Tsjetsjenië
Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - Maart 2005
1 maart 2005
- US criticises Moscow over human rights: Vremya novostei (front page) reports that the Russian section
of the US State Department annual human rights report, released yesterday, describes the judicial persecution of
Yukos’ Mikhail Khodorkovsky as ‘politically motivated’, and criticises the Russian authorities
for human rights violations in Chechnya, saying that the perpetrators include both Chechen militants and the
authorities (Vremya novostei, The Moscow Times).
- Tax inspectors to check Soldiers’ Mothers
Committees: Gazeta reports that the tax authorities have started checking the spending of funds by the
Soldiers’ Mothers Committees [whose delegation recently visited London to meet Chechen separatist emissary
Zakayev]. The paper comments that the check is being held at the initiative of the LDPR parliamentary party
which accused the Committees’ representatives of pursuing ‘anti-army activities’ (Gazeta,
Interfax).
2 maart 2005
- Ombudsman Lukin delivers annual human rights report: Human
rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin submitted his annual report on human rights in Russia to President Putin
yesterday. Noting that Lukin’s report was issued almost simultaneously with the human rights report
prepared by the US State Department, Vremya novostei points to major differences in the two reports –
according to Lukin, it is not the cancellation of gubernatorial elections, the Yukos case or Chechnya that
represent the most flagrant violations of human rights in Russia, as at least half of the complaints received by
his office concern “unresolved social issues”, exacerbated further by the replacement of social
benefits and the housing sector reform. Izvestia highlights Lukin’s words that about one third of
complaints received by his office are related to the arbitrariness of law enforcement officers. “At the
meeting, the President has actually taken under his personal control the investigation of a mass beating of
people in Blagoveshchensk by the police”, the paper goes on to say. Interfax adds that the
Ombudsman’s office and the Interior Ministry plan to conduct joint inspections soon on the activities of
the police in five regions (All media).
- Prosecutor General visits Chechnya: Prosecutor General
Vladimir Ustinov arrived in Chechnya for an inspection visit yesterday. The aim of the visit is to look into
abductions in Chechnya. “This is the most important issue – it is being monitored by the President
and by the Prosecutor General”, Ustinov is quoted by Interfax as saying. Izvestia reports that official
sources have put the number of those abducted in Chechnya last year at 154. However, it is not clear whether
eight relatives of Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov that have reportedly been abducted were included
into this number, the paper goes on to say (Interfax, Izvestia).
- Protestors call on Britain to
extradite Berezovsky, Zakayev: Some 70-80 people took part in an action of protest outside the British Embassy
in Moscow yesterday demanding that businessman Boris Berezovsky and Chechen separatist emissary Akhmed Zakayev
be extradited from Britain (Interfax, The Moscow Times).
- Nezavisimaya gazeta continues to comment
on FM Lavrov’s meeting with EU Troika in Luxembourg on Monday and reports on the first session of an ad
hoc group to deal with human rights issues. The paper stresses that the EU tends to interpret the group’s
mission in a wide way (including Chechnya) while Moscow prefers to focus on the discrimination of
Russian-speaking non-citizens in the Baltic states.
3 maart 2005
- Moscow warns the EU
against speculating on Chechnya: Commenting on the first round of consultations on human rights between Russia
and the EU, that were held in Luxembourg on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that “EU officials
were provided with detailed information about the human rights situation in Russia”, but were
“warned once again that attempts to speculate on the human rights situation in Chechnya are
counterproductive and senseless” (Interfax).
- Chechen President wants roundtable on Chechnya
to be held in Russia: Chechen President Alu Alkhanov said yesterday that a roundtable discussion on Chechnya
under PACE auspices should be held in Russia. It was originally planned that the roundtable would be held in
Strasbourg on 21 March. Gazeta links Alkhanov’s statement to a recent ruling by the Strasbourg court that
satisfied complaints by a group of Chechens and interprets it as a consequence of cooling in Russia’s
relations with the Council of Europe. Vremya novostei adds, however, that the head of the Chechen State Council,
Taus Dzhabrailov, denied that the Chechen leadership would refrain from visiting Strasbourg (Vremya novostei,
Gazeta, Interfax).
Chechen police department attacked; new attacks expected: Vremya novostei
reports under a front-page title “Chechen special services are getting ready for new militant
attacks” that, following a militant attack on Sunzhensky police department on Tuesday evening and a failed
attack on the police department in Achkhoi-Martan, in which one policemen was killed and 19 others wounded,
Chechnya’s law enforcement agencies were put on high alert. The paper stresses that more wide-scale
attacks can be expected, as Chechen militants usually mark anniversaries of the mass rebel assault on Grozny (6
March 1996) with major terrorist attacks (Vremya novostei, Interfax, Gazeta).
9 maart 2005
- Maskhadov declared dead: Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov was reportedly killed in Chechnya
yesterday in a special operation in the Chechen village of Tolstoy Yurt. The media provide diverse comments on
Maskhadov’s death. Izvestia expects a radical change in the situation in Chechnya. “Special services
are celebrating a victory, while experts fear an escalation of combat actions in Chechnya”, says
Vedomosti. Kommersant believes that Chechen militants may now be headed by Shamil Basayev or Doku Umarov who are
well known for their irreconcilable attitude towards Russia. Interfax quotes Chechen State Council Chairman Taus
Dzhabrailov as saying that Maskhadov’s death “has pulled the carpet from under the feet of those who
have tried to cover themselves with the name of Maskhadov and pass themselves off as fighters for the
independence” of Chechnya. An expert cited by Vedomosti claims that the “murder of Maskhadov is a
blow to the policy pursued by the EU, which has insisted on the political settlement in Chechnya”, as, in
the expert’s words, it will be difficult to find another potential negotiator with Moscow, who enjoys
authority among Chechens and is not discredited by participation in terrorist activities. All leading dailies
run the story on their front pages (All media).
10 maart 2005
- Media, politicians on
implications of Maskhadov’s death: The Russian media, politicians and political experts are divided in
their opinion about possible effects of Maskhadov’s death on the situation in Chechnya. Chechen President
Alu Alkhanov, quoted by Interfax, says that “the situation in Chechnya does not depend on whether
Maskhadov is alive or dead”. “The elimination of a terrorist of international standing means that
there will be much less evil now”, believes Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov (Interfax). Political expert
Alexey Malashenko says in an interview with Izvestia that the death of the sole representative of the militants,
who was prepared to sit at the negotiation table with Moscow, will “lead to new terrorist acts and to the
strengthening of Chechen resistance”. Political analyst Vagif Guseynov writes in a comment to Izvestia
that Maskhadov’s death is unlikely to drastically change the situation in Chechnya. However, in his words,
both internal and external forces, which oppose the stabilisation in Chechnya and the strengthening of
Moscow’s influence in the Caucasus will try to “use Maskhadov’s death in their
interest”. Some of today’s newspaper titles read: “The war is not killed –
Maskhadov’s death does not imply peace in Chechnya” (Vremya novostei); “Kremlin’s
victory may be short-lived” (The Moscow Times); “The dead face of terror” (Rossiyskaya
gazeta).
11 maart 2005
- Little-known Chechen cleric to replace Maskhadov:
Little-known Chechen cleric Abdul-Khakim Saidullayev (no relation to businessman and former presidential
candidate Malik Saidullaev) will take over as interim rebel leader after Aslan Maskhadov’s death,
London-based separatist envoy Akhmed Zakayev said yesterday. Noting that radical Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev
had backed Saidullayev’s candidacy in a statement posted on Wednesday, some media believe that the
announcement was probably an attempt by Basayev to “buy time as he figures out his next move”
(Gazeta, The Moscow Times, Moskovsky komsomolets, Novye Izvestia).
- Helicopter crash in Chechnya
claims 14 lives: A helicopter belonging to federal troops crashed in Chechnya yesterday, claiming the lives of
14 people. Early accounts say that the helicopter hit a power transmission line, fell on a field and started
burning (Kommersant, All electronic media).
- Nezavisimaya gazeta briefly reports on the tough
reaction by EP deputies to Maskhadov’s killing and says that an EC delegation will visit North Caucasus on
13-18 March. The article by Andrey Terekhov is entitled “The West expects a political process in
Chechnya”.
14 maart 2005
- Deputy FM comments on upcoming session of UNCHR: In
the run up to the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, head of the Russian delegation,
deputy FM Yury Fedotov said to Interfax that Russia would insist that the Commission discuss the current
tendency of honouring Nazi collaborators in Latvia and Estonia. Fedorov also warned the EU and the U.S. against
putting a draft resolution on the situation in Chechnya on the session’s agenda and stressed that
“Russia had never refused to cooperate on the Chechen issue with the international community”, but
it “would never allow anyone to gamble on the theme of human rights observance in Chechnya and try to
derive some opportunistic political dividends from this” (Interfax, Vremya novostei, Kommersant).
- Poland, Russia alleviate scandal over comments on Maskhadov’s death: Kommersant reports that
Russia and Poland last weekend tried to alleviate the scandal triggered by the comments of the Polish Foreign
Ministry over the death of Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov. In the paper’s words, Warsaw
apologised for ‘ill-considered’ comments by an official representative of the Polish Foreign
Ministry, and the Russian side accepted the apologies (Kommersant).
15 maart 2005
-
Putin’s envoy visits Germany to discuss Chechnya: “The Kremlin decided to involve its closest
partner in Europe, Germany, to the settlement of the Chechen crisis”, writes Nezavisimaya gazeta (front
page), reporting on the visit of presidential envoy in the Southern Federal District Dmitry Kozak to Germany and
his meetings with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and FM Joschka Fishcher. However, in the paper’s view, the
visit did not result in any breakthroughs on the issue (Nezavisimaya gazeta).
- 15 people wounded
in Grozny: Fifteen people were wounded when a bomb exploded in the building of the military commandant’s
office in the Chechen capital. According to one theory, which, in Gazeta’s words, has not been confirmed
by officials, the explosion resulted from the careless handling of a grenade launcher by a serviceman (All
media).
- Nezavisimaya gazeta carries an article by Anya Vvedenskaya (Brussels) and Andrey Terekhov
entitled “European Union unexpectedly cancelled its mission to Chechnya – the postponement of the
coordinated visit is related to Maskhadov’s killing”. “The visit, which pursued the aim of
identifying possibilities for humanitarian assistance, was coordinated with Moscow two months ago. However, as a
source of NG in Brussels said, the visit is postponed indefinitely due to the latest events in Chechnya”,
writes the paper. The daily quotes EC spokesperson Emma Udwin as pointing to “technical reasons” for
the postponement of the visit, however, in the paper’s words, the spokesperson “smiled in a
meaningful way” when asked for further explanations. “It cannot be excluded that the EC pinned much
higher hopes on its delegation than preparations for a humanitarian mission. The envoys of Brussels, whose names
are not disclosed, could plan meetings with representatives of Maskhadov; his death made those meetings
meaningless”- Nezavisimaya gazeta claims.
16 maart 2005
- FSB pays reward for
information on Maskhadov: The FSB said in a press release yesterday that it had paid the promised $10 million
reward to several people who provided information on the whereabouts of Chechen separatist leader Aslan
Maskhadov. Interfax quotes Chechen President Alkhanov as saying that the payment of Maskhadov reward will help
intensify the search for warlord Shamil Basayev. Vremya novostei interprets the FSB statement as an indication
that Maskhadov’s murder was not incidental, but rather the result of a scrupulously planned special
operation. “Aslan Maskhadov was killed on purpose, and nobody planned to capture him alive”, claims
the paper. Several leading dailies run the story on their front pages (All media).
18 maart 2005
- Attack on Chubais high in the news: All major Russian dailies devote their front-page articles to
yesterday’s attack on Anatoly Chubais, United Energy Systems CEO and the architect of the post-Soviet
privatisation reforms. A bomb went off near the armoured BMW taking him to work, and attackers opened fire with
automatic weapons – the type of ambush practiced in Chechnya, in Gazeta’s words. Chubais, who was
unharmed, called the attack “a murder attempt” and said he knew who had ordered it. The media, as
well as politicians, are divided on whether the crime was politically or economically motivated. There seems to
be no doubt, however, that the attack “had been planned professionally”, says Gazeta. “The
attempt on Anatoly Chubais may become an attempt on stability in the country”, reads a title in Vremya
novostei. Political analyst Gleb Pavlovsky, cited by the daily, interprets the attack on Chubais as “an
indicator of a drift from shouting to shooting” (All media).
- Supreme Court reduces prison
term for Chechen woman: The Russian Supreme Court yesterday reduced by six months the prison term for Chechen
resident Zara Murtazaliyeva, who had been sentenced to nine years imprisonment for planning a terrorist act.
Murtazaliyeva’s lawyer labelled the court’s decision as a ‘mockery’. Vremya novostei
reports on the issue in an article entitled “Dangerous words – the Supreme Court qualified
discussions on the war in Chechnya as a crime” (Vremya novostei, Kommersant, Interfax, Gazeta).
- Roundtable on Chechen settlement held in Grozny ahead of Strasbourg Chechnya forum: Grozny yesterday
hosted a one-day roundtable on the Chechen settlement that “appeared aimed to overshadow”, in The
Moscow Times’ words, next Monday’s conference in Strasbourg, which will bring together pro-Moscow
Chechen politicians, including Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, international experts, NGOs and several people
close to Maskhadov. Chechen senior officials reiterated their criticism of the Strasbourg event, with Chechen
First Deputy PM Ramzan Kadyrov saying that all Chechen problems should be discussed in the Chechen capital
(Interfax, The Moscow Times).
- Chechen prosecutor: over 6,000 policemen, servicemen killed in
Chechnya: The media quote Chechen prosecutor Vladimir Kravchenko as saying that over 6,000 servicemen and
Russian Interior Ministry officials have been killed and over 8,000 have been injured since the beginning of the
counter-terrorism operation in Chechnya. He stressed that Chechnya’s authorities and law enforcement
agencies have now gained full control over the situation in the republic (Interfax).
21 maart 2005
- Round-table on Chechnya to be held in Strasbourg. The media report that a roundtable discussion
on Chechnya will be held in Strasbourg today. Chechen President Alu Alkhanov is expected to participate in the
discussions. (Kommersant, Vremya novostei)
- Separatists killed in Chechen operations. Dailies
report on the operation carried out in Chechnya over the weekend. According to media reports, police killed two
suspected militants of the Doku Umarov’s gang. (Vremya novostei)
22 maart 2005
-
Moscow ‘scores victory’ at Chechnya roundtable in Strasbourg?: Kommersant reports in a front-page
article entitled “Russia suppressed Chechen resistance in Europe” that “Moscow has scored an
important victory in the fight for Chechnya in the Council of Europe”, as yesterday’s Chechnya
roundtable in Strasbourg was held in accordance with ‘the Russian scenario’, as the paper put it.
The paper goes on to say that an attempt to hold an inter-Chechen dialogue within the PACE framework has failed,
as representatives of the recently killed separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov refused to take part in the event,
with Russian human rights advocates thereby becoming the sole opponents of the federal authorities in the
discussion. Nezavisimaya gazeta has published a front-page interview with PACE rapporteur on Chechnya, Andreas
Gross, entitled “Maskhadov’s murder serves the interests of hawks” (Kommersant, Interfax,
Nezavisimaya gazeta).
23 maart 2005
- Chechnya: five die in a dispute over cow;
helicopter crash claims two lives; unconfirmed attack on PM: (i) Five people died in a clash between federal
soldiers and pro-Moscow Chechen police provoked by a dispute when a federal military vehicle ran over a cow.
“The conflict in Chechnya is entering a new level – the federal forces and local policemen have
started fighting each other”, claims Nezavisimaya gazeta in a comment on the incident (NG, Izvestia, The
Moscow Times, Vremya novostei, Kommersant). (ii) Two out of ten people who sustained injuries when a Mi-8
helicopter crashed in Chechnya’s Grozny district yesterday, have died, reports Interfax. According to
preliminary data, the crash was caused by a malfunction in the engine (Interfax, Vremya novostei). (iii)
According to unconfirmed media reports, a landmine was allegedly planted along Chechen PM Abramov’s
planned route (Interfax, Vremya novostei, Kommersant).
- Foreign Ministry protests against naming a
square in Warsaw after Dudayev: Gazeta reports that the Russian Foreign Ministry has protested against the
naming of a square in Warsaw after the first Chechen separatist leader, Djakhar Dudayev (Gazeta, Novye Izvestia,
Trud, The Moscow News).
24 maart 2004
- Moscow city to take revenge on the city of
Warsaw for naming square after Dudayev?: Russian officials continue to voice criticism against the Warsaw
authorities’ intention to name one of the city squares after Chechen separatist leader Dzhakhar Dudayev.
Chechen President Alu Alkhanov is quoted by Interfax as saying that “this indicates the absolute ignorance
of the role that Dudayev played in the fate of the Chechen people”. Vremya novostei adds that Moscow Duma
speaker Vladimir Platonov and Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov issued a joint statement labelling the decision by the
Warsaw authorities as “blunt provocation”. According to the daily, Vladimir Platonov has said that
the Moscow city may take vengeance upon Warsaw by naming the street where the Polish Embassy to Russia is
situated, after Russian general Mikhail Muravyev who is notorious for the cruel suppression of a Polish uprising
in 1863. Against this background, Nezavisimaya gazeta (front page) makes what could be a far-fetched supposition
that President Putin’s visit to Kostroma yesterday is not incidental as Kostroma is known as the native
town of Ivan Susanin, a national hero of the war against Polish invaders who lived four centuries ago (Interfax,
Vremya novostei, Nezavisimaya gazeta).
- Prominent Chechen warlord killed: Prominent Chechen
warlord Rizvan Chitigov, who was reportedly involved in numerous terrorist attacks, was killed in a special
operation in Chechnya. According to Kommersant, Chitigov was ranked third in the Chechen resistance, after
Shamil Basayev and Doku Umarov. Gazeta adds that Chitigov became notorious in 2001 when he proposed using
chemical weapons against federal troops. The paper says that similarly to Maskhadov’s case, a reward will
be paid to the people who provided information on Chitigov (All media).
- Russian diplomat’s
car set on fire in Stockholm: A car belonging to an official of the Russian Embassy in Sweden was set ablaze in
Stockholm late on Tuesday. Gazeta (front page) comments that the “World Intifada” organisation has
assumed responsibility for the attack as a reaction to the policies of the Russian authorities in Chechnya.
Kommersant adds that the Russian Foreign Ministry linked the attack to an interview by Chechen warlord Shamil
Basayev which appeared in the Swedish media the day before, and accused Stockholm of having double standard (All
media).
25 maart 2005
- FM Lavrov meets Chechen President: Meeting Chechen President
Alu Alkhanov yesterday, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the world is becoming increasingly aware of the
necessity to assist the Russian authorities in settling the situation in Chechnya and restoring peace in the
republic. “This would be the best response to the international terrorists’ intrigues”, Lavrov
noted (Interfax).
- Militant leader killed in Chechnya: Chechen militant leader Alvi Tasuyev was
killed during a sweep operation in the Grozny district yesterday. Tasuyev is said to have been an associate of
late Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov and “one of Shamil Basayev’s deputies”, reports
Interfax. Vremya novostei highlights that Chechen First Deputy PM Ramzan Kadyrov personally led the operation
(Interfax, Vremya novostei).
29 maart 2005
- NGO – 28 people missing in Chechnya
in 2005: Interfax quotes a representative of the “Memorial” human rights organisation as saying that
over 50 people have been abducted in Chechnya in 2005, and 28 of them are still missing (Interfax).
30 maart 2005
- Grozny court sentences policeman to 11 years: Grozny’s district
court sentenced Sergei Lapin, a policeman from Nizhnevartovsk (Siberia), to 11 years in prison on abuse of
office charges. Lapin was convicted for beating up a local Chechen resident, whose whereabouts are still
unknown. The media note that this is the first verdict handed down by a Chechen court against a law enforcement
officer accused of committing crimes against the local population. Interfax quotes Svetlana Gannushkina from the
“Memorial” human rights organisation as saying that “it is hard to say if this will become a
tendency in crime fighting, or if it was done to show that the human rights situation in Chechnya is
acceptable” (Interfax, Kommersant, The Moscow Times, Izvestia).
31 maart 2005
-
Putin meets Chechen President in Sochi: Commenting on yesterday’s meeting of President Putin with Chechen
President Alu Alkhanov in Sochi, Nezavisimaya gazeta notes that contrary to expectations, the issue of a treaty
on delimitation of powers between the federal authorities and Chechnya was not raised, at least during the open
part of the meeting. The media highlight Alkhanov’s words that parliamentary elections may be held in
Chechnya next autumn (Nezavisimaya gazeta, Kommersant, Interfax, Gazeta, Rossiyskaya gazeta).
Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië
1 maart 2005
- US criticises Moscow over
human rights: Vremya novostei (front page) reports that the Russian section of the US State Department annual
human rights report, released yesterday, describes the judicial persecution of Yukos’ Mikhail Khodorkovsky
as ‘politically motivated’, and criticises the Russian authorities for human rights violations in
Chechnya, saying that the perpetrators include both Chechen militants and the authorities (Vremya novostei, The
Moscow Times).
- Tax inspectors to check Soldiers’ Mothers Committees: Gazeta reports that
the tax authorities have started checking the spending of funds by the Soldiers’ Mothers Committees [whose
delegation recently visited London to meet Chechen separatist emissary Zakayev]. The paper comments that the
check is being held at the initiative of the LDPR parliamentary party which accused the Committees’
representatives of pursuing ‘anti-army activities’ (Gazeta, Interfax).
2 maart 2005
- Ombudsman Lukin delivers annual human rights report: Human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin submitted
his annual report on human rights in Russia to President Putin yesterday. Noting that Lukin’s report was
issued almost simultaneously with the human rights report prepared by the US State Department, Vremya novostei
points to major differences in the two reports — according to Lukin, it is not the cancellation of
gubernatorial elections, the Yukos case or Chechnya that represent the most flagrant violations of human rights
in Russia, as at least half of the complaints received by his office concern “unresolved social
issues”, exacerbated further by the replacement of social benefits and the housing sector reform. Izvestia
highlights Lukin’s words that about one third of complaints received by his office are related to the
arbitrariness of law enforcement officers. “At the meeting, the President has actually taken under his
personal control the investigation of a mass beating of people in Blagoveshchensk by the police”, the
paper goes on to say. Interfax adds that the Ombudsman’s office and the Interior Ministry plan to conduct
joint inspections soon on the activities of the police in five regions (All media).
- Prosecutor
General visits Chechnya: Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov arrived in Chechnya for an inspection visit
yesterday. The aim of the visit is to look into abductions in Chechnya. “This is the most important issue
— it is being monitored by the President and by the Prosecutor General”, Ustinov is quoted by
Interfax as saying. Izvestia reports that official sources have put the number of those abducted in Chechnya
last year at 154. However, it is not clear whether eight relatives of Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov
that have reportedly been abducted were included into this number, the paper goes on to say (Interfax,
Izvestia).
- Protestors call on Britain to extradite Berezovsky, Zakayev: Some 70-80 people took
part in an action of protest outside the British Embassy in Moscow yesterday demanding that businessman Boris
Berezovsky and Chechen separatist emissary Akhmed Zakayev be extradited from Britain (Interfax, The Moscow
Times).
- Nezavisimaya gazeta continues to comment on FM Lavrov’s meeting with EU Troika in
Luxembourg on Monday and reports on the first session of an ad hoc group to deal with human rights issues. The
paper stresses that the EU tends to interpret the group’s mission in a wide way (including Chechnya) while
Moscow prefers to focus on the discrimination of Russian-speaking non-citizens in the Baltic states.
3 maart 2005
- Moscow warns the EU against speculating on Chechnya: Commenting on the
first round of consultations on human rights between Russia and the EU, that were held in Luxembourg on Tuesday,
the Russian Foreign Ministry said that “EU officials were provided with detailed information about the
human rights situation in Russia”, but were “warned once again that attempts to speculate on the
human rights situation in Chechnya are counterproductive and senseless” (Interfax).
- Chechen
President wants roundtable on Chechnya to be held in Russia: Chechen President Alu Alkhanov said yesterday that
a roundtable discussion on Chechnya under PACE auspices should be held in Russia. It was originally planned that
the roundtable would be held in Strasbourg on 21 March. Gazeta links Alkhanov’s statement to a recent
ruling by the Strasbourg court that satisfied complaints by a group of Chechens and interprets it as a
consequence of cooling in Russia’s relations with the Council of Europe. Vremya novostei adds, however,
that the head of the Chechen State Council, Taus Dzhabrailov, denied that the Chechen leadership would refrain
from visiting Strasbourg (Vremya novostei, Gazeta, Interfax).
Chechen police department attacked;
new attacks expected: Vremya novostei reports under a front-page title “Chechen special services are
getting ready for new militant attacks” that, following a militant attack on Sunzhensky police department
on Tuesday evening and a failed attack on the police department in Achkhoi-Martan, in which one policemen was
killed and 19 others wounded, Chechnya’s law enforcement agencies were put on high alert. The paper
stresses that more wide-scale attacks can be expected, as Chechen militants usually mark anniversaries of the
mass rebel assault on Grozny (6 March 1996) with major terrorist attacks (Vremya novostei, Interfax, Gazeta).
9 maart 2005
- Maskhadov declared dead: Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov was
reportedly killed in Chechnya yesterday in a special operation in the Chechen village of Tolstoy Yurt. The media
provide diverse comments on Maskhadov’s death. Izvestia expects a radical change in the situation in
Chechnya. “Special services are celebrating a victory, while experts fear an escalation of combat actions
in Chechnya”, says Vedomosti. Kommersant believes that Chechen militants may now be headed by Shamil
Basayev or Doku Umarov who are well known for their irreconcilable attitude towards Russia. Interfax quotes
Chechen State Council Chairman Taus Dzhabrailov as saying that Maskhadov’s death “has pulled the
carpet from under the feet of those who have tried to cover themselves with the name of Maskhadov and pass
themselves off as fighters for the independence” of Chechnya. An expert cited by Vedomosti claims that the
“murder of Maskhadov is a blow to the policy pursued by the EU, which has insisted on the political
settlement in Chechnya”, as, in the expert’s words, it will be difficult to find another potential
negotiator with Moscow, who enjoys authority among Chechens and is not discredited by participation in terrorist
activities. All leading dailies run the story on their front pages (All media).
10 maart 2005
- Media, politicians on implications of Maskhadov’s death: The Russian media, politicians and
political experts are divided in their opinion about possible effects of Maskhadov’s death on the
situation in Chechnya. Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, quoted by Interfax, says that “the situation in
Chechnya does not depend on whether Maskhadov is alive or dead”. “The elimination of a terrorist of
international standing means that there will be much less evil now”, believes Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov
(Interfax). Political expert Alexey Malashenko says in an interview with Izvestia that the death of the sole
representative of the militants, who was prepared to sit at the negotiation table with Moscow, will “lead
to new terrorist acts and to the strengthening of Chechen resistance”. Political analyst Vagif Guseynov
writes in a comment to Izvestia that Maskhadov’s death is unlikely to drastically change the situation in
Chechnya. However, in his words, both internal and external forces, which oppose the stabilisation in Chechnya
and the strengthening of Moscow’s influence in the Caucasus will try to “use Maskhadov’s death
in their interest”. Some of today’s newspaper titles read: “The war is not killed —
Maskhadov’s death does not imply peace in Chechnya” (Vremya novostei); “Kremlin’s
victory may be short-lived” (The Moscow Times); “The dead face of terror” (Rossiyskaya
gazeta).
11 maart 2005
- Little-known Chechen cleric to replace Maskhadov:
Little-known Chechen cleric Abdul-Khakim Saidullayev (no relation to businessman and former presidential
candidate Malik Saidullaev) will take over as interim rebel leader after Aslan Maskhadov’s death,
London-based separatist envoy Akhmed Zakayev said yesterday. Noting that radical Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev
had backed Saidullayev’s candidacy in a statement posted on Wednesday, some media believe that the
announcement was probably an attempt by Basayev to “buy time as he figures out his next move”
(Gazeta, The Moscow Times, Moskovsky komsomolets, Novye Izvestia).
- Helicopter crash in Chechnya
claims 14 lives: A helicopter belonging to federal troops crashed in Chechnya yesterday, claiming the lives of
14 people. Early accounts say that the helicopter hit a power transmission line, fell on a field and started
burning (Kommersant, All electronic media).
- Nezavisimaya gazeta briefly reports on the tough
reaction by EP deputies to Maskhadov’s killing and says that an EC delegation will visit North Caucasus on
13-18 March. The article by Andrey Terekhov is entitled “The West expects a political process in
Chechnya”.
14 maart 2005
- Deputy FM comments on upcoming session of UNCHR: In
the run up to the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, head of the Russian delegation,
deputy FM Yury Fedotov said to Interfax that Russia would insist that the Commission discuss the current
tendency of honouring Nazi collaborators in Latvia and Estonia. Fedorov also warned the EU and the U.S. against
putting a draft resolution on the situation in Chechnya on the session’s agenda and stressed that
“Russia had never refused to cooperate on the Chechen issue with the international community”, but
it “would never allow anyone to gamble on the theme of human rights observance in Chechnya and try to
derive some opportunistic political dividends from this” (Interfax, Vremya novostei, Kommersant).
- Poland, Russia alleviate scandal over comments on Maskhadov’s death: Kommersant reports that
Russia and Poland last weekend tried to alleviate the scandal triggered by the comments of the Polish Foreign
Ministry over the death of Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov. In the paper’s words, Warsaw
apologised for ‘ill-considered’ comments by an official representative of the Polish Foreign
Ministry, and the Russian side accepted the apologies (Kommersant).
15 maart 2005
-
Putin’s envoy visits Germany to discuss Chechnya: “The Kremlin decided to involve its closest
partner in Europe, Germany, to the settlement of the Chechen crisis”, writes Nezavisimaya gazeta (front
page), reporting on the visit of presidential envoy in the Southern Federal District Dmitry Kozak to Germany and
his meetings with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and FM Joschka Fishcher. However, in the paper’s view, the
visit did not result in any breakthroughs on the issue (Nezavisimaya gazeta).
- 15 people wounded
in Grozny: Fifteen people were wounded when a bomb exploded in the building of the military commandant’s
office in the Chechen capital. According to one theory, which, in Gazeta’s words, has not been confirmed
by officials, the explosion resulted from the careless handling of a grenade launcher by a serviceman (All
media).
- Nezavisimaya gazeta carries an article by Anya Vvedenskaya (Brussels) and Andrey Terekhov
entitled “European Union unexpectedly cancelled its mission to Chechnya — the postponement of the
coordinated visit is related to Maskhadov’s killing”. “The visit, which pursued the aim of
identifying possibilities for humanitarian assistance, was coordinated with Moscow two months ago. However, as a
source of NG in Brussels said, the visit is postponed indefinitely due to the latest events in Chechnya”,
writes the paper. The daily quotes EC spokesperson Emma Udwin as pointing to “technical reasons” for
the postponement of the visit, however, in the paper’s words, the spokesperson “smiled in a
meaningful way” when asked for further explanations. “It cannot be excluded that the EC pinned much
higher hopes on its delegation than preparations for a humanitarian mission. The envoys of Brussels, whose names
are not disclosed, could plan meetings with representatives of Maskhadov; his death made those meetings
meaningless”- Nezavisimaya gazeta claims.
16 maart 2005
- FSB pays reward for
information on Maskhadov: The FSB said in a press release yesterday that it had paid the promised $10 million
reward to several people who provided information on the whereabouts of Chechen separatist leader Aslan
Maskhadov. Interfax quotes Chechen President Alkhanov as saying that the payment of Maskhadov reward will help
intensify the search for warlord Shamil Basayev. Vremya novostei interprets the FSB statement as an indication
that Maskhadov’s murder was not incidental, but rather the result of a scrupulously planned special
operation. “Aslan Maskhadov was killed on purpose, and nobody planned to capture him alive”, claims
the paper. Several leading dailies run the story on their front pages (All media).
18 maart 2005
- Attack on Chubais high in the news: All major Russian dailies devote their front-page articles to
yesterday’s attack on Anatoly Chubais, United Energy Systems CEO and the architect of the post-Soviet
privatisation reforms. A bomb went off near the armoured BMW taking him to work, and attackers opened fire with
automatic weapons — the type of ambush practiced in Chechnya, in Gazeta’s words. Chubais, who was
unharmed, called the attack “a murder attempt” and said he knew who had ordered it. The media, as
well as politicians, are divided on whether the crime was politically or economically motivated. There seems to
be no doubt, however, that the attack “had been planned professionally”, says Gazeta. “The
attempt on Anatoly Chubais may become an attempt on stability in the country”, reads a title in Vremya
novostei. Political analyst Gleb Pavlovsky, cited by the daily, interprets the attack on Chubais as “an
indicator of a drift from shouting to shooting” (All media).
- Supreme Court reduces prison
term for Chechen woman: The Russian Supreme Court yesterday reduced by six months the prison term for Chechen
resident Zara Murtazaliyeva, who had been sentenced to nine years imprisonment for planning a terrorist act.
Murtazaliyeva’s lawyer labelled the court’s decision as a ‘mockery’. Vremya novostei
reports on the issue in an article entitled “Dangerous words — the Supreme Court qualified
discussions on the war in Chechnya as a crime” (Vremya novostei, Kommersant, Interfax, Gazeta).
- Roundtable on Chechen settlement held in Grozny ahead of Strasbourg Chechnya forum: Grozny yesterday
hosted a one-day roundtable on the Chechen settlement that “appeared aimed to overshadow”, in The
Moscow Times’ words, next Monday’s conference in Strasbourg, which will bring together pro-Moscow
Chechen politicians, including Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, international experts, NGOs and several people
close to Maskhadov. Chechen senior officials reiterated their criticism of the Strasbourg event, with Chechen
First Deputy PM Ramzan Kadyrov saying that all Chechen problems should be discussed in the Chechen capital
(Interfax, The Moscow Times).
- Chechen prosecutor: over 6,000 policemen, servicemen killed in
Chechnya: The media quote Chechen prosecutor Vladimir Kravchenko as saying that over 6,000 servicemen and
Russian Interior Ministry officials have been killed and over 8,000 have been injured since the beginning of the
counter-terrorism operation in Chechnya. He stressed that Chechnya’s authorities and law enforcement
agencies have now gained full control over the situation in the republic (Interfax).
21 maart 2005
- Round-table on Chechnya to be held in Strasbourg. The media report that a roundtable discussion
on Chechnya will be held in Strasbourg today. Chechen President Alu Alkhanov is expected to participate in the
discussions. (Kommersant, Vremya novostei)
- Separatists killed in Chechen operations. Dailies
report on the operation carried out in Chechnya over the weekend. According to media reports, police killed two
suspected militants of the Doku Umarov’s gang. (Vremya novostei)
22 maart 2005
-
Moscow ‘scores victory’ at Chechnya roundtable in Strasbourg?: Kommersant reports in a front-page
article entitled “Russia suppressed Chechen resistance in Europe” that “Moscow has scored an
important victory in the fight for Chechnya in the Council of Europe”, as yesterday’s Chechnya
roundtable in Strasbourg was held in accordance with ‘the Russian scenario’, as the paper put it.
The paper goes on to say that an attempt to hold an inter-Chechen dialogue within the PACE framework has failed,
as representatives of the recently killed separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov refused to take part in the event,
with Russian human rights advocates thereby becoming the sole opponents of the federal authorities in the
discussion. Nezavisimaya gazeta has published a front-page interview with PACE rapporteur on Chechnya, Andreas
Gross, entitled “Maskhadov’s murder serves the interests of hawks” (Kommersant, Interfax,
Nezavisimaya gazeta).
23 maart 2005
- Chechnya: five die in a dispute over cow;
helicopter crash claims two lives; unconfirmed attack on PM: (i) Five people died in a clash between federal
soldiers and pro-Moscow Chechen police provoked by a dispute when a federal military vehicle ran over a cow.
“The conflict in Chechnya is entering a new level — the federal forces and local policemen have
started fighting each other”, claims Nezavisimaya gazeta in a comment on the incident (NG, Izvestia, The
Moscow Times, Vremya novostei, Kommersant). (ii) Two out of ten people who sustained injuries when a Mi-8
helicopter crashed in Chechnya’s Grozny district yesterday, have died, reports Interfax. According to
preliminary data, the crash was caused by a malfunction in the engine (Interfax, Vremya novostei). (iii)
According to unconfirmed media reports, a landmine was allegedly planted along Chechen PM Abramov’s
planned route (Interfax, Vremya novostei, Kommersant).
- Foreign Ministry protests against naming a
square in Warsaw after Dudayev: Gazeta reports that the Russian Foreign Ministry has protested against the
naming of a square in Warsaw after the first Chechen separatist leader, Djakhar Dudayev (Gazeta, Novye Izvestia,
Trud, The Moscow News).
24 maart 2004
- Moscow city to take revenge on the city of
Warsaw for naming square after Dudayev?: Russian officials continue to voice criticism against the Warsaw
authorities’ intention to name one of the city squares after Chechen separatist leader Dzhakhar Dudayev.
Chechen President Alu Alkhanov is quoted by Interfax as saying that “this indicates the absolute ignorance
of the role that Dudayev played in the fate of the Chechen people”. Vremya novostei adds that Moscow Duma
speaker Vladimir Platonov and Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov issued a joint statement labelling the decision by the
Warsaw authorities as “blunt provocation”. According to the daily, Vladimir Platonov has said that
the Moscow city may take vengeance upon Warsaw by naming the street where the Polish Embassy to Russia is
situated, after Russian general Mikhail Muravyev who is notorious for the cruel suppression of a Polish uprising
in 1863. Against this background, Nezavisimaya gazeta (front page) makes what could be a far-fetched supposition
that President Putin’s visit to Kostroma yesterday is not incidental as Kostroma is known as the native
town of Ivan Susanin, a national hero of the war against Polish invaders who lived four centuries ago (Interfax,
Vremya novostei, Nezavisimaya gazeta).
- Prominent Chechen warlord killed: Prominent Chechen
warlord Rizvan Chitigov, who was reportedly involved in numerous terrorist attacks, was killed in a special
operation in Chechnya. According to Kommersant, Chitigov was ranked third in the Chechen resistance, after
Shamil Basayev and Doku Umarov. Gazeta adds that Chitigov became notorious in 2001 when he proposed using
chemical weapons against federal troops. The paper says that similarly to Maskhadov’s case, a reward will
be paid to the people who provided information on Chitigov (All media).
- Russian diplomat’s
car set on fire in Stockholm: A car belonging to an official of the Russian Embassy in Sweden was set ablaze in
Stockholm late on Tuesday. Gazeta (front page) comments that the “World Intifada” organisation has
assumed responsibility for the attack as a reaction to the policies of the Russian authorities in Chechnya.
Kommersant adds that the Russian Foreign Ministry linked the attack to an interview by Chechen warlord Shamil
Basayev which appeared in the Swedish media the day before, and accused Stockholm of having double standard (All
media).
25 maart 2005
- FM Lavrov meets Chechen President: Meeting Chechen President
Alu Alkhanov yesterday, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the world is becoming increasingly aware of the
necessity to assist the Russian authorities in settling the situation in Chechnya and restoring peace in the
republic. “This would be the best response to the international terrorists’ intrigues”, Lavrov
noted (Interfax).
- Militant leader killed in Chechnya: Chechen militant leader Alvi Tasuyev was
killed during a sweep operation in the Grozny district yesterday. Tasuyev is said to have been an associate of
late Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov and “one of Shamil Basayev’s deputies”, reports
Interfax. Vremya novostei highlights that Chechen First Deputy PM Ramzan Kadyrov personally led the operation
(Interfax, Vremya novostei).
29 maart 2005
- NGO — 28 people missing in Chechnya
in 2005: Interfax quotes a representative of the “Memorial” human rights organisation as saying that
over 50 people have been abducted in Chechnya in 2005, and 28 of them are still missing (Interfax).
30 maart 2005
- Grozny court sentences policeman to 11 years: Grozny’s district
court sentenced Sergei Lapin, a policeman from Nizhnevartovsk (Siberia), to 11 years in prison on abuse of
office charges. Lapin was convicted for beating up a local Chechen resident, whose whereabouts are still
unknown. The media note that this is the first verdict handed down by a Chechen court against a law enforcement
officer accused of committing crimes against the local population. Interfax quotes Svetlana Gannushkina from the
“Memorial” human rights organisation as saying that “it is hard to say if this will become a
tendency in crime fighting, or if it was done to show that the human rights situation in Chechnya is
acceptable” (Interfax, Kommersant, The Moscow Times, Izvestia).
31 maart 2005
-
Putin meets Chechen President in Sochi: Commenting on yesterday’s meeting of President Putin with Chechen
President Alu Alkhanov in Sochi, Nezavisimaya gazeta notes that contrary to expectations, the issue of a treaty
on delimitation of powers between the federal authorities and Chechnya was not raised, at least during the open
part of the meeting. The media highlight Alkhanov’s words that parliamentary elections may be held in
Chechnya next autumn (Nezavisimaya gazeta, Kommersant, Interfax, Gazeta, Rossiyskaya gazeta).
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