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Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - Augustus 2004

2 augustus 2004

- Aslan Maskhadov assumes responsibility for Ingushetia raids, threatens with new massive attacks: Vremya novostei (front page) reports that yesterday, Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov assumed responsibility for the preparation and execution of the recent rebel raids on Ingushetia. The daily stresses that Maskhadov has once again promised to continue similar actions in Chechnya, Ingushetia and in Russia as a whole. Izvestia has devoted two full pages to what it calls “a new stage of the Caucasian war” stressing that rebels have worked out efficient tactics for fighting the federal forces. “These gangs are apparently managed personally by [Chechen warlord] Basayev from a single centre”, notes the daily (All media).

- Agreement on restoring electricity supplies in Chechnya signed: The Chechen government and the United Energy Systems signed an agreement on restoring electricity supplies to the republic. The media note that Alu Alkhanov, the Chechen Interior Minister and the Chechen presidential candidate supported by the Kremlin, attended the signing, which was another episode in the extensive state television coverage he receives every day (The Moscow Times, Rossiyskaya gazeta).

- New procedure of journalists’ accreditation comes into force in Chechnya: Kommersant reports that a new procedure for the accreditation of journalists working in Chechnya came into force yesterday. Accreditations will now be issued by the Interior Ministry, which has taken over this function from the staff of presidential aide Sergey Yastrzhembsky. The new rules will give the Interior Ministry the right to withdraw from Chechnya those journalists who do not follow the Ministry’s line (Kommersant).

3 augustus 2004

- Minister praises Chechen Interior Ministry: Nezavisimaya gazeta reports in an article entitled “Putin was glad to hear news from Grozny” that Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev praised the performance of the Chechen Interior Ministry during President Putin’s meeting with the Cabinet yesterday. Nurgaliyev stressed that the Chechen Interior Ministry has “recently uncovered a number of serious crimes, including criminal offences and economic crimes”, and “is also working hard to uncover secret groups operating in towns and villages of Chechnya and Ingushetia”. The head of the Chechen Interior Ministry, Alu Alkhanov, has been registered as a candidate in the Chechen presidential election and is widely believed to enjoy the Kremlin’s support (Nezavisimaya gazeta).

4 augustus 2004

- Dagestani separatist leader turns himself in to authorities: Siradzhutdin Ramazanov, a Dagestani separatist leader who is wanted by the federal agencies for illegal activities in Chechnya, has voluntarily turned himself in to the authorities. Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev had appointed Ramazanov as the chairman of the government of the so-called Islamic Republic of Dagestan, reports Kommersant. The daily stresses that the Dagestani authorities are celebrating a victory as Ramazanov is already the third ideologist of Dagestani separatism who repented in public. The paper notes, however, that Ramazanov’s friends are convinced that he returned home only for economic reasons as his big family and himself were starving abroad (Kommersant, Interfax, Izvestia, Vremya novostei, Gazeta).

- $1 million in ransom asked for a Slovak abducted in Chechnya: Interfax quotes an official of the Organisation for Aid for Refugees as saying that the abductors of Slovak citizen Miriam Jevikova have demanded $1 million in ransom for her release. Jevikova is believed to have gone missing en route from Pyatigorsk (Stavropol territory) to Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia) on 1 June (Interfax, The Moscow Times, Nezavisimaya gazeta).

6 augustus 2004

- Chechen separatist leader Maskhadov reshuffles his cabinet: Kommersant (front page) reports that Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov signed an instruction reducing the number of his cabinet members from 60 to 12. The daily notes that the majority of the 12 cabinet members live outside Chechnya, including Maskhadov’s foreign minister Ilyas Akhmadov who was granted political asylum in the U.S. yesterday. According to the Russian military, only Doku Umarov, Maskhadov’s minister of state security, is currently in Chechnya. In the paper’s view, the reshuffling will hardly make this “virtual government” more efficient. It could be interpreted rather as an indication that Maskhadov has lost his last hope that the federal authorities will hold negotiations with him. Kommersant also reports that Maskhadov has recently instructed his field commanders to transfer combat actions to the whole of Russia (Kommersant).

9 augustus 2004

- Chechen presidential candidate addresses Federation Council session: Kommersant reports in an article entitled “Federation Council joined the pre-election campaign” that for the first time in its history, the Federation Council gave the floor to a regional presidential candidate – Alu Alkhanov addressed the chamber’s plenary meeting yesterday. The candidacy of Alkhanov had been proposed by the team of the late Chechen President Akmat Kadyrov and is actively supported by the Kremlin. The media quote Alkhanov as saying yesterday that Chechnya must be given the status of a free economic zone until 2013. Alkhanov also said that the pace of political stabilisation in Chechnya is ahead of the pace of economic development. In Nezavisimaya gazeta’s view, there seems to be less competition in the upcoming Chechen election than even last October when Akhmat Kadyrov was elected the Chechen President (Kommersant, Nezavisimaya gazeta, Izvestia, Rossiyskaya gazeta).

- Foreign Ministry calls granting of asylum to rebel by U.S. “a manifestation of double standards”: The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the decision to grant Ilyas Akhmadov, an envoy of Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, political asylum in the U.S. is “a clear manifestation of double standards in issues relating to the fight against terrorism”. Interfax quotes Konstantin Kosachev, the head of Duma’s International Affairs Committee, as saying that the U.S. has committed an unfriendly act towards Russia by granting asylum of Akhmadov. According to Gazeta (front page), the asylum decision was taken due to alleged cooperation of Akhmadov with the U.S. intelligence services (All media).

11 augustus 2004

- Chechen presidential candidate withdraws from fair election agreement: Kommersant reports that the Chechen presidential candidate Abdulla Bugayev withdrew his signature under the “gentlemen agreement” on fair election campaign rules, signed by all participants in the presidential race, citing some violations of the agreed rules as the reason for his decision. He said, in particular, that Chechen Interior Minister Alu Alkhanov, who is on pre-election leave, continues to attend government meetings and to meet with federal officials, even though he does so in the function as the head of a public council monitoring Chechnya’s restoration (Kommersant).

- Moscow Helsinki Group slams human rights situation in Chechnya and Ingushetia: Vremya novostei reports that last Monday the Moscow Helsinki Group presented three reports slamming the human rights situation in Chechnya and Ingushetia. According to the daily, the reports were met with unusually harsh criticism by Ingush President Murat Zyazikov (Vremya novostei).

13 augustus 2004

- Chechen football team wins a game in UEFA’s second qualification round: All major TV channels gave wide coverage to yesterday’s victory of Chechen football team “Terek” over the Polish “Lech” in the first leg of UEFA’s second qualification round. The media stress that over 400 football fans arrived in Moscow from Chechnya and the Chechen leadership, including acting President Sergey Abramov, Interior Minister Alu Alkhanov and Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov, were present at the match. According to Kommersant, the Chechen leaders were so overwhelmed by emotions when “Terek” won that “it seemed they might fall off their seats” (All major TV channels; Vremya novostei, Kommersant, Izvestia, Novye izvestia).

16 augustus 2004

- U.S. Defence Secretary visits Russia: On Saturday, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov held talks with his U.S. counterpart Donald Rumsfeld in St Petersburg. Gazeta comments in an article entitled “NATO does not threaten us” that it was the 15th meeting of the two ministers, and despite its official status, the meeting was held in a highly informal setting. The paper highlights that the talks resulted in an agreement to conduct joint large-scale naval exercises in the Norwegian Sea in September. The paper also notes that Ivanov reiterated Russia’s position on NATO enlargement describing it as “calmly negative”. The Russian Minister also drew the attention of his U.S. counterpart to the fact that “the situation surrounding human rights in the Baltic States is not very good, at least in terms of European standards”. Ivanov stressed that “the erection of monuments to SS servicemen is simply unacceptable”. Kommersant reports that the youth movement “Marching Together” staged a rally in St Petersburg to protest against the U.S. decision to grant political asylum to the Chechen separatist ‘foreign minister’ Alyas Akhmadov. The daily writes that one of the posters carried by protestors read “What would you feel if Russia granted asylum to Osama bin Laden?” (Gazeta, Interfax, The Moscow Times, Kommersant, Vremya novostei, Izvestia).

- Moscow seeks to step up the fight against terrorism in Russia’s south: Izvestia reports in a front-page article on a meeting between President Putin and the Interior Ministry leadership as well as the recently appointed heads of operation units in 12 regions, which are geographically close to Chechnya. The papers comments that in each of the regions there will now be officials responsible for counteracting terrorism. The article is entitled “A dozen colonels – counteraction to terrorism stepped up in Russia’s south” (Izvestia, Kommersant, Rossiyskaya gazeta).

- Upcoming events: (i) President Putin will leave for Sochi for holidays today. (ii) Azeri Foreign Minister Almar Mamedyarov will arrive in Moscow on an official visit on 17 August. (iii) Chechen presidential candidate Alu Alkhanov will meet representatives of the Chechen community in Moscow on 18 August (Kommersant).

17 augustus 2004

- Putin supports parliamentary elections in Chechnya in near future: In a meeting with the Chairman of the Russian Central Elections Commission Alexander Veshnyakov yesterday in Sochi, President Putin supported the idea of holding the election of the Chechen parliament next spring, adding that this election should be prepared in cooperation with the new Chechen president. According to Veshnyakov, Chechnya “will have a two-chamber parliament. One of the chambers will be composed of 40 deputies elected by the combined system, and the other will unite representatives from 21 Chechen districts”. (Interfax, RIAN, Izvestia, Kommersant)

18 augustus 2004

- DM unveils plans: no more cuts in Russian armed forces: (i) Visiting the North Caucasian military district yesterday, Defence Minister Ivanov stated that there would not be a radical staff reduction in the Armed Forces due to the administrative reform of the Defence Ministry. He also informed that conscripts would not serve in Chechnya since 2005 and that 2 contract mountainous brigades would be deployed in the North Caucasian military district. (ii) Yesterday in Ekaterinburg, Ivanov announced that the first contract peacekeeping brigade would be formed in the Volga-Urals military district. (Channel One, Interfax, RIAN, Kommersant, Vremya novostei)

19 augustus 2004

- Chechen presidential candidate meets Chechen community; DM inspects Chechnya: (i) Meeting with representatives of Moscow’s Chechen community yesterday in Moscow, Chechen presidential candidate Alu Alkhanov stressed that the creation of a free economic zone in Chechnya would facilitate Chechnya’s rapid economic rehabilitation and expressed hope that the Russian federal authorities would support this idea. He also stated that talks with Chechen separatist leaders could be held if Maskhadov abandons resistance. Alkhanov strongly criticised mop-up operations, adding that the reduction of federal troops in Chechnya is “inevitable”. (ii) The media report that Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov visited Grozny yesterday to discuss security aspects ahead of the 29 August presidential vote in Chechnya. (Kommersant, Interfax, Gazeta, NG, Novyie Izvestia, MT)

- Street in Moscow to be named after assassinated Chechen president: The media comment on the decision by the Moscow City Government to name a street in Moscow after the assassinated Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov. Gazeta today published a front-page article headed “He is not our hero”. Novyie Izvestia carries an article called “A street scandal”.

23 augustus 2004

- Putin visits Chechnya ahead of vote: President Putin made a surprise visit to Chechnya yesterday to pay tribute to the assassinated Chechen President Akhmat Kadyrov in the village of Tsentoroi, a week before the Chechen presidential election. Meeting later with Chechen presidential candidate Alu Alkhanov and Kadyrov’s son Ramzan in Sochi, Putin backed a request from Alklhanov for Chechnya to receive oil-export profits for its economic and social recovery. Putin also called for more cell-phone stores to be opened to meet demand of Chechen residents. (All media)

- Rebels attack police checkpoints Grozny: The media report that a district police department in Grozny came under fire on Saturday. Reports on the casualty numbers differ. According to some media, six officers of the department were killed in a shoot-out with rebels. Spokesman for the regional anti-terrorist headquarters in the Northern Caucasus Ilya Shabalkin stated that in a mop-up operation yesterday, about 50 Chechen rebels were eliminated, and added that 12 servicemen and policemen were killed. According to a representative of the Interior Ministry troops, four interior troops were killed and 12 others wounded in the mop-up operation. (All media)

- Chechens to go to S. Ossetia?: Several Russian dailies today report that Chechen 1st Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov has suggested to send up to 5,000 Chechen special troops to South Ossetia to serve as peacekeepers in the area of the Georgian-S. Ossetian conflict. The media report that Georgian and S. Ossetian sides gave no reply to this initiative. (Kommersant, NG, Gazeta, Vreemya novostei)

- About 20 international observers to monitor Chechen vote: Meeting with Chechen Acting President Sergei Abramov and Chairman of the Chechen Elections Commission Abdul-Kerim Arsakhanov in Moscow last Friday, Head of Russia’s Central Elections Commission Alexander Veshnyakov announced that about 20 international observers, representing the Arab League, OIC and the CIS Executive Committee, would monitor the 29 August Chechen presidential election. (Interfax, NG)

- Visits: (i) Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe rapporteurs on Chechnya Andreas Gross and Rudolf Bindig will arrive in Russia on 27 August. (ii) Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei is expected to visit Russia in late August. (Kommersant)

24 augustus 2004

- Russian and Chechen officials commemorated Kadyrov’s birthday in a public event in central Moscow. The media consider the birthday events as part of an ongoing Kremlin campaign to lavish support for their favoured presidential candidate Alu Alkhanov in the upcoming elections on 29 August. (Moscow Times)

25 augustus 2004

- EU official stresses Russia’s responsibility in the conflict settlement in South Ossetia. Concluding a visit to South Ossetia, special European Union envoy for the South Caucuses Haike Taalvittie highlighted the importance of maintaining a constructive dialogue not only between Tbilisi and Tskhinvali but also between Tbilisi and Moscow emphasising Russia’s prominence in negotiations on a peaceful settlement in the Georgian breakaway region. Following Saakashvili’s accusations in France’s Liberation newspaper that Russian soldiers were to blame for attacking Georgian forces in South Ossetia last week, Kommersant compared Saakashvili to Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadow in his diplomatic relations towards Russia and Nezavisimaya critisized his continuous attempts to involve the international community in resolving the conflict. (Interfax, Kommersant, Nezavisimaya)

- Representatives of international organizations and CIS to observe presidential elections in Chechnya. Representatives of the League of Arab States (LAS), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), OSCE and CIS will observe presidential elections in Chechnya on August 29. PACE will be visiting the region from 27-30 August to research for a report on the situation in Chechnya with the focus on humanitarian aspects to be issued in autumn this year. After violent uprisings of Chechen separatist rebels leaving 62 Chechen rebels killedin three days, Russian presidential advisor Aslam Aslakhanov assured that Chechen law enforcement agencies and federal units are prepared to suppress any destabilizing attempts during the elections. (RIA Novosti)

26 augustus 2004

- Aircraft disaster: No terror evidence discovered yet. Investigations on the two plane crashes Tuesday evening have as yet found no evidence on terrorist attacks but investigators do not rule out any cause. Four flight recorders are yet to be decoded in Moscow. Two Israeli citizens were the only foreigners among the victims on board the Volga-Aviaexpress Tu-134. Several Duma members, such as CP leader Zyuganov, LDPR leader Zhirinovsky and member of Duma security committee Gudkov, expressed their conviction on terrorism as the cause of the tragic incidents and linked the accidents to the upcoming Chechen elections. Putin’s visit to late Chechen President Kadyrov’s grave in Chechnya on the weekend and the commemoration festivities in Moscow’s centre paying tribute to Kadyrov’s birthday on Monday are suspected to have agitated Chechen separatist terrorists and led them to committing this act. Nezavisimaya gazeta quotes foreign experts on their opinions on the catastrophe which all strongly suspect Chechen terrorist involvement. The Presidency of the European Union expressed its condolences and its support. Also, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed his condolence in a telephone call to Foreign Minister Lavrov on Wednesday evening. Putin interrupted his vacation in Sochi, returned to Moscow and called for a national day of mourning, today. (All media)

- Early Presidential elections begin in Chechnya’s distant mountainous regions. Chechen elections commission organised early voting in the Chechen presidential elections, to be held in the rest of the republic on 29 August, in the mountainous Itum-Kale district and in the village of Kuchali in the Vedeno district in order to allow servicemen who cannot come to the polling stations on election day to vote. Acting interior minister Alu Alkhanov affirmed that Chechen Interior Ministry has taken all measures necessary to provide security during the elections. (Interfax)

27 augustus 2004

- OSCE and Council of Europe will not be observing Chechen elections. Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports that the OSCE and the Council of Europe will not be sending international observers to the Chechen presidential elections on 29 August because they are not on state level. According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Russia Sutygov 20 representatives from government and international organizations, such as the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Conference will be observing the elections.

- PACE begins monitoring visit to Chechnya. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) monitors on the political and humanitarian aspects of the situation in the Chechen Republic, Andreas Gross and Tadeusz Iwiñski begin their visit to the region today. They will be monitoring the region from 27 to 30 August 2004 as part of the preparations for their report that will be issued in the autumn session. As the presidential election will take place in the Chechen Republic on 29 August, the delegation is also due to meet presidential candidates during the visit but are not observing the elections. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

30 augustus 2004

- Presidential elections in Chechnya. Initial vote counts suggest Alu Alkhanov won Sunday’s election for president in Chechnya. According to Chechen Central Election Commission Chairman Abdul-Keri Arsakhanov counts by midnight on Sunday of votes cast at 83 polling stations in 12 districts suggested that Alkhanov had won 70.8% of votes. Movsur Khamodov came second with 10.4% of votes, followed by Abdula Bugayev, who got 5.67%, while the results of the other four candidates were less than 5%.
Some 15,000 law enforcement officers and troops were guarding 429 polling stations. A man blew himself up at a polling station in central Grozny on Sunday in the only violence to tarnish elections. (All Media)

- Investigation of aircraft crashes. Traces of the powerful explosive hexogen have been found in the debris of the two passenger jets that fell from the sky minutes apart last week, all but confirming fears that they were the targets of an organized terrorist attack, the Federal Security Service said. Investigators also said that two Chechen women bought tickets at the last minute for the flights at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport on Tuesday and that their bodies were the only ones unclaimed by relatives so far -- raising suspicion that they may have been suicide bombers. In its first official acknowledgment of terrorism, the Federal Security Service, or FSB, announced Friday that it had found traces of the explosive in the wreckage of the Sibir Tu-154 that crashed in the Rostov region. (All media)

- Member of Czech humanitarian mission detained in Chechnya.. A member of a Czech humanitarian mission Makayev was detained in Chechnya last week for a suspected role in a terrorist attack against federal forces. The materials of Makayev's case have been sent to the Chechen prosecutor's office, and the suspect is currently being checked for his possible role in other grave crimes.
The Czech humanitarian organization People in Need is active in Grozny's Oktyabrsky, Zavodskoy and Leninsky districts. It also operates in some of Chechnya's mountainous districts. (Interfax)

31 augustus 2004

- Alkhanov is not planning radical changes in Government. The winner of the Chechen presidential elections, Alu Alkhanov, said he does not intend to made radical changes in the republic's government when forming the new Cabinet. At the same time, "demands on the heads of ministries, departments and other administrators will be most severe," Alkhanov told a press conference in Grozny on Monday. A system has been worked out that will prevent the misappropriation of funds allocated for the rebuilding of Chechnya's economic and social spheres, he said. Kremlin-favored candidate Alu Alkhanov won 74 percent of the vote in Chechnya's presidential election, election, amid reports of widespread vote rigging. (All media)

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