Summary of the main news related to the conflict in Chechnya. Compiled by Prague Watchdog.
Monday, August 12
Head of Mission for Dagestan of the Swiss section of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a Dutch national Peter Arjan Erkel, was kidnapped in Dagestani capital Makhachkala by unknown men who pushed him into their car.
The European Union expressed serious concern about the rising tension on the Russian-Georgian border.
Tuesday, August 13
In Shali three people were killed and eight injured in a series of explosions which might have been caused by "negligence" of the Russian military. Later on, the office of the Moscow-appointed Chechen Prosecutor-General has brought charges against the Russian officer responsible for the explosions.
Wednesday, August 14
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said that following the abduction of Peter Arjan Erkel, head of Mission for Dagestan of its Swiss section, in the regional capital of Makhachkala on August 12, it decided to suspend its operations in Dagestan and Ingushetia for the time being. MSF had already stopped its operations in Chechnya on July 29 in response to the kidnapping of Ms. Nina Davidovich, head of the Russian non-governmental organization Druzhba.
Thursday, August 15
Akhmed Zakayev, the official envoy of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov, met in Switzerland with former secretary general of the Russian Security Council and the current head of the Unified Socialist Party Ivan Rybkin to talk on the termination of the war in Chechnya. Rybkin said that Zakayev's proposals were "realistic" and that he would inform Russian President Vladimir Putin about them.
Friday, August 16
In the early morning Chechen fighters appeared in many parts of the Urus-Martan and Achkhoi-Martan districts, which resulted in several days of clashes with the Russian military and pro-Moscow Chechen police, especially in the village of Shalazhi.
The Russian military confiscated the accreditation and equipment belonging to journalists from the public television channels ORT and TV Tsenter as they were interviewing Chechens fleeing the village of Shalazhi. The military said that the reporters were not accompanied by a Russian army representative.
UNHCR resumed aid activities for more than 3,800 Chechen refugees in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, which were suspended two weeks ago due to security concerns.
Saturday, August 17
No major events.
Sunday, August 18
Former Vice-Premier of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Turpal-Ali Atgeriyev died in a prison in Yekaterinburg, where we has serving his 15-year sentence for an involvement in an attack on a hospital in the Dagestani town of Kizlyar in 1996. While Russian authorities claimed that Atgeriyev died of leukaemia, Chechen sources claimed that he was killed.
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