North Caucasus Bulletin “Zilaxar”: March, 17
Kabardino-Balkaria, Ossetia
• Kabardino-Balkaria: The use of the Circassian flag in Kabardino-Balkaria is becoming more and more frequent, but is often viewed as a sigh of ethnic nationalism. People who display the Circassian flag at official events or sports competitions, or take pictures with it, are later called in for preventive conversations with the police.
Our source told us that one of the trainers of a sports club in Nalchik were taken to the police station because their students took pictures with the Circassian flag after winning republican competitions. The photo spread across the Circassian social networks, immediately after which the coach was questioned by the police. The authorities claim that the official flag of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic should be used, while the use of the Circassian flag is a sign of separatist sentiment.
It should be noted that the ethnic flag of the Circassian people is also the official flag of the subject of the Russian Federation - the Adygea Republic.
Circassian flag and flag of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
• Ossetia: There is a lack of Ossetian-speaking journalists in North Ossetia, Alan Bagiev, Minister of National Policy and External Relations, reported at the meeting of the parliamentary council.
"Every year we face the same problem. Speaking about the preservation of the Ossetian language, we need to pay attention to who will push the process forward. There are only few journalists capable of expressing their thoughts in literary Ossetian language," Bagiyev said.
The Minister also said that Ossetian will be available on the Yandex.translator platform. He also stressed the importance of using modern tech to enhance the use of Ossetian among the youth.
• Kabardino-Balkaria: Two Balkar public organizations - Bash-Tere and Council of Balkar Elders - were terminated by the Nalchik city court. Earlier, the regional Ministry of Justice found signs of extremism in the actions of these organizations. For example, Bash-Tere chairmen Battal Sozaev and Ismail Sabanchiyev signed a letter to the Russian President Vladimir Putin with the demand of secession of Balkaria from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. This demand, according to the Ministry of Justice, directly contradicts the constitution of the Russian Federation and the constitution of Kabardino-Balkaria and has all signs of extremism.
"Actions that violate the peaceful coexistence of peoples are unconstitutional. The integrity of the territory of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is guaranteed," the Ministry of Justice said in its statement.