Kabardino-Balkaria to host republican counter-terrorism forum

Kabardino-Balkaria plans to host a republican forum entitled “The People of Kabardino-Balkaria Against Terror” in April, RIA Novosti cites head of the republic Arsen Kanokov as saying.

The forum is aimed at consolidating society against violence and terror, expressing piublic opinion and intolerance of religious radicalism and extremism and developing efficient measures to strengthen peace and stability in the region.

The forum will see officials from political parties, public, religious, youth organizations and movements, the Public Chamber of Kabardino-Balkaria, state structures and local autonomies.

The situation in Kabardino-Balkaria remains tense. Valery Ustov, head of the republic’s subdivision of the Russian Investigation Committee, said that over 50 people are on the wanted list for grave and exceptionally grave crimes. 10 of them are on the international wanted list and 42 on the federal one.

Ustov said that there are approximately 60 active militant groups in the republic. 8 out of 28 murders this year were committed by militants. Ustov noted that the court will hear two major criminal cases against 8 militants in the near future.