News

August 31, 2004 18:30

• Human rights groups to present observations on Chechen presidential election

  The International Helsinki Federation, the Moscow Helsinki Group, and the "Caucasian Knot" Media will hold the "Presidential Election in Chechnya 2004 — New and Improved" press-conference in the Independent Press Center, Moscow, on September 1, 2004.

August 31, 2004 11:45

• Renewed violence, human rights abuses undermine credibility of presidential elections

  We call your attention to the statement issued by the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) and the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) on August 30, 2004.

August 30, 2004 23:22

• 'To be born a Chechen is a sentence in itself'

  "I've brought up my children here and I don't want to go back to Chechnya and jeopardize their life," one of the refugees living in the Pankissi Gorge said.

August 30, 2004 23:03

• Violations recorded everywhere in Chechnya on election day

  The main problem of precinct election commissions (PECs) was a low turnout in the August 29 presidential election. But PEC officials made up the lack of voters by the most simple and accessible means. They threw in ballots.

August 30, 2004 20:29

• Real turnout low

  "The winner had been known in advance. People just knew nothing depended on the participation or nonparticipation in this farce," Aydamir Suleymanov, a 47-year-old resident of Grozny, said.

August 29, 2004 19:20

• Election in Chechnya to be declared valid

  A source in the republican election commission has told the Caucasian Knot correspondent about it. According to commission's information, over 30% of voters have already voted in the presidential election.

August 29, 2004 18:45

• Violations registered during presidential election in Chechnya

  Election staff of Movsur Khamidov, who is running for the republican presidency, have told the Caucasian Knot correspondent they registered tampering with voters in the village of Sernovodskaya, Chechnya's Sunzha district.

August 28, 2004 19:02

• Majority of Chechen refugees unable to participate in presidential election

  The Chechen side has allotted about 10 vehicles to deliver voters to the place of destination. The busses will drive from both places of refugees' compact residence and places of their living in private houses.

August 28, 2004 18:36

• Two Chechen women may have been involved in plane explosions

  Chechen law enforcement agencies have no information on the implication of republican residents, killed in Tu-134 and Tu-154 plane explosions, in terrorist activity.

August 27, 2004 22:58

• Committee to Protect Rights of Rauf Arifoglu to send delegation to Strasbourg

  Musavat party leader Isa Gambar holds that the Azerbaijan authorities use the trial against opposition leaders, including Arifoglu, to keep society in awe.

August 27, 2004 22:52

• Last day of election campaign in Chechnya

  In spite of the assertions of Election Commission officials, violations took place in the course of the election campaign nevertheless.

August 27, 2004 22:49

• Chechen migrants refuse to participate in presidential election

  Chechens officially registered in Dagestan do not want to vote, and unregistered refugees do not have a vote at all.

August 26, 2004 19:30

• Meeting between Georgian PM and South Osetian president 'still possible'

  "The situation has become less tense after the withdrawal of Georgian troops from the conflict zone," EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie said and added the opposite party should do the same thing.

August 26, 2004 18:55

• Turkish citizen deported from Russia for second time

  Having spent 43 hours under illegal arrest in an airport, Hajji Bayram Bolat was sent back to Istanbul. FSB officers explained it by "instructions from Moscow".

August 26, 2004 18:19

• USCIRF concerned about situation in Azerbaijan

  "The Azerbaijan authorities are moving in the wrong direction with respect of freedom of conscience and honoring its international obligations in this field," said Preeta B. Bansal, Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

August 25, 2004 19:46

• Investigation into two plane crashes underway

  According to updated information from Moscow's Domodedovo airport, the two planes that crashed on Tuesday night near Tula and Rostov carried a total of 89 people.

August 25, 2004 18:31

• Maskhadov promises Georgia to help against Russia

  "Mr Saakashvili is right stating that the Russian military sides with the Osetians," the leader of Chechen separatists said and begged pardon for Chechen rebels' participation in the Georgian-Abkhazian war on the Abkhazian side.

August 25, 2004 18:30

• Candidates for Abkhazian presidency nominated

  Altogether there are seven candidates proposed by initiative groups and political organizations.

August 24, 2004 19:22

• International observers 'were not invited' to Karabakh municipal elections

  Chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Central Election Commission Sergey Davidian has noted in his interview with the Caucasian Knot correspondent that the second round of municipal elections in the Republic of Nagorny Karabakh was held on a high level.

August 24, 2004 18:52

• Kabardino-Balkarian border guards detain Turkish citizen

  Hajji Bayram Bolat, a Turkish citizen and ethnic Kabardinian deported in August 2003, arrived by air in Nalchik from Istanbul yesterday, August 23. His residential permit had been reinstated by a decision of a Nalchik court.