Violence Monitor: Jan 1 - Jan 7, 2001January 4
The head of Chechnya’s administration, Akhmad Kadyrov, allegedly avoided another assasination attempt that happened between villages Bachi-Yurt and Tsentoroy in the Kurchaloyevski district. Kadyrov’s security guards noticed a suspicious heap of stones and stopped the car convoy before an explosion took place. Reports on the story vary and it is not sure if Kadyrov actually was in the convoy. - Radio Svoboda (*)
January 5
Chairman of the regional office of the Society of the Russian-Chechen Friendship in Chechnya and Ingushetia, Imran Ezhiyev, was kidnapped in the village of Yandar by unknown people. It was the third kidnapping of him in the last five months. He was released few days later but the details of his release are not available yet. – The Society of the Russian-Chechen Friendship (*)
Head of the Council of Elders in Argun and top member of the town’s administration, Saipudi Aksaktemirov, was killed by unknown masked men at the break of dawn, allegedly for “active cooperation” with federal forces. At midday the inhabitants of Argun were asked to hand over all guerilla fighters, 30 sub-machine guns and 5,000 cartridges, otherwise a mopping-up operation would be carried out. On top of it, every street was required to collect 1,000 roubles “for Christmas”, eyewitnesses said. By evening 42 inhabitants of Argun were detained and taken to an unknown place. - Glasnost Foundation (*)
Two pro-Moscow Chechen policemen, Lieutenant Magomed Zhamulayev and his father Vahid, were shot dead by
Chechen guerilla fighters who burst into their home in Gudermes at night.- ITAR-TASS (*)
January 6
Federal forces started a mopping-up operation in the town of Argun during which several houses had been looted. They arrested and took to an unknown place also a 14-year-old boy Aslan, because his first name was identical with President Maskhadov’s name, locals claimed. A 83-year-old neighbour of the boy, Kh. Nunayev, was beaten as he tried to protect the boy. - Glasnost Foundation (*)
The imam Khasmagomed Umalatov was killed in Urus-Martan by unknown assailants who discharged an entire pistol clip of cartridges into his body. The attack took place on the threshold of his own building. - Glasnost Foundation
January 7
Russian forces blocked off the town of Kurchaloy in southern Chechnya for a "mop-up" operation. As usual, the action was accompanied by intimidation of the local population. According to Chechen sources, the arriving Russian soldiers disarmed the local police. When the head of the local administration attempted to keep order, he was cruelly beaten before the eyes of the local villagers. Subsequently, the Russian soldiers fired shots to disperse women who were trading at the market, then looted the market. The fate of 10 Kurchaloy inhabitants who were taken to an unknown destination after the "mop up" is still unknown. - Glasnost Foundation
(*) = translated by PW
Compiled by Prague Watchdog |
