Summary of the main news related to the conflict in Chechnya. Compiled by Prague Watchdog.
Monday, April 14
No major events.
Tuesday, April 15
Sixteen or seventeen people died when a bus ran over a mine near Khankala, Russia's main military base in Chechnya. According to the Kavkaz-center news agency, the victims numbered 17 and they were members of the Chechen police and special forces of the Russian Interior Ministry, while according to Anatoly Popov, Premier of the Moscow-backed Chechen government, they were 16 construction workers, mostly women. The news became public only after April 20 when Kavkaz-center published a video footage made probably by the attackers.
Over 2,500 people have gone missing during the first and second Chechen wars, said Movsur Khamidov, vice-chairman of the Moscow-backed Chechen government, putting the number of the disappeared during the current conflict at 1,500.
Wednesday, April 16
The UN Commission on Human Rights rejected a draft resolution on Chechnya, which was proposed by the European Union and which condemned human rights violations in the republic. 15 countries voted in favour, 21 against, and 17 abstained. Human rights organizations criticized the Commission for its failure to condemn Russia for human rights violations in Chechnya.
Police Colonel Ali Alkhanov, 46, was appointed head of the Interior Ministry of the Chechen Republic. Alkhanov replaced Ruslan Tsakayev, who resigned in early April after three and a half months of work.
Thursday, April 17
Russian MP and chairman of the Liberal Russia political party Sergei Yushenkov was shot dead in Moscow. Russian politicians and analysts agreed that the murder was politically motivated. Yushenkov often criticised the Kremlin for the "counter-terrorist operation" in Chechnya. The motives for the murder are being thoroughly investigated.
The size of compensation to paid to the citizens of Chechnya who lost their housing during Russia's "counter-terrorist operation" was set at 240,000 roubles (ca. 7,700 USD) for a completely destroyed house, announced Premier of the Moscow-backed Chechen government Anatoly Popov.
Friday, April 18
The Russian Audit Chamber discovered that 366 million roubles (ca. 11.7 million USD) of the money allocated by the federal centre for the restoration of the social sector in Chechnya have been used for another purpose, and 21 million roubles (ca. 700,000 USD) of the 366 million sum have been misappropriated, head of the Audit Chamber Sergei Stepashin announced during a session of the Audit Chamber in Grozny.
Chechnya's new remand center (SIZO), located in Grozny, was approved for use, Russian media reported.
Several dozen Chechens from refugee camps in Poland applied for asylum in the Czech Republic because of „adverse conditions in the camps“, the Czech Interior Ministry announced. According to Polish authorities, the Chechens had given up trying to get refugee status in Poland, especially in view of the upcoming legislative changes.
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