Calendar of Events - November 2001This schedule of major events related to the conflict in Chechnya is continuously updated and completed. Announcements for planned or expected events or any other suggestions are most welcome (mail (at) watchdog.cz)
November 3, Moscow, Russia
Defense Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Ivanov holds talks with his US counterpart Donald Rumsfeld in Moscow on November 3. The topics are international security in view of the US anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, strategic stability problems dealing with the AMB treaty, and strategic offensive arms.
November 5, Moscow, Centralnyj Dom Žurnalistov (Center of Journalists), Russia
Children of Grozny - an exhibition of photographs by Iva Zímová, Czech photographer.
The catalogue of photographs is available here.
November 5, Moscow, Russia
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder visits Moscow for several hours. He will discuss the fight against international terrorism and the situation in Afghanistan with the Russian President.
November 7, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
U.S.- Russian Relations: Born Again Partnership or Marriage of Convenience? [panel discussion].
After several years of recriminations, differences, and
disappointments, U.S.-Russian relations have markedly improved since
September 11th. The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the
United States offers the opportunity to deepen cooperation and possibly reach an historic agreement on nuclear offensive and defensive forces.
Carnegie experts will provide a pre-summit briefing to lay out key
agenda items, including cooperation in the war on terrorism and
regional security, nuclear security, Russian economic development, and others.
More information...
November 8, Strasbourg, France
Press conference launching a new publication "Combating torture in Europe", the first major publication printed by the Council of Europe Publishing on the work and standards of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT).
November 12 - 15, Washington and Camp David, USA
Russia - U.S. Summit. The Presidents Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush meet to discuss future mutual co-operation in the anti-terrorist drive.
November 15, Makhachkala, Dagestan
The trial of Chechen fighter Salman Raduev opens in Makhachkala on 15 November. General Prosecutor Vladimir Ustinov will personally head the prosecution. Ustinov told journalists that Raduev will stand trial together with two accomplices. The three men are accused on ten different statutes of the criminal code -- charges including terrorism, banditry, murder and kidnapping. All three are currently kept in Moscow's Lefortovo prison.
November 15
The Digital Freedom Network (DFN) hosts an online meeting with Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya on Thursday, November 15 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM New York Time (Thursday, 9:00-10:00 PM GMT). The online meeting, which is free and open to the public, will take
place on DFN's Web site at <http://dfn.org/meet>. No registration is
required.
November 20, Moscow
An exhibition entitled "Enough" opens at the Sakharov museum and community centre in Moscow. "By opening the exhibit, the Russian human rights activists are launching a massive campaign against the war in Chechnya to draw a response from citizens across Russia and from the Russian leadership," said centre's director Yuriy Samodurov. More information in Russian...
November 21-22, Moscow
Several Russian NGO's take part in the Kremlin-sponsored congress called Civil Forum. The congress was initiated by several Kremlin-connected groups, including the Public Opinion Fund and Effective Policy Fund, as well as the recently formed Media Soyuz and about 250 regional NGOs. According to Sergei Markov, head of the organizing committee and director of the Institute for Political Studies, "the president is interested in how social organizations live all over Russia, not just in the 500 people that have monopolized Western grants." More information...
November 26 - 27, Strasbourg
No peace without justice: a seminar on human rights in Chechnya is organised by Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Alvaro Gil-Robles, on 26 and 27 November, in Strasbourg.The seminar will bring together senior representatives of the Russian federal authorities (the Office of the Procurator General), the local Chechen authorities, Russian and Chechen NGOs, Vladimir Kalamanov, the Russian President's Special Representative for Human Rights in Chechnya, etc.
The participants will look at the protection of the local community against abuses by the federal armed forces and extremists, and the need to strengthen the role of the judiciary, in order to ensure that all those guilty of human rights violations are actually prosecuted and punished. They will also examine the various proposed stages in the economic and social reconstruction of Chechnya, so that the thousands of people who fled the republic can return home.
For any further information, please contact the Council of Europe Press Service Unit or the Commissioner's Office:
Caroline Ravaud, tel. : +33/(0)3 88 41 23 27, e-mail:Caroline.Ravaud@coe.int
Alexandre Guessel, tel. : +33/(0)3 90 21 50 41, e-mail:Alexandre.Guessel@coe.int
November 28-29, Strasbourg
Second consultation on a political solution to the conflict in Chechnya. For the second time, the Assembly's Joint Working Group on Chechnya has invited Chechen representatives to Strasbourg to discuss concrete steps to be taken to move closer to a political solution to the conflict.
For any further information, please see the website of
Council of Europe or contact Michaela Catalano:
tel. : +33/(0)3 88 41 25 95, e-mail:micaela.catalano@coe.int
Compiled by Prague Watchdog
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