Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev missed the informal CIS summit in St. Petersburg due to a busy work schedule. Aliyev's administration also noted that his absence from the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on December 21 was due to Azerbaijan not being a member of the organization.
Security forces conducted a search in Bakhchisarai of the Crimean Tatar activist and member of the Audit Commission of the Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people Eden Dudakov. He was taken away for interrogation.
Based on recent trials, Dudakov faces arrest. On March 5, security forces conducted searches in houses in Bakhchisarai and the Dzhankoy region of Crimea. Then the courts arrested Crimean Tatar activists Memet Lyumanov, Aziz Azizov, Mustafa Abduramanov and Rustem Osmanov on charges of participation in a terrorist organization.
Criminal cases are initiated against Crimean Tatars, most often in connection with participation in the political party Hizb ut-Tahrir. It is recognized as terrorist in Russia, but at the same time it operates legally in Ukraine, European countries and the world.