News

March 12, 2004 16:46

• Refugees from Sputnik camp refuse to return to Chechnya

  Another deadline for dismantling the Sputnik refugee camp in Ingushetia expired on March 10; but unsurprisingly, only 20 families left the camp.

March 12, 2004 16:25

• Assassination attempts on 2 Chechen officials

  An assassination attempt on the Chechen Deputy Interior Minister Sultan Saduyev and Deputy Justice Minister Mussa Yevsultanov was made in Grozny.

March 12, 2004 15:57

• About 150 refugee families plan to return to Chechnya from Ingushetia

  Meanwhile, Moscow Helsinki Group chairwoman Lyudmila Alekseyeva said "refugees are being forced to return to Chechnya from Ingushetia."

March 12, 2004 15:46

• No evidence of authorities' involvement in abduction of Arian Erkel

  Ali Temirbekov, press secretary of the republican prosecutor's office, announced it.

March 12, 2004 15:32

• OSCE urges Georgia to cooperate with human rights agencies

  According to Christian Strohal, Director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) official Tbilisi should use the possibility it has due to the "Rose Revolution" to establish contacts between "the electors and the elected".

March 12, 2004 15:14

• Abkhazian side releases Georgian woodcutters after four months of detention

  By its decision, the Sukhumi Court set the detainees free from the courtroom because it saw no crime in their actions.

March 12, 2004 14:44

• Unknown assailants abduct Chechen refugee in Ingushetia

  In the afternoon of March 10, armed men in military camouflage abducted 19-year-old Bislan Dokuyev from the Satsita refugee camp, located near Ordzhonikidzevskaya, Ingushetia.

March 11, 2004 23:43

• Memorial: Magomed Khambiyev compelled to surrender by taking hostages

  Mass detentions of relatives of Umar and Magomed Khambiyevs, who had occupied high positions in Aslan Maskhadov's government earlier, started on February 29 in the villages of Meskety, Benoy, and Turty-Khutor.

March 11, 2004 21:46

• Competent observers to control presidential election in Stavropol

  The round table discussion "The Institution of Observation at the Elections: Purposes, Tasks, and Outlook" was held in Stavropol on March 5.

March 11, 2004 17:38

• Ryazan Human Rights Coalition carries out action against war in Chechnya

  The first stage of the "How Much?" campaign was a large-scale action to post leaflets; the next stage will be the distribution of application forms among Ryazan residents with argued requests to government bodies about losses among Russian servicemen and financial expenditure on military operations.

March 11, 2004 17:01

• Krasnodar NGO Guild of Journalists and PR Specialists completes Press and Society project

  The main task of the project was to stimulate interest of journalists, both professionals and students, to the activity of non-government organizations (NGOs), to form skills in working with them.

March 11, 2004 15:17

• International conference "Abkhazia in the Context of Modern International Relations" to take place in republic

  Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergey Shamba received a member of the British NGO Conciliation Resources, Caucasus Program Manager Jonathan Cohen. They discussed projects carried out by the organization together with local NGOs.

March 11, 2004 14:53

• Ramzan Kadyrov reports on liquidation of rebel commander in Chechnya

  An armed clash with an illegal armed group took place between the villages of Shuani and Yalkhoi-Mokhk in the Kurchaloy district. Six rebels were killed and another four injured. Aslan Gazuyev, commander of the Riada-as-Salikhin rebel group, was killed as well.

March 11, 2004 14:46

• Chechen National Rescue Committee accuses Russian authorities of forcing Chechen refugees out

  "Establishing, unfortunately, the inability of the international community to stop the war and thereby end the tragedy of the Chechen people, the Chechen National Rescue Committee calls upon the international community once again to stop at least high-handedness towards Chechen refugees," reads the statement by the organization.

March 11, 2004 14:18

• Armenian NGOs censure politicians for statements towards Azerbaijan people

  The Yerevan Press Club, the Armenian Helsinki Committee, the Civil Society Institute, and the Caucasian Center for Peacemaking Initiatives issued a joint statement on the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian by an Azerbaijan serviceman in Budapest.

March 11, 2004 11:58

• International aid agency accuses Russian authorities of being involved in kidnapping of its employee

  The head of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Jean-Herve Bradol, said his kidnapping was aimed at "silencing those criticising conditions in Chechnya".

March 10, 2004 22:29

• Film about Mikhail Trepashkin to be presented in Moscow

  The 15-minute documentary about Mikhail Trepashkin A Hero of Our Time" will be presented at the Central House of Journalists in Moscow on March 11.

March 10, 2004 22:16

• Armenian National Press Club: authorities fear freedom of speech

  "On March 4, the government officially ratified a model procedure for journalists' obtaining accreditation at the offices of state, finally revealing the fear and even terror that the present regime feels towards free speech," reads a statement by the National Press Club.

March 10, 2004 18:25

• Media freedom NGO deplores attack on Georgian journalist

  "We call on Ajarian authorities to actively investigate this vicious attack against Komakhidze and to bring those responsible to justice," said Ann Cooper, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

March 10, 2004 17:46

• Power supply to temporary accommodation center for refugees Angusht resumed

  The supply of electric power to the camp for Chechen refugees Angusht, situated in Nazran, was resumed several days ago, after almost a two-week break.