Moscow, Itar-Tass, 24 January: The number of kidnapping cases in Chechnya fell by more than half last year, acting Chechen prosecutor Vladimir Kravchenko told ITAR-TASS.

According to the Chechen prosecutor's office's figures, 419 criminal investigations were launched into kidnapping incidents in 2003.

"There are currently 561 people on lists of kidnapped people, a large number of whom went missing in the period 1994-1999," Kravchenko said.

[Passage omitted]

"In 2003 we managed to rescue 70 people from captivity," Kravchenko said. "We sent 15 cases for trial involving 25 people who engaged in kidnapping. Since 2000 we have sent 47 such cases for trial over 72 instances of kidnapping."

Kravchenko said that this year the fight against kidnapping has been made a priority for Chechnya's law-enforcement bodies, particularly the police, alongside the fight against terrorism and murders.

http://www.ntv.ru/news/index.jsp?nid=38129 (tr. by M.L.)

25.01.2004 | 10:35

Large gang abducts two Chechens. There are victims.

On Sunday it became known that in the Grozny district of Chechnya a large gang committed the attack on innocent civilians.

The RIAN agency found out in the law-enforcement agencies of the republic that this incident occurred the day before at daytime.

"On the outskirts of populated area of the Berkat-Yourt several tens of people who were wearing camouflage uniforms, driving in cars had fired from their submachine guns and set on fire a house which belonged to unemployed local resident Khamzayev".

Then those attackers forced into their car and drove away in the unknown direction the owner of the house and his relative - an inhabitant of the populated area of the Mesker-Yourt of the Shali district. The house was on fire and when it was estinguished the bodies of two unidentified men with bullet wounds were discovered in it.

The investigation is going on.

Chechen rights activists meet UN official to discuss refugee problems

24 January, CNO website: The information centre of the Council of Non- Government Organizations reports that several days ago, in Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia, Russia), the chairwoman of the Council of Non-Government Organizations, Zuleykhan Bagalova, and members of the Public Council for Refugees had a meeting with a representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in the North Caucasus, William Tall.

The meeting discussed issues pertaining to the situation of displaced persons from the Chechen Republic living in Ingushetia. William Tall assured the representatives of the Chechen refugees that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will continue doing everything possible to solve the problems of displaced persons from Chechnya.

The representative of the UNHCR also said that they would closely follow the situation around the Chechen refugee camps and if necessary, would give people the opportunity to settle on Ingush territory. The meeting also reached an agreement on closer interaction between the Council of Non-Government Organizations and the representative office of the UN mission in the North Caucasus in order to solve the problems of the Chechen refugees.

2004-01-26 13:49    

Federal officers accused of murdering Chechens stand trial

GROZNY, January 26 (RIA Novosti) - The military prosecutor's office has submitted the criminal case of two federal servicemen charged with murdering Chechen residents to court. Yevgeny Poddubny, aide of the military prosecutor of the Joint Group of Forces in the North Caucasus, said this to RIA Novosti.

"Second lieutenant Arakcheyev and lieutenant Khudyakov are charged with murdering three residents of the Lakha-Barandy settlement last January," said Poddubny.

He specified that on January 15, 2003 a burnt truck and three killed Chechens were discovered near the airport on the outskirts of Grozny.

Poddubny noted that the case would be heard in the North Caucasus district military court with the participation of the jury.


2004-01-26 12:59    

Were four chechen policemen kidnappers?

GROZNY, January 26 (RIA Novosti) - RIA Novosti was told in the Interior Ministry on Monday that four policemen, suspected of kidnapping and robbery, were detained in Chechnya.

"They were detained in the course of the investigation of the abduction and robbery of two inhabitants of Kargalinovskaya Cossack village in the Shelkovskaya district," the Interior Ministry officials said.

According to the investigation's information, on Sunday night four unknown people stopped a Zhiguli car, in which there were two inhabitants of Kargalinovskaya Cossack village, on a highway.

The men were pushed into a car and beaten. Their personal things were taken away, their hands were tied, and then the men were thrown onto the roadside.

"Due to the Interception plan which was put into operation, some time later the car with the suspects was stopped at the checkpoint in Shelkovskaya Cossack village," the Interior Ministry officials said.

The suspects proved to be policemen of Chechnya's patrolling and sentry-duty service. Three submachine-guns, grenades, an improvised explosive device, rounds for a grenade launcher, and many cartridges, as well as handcuffs, Scotch tape and black masks were found in their car.

The suspects' complicity in other crimes of this kind is currently being checked.