News

March 22, 2021 23:52

• Pilgrims visit Dadivank and Amaras monasteries with support of peacekeepers

  Within two days, more than 100 pilgrims, accompanied by peacekeepers, visited the monasteries of Dadivank and Amaras located on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh that came under the control of Azerbaijan, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported.

March 22, 2021 22:55

• Nagorno-Karabakh announces names of 192 killed soldiers and officers

  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Nagorno-Karabakh released a list with 192 names of the dead soldiers and officers. The total number of casualties of the Defence Army increased to 2652. The search for dead bodies and remains at the place of the combat actions has been suspended, Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) reports.

March 22, 2021 20:00

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of March 15-21, 2021

  Public outcry provoked by the investigation into extrajudicial executions in Chechnya released by the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”; return of Ingush activist Sautieva to SIZO; scheduling a date for parliamentary elections in Armenia, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of March 15-21, 2021, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

March 22, 2021 17:22

• Tumso's support of Gezmakhmaev attracts attention of YouTube users

  In their comments to Tumso Abdurakhmanov's video about the testimonies of former policeman, Suleiman Gezmakhmaev, about extrajudicial executions and torture of detainees in Chechnya, YouTube users have suggested to disseminate this information as much as possible and translate into foreign languages.

March 22, 2021 17:18

• Pashinyan confesses to buying fighters from Russia without ammunition

  Prior to war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia bought air fighters from Russia, but failed to buy missiles for them, Nikol Pashinyan has admitted, thus confirming the statement by Movses Akopyan, a former employee of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

March 22, 2021 17:12

• Circassian New Year has lost its everyday meaning in Adygea

  The celebration of the Circassian New Year marked on March 21 has lost its meaning associated with the beginning of field work, and is perceived by residents only as a cultural event, local scientists and activists have noted. On this day, some families lay tables and see the winter off, residents of Adygeisk have informed.

March 22, 2021 09:28

• Week of March 15-21 passed without victims of armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

  During the week of 15-21, 2021, no information was received about the casualties and wounded persons in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from open sources.

March 22, 2021 09:26

• Woman from Chechen village of Achkhoi-Martan publicly scolded for witchcraft

  The "Grozny" ChGTRK (Chechen State TV and Radio Company) has released a story, in which Adam Elzhurkaev, the head physician of the Centre for Islamic Medicine, publicly reprimanded Zura Dudaeva, a resident of Achkhoi-Martan, for practicing occultism. The woman said that she was not engaged in witchcraft; and the symbols found in her house were parts of her hobby for religion and philosophy.

March 21, 2021 12:04

• Protesters declare danger of early elections for Armenian statehood

  The forces hostile to Armenia may benefit from the early elections, the leaders of the "National Democratic Pole" Movement have stated. The rally organized by them was attended by about a thousand people.

March 21, 2021 11:31

• Dispute with Peskov highlights Kadyrov's special position among regional heads

  Ramzan Kadyrov is the only regional head who dares objecting to Dmitry Perskov, the presidential press secretary; however, the head of Chechnya overestimates his influence; next time the Kremlin will severely siege him, the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have noted.

March 21, 2021 11:16

• Portrait exhibition of doctors who perished from COVID-19 touches visitors

  The Museum of Local Lore in the city of Shakhty, Rostov Region, is hosting an exhibition of the painter, Elena Sukhorukova, entitled "The Hippocrates' Warriors". Her 103 portraits depict doctors who died after being infected with coronavirus across Russia. Visitors to the exhibition have called these doctors heroes; some could not hold back their tears.

March 20, 2021 19:41

• Georgian opposition announces transfer to emergency working mode

  The opposition has announced the start of protest actions in all regions of Georgia demanding early parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners. A large-scale action is scheduled for May 15 in Tbilisi.

March 20, 2021 19:11

• Novruz celebrations begin in Azerbaijan amid coronavirus restrictions

  On the eve of Novruz, Azerbaijani authorities extended the coronavirus restrictions until June 1, and banned public transport during the holiday. This led to a decrease in the number of buyers and provoked a jump in food prices, said Eiyub Guseinov, Chairman of the Union of Free Consumers.

March 20, 2021 18:53

• Activist Murad Gorbakov arrested in connection with Magas rally

  The Nalchik City Court has ruled to place Murad Gorbakov, a resident of Ingushetia, in custody for two months on suspicion of beating up law enforcers at a rally in Magas in March 2019.

March 20, 2021 11:15

• Rights defenders reproach Armenian authorities for unwillingness to reform Electoral Code

  The Armenian authorities have deliberately protracted the reform of the Electoral Code, since after its updating the influence of the administrative, financial and criminal resources on the election outcomes will be limited, the human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

March 20, 2021 10:21

• HRW demands to investigate torture of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan

  On March 19, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that the Azerbaijani party was torturing the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) captured in 2020 during the hostilities. Episodes of cruel and degrading treatment and torture occurred both after their capture and during transporting them to detention places, and in these places, says the HRW's statement posted on March 19 on its website.

March 20, 2021 10:00

• Number of convicts for Shakarashvili's murder reaches 16

  A court in Georgia found five more persons guilty within the murder case of the 19-year-old football player Giorgi Shakarashvili; one of them was sentenced to nine years in prison, four others – to five years in prison each, the Prosecutor's Office has informed.

March 20, 2021 08:53

• Rally of Ingush oppositionists' supporters stopped under threat of new arrests

  All the seven leaders of Ingush protests, including Malsag Uzhakhov, continue their hunger strike at the SIZO (pre-trial prison). Residents of Ingushetia are holding no public actions in support of the detainees, fearing to provoke new arrests in connection with the rally in Magas, the rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

March 20, 2021 08:37

• Tumso exposes Kadyrov people's attempts to discredit Gezmakhmaev

  The Chechen blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov, has commented on the testimonies of the Chechen law enforcer, Suleiman Gezmakhmaev, about torturing detainees widespread in Chechnya and Chechen authorities' reaction to the publication of the "Novaya Gazeta".

March 20, 2021 08:26

• Azerbaijan hands over remains of 15 Armenian servicemen

  On March 19, Azerbaijan handed remains of 15 persons found in places of last autumn's hostilities over to Karabakh rescuers. The total number of bodies and remains found in the Karabakh conflict zone has reached 1518, the State Emergency Service (SES) of Nagorno-Karabakh has informed.