News

August 01, 2020 13:31

• Law enforcers refuse to raid "Tangim" Mosque on Eid al-Adha

  Because of the threat of coronavirus infection, the managers of the "Tangim" Mosque in Makhachkala have urged women and children not to participate in the festive prayer; and there were fewer people praying on Eid al-Adha than in previous years. Law enforcers did not conduct their traditional Friday raid in the vicinity of the mosque.

August 01, 2020 13:28

• Debts prevent many Chechen believers from properly celebrating Eid al-Adha

  Festive prayers on the occasion of Eid al-Adha were held in mosques in Chechnya under strict sanitary measures due to coronavirus. Some residents of the republic had to refuse from performing the rite of sacrifice, since after several months of self-isolation they have no money to buy meat.

August 01, 2020 13:25

• Rights defenders argue about need to ban rallies in Armenia

  The ban on rallies is justified by residents' right to health, Arman Tatoyan, the Armenian Ombudsman, believes. In his turn, Avetik Ishkhanyan, a rights defender, is objecting by stating that restrictions make it harder for residents to convey their concerns to the authorities, objected human rights activist.

August 01, 2020 13:23

• Historians explain sharp reaction in social networks to awarding Chalaev's colleague with medal

  Wearing an award with the image of General Yermolov, who in the Caucasus is treated as a "bloody executioner", has expectedly drawn criticism addressed to the colleague of Zamid Chalaev, the commander of the Akhmat Kadyrov Chechen special regiment, historians assert. They linked the appearance of the Yermolov Medal on the law enforcer's chest with professional deformation.

August 01, 2020 13:17

• Five PFPA activists arrested in Azerbaijan

  The number of activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), arrested after the July 15 rally in Baku, has reached 18; 16 other activists are criminally persecuted.

August 01, 2020 11:33

• Relatives of detained Izberbash resident claim fabrication of evidence

  At detention of Ruslan Dadashev, a resident of Izberbash, law enforcers seized a pistol and explosives, but his relatives assert that the weapon had been planted on him. After the detention, pressure was exerted on Dadashev, his advocate has stated.

July 31, 2020 23:32

• Experts point to decline in coronavirus epidemic in Armenia

  A decrease in the percentage of positive cases of the coronavirus infection to the number of daily tests indicates a stabilization of the situation with the COVID-19 epidemic, Armenian experts announce.

July 31, 2020 23:25

• Restrictions for pandemic period affect celebration of Eid al-Adha in Azerbaijan

  In Azerbaijan, mosques cancelled festive prayers. The authorities also banned the slaughter of sacrificial animals outside designated areas. Meanwhile, in large cities, the sale of meat was organized online and by order in stores.

July 31, 2020 23:18

• Kizilyurt woman claims her son detained unreasonably after a search

  During a search in a house of Murad Musaev, a resident of Kizilyurt, law enforcers found a pistol and detained the man on suspicion of helping a young woman to leave for Syria, the mother of the detainee said. According to her, there were no weapons in the house before the search.

July 31, 2020 23:11

• In Dagestan, believers have to change family traditions of Eid al-Adha

  Today, many of believers have come to the Juma Mosque for the festive prayer on the occasion of the holiday of Eid al-Adha. Despite the call voiced by the Muftiate, the believers wore no masks, Makhachkala residents noted. This year, some of the residents of Dagestan, whose incomes decreased because of the quarantine regime, refused to buy sacrificial cattle and go to visit their relatives and friends.

July 31, 2020 18:58

• Collective namazes on occasion of Eid al-Adha held in mosques of Southern Russia

  Holiday namazes (prayers) on the first day of the Sacrifice Holiday in mosques of Southern Russia were supposed to be held in compliance with sanitary security measures, but not all believers in Dagestan, Chechnya and the Stavropol Territory came there in medical masks and observed the social distance.

July 31, 2020 18:53

• Azerbaijan and Armenia exchange accusations of shelling 11 border villages

  During the last 24 hours, the positions of Azerbaijani troops stationed in four villages on the border with Armenia and in the Karabakh conflict zone were shelled for 49 times, the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed. In its turn, the MoD of Armenia accused Azerbaijan of shelling seven dwelling settlements.

July 31, 2020 16:53

• Residents of Tbilisi commemorate victims of Soviet repressions

  In Tbilisi, about 20 people took part in an action in memory of the victims of repression near the house where the NKVD was located in Soviet times. The descendants of those repressed took part in the mourning ceremony; they told about how they were touched by the great terror.

July 31, 2020 16:51

• Count of PFPA activists detained after rally in Baku reaches 44

  After the July 15 rally in support of the army in Baku, 16 activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) were brought to criminal responsibility; 13 were arrested, ten were released after interrogation by the police; the fate of five more activists is unknown. This was announced by Seimur Khazi, PFPA Deputy Chairman.

July 31, 2020 11:20

• Saudi Arabia: Hajj passes without pilgrims from abroad

  This year, due to the pandemic, the pilgrimage to the Muslim shrines in Saudi Arabia is taking place without believers from other countries, including from Northern Caucasus. The number of Hajj participants was reduced from 2.5 million to ten thousand.

July 31, 2020 11:18

• Residents of Chechnya criticize Kadyrov Foundation's action on Eid al-Adha

  The Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation has failed with its promise to distribute sheep for sacrifice on the Eid al-Adha holiday to all those in need, residents of Chechnya claim, pointing to the non-transparency of help distribution by the Foundation.

July 30, 2020 23:59

• Caucasus experts explain reasons for Ramzan Kadyrov's acute reaction to US sanctions

  Ramzan Kadyrov was offended that the United States imposed sanctions not only against him, but also against his family members. This opinion was voiced by Mikhail Roschin, an expert on the Caucasus, and Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations. Mass actions in support of the leader of Chechnya were organized by Ramzan Kadyrov's subordinates, who wanted to show their loyalty to the leader of Chechnya, said Professor Alexei Malashenko.

July 30, 2020 23:53

• ECtHR not to consider complaint filed by activists from Nakhichevan

  The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) excluded a complaint filed by activists Malakhat Nasibova and Ilgar Nasibov from cases under consideration. The plaintiffs accepted the offer of the Azerbaijan's authorities on an amicable agreement and 17,000 euros in compensation.

July 30, 2020 18:24

• Instagram users criticize colleague of Chechen commander Chalaev for Yermolov medal

  A colleague of Zamid Chalaev, a commander of the Chechen special forces regiment, demonstrates a medal "For Service in the Caucasus", which can be easily bought in an online store, Instagram users note. A Zamid Chalaev's post became a rare case of formal confirmation of the participation of Chechen natives in hostilities in Donbass.

July 30, 2020 18:19

• Muftiate of Chechnya toughens self-isolation measures in mosques on Eid al-Adha

  This year, residents of Chechnya have noted a significant decrease of the trade in sacrificial animals on the eve of Eid al-Adha (Kurban-Bairam) holiday. During collective prayers in mosques, it is prescribed to observe social distance and the mask regime, the Chechen Muftiate has stated.