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PRESS-RELEASE #1357 FROM JULY 1, 2005 REPORT FROM THE CHECHEN REPUBLIK Urus-Martan district. A head of a district administration is beaten up and robbed 1 July 2005. According to unconfirmed report obtained from a source within the Ministry of the Interior of the Chechen Republic, three or four days ago unidentifiable people beaten up Shirvani Yasaev who is the head of Urus-Martan district administration and then robbed him. Unauthorized detention of two people in the village of Guekhi On 28 June 2005 at 8 pm in the village of Guekhi of the Chechen Urus-Martan district representatives of unidentified force agencies with faces covered with masks subjected a local resident Soltakhanov Adam Alamadovich (aged 14-16) to an unauthorized detention. Soltakhanov lives in Sportivnaya Street in the village. One more man was detained together with Soltakhanov but the IC didn’t manage to establish his identity. However, it is known that the second detained man is a native of the Chechen Urus-Martan district. According to eye-witnesses’ testimonies, they were detained by people who were moving in three cars, including VAZ 21099, VAZ 21112 and a jeep. (From our correspondent) Grozny rural district. A resident of Petropavlovskaya settlement is found dead On 28 June 2005 a male corpse was discovered at the bank of the Sunzha River in the village of Petropavlovskaya of the Chechen Grozny rural district. The corpse was identified as a resident of this village Kurakaev Surkho El’marovich (born 1963) who lived at 23 Severnaya Street. According to a source within the Ministry of the Interior of the Chechen Republic, his death was caused by drowning. (From our correspondent) Sunzha districrt. A house in Sernovodsk is assaulted On 27 June 2005 a group of unidentified perpetrators burst into the house belonging to the Tsumarievs in the village of Sernovodskaya of the Chechen Grozny Sunzha district in Sockhoznaya Street. At the moment of the assault Islam Tsumariev and his younger sister were in the house. According to the teenagers, the perpetrators were searching for their elder brother Aslan (born 1980). As Salan was out at that time, the perpetrators left their house. (From our correspondent) PRESS-RELEASE #1360 FROM JULY 1, 2005 REPORT FROM THE CHECHEN REPUBLIK Shelkoskoy district. A detained man is suspected of committing grave crimes On 27 June 2005 service personnel of Nozhay-Yurt settlement of the Chechen Shelkovskoy district carried investigative actions in the settlement of Shelkovskaya during which they detained a man (born 1954) whose biographical particulars are not revealed due to the interests of investigation. According to the law-enforcement agencies, the man was wanted by the police for committing grave crimes in the Chechen Nozhay-Yurt district. A manager of Argun bakery is charged with non-payment of taxes On 27 June 2005 the personnel of the Department of Tax Offences at the Ministry of the Interior of the Chechen Republic checked the work of Argun bakery and established that its manager L. Madagov had not paid the value added tax since 2003. The debt has amounted to 246 477 rubles. Additional audit has been initiated, according to the source within the Ministry of the Interior of the republic. (From our correspondent) eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 6/7/2005 Borozdinovskaia victims still missing The whereabouts and further destiny of 11 residents of Borozdinovskaia, Shelkovskaia district, detained and brought away by officers of some law enforcement or security agency in the process of a punitive "clean-up" conducted in this village on 4 June this year have so far been unknown. After long talks and promises, Chechnya's authorities were able to have back in Chechnya hundreds of ethnic Dagestanis who had fled to the neighbouring Kizliar district, Dagestan, after the bloody "developments in Borozdinovskaia. Now the village streets are guarded on a 24-hour basis by officers of the Shelkovskaia District Division of Internal Affairs. There are two checkpoints at the entrances to the village and the shaping of a village police station of local residents is under way. Compensations have been promised to those aggrieved. However, there is still no answer to the main question: where the 11 villagers abducted by the "military men" are. Some local residents believe the military killed them. "After the '"clean-up,' we found burnt remains of people. It is not ruled out our fellow villagers or some, if not all, of them were killed and burnt by the Yamadayevtsy (Borozdinovskaia residents are convinced the ""special operation" in the village was conducted by troops of the Vostok battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Sulim Yamadayev, a former brigadier general of Ichkeria - ed.). It has been promised to us that all necessary measures will be taken to find and release our guys, but neither the local authorities, nor the prosecutor's office, nor the Internal Affairs Ministry or the military have learnt anything as yet, as it were," a village resident told Caucasian Knot. Chechnya's Internal Affairs Ministry declined any comment on the "developments in Borozdinovskaia. "The Russian Prosecutor General's Office is handling this case. The investigation into what happened in Borozdinovskaia is under way, so it would be wrong to make any conclusions or assumptions before it is over," an Internal Affairs Ministry officer said. "More so, that this is not our operation." Two kidnapped in Chechnya GROZNY. July 10 (Interfax) - Two people have been kidnapped in Chechnya over the past 24 hours. A resident of Samashki, Hussein Adamov, was kidnapped by unidentified armed abductors from his home, and a woman was kidnapped in the village of Elistanzhi in the Vedeno district. Police are investigating the incidents, sources in the Chechen Interior Ministry told Interfax on Sunday. Armed guerillas wearing masks and camouflage have carried out two armed robberies in Grozny and in the village of Komsomolskoye in Groznenski district, in which a car and cash have been stolen. Security has been tightened in Grozny, and motor vehicles are checked by reinforced police squads on Sunday. July 11th 2005 · Prague Watchdog Russian soldiers on trial for civilian killings in Chechnya By Ruslan Isayev GROZNY, Chechnya – The Grozny military garrison court is investigating several cases against Russian soldiers accused of killing civilians. Amongst these is the infamous case of V. Chernomaz, a soldier accused of killing Ayub Saltakhanov, a young schoolboy from the village of Dyshne-Vedeno. On April 17 2000 a military column entered Dyshne-Vedeno where one of the soldiers pointed his gun at three teenagers passing by. He opened fire on one of them who happened to be Saltakhanov. The boy died enroute to the hospital. Investigations have been held up for several years so the boy’s father, Movladi Saltakhanov, has taken his appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. In spite of numerous eyewitness accounts that it was indeed Chernomaz who fired the shot, the prosecutor insists that the event and the conditions must first be simulated. For example, in what direction was the serviceman’s gun barrel pointing? Was it indeed possible to hear the shot above the noise of the vehicles’ diesel engines? Was it possible for a shot to have been fired in the direction of the victim? And finally, could it have been caused simply by mishandling the weapon? The following trial concerns the case of Andrei Tikhonov, a serviceman accused of killing a Chechen named Tukhshayev. In January of this year Tukhshayev, a private taxi driver, was hired by two soldiers, Tikhonov and Keller; but at the end of the trip they refused to pay him the sum agreed. An argument broke out, which ended by Tikhonov throwing a hand grenade under Tukhshayev’s legs. The two soldiers jumped out of the car before the grenade exploded but the Chechen died of his injuries several hours later. Although the defendant confessed during preliminary investigations, he retracted his confession at the trial. The court, therefore, ordered a psychiatric expert opinion and proceedings have been adjourned until the results are announced. Another investigation is also underway in the case of Sergei Belyaev, a soldier accused of killing Dzhandar Arsanov, a 16-year-old boy living in the village of Kurchaloi. The killing occurred on April 11 2000. On that day, a couple of soldiers were in the village when they saw two boys planting onions in a garden. The two brothers, noticing the soldiers, got scared and began to run away, but one of the men, Belayev, opened fire on them, killing Dzhandar. Although Belyaev was the main suspect in the killing, he was allowed to leave Chechnya after his one year service was completed. eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 7/7/2005 Beslan victims talk to Kulayev The trial of Nurpashi Kulayev who took part in the seizure of school no 1 in Beslan continues in the Supreme Court of North Ossetia. Interrogation is under way of those aggrieved. Six of them came to the trial, although eight had been summoned. They say they do not believe the government and justice and see the trial as the only chance to ask questions to the defendant. Marina Khubayev, a victim, says she saw Kulayev shoot in the air in the school. Nurpashi Kulayev disagreed: "I didn't even shoot in the air. Less so I can kill a child. Children are angels. Allah forgives them all sins. I am Muslim and I won't lift my hand against children and women." "For eight months already I do not know any other road than from home to the cemetery," said Zarina Muzayev in conclusion, crying. "I am constantly blaming my husband for not saving our girl. Don't think I'll be sitting on my hands, I will revenge for our children." Below is a dialogue between Zarina Muzayev and Nurpashi Kulayev. Zarina Muzayev: Why do you think Allah saved your life? Nurpashi Kulayev: I didn't want to die there, that's why I escaped. Z.M.: Are you glad you did? N.K.: Now I am not. I'd better die. Z.M.: Maybe, Allay gave you life, so you tell people the truth? N.K.: I am telling everything I know. I'll answer any of your questions. Z.M.: I understand you, you haven't done anything wrong. Trust me, our government will deceive you like it has deceived us. Tell me everything the way you'd tell a friend. Remember my face, my surname is Muzayev, and I swear you I will send all the money I have received to you children's account. I swear, just tell the truth. N.K.: I won't lie, everything I know you will know. I cannot lie before Allah. Z.M.: You said once that everyone who is really to blame is now watching all this on TV. Whom did you mean? N.K.: Everyone knows whom I was talking about. They include the chief one, Basayev. Z.M.: Did your brother warn you, tell you anything when he was taking you? N.K.: He said I would be at home at twelve. That more terrorist acts are planned in Malgobek (a district in Ingushetia - ed.) and Nazran. But there was Basayev, he wouldn't let us go. My brother said he would go there, and I would go home. But they didn't let me go. The colonel said himself that none of us was to stay alive. They would kill me as well, so that I wouldn't say what I saw. Z.M.: How many were you? N.K.: We were 32. The colonel counted us in the forest. Z.M.: What do you know about the headmaster, how did she behave? N.K.: The headmaster often went upstairs to the first floor, she once took children there. I was told those were children of some important person. I was interested myself what there was, in the first floor, but they didn't let me there. Vitalii Dzampayev lost his wife in the school. He has no job because he has to care of his two children, 7 and 8 years old. In the trial he said he had told about the actual number of hostages back on the first day of the school seizure. "I took Dzantiyev (former internal affairs minister in North Ossetia - ed.) by the hand and told him there were at least 850 people in the school. He pushed me away and said they'd handle it themselves. They knew the actual number of hostages from the very beginning, they just didn't want publicity." "On the second day of the seizure we stood with huge placards which said the hostages were more than a thousand," victim Ella Kesayev says. "We approached local journalists and told them to film, so the entire world would know. But they replied they had instructions not to film." However, victims have questions to ask not only to Kulayev. Ella Kesayev continues: "When I saw tanks bombard the school after the explosion, I was shocked. The tanks just kept up shooting, they were shooting our children. In the mortuary, we saw burnt, whole corpses, they were not torn by the explosion. I want to know who gave the order for tanks to fire. Who gave the order to burn our children with "bumblebees"? Who gave Kulayev and his terrorist friends an opportunity to come to the school? Who removed the checkpoints? Who gave instructions to the authorities to tell lies? What did Dzasokhov (former president of North Ossetia - ed.) do as the chief of the headquarters during the school seizure? What did Andreyev, Nurgaliyev do? Where were the firemen? The children burnt down, and they were awarded after that. Marina Khubayev who stayed three days in the school together with four children also spoke about the use of heavy artillery: "Tanks did fire, I know that for sure. I am from South Ossetia, I've seen war and I understand weapons. But I have never seen this kind of war..." Author: Regina Revazova, CK correspondent http://eng.kavkaz.memo.ru/newstext/engnews/id/828241.html Dagestan Gunmen Threaten to Kill Policemen's Relatives Created: 12.07.2005 MosNews Extremist Muslim separatists in Dagestan have declared they will kill the adult relatives of local policemen and take their wives and daughters hostage to avenge the murder of their leader. In a letter received by the Chechen separatist website , http://www.kavkazcenter.com/russ/content/2005/07/12/36015.shtml the members of Dagestan's Shariat Islamic group mention the clash with the Russian forces in which local rebel leader Rasul Makasharipov and two his accomplices were killed. The letter's authors said that policemen had stormed their home when women and children were inside, killing an 18-year-old boy and taking a woman hostage. In response, the group's members have promised to storm the houses of the "infidels", even if there are women and children inside, kill the adult relatives of the "infidels," and seize their wives and daughters. "We were patient and made several warnings. They have not appreciated our kindness and mercy," the letter wrote. Its authors warned there would be more attacks. Dagestan was the scene of several large attacks at the beginning of this month. On July 5, three policemen were killed and two policemen and a civilian were injured after a blast at a police station. On July 1, 11 soldiers were killed and 23 people including nine servicemen and a child were injured after a blast near trucks with Russian soldiers. eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 8/7/2005 Abducted people to miss another month "The investigation into the attack on Borozdinovskaia will last at least one month," a source with the military prosecutor's office of the Joint Group of Troops (Forces) in the North Caucasus told Caucasian Knot earlier today. "All expert examinations that are possible are being made outside Chechnya, so it is simply impossible to sway the impartiality of the experts!" the source said. The involvement of the Vostok ("East") battalion in the 4 June attack on Borozdinovskaia has not yet been proved, at least according to the representative of the military prosecutor's office. It is also yet unknown where the 11 abducted villagers are. Unknown people abducted 11 men from Borozdinovskaia, Shelkovskaia district, on 4 June this year. The village is mostly inhabited by Avars. One village resident was killed. Practically all residents left their homes and put up a camp in Dagestan, not far from Kizliar. Last week, Borozdinovskaia residents came back to their homes after persuasions on the part of the leadership of Dagestan and Chechnya's First Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov. Borozdinovskaia residents were promised protection and assistance in investigating the criminal case as regards the abduction of the local residents. Jul 13 2005 10:13PM Chechen minister: eleven missing after June security sweep GROZNY. July 13 (Interfax) - It remains unclear what has happened to 11 Chechens who went missing early last month after a security operation in their village of Borozdinovskaya, and a search is under way for them, Chechen Interior Minister Ruslan Alkhanov said on Wednesday. "An investigating team that is formed from the more experienced operatives and is overseen by the prosecutor's office is investigating this criminal case," Alkhanov told reporters. http://www.lenta.ru/news/2005/07/13/money/ The Chechen refugees have returned to Borozdinovskaya for money Refugees returned from Daghestan to the Chechen village of Borozdinovskaya, when Ramzan Kadyrov, the vice-premier of Chechnya promised to them large sums of money - reports "Echo of Moscow". According to human rights defender Tatiana Lokshina, the head of Demos center, Ramzan Kadyrov proposed 10,000 rubles to every family that abandoned its house in Borozdinovskaya after "the zachistka". Moreover, Kadyrov proposed to those families who returned to Chechnya, that even if they later want to move to Daghestan, they will still get 200,000 rubles. The human rights defender connects Kadyrov's assertions about the compensation with his desire to suppress this scandal. According to her, the Chechen authorities will not pay these money to these who they have been promised to pay. [Translation by M.L.] http://www.lenta.ru/news/2005/07/13/detain/ People who participated in "the zachistka" of Borozdinovskya detained The law-enforcement agencies of the Chechen republic detained some persons who participated in the events in the village of Borozdinovskaya stated the president of Chechnya Alu Alkhanov - RIAN agency reports. Alkhanov didn't announce any names of those who have been detained and their number, he just said that that one of them is a senior district inspector of the ROVD. On top of that the president of Chechnya reported that he does not have any available information about the fate of 11 people, who disappeared in the course of special operation in the village of Borozdinovskaya. At the same time the first vice-premier of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov stated that the situation in Borozdinovskaya has been completely stabilized and the republic's government begun to solve the social and economic issues of the village. In connection with this Kadyrov has decided to relieve himself for the authority of the head of state commission for regulating the situation in Borozdinovskaya and to tranfer it to the vice-premier of government, to the minister of finances of Chechnya, Elie Isayev. Kadyrov also emphasized that all all promises given to the Borozdinovtsy will be fulfilled totally. "There's going on of compiling of a project-estimate documentation for building of a road, school and gasification of the village", he said. The first vice- premier also noted that he intended to build in Borozdinskaya a sport-arena from the means of the Kadyrov public fund. According to him, 11 families, who suffered in the course of conducting the special operation in the village, have already gotten financial compensations. Kadyrov also stated also that four more families will get 350,000 rubles compensation for their destroyed dwellings. [Translation by M.L.] Jul 14 2005 4:59PM Strasbourg Court refuses to re-consider Chechens' case MOSCOW. July 14 (Interfax) - The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has refused the Russian government's request to review its decision on a case opened on complaints from six Chechen citizens. "The European Court's decision has come into effect. It is final and cannot be appealed against in the future," Memorial human rights center lawyer Kirill Koroteyev told Interfax on Thursday. "The Russian government has six months to fulfill the ruling - to pay compensations and take certain general measures, this will be monitored by the Council of Europe ministers' cabinet," Koroteyev said. "The court ruled the six victims to be compensated with 105,000 euro for moral damage, 30,710 euro for material damage and 32,780 euro for court expenses," Koroteyev said. On February 24, 2005, the European Court of Human Rights issued three decrees on lawsuits filed by six citizens of Chechnya, stating that the Chechen citizens' rights and the rights of their relatives had been violated. Czech Aid Agency Says Russia Forces Closure of Chechnya Office Created: 14.07.2005 MosNews Czech humanitarian aid agency People in Need is closing its operations in Russia's turbulent republic of Chechnya after the Russian authorities refused accreditation needed to work in the country, the agency said. People in Need describes itself as one of the biggest groups working in the North Caucasus region and most of its programs are focused on aid in Chechnya where Russian troops have been fighting separatist rebels for a decade, the Reuters news agency reported. Many aid workers in and around Chechnya say they are harassed by the authorities. They also face the threat of kidnapping and even murder, which has led some major aid agencies to stop work in Chechnya. Russian officials say they support aid groups and give them all the access that security allows. But Russia's Federal Security Service has accused some NGOs of spying and even training Chechen fighters. "The organization has been under systematic pressure from Russian authorities, who in April 2005 denied (its) request to renew its accreditation for work in the Russian Federation," the agency said in a statement on Thursday. People in Need views the Russian authorities' decision... as unfortunate, unfounded and unfair," the statement said. Officials at the Russian Justice Ministry, which is responsible for registration of aid agencies, were not immediately available for comment. People in Need is a leading Czech non-governmental aid organization, and one of the first aid groups which started providing aid to Chechnya in 2000 after Russian troops stormed the capital Grozny. The agency's director Simon Panek told Reuters the organization had failed to overturn the April decision within a following three-month period given to wind down operations. But he said he did not want to provoke conflict with the authorities, and was still hoping the Russian government would grant a new permit, perhaps later this year. People in Need said it had delivered aid worth 20 million euros ($24 million) to the Caucasus over the past five years. It had an operational centre in Ingushetia, a province neighboring Chechnya. Its programs focused on deliveries of food and building materials to repair damaged homes, as well as reconstruction of schools and hospitals. It said it had also run psychological centers and clubs for children in Chechnya. The agency said some programs have been handed over to a local organization while others have been terminated.