initial positions, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Nagorno-Karabakh reports.

August 12, 2021 19:21

• Oppositionist detained in Baku on criminal case

  Policemen have detained Agil Gumbatov, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), in connection with the inquiry into the case of wounding a Baku resident. Agil's wife has linked his detention with criticism of authorities.

August 12, 2021 19:16

• Analysts treat Azerbaijan's claims to Iran as justified

  The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has served a note of protest to the Iranian ambassador for the passage of trucks through Nagorno-Karabakh without a Baku's permit. Iran should reckon with the position of Baku on the supply of goods to Karabakh, Azeri analysts have agreed.

August 12, 2021 15:16

• Selection of Kadyrov's rivals highlights uncontested nature of elections in Chechnya

  Khalid Nakaev, a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), and Isa Khadjimuradov from the "Spravedlivaya Rossia (Fare Russia)-Patriots-For Truth" Party have been registered as candidates for the head of Chechnya, along with Ramzan Kadyrov. Both candidates are just technical; there is no talk of a struggle for the post of head of the republic, Ruslan Kutaev, Svetlana Gannushkina and Isa Magomadov believe.

August 12, 2021 15:15

• BBC discloses participation of North-Caucasian native in "Wagner Group"

  Militants of the Russian "Wagner" Private Military Company (PMC) are involved in the massacres of civilians during hostilities in Libya, the BBC Russian Service has suggested after publishing information about the participation of a native of Northern Caucasus in PMC's operations. During the above hostilities, up to 1000 "Wagner" PMC fighters were in Libya, former mercenaries have informed.

August 12, 2021 15:13

• Political analysts explain aims of CSTO Secretary General's visit to Armenia

  The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) prepares ground for placing peacemakers in the Karabakh and Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict zones, and seeks to keep Armenia from turning to international structures, political analysts said after the visit of the CSTO's Secretary General to Yerevan.

August 12, 2021 15:09

• Social media users criticize awarding Kadyrov as "mobile reporter"

  The "Grozny" TV Channel has awarded Ramzan Kadyrov with a prize as a "mobile reporter". This has surprised social network users, who could not understand for what merits the head of Chechnya has received the award.

August 12, 2021 11:59

• Court refuses to stop prosecuting activists for Baku action

  The court has refused to satisfy the motion demanding to stop prosecuting activists within the case of an unsanctioned march in Baku. Activists claim that there are no proofs of their guilt.

August 12, 2021 11:56

• Three sappers wounded while demining village in Nagorno-Karabakh

  Three sappers have been hospitalized after a bomb exploded when they were demining the territory of one of the villages in the Martuni District of Nagorno-Karabakh.

August 11, 2021 23:54

• Azerbaijan: Armenia transfers its troops to Karabakh

  Baku claims a violation of the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh signed on November 10, 2020. Armenia is transferring its soldiers to the territory where the Russian peacekeepers are deployed, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Azerbaijan reports.

August 11, 2021 23:51

• Nagorno-Karabakh accuses Azerbaijan of using combat UAVs

  Today, attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used to attack the positions of the Defence Army, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Nagorno-Karabakh reports.

August 11, 2021 23:49

• Russian vaccine becomes an obstacle to small Hajj to Mecca and Medina

  According to Hajj operators, the mass performance of a small Hajj pilgrimage by Russian citizens is possible only if the Russian vaccine against COVID-19 is recognized by the Saudi Arabian authorities. The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia has requested the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to legalize Sputnik V vaccine.

August 11, 2021 23:47

• Relatives of POWs stop their picket after meeting with Pashinyan’s secretary

  Participants of a protest action held in front of the Armenian government building left the place after a meeting with the press secretary of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Azerbaijan admits keeping 45 Armenian citizens, while the Armenian side has collected data about 280 prisoners of war (POWs), human rights defender Artak Zeinalyan notes.

August 11, 2021 23:45

• Relatives report stabilization of health condition of Azerbaijani rights defender, Ogtai Gyulyalyev

  The state of health of Ogtai Gyulyalyev is assessed as stably grave, but doctors note some positive dynamics. He remains unconscious, but already reacts to appeals, his relatives have informed.