Summary of the main news related to the conflict in Chechnya.
Monday, Jan 21
No major events.
Tuesday, Jan 22
Chechen President’s representative Akhmed Zakayev held a news conference in London, following his talks with unnamed representatives of the British Foreign Office. Zakayev said Russia had made no response to the proposals he made during the talks with Russian President’s representative Viktor Kazantsev on November 18 2001 in Moscow, namely the legalisation of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov and the cancellation of „mopping-up operations“.
Wednesday, Jan 23
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) discussed the conflict in Chechnya, taking into consideration the latest report by Lord Judd, the co-chairman of the PACE / Russia's State Duma Joint Working Group. In the final resolution PACE reprimanded Russia over human rights violations and indiscriminate use of military force and admitted improvement in the humanitarian situation.
A U.S. State Department official met Ilyas Akhmadov, Foreign Minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the United States of an "unfriendly step" and urged Washington to uphold its commitment to fight terrorism.
Thursday, Jan 24
The Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said that at PACE’s next session in April they intend to ask the Council of Europe to stop monitoring human rights situation in Chechnya.
Friday, Jan 25
No major events.
Saturday, Jan 26
No major events.
Sunday, Jan 27
Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov´s five-year term of office formally expired, however, his presidential powers were prolonged by the State Defense Committee (GKO) to an indefinite period due to the ongoing fighting in Chechnya.
The Day of Honour (declared by Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov to mark the 5th anniversary of the democratic presidential elections in Chechnya in 1997.) Chechens in Grozny and refugee camps in Ingushetia held rallies in protest against the war in Chechnya.
Russian military helicopter Mi-8 carrying senior police officials crashed near Shelkovskaya, southeast of Grozny. Russian Deputy Interior Minister Mikhail Rudchenko and 13 other people were killed. Accounts differed whether the accident was caused by a technical defect or a Chechen missile.
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.
