Summary of the main news related to the conflict in Chechnya. Compiled by Prague Watchdog.
Monday, May 19
Chechen commander Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for recent bomb attacks in Znamenskoye and Iliskhan-Yurt, according to his statement published by news agency Kavkaz-Center. The final death toll of the two bomb attacks reached 50 and 16 people, respectively, according to official figures.
Shakhid Muguyev, who became head of the police department (ROVD) of the Vedensky district two months ago, died on the way to the hospital in Shali after being seriously wounded in a clash with Chechen fighters on the night from Sunday to Monday.
Security forces of Akhmad Kadyrov, head of Chechnya's Moscow-backed administration, clashed with Chechen fighters in the village of Tsotsin-Yurt in the Gudermessky district, allegedly during a sweep operation. Some media incorrectly reported about an assassination attempt on Kadyrov, who, in fact, was not in Tsotsin-Yurt at all during the incident.
Ruslan Alkhanov, former head of the security guards of Akhmad Kadyrov, started working as the commander of the special police forces OMON of the Interior Ministry of the Chechen Republic. Alkhanov replaced Musa Gazimagomadov, who has been commanding the Chechen OMON since 2000, was seriously injured in a car accident in the Naursky district on March 9 and died on April 4.
Tuesday, May 20
All rallies in public places were temporarily banned by Akhmad Kadyrov, head of Chechnya's Moscow-backed administration, who explained it by the necessity to stabilize the situation in the republic, the press service of the administration announced.
Seven people were killed in the village of Kalinovskaya in the Naurski district when masked gunmen broke into their house and shot them dead. According to the Society of the Russian-Chechen Friendship, the gunmen were Russian soldiers.
Wednesday, May 21
Russia's State Duma sent to the second reading Russian President Putin's draft resolution on amnesty for the perpetrators of less serious crimes committed in Chechnya since 1993 who will lay down their arms by August 2003. The proposed amnesty would apply to Chechen fighters as well as Russian soldiers; however, Russian human rights activists criticized it, saying that it would not cover active Chechen guerrillas.
Thursday, May 22
Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Union of Right Forces (SPS), proposed that Russian General Gennadi Troshev, former commander of federal forces in the Northern Caucasus, run for President of the Chechen Republic.
Friday, May 23
No major events.
Saturday, May 24
No major events.
Sunday, May 25
Former guerillas who will voluntarily lay down their arms will be allowed to work as Chechen policemen if religious leaders, elders or village administration heads vouch for them, Akhmad Kadyrov, head of Chechnya's Moscow-backed administration, told Russian television NTV.
The views expressed on this web site are the authors' own, and don't necessarily reflect the views of Prague Watchdog, which aims to present a wide spectrum of opinion and analysis relating to events in the North Caucasus.
