Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - februari 2006

• 2006-03-08
• Europa in de wereld

1 februari 2006

- Putin press conference high in the news: At a press conference yesterday in the Kremlin, President Putin answered more than 60 questions, outlined Russia’s priorities in foreign policy, in the energy sector, economy and addressed topical international issues. During the three and a half-hour session, Putin:

(...) (v) stated counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya about completion: He stressed that if Chechen law enforcement agencies assume more responsibilities, it would be possible to talk about the “completion of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya”.

- Acting Chechen PM dismisses “tactless” reports: The media cite acting Chechen PM Ramzan Kadyrov, who has dismissed as “tactless” allegations that Chechen Premier Sergei Abramov will not return to his duties after treatment in Moscow. (RG, Novye Izvestia, Interfax)

6 februari 2006

- Separatist leader reshuffles ‘Ichkerian’ government: According to media reports, Chechen separatist leader and Maskhadov’s successor Abdul-Khalim Sadulayev has dismissed four members of the so called Ichkerian/Chechen government, including ‘vice-premier’ Akhmed Zakayev and ‘press minister’ Movladi Udugov. Zakayev will retain, however, the post of culture minister. Kommersant asserts that the decision could lead to the radicalization of Chechen separatists’ political course. (Kommersant, RG)

- Journalist convicted for inciting ethnic hatred: A Nizhny Novgorod court on Friday found chief editor of the Pravozaschita (‘Protection of Rights’) newspaper and the head of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, Stanislav Dmitriyevsky, guilty of inciting ethnic hatred and handed him a suspended sentence of two years. The media recall that last year the newspaper headed by Dmitriyevsky published statements by Chechen separatist leaders Maskhadov and Zakayev. (Kommersant, Novye Izvestia, MT)

7 februari 2006

- Chechnya’s acting PM vs. Danish organisations: The media, including some dailies in front-page articles, report about a statement made yesterday by Chechnya’s acting PM Ramzan Kadyrov, who announced that Danish organisations will be barred from Chechnya over the developments around the publication by the Danish press of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. The Moscow Times quotes the international director of the Danish Refugee Council that the organisation would cut back its activities in Chechnya and Ingushetia “to avoid unnecessary risks”. (Kommersant, Vremya novostei, Izvestia, MT)

8 februari 2006

- Chechnya calls for suspension of Danish Refugee Council operations: The Chechen Government yesterday announced its decision to suspend the operations of the Danish Refugee Council over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in the Danish press. Novye Izvestia cites Chechnya’s Deputy PM Khalid Vaikhanov, who accused the Danish NGO of “deliberately or not” helping militants. Meanwhile, Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov said the Chechen authorities’ decision had no legal grounds. Nezavisimaya gazeta quotes ECHO official Lea Drouet as saying that it would be difficult to provide humanitarian aid in Chechnya without the Danish Refugee Council’s work. (Izvestia, Novye Izvestia, NG, RG, Interfax, RIAN)

- Blast at military base in Chechnya kills 12: According to the latest reports, 12 people were killed and more than 20 injured in an explosion at the base of the Russian Defence Ministry’s Vostok battalion in Chechnya’s Kurchaloi district late Tuesday. Investigators think that a leakage of household gas may have caused the blast, but do not rule out terrorism. (Interfax, RIAN, Vremya novostei)

- Kadyrov to head United Russia’s Chechen branch: Vremya novostei reports that Chechnya’s acting PM Ramzan Kadyrov has assumed the responsibilities of head of the regional branch of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party. The daily asserts that the Kremlin is ready to provide Kadryov with absolute authority in exchange for stability. (Vremya novostei)

9 februari 2006

- Putin visiting Spain: (i) The media report broadly about a two-day state visit of President Putin to Spain and his meeting with King Spain Juan Carlos I yesterday ahead of talks with PM Zapatero. Bilateral economic and trade relations, security issues, energy cooperation, cooperation within international organisations will be on the agenda. (ii) According to Ekho Moskvy radio, human rights activists intend to protest today in Madrid against the new Russian law on NGOs and human rights violations in Chechnya. (Kommersant, Izvestia, RG, MT, NG, Gazeta, Vremya novostei. Ekho Moskvy)

- Ambassador hopes for resumption of Danish Refugee Council operations: Danish Ambassador to Russia Per Carlsen yesterday expressed the hope that the Danish Refugee Council would resume its operations in Chechnya “in the near future”. Meanwhile, speaker of Chechnya’s People’s Assembly Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov stated that the Danish NGO can resume its operations only after the Danish Government apologizes for the publication of the Prophet Mohammed cartoons. (Interfax, MT, Vremya novostei)



- Probe into Chechnya blast: The media report about an investigation into a blast at the base of the Defence Ministry’s Vostok battalion staffed mainly by ethnic Chechens in Chechnya’s village of Kurchaloi. The death toll of the blast has reached 13 people. In an interview with Kommersant, commander of the battalion Sulim Yamadayev said he hardly believed that a gas leak could have caused the blast. (Kommersant, NG, RG, Novye Izvestia, Vremya novostei, Gazeta, MT, Interfax, RIAN)

10 februari 2006

- Putin to invite Hamas leaders to Moscow: Dailies, including many of them in front-page articles, report about an announcement by President Putin yesterday in Madrid of his intention to invite the leadership of Hamas to Moscow. He stressed that Hamas “came to power via legitimate, democratic elections”. Nezavisimaya gazeta writes that the Russian President “has explained the difference between Hamas and Chechen separatists”. (Gazeta, Izvestia, Kommersant, RG, MT, Vremya novostei, NG)

14 februari 2006

- Ramzan Kadyrov accuses Denmark of supporting terrorists: (i) In an interview with Kommersant-Vlast weekly magazine, Chechnya’s acting PM Ramzan Kadyrov accused Denmark of “supporting terrorists, for example Zakayev” and Danish organisations of espionage. Answering question on cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, Kadyrov did not exclude that representatives of Danish groups might have to face “lynch law” as this is wanted by many Muslims, including those in Chechnya. He added that “these representatives may be abducted” as retaliation for the Danish authorities’ refusal to apologize for the offensive cartoons. (ii) In the interview, Kadyrov did not rule out that he will run for Chechen president should his team ask him to do so. He also suggested that Chechen PM Sergei Abramov, who is currently being treated after a car accident, “would probably take a job in Moscow”. Meanwhile, Vremya novostei quotes Abramov as expressing his intention to come back to Chechnya. (Kommersant-Vlast, Vremya novostei)

- Israeli NGO reports links between Hamas and Chechen militants: An Israeli NGO dealing with information on terrorism has published a report on the alleged links between Hamas and Chechen terrorists. According to a Russian military expert cited by Interfax, there was no evidence of such links. The media emphasize that the report was published a day after President Putin’s announcement of his plans to invite Hamas leaders to Moscow. (Interfax, RIAN, MT)

- Over 50 servicemen died in Russian army last month: (i) Yesterday the Defence Ministry announced that 53 military servicemen died as a result of crimes and incidents in the Russian army in January, down from 87 servicemen in December. Six servicemen were killed in Chechnya last month, with four of them killed in fighting. (ii) Vedomosti provides the results of a poll carried out by VTSIOM which revealed that 50% of respondents support contract military service. (Novye Izvestia, Interfax, RIAN, Vedomosti)

16 februari 2006

- EU-Russia troika meeting in Vienna: The media report about the EU-Russia ministerial troika meeting yesterday in Vienna to discuss inter alia the new Russian law on NGOs and the EU’s programme to fund social and economic reconstruction of Chechnya. Rossiyskaya gazeta writes that the sides also tackled yesterday’s discussion in the Georgian Parliament of the presence of Russian peacekeepers in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone and asserts that Georgian authorities count on the backing from the EU over the deployment of Ukrainian, Moldovan or Latvian peacekeepers in the region. (Interfax, RG, RIAN)

- Court dissolves jury in Klebnikov murder trial: Several dailies report that the Moscow City Court yesterday dissolved the jury for the trial in the murder of Paul Klebnikov, the editor of the Russian edition of Forbes. Two ethnic Chechens are charged with killing Klebnikov over a critical book by the victim. (Kommersant, NG, MT)

17 februari 2006

- Hamas to visit Moscow in early March: (i) The media cite a representative of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, who confirmed that Hamas had received an official invitation to visit Russia. It is expected that Hamas leaders will visit Moscow in early March. (ii) Russian Foreign Ministry’s Middle East envoy, Kalugin, said the Foreign Ministry “knows nothing” about alleged links between Hamas and Chechen militants. (ii) Deputy PM and Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov stated that a decision on Russian supplies of arms to the Palestinian autonomy will be taken only on Israeli consent. (Interfax, Kommersant, MT, Izvestia, RG, Vremya novostei)

20 februari 2006

- Visit of UN Rights Chief: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour arrived in Moscow on Sunday for talk with President Putin and other officials. Arbour is scheduled to travel to St.Petersburg, Chechnya and other parts of the North Caucasus. (MT, Interfax, Vremya Novostei)

21 februari 2006

- UN HR commissioner visiting Russia: Dailies report about a visit to Russia of Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Kommersant points to her meeting in Moscow with representatives of NGOs and yesterday’s visit to Ingushetia. Today she is due to arrive in Grozny. Nezavisimaya gazeta asserts that Chechen authorities are not so positive about Arbour’s visit as the Ingush ones. (Kommersant, NG)

22 februari 2006

- Prosecutors to check Ramzan Kadyrov’s DRC statements: In a front-page article, Kommersant reports that the office of the Presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District has sent a request to prosecutors to examine the recent statements by Chechnya’s acting PM Ramzan Kadyrov on the Danish Refugee Council’s activities in the republic. The daily notes that the move coincided with Kadyrov’s meeting with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour. (Kommersant)

- Berezovsky accused of funding Chechen separatists: Meeting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Arbour yesterday in Grozny, Chechnya’s acting PM Ramzan Kadyrov has accused tycoon Boris Berezovsky of funding Chechen separatists in the 1990s. He also accused certain countries of “providing shelter to leaders of illegal armed groups, including Zakayev, Akhmadov, Udugov and others”. (Izvestia, Interfax)

- Arbour concerned over Chechen refugees’ situation: Dailies report about a visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour to the Northern Caucasus. Gazeta points out that during her visit to Ingushetia, Arbour expressed concern over the conditions of Chechen refugees residing in a camp in Ingushetia in “exceptional poverty”. (Gazeta, NG)

27 februari 2006

- DRC to resume work in Chechnya – Ramzan Kadyrov: (i) Several dailies, including Kommersant in a front-page article, report about a statement made by Chechnya’s acting PM Ramzan Kadyrov after a meeting with Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner Alvaro Gil-Robles yesterday in Grozny. According to Kadyrov, the Danish Refugee Council will be able to resume its operations in Chechnya. He also stressed that officials were discussing “ways to ensure the security of DRC employees”. (ii) On a visit in Chechnya, Gil-Robles urged international organisations operating in Chechnya to switch from humanitarian aid to supporting projects of the rehabilitation of the Chechen economy. (Kommersant, Novye Izvestia, Gazeta, RG)

28 februari 2006

- Putin creates task force for bird flu: Chairing a government meeting yesterday, President Putin requested that a special task force be formed in order to tackle the spreading of bird flu in Russia. PM Fradkov asked Deputy PM Medvedev to be the head of such a task force. According to the chief of Rosselkhoznadzor, Dankvert, the outbreaks of the disease recently occurred in 6 regions in Southern Russia – the Republics of Chechnya, Dagestan, Kalmykia, Kabardino-Balkaria, and the Krasnodar and Stavropol regions (Kommersant).