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Eurasia: Will Russia’s Cossacks Again Repress Non-Russian Minorities? (August 10, 2005) Paul Goble Tartu, August 8 – The leader of the Don Cossacks – who also serves as vice governor of Rostov oblast – is demanding that the Russian government allow Cossack forces to restore their version of law and order in ethnically Russian areas he says are threatened by a rising tide of unwelcome non-Russian immigrants from across the northern Caucasus. In an interview posted on a Russian nationalist website on Saturday, Viktor Vodolatskiy said that the situation in these areas was now critical, that local Russians were pressing for Cossack intervention, and that his Cossacks could restore order and „quickly teach the new arrivals” how to behave ( http://www.rusk.ru/newsdata.php?idar=193486). Vodolatskiy added that he believes Russian officials must stop saying that members of non-Russian groups who are citizens of the Russian Federation have be given the right to live wherever they want. Instead, he said, officials should limit the percentage of non-Russian migrants in any particular locale to no more than two percent of the total population. His remarks came at the end of a week of rising tensions in that southern Russian region. On Wednesday, a group of Chechens reportedly raped the daughter of the Cossack leader in Remontnoye. And when local officials did not move fast enough against the perpetrators to satisfy him, Vodolatskiy called for his Cossacks to intervene. The following day, some 500 Cossacks converged on the village in a convoy of cars and buses ready to enforce their brand of justice not only against the Chechens suspected of the rape but more generally against other non-Russian migrants from the northern Caucasus who live there as well ( http://www.dpni.org/index.php?o++870 ). But on their arrival, the Cossacks found themselves blocked by nearly a thousand Russian Interior Ministry troops who, in the words of another nationalist website, had been hurriedly dispatched by the authorities to prevent the Cossacks from punishing „bandits who have been terrorizing the population” ( http://www.dpni.org/index.php?0++905). That prompt and welcome action by the authorities did succeed in preventing the situation from immediately getting out of hand, but it did not mean that the Cossacks sat on their hands or that there are not compelling reasons to believe that this story is far from over either in Remontnoye or more generally. In that village, the Cossacks succeeded in convening a meeting of the indigenous Russian population which called for the general expulsion of the immigrants, the seizure of their property and either its destruction or transfer to ethnic Russians. Under pressure from the Interior Forces, however, the Cossacks applied this „decision” to only one non-Russian family. But at the request of local Russians, the Cossacks said that they will be back if any of the non-Russian migrants now allowed to remain for time being commit any future outrages. In the words of the extremist Russian nationalist Movement Against Illegal Immigration, the Cossacks would then carry out „the final solution” of the Chechen problem there. Moreover, in addition to enjoying support from some of the population and in the upper reaches of the Rostov oblast administration, the Cossacks apparently have the backing of at least some of the members of the Interior Ministry force sent there to prevent them from carrying out their original plans. That government force, which includes at least 150 of the notoriously indisciplined and often violent OMON operatives, has agreed to conduct joint patrols with some 50 Cossacks who have remained in Remontnoye after the departure over the weekend of the majority of this Cossack host. Members of these joint patrols reportedly are are searching the residences of non-Russian arrivals from the northern Caucasus for contraband and checking their documentation in order to determine whether any of them are there illegally and thus constitute a threat to the residents of this village. Human rights groups, including the Moscow Human Rights Bureau, have called on Russian officials at all levels to prevent the Cossacks from taking the law into their own hands, NEWSru.com reported Saturday. But the Cossacks and their backers appear unmoved by such appeals, an indication that the Cossacks may cause even more problems in the future. http://www.fsumonitor.com/stories/081005Russia.shtml Mainstream Russian Paper Calls People from Caucasus “Beasts” (August 10, 2005) Mainstream Russian Paper Calls People from Caucasus “Beasts” One of Russia’s most popular newspapers, Moskovsky Komsomolets, printed an article last week that referred to people from the Caucasus as “animals” and “beasts,” according to an August 2, 2005 report by the Sova Information-Analytical Center. Yuliya Kalinina, a prominent commentator for the paper who has in the past written viciously racist attacks against non-Russian migrants, co-authored the piece, which focused on teenage pregnancies. Within the article, the following text appears when the authors turned to the problem of teenage pregnancies among Roma (Gypsies) and Tajiks: “They have their own laws. They live somewhere out in nature, more like animals than people, and chaotically reproduce there, like beasts... They don’t care who has sex among them, and if somebody gives birth in the first grade, that’s her business… But what if they want to have sex with our 11 year old daughters? And later want to marry them? That’s where the real horror lies.” http://www.fsumonitor.com/stories/081005Russ3.shtml eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 10/8/2005 Muslims degraded in Kabardino-Balkaria Human rights defenders ask the Russian president's envoy to the South federal district to take measures for an objective investigation into the case of a pregnant Muslim woman beaten by police officers in Kabardino-Balkaria. Torture and degrading treatment of Muslims in this North Caucasus republic are regular and promote their radicalisation, thinks Valerii Khatazhukov, Chairman of the Kabardino-Balkar Human Rights Centre. In his letter to envoy Dmitrii Kozak, he reminded him of the story of 19-year-old Elena Gasiyev resident in Nalchik. The pregnant woman left home and went shopping wearing a burqa on 20 July. A man in civilian clothes stopped her next to her house and demanded that she should show him her ID. It turned out later he was a police officer. The woman tried to explain to him she had left her passport at home. He replied with obscenity, forced her into his car and took her to the police station where he demanded that she should sign some papers. When she refused, he struck her two strong blows on her back in the area of kidneys. When the woman cried that she was pregnant, the policeman answered, "Then you will not see your child born." The republican prosecutor's office refused to open a criminal case, Radio Echo of Moscow says. Sister of Chechen Rebel Warlord Abducted in Russia’s Chechnya 12.08.2005 MosNews A woman who is said to be a sibling of a notorious Chechen warlord, Doku Umarov, has gone missing in Russia’s restive province of Chechnya, the Interfax news agency reported citing its source in the local administration. Natasha Khumadova, a resident of Urus-Martan, was abducted in the early hours of Friday by unknown gunmen, the republican Interior Ministry reported. Khumadova is a sister to Doku Umarov, a notorious rebel leader who is believed to have been involved in a number of heinous terrorist attacks, the police reported. The authorities suspect him of assisting Shamil Basayev in organizing a blast in Znamenskoye where 14 people were killed after a UAZ truck hit a mine earlier this summer. (*) A source in the Urus-Martan district administration told Interfax on Friday that several armed people broke into Khumadova’s house and threatening her with weapons led her away. The search for the woman was launched, the source said. Russian rights activists, on their part, do not rule out that Khumadova’s disappearance could be an act of what they describe as counter-taking of hostages aimed to exert pressure on the rebel leader. “For the time being the circumstances of the Umarov sister’s disappearance remain unclear but, perhaps, what we see here is the so-called counter-taking of hostages. Human rights groups have long voiced concern about that practice as being one of the most dangerous tendencies in Chechnya,” Dmitry Grushkin, spokesman for the Memorial human rights group said on Friday. He recalled that earlier Doku Umarov’s father, too, was abducted, according to rights groups’ reports. To recap, 8 relatives of the former Chechen separatist leader, Aslan Maskhadov, went missing in late 2004. After Maskhadov was killed during a security raid in March of 2005 all of them returned home, in June of 2005.c eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 11/8/2005 Victims released Abducted on 8 August this year, Khasu Yakhiev and Arbi Sambiyev, resident in Starye Atagi, Grozny village district, were released on 10 August 2005. Both had been illegally kept in the Grozny Village District Division of Internal Affairs (in Pobedy Avenue in Grozny) where they had undergone beating. Armed people in camouflage uniforms forced them into a car in the afternoon on 8 August and took them from the premises of their shared breeze block business to the outskirts of the village. There, they were beaten after which the abductors delivered them to the Grozny Village District Division of Internal Affairs where Khasu Yakhiev and Arbi Sambiyev were kept until their release. No charges were made against them, according to the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society. eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 11/8/2005 Unauthorised public meeting held in Grozny An unauthorised public meeting is being held the capital of Chechnya in front of an office of Rosselkhozbank ("Russian Agricultural Bank"). Around 100 people demand starting payment of compensations for their homes and property lost in military action in Chechnya, RIA Novosti says. Participants in the meeting threaten to go on hunger strike unless their money is paid to them. eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 13/8/2005 Protest action in Grozny Local residents have been holding a protest action in the centre of Grozny for several days. Fifty to 100 people take part in public meetings day by day. The people demand that authorities should pay them compensations for their lost homes and property intending to go on hunger strike unless this issue is settled soon. They say they have waited for three years already. The main reason for the delay in paying compensations is that there is no money in the republic, the administrative staff for the republican president and government told Caucasian Knot. Officials say money for compensations are allocated by the federal centre. As soon as it is transferred, compensations will start to be paid, according to them. Compensations for homes (300,000 roubles) and property (50,000 roubles) lost in action in the republic began to be paid in 2003. Local authorities decided to suspend their payment several months ago in connection with numerous facts of violations and abuse on the part of officials. Local residents say they have had to pay people involved in paperwork and payment of compensations up to 50% of the amount due to them in order to receive their compensations provided by the law. Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent Danish Refugee Council (DRC) 08.07.05 Food aid to Chechnya and Dagestan Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is continuing food aid distribution to the population of Chechnya and IDPs living in Dagestan. The program is funded by the European Union through its Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO). Over 110,000 people, living in Vedeno, Groznenskiy Rural, Gudermes, Kurchaloy, Nozhay-Yurt, Urus-Martan and Shali districts, will receive food aid and around 5,000 people in Dagestan, residing in Kizlyar, Nogayskiy, Tarumovskiy and Khasav-Yurt districts. Only the most vulnerable groups of the population are in beneficiary lists. Aid beneficiaries in Chechnya are poor and very poor families with low income and high expenditures. In Dagestan these are people who fled Chechnya after September 1999, and have not settled permanently in Dagestan. Criteria for inclusion into DRC/ECHO food aid beneficiary lists are presented at DRC Information Centers located in Grozny, Achkhoy-Martan, Urus-Martan, Gudermes, Shali, Nozhay-Yurt and Vedeno. All food distributions are conducted directly by DRC staff at 95 distribution points, located in large villages, towns and cities across the two republics. Distribution Points are open for an average of 3-4 days. DRC delivers food-aid on a bi-monthly basis. The food ration includes wheat flour, sugar, salt and vegetable oil. All commodities comply with Russian Federation and international quality standards and have necessary quality certificates. ECHO, the Humanitarian Aid department of the European Union, funds relief operations for victims of natural disasters and conflicts outside the EU.. Aid is channelled impartially, straight to victims, of their race, ethnic group, religion, gender, age, nationality or political affiliation. ECHO began providing humanitarian assistance in the Northern Caucasus in 1999. Aid is delivered through ECHO implementing partners to the most vulnerable people in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan. Danish Refugee Council is a humanitarian non-governmental organization aiming at protection and promotion of durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced in the North Caucasus based on humanitarian principles and human rights. More information on ECHO activities: europa.eu.int http://www.flygtning.dk/Enkelt_nyhed.1966.0.html?&backPid=1672&cHash=f8ae57307d&\ tt_news=259 eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 10/8/2005 Developments in Chechnya Unidentified persons fired automatic weapons at a VAZ-21099 "Zhiguli" car with officers of law enforcement agencies on a road not far from Mayakovskogo in Grozny's Staropromyslovskii district at about 8.00 pm on 9 August. As a result, two police officers in the car sustained serious wounds. A passer-by who happened to be in the shooting area also received several gunshot wounds. The car burnt down completely, Chechnya's Internal Affairs Ministry told Caucasian Knot. Svetlana Mkrtychian, CK correspondent. The bodies of a police officer with numerous gunshot wounds and a local resident were found near Kurdiukovskaia, Shelkovskaia district, a source with republican law enforcement agencies told Caucasian Knot. Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent. People in camouflage uniforms on a VAZ-21099 "Zhiguli" car with darkened windows abducted two local residents, Arbi Sambiyev and Khasu Yakhiev, in Starye Atagi. Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent. A federal contract serviceman triggered a bomb planted on a rebel base in the forest not far from Pervomaiskoye, Vedeno district, and was admitted to hospital, Chechnya's military commandant's office said. Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent. eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 12/8/2005 Events in Chechnya Twenty unidentified persons abducted Musa Khamzat, b. 1947, resident at 11 Lesnaia St, in Paroboch, Shelkovskaia district, on 11 August, a source with republican law enforcement agencies told the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society. A group of twenty abducted Muhhamed-Ali Aiubov, b. 1975, in Grozny's Leninskii (Avtorkhanovskii) district on the same day, a source with Chechnya's law enforcement agencies said. A group of rebels fired automatic weapons at several UAZ vehicles with federal military men in the Shali district yesterday. Three servicemen were killed and several more were wounded as a result of the attack," a source with Chechnya's Internal Affairs Ministry told Caucasian Knot. The day before, unidentified persons carried out an attack on the disposition of a unit of the Chechen presidential security service in Starye Atagi, Grozny district. Response fire caused the attackers to retreat. No one suffered in the event. RCFS: Reports #508-521 http://www.ria.hrnnov.ru/eng/index.php ------------------------------------------------------- Achkhoy-Martan district. Chechen Republic Report # 521 Representatives of the “UNISEF” met the youth of Achkhoy-Martan district On 10 August 2005 a group of representatives of the international humanitarian organization “The UNISEF” visited the district center of Achkhoy-Martan of the Chechen Republic including the coordinator of the “Health” program Petimat Yandieva, a “UNISEF” representative Azrat Kalmykov, and a correspondent of the information agency “Bloomer-News” John di Varoli (New York, the USA). Their aim was to acquaint themselves with the activities run by organizations that are involved into work with young people. For instance, the delegation visited the youth centre “Elbrus” based in Achkhoy-Martan where they received much information about the main spheres of activities. The guests supported proposals made by the manager of the “Elbrus” centre Anna Isaeva to start new programs and they also approved the projects that the staffers of the youth centre were implementing at present. Besides, the delegation had a few meetings with young people living in the district centre. In conclusion the “UNISEF” delegation invited Anna Isaeva to take part in the conference where problems of young people are going to be discussed that is to be held in the town of Barnaul (Altay Kray) in the end of August. (From our correspondent) Grozny. Chechen Republic Report # 520 Nurgaliev held a meeting in Grozny On 10 August 2005, the minister of the Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Federation Rashid Nurgaliev held a meeting of representatives of all the force and law-enforcement agencies of the Chechen Republic in Grozny. The decision to establish two new departments at the Ministry of the Interior of the Chechen Republic on combating the organized criminality and kidnapping was taken at the meeting. (From our correspondent) Grozny rural district. Chechen Republic Report # 519 Kidnapped residents of Starye Atagi are released the same day On 7 August 2005 in the forested area not far from the village of Chernorechye situated within the precincts of Grozny two residents of the village of Starye Atagi of the Chechen Grozny rural district were released after their kidnapping the same day. Their relatives refused to tell their names to a correspondent of the Information Centre at the . It’s known that the men were kidnapped on 7 August in Leninsly (Avtorkhanovsky) district of Grozny when they were leaving the territory of the automobile market where they had sold their car not long before that. They had 135 thousand rubles on them. The released men are bewildered about the people who kidnapped them or about the place where they were kept as, according to their testimonies, the kidnappers moved them from one place to another. Besides, the released men state that the perpetrators were interested in getting information who of the wealthy people they knew. To all appearances, the men must have been kidnapped by ordinary criminals. The brothers were released in the evening of August 7. (From our correspondent) Grozny rural district. Chechen Republic Report # 518 Assault at “kadyrovtsy” in the village of Starye Atagi On 10 August 2005 at about 2 pm unidentified armed people opened fire at the residential buildings situated at the north outskirts of the village of Starye Atagi of the Chechen Grozny rural district where one of the units of “kadyrovtsy” is stationed. According to some eye-witnesses’ testimonies, the buildings were fired from the direction of Grozny – Shatoy highway. None of the servicemen of this force agency or local people suffered. People who assaulted “kadyrovtsy” disappeared from the site of the accident. (From our correspondent) Shelkovskoy district. Chechen Republic Report # 517 Corpses of a militiaman and a local resident are found in the village of Kurdyakovskaya On 9 August 2005 at the north outskirts of the settlement of Kurdyakovskaya of the Chechen Shelkovskoy district on the bank of a small lake two male corpses with numerous bullet wounds were discovered. The law-enforcement agencies have managed to identify the murdered people as a police lieutenant Berdikaev Suleyman Yusupovich (born 1976) who was a serviceman of Gudermes district police office and a resident of the village of Kurdyakovskaya village Ibragimov Jalim Saydmagomedovich (born 1976) who lived at 46 Sadovaya Street. The criminal case has been opened and the investigation is being carried. According to some eye-witnesses, the murder was committed by a group of unidentified armed people (there were five or six people in the group) dressed in camouflage. (From our correspondent) Grozny. Chechen Republic Report # 516 Serviceman of the Security Service is killed and some civilians are wounded when fire was opened on a car On 9 August 2005 in Grozny unidentifiable men opened automatic fire from submachine guns and grenade cup discharges on a VAZ 21099 car. The accident happened on Staropromyslovskoye in the area of secondary school #44. The car was driven by a serviceman of security service subordinate to Ramzan Kadyrov who died on the spot. His name has not been revealed. Khuseyn Nazirovich Magomedov (born 1975, a resident of the village of Pobedinskoye of the Chechen Grozny rural district) was in the car together with Magomedov. He was wounded. Besides, Vadud Abduzhenidovich Gaziev (born 1973, a resident of the village of Nagornoye of the Chechen Grozny rural district) who happened to be at the site of the accident by unlucky chance was wounded. (From our correspondent) Grozny rural district. Chechen Republic Report # 515 Two residents of Starye Atagi village are released after their arbitrary detention On 10 August 2005 residents of the village of Starye Atagi of the Chechen Grozny rural district Khasu Yakh’yaev and Arvi Sambiev were released after they had been abducted on 8 August 2005 (see O.R. from 9 August 2005). It became known that both of them were unlawfully kept at the police office of Grozny rural district (Grozny, Pobeda Avenue) where they subjected to unmerciful beating. According to relatives of the men, Khasu Khasanovich Yakh’yaev and Arbi Zayndinovich Sambiev were subjected to arbitrary detention in the premises of the enterprise that produces breeze blocks situated in the village of Starye Atagi not far from the mill. On August 8 in the second half of the day some armed men in camouflage grabbed them, forced them to get into their car and took to edge of the village to the area where fields used for forcing treatment of agricultural plants are situated. They both neb were beaten up. Then they were taken to the police office of the Chechen Grozny rural district where they were kept until their release. Yakh’yaev’s and Sambiev’s relatives managed to find out the place of the custody and they rallied in front of the police office premises during all these days. Yakh’yaev and Sambiev have not been accused of anything. (From our correspondent) Shalinskiy district. Chechen Republic Report # 514 Resident of Argun is released after being beaten up In the evening of 8 August 2005 Khadjiev Israil Badruddinovich (born 1982) was released from custody. Khadjiev is a resident of the town of Argun of the Chechen Shali district. He lives there at 4 Voroshilov Street. He was abducted from his own house by a group of unidentifiable armed people in camouflage on 4 August 2005 (see O.R. from 9August 2005). Khadjiev was released between the settlements of Novyy Engenoy and Jalka of the Chechen Gudermes district. According to Khadjiev’s relatives, their son is in hospital of Argun town at present but his doctors say that his condition is stable. However, Israil is suffering from a deep shock and refuses to talk to journalists. (From our correspondent) Grozny rural district. Chechen Republic Report # 513 Abduction of two people in the village of Starye Atagui On 8 August 2005, unidentified armed people moving around in a Zhiguli car of 99th model abducted two residents of the village of Starye Atagi of the Chechen Grozny rural district, Yakh’yaev Khasu Khasanovich and Sambiev Arby Zayndinovich. As of the present moment, their destinies and whereabouts remain unknown. (From our correspondent) Grozny rural district. Chechen Republic Report # 512 Special operation in the village of Starye Atagui On 9 August 2005 representatives of unidentified force agency carried a special operation in the village of Starye Atagi of the Chechen Grozny rural district. According to the preliminary information, none of the local residents have been detained. (From our correspondent) Nizniy Novgorod Report # 511 The executive manager of the RCFS is summoned for an interrogation as a suspect 09 August 2005. Stanislav Dmitrievsky, the executive manager of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society and the editor-in-chief of the “Pravosaschita” newspaper has been summoned for an interrogation to the prosecutor's office of Nizhny Novgorod Region as a suspect . Dmirievsky was notified about it with a writ signed by the chief investigator Oleg Kirukov who has received the criminal case against the “Pravozaschita” newspaper for investigation. The interrogation is to take place on 11 August at 2 pm in the room 117 at the prosecutor's office. As we reported earlier, on 11 January 2005, the prosecutor's office of Nizhny Novgorod Region initiated a criminal case charging “The Pravosaschita” newspaper of publishing a statement made by the president of the unrecognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Aslan Maskhadov, in which he appealed to the European Parliament, and an appeal of his foreign representative Akhmed Zakaev to the Russian people. These two Chechen leaders called to the peaceful reconciliation of the Russian-Chechen armed conflict in their statements and expressed their opinions about its causes and reasons. Zakaev also called not to vote for a presidential contender Vladimir Putin at the coming elections as, in his opinion, the latter was supported by the party of war. “The Pravozaschita” newspaper is a joint project of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society and Nizhny Novgorod Society for Human Rights. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper is Stanislav Dmitrievsky who is also the managing director of the RCFS and the editor-in-chief of the Information center at the RCFS. According to the Russian law, it's him who is responsible for the compliance of the articles published in the newspaper with the norms of the Russian legislation. The case was initiated in reference to part 2 of article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation that is public incitement to extremist activities through mass media outlets. The case was investigated by the FSB as this article is under its jurisdiction. Dmitrievsky was summoned to the interrogation at the FSB on 20 January. The same day four servicemen of the FSB arrived at the office hired by RCFS and NNSHR and seized all the registration documents of the newspaper, a filing of its issues as well as all the contracts with the staffers of the Information Center including the ones of those who work and live in the Chechen Republic. Some other documents were seized too. All the staffers of the editorial office of the Information Centre at the RCFS that is situated in Nizhny Novgorod were interrogated in January and February. In March 2005 the FSB Department in the Chechen Republic received a special mandate from the Nizhny Novgorod Region Department of the FSB to summon the staffers of the Information center to be interrogated. Seven Chechen staffers of the Information Center whose contracts had been seized by the FSB in Nizhny Novgorod were interrogated. Those interrogations were used as means of intimidation. As a result, some reporters made a decision to quit their jobs at the Information Center. There was an attempt to blacken the reputation of one of the reporters. The FSB servicemen told neighbors of the reporter responsible for Achkhoy-Martan district Petimat Tokaeva that she was their informer. In April the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society appealed to specialists of the Independent Law Council of Experts (Moscow) to carry the legal expertise of the incriminated publications for the purpose of establishing signs of the crime that article 280 of the Criminal Code refers to. The expertise came to the conclusion that there were no signs of this crime in the aforementioned publications. This decision of the commission of experts was adduced to the case. The FSB carried its own linguistic expertise of the incriminated publications simultaneously with the Independent Law Council of Experts. It was carried by specialists from the Ministry of Justice. Their experts also came to the conclusion that there were no utterances that can be considered under jurisdiction of Article 280 in the two incriminated publications. However, they made a decision that there were signs of the crime that Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation refers to. This is inciting ethnic and religious hatred. As Article 282 of the Criminal Code is not under jurisdiction of the FSB, the case was sent back to the prosecutor's office of Nizhny Novgorod Region in the last ten days of April. Dmitirevsky learnt about it on 25 April at the prosecutor's office where he was summoned for another interrogation as a witness. All the staffers of the Information Center at the RCFS who have been interrogated so far are were questioned as witnesses to the criminal case. None of them have been accused of the law violation. Due to it, none of the people that have been interrogated so far have no procedural rights to learn the case or the writ on its initiation. The leaders of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society are sure that all the attempts to find signs of the crimes indicated by both Article 280 and 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are groundless, absurd and politically biased. (From our correspondent) Vedeno district. Chechen Republic Report # 510 Election of a new head of the administration of the village of Tsa-Vedeno On 3 August 2005 a new head of the administration of the village of Tsa-Vedeno of the Chechen Vedeno district was elected. To come to a decision, the village residents held a meeting and chose a 30-year-old resident of the village Raisa Jamaldieva. Before it Jabrail Mentsiev performed these duties. (From our correspondent) Vedeno district. Chechen Republic Report # 509 Details of the murder of a woman in the village of Dishni-Vedeno 9 August 2005. Today the Information Center at the Russian-Chechen established the details of the murder of Zargan Inasalamova, who is a resident of Dyshni-Vedeno village of the Chechen Vedeno district, as well as the names of her husband and son who were subjected to unmerciful beating by unidentified armed people (see O.R. from 05.08.2005). As we reported earlier, at night from August 3 to August 4, 2005 a group of unidentified armed people broke the entrance door open and burst into Zargan Inasalamova’s house. At the time of the intrusion there was Zargan Inasalamova, her husband Gatsaev Shamsutdin (aged 57) and their son Rasul (aged 13) in the house. Having beaten up the man and his son, the perpetrators took both of them out of the house and locked in a shed. After that they set the house in which Zargan Inasalamova was on fire. Their neighbors tried to put the fire down but they didn’t manage as the fire was spreading too fast. The woman perished in the fire. Her remains were discovered at the site of the fore in the morning of August 4. After the perpetrators had set Inasalamova’s house on fire, they committed another crime on opposite side of the village. They beat up another female resident of the village, Zaybad Khurieva (aged 72). According to the woman, the perpetrators were searching for her son. After the woman had told them that her son wasn’t at home, the perpetrators hit her and knocked her down. Residents of the village assume that all those crimes were committed by the same group of people involved into actions of the so-called illegal armed formations. People assume that Inasalamov’s murder must have been caused by the revenge from Chechen militants as her daughter had married to a fighter of the “Vostok” battalion of the GRU that is under command of Sulim Yamadaev. Besides, residents of the village complain about deterioration of the situation in the district after the withdrawal of the security service units of the Chechen president. People are worried as they are afraid that such acts of violence will continue. As of the present moment, Zargan Inasalamova’s murder is being investigated by the RUBOP. Relatives of the perished woman have refused to talk to a correspondent of the IC RCFS. (From our correspondent) Vedeno district. Chechen Republic Report # 508 Vedeno district is subjected to shelling and new air raids On 7 August 2005 at about 11 am the forested area situated in the vicinity of the village of Khattuni of the Chechen Vedeno district in the area of the Black River was subjected to an air raid. It lasted for approximately twenty minutes. According to the testimonies of the local people, they heard two mighty explosions. The day before, on 6 August, the outskirts of the village of Tsa-Vedeno were subjected to bombardment. It lasted from about 4.15 pm until 5 pm. According to the testimonies of the residents of the village, the mines blasted at the distance of 400-500 meters from houses. Although none of the people have suffered, their houses were damaged. Window panes were smashed with a blast wave and roofing was damaged with mine splinters. (From our correspondent) |