News

September 11, 2020 07:17

• Azerbaijani rights defenders urge to revise Tofig Yagublu's case

  A group of human rights defenders has called on President of Azerbaijan to influence the revision of Tofig Yagublu's petition for release and cancel his arrest.

September 10, 2020 22:11

• Chechen separatists' leader Akhmed Zakaev reports detention of his relatives in Chechnya

  Akhmed Zakaev reported about the detention of his sisters, brothers, and nephews in Chechnya.

September 10, 2020 21:58

• Svetlana Alexievich calls on Russian intelligentsia to respond to crisis in Belarus

  The Russian intelligentsia should not remain silent about the events in Belarus, says writer Svetlana Alexievich. She calls on Russian public figures to speak out in support of protesters in Belarus. The support of the Belarusian protestors by Russian public figures can prevent Moscow from interfering in the affairs of the neighbouring country, believes Ella Kesaeva, the chair of the "Voice of Beslan" Committee.

September 10, 2020 21:51

• Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of 44 shelling attacks over 24 hours

  The Armenian armed forces used large-calibre machine guns and sniper rifles and 44 times violated the ceasefire over 24 hours, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Azerbaijan reported.

September 10, 2020 21:49

• Widow of killed Chechen blogger declares blood feud against Ramzan Kadyrov

  In a video appeal to the leader of Chechnya and his adviser Adam Delimkhanov, a wife of Mamikhan Umarov, who was killed in Austria, blamed them for her husband's death and threatened them with blood revenge.

September 10, 2020 14:55

• Journalist suffers at activists' rally in support of Tofig Yagublu

  Journalist Sevindj Sadygova, who on September 9 covered a rally in support of Tofig Yagublu, an oppositionist, injured her leg after a law enforcer pushed her. The police released, on the same day, the three women detained at the rally, activists reported.

September 10, 2020 14:52

• New Salman Tepsurkaev's video causes criticism in social network

  Salman Tepsurkaev, a resident of Chechnya, whose humiliation video triggered resonance in the republic, has recorded a new one, in which he stated that he was "handed over" to special services. Some Instagram users condemned the young man; others were outraged by his punishment.

September 10, 2020 14:46

• Kadyrov people update violent practices of Second Chechen War

  The practice of humiliation through sexual violence, like in the abuse case of Salman Tepsurkaev, a resident of Chechnya, was used during the Second Chechen War, the Human Rights Analysis Centre has stated. Such public brutality has become a "frightening innovation" that will greatly affect the public perception of the republic's authorities, said Dmitry Piskunov, a spokesman for the Committee against Torture (CaT).

September 10, 2020 10:15

• Dagestani journalist Abdulmumin Gadjiev's arrest extended

  The Supreme Court (SC) of Dagestan has left Abdulmumin Gadjiev, a journalist of the "Chernovik" (Draft) weekly, as well as Abubakar Rizvanov and Kemal Tambiev, accused for financing terrorism, in custody for another three months. The defence treats the arrest extension as unjustified.

September 10, 2020 10:12

• UN demands from Russia to answer questions about human rights violations in Caucasus

  Russian authorities must answer questions about the situation with extrajudicial executions in Northern Caucasus, pressure on journalists and human rights defenders, and cases of torture and domestic violence, the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations (UN) has stated.

September 10, 2020 10:10

• Sagiev's wife calls on Azerbaijani authorities to save his life

  Emin Sagiev, an Azerbaijani political prisoner, continues his hunger strike for 23 days and does not intend to stop, his wife said, urging the authorities to compromise and at least transfer him to house arrest.

September 10, 2020 10:08

• Lawyers admit that videoed Chechen Tepsurkaev could be raped and tortured

  In case of a forced coercion of Salman Tepsurkaev, a resident of Chechnya, to record the video where he sits on a bottle, a criminal case of raping should be initiated, Evgeny Chernousov, an advocate, believes. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" treats this case as humiliation and torture.

September 09, 2020 22:28

• Baku police disperse rally in defence of Tofig Yagublu

  More than 30 people were detained at a rally in support of Azerbaijani oppositionist Tofig Yagublu, who went on a hunger strike to protest against his conviction.

September 09, 2020 22:11

• 456 people leave border camp near Kullar

  In Dagestan, about 500 people still stay in a camp near the village of Kullar after another group of Azerbaijani citizens has been sent home. The weather still allows people staying at the camp, says Afig Allakhverdiev, the deputy chairman of the regional National Cultural Autonomy of Azerbaijanis in the Moscow Region.

September 09, 2020 22:07

• HRHF calls for release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan

  The authorities of Azerbaijan should stop persecuting dissidents and release political prisoners, including opposition leader Tofig Yagublu. This was announced by the non-governmental human rights organisation "Human Rights House Foundation" (HRHF).

September 09, 2020 21:59

• 15 children from Southern Russia returned from Syria

  After a medical examination, the children will be handed over to their relatives in Astrakhan, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Chechnya, reports Anna Kuznetsova, Children's Rights Commissioner under the President of Russia.

September 09, 2020 21:53

• Kadyrov denies involvement of his adviser in disappearance of Chechen resident Umarov

  Magomed Baituev, an adviser to the leader of Chechnya, declares that he is not involved in the situation with the fate of Movsar Umarov, who disappeared after his detention. The duties of Magomed Baituev are not related to the activities of the law enforcement bodies, Ramzan Kadyrov notes.

September 09, 2020 15:16

• Tepsurkaev links humiliation video with criticism of Chechen law enforcers

  Salman Tepsurkaev has stated that he had recorded a video where he sits on a bottle, because he was threatened with death for insulting Chechen law enforcers on the 1ADAT Telegram channel. The authors of the channel have objected that they had not posted any offensive publications, and linked Tepsurkaev's statements with Chechen authorities' propaganda.

September 09, 2020 15:11

• South-Ossetian Parliament failed to set up commission to investigate Inal Djabiev's case

  Due to the absence of a group of MPs, who announced a temporary suspension of their work, the Parliament of South Ossetia could not form a commission to investigate the death circumstances of Inal Djabiev.

September 09, 2020 12:04

• Armenian authorities' initiative to increase compensation for slander triggers criticism

  Alen Simonyan, Vice-Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, has initiated amendments to the Civil Code aimed at a five-fold increase of the compensation amount for libel and insult. The Armenian Union of Journalists has opposed the initiative, treating it as an attempt to restrict the freedom of speech. Analysts believe that in this way, authorities are trying to protect themselves from criticism.