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Open Caucasus Media — the Caucasus with depth. News, commentary, and multimedia from the North and South Caucasus.
🔴 Daghestani police force two boys to make public apology for killing kitten 👇Full article here: https://oc-media.org/daghestani-police-force-two-boys-to-make-public-apology-for-killing-kitten/
Daghestani police force two boys to make public apology for killing kitten
The two boys were seen killing the kitten in surveillance footage.
oc-media.org
🔴 Armenian Parliament elects new speaker as Catholicos skips session for first time 👇Read the full article here: https://oc-media.org/armenian-parliament-elects-new-speaker-as-catholicos-skips-session-for-first-time/
Armenian Parliament elects new speaker as Catholicos skips session for first time
Ruben Rubinyan replaced Alen Simonyan as speaker.
oc-media.org
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said that legislative measures may be needed to counter what he described as a ‘coordinated attack’ against the Georgian national identity, following the creation of initiative groups calling for their protection — possibly through acts of violence.
Kobakhidze says law may be needed to counter ‘attack on national identity’
Irakli Kobakhidze backed possible legal changes after groups launched initiatives to defend ‘national identity’.
oc-media.org
Three men from Ingushetia have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a man in Sunzha. The suspects believed the victim had placed a curse on one of their brothers, causing him to become seriously ill. https://oc-media.org/three-men-from-ingushetia-arrested-over-murder-motivated-by-witchcraft/
Russia’s Investigative Committee has announced the arrest of three men from Ingushetia on suspicion of murdering a man in the town of Sunzha. oc-media.org/three-men-fr...
Three men from Ingushetia arrested over murder ‘motivated by witchcraft’
One of the suspects believed the victim had placed a curse on his brother.
oc-media.org
🔴 Opinion | Armenia’s sweeping post-election reshuffles reveal a leader driven by political insecurity rather than the confidence of victory. https://oc-media.org/opinion-pashinyans-cabinet-shakeup-shows-he-is-weaker-than-he-appears/ by Gor Madoyan
🔴 Three Baptists in Adygea fined for holding worship services in private home. 👇 Read the full article here: https://oc-media.org/three-baptists-in-adygea-fined-for-holding-worship-services-in-private-home/
Three Baptists in Adygea fined for holding worship services in private home
They were fined under legislation governing missionary activity.
oc-media.org
The chair of Georgia’s State Electrosystem resigned following two consecutive nationwide blackouts. Reports have suggested that his resignation was a consequence of the blackouts, with the state energy regulator apparently criticising the Electrosystem in its initial assessment of the first outage.
Georgia’s Electrosystem head ‘resigns’ following nationwide blackouts
Vano Zardiashvili was a Georgian Dream MP shortly before moving to the Electrosystem.
oc-media.org
Ingush women urge regional authorities to save medieval tower complex from collapse Read the full article here: https://oc-media.org/ingush-women-urge-regional-authorities-to-save-medieval-tower-complex-from-collapse/
Ingush women urge regional authorities to save medieval tower complex from collapse
The women say the foundation of the Two Rivals’ Towers is eroding.
oc-media.org
A Cartier bracelet worth more than $40,000 was reportedly gifted to a make-up artist by one of Ramzan Kadyrov's daughters. https://oc-media.org/kadyrovs-daughters-gift-make-up-artist-cartier-bracelet-worth-over-40-000/
Kadyrov’s daughters gift make-up artist Cartier bracelet worth over $40,000
The value of the gift is comparable to several annual salaries in Chechnya.
oc-media.org
The Facebook page of Georgian investigative outlet Studio Monitor was removed on Monday, just over a week after the outlet’s YouTube channel was taken down and later restored following an appeal.
Facebook page of Georgian investigative outlet Studio Monitor removed
Georgian investigative outlet Studio Monitor’s Facebook page was removed on Monday.
oc-media.org
The US has decided to make its visa bond programme permanent for Georgians, obliging them to post a bond of up to $20,000 for tourist or business visas. Georgia is the only European country to be included in a list of ‘high-risk’ countries the US associates with overstays.
Georgia only European country to be included in permanent US visa bond list
Georgian citizens may be required to post a bond up to $20,000 for a tourist or a business visa.
oc-media.org
Black Sea Petroleum, the company behind Georgia’s Kulevi oil refinery, which was recently listed in the EU’s latest Russia-related sanctions package, has again vowed to stop processing Russian crude. The company had made a similar pledge earlier.
Black Sea Petroleum says transition away from Russian crude underway after EU sanctions scare
The company’s Kulevi terminal has been included in the EU’s latest Russia sanctions package.
oc-media.org
A Georgian court has sentenced anti-government activist Tornike Toshkhua to five days for holding a banner during a protest asking whether the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidizina Ivanishvili is a dick.
Georgian authorities sentence man for poster mocking Ivanishvili days after arrest on same grounds
Tornike Toshkhua was previously fined for a poster.
oc-media.org
Thailand is looking for an explanation from Georgia as to why the Georgian authorities did not notify Thai officials in a timely manner of the death of a Thai tourist in Tbilisi. The statement was issued on Friday by the Thai Embassy in Ankara, which also covers Georgia.
Thailand seeks answers for Georgia’s lengthy delay in reporting Thai tourist’s death
Thai authorities reported that they were only notified of the death around two weeks after the body was found by Georgian police.
oc-media.org
During an official visit to Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended an opening ceremony of a luxury golf course, joined by his Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, and Turkmen counterparts.
Aliyev attends opening of Kyrgyzstan’s first luxury golf course along with Central Asian leaders
Aliyev took part in the opening of the golf club with the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
oc-media.org
Ingushetia has unveiled its first memorial dedicated to local residents who have died in Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Ingushetia unveils first memorial to soldiers killed in Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine
The memorial does not list the names of those killed.
oc-media.org
Ukrainian POWs held in Chechnya are reportedly being used as unpaid labour to build homes for senior figures in the entourage of Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov, according to Ukrainian soldier Serhii Skotarenko, who spent more than three years in captivity, partially in Grozny.
Ukrainian POWs used as unpaid labour for Kadyrov’s inner circle, soldier says
According to the former prisoner, refusing to carry out work was not an option.
oc-media.org
Georgian police officer Davit Chitanava charged with stalking and violating the privacy of local women in the western Khobi municipality. One of the charges is connected to allegations Chitinava acquired naked photos of women from an illegally installed camera at a beauty centre in the town.
Georgian police officer charged with stalking, illegally obtaining intimate photos
The now-former officer faces up to seven years in prison.
oc-media.org
Criminal proceedings have been launched after unidentified individuals leveled death threats against Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s wife, Anna Hakobyan. oc-media.org/armenia-open...
Armenia opens investigation into death threats against Pashinyan’s wife Anna Hakobyan
A spokesperson for Armenia’s Investigative Committee said a suspect has been put on the wanted list.
oc-media.org
Georgian anti-government protester Zurab Menteshashvili has been released from prison after serving nine months on charges of repeatedly ‘blocking the road’.
Georgian protester released after nine months in prison for ‘road-blocking’
Zurab Menteshashvili had been sentenced under the tightened protest legislation, which made repeated cases of blocking a road a criminal offence.
oc-media.org
A group of around 10 men has reportedly attacked an ethnic Meskhetian imam, Shevket Dvalidze, and his family in the central Georgian town of Akhaltsikhe. Human rights activists say that the attack could have been a hate crime, as the men attacked Dvalidze after hearing him speak Turkish.
Meskhetian imam, family attacked in Georgia in apparent hate crime
A group of people attacked the imam, reportedly after they heard him speaking Turkish.
oc-media.org
During Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Germany, exiled blogger Alamdar Bunyatov confronted presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.
Azerbaijani blogger called ‘Iranian agent’ after confrontation with Hajiyev and Bayramov in Germany
The blogger had confronted the two during their official visit to Germany as part of Aliyev’s delegation.
oc-media.org
In a first in Armenia’s modern history, Catholicos Karekin II, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, will go to court to face criminal charges.
Armenian Catholicos Karekin II to stand trial in historic first
The Catholicos will be the first to stand trial on criminal charges in Armenia’s modern history.
oc-media.org
Two suspected oil spills with a combined area of more than 600,000 square metres have been detected in the Caspian Sea near Makhachkala, Daghestan. The pollution was identified through satellite imagery published by an environmental monitoring service.
Two large oil spills detected off the coast of Makhachkala
Satellite imagery shows that the suspected spills cover an area of over 600,000 square metres.
oc-media.org
🎹 OC Reviews: DillaNext [Zura Jishkariani], one of Georgia’s most influential artists, returns with a four-track EP that transforms memory, recovery, and maturity into a ritual. oc-media.org/review-titre...
Review | Titrebi — Georgia’s underground icon returns with a new EP
DillaNext, one of Georgia’s most influential artists, returns with a four-track EP that transforms memory, recovery, and maturity into a ritual.
oc-media.org
Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze announced a cabinet reshuffle that will see Mamuka Mdinaradze become the State Minister for Regional Policy. The government also announced the abolishment of Mdinaradze’s former Law Enforcement Coordination State Ministry just three months after its creation.
Georgian government reshuffles abolish Mdinaradze’s months-old ‘ministry’, creates new one for him
Mamuka Mdinaradze will now become the State Minister for Regional Policy.
oc-media.org
Opposition-minded Iranians arrived in Georgia hoping for stability, but some now find themselves facing new risks. oc-media.org/he-lives-in-...
‘He lives in constant fear’ — Iranian dissidents in Georgia face an uncertain future
Opposition-minded Iranians arrived in Georgia hoping for stability, but some now find themselves facing new risks.
oc-media.org
A group of Abkhazian public figures have appealed to the authorities to postpone the installation of a monument dedicated to Abkhazian volunteers who died as part of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Abkhazian public figures urge authorities to delay installation of monument to volunteers killed in Ukraine
They called the installation of the monument ‘premature’.
oc-media.org
Azerbaijan’s sentencing of journalists from independent media outlet Toplum TV to lengthy prison terms has drawn international criticism, with several international organisations calling on Baku to immediately release them.
International organisations condemn verdict against Toplum TV journalists
Azerbaijan’s sentencing of journalists from independent media outlet Toplum TV to lengthy prison terms has drawn international criticism, with several international organisations calling on Baku to im...
oc-media.org