During a live broadcast, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov commented on the case of political prisoner Zarema Musayeva—the wife of federal judge Saidi Yangulbayev and mother of opposition activists Abubakar, Ibrahim, and Baysangur Yangulbayev. He claimed the woman was "taken" to Chechnya because her family members "worked on social media." A relevant excerpt from the broadcast was published by Chechen opposition blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov.

A Baku court rejected a petition to change the pretrial detention measure against the arrested founder of Toplum TV, Alesker Mammadli, despite his need for surgery.

Elbai Karimli, a 23-year-old activist for the opposition Popular Front Party, has died in an Azerbaijani prison. He was previously recognized as a political prisoner and sentenced to five years for writing "Stalin" on a monument to Heydar Aliyev, the former president and father of current President Ilham Aliyev.

On December 15, 2011, Khadzhimurad Kamalov, the founder of the Chernovik newspaper, was murdered in Makhachkala. Fourteen years after the tragedy, the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of Russia upheld the sentences of those found guilty of the murder.

The seven-month prison sentence of Georgian opposition figure and leader of the "Girchi — More Freedom" party, Zurab Japaridze, expires on December 19. On Friday, the politician will leave Rustavi Penitentiary Institution No. 12, according to information on his Facebook page.

The first court hearing in the Meydan TV case took place in Baku. The court rejected the lawyers' motions to drop the criminal prosecution of the journalists and release them.

An Azerbaijani court has remanded lawyer and human rights activist Namizad Safarov in custody for four months on fraud charges. He is accused of embezzling 53,000 manats (approximately $31,000).

South Ossetian activist Tamara Mearakishvili has been unable to obtain a new passport for over a year. She claims the lack of a document prevents her from moving freely, even within the republic, or finding employment.

The trial of Ganimat Zahid, editor-in-chief of the Azadliq (Freedom) newspaper, who resides in France, has begun in Baku. The journalist denies the charges of anti-state incitement, viewing the criminal case as persecution for his professional activities.

Opposition activist and former Republican Party MP Mihran Hakobyan was attacked in Yerevan. Unknown masked assailants attacked him near a shopping center. Authorities have opened a criminal case for causing moderate bodily harm by a group of individuals motivated by hooliganism.