On January 29, the Memorial human rights center reported that the police in Dagestan had compiled lists of Salafis and required people on such lists to notify the authorities when they intend to travel outside the republic. Suspected Salafis are required to submit such notifications... MORE

With weeks to go before the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, US and Russian media reported that female suicide bombers might be targeting the upcoming event. The police reportedly visited hotels and distributed leaflets with a description of the potential suicide bombers,... MORE

The situation in Syria has not changed significantly in the past month, but the same cannot be said about the Chechens who are fighting there. Indeed, the Chechen groups in Syria have evidently radicalized and split into different factions because of the dispute between al-Nusra... MORE

On January 14, an expert report on the current situation and future evolution of the North Caucasus was released in Moscow. The report scathingly criticizes Russian government policies in the region and describes region as being in a state of ongoing crisis. Unlike many other... MORE

Dagestan’s Khasavyurt district has a long border with Chechnya. Moreover, a significant number of ethnic Chechens ended up in Dagestan after their territory was handed over to Dagestan in 1922 (https://megabook.ru/article/%D0%90%D0%9A%D0%9A%D0%98%D0%9D%D0%A6%D0%AB). After the influx of Chechen refugees during the first Russian-Chechen war, the overall number... MORE

The mysterious killings of six people in Stavropol region on January 8 came as a complete surprise to the region’s law enforcement agencies and residents. Three cars whose drivers had been shot dead were discovered in the region (https://ria.ru/incidents/20140108/988253190.html). The first car was found near... MORE

On January 8, Russian authorities introduced a counter-terrorist operation regime in two southern districts of the Stavropol region. The move was in response to earlier incidents, in which police found four cars with five slain people in them (https://ria.ru/defense_safety/20140108/988277304.html). The number of people found murdered... MORE

The last week of 2013 was dominated by the news about three terrorist attacks—one in Pyatigorsk and two in Volgograd. These attacks overshadowed the tense situation in the North Caucasus itself.The last week of the year was the same as many previous ones and apparently... MORE

In late October, central Beijing tasted terror when a flaming SUV rammed a crowd of tourists at the city’s iconic Tiananmen gate, killing the three alleged perpetrators and two bystanders. Authorities were quick to label the attack an act of jihadist terror. The ensuing media... MORE

2013 was a violent year for China and Xinjiang. On December 30, at 6:30 in the morning, a group of individuals believed to be Uighur attacked a police station in Shache County (or Yarkand) near Kashgar with “explosive devices” (Xinhua, December 30). According to official... MORE