Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of April 28 to May 4

Detention and long interrogation of rights defender Leyla Yunus in Azerbaijan; armed clash in Stavropol Territory; festivities in KChR in honour of 57th anniversary of return of deported Karachay nationals to their historic homeland, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of April 28-May 4, 2014, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Azerbaijan: detention and many-hours-long questioning of human rights activist Leyla Yunus on journalist Mirkadirov's case

On April 28, in Baku airport, power agents detained Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD), and her husband Arif Yunus, a political scientist. Then, Leila Yunus was interrogated for nine hours at the Azerbaijani GPO (General Prosecutor's Office) as a witness in the case of journalist Rauf Mirkadirov. Also, law enforcement agents conducted a search of the IPD office of IPD and of the spouses' flat, seizing documents, computers and printed materials. On April 29, a statement condemning the detention Leyla Yunus was released by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, and Stefan Fule, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, have also expressed their concern over the arrest of Rauf Mirkadirov and detention of Leyla Yunus.

Stavropol Territory: armed clash resulting in two deaths

At night on April 28, in a forest on the border of the Neftekumsk and Stepnovsk Districts of the Stavropol Territory, law enforcers tried to stop a suspicious car, but the persons who were in the car opened fire. During the shootout, the two men in the car were killed and another one managed to run away. According to investigators, the two casualties were residents of Makhachkala. A bomb was found in the car; and it became known that one of the killed men had been earlier brought to criminal liability for preparing a terror act and assault on law enforcers, but was acquitted by a court decision.

Rostov Region: new plaque installed in Zmievskaya Balka

On April 28, Rostov-on-Don hosted an opening ceremony of the new commemorative plaque at the memorial complex "In Memory of Victims of Fascism" in the place known as Zmievskaya Balka; the plague now states that it is the largest Jewish burial place. The Jewish community of Rostov-on-Don has been striving for this change in the text on the plaque dedicated to Holocaust victims after in December 2011 the mentioning of Jews was replaced by "peaceful Soviet citizens".

Armenia: Gakust Sahakyan elected as Speaker of the Parliament

On April 29, Armenian MPs held a vote and elected Galust Sahakyan, the leader of the faction of the Republican Party of Armenia to the post of the Speaker of the National Assembly. The Parliament remained without its Speaker after on April 13 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan decreed to appoint the then Speaker Ovik Abramyan to the post of Prime Minister.

KChR: residents mark 57 years after return of deported Karachays to historic homeland

On May 3, the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR) held festivities dedicated to the 57th anniversary of the return of the deported Karachay nationals to their historic homeland. On that day, they organized a riding tour on the horses of the Karachay breed, while the Dramatic Theatre of the city of Cherkessk held a solemn sitting in memory of the victims of deportation. On May 2, in the village of Uchkeken, Malokarachay District, a monument to immortalize the memory of victims of the deportation of Karachays was opened.

North Ossetia: Beslan starts a park in memory of terror act victims

On May 3, in Beslan, volunteers laid the "Angels' Park", consisting of 334 tree seedlings – by the number of casualties of the terror act committed in September 2004, when terrorists took 1128 hostages in the Beslan school, and eventually killed 186 children and 148 adults. The idea of creating a park in the vacant land plot across the "Angels' Memorial" belongs to Soslan Batyrov, a Moscow lawyer. In memory of the lost civilians, they planted blue spruces; and in memory of the 12 servicemen of the "Alfa" Special Regiment, who were killed during the storm, they planted red rock oaks.