Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of April 21-27

Events in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Russia on Remembrance Day of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire; Day of Circassian Flag in Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria; start of trying Ruslan Kutaev, who criticized the head of Chechnya, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of April 21-27, 2014, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Remembrance Day of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire

On April 24 Armenia commemorated the victims of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923 with mass mourning actions. On that day the Yerevan's "Moscow" Cinema screened a retrospective of films dedicated to the tragic events of 99 years ago; and the day before the capital of Armenia held a torchlight march with more than 10,000 participants. Nagorno-Karabakh residents also commemorated the victims of the Armenian Genocide with rallies and marches. In Moscow, on April 24, the rally "Armenian Genocide is a crime against humanity" gathered more than a thousand people. They called the Turkey to recognize the Genocide and compensate the harm caused to Armenian people.

It is noteworthy that on April 23, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the first time ever expressed his condolences to "grandchildren of the Armenians killed in the events of the early twentieth century." However, the Armenian experts have treated these condolences of the Turkish Prime Minister as an imitation of recognition of the Armenian Genocide by this country.

Celebration in honour of Circassian Flag held in three republics of Russia

On April 25, Adygs (Circassians) around the world celebrated the Day of Circassian Flag by organizing horse-riding tours, motor runs, Circassian dance games, sports competitions and other public events. These and other actions took place also in the republics of Northern Caucasus, where Circassian nationals live. In Karachay-Cherkessia, the events in honour of Circassian Flag were attended by over 550 people; in Adygea – by about 1500 people.

Start of trial of Ruslan Kutaev who criticized the head of Chechnya

On April 25, the Urus-Martan City Court of Chechnya began considering the case of Ruslan Kutaev, President of the "Assembly of Caucasian Nations", accused of illegal drug possession. Kutaev himself rejects all the accusations. The case is highly resonant; and the trial is attended by activists of various human rights organizations, including the "Committee against Torture", Human Rights Centre "Memorial", and the Joint Mobile Group, who had earlier stated that Kutaev was tortured and sought to open a criminal case in this context. The international Human Rights Watch associates Kutaev's prosecution with his criticism addressed to the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, who had banned to hold, on February 23, the memorial events to mark the Chechens' and Ingushes' deportation anniversary.

Hospitalization of Mikhail Stolyarov from the courtroom in Astrakhan

Last week, the trial of Mikhail Stolyarov, the Mayor of Astrakhan, who was temporarily removed from office and accused of bribe-taking, was suddenly interrupted. On April 23, Stolyarov was hospitalized from the building of the Kirov District Court of Astrakhan after he complained of pain in his heart. According to his advocate, Stolyarov was placed into the intensive care unit. Two days before that, the investigator of the case described the circumstances under which the money was transferred to the defendant.

Sagid Murtazaliev, alleged target of prepared attempt, speaks at Said Amirov's trial

In Rostov-on-Don, the hearing continued on the preparation for a terror attack, in which Said Amirov, the temporarily dismissed Mayor of Makhachkala, is one of the defendants. The April 25 session listened to Sagid Murtazaliev, a prosecution witness, the head of the Russian Pension Fund for Dagestan. According to investigators, the defendants had prepared an attack on him. Murtazaliev said that Amirov asked him to write off a more than one billion-worth debt of Amirov's controlled companies to the Pension Fund. He also said that the motives for preparing an assassination attempt on him were also, in his version, the disagreements in connection with the election of the Mayor of Kaspiysk and Deputies of the National Assembly of the Republic.

Ten parties to run for MPs of South Ossetia; nine of them are collecting signatures

On April 21, the Central Election Commission (CEC) of South Ossetia completed reception of party lists of candidates for the Parliament, the elections to which are scheduled for June 8. The documents have been submitted by 9 out of 14 parties eligible to take part in the elections, namely: "People's Unity", "Fatherland", "Unity", "United Ossetia", "New Ossetia", "Nykhas", "Motherland", "People's Party" and the Communist Party. All of them have been approved for campaigning. Its second stage is now on – the collection of signatures to be completed by May 3.