The murder of Chechen activist Imran Gaziev (Umar Gazi), accomplished on November 18, 2007, in Baku, remains unsolved until now. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by Isa Akhyadov, Chechen human rights activist who lives in Azerbaijan.

Zurab Estoev, a resident of Ingushetia and now one of the inmates of the temporary isolation facility (the so-called "IVS") in the city of Nalchik, complains of oppressions from the IVS administration. Estoev's relatives told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it.

During the week from December 11 to December 17, at least seven persons were killed and fifteen more wounded as a result armed clashes and terror acts committed in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan.

Four militiamen and two civilians were wounded by an explosive hidden in a bag and left inside a buildings in the Leninskiy District of the capital of Chechnya.

On December 18, five witnesses were interrogated at the trial of the murder of the observer of "Novaya Gazeta" Anna Politkovskaya, including employees of the FSB (Federal Security Bureau), who were interrogated in the closed regime, since state secrets could be mentioned in the process.

On December 18, a picket demanding investigation of the murder of three Ilaev brothers was held in Grozny opposite the Ombudsman of Chechnya; the brothers were assassinated earlier this month. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by one of the picketers - Kheda Saratova, journalist of the South-Russian Information and Analytical Agency.

On December 17, the Khasavyurt City Court of Dagestan, presided by Federal Judge Akif Gadzhiev, considered and satisfied the complaint lodged by Gasan Baisultanov, a resident of Khasavyurt.

The Prosecutor's Office of Moscow has recognized the fact that the property of the victims of the Dubrovka terror act was plundered. Advocate of the suffered party Igor Trunov said that such statement was made by the spokesman of the Prosecutor's Office of Moscow.

The trial that starts on December 19 on the criminal case of participants of mass disorders on March 1-2 in Yerevan, also known as the "Case of Seven", will be open, said Alina Engoyan, press secretary of the Cassation Court of Armenia.

The life of Sarkis Atspanyan who started as of December 1 his termless hunger strike is in danger. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by human rights activist Vardan Arutyunyan, a member of the Committee in Defence of Political Prisoners.

The judicial process on the murder of observer of the "Novaya Gazeta" Anna Politkovskaya has announced a break till December 17. Today, at the Moscow Regional Military Court, the defence has started presenting evidences of the defendants' innocence.

Within the last 24 hours, in different areas of Ingushetia, there were three incidents with fire opened at employees of law enforcement bodies. Three militiamen were wounded.

Today, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria has rejected the petition lodged last week by the accusation asking to transfer the trial on the events on October 13, 2005, to some other region.

The Supreme Court of Chechnya has received a criminal case against five residents of the Republic accused of kidnappings with the aim to extort ransom. They were presented charges on a number of articles of the Criminal Code.

Ingushetia has commemorated FSB Lieutenant Colonel Alikhan Kalimatov, who perished while performing his duties. In his memory, School No. 4 in Ordzhonikidzevskaya village, Sunzha District of the republic, where he was a pupil, has installed a memorial board.

The kidnapping of Ilaev brothers in Pervomaiskoe village was preceded by a skirmish between power agents with two supposed militants, some of the villagers assert.

At the trial on Anna Politkovskaya's murder, the General Prosecutor's Office has passed over to presenting evidences on the episode, not related to the murder of the journalist.

The Nazran Court in Ingushetia today has again refused to consider the petition lodged by the family of Magomed Evloev, perished owner of the website "Ingushetia.Ru", demanding to re-qualify the case of the oppositionist's murder to the article of the Criminal Code, which provides punishment for a murder.

Today, at the process on the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the General Prosecutor's Office of Russia has demonstrated to jurymen two driver's licenses to different names which, under the version of the accusation, were used by accused Rustam Makhmudov, now announced into search.

Today, at the trial on the events on October 13, 2005, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria has announced its decision on the challenges of the candidates for the jury. Out of 46 candidates for the jurymen, who came to the third selection round, only one was chosen.

Advocate and human rights activist Musa Pliev, newly-appointed adviser to the new President of Ingushetia Yunusbek Evkurov, plans to start a hotline telephone for people to complain against power agents' actions.

Advocate Musa Pliev, who is representing the interests of Magomed Evloev's family in the court, became an adviser to Yunus-Bek Evkurov, new President of Ingushetia. The appointment was made yesterday, on December 7, by a President's Decree.

Father of the Chechen girl Elza Kungaeva, for whose murder former Colonel Yuri Budanov was convicted, promises to apply to the Strasbourg Court should a decision is made on the Colonel's conditional early relief (CER).

According to the "Sova" Information and Analytical Centre, in January-November 2008, 21 natives from the Caucasus were murdered and 63 more wounded on the motive of racial hatred. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Galina Kozhevnikova, Deputy Director of the Centre.

The law enforcement agencies report that, today, two militants have been killed in the course of a special operation conducted in the Barsukin district of Nazran, Ingushetia. According to Yuri Turyghin, Ingushetia prosecutor, the persons were connected with a number of terrorist acts and attacks on militia officers.

Today, two suspect militants have been killed and one FSS officer perished in the course of a special operation conducted in the settlement of Novy Khushet in the outskirts of the Dagestan capital.

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch expressed its concern about the fate of Rasul Kudaev, former prisoner of Guantanamo, who is now held in the Russian pre-trial prison.

The authorities of Ingushetia call on the militants who are not involved in serious crimes to stop illegal activities and lay down arms in exchange of being exempt from criminal prosecution.

During the last month, ten members of the armed units have been killed and 28 detained on the territory of the Chechen Republic. These data have been cited by Ruslan Alkhanov, Chechen minister of interior, at the meeting of chiefs of the power authorities in Grozny.

The murder of seven young women whose bodies were found last week in different districts of Chechnya has caused concern among many Chechen residents. While the investigation of the incidents continues, residents of the republic propose various opinions on their possible causes.

2 million dollars has been paid for the murder of Аnna Politkovskaya, "Novaya Gazeta" columnist. This has been reported by Valeri Chernilov, lawyer of one of the defendants.

The Chechen Republic MoI press-service refused to comment on the death of the Ilaev brothers to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. They claim that there is nothing to add to the published official information.

Yesterday, December 4, in its ruling on the complaints from Chechen residents, the European Court on Human Rights again declined the applicants' request to oblige Russian authorities to conduct new investigation on disappearances and death of their relatives and to hold the guilty persons responsible.

At the Moscow Regional Military Court, where the trial on the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya continues, a hidden witness has stated today that one of the defendants - Sergey Hadjikurbanov - was going to gather data on the journalist. However, the defendants' advocates have stated that the witness knows nothing particular about the murder.

The Ilaev brothers, who lived in Pervomaiskoe village, Grozny District of Chechnya, and who were allegedly killed in a skirmish, and were militants as the law enforcement bodies assert, could become victims of a denunciation. This is the idea of one of the brothers' acquaintances.

The authorities of Russia are guilty of disappearance of Arthur Bersunkaev, a resident of Chechnya, in 2001 and of a heavy injury of Lipatu Umaeva in 2000. This decision was made public today by the European Court on Human Rights.

The European Court on Human Rights has found the authorities of Russia guilty of disappearances of four men, which happened in different districts of Chechnya in the period from May 2001 to November 2002; this was reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Arsen Sakalov, Director of the Ingush NGO named "Legal Initiative", which rendered assistance to the applicants.

Today, the Committee on Religious Matters under the Government of Dagestan held a press conference. Chairman Ahmed Magomedov met journalists.

The jury has found guilty seven members of the skinhead gang headed by Arthur Ryno and Pavel Skachevskiy. Other two figurants in the case were completely acquitted and released right in the court room.

Sarkis Atspanyan, former participant of the Karabakh war, activist of the opposition, currently a citizen of France, sentenced to two months of deprivation of freedom, has started a termless hunger-strike in prison "Vardashen" in Armenia; he demands to stop the illegal criminal prosecution against him. Mr Atspanyan also protests against tapping his telephone conversations and control of his correspondence.