Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - maart 2011

• 2011-03-31
• Europa in de wereld

1 maart 2011

Medvedev nominates heads of four regions: President Medvedev has nominated Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov for a second term. He has also nominated incumbent Ulyanovsk governor Sergey Morozov for a new term. Medvedev has nominated Rashid Temrezov for the post of Karachayevo-Cherkessia head and Vladimir Ilyukhin for the post of Kamchatka governor. Temrezov and Ilyukhin are acting heads of their regions. (Gazeta.ru, Kommersant, MT, RG)

2 maart 2011

Large-scale operation in Dagestan: 16 militants detained:(i) The National Antiterrorism Committee announced on Tuesday that 16 suspected militants have been detained during a large-scale operation in Dagestan. The operation was conducted on 16-28 February. Kommersant writes that one of the detainees, Magomed Abakarov, is suspected of involvement in the 31 March 2010 twin blasts in the Dagestani town of Kizlyar that killed 12 people and wounded up to 30. (ii) A militant was killed in the town of Baksan in Kabardino-Balkaria in a shootout with police early on Tuesday. In a separate clash on Tuesday evening in Kabardino-Balkaria's Chegem district, one militant was killed. (iii) In an interview with Novye Izvestia, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said that there are around 30 to 50 militants in Chechnya. He also comments on the spending of budgetary funds on reconstruction in Grozny. (Kommersant, Novye Izvestia, RIAN)

3 maart 2011

Memorial head accuses Chechnya's Kadyrov of running a "totalitarian" regime: Head of the Memorial human rights group Oleg Orlov has accused Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov of running a "totalitarian" regime. The accusations were voiced on the eve of court hearings of the slander case against Orlov in connection with his claims that Ramzan Kadyrov was responsible for the murder of rights activist Natalia Estemirova in 2009. (MT, AP)

4 maart 2011

North Caucasus militant leader calls "to activate jihad":The press reports on a new video posted on several separatist web sites on Thursday by North Caucasus militant leader Doku Umarov. In the video, Umarov called on militants "to activate jihad", adding that he wants the regions of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan to join in jihad. (Gazeta.ru, MT)

9 maart 2011

Anti-Wahhabi group issues warning to Kabardino-Balkarian militants: (i) The anti-Wahhabi 'Black Hawks' movement has issued a warning to Asker Dzhapuyev, the so-called 'emir' of Kabardino-Balkaria, regarding possible actions by local militants against Kabardino-Balkaria's residents. The 'Black Hawks' threatened to undertake "punitive actions" against any militant and any member of the militant clan. (ii) Police are looking for a possible suicide bomber, identified as Viktor Dvorakovsky, who was born in Dagestan. (iii) Degi Dudayev, the son of former Chechen separatist leader Dzhokhar Dudayev, has been arrested in Lithuania for forging documents. (iv) Dailies report on the detention in Dagestan of Ramazan Utarbiyev, the sixth participant of a December brawl in which Spartak Moscow football fan Yegor Sviridov was killed. (v) In an interview with Novaya Gazeta, Ingush leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov comments on the socioeconomic development of Ingushetia. (Gazeta.ru, Interfax, Izvestia, Kommersant, Novaya Gazeta; Ekho Moskvy)

Ramzan Kadyrov confirmed as Chechnya leader for a second term: (i) The Chechen Parliament has unanimously confirmed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov for a second term. Kadyrov has been nominated by President Medvedev. (ii) Grozny (the capital of Chechnya) on Tuesday hosted a friendly match between Brazilian football stars and a team formed by Ramzan Kadyrov. The game finished with a score: Brazil 6-Chechnya 4. (Kommersant, RG; Ekho Moskvy)

Putin delivers "electoral" speech at United Russia conference: Dailies report broadly on statements made by Prime Minister and United Russia leader Vladimir Putin at a United Russia party conference on Friday in Bryansk. Although the conference was dedicated to the development strategy of the Central Federal District, Putin announced that 37 major projects, worth RUR400 billion, would be launched in the North Caucasus Federal District in 2011. Vedomosti (Saturday's issue) views Putin's speech at the conference as "electoral" since he made direct statements on the Duma elections, set to be held later this year. He said inter alia that United Russia would select its candidates for the Duma elections at a national party conference in September. Putin also suggested that politicians should declare not only their income, but also their spending. (ii) According to recent polls, United Russia is likely to win a majority of seats in the 13 March regional elections in a number of Russian regions. (Izvestia, Kommersant, RG, Vedomosti)

10 maart 2011

Bomb goes off near FSB training centre in Moscow: An explosive device blew up at a public transport stop on Wednesday near a training centre of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in southwest Moscow. There were no casualties. Investigators said that the blast could have been organized by North Caucasus militants or by supporters of a radical youth group. Investigators do not rule out terrorism as the theory behind the blast. According to some media reports, a case has been opened under two articles of the Criminal Code – hooliganism and illegal turnover of arms and explosives. (Gazeta.ru, Izvestia, Kommersant, MT, RG)

14 maart 2011

Chemistry students behind string of Moscow blasts?:Two bombs were detonated on Friday in northeast Moscow near an apartment building for employees of the Federal Security Service (FSB). There were no casualties. A case on charges of hooliganism and illegal turnover of weapons and explosives has been opened. The blasts came two days after an explosion on Wednesday at a public transport stop near the FSB academy in Moscow. Investigators did not rule out that Friday's blasts and the Wednesday explosion were likely connected. An unidentified law enforcement official told Interfax on Friday that chemistry students with ultranationalist views may be behind a string of recent bombings targeting FSB buildings in Moscow. Meanwhile, in a statement posted on a separatist website on Friday, the 'Riyadus Salikhin' militant group claimed responsibility for the Wednesday [9 March] blast near the FSB academy. According to the statement, the blast was perpetrated on orders from North Caucasus militant leader Doku Umarov. (Interfax, Kommersant, MT, Novye Izvestia, RG, RIAN, Vedomosti)

Moscow welcomes UN SC decision to include Umarov in terrorist list: (i) The Russian Foreign Ministry has welcomed the decision by thy UN Security Council's Sanctions Committee to put North Caucasus militant leader Doku Umarov on its terrorist list. (ii) In a front-page article, Kommersant (Saturday's issue) cited the head of the Russian Investigative Committee's investigative department for Kabardino-Balkaria, Valery Ustov, who said on Friday that a militant group, called the "Unified Vilayet of Kabarda, Balkaria and Karachay", is operating in Kabardino-Balkaria. The group has up to 60 active members, Ustov added. (Interfax, Kommersant, RG)

16 maart 2011

Seven policemen wounded in Dagestan: (i) Seven police officers were wounded in a shooting and explosion in Dagestan's town of Kizilyurt late on Monday. (ii) Kommersant reports on lack of progress in the investigation of the murder case of Dagestan's Interior Minister Adilgerei Magomedtagirov, who was assassinated in Makhachkala in June 2009. (Kommersant, RIAN)

18 maart 2011

Opposition complains of voting irregularities during local elections: (i) Vedomosti cites complaints by opposition parties over numerous electoral violations during the 13 March regional and local elections. (ii) A senior election official has called for regulating Facebook and public online forums on the eve of elections. (MT, Vedomosti)

29 maart 2011

At least 17 militants killed in Ingushetia operations:(i) At least 17 militants were killed in operations on Monday in Ingushetia. Spokesman for the National Anti-Terrorist Committee Nikolai Sintsov said that "as a result of an airstrike of the Air Force, followed by a ground operation, a terrorist base that trained suicide bombers was destroyed." Sintsov added that two suspects in the Domodedovo airport suicide bombing have been detained. Two FSB servicemen and a police officer were killed in the operations. Kommersant does not rule out that North Caucasus militant leader Doku Umarov could have been among the killed militants. An unnamed law enforcement source told Interfax on Tuesday that one of the killed militants has been identified as Supyan Abdulayev, a close associate to Doku Umarov. (ii) On Monday, the leader of a religious extremist group, Asker Khazhirokov, was killed in an operation in Nalchik (capital of Kabardino-Balkaria). (iii) According to Kommersant, reports that two potential female suicide bombers have left Dagestan for Moscow have not been confirmed. The daily writes that the whereabouts of two natives of Dagestan's Kizlyar district, Zeinap Magomedova and Patimat Ramazanova, have been established. (iv) Spokesman for the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin announced that investigators had identified the last suspect in the 29 March 2010 suicide bombings in the Moscow metro system that killed 40 people. The suspect, named Gusen Magomedov, had accompanied the two female suicide bombers from Dagestan's Kizlyar to Moscow, Markin said. (Gazeta.ru, Interfax, Izvestia, Kommersant, Lenta.ru, RG, RIAN)

30 maart 2011

North Caucasus militant leader Umarov charged in Domodedovo bombing:Investigators on Tuesday charged North Caucasus militant leader Doku Umarov with masterminding the 24 January suicide bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport that killed 37 people and injured up to 200. The media suggested that Umarov and militant leader Aslan Byutukayev might have been among 17 militants killed in operations in Ingushetia on 28 March. Meeting with FSB first deputy head Sergey Smirnov on Tuesday, President Dmitry Medvedev emphasized that the militants had suffered "a considerable loss." In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Ingush leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov said, meanwhile, that it is difficult to say how many militants have been killed in the Monday operations. Yevkurov also confirmed that the Islam and Iles Yandiyev brothers have been detained in Ingushetia on suspicion of involvement in the Domodedovo bombing. The Yandiyev brothers are accused of driving the suspected suicide bomber, Magomed Yevloyev, to Domodedovo. (Gazeta.ru, Izvestia, Kommersant, MT, NG, RG, Vedomosti)

31 maart 2011

Militant leader's doctor killed in Ingushetia operation: Kommersant writes that according to law enforcement agencies, one of the 17 militants killed in operations in Ingushetia on Monday has been identified as Yusup Buzurtanov, a personal doctor of North Caucasus militant leader Doku Umarov. Earlier, police did not rule out that Umarov could have been among the killed militants. (Kommersant)

Interior Troops may be armed with tanks: RBK daily refers to the Russian Interior Troops chief of staff Sergey Bunin, who did not exclude that tank units may appear in the Interior Troops. The daily writes that 20,000 Interior Troops servicemen are currently deployed in the Northern Caucasus, including 6,000 servicemen who have recently been dispatched to Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria. (RBK daily)