Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - januari 2008

• 2008-02-04
• Europa in de wereld

11 januari 2008

- ChechnyaPresident orders TV to teach Islam: (i) Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has ordered regional TV channels to explain the basics of Islam to fight against radical Islamists. “This is the way to protect young people from the destructive influence of Wahhabism and of other movements”, he is quoted as saying. (ii) Gazeta writes that the Memorial human rights centre and the Civic Assistance committee plan to present their annual report next week which points to human rights violations in Chechnya. (Gazeta, Interfax, Izvestia, MT, Trud)

14 januari 2008

- Austrian politician calls for moratorium on asylum to Chechens: According to media reports, Austrian right-wing politician Joerg Haider has called for a moratorium on granting asylum to immigrants from Chechnya and blamed Chechens for a rise in sex crimes and violence. (MT, RG)

15 januari 2008

- Developments in the Northern Caucasus: (i) Two suspected militants were reportedly killed during a siege of an apartment yesterday in Makhachkala. According to press reports, one of the militant leaders has escaped. (ii) A police officer was killed and another one was wounded in an attack on police yesterday in Chechnya. (Gazeta, Interfax, Kommersant, MT, NG, Novye Izvestia, RIAN, VN)

16 januari 2008

- Developments around British Council: (i) Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday slammed Britain for defying an order to close British Council offices in Russian regions, saying that the UK actions are related to “the nostalgia for colonial times”. Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Moscow’s move against the British Council would further worsen bilateral relations and stressed that London would respond quickly to Russia’s actions. (ii) Press reports that Chechen prosecutor Valery Kuznetsov has filed a petition to the Chechen Supreme Court asking to close the local branch of Britain’s Centre for Peacekeeping and Community Development over alleged violations of tax and accreditation rules. Human rights advocates criticized the move, saying it was linked to an ongoing political spat between Russia and the UK. (Gazeta, Interfax, Izvestia, Kommersant, MT, Novye Izvestia, RG, RIAN, VN)

- 20 Chechens detained in Poland: Polish authorities on Tuesday detained 20 Chechen residents who are Russian nationals for attempting to illegally cross the Polish-German border. (RIAN, VN)

17 januari 2008

- Red Cross calls to speed up work on disappearances in N. Caucasus: The Moscow Times reports on an appeal to Russia by the International Red Cross to speed up work in discovering the fate of more than 1,000 people who have disappeared in the Northern Caucasus over the last 20 years. (MT)

24 januari 2008

- More violence in N. Caucasus: (i) Vremya novostei reports on two separate attacks on Tuesday in Ingushetia, which left two people killed and three others wounded. (ii) Electronic media report that one policeman was killed and another one was wounded in an attack today in Grozny. (iii) Three suspected militants have reportedly been killed in a special operation at the administrative border between Chechnya and Dagestan. (Interfax, Kommersant, RIAN, VN)

- Nezavisimaya Gazeta publishes an article called “A troika goes to the Transcaucasia”, by Yury Roks, which reports on an upcoming visit of the EU Troika to the South Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia).

30 januari 2008

- Accidental shelling in Chechnya; one solider killed in Chechnya clash: (i) Media report on an accidental explosion of an artillery shell in the Chechen village of Gekhi. The shell explosion reportedly destroyed or partially damaged several houses. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov slammed federal troops for the incident. (ii) According to media reports, one soldier was killed and three others wounded in a clash between federal troops and militants