Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - september 2007

• 2007-10-04
• Europa in de wereld

4 september 2007

- Situation in Ingushetia: The Federal Security Service (FSB) officers killed one suspect and captured another in Ingushetia on Monday in an operation to find the killers of a Russian schoolteacher's family last week. Violence is reported almost on a daily basis right now from Ingushetia, which reportedly is worse than Chechnya security-wise. Earlier this summer, some additional 2.000 troops of the Ministry of Interior were deployed to Inguehestia. (All media)

- New federal programme for Chechnya: Vedomosti acquired a copy of the federal targeted programme for the reconstruction of Chechnya in 2008-2010 envisaging an annual spending for such needs of some $1bn. Experts call such allocations ‘unprecedented’, as about $1bn was spent by the federal centre in Chechnya during the whole period of 2002-2006. The Government in summer said it was ready to earmark in the federal budget half of the sum. (Vedomosti).

10 september 2007

- Violence is spreading in the Northern Caucasus: The reports of violence kept on coming in from the Caucasus over the weekend, with two national dailies, Izvestiya and Nezavisimaya Gazeta, publishing cover stories about the situation in Ingushetia. (1) While Kabardino-Balkarian President Arsen Kanokov told journalists on Friday that there are no illegal armed units in the republic, a bomb exploded at the side of a major road in this Republic. (2) In Ingushetia, unidentified individuals shot and wounded a policeman on Friday in a town that borders Chechnya. (3) The so-called emir of Grozny, Mussa Mutiyev, was assassinated in Chechnya on Saturday. According to the Chechen Internal Minister, Mutiyev was the closest aide of a gang leader, Doka Umarov, and committed a series of crimes together with the murdered terrorist Rustam Basayev. (4) An improvised bomb went off in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, on Sunday morning. The bomb had been planted 800 meters from a riot police base in Iskozh district. No one was hurt in the blast. (5) Two militants who attacked the temporary base of an interior troop’s battalion last night were killed early on Sunday. (6) An ethnic Russian woman was shot dead Friday in Ingushetia, amplifying fears that Russians are being targeted in an effort by insurgents to destabilize the republic. Natalya Mudarova, the director of a blood-transfusion centre at a hospital, was fatally shot near her home. (All media)

12 september 2007

- More violence in Ingushetia: (i) Press reports on the killing of a Gypsy family of three early on Tuesday in Ingushetia. Prosecutors cited by Novye Izvestia suggest that the killings of civilians in Ingushetia in recent months are perpetrated by a gang led by former police officer Magomed Albakov. Meanwhile, a Russian law enforcement source told Interfax that up to 100 militants led by Ichkerian/Chechen separatist leader, Doku Umarov, are operating in Ingushetia. (ii) Commenting on recent militants attacks in an interview with Izvestia, Ingush President Murat Zyazikov said “law enforcement agencies are undertaking all adequate measures” and branded media reports on the situation in Ingushetia as “an information war against the republic”. (Gazeta, Interfax, Izvestia, Kommersant, MT, Novye izvestia, RG, VN)

17 september 2007

- Ex-Chechen official detained in Politkovskaya murder probe: Dailies report broadly on the detention in Moscow of Shamil Burayev, the former head of the administration of Chechnya’s Achkhoi-Martan district, under an investigation into the murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Investigators accused Burayev of organising Politkovskaya’s killing. (Gazeta, Izvestia, Kommersant, MT, NG, Novye Izvestia, RG, VN)

- Kommersant, in an article by Vladimir Vodo and Musa Muradov, reports on the death of three Chechen girls as they tried to cross into Poland illegally through the mountains at the border with Ukraine. The daily cites an aide to Member of the European Parliament Bart Staes on the incident.

24 september 2007

- Ex-Chechen official charged in Politkovskaya murder case: The press reports that the former head of the Chechen Achkhoi-Martan district, Shamil Burayev, has been indicted for complicity in the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Burayev pleaded not guilty. Chechen ombudsman, Nurdi Nukhazhiyev, described Burayev’s arrest as “an attempt to find a non-existent ‘Chechen link’ in this case” (Interfax). (Gazeta, Interfax, MT, NG)

- Extremist group claims responsibility for train derailment?: Some dailies report that a Chechen terrorist group created several years ago by Shamil Basayev had claimed responsibility for the train derailment on 13 August close to Saint Petersburg in which several people were wounded. Chechen officials, however, argue that this group has been completely destroyed. (Gazeta, Interfax, NG)

26 september 2007

- Kasparov backed as opposition candidate in Moscow primaries: (i) The leader of the United Civil Front and former world chess champion, Garry Kasparov, has won a second round of the Another Russia primaries in his bid to be nominated the single opposition candidate for the 2008 Presidential election. (ii) Media report that Chechen Parliamentarians yesterday decided to sue Kasparov over his statements allegedly insulting Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov. (Interfax, Kommersant, RIAN)

27 september 2007

- Kasparov seeks ‘protection from Chechen officials’: The leader of the United Civil Front and former world chess champion, Garry Kasparov, has asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to check statements by Chechen officials, including Chechen Parliament speaker, Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov, and provide him “with protection against threats from Chechen officials”. (Interfax, VN)