| Chechen president
protests at Russian media portrayal of his nation
Sochi, Itar-Tass, 26 March: Chechen President Akhmat Kadyrov issued a strongly-worded protest today about state television showing films in which Russian commandos slaughter Chechens. Speaking at the Public Forum of Caucasus and South Russia Peoples, Kadyrov said he failed to understand why Channel One should show "a series in which the Russian special forces wipe out stupid Chechen morons". Such films are offensive to the entire Chechen nation, to those who live in the republic and "who have been subjected to all these horrors for 10 or 11 years", he said.
26 March 2004 Nazran, RIA Novostei, 26 March: A helicopter opened fire on local residents, and one person was killed and three others were wounded, the Ingush Interior ministry has told RIA. "A helicopter, whose identity was not established, fired missiles at an UAZ jeep carrying three people on the outskirts of the village of Ordzhonikidzevskaya in Sunzhenskiy District at 2225 on Thursday [1925 gmt 25 March]," the ministry said. As a result of the incident, a local person, who was at home at the time, died, and the jeep driver and two passengers were wounded and had to be taken to hospital. The republic's interior minister and representatives of the prosecutor's office have visited the scene. An investigation is under way.
One Ingush teenager killed, two wounded by Russian chopper Organizations web site on 26 March 26 March: On the evening of 25 March, a Russian military helicopter opened fire at a group of young people in the streets of the village of Nesterovskaya in Ingushetia's Sunzhenskiy District. According to eyewitnesses to this incident, one of the helicopters, which was flying over the village, unexpectedly fired four missiles on the outskirts of the village. A 15-year-old schoolboy, Khamkhoyev, was killed after fragments of one of the missiles hit him. Two more teenagers, the Khashagulgov brothers, were seriously wounded by the fragments and taken to hospital. Local residents denied the Russian media reports that the helicopter had opened fire at an UAZ vehicle. It is not known why the missiles were fired on the outskirts of Nesterovskaya. Residents of Ingushetia are extremely outraged and concerned about the incident. eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot Russia categorically opposed to Chechnya debate at UN Russia is categorically opposed to the attempts to raise the subject of Chechnya at the current 60th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov told Interfax on Friday, March 26. "Some countries may try to submit a draft resolution on Chechnya at the current session of the UN Commission on Human Rights," the deputy minister supposed. "Russia will strongly object to such attempts, and we count on the support of the majority of Commission Members," Mr Fedotov said. Source: Interfax News Agency 26/3/2004 Military helicopters attack teenagers in Ingushetia On March 25, a 15-year-old teenager was killed and two teenagers were badly wounded in a missile attack from a military helicopter on the outskirts of the village of Ordzhonikidzevskaya, Ingushetia's Sunzha district, a source at the Ingush Interior Ministry told the Caucasian Knot correspondent. The source denied the information spread before that the fire had been opened on a moving UAZ car. "The incident happened at 22:30 Moscow time in the northern vicinity of the village, not far from the 4th village school. A military helicopter, which has not been identified yet, launched several missiles at one of the suburban village streets," reported the officer of the Ingush Interior Ministry's investigatory department. "As a result, three teenagers at the age between 15 and 17 who were in the street at that moment got severe missile wounds. One of them, a ninth-form student Khamkhoyev, died at the scene. The other two, Khashagulgov brothers, were hospitalized." The happening has aroused burning indignation among the Ingush population. People rate the recent developments in the republic, including unwarranted arrests and abductions of civilians, as direct attempts to extend military operations to the territory of Ingushetia. The republican authorities have refrained from commenting on the matter so far. Author: Malika Suleymanova Source: Own correspondent
Caucasian Knot 27/3/2004 Four-year boy hit by APC in Grozny A four-year boy was hit by an APC (armored personnel carrier) with Russian servicemen in one of the streets of Grozny on March 25. Later, the child died from injures in the 9th city hospital. The soldiers tried to escape from the scene of the crime but were detained by offices of the Chechen police. Details of the incident are being specified. Source: Infromation Center of the Council of NGOs
US Urges Russia to Consider «Dire» Situation of Chechen refugees March 25, Vienna: Douglas Davidson to OSCE Permanent Council «The United States urges Russian federal and local authorities tosupport voluntary returns to Chechnya and to provide alternative shelterfor IDPs [Internally Displaced Persons] who wish to remain inIngushetia," U.S. diplomat Douglas Davidson told the OSCE PermanentCouncil in Vienna March 25. «Under international norms, the return of IDPs is considered voluntaryonly when they are offered acceptable alternative shelter in Ingushetiafor those who wish to stay," Davidson said. He said a February 9 report by Russian President Vladimir Putin’srepresentative on the humanitarian situation in the North Caucasus citesfactors preventing the return of IDP’s, including the dangerous securitysituation, lack of housing, lack of economic prospects and «inefficiencyand corruption in the administration of compensation being offered tothose who decide to return to Chechnya." «We ask Russian authorities not to close tent camps and spontaneoussettlements and to cease deregistering IDPs who wish to stay inIngushetia. We also urge Russian authorities to stop cutting utilitiesto camps and settlements," he said. The United States also urged Russian authorities «to work constructivelyand cooperatively with international assistance organizations» trying toprovide aid to the IDP’s. Following is Davidson’s statement:United States Mission to the OSCEVienna Statement on conditions for displaced persons from Chechnya as delivered by Deputy Permanent Representative Douglas Davidson to the Permanent Council March 25, 2004 Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The United States is particularly concerned about a number of aspects ofthe conflict in Chechnya, including continued reports of human rightsabuses. Today we would like to draw attention to the humanitariansituation for internally displaced persons in the North Caucasus. While many reputable NGO’s functioning in the region are providingreports on their monitoring and observation activities, and while theycorroborate what is now a dire situation, we would like in particular tocall attention to the report issued on February 9 report by Ms.Panfilova, President Putin’s own representative on the humanitariansituation in the North Caucasus. That report is entitled «On the Resultsof the Mission of the Commission on Human Rights under the President ofthe Russian Federation to Chechnya and Ingushetia." This report focuses on two principal problems preventing the return ofIDPs to Chechnya from the temporary camps in which they are currentlyresiding in Ingushetia. The first is the dangerous security situationand the lack of housing in Chechnya. The second is the lack of economicprospects in Chechnya itself. The report also cites inefficiency and corruption in the administrationof compensation being offered to those who decide to return to Chechnya,including the considerable bribes that returnees often must pay in orderto avoid retribution from Chechen authorities. Here, if you’ll permit me, we would like to quote for the Council theconclusion of this report: «It is premature to invite the IDPs back tothe Chechen Republic. This attempt has no real economic, social andlegal basis." Mr. Chairman, bearing in mind these facts put forward in the report, andthe report’s own conclusion, the United States urges Russian federal andlocal authorities to support voluntary returns to Chechnya and toprovide alternative shelter for IDPs who wish to remain in Ingushetia.Under international norms, the return of IDPs is considered voluntaryonly when they are offered acceptable alternative shelter in Ingushetiafor those who wish to stay. We ask Russian authorities not to close tent camps and spontaneoussettlements and to cease deregistering IDPs who wish to stay inIngushetia. We also urge Russian authorities to stop cutting utilitiesto camps and settlements. A stable security environment in Chechnya is a prerequisite for IDPreturns as well as for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Weconsider the access of humanitarian organizations’ to radiocommunications (HF, VHF frequencies) and satellite telephones asessential to improve the security of humanitarian operations inChechnya. We urge Russian authorities to allow these organizationsaccess to these essential tools of communication. Finally, Mr. Chairman, a safe environment resulting from ample securityfor humanitarian organizations delivering aid is essential for betteridentification of needs and closer monitoring and evaluation of reliefoperations and their beneficiaries. We urge Russian federal and localauthorities to work constructively and cooperatively with internationalassistance organizations. These organizations have taken great risks totry to provide for the basic needs of many thousands of people. IfChechnya is to be someday considered «normal» again, respect for theseinternational norms, and cooperation with international organizationsand NGOs willing to offer a helping hand will surely be tests that needto be met. I thank you.US Info 29/3/2004 Forcible liquidation of refugee camps in Ingushetia Today security agencies of the Chechen Republic launched the forcible liquidation of refugee camps in Ingushetia. They are forcibly moving camp inhabitants to Chechnya. According to preliminary information, the camp for displaced persons Sputnik was blocked off by officers of the Chechen security agencies at about 9:00 a.m. A lot of vehicles, including Kamaz trucks, entered the territory of the camp. The aim of the "special operation" is to liquidate the camp. With all this going on, those displaced persons who have submitted applications that they want to stay on the territory of Ingushetia are expected to be taken to temporary accommodation centers in Chechnya. The camp Satsita has been also blocked off. The camps are situated on the outskirts of the village of Sleptsovskaya (Ordzhonikidzevskaya), the administrative center of Ingushetia's Sunzha district, near the administrative border with the Chechen Republic. Earlier, both federal and local officials denied any plans and intentions of applying force to liquidate the camps and return the migrants to Chechnya. They made such promises not only to media representatives but to human rights defender of both non-government organizations and the presidential Commission on Human Rights. Source: Representative Office of the Human Rights Center "Memorial" (Nazran, Ingushetia)
GROZNY. March 29 (Interfax-South) - Five bodies with signs of torture and gunshot wounds were found in pits where oil condensate used to be produced near a trolley car station in the Oktyabrsky district of the Chechen capital of Grozny, a source in Chechnya's law enforcement agencies told Interfax Monday. Two other bodies have still not been found, he said. Work on identifying the bodies is underway, the source said.
Six bodies found
in Chechnya capital AFP,
30mar04 THE bodies of a former top Chechen separatist leader and of five unidentified men were discovered Monday in Chechnya's capital Grozny, officials in Russia's war-torn southern republic said. The body of Nasrudin Bazhiyev, who once served as interior minister of a de facto independent Chechnya, was discovered in Grozny's Oktyabrsky neighborhood, a spokesman for Chechnya's interior ministry told reporters. According to Bazhiyev's relatives, masked armed men, accompanied by two armed personnel carriers, took him away from the village of Katayama on Grozny's outskirts last Thursday. Bazhiyev became Chechnya's interior minister in 1998, two years after rebels drove back the Russian army and the mainly Muslim republic received de facto independence from Moscow. The Kremlin poured troops back into Chechnya in October 1999 and although major fighting ceased the following year a brutal guerrilla war continues to claim lives in the devastated republic on nearly a daily basis. Separately, residents preparing to reconstruct a destroyed house in Grozny's Leninsky neighborhood on Monday discovered the bodies of five men in the basement, local officials said. The men appeared to have been between 25 and 50 years old and their bodies had signs that they were tortured before they died - their hands were tied with wire behind their backs and black plastic bags were pulled over their heads. The bodies were taken to a local mosque, where dozens of people with missing relatives filed in to try and identify them. Some suggested that judging by the scale of the bodies' decomposition, the men were likely killed three to four months ago. Random kidnappings
and detentions are a regular occurrence in Chechnya, with human rights
groups charging that Russian troops and forces loyal to the pro-Moscow
Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov are responsible. http://www.savechechnya.narod.ru/news/news547.htm Press-release of the CHKNS [Chechenskiy Komitet Natsionalnego Spaseniya - Chechen Committee of National Salvation]. On 18 March, 2004, on one of the dumps of the Oktyabrsky district of Dzhokhar was discovered body of Abu Bazhiyev, who was abducted on the night of the 16 th of March 2004 in the Staropromyslovsky district, [hamlet of Ivanovo] from his own apartment by some unknown armed persons who were wearing masks. It is known that Abu Bazhiyev was the brother of field commander Nurdi, who died in the summer of 1997. He, the same as his brother, were both participants in the Resistance, but Abu voluntarily surrendered in the spring of 2000, and was then amnestied by the occupiers. Furthermore, Abu Bazhiyev after that had worked in the so- called "pardons committee" under Kadyrov. The murder of previously amnestied Bazhiyev in this regard does place a doubt on the significance of so-called "amnesty" under the conditions of total terror, conducted by Russian special services. MOSCOW (AP) March 29, 2003 -- Former Colonel Yury Budanov, who was convicted of killing a Chechen woman, has lost his appeal against the 10-year sentence in the Supreme Court, his lawyer Pavel Astakhov said Monday. Budanov has admitted to strangling 18-year-old Elza Kungayeva, but said he did so in a fit of rage. Presidium of Russian Supreme Court upholds Budanov's sentence MOSCOW. March 29 (Interfax) - The Presidium of the Russian Supreme Court has found no grounds to annul the ten year sentence handed down on Col. Yury Budanov, who was found guilty of abducting and killing a teenage Chechen girl, Elza Kungayeva. His defense attorney, Pavel Astakhov, told Interfax Friday that he had received an official letter stating that the rejection of the appeal to revise the sentence by the Supreme Court's Military College was fair and legally sound. The documents submitted by the defense team do not warrant revision, the presidium members said. In particular, the defense team's argument that Vladimir Bukreyev, a judge from the North Caucasus District Military Court, and expert Yury Loginov should not have taken part in the trial does not contain clarification of the nature of the relations between these people and Budanov's wife, they said. Astakhov had argued that Loginov should not have been allowed to evaluate Budanov's mental condition because he had met with Budanov's wife and for a long time advised him as a medical doctor through her. Furthermore, even before Bukreyev was appointed to chair the trial, Budanov's relatives had visited him on Loginov's advice. The presidium of the Supreme Court found these circumstances insufficient to warrant annulling the sentence and opening a new court case. Astakhov said that he intends to appeal to Supreme Court Chief Justice Vyacheslav Lebedev. "If he rejects our appeal, we reserve the right to ask President Vladimir Putin for clemency," he said. On October 6, 2003, the Supreme Court's Military College upheld the sentence handed down by the North Caucasus District Military Court in the Budanov case
GROZNY, March 27, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - A terrorist attack on the railway in Chechnya was committed on Friday, a source in the Chechen Interior Ministry told RIA Novosti. "An unknown explosive device blasted under the locomotive of a 65-car freight train near Ishcherskaya station of the North Caucasian Railway (the Naursky district) at 7:50 p.m. on Friday," the source said. According to him, the explosion damaged the locomotive and a cross- tie. Nobody was injured in the explosion. Trains were not delayed. Investigation is underway.
30 March 2004 AMSTERDAM — Three people have confessed to their involvement in thekidnapping of Dutch aid worker Arjan Erkel in Dagestan almost two yearsago, it was reported Tuesday. The Dagestan Minister of the Interior, Adilgerei Magomedtagirov,revealed the arrest of the suspects during an interview with Russiannewspaper Novaja Gazeta, Dutch paper Algemeen Dagblad reported. The minister also claimed that Erkel was in the hands of "cruel" peoplebut was still alive and healthy. He did not reveal the identity of thepeople allegedly in custody or what role they are supposed to haveplayed in the abduction. Magomedtagirov's comments come days after Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Botcalled publicly on Russia to do "everything humanly possible" to secureErkel's swift and safe release. Erkel, 34, was head of mission for Artsen zonder Grenzen, or Doctorswithout Borders, in Dagestan — a constituent republic of the RussianFederation — when several gunmen forced him into a car in the capitalMachatsjkala in August 2002. The aid organisation — best known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) —suspended its work on behalf of refugees from the republic's war tornneighbour Chechnya after the abduction. It was reported last year that the authorities had been in contact withthe kidnappers and that Erkel was still alive. It is unclear if a ransom has been officially demanded, but Erkelrequested in a videotape sent to the Dutch embassy in Moscow mid-2003that a ransom be paid to his kidnappers. But it has also been alleged that the abduction waspolitically-motivated and that Erkel might have been taken on the ordersof security officials who wrongly suspected him of spying for the Americans. The Russian Navy was holding a high-profile exercise in the area at thetime. The head of Medecins Sans Frontieres, Jean-Herve Bradol used theoccasion of Erkel's birthday earlier this month to directly accuseRussian officials of being involved in holding Erkel. Bradol said his kidnapping was aimed at "silencing those criticisingconditions in neighbouring Chechnya". "Dagestan and federal officials are implicated in kidnapping affairs …We do not make these comments lightly … Some very powerful people areinvolved, including parliamentarians. Everyone knows that," Bradol said. Bradol also said Erkel was suffering from an unknown illness and thatMSF was extremely concerned about his welfare. Erkel's father said at the time that he was disconcerted by MSF'sdecision to go public with the accusations as the family had asked for aminimal amount of publicity on Arjan's birthday. [Copyright Expatica News 2004] March 30th 2004 · Prague Watchdog
Minister Lieutenant-General Adilgerey Magomedtagirov Suspects in Arjan Erkel's abduction have been detained Multinational Republic of Daghestan - one of the most criminal zones in Russia. Terrorist acts, hostage taking, murder of members of law- enforcement agencies and politicians of the republic in the scale compared only with Chechnya. Who will win: felon or the law? Military correspondent of Novaya Gazeta Vyacheslav Izmailov talks about materials of his journalistic investigations, published by our newspaper with minister of Internal Affairs of the republic, lieutenant general Adilgerey MAGOMEDTAGIROV. Our file Adilgerey Magomedovich Magomedtagirov, 48 years old, lieutenant general of police, minister of Internal Affairs of the republic of Daghestan since 1998. Sport champion in heavy weight wrestling; graduated from the Higher School of Police in the city of Minsk; married, has three children. Q: World community is disturbed by fate of kidnapped more than one- and-a-half year ago in Makhachkala, the chief of the Swiss mission Doctors without the Borders - Dutchman Arjan Erkel. The leaders of European states, activists of humanitarian organizations repeatedly hav raised this issue to president of Russia Vladimir Putin. But there is no result yet - Erkel is still a hostage. At the same time Erkel's kidnappers, as it looks to me, are free and prosper. - I attentively read your articles about Arjan Erkel's fate. They are written, as if you yourself, were present in this case. You, in your journalistic investigation are close to the truth. But believe me, Aryan Erkel's fate disturbs us not less than you. We investigate his kidnapping together with the FSB and the procuratorship of Daghestan. His close ones and interested in his fate people look upon us. In our work, in the first place, we put on saving Erkel's life. But those who are suspected of his abduction have already been detained. There are confessions of guilt. Q: Are you are sure that Aryan Erkel is alive? You see, already several months have passed when contacts with the intermediaries have been broken. I could be totally certain only if I will see him myself. We know that people who had kidnapped Erkel are ruthless. But, we have a reason to believe that he's alive. Q: Operational work on Aryan Erkel's release has been conducted by the department on the fight with organized crime of the MVD of Daghestan, under Colonel Ahmed Kuliyev's leadership, and in particular, subordinated to him subdivision, which until recently was headed by Lieutenant Colonel Imamutdin Temirbulatov. But in December of last year, at the moment of freeing of 11-year old Dzhamal Gamidov (son of the killed minister of finances of Daghestan-Gamid Gamidov), who for three and half years had been a hostage, Lieutenant Colonel Temirbulatov was arrested and now he's being investigated on suspicion of extortion, exceeding of his official authority and other sins. Knowing Temirbulatov personally myself and the situation, which has arised in the leadership of republic's UBOP, I'm inclined to believe that he was set up. Specifically, Lieutenant Colonel Temirbulatov was the main operative, who worked on Arjan Erkel's release. And precisely, any contacts with the kidnappers through those intermediaries have ceased after his arrest. - Temirbulatov has been accepted by me on his own request. He actually was conducting the operational work on that kidnapped boy and on Erkel. This officer was getting from the MVD a proper help - he only worked and reported about any results. But before his detention, Lieutenant Colonel Temirbulatov hadn't had came to me even once, nor had he reported about his work on the release of hostages to anyone, ignoring his immediate superior Colonel Kuliyev. I think, that as an officer you understand, that this is inadmissible. Lieutenant Colonel Temirbulatov was detained just by chance - during that investigation by our agents in Khasavyurt of the murder case of a police officer, and that means that no one has set him up. Temirbulatov suddenly had showed up with that child, who was kiddnapped more than three years ago, and then he tried to hide himself. The prosecutorship has a basis to suspect this officer of extortion, since 50 thousand US dollars was found on him. I, as a minister, do value my every colleague, be it an officer or a rank-and-file policeman. Indeed these people risk their life on the daily basis. They are fighting against the well armed bandits. Several days ago Senior Sergeant Guseynov and Private Ibragimov prevented an act of terror on our investigator of the procuratorship of Daghestan, who conducted the investigation of explosion in Kaspiysk. Supyan Ibragimov was gravely wounded and had passed away, and his comrade Senior Sergeant Azamat Guseynov liquidated one of the bandits and wounded another one. Both are presented for the state rewards, and we've given keys for the two-room apartment to Senior Seargent Guseynov. Q: How do you explain numerous armed attacks on employees of the republic's police? Only in one Administration for fight with extremism and terrorism its eleven officers have been killed lately. Including the chief for this Administration Colonel Akilov. Another victim in March became its senior operative, Lieutenant Colonel Amirbekov. There is some information, that these policemen were torturing of those who are suspected in the case of act of terror in Kaspiysk. By the way, several days ago the trial in regards to this case has began. On the dock - two people: Abdurazakov, whose relatives reported to me that he actually participated in the war in Abkhazia, he also fought on the side of the illegal armed units in Chechnya, but he doesn't have any relation to this act at all, and Abdulkarimov, detained in the last year in Astrakhan, who had shown in this case an armed resistance. The third one in this case - Khanali Umakhanov - he was detained in Moscow, but after his interrogation with the use of violence has found himself in a psychiatric hospital. It is known that Umakhanov and Abdurazakov have declared to the procuratorship about tortures from the side of agents of the Administration for combating terrorism. - More than 10 people have a relation to participation to the act of terror in Kaspiysk. The organizers of this act of terror Rappani Khalilov and Kazim Abdurakhmanov are on the wanted list. The participation of these mentioned by me bandits in the act of terror is also proven. One of them was the direct executor of explosion, another was taking pictures on his video camera in order to report this to his customers. Possibly, one of those police members went overboard. You know, we're all fathers, and so many children have perished [there]. Yes, bandits kill our agents. Therefore, I've ordered to destroy terrorists, who render some armed resistance during their detention. Q: Situation in the republic is dangerous by the fact that felons are drawn to power. Certain businessmen Polchayev, wanted for some swindle in other subjects of the Russian Federation, arrived to his native land to Daghestan and for a large sum of money has became deputy of the People Assembly of Daghestan from the Akhtynsky district, in March of the last year. On top of that, in the whole year nobody had seen him even at one session of the People Assembly. He continues to hide. I have a basis to assume that another parliamentarian of the republic from one of the mountain districts had participated in Arjan Erkel's abduction. - Alas, you are right. Felons try to attain power in the republic, and not only in the legislative one. We rigidly resist this; however, some imperfections of law in the elections have made it possible for Polchayev and people similar to him to become deputies. This happens also in other subjects of the Russian Federation. People, who are in discordance with the law, penetrate openly also the State Duma. (the minister phones the chief of OVD of the Akhtynsky district and asks from him for a report about the search of Polchayev. - V. I.) Q: We've talked about the authority in the republic, and I assume that in two years, when President, for the first time will be elected according to the new constitution of Daghestan, fight for power can lead to an even larger opposition of criminal groupings. I fear, that the situation in Daghestan can become similar ["pokhleshche"], as in Chechnya. There is a reason to believe that the last year's murder of the minister of information, international communication service and the national policy of Daghestan Magomedsalikh Gusayev, an honest person and politician, was connected precisely with his possible leadership. - We do not exclude this. This opinion, which you have given about this honest person and politicain, I'm signing myself. He was my close friend. Gusayev actively resisted extremists of Wahhabi ilk and nationalists. And we have some testimonies [evidence], that behind his murder could stand precisely these people. I agree with you: a possibility of the aggravation of situation in the republic exists. We analyze the situation and in detail, we do report this to the leadership in Moscow. If necessary, as this was during the Presidential elections on the 14th of March, the minister of Internal Affairs of Russia was ready to accept any information from us even at late night. We resist and will resist any attempts to destabilize Daghestan. Furthermore, I believe in this age-long wisdom of our multinational people. There were already several tests. Let's take August of 1999, the attack of Basayev and Khattab's gangs on us. When some misfortune comes to our common house, the Daghestanis forget about all their insults. They don't allow themselves to be deceived by extremists. Vyacheslav Izmailov, our special correpondent, Makhachkala-Moskva P.S. When I was preparing this material, in the Untsukul district of Daghestan, an assassination attempt on life of the chief of the district division of internal affairs, who also has been working for the release Aryan Erkel had taken place. 29.03.2004
Timur Aliyev, North Caucasus - On March 29 about 100 students from thelocal university organized a protest rally in front of the governmentbuilding in Magas, capital of Ingushetia. They demanded that thegovernment investigate the recent missile attack on theOrdzhonikidzevskaya village, and find and punish the guilty parties. On March 25 several helicopters flew over the village and fired fourmissiles on its suburb. A 23-year-old student was killed in the attackand two teenage brothers suffered severe injuries. "We’re sure that the missiles were aimed at the university. We were verylucky that so few people were injured. And yet no one has been punishedfor this," first-year student Ahmed Zurabov told our Prague Watchdogcorrespondent. Head of the presidential administration Alikhan Dudarov, Prime MinisterTimur Mogushkov and Deputy Prime Minister Khava Yevloyeva came out totalk to the protestors to find out exactly what it was they wanted. Asmall group of students were then invited inside the building and therest were ordered to leave. The gathering, however,
did not end peacefully as the students refusedto go. So the police were
called in to help disperse the crowd.
On March 23, 2004 a Chechen native Tabulaeva Tamara (born 1931) turnedto the Ingush office of the Society for the Russian-Chechen Friendshipwith the request to assist her in the search for her son AlaudinovRamzan Magomedovich (born 1961) living in Oktyabrsky district of Groznyin 42 Veterinarnaya Street. Tabulaeva is living in «Satsita» refugeecamp situated in Ordjonikidzevskaya settlement of Ingushetia. Tabulaevatold that she had been searching for her son for four years but all herattempts were of no avail. Khanty-Mansi OMON detained her son on April17, 2000 in Grozny in the area of the «Minutka» square. Alaudinov waskept at the temporary police office of Oktyabrsky district of Groznyuntil May 2000. The temporary police office was allocated in the building of therepublican boarding school for deaf children at that time. However,Tabulaeva has heard nothing of her son since policemen from Siberiareturned to Khanty-Mansiysk. «They promised to arrange a meeting withmy son. Three weeks later, they left Chechnya. I have had no informationabout the whereabouts of my son since that. I haven’t lost my hope tofind him, though. My daughter died in 2003. She suffered a lot from herbrother disappearance and she had a heart attack. She worked with thehuman rights organization «The Union of the Chechen Women» in Grozny.When she was alive, we searched for Ramzan together. I’ll search for himwhile I’m alive!» Tabulaeva Tamara told. SRChF Chechnya villagers block highway to protest abductions GROZNY, Russia (AFP) Mar 30, 2004 More than 300 people blocked the main highway in Russia's war-torn republic of Chechnya Tuesday to protest the detention of two men from their village by armed forces. The demonstrators blocked a busy intersection of the highway on the outskirts of the capital Grozny a day after unidentified armed men took away two residents of the Starye Atagi village, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) away. According to several residents, armed men drove into Starye Atagi on Monday and for several hours searched for supporters of Aslan Maskhadov, a top rebel leader, before driving away with 28-year-old Ruslan Akayev and 30-year-old Rezvan Masayev. When village residents protested the detentions to Russian forces responsible for the region, they were told that no operations had been planned in the area by Moscow troops. A spokesman for the Chechen regional police, Khalid Suluyev, met with the demonstators on Tuesday and said: "There were no reasons to detain Akayev and Masayev. According to our information, they drove private taxi cabs and did not have any connection to the separatists." The villagers also complained of looting by the armed men, who they said stole jewelry, a television set and a car. Random detentions and looting by armed men are common in Chechnya, where a guerrilla war between separatists and Russian forces is well into its fifth year. Rights groups have pinned the brunt of the blame for the incidents on Russian troops and forces loyal to Akhmad Kadyrov, a former rebel turned Kremlin ally who was elected Chechen president during a disputed poll in October 2003. |