Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of November 14-20

Resignation of Ingush government; first sitting of newly elected Parliament of Georgia; attempt on governor of Volgograd Region, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of November 14-20, 2016, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Ingush Govt dismissed for inefficiency

On November 17, the head of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov dismissed his cabinet of ministers, which was headed, since September 2013, by Abubakar Malsagov. Mr Evkurov found the government's work on the socio-economic development of Ingushetia insufficiently efficient. Alikhan Tsechoev, the First Vice-Premier, was appointed as Acting Premier. On November 18, the Ingush MPs voted for the appointment of Ruslan Gagiev, the Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly, to the post of the Prime Minister. The government will be renovated by half, said Evkurov.

Irakli Kobakhidze elected Speaker of new Georgian Parliament

On November 18, the New Georgian Parliament, elected at the voting held on October 8 and 30, gathered for its first session. Irakli Kobakhidze was elected to the post of the Speaker. The President Giorgi Margvelashvili called on the ruling party to use its constitutional majority in order to fulfil its pre-election promises.

The session of the parliament of the ninth convocation took place at the background of protests. Activists of civil society, trade unionists and students gathered at the legislature building in Kutaisi and demanded to amend the labour legislation of Georgia and to reform the education sector.

Attempt on Governor committed in Volgograd

At night on November 16, in Volgograd, an attempt was undertaken to set fire to the house of Andrei Bocharov, the Governor of the Volgograd Region: a burning object was thrown over the fence. Nobody was hurt. A source from the investigative bodies said that a criminal case was opened about a deliberate damage to one's property and an attempted murder in connection with one's professional activities. According to the governor, some unidentified culprits had planned to make arson of the house, rented by him for his personal money in the elite cottage settlement of Latoshinka, where he was with his family at that moment.

National Russian football team plays its first match in Grozny

On November 15, a Russia-Romania friendly match was held in the Chechen capital. The safety at the Akhmat Arena" Stadium was ensured by 2000 policemen. The Russian national team won the match with the score 1:0, thanks to the goal scored by Magomed Ozdoev, a native of Chechnya. The Russian national football team had never held its matches in Grozny. Residents of the city complained that police cordons around the stadium caused traffic jams. Some employees of state budget organizations stated that they were forced to attend the match as football fans.

Five suspected IS militants detained in Ingushetia

On November 15, the Russian Federal Security Bureau (FSB) reported a special operation, in the course of which five alleged members of the grouping, associated with the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS), banned Russian, were detained. According to power agents, the detainees had plotted terror acts in Ingushetia and Moscow; two bombs with the power of 10 kilos of TNT (trotyl) equivalent each and ammunition were found on them. The special operation was held in the village Nesterovskaya in the town of Malgobek. On November 17, the Magas District Court ruled to arrest all the five – residents of the Malgobek, Sunzha and Nazran Districts of Ingushetia, the oldest of whom is 30 years old, and the two youngest are 21.

Rostov-on-Don: trial of attack on head of regional GIBDD completed

On November 17, the Voroshilov District Court of Rostov-on-Don passed a guilty verdict in the case on the attack on Sergey Morgachev, the head of the Department of the GIBDD (road police) for the Rostov Region. Morgachev was beaten up on March 25, 2014. Investigators believe that the attack was organized by Alexander Otsimik, the victim's deputy, and Shaikhav Gadjiev from Astrakhan. The trial took place since October 2, 2015. The prosecutor demanded to sentence Otsimik and Gadjiev to 12 and 7 years in prison, accordingly. In their last plea, the defendants refused to plead guilty. As a result, Otsimik was sentenced to 10 years in a high-security colony and a fine of over 47 million roubles. The court also stripped him of his rank of "police lieutenant colonel". Shaikhav Gadjiev was sentenced to 7 years in colony. Besides, the court partially granted the victim's civil claim and ruled to collect 3 and 2 million roubles from Otsimik and Gadjiev, accordingly, as compensation of moral harm.

It is noteworthy that Morgachev himself is now in the prisoner's dock on charges of abuse of office.