In Chechnya, Akhmad and Salakh Khaskhanov—brothers of Arbi Khaskhanov, who escaped from a military base in Khankala to avoid being sent to fight in the war against Ukraine—have been abducted. This was reported by the outlet *Kavkaz.Realii*, citing human rights defender Roza Dunaeva, who represents Ichkeria in Austria. According to her, the relatives are being held in an effort to force the young man himself to return to the republic.

Dagestan’s People’s Assembly today confirmed Fyodor Shchukin as head of the republic for a five-year term. Of the 87 deputies who took part in the vote, 78 supported the former chairman of Dagestan’s Supreme Court, who had been serving as acting head of the region since May. Four votes went to parliament’s deputy speaker, Kamil Davdiev, and another four to Samir Abdulkhаlikov, head of the Communist Party faction. One ballot was declared invalid.

Representatives from several countries walked out of the hall during a speech by Israeli President Isaac Herzog on October 15 at the summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), currently being held in Baku. According to the Turkish newspaper *Yeni Akit*, delegations from 13 countries—Iran, Palestine, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh—participated in the walkout.

The Supreme Court of Dagestan has ordered that former police officers Shamil Aliyev and Ramazan Saypulayev—convicted for the torture of Yulduz Kurashova and the fabrication of a criminal case against her—be sent to a penal colony. On October 14, the court converted their suspended sentences into actual prison terms, according to the human rights organization "Team Against Torture." The case had been under review for the fourth time.