Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - mei 2009

• 2009-06-05
• Europa in de wereld

4 mei 2009

Policeman killed in Chechnya attack: (i) A police officer was killed and three others were wounded in an attack by militants late on Sunday in Chechnya. (ii) In an interview with Austria’s Die Presse, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov said that he would leave office in 10 years, by which time Chechnyawill turn into a “blossoming republic with the most pleasant people in the world”. (Interfax, MT, Trud, RIAN)

7 mei 2009

Airborne Troops Commander dismissed: Commander of the Russian Airborne Troops Valery Yevtukhovich was dismissed because he had reached the maximum age ceiling of 55 for his rank. The Airborne Troops chief of staff Nikolai Ignatov has been appointed to fulfil the Commander’s duties. Vremya novostei expresses the view that disagreements between Yevtukhovich and the Chief of Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov over the formation of rapid reaction force could be behind Yevtukhovich’s dismissal. Observers call Vladimir Shamanov as one of the likeliest candidates to become the new Commander of the Airborne Troops. Shamanov is known for his service in Chechnyaduring the “second Chechen war”. Vedomosti does not rule out further reshuffles in the Defence Ministry. (Gazeta, Izvestia, Kommersant, Vedomosti, VN)

Combined federal forces in Chechnya to be transformed: An unnamed source at the Russian Defence Ministry is quoted as saying that after the end of counterterrorist operations in Chechnya, the combined federal forces in the Northern Caucasus will be disbanded by 1 September and replaced by an operational group of servicemen from the Defence Ministry, the Interior Troops and other law enforcement agencies. (Interfax, MT, VN)

14 mei 2009

Investigators to check alleged threats to ChechnyaPresident: A probe has been launched by investigators in Chechnyain relation to media reports about alleged blood feud threats to Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov. On Wednesday, Kommersant reported that a man claiming to be the former commander of the Defence Ministry’s Vostok battalion Sulim Yamadayev, who was reportedly killed in an attack in March in Dubai, called a Muslim cleric to declare a blood feud against Ramzan Kadyrov. (Kommersant, MT, VN)

15 mei 2009

Brother of ex-Vostok battalion commander faces abduction charges: Isa Yamadayev, the brother of former commander of the Russian Defence Ministry’s Vostok battalion Sulim Yamadayev, faces abduction charges in Chechnya. (Gazeta, Kommersant, VN)

18 mei 2009

Suicide bomber kills four in Chechnya: A suicide bomber killed four people, including two policemen, on Friday near the building of the Chechen Interior Ministry. The attack comes a month after the end of counterterrorist operations in the republic. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov announced his decision that he “will never again ask for an amnesty for militants”, and praised the officers killed in the attack for preventing more deaths. Chechen and Ingush law enforcement agencies have launched a joint operation against a group of up to 50 militants on the administrative border between Chechnyaand Ingushetia. The operation was agreed upon by Chechen and Ingush Presidents Ramzan Kadyrov and Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. According to media reports, three police officers and one civilian have died in separate militant attacks in the North Caucasusover the weekend. The deputy head of a pre-trial detention centre of the Kabardino-Balkaria’s regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Vitaly Bogatyryov, was killed late on Thursday in Nalchik. (Gazeta, Interfax, Izvestia, Kommersant, MT, RG, VN)

19 mei 2009

Yamadayev brothers wanted in Chechnya: Chechen investigators have declared the Yamadayev brothers, Isa and Musa, wanted. The decision is related to a criminal case on the disappearance of a serviceman of the Defence Ministry’s Vostok (‘East’) battalion in 2004. Earlier, Kommersant reported that Isa Yamadayev is suspected of involvement in kidnapping. (VN, Kommersant)

21 mei 2009

Russiato hold large-scale military exercises in Northern Caucasus: First Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Kolmakov has announced plans to hold large-scale military exercises, called the ‘Caucasuss-2009’, in the North Caucasus Military District in June. The exercises, which are seen as Moscow’s response to the NATO-led exercises in Georgia, will involve all brigades of the North Caucasus Military District and units from other Districts. (VN)

25 mei 2009

Northern Caucasus: (i) A militant was killed and three police officers wounded in a clash with militants on Saturday in Ingushetia. Earlier on Saturday, Ingush police said a group of 15 suspected militants had been detained in an operation in Ingushetia. (ii) Police have neutralized a bomb planted near a gas pipeline in Dagestan. The bomb was found early on Sunday at a section of the Mozdok-Kazimagomed trunk pipeline. (iii) The media cites Pakistani Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira as saying last week that fighters from Chechnyawere among foreign forces helping the Taliban battle the army in the SwatValley. (Lenta.ru, MT, RIAN)

26 mei 2009

New Commander of Airborne Troops appointed: (i) Vladimir Shamanov has been appointed the new Commander of the Russian Airborne Troops. Until now, Shamanov has been the head of the Russian Armed Forces’ combat training department. In 2000-2004, he was Ulyanovskregion governor. Shamanov is known for his service during the second Chechen campaign. He was criticised by human rights advocates for alleged human rights abuses committed by the federal troops under Shamanov’s command in Chechnya.(ii) The media reports on the appointment of Alexander Sukhorukov as the new head of Rosoboronzakaz (the Federal Arms Procurement Service). Until now, Sukhorukov has been advisor to the Defence Minister. (Gazeta, Kommersant, MT, NG, RG, Vedomosti, VN)

Three Chechen policemen killed in Ingushetia operations: (i) Three Chechen policemen were reportedly killed in Ingushetia during joint operations of Chechen and Ingush law enforcement agencies against militants. (ii) Gazeta reports on activity of a working group, headed by Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov, which is due to submit by 1 June legislative proposals on settling the issue of compensation payments to those who suffered during hostilities in Chechnya. (Gazeta, ITAR-TASS)

27 mei 2009

Dagestan’s Deputy Mufti shot dead in Makhachkala: (i) Dagestan’s Deputy Mufti Akhmed Tagayev was shot dead late on Monday in Makhachkala. Commentators say the murder is most likely linked to Tagayev’s professional activities, in particular his opposition to the fundamentalist Wahhabi form of Islam. (ii) One soldier was killed and two others wounded in a roadside bomb explosion on Monday in Chechnya. In a separate attack on Tuesday, a district police officer was killed in Dagestan. (Interfax, Kommersant, MT, NG, Novye Izvestia, RG, RIAN, VN)

28 mei 2009

A bill to compensate victims of terrorism: The Ministry of Justice had prepared a bill to compensate the victims of war and terrorism. The idea to legalize compensations to the victims of military operation and terrorism was initiated by the human wrights representative for Chechnya Nurdy Nukhazhiev. Initially the law should have foreseen compensation only for the victims of military operations in Chechnya, but the final version includes the whole territory of the Russian Federation. (Kommersant)

29 mei 2009

Amnesty International report on human rights: Dailies cite broadly a report by Amnesty International on the human rights situation in 157 countries in 2008. The report is critical of Russia’s human rights record and points inter alia to the second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, abductions in the Northern Caucasusand other human rights violations. The media reports that human rights activists have prepared a memorandum to President Medvedev over the human rights situation in Russia. (Gazeta, MT, Novye Izvestia, RBK daily, Vedomosti, VN)