On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan People's Republic (APR) was created - the first secular democratic state in the Muslim East. On this day, at a meeting of the National Council of Azerbaijan, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, establishing equal rights for all citizens.

Over 100 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army since October 7, 2023, during a military operation in the Gaza Strip. The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has filed its third case with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes by Israeli troops against Palestinian and other journalists.

Today, a court hearing in Chechnya to consider the issue of parole for Zarema Musaeva was canceled. It was postponed to June 26, the Team Against Torture reported.

Residents of Ingushetia and Chechnya who were deported or born in exile turned to the parliaments of their republics and other regions, whose natives suffered most from Stalin’s repressions in 1944 and subsequent years: Karachay-Cherkessia, Chechnya, Crimea and Kalmykia.

The Legal Committee of the Georgian Parliament approved overcoming the president's veto on the bill on foreign agents. Tomorrow the issue will be discussed at a plenary meeting of the country's parliament.

MMA athlete of Chechen origin Ilyas Yakubov announced that the investigation is being delayed, which is taking a long time and is ineffective. The accused has been held in a pre-trial detention center for eight months; the Moscow City Court and lower authorities refused house arrest.

Today, the police detained over 230 participants in the disobedience protest in Yerevan. They are supporters of the “Tavush for the Motherland” movement. Protesters blocked dozens of streets in the central area of the capital.

The opposition parties Girchi, Droa and Akhali made a statement that they would support the initiative of Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili to sign the Georgian Charter. The leaders of the Agmashenebeli Strategy, European Georgia and LELO parties also expressed their support.

In Armenia, actions of disobedience by the opposition movement “Tavush in the name of the Motherland” continued. The participants blocked several highways between Yerevan and other cities, and several streets were blocked in the center of the capital. Police detained more than 70 protesters.

232 people were evacuated from the flood zone in northern Armenia. It is reported that 28 people were taken from the Tufenkian hotel complex in Lori. 110 people were evacuated from the area near the Sanahin railway station, 62 from the city of Tashir, 22 from Alaverdi, 7 from Ayrum, 2 from Dilijan, 1 from the village of Haghartsin.