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A memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya was destroyed again in Moscow
Human rights
A memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya was destroyed again in Moscow
20 January 2026

A memorial plaque to journalist Anna Politkovskaya, installed on the Moscow building where she was killed, was destroyed twice in one day, Radio Liberty reported, citing the Telegram channel SOTA. The toppled and smashed temporary plaque bore the same inscription as the original.

A Dozhd journalist will be tried for comments about Russia's occupation of Georgian territories
Human rights
A Dozhd journalist will be tried for comments about Russia's occupation of Georgian territories
19 January 2026

A criminal case has been opened against Valeria Kichigina (née Fayzullina), editor and journalist of the opposition Russian TV channel Dozhd, for allegedly spreading "fakes" about the Russian army. She previously wrote that "20% of Georgia has been occupied by Russia for 15 years." It's worth noting that this is the first case under this article, and it concerns more than just the war in Ukraine.

The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Azerbaijan to end repression of media workers
Human rights
The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Azerbaijan to end repression of media workers
19 January 2026

The International Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the escalating crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan and called on the authorities to stop persecuting journalists.

A temporary plaque has been installed in Moscow to replace the memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya, which was destroyed by vandals
Human rights
A temporary plaque has been installed in Moscow to replace the memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya, which was destroyed by vandals
19 January 2026

The Moscow branch of the Civil Initiative party announced the installation of a temporary memorial plaque on the Moscow building where journalist Anna Politkovskaya lived and was murdered. The party called on the authorities to hold those who destroyed the previous memorial accountable.

In Kazakhstan, a lawyer who defended a Chechen refugee has been banned from practicing law
Human rights
In Kazakhstan, a lawyer who defended a Chechen refugee has been banned from practicing law
16 January 2026

Murat Adam, a lawyer with the Almaty City Bar Association who defended Chechen refugee Mansur Movlaev, has been disbarred. He considers the decision politically motivated and intends to appeal it.

Residents of Dagestan receive harsher sentences for participating in riots at Makhachkala Airport
Human rights
Residents of Dagestan receive harsher sentences for participating in riots at Makhachkala Airport
16 January 2026

Two participants in the riots at Makhachkala Airport have received harsher sentences. The Georgievsky City Court in Stavropol Krai also found Anvarbek Atayev and Rabadan Radzhabov guilty of failing to comply with transport safety requirements.

The Politkovskaya-Soldin Prize for Journalistic Courage was awarded to an Azerbaijani investigative reporter currently behind bars
Human rights
The Politkovskaya-Soldin Prize for Journalistic Courage was awarded to an Azerbaijani investigative reporter currently behind bars
15 January 2026

On the evening of January 14, the Anna Politkovskaya-Armand Soldin Prize ceremony took place in Lille. The awards ceremony took place at the ESJ Lille School of Journalism, the oldest journalism school in France.

Trial of opposition party activist begins in Azerbaijan
Human rights
Trial of opposition party activist begins in Azerbaijan
15 January 2026

A criminal case has begun in a Baku court against Novruz Taghiyev, an activist with the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), accused of fraud and document forgery. Taghiyev is also known as a pro bono security guard for PFPA leader Ali Karimli.

Mearakishvili filed a complaint against her illegal expulsion from South Ossetia to Georgia
Human rights
Mearakishvili filed a complaint against her illegal expulsion from South Ossetia to Georgia
13 January 2026

Activist Tamara Mearakishvili filed a cassation appeal against the Tskhinvali City Court's decision to deport her to Georgia. In the appeal, she challenges the legality and validity of the court's decision, alleging a violation of her constitutional rights. Mearakishvili emphasizes that she has been a citizen of South Ossetia since 2013, having previously renounced her Georgian citizenship.

A conscript soldier from Dagestan was brutally beaten at a military unit in the Voronezh Region
Human rights
A conscript soldier from Dagestan was brutally beaten at a military unit in the Voronezh Region
11 January 2026

A 19-year-old conscript soldier from Dagestan has suffered memory loss after suffering a severe head injury, allegedly as a result of a beating at a military unit in the Voronezh Region. He is currently undergoing treatment in Moscow.