Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said Yerevan does not rule out taking its dispute with Russia over the management of the South Caucasus Railway to an international court if the issue cannot be resolved through negotiations. At the same time, he stressed that the Armenian authorities hope to settle the matter through talks.
The Crimean Tatar activists Alexander Sizikov, Alim Sufianov and Seyran Khairedinov, convicted in the case of participation in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir, had their sentences upheld in cassation.
Sizikov, who has a visual impairment, was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Khairedinov and Sufianov were sentenced to 12 years each. They were found guilty under articles on organizing the activities of a terrorist organization and preparing for the violent seizure of power.
The Islamist party Hizb ut-Tahrir has been recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia. Its members are being tried and sentenced to real terms on the basis that they met in apartments, read religious literature and recruited new members. In total, Memorial recognized 299 defendants in cases of involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir as political prisoners.