The Week in Brief: Mar 26 - April 1, 2001
Mon, Mar 26
U.S. State Deparment adviser on the Newly Independent States, John Beyrle, met Chechen Foreign Minister Ilyas Akhmadov, despite Russia’s warning. The purpose of the one-hour meeting was to get information about the situation in Chechnya, the US administration said. Akhmadov dismissed all allegations about Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov's possible involvement in the three terrorist acts which took place in North Caucasus on March 24. Also on Monday the US administration resolutely condemned the terrorist acts.
A group of Chechen journalists working in local media (television, the press) published a statement criticising federal information policy in the republic, which has failed to promote peace and stability in the country as well as to create trust of the Chechen nation in the Russian state policy. Federal media do not convey the real picture of the developments in Chechnya by, among other things, failing to report about the abuses of federal forces against peaceful inhabitants and reporting about the casualties among federal troops instead, which provokes new abuses, writes the statement – Interfax.
Tue, Mar 27
The office of Russian President’s aide Sergey Yastrzembsky stated that the USA has embarked on „a policy of double standards“ towards Russia as well as towards the fight against terrorism by organizing a meeting of the US State Department representative John Beyrle with Chechen Foreign Minister Ilyas Akhmadov on March 26.
A five-member delegation from the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture has lately returned from its March 19-23 visit to Chechnya. The information gathered during the visit will not be disclosed to the public, in line with Article 11 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture. -- the Committee
Wed, Mar 28
Russian President Vladimir Putin made several changes in the cabinet, including the replacement of Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev with Security Council chief and KGB veteran Sergei Ivanov. Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo was appointed head of the Security Council.
Head of the International Parliamentary Group, Algirdas Endriukaitis, accused President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Lord Russel-Johnston, of betraying Chechnya twice, namely by failing to call the conflict in Chechnya Russia’s colonial war and by assisting Russia to refrain from using legal means to solve the problem.
Police entered a student hostel in the town of Khimki in the Moscow region and detained there 17 Chechen students of the Moscow University of Arts and Culture. Some of the students were beaten.
Thu, Mar 29
The new Russian nationwide committee ("For the end of the war and implementation of peace in the Chechen Republic"), established in mid-March by prominent Russian human rights activists, and also some Russian writers and politicians, signed "An appeal of the citizens of the Russian Federation to Vladimir Putin and Aslan Maskhadov", in which they call on the two conflicting parties to cut the vicious circle of violence and end the war. The appeal also calls on Russian President Vladimir Putin to „make a brave move by declaring a ceasefire and entering into peace talks with Aslan Maskhadov, the legally elected President of the Chechen Republic.“
The committee includes State Duma deputies S. Kovalyov, B. Nadezhdin, Yu. Rybakov, S. Yushenkov, Ingush President and Russia's Council of Federation deputy R. Aushev, writers V. Astafyev, A. Bitov, A. Vaksberg, V. Yerofeyev, F. Svetov, A. Tkachenko, human rights activists E. Bonner, O. Orlov, L. Ponomarev, Yu. Samodurov, D. Brodsky, and others.
Fri, Mar 30
No major events.
Sat, Mar 31
No major events.
Sun, April 1
No major events.
Compiled by Prague Watchdog
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