Russian news agencies reported on May 1 that Magomed Chakhkiev, the father-in-law of Ingushetian President Murat Zyazikov who was kidnapped on February 27, was freed. RIA Novosti quoted local law enforcement sources as saying the Chakhkiev, a deputy in Ingushetia’s parliament, had been freed as... MORE

Modern France has a long history of dealing with terrorists, whether the bomb-throwing anarchists of the late 19th century or the more sophisticated Corsicans, Basques and Islamists of the late 20th century. As the republic enters the 21st century, it finds itself grappling with an... MORE

Kommersant published an article on May 6 confirming that the Kremlin had sided with Chechen President Alu Alkhanov following the reported shoot-out between members of his security service and members of security forces loyal to Chechen Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov (see Chechnya Weekly, May 4).... MORE

Ramzan Kadyrov has repeated his claim that the assassination of his father was financed from abroad. "Yes, I believe this terrorist act was paid for from abroad, those who carried out the attack have already been punished, and the same fate awaits those who ordered... MORE

The family of the late Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov has requested political asylum in Finland. The Associated Press on May 9 quoted officials in the office of Finnish President Tarja Halonen as confirming that it had received a letter from Maskhadov's widow, Kusama, their... MORE

A Russian jury on May 5 acquitted two Chechen men, Kazbek Dukuzov and Musa Vakhaev, who were accused of murdering Paul Klebnikov, the editor of the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, in July 2004. Prosecutors had argued that the two defendants carried out a contract... MORE

On May 10, Putin delivered his long-awaited address to the Russian Federal Assembly. A significant part of the address was a response to the last week's speech by U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney at the summit in Vilnius. Cheney criticized Putin's foreign policy, the use of... MORE

A roadside bomb detonated on the outskirts of Nazran, Ingushetia, on May 17, killing Ingushetian Deputy Interior Minister Dzhabrail Kostoev, his two bodyguards and four civilians. Kavkazky Uzel and the Associated Press reported on May 17 that the incident took place in the Nasyr-Kortovsky municipal... MORE

Newsru.com on May 17 linked to an item posted on the Ingushetiya.ru website back on November 4, 2005, two days after the murder of Zubeir Kostoev, Dhabrail Kostoev’s younger brother, providing a different – although not necessarily contradictory – explanation for the assassination of both... MORE

Interfax reported on May 17 that five servicemen were killed and another six wounded when their convoy was attacked on the outskirts on the settlement of Niki-Khita in Chechnya’s Kurchaloi district. A Chechen law enforcement source told the news agency that the convoy, consisting of... MORE