Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - Februari 2005

• 2005-02-28
• Europa in de wereld

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).