CJES/PW: Violations of journalists'
rights in Chechnya
January 2003
February 26th 2003 · Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations
Monitoring of rights violations of the press, and conflicts connected with media
coverage of the events in the territory of the Chechen Republic in January 2003
Compiled by the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations. Translated by Prague
Watchdog.
January 2
Chechen satirical newspaper Suturbi, named after a popular comic, has re-entered
the market. Headed by renowned journalist Alavdi Shakhmurzayev, this paper is
now published in three languages: Russian, Chechen and Ingush. The first issue
focused on Shita Edisultanov, a Chechen actor who died last year, and introduced
poetry and satirical stories by Shakhid Rashidov. The editorial staff also includes
well-known satirist Khozh-Baudi Israilov, whose caricatures appeared in the first
issue. The staff hopes that Suturbi will bring some much needed distraction and
enjoyment into the lives of their readers
January 4
According to a recent announcement, eleven district newspapers in Chechnya will
be replaced by four inter-district periodicals starting early this year. This
change is connected to the reorganization of the Moscow-backed Mass Media Ministry
of the Chechen Republic. Akhmed Barzanukayev, editor-in-chief of Argun-based newspaper
Orga, states that he will carry coverage of Argun and the Shalinski and
Vedenski districts; while Gums will be distributed in the Gudermesski, Kurchaloyevski
and Nozhay-Yurtovski districts. About 15,000 to 20,000 copies are expected to
be issued three times a week, free of charge.
January 7
Russian border guards at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow denied entry to Guenter
Wallraff, a German journalist. He arrived with two human rights defenders, Norbert
Blum and Rupert Neudeck, who came to Russia to collect information about
human rights in Chechnya. An officer told Wallraff that he had orders to void
his tourist visa because he should have had one as a journalist. Although Neudeck
and Blum were allowed to enter, all three men returned to Germany. Back in Frankfurt,
Wallraffdescribed the treatment by the Russian special services as “rude
and aggressive”. His colleagues believe that the incident was caused by
an article he wrote about Chechnya in which he sharply criticized Russian President
Vladimir Putin. The Spanish El Pais noted distrust of foreigners is flourishing
among Russian state officials and bureaucrats who are still judging the world
based on the cold war, and thus see spies everywhere.” The newspaper also
mentioned the suspension of activities of the OSCE in Chechnya and the United
States Peace Corps in Russia. Berliner Zeitung reported that the incident with
Wallraff would have diplomatic repercussions. However, German Foreign Minister
Joschka Fischer has offered to assist Wallraff, Blum and Neudeck in gaining entry
into Russia.
January 8
Following the structural reorganization in the Moscow-backed Mass Media Ministry
of the Chechen Republic, the Vesti Groznogo newspaper changed its name to Stolitsa
and will now provide coverage for Grozny and its suburbs three times a week.
January 8
One of the articles published in The Wall Street Journal stated that Russian authorities
strengthened their efforts to control information disseminated about the situation
in Chechnya. Considering how crucial the Chechen problem is from the perspective
of Putin’s political future, information about the war is of key importance
to the Russian president, the paper wrote. The article went on to say that
in the past three years, Russian special services have turned Chechnya, and now
Ingushetia, into a ghetto, inaccessible to everyone, with the exception of several
journalists whose activities are strictly monitored. However, those who
have written critical reports about the actions of the federal soldiers
are usually not allowed entry. Yet those who do get in are burdened with numerous
bureaucratic restrictions, including andatory military escorts.
January 8
The body of well-known Internet journalist Vladimir Sukhomlin was recently found
in Moscow. Sukhomlin, 23, was kidnapped on January 4, taken to the suburbs and
brutally tortured. Many hot tips and leads led to the arrest of his killers, who
turned out to be members of the police force. Sukhomlin was one of the founders
of the Internet website “Military-Historical Forum;” and in 1996 he
founded the Serbija.ru and Chechnya.ru sites. His colleagues suspect that “somebody
from the Chechen Republic” might also be involved in his death.
January 10 - 31
Tatyana Seledtsova, head of the Russian Press Ministry’s department for
the Southern Federal District, announced that the press in Chechnya began publishing
material related to the upcoming March referendum on the Chechen constitution.
As of January 1, Chechnya’s 50 registered media outlets included 25 printed
and 24 electronic periodicals, and an information agency, Grozny-inform. From
this number, various governmen bodies founded 19 outlets, municipalities
5 outlets, and the remaining 26 outlets are non- governmental. Seledtsova pointed
out that the peace process in Chechnya is also closely monitored by periodicals
like Daimokhk, Vesti respubliki, and Marsho. However, there are others trying
to win readership by criticizing the ineffective policy of protecting human rights
of local citizens. The Chechen Mass Media Ministry is concerned that some district
and municipal newspapers fail to give sufficient information about the lives of
the people in their regions.
At the end of last year, the government-run newspaper Vesti respubliki published
a draft of the Constitution; in January this document appeared in a new
periodical called Vozrozhdeniye respubliki. Information about the new Constitution
is provided in district newspapers and leaflets that are distributed throughout
villages, markets, and educational and health facilities. On January 31, a special
issue of Daimokhk (Fatherland), in the Chechen language, published a draft of
the Constitution as well as the Act on Elections of Executive and Legislative
Power. Daimokh’s editor-in-chief, Luisa Satuyeva, assured the public that
issues would be distributed throughout the entire country. Translation of the
documents will help Chechens understand the issues in greater depth; and they
are invited to send suggestions to the paper’s editorial department
pertaining to legislative amendments
January 11
Irek Murtazin, Chairman of the State Broadcasting Company of Tatarstan, was forced
to leave his job after the siege of the Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow last year.
A live program that Murtanzin aired on the day of the terrorist attack caused
his removal. He was accused of being a terrorist sympathizer and supporter
of extremist ideas. However, Murtazin told Radio Svoboda that he was only trying
to find answers to questions like: What is the primary cause of these events?
Are they a consequence of the continuing war in Chechnya? How can the eruption
of Islamophobia be prevented? He added that several days later, excerpts from
the radio program reached “some very high places;” yet he claims that
the prosecution’s investigation found no grounds for civil irresponsibility.
Nevertheless, Murtazin believes that his removal was caused by the fact that Chechnya
irritates President Putin and his select circle.
January 13
Viktor Kazantsev, Russian presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District
congratulated journalists on the 300th anniversary of the Russian press. He stated
that “Thanks to the mass media, citizens have become aware that the countries
in the south of Russia need a new philosophy to help develop peaceful ideas, good
neighborly relations and mutual cooperation.” Kazantsev believes that the
main objectives are to “strengthen this group, make every effort to attain
decent living standards, and ensure full implementation of human rights.”
January 16
Presidential aide Sergei Yastrzhembski denounced the use of the mass media by
Akhmad Kadyrov, head of the Moscow-backed administration of Chechnya, and Prime
Minister Mikhail Babich, to publicly carry on their argument regarding the appointment
of the Chechen Finance Minister.
January 17
Oleg Panfilov, Director of the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations, said
on Radio Svoboda that he had requested an explanation from Aleksander Gurov, Chairman
of the Security Committee of the Russian State Duma, regarding his letter
to Gennadiy Selznev, Speaker of the Russian State Duma, in which he claimed that
the Center is preparing an “anti-Russian event” under the auspices
of the OSCE. This “event” referred to a round table seminar for journalists
who were to take part in an educational program. According to Panfilov’s
statement, he prepared the seminar at the suggestion of Freimut Duve, OSCE’s
representative on Freedom of the Media. But after it was introduced at their Permanent
Council, the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry insisted that Duve’s office
discontinue its involvement in the project. According to Panfilov, the aim
was to gather together a round table of Chechen, Russian and foreign journalists,
and conduct an educational seminar on how to prepare a new platform for Chechen
journalism. Panfilov affirmed that the Center is not involved in any anti-Russian
activities.
January 17 – 19
The regional operative office (ROO) for counter-terrorist operations in the North
Caucasus announced that “Chechen extremists and international terrorists
are seeking new possibilities to enhance their information and propagandist influence.”
According to information of the Russian police, a new site in the Japanese language
dealing with the “activities of Chechen extremists” has appeared
on the Internet. The office believes that the site is run by Watanabe Chiaki,
living in Japan, who has close relations with Mairbek Tsutsayev (a.k.a. Taramov),
the editor of a similar site living in Azerbaijan. Russian special services announced
that the activities of the Japanese Internet site “led a number of people
from Japan to the ranks of the Chechen fighters.” They also claim
that a Japanese citizen named Minami Hirosi is a member of the troops headed by
the Chechen field commander Ruslan Gelayev.
On January 19, the Japanese on-line issue of Chechen Watch published a statement
by the journalist Kosuke Tsuneoka, who refuted ROO’s allegations about him
and said he had never concealed his plans to visit Chechnya in order to
inform about the events there. Russian media, however, stated that Tsuneoka illegally
crossed borders to Chechnya in 2000 and 2001 from the territory of Georgia. Tsuneoka
was in Georgia at that time, accompanying the troops of Ruslan Gelayev solely
as a journalist. He said that the Russian media “rudely wants to drive the
world community’s attention from the violations of human rights and mass
killings committed by the Russian army in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.”
The editor of the ChechenWatch on-line Watanabe Chiaki expressed his “gratitude
to the Russian colleagues” as the number of visitors of the site tripled
after an announcement about ChechenWatch in Russian media.
January 19
The Chechen military and political coalition called “Nochkho” founded
a new periodical of the same name. The first issue (4 sheets, 3,000 copies) is
devoted entirely to the “peaceful resolution of the Russian-Chechen military
conflict.”
January 20 - 28
Ilya Shabalkin, the official representative of the regional operative office (ROO)
for counter-terrorist operations in North Caucasus, stated that the ideology of
Chechen separatist Movdali Udugov includes seeking new on-line sources. According
to him, Udugov is looking for contacts inthe Ukraine, Poland, Turkey, Denmark
and the Baltic states, and plans to register the Turk Tekom Company in Turkey,
which would provide website services for Chechen fighters. Shabalkin added that
Sarunas Broga, a Lithuanian, is assisting Udugov. Russian special services state
that separatist material is distributed in Georgia by Khasan Israpilov(a.k.a.
Visami Tutuyev), who is supported by Zviyad Pochkhuya, the editor of one of Georgia’s
newspapers. According to ROO’s information, a number of on-line or
other NGOs from the USA, Great Britain, and Malaysia, who provide services to
the Chechen separatists, officially broke off relations with them.
On January 28, Zviyad Pochkhua, editor of the Georgian newspaper, Tribuna, refused
to accept the accusation that his newspaper disseminates information at the request
of Chechen separatist leaders. He says that Tribuna publishes material, within
the norms of freedom of speech, obtained through contacts and interviews with
leaders of the Chechen formations; and that the rebels also have the right to
express their point of view. Tribuna pointed out that during the Abkhaz war, the
Russian media issued regular reports about the actions of Abkhaz separatists and
no one viewed any of this as supporting the terrorists.
January 20
The first issue of the thrice-weekly youth newspaper Molodaya smena was published
in Chechnya. “The paper will focus on youths and students,” said Aleksey
Vasin, advisor to the Chechen Prime Minister. But it will also write about the
scheduled March referendum on the Constitution.
January 20
In connection with reports about new possible terrorist acts in Moscow, Abdul-Khakim
Sultygov, special Russian presidential representative for the observance of human
rights and liberties in Chechnya, appealed to the mass media not to provoke anxiety.
He criticized certain media members who had alleged that the Moscow chief of police
issued a secret order in response to a risk of new terrorist acts in the capital,
that protective measures in the city had been strengthened, and that police are
checking all Chechens living in Moscow. Sultygov noted that Moscow’s
police called all this a lie. “Journalists and the mass media do not understand
that extremists use terrorist information to alarm the public,” said Sultygov.
He added that “extremists learn how to conduct a technological war
by giving out information via various human rights organizations or through the
Internet and, unfortunately, the media buys it.” He called upon the
Russian media to exercise caution and responsibility when assessing information
on terrorism and Chechnya’s situation.
January 21 - 31
Galina Borisovna, a representative of Mastak.ru (a website provider), said that
starting January 24, on-line sources of the Chechen Committee of National Salvation
(ChCNS) and the Committee of Non-governmental Organizations (CNO) will be shut
down. “Our company has always tried to remain outside of politics, and your
websites express anti-Russian attitudes, which pose serious obstacles to our work.”
ChCNS’s pages were placed in January 2002, and the CNO site the following
September. ChCNS’s Chairman Ruslan Badalov denied an “anti-Russian
attitude” in the organization’s activities. “In doing
our work, we have never engaged in anything of this sort and have always conveyed
the truth about events.” According to him, not one ChCNS statement or document
included a single word against Russia. On the contrary, the Committee brought
unknown information to the Russian public. Badalov is convinced that Mustak.ru’s
management was pressured by Russian special services to close down the site; that
this is “just one small factor in blocking information about the ongoing
terror and violence committed by Russian soldiers against vulnerable civilians
in the Chechen Republic.”
On January 23, representatives of various organizations issued a joint statement
to explain that the activities of their organizations are not aimed against Russia,
but against the war. The statement was signed by the chairman of the ChCNS Ruslan
Badalov, the head of the cultural center of Lam Zuleykhan Bagalova, chairwoman
of the public organization Echo of War Zaynap Gashayeva, chairwoman of the Union
of Women of Chechnya Libkhan Bazayeva, and chairwoman of the public organization
Mothers of Chechnya for Peace Madina Magomadova. The authors of this document
believe that the “criminal and dirty war” can only be terminated by
providing truthful information about events in Chechnya. They consider present
events as an action targeted against the human rights movement, and appeal to
the Russian and international community to pay serious attention to the “despotism
applied to human rights organizations, which may be followed by even crueler and
more oppressive measures”.
On January 31, Olivier Dupuis, European Parliament member and Secretary of the
Trans-national Radical Party submitted a request to the European Commission regarding
the website closure of the Committee of Non-governmental Organizations of Chechnya.
He believes this decisionconstitutes a breach in the rights of free information
for Russians and Chechens. Dupuis called this “another attack on the fundamental
freedoms and rights of citizens, and violation of international obligations
of the Russian Federation.” Dupuis noted that the decision to shut down
the site “facilitates further strengthening of media censorship in
connection with numerous abuses committed by Russian soldiers and semi-military
forces in Chechnya.”
January 23
The Khankala military base in Chechnya began issuing additional copies of the
Russian Defense Ministry’s periodical Krasnaya zvezda. This material will
be transmitted via satellite using the Russian Technical Information Channel,
and then published and distributed at the same time as it is in Moscow.
Soldiers in Khankala and other military bases near Grozny can now receive the
paper between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. This is possible due to an automated printing
set called “Journalist,” with an output of 10,000 to 12,000 copies
an hour.
January 23
A new periodical, the republican Vozrozhdenie Chechni was issued in Chechnya.
According to the deputy editor-in-chief Khasan Gapurayev, 15,000 copies of the
newspaper will be published three times a week.
January 23
Radio station Chechnya svobodnaya informed listeners that early this year, in
Stavropol, the Chairman of the Chechen State Broadcasting Company Beslan Khaladov
received new computer equipment for the company. The set, worth at 1,200,000
rubles, was purchased with funds collected by 60 regional TV companies and actively
supported by the State Broadcasting Company. At the ceremony marking this event,
broadcasting representatives stressed that the purchase of modern equipment reflects
positive changes in the Republic. Chechnya svobodnaya pointed out that three years
ago, when TV “revival” in Chechnya began, all they had was one camera;
whereas today the station is one of the best equipped technologically in the south
of Russia. And this will enable the Chechen staff to implement new technical
approaches in TV broadcasting, which will help facilitate their competitiveness
and help launch new TV programs. At present, Chechen TV broadcasts a few Russian
channels and relays local informational and entertainment programs twice a day
on the RTR channel. The refurbishment schedule will be in several stages;
and new equipment from Moscow is expected to arrive shortly in Chechnya.
January 24
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) launched the first issue of a new newspaper
called Vmeste (Aset Mishiyeva, 1,000 copies). The newspaper will be published
in Ingushetia and Chechnya. The first issue is almost completely devoted to IRC’s
work with refugees.
January 28
The Social Insurance Fund of the Chechen Republic filed charges against Vesti
respubliki in connection with an article published in December 2002 that accused
the Fund’s staff of accepting bribes. The article claimed that the people
responsible for arranging summer camps for children took bribes from their parents.
The dispute is being investigated by the Leninski district court in Grozny, said
one of the defendants, Adlan Sagaipov, deputy chief editor of Stolitsa plus. Meanwhile,
publication of Vesti respubliki was discontinued as a result of the structural
reorganization of the Chechen Mass Media Ministry and has been replaced by Stolitsa.
January 29
Russian journalistAnna Politkovskaya was interviewed in Berlin by Tagesspiegel
on her new book about Chechnya and said that the West does nothing to terminate
the war in Chechnya. “Europeans should force Putin to conclude peace.”
In her opinion, only one law – the law of war, governs Chechnya. Politkovskaya
believes that the West has been closing its eyes for more than three years to
what is happening to human rights in Chechnya.
January 30
Ilya Shabalkin, official representative of the regional operational office for
the management of anti-terrorist operations in North Caucasus, sharply criticized
the Chechen inter-district newspaper Marsho. He said it had published several
articles with unfair allegations about him and also misquoted him. Shabalkin said
he was ready to “clear this up” with the editor of Marsho. Aslanbek
Batalov, director of Grozny-inform, interviewed Shabalkin and assessed his statement
as an attempt to restrict freedom of speech in Chechnya. “Nevertheless,
we will continue publishing facts as they are.” Batalov claims that the
Deputy Press and Information Minister of Russia agreed to fully support freedom
of the press in Chechnya.
January 31
Ruslan Badalov, Chairman of the Chechen Committee of National Salvation stated
his intention to file charges against Trud based on the article, “A Long
Way Home,” published this past January. Badalov thinks that the author,
Vladimir Yanchekov, used words allegedly uttered by Larisa Khadizova, a refugee
from Grozny, to spread gossip and discredit him as a human rights defender. Badalov
claims that Khadizova never said: “Yesterday Ruslan Badalov, Chairman of
the Chechen Committee of National Salvation came to visit; he and his people
set up a photo exhibit in the camp which was horrible to look at: pictures
of corpses, and badly beaten, and bloodied bodies. We were told that this awaits
everyone who returns to Chechnya; that there is no humanitarian aid there, and
no work; you’ll die of hunger.” Badalov said that he personally spoke
with Khadizova and she denied saying any of this. Badalov is seeking $50,000 compensation
from the newspaper; and attorney Abdul Khamzayev agreed to represent him.
Compiled by Ilya Maksakov. Based on material from the Center for Journalism in
Extreme Situations; the CJES expert on Chechnya and Ingushetia, Tamerlan Aliyev;
the“Interfax,” ITAR-TASS, RIA “Novosti” and “Prima”
news agencies; the“Kommersant,” “Obshchaya Gazeta,” “Nezavisimaya
Gazeta,” “Komsomolskaya Pravda,” and “Novaya Gazeta”
newspapers; the “Echo Moskvy” and “Svoboda” radio stations;
and the Internet publications “Strana.ru,” “Regiony.ru,”
“Chechenpress” and “Kavkazski Vestnik.”