News

November 20, 2003 12:07

• UN representatives issuing another call for immediate release of doctor Aryan Erkel abducted in Dagestan

  "The Erkel case remains unsolved. We are urging those responsible for this crime to free Erkel unconditionally and immediately," the UN acting Coordinator for Humanitarian Problems Mikko Vienonen said at a press conference at the Interfax central office on Wednesday.

November 19, 2003 23:50

• UN and NGOs seeking $62 million for humanitarian programs in Northern Caucasus

  Humanitarian organizations have two strategic goals in the Northern Caucasus: "to offer urgent humanitarian aid and help to restore normal living conditions and to enhance the potential of local civil society and government agencies".

November 19, 2003 23:45

• Azerbaijan Interior Ministry promises to punish organizers and participants of riots in Baku

  Bodies conducting the investigation established that leaders of the opposition Musavat Party and Azerbaijan Democratic Party had planned the mass riots of October 15-16 in Baku beforehand, said Azerbaijan Interior Minister Ramil Usubov.

November 19, 2003 22:28

• Publication of opposition newspapers suspended in Baku

  The opposition newspapers "Novoye Vremya", "Yeni Zaman", "Yeni Musavat", "Azadlyg" and "Khurriyet" have not been published in Baku since November 15. Their publication was suspended because publishing houses that printed them refused to sell paper.

November 19, 2003 21:53

• Organization for Karabakh Liberation to launch protest actions in front of embassies of UN Security Council Member States in Baku

  The actions of protest are to star on November 19 with a picket of about 50 OKL activists in front of the Russian embassy in Baku.

November 19, 2003 21:22

• Over 15 residents of tent camps in Ingushetia reportedly detained

  The refugees themselves connect the raids by law-enforcement agents with the recent tragic occurrence in the Ingush village of Troitskaya when five Ingush OMON (special tasks platoon) fighters were killed as a result of an explosion.

November 19, 2003 15:44

• UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations to visit Abkhazia

  Jean-Marie Guehenno will meet with leaders of the republic, political parties and non-government organizations, and with CIS Peacekeeping Forces Commander Major-General Aleksandr Yevteev.

November 19, 2003 14:07

• International observers to monitor elections in Kuban

  The task of the international observers would be to assess the electoral process by reference to national legislation and international election commitments of the Russian Federation and to monitor all aspects of the election campaign as well.

November 19, 2003 13:38

• Project to be over - activity to be continued

  On November 17, the Association of Stavropol Territory's Migrant Organizations "Solidarity" held a concluding meeting on the philanthropic project "Overcoming Informational Barriers".

November 19, 2003 13:14

• Russian national and cultural autonomy in Adygeya

  A conference of constitutors of the Russian national and cultural autonomy was held in Maikop on November 15. It was decided to register the autonomy in the institutions of justice. While grounding such a step, head of the initiative group N. Burkhaylo said the Russian population in Adygeya is actually left now beyond the interests of not only the local ethnocratic regime but also the federal authorities.

November 19, 2003 11:50

• Killed Armenian prime minister's brother sentenced to 15-year imprisonment

  The Court of Yerevan's Tsentr and Nork-Marash Communes announced a verdict in the case on the murder of the well-known TV reporter, chairman of the republican Public TV and Radio Company Tigran Nagdalian.

November 19, 2003 11:03

• Federals announce possible annihilation of Abu al-Walid

  An Arab gangster has been killed in the Vedeno district of Chechnya. Perhaps, this is Abu al-Walid, a notorious mercenary terrorist. Three million rubles were promised for help in arresting him.

November 18, 2003 23:59

• Supporters of authorities replaced radical opposition on square in front of parliament in Georgia

  The meeting in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi will be apparently a long-term one. Now people supporting the constitutional system and protesting against the authorities' forced dismissal are gathered their.

November 18, 2003 23:58

• Conference on Chechnya took place in Boston

  The conference "Humane Catastrophe in Chechnya and Ways to Achieve Peace" was held at Boston University on November 14 and 16.

November 18, 2003 18:29

• Process of establishing UN Civilian Police in security zone adjourned

  This was caused by the letter addressed to the Abkhazian parliament by officers of the law-enforcement agencies of Abkhazia's Gali region. The authors of the letter raise their concern about and negative attitude towards the intention to establish UN Civilian Police in the region.

November 18, 2003 18:21

• Statement of Chechen NGOs in Azerbaijan

  On November 15, 2003, members of the Council of NGOs of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in Azerbaijan made a statement welcoming the verdict of London's Magistrates' Court, which rejected a bid to extradite Akhmed Zakayev - a representative of the Chechen president - to the Russian Federation.

November 18, 2003 16:58

• President Shevardnadze: closure of Soros Foundation in Georgia not excluded

  "Mr. Soros decided to seriously interfere in the political affairs in Georgia, but it is not his business," stated Shevardnadze.

November 18, 2003 16:08

• Professor Alan Chochiev articled in North Osetia for kindling interethnic strife

  The criminal action against Alan Chochiev was caused by his open letter in which he asked to condemn Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze for "carrying out a pro-fascist policy raised to the state level in the republic."

November 18, 2003 15:03

• First Youth Forum took place

  The forum "Young People of Kuban. The Present and the Future" was conducted at the Krasnodar Exhibition Center on November 14. Establishments and youth public organizations, institutions of higher and specialized secondary education, and charitable foundations from 48 municipal areas of the territory participated in the forum.

November 18, 2003 14:13

• Political forum against actions of radical opposition to be held in Tbilisi

  The action is to take place simultaneously at the Sport Palace, at the City Philharmonic Hall, at Tbilisi's theatres and houses of culture.