| Neo-Nazi
Group Threatens to "Execute" HR Activists Created: 24.08.2004 12:18 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 13:53 MSK, MosNews PHOTO: National Socialist Dmitri Demushkin together with State Duma Deputy / Photo: www.demushkin.com Human rights groups in Voronezh — where a trial into the racially- motivated killing of an African student began earlier this month — have received threatening letters from a neo-Nazi organization, warning that they may share the fate of racial expert Nikolai Girenko, who was gunned down in his apartment this summer. The letters, signed by the leader of the National Socialist Slavic Union, Dmitri Demushkin, were sent out to the heads of the Moscow Helsinki Group, the International Human Rights Youth Movement, and the Human Rights Commission, Gazeta.ru reports. The rights activists — who included Helsinki head Lyudmila Alekseyeva and youth movement head Andrei Yurov — received the letters Monday. The letter warns that "the night of long knives is near," and contains a drawing of a sniper captioned "Girenko, Yurov, Alekseyeva" - referring to the killing of Girenko, which was called a planned execution and that another far right group, Respublika, took responsibility for. Girenko was executed for being "an enemy of the people", and the names of the rights activists next to his imply that they are next on the list, rights activists told Gazeta.ru. About 80 People Killed in Chechnya Over Weekend Paper Created: 24.08.2004 13:48 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 14:08 MSK, MosNews 78 were killed during the weekend rebel offensive in and around the Chechen capital Grozny, Vremya Novostei newspaper writes, citing a source in the Chechen health department. 23 of the killed were officials of the Chechen Interior Ministry, five were from the Russian ministry, two from the Chechen prosecutor's office. The others were civilians, the paper claims. However, the Chechen center of disaster medicine, quoted by the Gazeta.ru website, reported that 78 was the number of total victims including 42 killed and 36 injured. Spokesman for the Russian counter-terrorist operation headquarters, Ilya Shabalkin, quoted by the paper, said that they never report the killed among federal troops. He added that about 300 rebels had intruded into the Chechen capital, and 50 of them were killed. On Monday night, federal troops killed 12 rebels near Grozny, ITAR- TASS news agency quoted Shabalkin as saying. The spokesman added that they belonged to the same group that had attacked Grozny at the weekend. A source in the Chechen Interior Ministry quoted by Kommersant said that many roadblocks had been removed in Grozny. The rebels moved through the remaining roadblocks claiming they were special forces officials or employees of the presidential guard. RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 8, No. 160, Part I, 23 August 2004 Authorities in Ingushetia close down Internet cafes Acting on a decree from Ingushetian President Murat Zyazikov, local authorities began closing down Internet cafes in Ingushetia on 21 August, the independent website www.ingushetiya.ru reported on 23 August. Owners of Internet cafes, almost all of which have already ceased to function, were asked to produce a license, although republican legislation does not stipulate that a license is required to open such a cafe. The website attributed the authorities' "illegal" action to plans to establish a new youth movement in Ingushetia. LF Polish neo-Nazis raid Chechen camp Big News Network.com Tuesday 24th August, 2004 Polish neo-Nazis have raided a camp housing Chechen refugees near Warsaw, the Chechenpress news agency reported Tuesday. The agency said up to 20 Polish youths burst into the Moshna camp 20 miles from Warsaw and attacked residents with broken bottles and gas pistols. During the attacks, which came in several waves Sunday night, Molotov cocktails were also hurled onto balconies in an attempt to set the camp ablaze. The camp houses more than 100 Chechen refugees including children. Parents say they are now afraid to allow their children to go to school outside the camp fearing their safety cannot be guaranteed. The refugees fled from the Muslim Russian republic of Chechnya where tens of thousands of people have died in a decade of fighting. Up to a fifth of Chechnya's population is believed to have left the republic seeking sanctuary inside and outside the Russian Federation. |