The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded the Lech Wałęsa Solidarity Prize to Mzia Amaglobeli—founder of the independent Georgian outlets *Batumelebi* and *Netgazeti*—in recognition of her contribution to promoting and supporting democratic values.

Memet Belyalov, a Crimean Tatar political prisoner and activist with the "Crimean Solidarity" human rights movement, has once again been transferred to a strict-regime barracks at Penal Colony No. 9 in Petrozavodsk. Prior to this, he had spent three months in a cell-type unit (PKT). This was reported by *Suspilne Krym*, citing Belyalov's relatives.

Lana Estemirova—daughter of human rights activist Natalia Estemirova, who was murdered in 2009—presented the Russian edition of her book, *Please, Live!*, in Prague. In an interview with DW, she discussed the situation in Chechnya, the plight of its residents, and the possibility of a change in power.

A video from School No. 6 in Sumgait showing several schoolgirls leaving the building was widely circulated on social media on 29 September. The footage shows girls wearing headscarves in accordance with Muslim religious practice, some of them crying. Azerbaijani media reported that the girls were prevented from attending classes because they were wearing headscarves.

Mansur Soltaev, the Commissioner for Human Rights in Chechnya, has criticized the report by Mariana Katzarova, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Russia. The document focuses on the persecution of critics of the Russian leadership abroad and includes a specific section on the actions taken by Chechen authorities against the diaspora.

More than 150 human rights defenders, journalists, civil society and political figures, as well as civil society organisations, have called on the Kazakh authorities to halt the extradition to Russia of Mansur Movlaev and Yulia Yemelyanova. The joint statement was issued after both lost their appeals against court decisions denying them asylum in Kazakhstan.

Azerbaijani representative remained in the General Assembly hall during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations, while dozens of delegations, including Türkiye’s, walked out. The move triggered a wave of criticism of Baku in Türkiye — ranging from accusations of insufficient solidarity with Ankara to outright accusations of “betrayal”. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, says “unfounded and biased claims” are being circulated against relations between the two countries.

Crimean political prisoner Tofik Abdulgaziev has once again been placed in a punitive confinement cell for 10 days. A hearing on his motion for release due to health reasons, originally scheduled for September 22, has been postponed to October 26. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center reported this, citing the prisoner's wife, Aliye Abdulgazieva.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Azerbaijan to ensure that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has regular access to Armenian detainees. The call followed an appeal by Ruben Vardanyan, the former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh. HRW stressed that it had not independently verified the information he provided.

Chechnya’s prosecutor’s office says it has found no evidence that the parents and brother of Mansur Movlaev, who fled the republic, were abducted. The Investigative Committee registered a report about the disappearance of three family members and conducted a preliminary inquiry, but decided not to open a criminal case. The prosecutor’s office has ruled that the decision was lawful.