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Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - december 2006

6 december 2006

- Russian prosecutors pledge to help Britain in Litvinenko death probe: (i) At a press conference yesterday in Moscow, Prosecutor General Yury Chaika offered help to Scotland Yard investigators probing the death of former FSB officer, Alexander Litvinenko, but added that British detectives would not be able to arrest and extradite Russian suspects that may emerge in the case. Chaika said his office plans to question Litvinenko’s business partner and ex-FSB officer, Andrei Lugovoi, “if doctors allow”. He dismissed a theory of the smuggling of the radioactive polonium-210 from Russia. The chief prosecutor also expressed confidence that Britain will eventually extradite to Russia Boris Berezovsky and Chechen separatist emissary Akhmed Zakayev. (ii) A representative of the Federal Security Service (FSB) said he would not comment on British media reports “with reference to unnamed sources in the British special services” alleging that the FSB could have been involved in Litvinenko’s death. Meanwhile, UK Ambassador to Russia Tony Brenton is quoted as denying that the investigation into Litvinenko’s death is part of an anti-Russian campaign in Britain. (Gazeta, Interfax, Izvestia, Kommersant, MT, NG, RG, RIAN, Vedomosti, VN)

- United Russia’s next congress may be held in Grozny; Nezavisimaya gazeta refers to speaker of the Chechen Parliament, Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov, who announced that the next congress of United Russia in 2007 would be held in Grozny. One of United Russia’s leaders and Duma member, Vyacheslav Volodin, did not rule out such a possibility. (NG)

8 december 2006

- Russia opens criminal case into Litvinenko’s murder: (i) The Prosecutor General Office yesterday opened a criminal case into the murder of ex-FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko. According to conflicting media reports, Dmitry Kovtun, a witness in the case who was questioned by Russian and British investigators, has symptoms similar to those Litvinenko had and his health has seriously deteriorated. (ii) Chechen PM Ramzan Kadyrov yesterday dismissed claims voiced by Chechen separatist emissary, Akhmed Zakayev, that federal forces were allegedly using the radioactive polonium-210 during the anti-terrorist campaign in Chechnya, Interfax reports. (Gazeta, Izvestia, Kommersant, NG, RG, VN)

12 december 2006

- Russian, UK investigators interrogate key witness in Litvinenko case: Media report about the questioning yesterday in a Moscow hospital by Russian prosecutors and British detectives of businessman Andrei Lugovoi as part of the Litvinenko murder probe. According to Lugovoi, he was questioned as a witness. However, he refused to discuss the details of the inquest, saying that Russian prosecutors had forbidden him to reveal any information linked to the probe. Dailies report that Russian prosecutors want to travel to London to question Berezovsky and Chechen separatist emissary Zakayev in the framework of their own investigation into Litvinenko’s poisoning. (Gazeta, Izvestia, Kommersant, NG, RG, VN)

13 december 2006

- Defendants in Ulman case plead not guilty. Charges were presented on Tuesday at the first session of the North Caucasus district military court in Rostov-on-Don in rehearings of the case of a special forces group led by Capt. Eduard Ulman charged with murdering six civilians in Chechnya. After bringing the charges, Ulman and the three other defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them, but all also recognized the death of six Chechens in the indicated place and at the indicated time. The North Caucasus district military court acquitted the Ulman group twice and both times the military collegiums of the Russian Supreme Court quashed the verdicts. (Kommersant, Interfax)


14 december 2006

- Chechen PM’s subordinate suspended: Vremya novostei reports that a court in Grozny yesterday granted the Chechen prosecutor’s office’s request to suspend Sultankhamid Isakov, a senior official at the Chechen Government’s Commission on compensation payments who is suspected of extortion. The daily points out that Isakov is subordinate to Chechen PM Ramzan Kadyrov who heads the Commission. (VN)

18 december 2006

- Chechen Parliament to assess war damage: Media report that the Chechen Parliament has set up a commission to assess the damage suffered by Chechnya since 1994 when an operation to restore constitutional order was launched. Speaker of the Chechen Parliament, Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov, is quoted as saying that “there are no politics behind the decision”. Chairman of the Economic Policy Committee of the Chechen People's Assembly, Adnan Temishev, told Kommersant that calculation of the losses should be complete by 1 April 2007. (Interfax, Kommersant)

- German journalist deported from Chechnya: Kommersant reports that a Deutsche Welle reporter has been detained and deported from Chechnya over the alleged violation of rules for working in the zone of the counter-terrorist operation. (Kommersant)

19 december 2006

- Criminal case against ex-Pyatigorsk mayor closed: Dailies report about a decision yesterday by a court in the Stavropol territory which ruled to close a criminal case against Igor Tarasov, former mayor of Pyatigorsk and ex-adviser to Chechen PM Ramzan Kadyrov. Tarasov was accused of his involvement in a road accident that killed five people. The court decision was taken after Tarasov paid 3 million roubles to the relatives of the victims. (Gazeta, Izvestia, Kommersant, NG, RG, VN)

20 december 2006

- Envoy against Chechen war damage claims: According to media reports, Presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District, Dmitry Kozak, spoke against a proposal by the Chechen Parliament to set up a commission to assess the was-induced damages suffered by Chechnya since 1994. (NG, Interfax)

- Probe into Chechen separatist emissary’s case resumed: Gazeta writes that prosecutors have resumed the suspended investigation into the case of Chechen separatist emissary Akhmed Zakayev. Zakayev has been charged in Russia with terrorism, organising gangs, abducting and torturing people, and killings. (Gazeta, RIAN)

22 december 2006

- Estonia denies citizenship to Dudayev’s widow: According to media reports, the Estonian Government has refused to grant Estonian citizenship to Alla Dudayeva, the widow of Chechen separatist leader Dzhokhar Dudayev who was killed in 1996. (Interfax, VN)

28 december 2006

- Alkhanov is not going to resign: Chechen President Alu Alkhanov said that he is not going to step down as Chechen President ahead of time. He also said that Chechen authorities are prepared to start dialogue with former militants residing abroad. (Interfax, Vremya Novostey)

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