Latest North Caucasus Weekly Articles
Newspaper Describes How Chechen Officials Get Compensation Payment Kickbacks
Gazeta on February 7 described how Chechen officials have been systematically extracting kickbacks from residents who received compensation payments for homes destroyed during the republic’s two wars. The newspaper reported that according to residents of the capital Grozny who have already received compensation payments, there... MORE
Russian Forces “Accidentally” Shell Chechen Village
The village of Gekhi, located in Chechnya's Urus-Martan district, was shelled by Russian artillery on January 28 after rebels attacked a military unit in a neighboring district. Prague Watchdog reported on January 29 that guerrillas attacked the unit on the outskirts Bamut, located in Achkhoi-Martan... MORE
Ingush Authorities Put Website Owner on Wanted List
On January 30, just four days after heavily-armed police in Ingushetia clashed with demonstrators attempting to hold a protest demonstration in Nazran against Murat Zyazikov, the republic's president (see below), one of the protest's organizers, Magomed Yevloev, founder and owner of the independent Ingushetiya.ru website,... MORE
Karachaevo-Cherkessia: A Small War with Big Repercussions
During the past few months, the Karachaevo-Cherkessia Republic (KCR) has remained below the mass media’s radar. In the meantime, the events unfolding in the republic illustrate a growing confrontation between the Russian authorities and the separatists. Despite the official announcements that the Karachaevo Jamaat has... MORE
The War of Words Between Zakaev and Umarov
During a recent press conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that traveling to the Chechen Republic without protection is still not feasible (RIA Novosti, January 23, 2008). This statement stands in sharp contrast with the copious cheerful statements made by the pro-Moscow Chechen leadership.... MORE
Briefs
- Chechens Unhappy Street Renamed for Russian Paratroopers According to Prague Watchdog, many residents of Chechnya are less than happy about the Grozny administration's recent decision to change the name of Ninth Line Street in the Chechen capital's Staropromyslovsky district to "84 Pskov Paratroopers Street,"... MORE
Nazran Designated a “Counter-Terrorist Operation Zone”
On January 25, just a day before the riot police clashed with demonstrators in Nazran, the Ingushetia branch of the Federal Security Service (FSB) declared several areas inside the republic a “counter-terrorist operation zone.” Prague Watchdog reported on January 25 that the cities of Nazran... MORE
Clarity in the Chechen Resistance
*************************************************************************************************************************** Editor's Note: Chechnya Weekly does not usually run opinion pieces, but we thought the observations of Chechnya Peace Forum Director Ivar Amundsen would contribute to readers' understanding of the splits that have emerged within the Chechen resistance movement. The views expressed in Mr. Amundsen's... MORE
The Kremlin Clings to Zyazikov
Despite the fact that it is winter, rebel attacks in the Caucasian republic of Ingushetia have intensified. It would be no exaggeration to say that attacks on policemen and local officials occur every day. At the same time, the Ingush authorities, especially the republican president... MORE
Chechnya’s Exodus to Europe
A sternly worded statement made by the Austrian radical right-wing politician Jorg Haider served as yet another reminder to the world that the Chechen refugee problem remains acute (Gazeta.ru, January 12). Every day dozens of Chechens try to escape the Putin-proclaimed happy paradise in Chechnya... MORE