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Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - mei 2010

4 mei 2010

Putin, Kadyrov among "predators of press freedom" – RWB: PM Vladimir Putin and Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov are on a list of 40 "predators of press freedom" compiled by Reporters Without Borders. The list names politicians, officials and groups who "cannot stand the press, treat it as an enemy". The list also includes Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Chinese leader Hu Jintao and others. (Kommersant, MT)

5 mei 2010

Putin, Kadyrovcritical of "predators of press freedom" list: Spokesmen for PM Vladimir Putin and Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, Dmitry Peskov and Alvi Karimov, in separate statements criticised the inclusion by Reporters Without Borders of Putin and Kadyrov in a list of "predators of press freedom". (Interfax, Lenta.ru, MT)

7 mei 2010

Unemployment remains acute problem for Northern Caucasus: Vremya novosteiaddresses one of the most acute problems for the Northern Caucasus, i.e. unemployment. The daily refers to Deputy PM, Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Alexander Khloponin who estimated the total number of jobless people in the region at 820,000. Khloponin also pledged that RUR8.5 billion will be spent on measures against unemployment in the Northern Caucasus this year. (VN)

More officials submit income declarations: Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has submitted his income declaration for 2009. Last year, he earned around RUR4 million (about $132,000). The head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin earned almost RUR6.3 million in 2009, while his boss Prosecutor General Yury Chaika earned RUR2.16 million. At the same time, Chaika's wife earned RUR6.36 million. (Gazeta.ru, Izvestia, MT, Vedomosti)

13 mei 2010

Strasbourg Courtrules against Russia in Chechen residents' suits: (i) The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Russia to pay more than €220,000 to two Chechen families who claimed that their relatives had been killed by military servicemen. (ii) Vedomosti reports on a tender launched by the Justice Ministry on the provision of legal services for Russia's representative at the European Court of Human Rights. (Vedomosti, VN)

14 mei 2010

Five killed in Dagestan car blast; killing of adviser to Karachayevo-Cherkessia president: (i) Four repair workers of Dagestan's TV and radio broadcasting centre and a local resident were killed in a car blast on Thursday in Dagestan. Four policemen, who were accompanying the repair group, were injured in a clash with attackers. There have been other attacks on infrastructure facilities in Dagestan since the beginning of May. (ii) Commenting on the killing on Wednesday in Cherkessk of Fral Shebzukhov, an adviser to President of the Republic of Karachayevo-Cherkessia Boris Ebzeyev, Kommersant does not rule out that the practice of appointing Karachayevo-Cherkessia's PM could change, and recalls that the top positions in the republic are allocated on an ethnic basis. Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Khloponin earlier made it clear that the Government of Karachayevo-Cherkessia must be headed by an ethnic Circassian. (Gazeta.ru, Kommersant, RG, VN)

17 mei 2010

Envoy to North Caucasus Federal District gets more powers: (i) Deputy PM, Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Alexander Khloponin has received more powers. All personnel decisions will now be discussed and agreed upon with Khloponin. The Russian Ministry for Regional Development has been empowered to coordinate activity of territorial structures of federal bodies. Some experts, contacted by Kommersant (Saturday's issue), expressed the view that the move could lower the level of corruption. (ii) Kommersant reports in a front-page article on plans to build in the Northern Caucasus five alpine ski resorts until 2020. It would cost the federal budget more than RUR450 billion. (Izvestia, Kommersant, RBK daily, RG, VN)

18 mei 2010

Senior police official killed in Chechnya blast: Chechnya's senior police official Lom-Ali Khadzhiyev was killed and two other police officers were wounded in a bomb explosion on Monday in Grozny. (VN)

20 mei 2010

Medvedev discusses Northern Caucasus with rights activists:Meeting human rights activists on Wednesday in Moscow, President Dmitry Medvedev warned that corruption in the North Caucasus region threatens national security and "directly aids separatists and militants." Medvedev announced that last year, 544 terrorist crimes were committed in the Northern Caucasus and more than 200 policemen were killed. He backed an idea, put forward by the head of the Presidential Council on Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights Ella Pamfilova, who suggested that a Council of the Elders be set up in the region. Medvedev also called to involve young people in business activity and stressed the need to stop the exodus of ethnic Russians from the Northern Caucasus. The meeting was also attended, among others, by Deputy PM, Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Alexander Khloponin, the deputy head of the Presidential Administration Vladislav Surkov, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Vladimir Lukin and Moscow Helsinki Group head Lyudmila Alekseyeva. (Izvestia, Kommersant, NG, Novye Izvestia, RBK daily, RG, VN)

21 mei 2010

Northern Caucasus: (i) A deputy prosecutor of the Baksan district was killed late on Thursday in Kabardino-Balkaria. (ii) A contract serviceman was killed in a bomb blast on Thursday in Chechnya. (iii) A policeman was killed in an attack on a police squad yesterday in Makhachkala. (iv) A section of a gas pipeline near the Dagestani town of Kizlyar has been hit by an explosion. No casualties are reported. (Interfax, ITAR-TASS)

24 mei 2010

More violence in Northern Caucasus: (i) The press reports on new militant attacks in the Northern Caucasus. On Saturday in Kabardino-Balkaria, gunmen killed three employees of the Kabardino-Balkarian department of the Federal Corrections Service. On Friday in Ingushetia, a car carrying investigators was attacked in Nazran. On Saturday in Dagestan, three policemen were wounded in an explosion in Makhachkala. On Saturday, Dagestani police detained a local resident on suspicion of involvement in the 31 March terrorist attack in Kizlyar. (ii) Kommersant reports on the election by Ingushetia's legislature of businessman Akhmed Palankoyev as member of the Federation Council. (Kommersant, NG, VN)

26 mei 2010

Chechen Supreme Court bans encyclopedia entry on Chechnya as extremist: The Chechen Supreme Court has upheld a lower court's decision qualifying as extremist an entry about Chechnya and Chechens published in the 'Big Russian Encyclopedia'. (Lenta.ru, RIAN)

28 mei 2010

Stavropolblast being investigated as death toll rises to 7: The death toll from the 26 May blast near the Stavropol concert hall has grown to 7. More than 30 people remained hospitalized. Local authorities have declared 28 May a day of mourning in the region. The blast occurred just minutes before a concert by the Chechen folk dance group Vainakh. Police have checked the area in front of the venue before the performance. Observers address various theories behind the blast, including involvement of the terrorist underground or nationalist groups. The head of the FSB's Stavropol branch Yevgeny Nazarov said that investigators were examining "all the theories" behind the blast, including "the participation of bandit groups and the commercial interests." Nezavisimaya Gazeta cites an earlier statement by Deputy PM, Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Alexander Khloponin who suggested that in most cases it is not terrorism or religious extremism to blame for terrorist attacks. In his view, what is going on in the Northern Caucasus may be explained by a redistribution property and corruption of authorities. Today, Khloponin is expected to meet with senior law enforcement officers in Stavropol. (Interfax, Izvestia, Kommersant, NG, Novaya Gazeta, Novye Izvestia, RG, VN)

31 mei 2010

No detainees over Stavropol blast?: Vremya novosteiwrites that no suspects have been detained so far in connection with the 26 May blast in Stavropol that killed 7 people and injured more than 40. The daily says that Ingush authorities have dismissed unofficial reports alleging that up to six people were detained in Ingushetia on suspicion of involvement in the blast. Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Alexander Khloponin said at a meeting in Stavropol on Friday that Stavropol security officials face charges of negligence for failing to prevent the blast. Investigators are considering five possible theories behind the blast, including involvement of members of illegal armed groups, involvement of nationalist groups or commercial interests. (Kommersant, Lenta.ru, RIAN, VN)

North Caucasus socio-economic development strategy discussed: Izvestiareports in a front-page article on a discussion in Stavropol of a draft strategy for the socio-economic development of the Northern Caucasus. (Izvestia)

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