FSB IN ACTION IN CHECHNYA?

Publication: North Caucasus Weekly Volume: 3 Issue: 34

According to a report appearing in the November 5 issue of the Prague Watchdog, on October 25, four camps for Chechen IDPs located on the territory of Ingushetia–the Satsita, Bela, Alina and Sputnik camps–“were encircled by a large number of Russian soldiers. Federal servicemen started to settle around the perimeter of the four camps and set up checkpoints. Armed soldiers of the Interior Ministry forces started walking around the territory of the camps and firing flares in the night. According to the refugees, Russian servicemen and local policemen tried to carry out a sweep in the camps.” On November 3, a protest meeting of IDPs took place between the Satsita and Alina camps. Approximately 200 Chechen women from the four camps demonstrated with signs, demanding the removal of the checkpoints from the vicinity of the camps. “A refugee camp is no garrison. Leave!” read one sign. On the morning of October 29, unidentified armed men wearing camouflage uniforms and black masks abducted Adam Arsamikov, age 43, the warden of one of the Karabulak IDP camps. “Ingush police officers believe the abduction was carried out by the [pro-Moscow] FSB of the Chechen Republic” (Prima News Agency, October 30).