News

July 03, 2024 18:12

• Scandal with niqab in Khasavyurt provokes Khanov’s detention

  Charges brought against Khadjimurad Khanov in a criminal case on possession of firearms and a grenade is absurd, and the attention of the law enforcement bodies is caused by the scandal surrounding the demands for an apology from a doctor in Khasavyurt, who asked a patient to remove her niqab during a medical examination, to which the leader of Dagestan reacted, Dagestani journalists and activists believe.

July 03, 2024 16:03

• Kidnapping of Khalitov's relatives alarms rights defenders

  The kidnapping of the relatives of Khasan Khalitov, a Chechen blogger living abroad, is revenge for his call to Aishat Kadyrova, the current Vice-Premier of Chechnya; threats to Khalitov were voiced out by Adam Kadyrov, a son of the head of Chechnya, human rights defenders report, expressing concern for the health condition of the blogger's relatives, especially his elderly father.

July 02, 2024 23:23

• Dagestani gay man leaves Russia after being forced to denunciation

  After an arrest of porn actor Matvei Volodin, law enforcers in Dagestan launched a campaign against gay men and organized raids against them. Yusuf, one of the detainees, left Russia after he was forced to agree to cooperate with the law enforcement bodies.

July 02, 2024 22:54

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of June 24-June 30, 2024

  Terror acts in Dagestan, Georgian government under pressure, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, Ramzan Kadyrov at the federal level, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of June 24-June 30, 2024, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

July 02, 2024 22:51

• Kadyrov critic Khasan Khalitov reports kidnapping his relatives in Chechnya

  Khasan Khalitov, an oppositional blogger and a Ramzan Kadyrov's critic, has stated that several days ago authorities summoned his father and two brothers to Grozny for a talk; and since then their whereabouts remain unknown.

July 02, 2024 21:06

• KBR resident fined twice for discrediting militaries

  A court in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) has fined Vladimir Kryachko, a 61-year-old local resident, twice in the amount of 15,000 roubles, finding him guilty of speaking negatively about Russian militaries.

July 02, 2024 18:34

• Human rights defenders consider coercion to shave heads as violation of Rostov prisoners’ rights

  The arrestees kept in a SIZO (pre-trial prison) in Rostov-in-Don were forced to shave their heads after an incident with hostage-taking. A spokesperson for the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) explained the above as “educational work” and internal regulations of the SIZO. Coercion of the arrestees to shave their heads violated their rights, human rights defenders pointed out.

July 02, 2024 17:53

• Blogger detained in Dagestan after criticism from republic head

  Sergey Melikov, the head of Dagestan, stood up for a doctor from Khasavyurt, who had faced threats and attacks after a misunderstanding during examination of a patient wearing a niqab. After Melikov's criticism, law enforcers detained the blogger Khadjimurad Khanov, who had earlier demanded from the doctor's bosses to apologize, sources report.

July 01, 2024 23:56

• Religious scholars emphasize advisory nature of announced fatwa, banning wearing niqabs in Dagestan

  The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Dagestan, being a religious organization, may issue a fatwa (a ruling based on the principles of Islam), banning wearing niqabs, but this is only a recommendation, religious scholars and Caucasian experts believe. Violators of the ban face a maximum of condemnation and censure, they note.

July 01, 2024 22:51

• Mufti of Dagestan announces fatwa banning wearing niqabs

  The Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Dagestan will soon issue a fatwa (a ruling based on the principles of Islam), banning wearing niqabs. This has been announced by the Mufti of Dagestan after the leader of the republic spoke out against wearing niqabs.

July 01, 2024 22:47

• Gadjiev's colleagues treat enlightenment as way to combat radicalization

  The ideological work aimed to counter radicalization should be conducted by Muslims themselves; and Abdulmumin Gadjiev, the convicted "Chernovik" outlet journalist, is one of those who is able to influence his fellow believers, Dagestani journalists are sure.

July 01, 2024 19:35

• ECtHR finds rights violation of Ingush activist Barakh Chemurziev

  The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ordered Russian authorities to pay EUR 5000 to convicted activist, Barakh Chemurziev, as compensation for his arrest at the rally in Magas. The ECtHR's decision was made amid Russia's refusal to enforce the Court's decisions.

July 01, 2024 19:07

• ECtHR finds rights violation of Circassian activist Ruslan Gvashev

  The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ordered Russian authorities to pay EUR 3500 to Ruslan Gvashev, a Circassian activist, as compensation for the fine imposed on him for praying at the Tulip Tree in 2017.

June 30, 2024 23:58

• Kremlin's reaction to Kadyrov's words encourages threats to militants' families

  The soft reaction of the press secretary of the Russian President to Kadyrov's threats to militants' relatives has demonstrated the Kremlin's agreement with the methods of the head of Chechnya, analysts have pointed out.

June 30, 2024 23:55

• Kadyrov criticizes Bastrykin for his words about attackers in Dagestan and Rostov-on-Don

  The hostage taking in the Rostov SIZO (pre-trial prison) and the attacks in Dagestan were committed by "Islamists," Alexander Bastrykin, the Chairman of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), has stated and supported the idea of banning niqabs (long garments worn by some Muslim women in order to cover their entire body and face, excluding their eyes).

June 30, 2024 23:48

• Circassian activist Martin Kochesoko* treats his criminal prosecution as unjustified

  Martin Kochesoko*, an activist from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), who had moved to Europe, has treated his criminal prosecution in Russia for evading the duties of a foreign agent as unjustified.

June 30, 2024 22:44

• Court in Dagestan approves verdict to law enforcers for kidnapping and torture

  The Supreme Court (SC) of Dagestan has refused to commute the sentences passed to five law enforcers who figured in the case of kidnapping and torture, and replaced the conditional imprisonment of one of the convicts for real one.

June 30, 2024 21:39

• Court arrests Krasnodar violinist for slogan in support of Ukraine

  The Leninsky District Court of Krasnodar has arrested for days Marina Nasonova, a violinist of the Kuban Symphony Orchestra, for a phrase in support of Ukraine she has posted in the messenger.

June 30, 2024 19:31

• Maria Smelaya demands efficient inquiry into her son's kidnapping

  Maria Smelaya, a resident of Krasnodar, has complained that officials from the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) are passing her complaint about her husband's kidnapping of their common son to each other and would not investigate the case.

June 29, 2024 23:54

• Cassation Court refuses to commute Nozdrinov's sentence

  The sentence to Alexander Nozdrinov, a journalist and blogger from the Krasnodar Territory, sentenced to 8.5 of freedom deprivation within the case of fakes about the Russian Army, has been upheld.