| Russian Court Shuts Down Two NGOs 16 January 2006 -- A Russian court has ordered two foreign non-governmental organizations -- NGOs -- to shut down their offices in the southern region of Ingushetia. The prosecutor's office in the city of Rostov-On-Don said the NGOs did not have the proper authorization. The decision affects a British charity involved in peace building and a German humanitarian group, HELP, involved in assisting war refugees from Chechnya who live in Ingushetia. Russia has been cracking down on NGOs in recent months. Media reports say the Kremlin is concerned over the role NGOs played in recent popular revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine. (AP) Nuclear waste found in ruined Chechen factory GROZNY, Russia, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Investigators have found nuclear contamination tens of thousands of times above safe levels on the premises of a ruined factory in Russia's Chechnya, officials said on Saturday. It was not clear why the radioactive source had been kept in the factory, but prosecutors said it posed a severe threat to anyone who came near to it. "This is above all now a threat to the population, because the leadership and officials of the firm did not take the necessary steps to isolate the isotope," said Chechen prosecutor Valery Kuznetsov on NTV television. Almost all of Grozny was destroyed by Russian bombing in 1999-2000 when Russian troops poured back into the region to reassert central control over separatist rebels, who still attack troops and police daily. Once a mighty industrial centre, Grozny's factories are now a wasteland of twisted steel -- many of them dotted with machine gun nests. Other Chechen officials did not wish to comment on the presence of the radioactive material, which was named by the prosecutors as Cobalt-60 -- a variation of cobalt used as a source of radiation in food processing, hospitals and elsewhere. Prosecutors said it had raised radiation levels to 58,000 times above normal. "This is not a one-day problem. This problem of radiation leaking into Grozny's air has been going on for a decade," said a member of Chechnya's emergencies committee who asked not to be named. He said looters had uncovered the materials. There was no suggestion the radioactive materials could fall into the hands of Chechen militants, although Cobalt-60 has been identified as one of the most likely elements to be used to make a so-called "dirty bomb". Shellings and kidnappings CHECHENPRESS, 17.01.06. January, 11-th about 15 hours by invaders were subjected bombardment of vicinity of village Harachoj, Vedensk area. According to the information of RCHIA, as a result of bombardment nobody from inhabitants of village suffered. According to people, several mines have become torn in area of a pasture owing to which several cows, which at that moment were grazed there, were lost. January 9 in settlement Alhan-Kala by terrorists from puppet structures the inhabitant of the given settlement - Musaev Shamil was kidnapped and taken to the unknown direction. About it as marks agency SNO, one of the inhabitants of settlement informed. According to eyewitnesses, thieves moved on automobiles of mark "UAZ" without license plates. The further destiny and the location of the citizen of the Chechen Republic are unknown. IA RCHIA informs the release of 36-year-old Mejidov Dikky, the inhabitant of village Elistanzhi, Vedensk area who December, 6 the last year was taken from his own house by the group of the Russian terrorists who moved on three motor vehicles UAZ. According to relatives of Dokky Mejidov, thieves had to pay 4 thousand dollars for release of the man. The release of Mejidov Dokky has taken place in the city of Gudermes. According to released, all this time of he was held in a cellar unknown to him placement. Thieves regularly subjected the kidnapped citizen of the Chechen Republic to beatings; from food, to him was given only the bread and water, marks agency. http://www.chechenpress.co.uk/english/news/2006/01/17/08.shtml eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 13/1/2006 Abduction in Chechnya Unidentified persons driving a UAZ vehicle abducted Mr Minkail Akhmadov from his own home in Mairtup, Kurchaloi district, at dawn on 12 January. The abducted man lived in house No 17 in Kirov St, according to a release of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society received by Caucasian Knot. |