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1.4.2004 Large scale cleansing operation underway in Chechen villages CHECHNYA (Information Centre, Society of Russian-Chechen Friendship). Inthe Chechen villages of Sernovodskaya and Assinovskaya (Sunzhenskregion), federal units along with pro-Moscow Chechen armed forces arecarrying out a large-scale “zachistka” (cleansing) operation. Massdetentions and document controls are being carried out, with thesettlements sealed off by military servicemen and tanks. In the villageof Sernovodskaya the operation has been underway since 27 March, whilein Assinovskaya it commenced today 31 March. According to eyewitness accounts, on 27 March Russian servicemen andpro-Moscow Chechens loyal to Ahmat Kadirov positioned military hardwareon the outskirts of Sernovodskaya. The forces involved in the operationhave since established provisional station in three places: in a school;in a building for social services and housing; and in the vicinity of apumping station. At the school, where a large number of Russian soldiershave assembled, an improvised so-called “filtration point” has beenorganized, to which all detainees are brought. In addition, tents wereassembled at the school, along with a field kitchen of sorts: this byshooting into a gas mains and cooking with the outflowing ignited gas. According to preliminary information, the first few days of thezachistka saw members of the Russian armed forces arresting around 30people, most of whom were young males from the age of 14 upwardsincluding schoolboys from the very school where the arrestees were takento. Only as a result of the active intervention of the localadministration head, Vaha Arsamakov, were the majority of the detaineesset free. Many of the people who had to go through the process of “filtration”were badly hurt. For example, the young inhabitant Isigov was brutallybeaten. According to him, while being beaten questions were fired at himconcerning the whereabouts of members of the Chechen opposition. At thetime of writing, several local inhabitants remained in detention. In the village of Assinovskaya, inhabitants were only allowed to passafter a long process of interrogation and document control. PRIMA News Agency
[2004-03-31-Chech-06]
MOSCOW. March 31
(Interfax) - "Our tentative report suggests that 78 residents have been abducted in Chechnya since the beginning of 2004. Of them, 33 have been released, 41 are believed to have gone missing and four have been found dead," Memorial spokesman Dmitry Grushkin told Interfax on Wednesday. A total of 60 Chechens have been killed in the republic in 2004, Grushkin said, adding that "of them, 30 were civilians, six were officials of Chechen security agencies, seven are presumed to be members of illegal armed units, and 17 have yet to be identified." "A total of 495 people were abducted in Chechnya in 2003. Of them, 155 were released, 52 were found dead and 288 are still missing," he said. Asked who is responsible for the abductions, Grushkin said that he "has a feeling that more people have been kidnapped by Chechen security agencies. Rebels are continuing to abduct people as well. Feuds between criminal groups can be blamed for a certain percentage of abductions." Grushkin complained of ineffective investigations into these crimes in Chechnya. "We sent a letter asking the prosecutor's office to provide information on virtually every abduction. They open a criminal case following every abduction. Most of the prosecutor office's replies to our requests say that the kidnappers have not been found," he said. Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov told the republic's governmental session in Grozny on March 18 that some 3,000 people were believed to have gone missing in Chechnya over the past few years. Kadyrov also criticized law enforcement agencies for their ineffective involvement in investigating abductions.
One of the "death squads" has been accurately identified - this is OKU FSB RF for the North Caucasus ingushetiya..Ru, 31.03.2004 15:05 Already for several years in the North Caucasus acts this FSB's secret subdivision, which is called the Operational-Coordination Administration FSB RF for the North Caucasus (OKU FSB RF). This subdivision has been given wide powers for searching, arresting and killing fighters [boyeviks], "Wahhabis" and other people, who in the view of the officers of this subdivision present any threat to Russia. The main place of stationing of the OKU - is the city of Pyatigorsk in the Stavropol territory [kray]. Specifically, OKU FSB RF on the North Caucasus has committed almost all latest abductions of the inhabitants of Ingushetia, including the kidnapping of senior assistant attorney of Ingushetia Rashid Ozdoyev. The same subdivision together with a mobile force of the MVD RF (that's stationed in Karabulak) has committed tens of murders on the territory of Ingushetia. The agents of OKU FSB RF on the 18th December of 2003 abducted Bashir Adamovich Mutsolgov, born in1975 (see "references on the subject") in Karabulak. His fate to this present time is unknown. When conducting these special operations, agents of OKU FSB RF in the North Caucasus get assistance that is given to them by the FSB RF for Ingushetia and this mobile force of the MVD RF. [Identity of ] personnel of OKU FSB RF has been classified. It is known that previously the deputy chief of OKU FSB RF for the North Caucasus was a certain Yuri Sapunov. Since the 23rd of June of last year he heads UFSB RF for the Astrakhan region [oblast]. That's a very strange coincidence, taking into account, that in the same UFSB previously had worked Murad Zyazikov. For the file: The Astrakhan region; New chief was presented to officers personnel of administration FSB for the Astrakhan region on June 23rd. He is 50-yr old Colonel Yuri Sapunov, who previously occupied post of the first deputy chief of operational-coordination UFSB of Russia for the North Caucasus, which is located in Pyatigorsk (the Stavropol territory). Former head of the Astrakhan UFSB Vladimir Andreyev has been transferred to the administration of the federal security service of North Ossetia -Alania republic. Information: Yuri Pavlovich Sapunov was born on 1 August 1952, in Mordovia. In the organs of national security has been working for about 30 years. Many times he carried out different combat missions at the "hot points", for which he was awarded with the Order of the Red Star, and for showing heroism - by two Orders of Courage. Regions.ru A brutal murder in «MTF-2» refugee camp At night of March 24, 2004, unidentified people committed a brutalmurder in the territory of «MTF-2» refugee camp situated in Ingushetia’sKarabulak town. They killed Akhmedov Khasan (born 1959), a native ofChechnya. According to eyewitnesses, the assailants were riding in twounlicensed cars: a white 3110-model «Volga» and a silvery 21074-model«VAZ» car. They burst into the room where Akhmedov lived, beat himunmercifully, and then made several stabs at him. On committing it, themurderers disappeared in the direction of Nazran town. As a reporter ofthe Information Centre at the Society for the Russian-Chechen Friendshipmanaged to find out, the Procuracy of Karabulak town initiated legalproceedings.
March 31st 2004 · Prague Watchdog Almost three dozen people killed in Chechnya last week Ruslan Isayev, North Caucasus - Thirty-two people were killed in Chechnya last week, according to an official report from the Chechen Interior Ministry. They were fifteen "rebels", eight Chechen policemen, and nine Russian federal soldiers, the ministry stated. However, these figures do not include the number of murdered or kidnapped civilians, although this information is also recorded, because it would then undermine the official version of the situation in Chechnya, which officials attempt to force on the public. The Council of NGOs in Chechnya (SNO) is facing the threat of closure. The only professional and steadily functioning independent journalist organization in Chechnya has been unable to obtain subsidies or grants and is now using private funds for its daily news bulletin. The SNO news bulletin is well known among journalists who write about Chechnya. SNO information is published on many websites of the Chechen diaspora, and is used in other independent media. SNO Journalists must work in difficult wartime conditions, under the threat of repression and illegal reprisals from various sides in the Chechen conflict who desire to conceal from the public truthful information about what goes on in the Republic. This crucial work may come to an end, all for lack of a few thousand dollars a month. SNO Journalists, who are ready to sacrifice their well-being so that the world knows the truth about Chechnya, do not have contacts with rich sponsors, nor are they able to travel to European cities or visit the offices of American philanthropic foundations. They are occupied with their dangerous daily work, for which, unfortunately, they don't receive a living wage, international awards, or worldwide recognition. In spite of this, their work has a tremendous significance. We hope that people and organizations who are able to help SNO will contact us to find out how they can support independent journalism in Chechnya. Those who wish to help can contact SNO via the PRIMA news agency at prima@prima-news.ru Telephone: (7095) 208-27-51 GROZNY, Russia, March 31 (AFP) - Nearly 300 people demonstrated outside Chechnya's government headquarters in the capital Grozny Wednesday in protest at the armed nighttime abduction of nine people this week. Residents from the southern Dubai-Yurt village where the abductions took place staged a protest along with a group of students from Grozny. Villagers said masked armed men cordoned off part of Dubai-Yurt over Sunday night and drove off with eight men aged between 17 to 35, while the students said a 20-year-old student was taken away the same night in Grozny. Random kidnappings are common in Chechnya, where separatists have been fighting Russian troops on and off for the past decade. Human rights groups have blamed Russian troops and forces loyal to pro-Moscow Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov for most of the abductions, which usually occur during searches for possible rebels among the civilian population.
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