1 februari 2005
- Eight criminal cases opened on abduction of Maskhadov’s relatives. The Chechen prosecutor's
office has
opened eight criminal cases on abduction charges, following the abduction of Chechen
separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov's sister, two brothers, two nephews and three other relatives. According to
Vladimir Kravchenko, Chechnya's chief prosecutor, criminal proceedings were launched after corresponding checks
by law enforcement bodies were carried out, but no statements about missing relatives have been filed.
Head of the North Caucasus counter-terrorist operation headquarters Arkady Yedelev has accused the Chechen
military and police structures of being involved in the abductions of Chechen citizens. In a news story about
Grozny shown on NTV on Monday night, Yedelev said that "We think that, today, senior officials from law
enforcement structures, certain servicemen, and bandit group leaders, are taking part in abductions."
NTV noted that, at a session of security structure representatives in Grozny, Chechen Prosecutor Vladimir
Kravchenko said that every tenth abduction in Chechnya was committed by representatives of the federal forces.
According to the prosecutor's data, people have been taken away in armoured cars during raids. (Interfax,
Izvestiya)
3 februari 2005
- Chechen separatist leader announces
armistice: Referring a Chechen separatist web site, Kommersant (front page) reports that Chechen separatist
leader Aslan Maskhadov has ordered to “unilaterally suspend all assault actions in the Chechen territory and
beyond in February”. The daily recalls that Maskhadov issued a similar order in April 2000 with rebels
refraining from large-scale actions, but terrorist attacks continuing. In the meantime, reports Nezavisimaya
gazeta, some media outlets claim that Chechen rebel leaders, including Shamil Basayev, announced their intention
to commemorate the first anniversary since the death of rebel leader Ruslan Gelayev by getting together in the
Chechen capital, Grozny, on 28 February (Kommersant, Nezavisimaya gazeta).
4 februari 2005
- Officials voice scepticism over Maskhadov’s “truce”; prosecutors bring new charges against
Maskhadov, Basayev: Chechen President Alu Alkhanov has linked the readiness of Chechen separatist leader Aslan
Maskhadov to halt combat actions to ‘intensified actions by Chechen police and federal anti-terrorist agencies
in Chechnya, while presidential envoy Dmitry Kozak labelled Maskhadov’s statement as ‘an attempt to attract
publicity’. In the meantime, reports Interfax, prosecutors have brought new charges against Aslan Maskhadov and
Shamil Basayev - for organising a series of terrorist attacks, including the hostage-taking in Beslan (Interfax,
Izvestia).
- Moscow asks London not to televise Basayev’s interview: The Russian Embassy in
Great Britain asked the British authorities not to televise an interview with Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev
[scheduled for yesterday evening on Channel 4], stressing that this action is regarded as “another informational
move supporting terrorists that operate in the North Caucasus”. The Russian NTV channel has noted that the time
when the interview was taken is unclear, which is particularly important amid speculations on Basayev’s death,
reportedly either in a clash or from chronic kidney problems (Vremya novostei, Interfax, NTV, Kommersant,
Izvestia, Rossiyskaya gazeta).
7 februari 2005
- Parliamentary elections
in Chechnya may be held in October – Alkhanov: (i) At a press conference on Saturday in Moscow, Chechen
President Alu Alkhanov stated that elections to the Chechen parliament could be held in October 2005. (ii) At
the same press conference, Alkhanov did not either confirm or deny reports on the death of one of the prominent
Chechen militant leaders, Shamil Basayev. He also pointed out that Chechen law enforcement agencies are
investigating into the abduction of relatives of Chechen/Ichkerian separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov. (Interfax,
Izvestia, Vremya novostei, Gazeta)
8 februari 2005
- Maskhadov invited to
lay down arms: Federal and Chechen officials continue to comment on the declaration by Chechen separatist leader
Aslan Maskhadov of a unilateral cease-fire till the end of February and his call for the Kremlin to start peace
talks and for the international community to play a part in settling the conflict in Chechnya. Chechnya’s 1st
Deputy Prime Minister, Ramzan Kadyrov, is quoted as having formally invited Maskhadov to lay down arms and give
himself up to the authorities as “in the current situation this is the only possible gesture of goodwill”.
Federation Council member, Yury Sharandin, emphasized that the upper house of the Russian parliament is strongly
against any talks with Maskhadov and noted that Maskhadov’s claims of negotiations “are primarily targeted at
the European and Western public”. According to Chechen State Council Chairman, Taus Dzhabrailov, Maskhadov’s
statements are linked to a roundtable meeting on Chechnya to be held in Moscow and may be considered as a hope
for European and U.S. pressure on Russia. (ITAR-TASS, Interfax, RG, Kommersant, Vremya novostei, MT)
9 februari 2005
- Basayev denies rumours of his death. A video posted on a
Chechen separatist website on Tuesday shows Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev denying rumours of his
death. Unconfirmed reports of Basayev’s death in Chechnya were circulated in Abkhazia last week. An Abkhaz law
enforcement service said this information was leaked by people close to Basayev's relatives residing in
Abkhazia. (Interfax, Izvestiya)
- Kommersant receives warning for Maskhadov’s interview. The
Russian federal mass media supervision service has issued an official warning to Kommersant telling it not to
violate Russian law on mass media. The grounds for this decision was the publication of an interview with
Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov in Kommersant. (Interfax)
11 februari 2005
- Human Rights-Putin Says 'Objective' Criticism is OK. (1)Russia is ready for a constructive
dialog on human rights with the international community, President Putin said at a Thursday meeting with UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour. "We will listen with respect and react to an objective analysis of
the issue, to every objective remark," Putin said. (2) Putin told Arbour about the human rights situation in
Chechnya, Russia's Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin said after their meeting on Thursday. (3) Russian
Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov and Arbour discussed human rights, in particularly in Chechnya, in Moscow on
Thursday, says a report from the Prosecutor General's Office. (Interfax, Izvestiya, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
- Russian human rights groups back talks with Maskhadov. A group of Russian human rights
campaigners has called on the government to begin negotiations with Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov.
The statement was signed by Moscow Helsinki Group Chairman Lyudmila Alekseyeva, Civil Aid Committee Chairman
Svetlana Gannushkina, Memorial Center directors Oleg Orlov and Sergei Kovalyov, Movement for Human Rights leader
Lev Ponomaryov, and others. (Interfax)
14 februari 2005
- Russia concerned
by West's positions on Baltic states, Chechnya - Ivanov. Russia is concerned about the West's positions
regarding the condition of Russian-speaking residents in the Baltic countries and also guerrillas fighting in
Chechnya, said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov at a news conference in Munich on Sunday. "I would also
describe as, to put it mildly, an unfriendly step in relation to Russia the recent broadcasting of terrorist
[Shamil] Basayev's interview on a British television channel, even though it was a private one," Ivanov said.
(Interfax)
- Arsanov tortured at Kadyrov jail.Former Chechen rebel Vice President Vakha
Arsanov was detained in Grozny last month, a Chechen rebel web site and Interfax confirmed Friday. The web site
said he was being tortured in an unofficial prison run by Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov's security
forces. Interfax, citing "well-informed" Chechen law enforcement sources, said Arsanov was detained and that no
arrest warrant had been issued for him beforehand. (Interfax, The Moscow Times)
- Kadyrov
threatens legal action against human rights defenders. Chechen First Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov on
Sunday denied rumours that former Ichkerian vice president Vakha Arsanov had been arrested. Kadyrov said that
the legal action would be taken against human rights organizations that accuse him of kidnapping people in
Chechnya. Although Kadyrov did not mention any particular organization, human rights activists are definite that
he was talking about "Memorial", that was the first organization accusing Chechen authorities in kidnappings
people. (Interfax, Kommersant)
- Ivanov says Chechen militants have no nuclear weapons.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov has denied assertions that Chechen militants supposedly possess a low-
yield nuclear bomb. "All this is a politically-motivated myth. Berezovsky's statement is of the same nature,"
Ivanov said at a news conference in Munich on Sunday. Ivanov made this remark in comments on notorious Russian
oligarch Boris Berezovsky's statement that Chechen militants possess a low-yield nuclear bomb. (Interfax, The
Moscow Times)
15 februari 2005
- Justice minister slams Europe's approach
to Russia's extradition requests. Russian Justice Minister Yury Chaika said he is concerned over a political
dimension that was added by European officials to a number of Russia's extradition requests. The minister
referred to "[Chechen separatist envoy Akhmed] Zakayev, [controversial businessman Boris] Berezovsky,
[businessman Mikhail] Zhivilo and a number of other cases," the Ministry’s department of public relations said.
(Interfax)
16 februari 2005
- Davis says Russia free to decide whether to
hold talks with Chechen separatists: (i) At a press conference yesterday in Moscow, Council of Europe Secretary
General Terry Davis stated that it is up to Russian authorities to decide whether or not to hold talks with
Chechen separatists. Answering a question on possible talks with Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, he
emphasized that “it is difficult for any government to decide whether it should deal with people whom it
considers as terrorists”. (ii) Davis supported the idea of organising a roundtable conference on Chechnya with
the participation of the Chechen public. In an interview with today’s Nezavisimaya gazeta, he expressed concern
over the situation with human rights in Chechnya. He also stressed that Russia has not yet fulfilled the
commitments that it assumed upon joining the CoE and therefore the CoE’s monitoring procedures would continue to
apply to Russia. (Interfax, Vremya novostei, NG, Novye Izvestia)
17 februari 2005
- HR activists say over 1,000 people abducted in Chechnya in 2004: At a press conference in
Moscow yesterday, a representative of international NGO Human Rights Watch, Anna Neistat, stated that over 1,000
people were kidnapped in Chechnya in 2004 and that several of them are still missing. Answering a question about
the disappearance of Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov’s relatives, she emphasized that it is still not
known what happened to seven of them. Also yesterday, Chechen Prosecutor Vladimir Kravchenko denied allegations
that the Chechen security force led by Chechen 1st Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov was involved in
abducting Maskhadov’s relatives. (Interfax, Kommersant, Izvestia)
18 februari 2005
- UK suggests Russia follow N. Ireland practices in Chechen settlement: The media report on the
statements made yesterday by British Ambassador to Moscow Anthony Brenton who suggested that Russia should use
the Northern Ireland peace talks as a model in its efforts to settle the conflict in Chechnya. Chechen State
Council Chairman Taus Dzhabrailov is quoted as having commented that the events in Northern Ireland and Chechnya
“have absolutely nothing in common”. Chairman of the Federation Council International Committee Mikhail Margelov
pointed out that the 1996 Khasavyurt agreements with Chechen separatist leader Maskhadov resembled the British
agreements with Northern Ireland separatists, but that “Maskhadov failed to become a kind of Jerry Adams”.
(Interfax, Trud)
22 februari 2005
- Nine servicemen died in Chechnya:
Electronic media today report that 9 Russian servicemen died and another three were wounded as a result of the
collapse of a building in Grozny last night. No further details were available. (Interfax, Echo Moskvy,
Gazeta.ru)
25 februari 2005
- Rebels' Cease-Fire Expires. A temporary
cease-fire called by Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov expired Wednesday, which also marks the 61st
anniversary of the Stalin-era deportation of Chechens to the barren steppes of Central Asia.” We have proposed
and again are proposing peace to Russia, because we consider that it's up to the strong side to propose peace,"
Maskhadov said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement is calculated for Western politicians, said State Duma
Deputy Akhmar Zavgayev of Chechnya. (Izvestiya, The Moscow Times, Interfax)
- Kadyrov
threatens to kill Basayev. First Deputy Chechen Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov has pledged that he will
personally kill prominent guerrilla leader Shamil Basayev as his deadly enemy. "Take my word for it that I will
kill Basayev. He is my enemy, my deadly enemy," Kadyrov said in an interview published in the Thursday issue of
Moskovsky Komsomolets. (Interfax)
28 februari 2005
- Soldiers’ Mothers
meet Chechen emissary: A delegation of the Union of Soldiers’ Mothers Committees and Chechen separatist emissary
Akhmed Zakayev met in London on Friday and adopted a joint statement on the situation in Chechnya. The Russian
Foreign Ministry is quoted as saying that it welcomed any attempt to prevent terrorist attacks in Chechnya but
did not believe much would come from meeting Zakayev (Interfax, Nezavisimaya gazeta, The Moscow Times, Vremya
novostei, Gazeta).
- Large-scale operation against militants underway in Chechnya: All media
report that special units from the federal forces in the North Caucasus have joined a large-scale operation
against a militant unit in the Chechen mountains near the administrative border with Dagestan. Gazeta
(front-page) speculates that Chechen warlords Rappani Khalilov and Akhmed Avdorkhanov could have been killed or
captured during the operation (All media).