Summary of the main news related to the conflict in Chechnya. Compiled by Prague Watchdog.
Monday, September 16
A bomb blast near the central marketplace in Grozny claimed the lives of civilians, mostly the passengers of a bus that was just passing by. While earlier reports spoke of 18 casualties (6 people died on the spot and 12 at hospital), Chechnya's Prosecutor Nikolai Kostyuchenko later said the casualties totalled 7.
Ruslan Yasayev, a son of the head of the administration of the Urus-Martan district Shirvani Yasayev, was kidnapped by masked men in the village of Alkhazurovo in the night to September 16. Subsequently, a special operation was launched in the village.
In a statement "Concerning the State of Russian-Georgian Relations", Russia's State Duma recommended that the Government of the Russian Federation should consider "further advisability of providing economic assistance to Georgia in any forms because of the reluctance of the leadership of Georgia to take effective measures to combat international terrorists on its territory".
Tuesday, September 17
Referring to Russian force structures, Russian media published exact addresses of what they called "representation offices of Chechen separatists" in Georgia.
UNHCR Media Relations representative Kris Janowski said that last week Ingushetia authorities gave assurances that Ingushetia will remain a safe haven for people displaced from neighboring Chechnya. The assurances came during meetings with UNHCR Deputy Director for Europe Robert Robinson, who was visiting the area as part of a mission to the Russian Federation. Ingush President M. Zyazikov and other authorities all reconfirmed the government's policy that the principle of voluntary return would be respected with regard to displaced persons from Chechnya.
Wednesday, September 18
Twelve Chechens aged 20-40 without documents were detained in a special operation in the village of Khalatsani in the Pankisi gorge, Georgian Interior Ministry press department head Paata Gomelauri told Russian news agency Interfax.
Thursday, September 19
Radio Svoboda reported that Aslan Maskhadov unexpectedly appeared on a local Chechen TV with an informative statement and an appeal to Muslims to help the Chechen nation. Later on, the head of Nadterechni district called Maskhadov's appearence on TV misinformation.
Friday, September 20
A dozen armed men in camouflage detained and were holding for less than one hour two observers of OSCE Misssion to Georgia near the Ingush part of the Russian-Georgian border.
A corpse of Chechen commander Zelimkhan Akhmadov, who died on September 14 or sooner, has been discovered in a car between villages Goity and Chechen-Aul, the Russian military said.
Saturday, September 21
Sultan Akhmetkhanov, the head of the administration of the Nadterechny district, denied as ungrounded recent media reports according to which on September 19 Chechen fighters seized a local TV station and Aslan Maskhadov appeared on the air and on September 20 Chechen fighters on a local radio threatened to persons cooperating with the federal authorities.
The office of the Russian Military Prosecutor brought criminal charges against wing commander (Lieutenant-Colonel) A. Kudyakov in connection with the catastrophy of the Russian military transport helicopter Mi-26 near Khankala.
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