CHECHNYA LINKS LIBRARY

Violations of journalists' rights in Chechnya – January 2003

Monitoring press violations and conflicts connected to media coverage of the events in the territory of the Chechen Republic in January 2003

Compiled by the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations. Translated by Prague Watchdog.

January 2

Chechen satirical newspaper Suturbi, named after a popular comic, has re-entered the market. Headed by renowned journalist Alavdi Shakhmurzayev, this paper is now published in three languages: Russian, Chechen and Ingush. The first issue focused on Shita Edisultanov, a Chechen actor who died last year, and introduced poetry and satirical stories by Shakhid Rashidov. The editorial staff also includes well-known satirist Khozh-Baudi Israilov, whose caricatures appeared in the first issue. The staff hopes that Suturbi will bring some much needed distraction and enjoyment into the lives of their readers

January 4

According to a recent announcement, eleven district newspapers in Chechnya will be replaced by four inter-district periodicals starting early this year. This change is connected to the reorganization of the Moscow-backed Mass Media Ministry of the Chechen Republic. Akhmed Barzanukayev, editor-in-chief of Argun-based newspaper Orga, states that he will carry coverage of Argun and the Shalinski and Vedenski districts; while Gums will be distributed in the Gudermesski, Kurchaloyevski and Nozhay-Yurtovski districts. About 15,000 to 20,000 copies are expected to be issued three times a week, free of charge.

January 7

Russian border guards at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow denied entry to Guenter Wallraff, a German journalist. He arrived with two human rights defenders, Norbert Blum and Rupert Neudeck, who came to Russia to collect information about human rights in Chechnya. An officer told Wallraff that he had orders to void his tourist visa because he should have had one as a journalist. Although Neudeck and Blum were allowed to enter, all three men returned to Germany. Back in Frankfurt, Wallraff described the treatment by the Russian special services as “rude and aggressive”. His colleagues believe that the incident was caused by an article he wrote about Chechnya in which he sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Spanish El Pais noted distrust of foreigners is flourishing among Russian state officials and bureaucrats who are still judging the world based on the cold war, and thus see spies everywhere.” The newspaper also mentioned the suspension of activities of the OSCE in Chechnya and the United States Peace Corps in Russia. Berliner Zeitung reported that the incident with Wallraff would have diplomatic repercussions. However, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has offered to assist Wallraff, Blum and Neudeck in gaining entry into Russia.

January 8

Following the structural reorganization in the Moscow-backed Mass Media Ministry of the Chechen Republic, the Vesti Groznogo newspaper changed its name to Stolitsa and will now provide coverage for Grozny and its suburbs three times a week.

January 8

One of the articles published in The Wall Street Journal stated that Russian authorities strengthened their efforts to control information disseminated about the situation in Chechnya. Considering how crucial the Chechen problem is from the perspective of Putin’s political future, information about the war is of key importance to the Russian president, the paper wrote. The article went on to say that in the past three years, Russian special services have turned Chechnya, and now Ingushetia, into a ghetto, inaccessible to everyone, with the exception of several journalists whose activities are strictly monitored. However, those who have written critical reports about the actions of the federal soldiers are usually not allowed entry. Yet those who do get in are burdened with numerous bureaucratic restrictions, including mandatory military escorts.

January 8

The body of well-known Internet journalist Vladimir Sukhomlin was recently found in Moscow. Sukhomlin, 23, was kidnapped on January 4, taken to the suburbs and brutally tortured. Many hot tips and leads led to the arrest of his killers, who turned out to be members of the police force. Sukhomlin was one of the founders of the Internet website “Military-Historical Forum;” and in 1996 he founded the Serbija.ru and Chechnya.ru sites. His colleagues suspect that “somebody from the Chechen Republic” might also be involved in his death.

January 10 - 31

Tatyana Seledtsova, head of the Russian Press Ministry’s department for the Southern Federal District, announced that the press in Chechnya began publishing material related to the upcoming March referendum on the Chechen constitution. As of January 1, Chechnya’s 50 registered media outlets included 25 printed and 24 electronic periodicals, and an information agency, Grozny-inform. From this number, various government bodies founded 19 outlets, municipalities 5 outlets, and the remaining 26 outlets are non-governmental. Seledtsova pointed out that the peace process in Chechnya is also closely monitored by periodicals like Daimokhk, Vesti respubliki, and Marsho. However, there are others trying to win readership by criticizing the ineffective policy of protecting human rights of local citizens. The Chechen Mass Media Ministry is concerned that some district and municipal newspapers fail to give sufficient information about the lives of the people in their regions.

At the end of last year, the government-run newspaper Vesti respubliki published a draft of the Constitution; in January this document appeared in a new periodical called Vozrozhdeniye respubliki. Information about the new Constitution is provided in district newspapers and leaflets that are distributed throughout villages, markets, and educational and health facilities. On January 31, a special issue of Daimokhk (Fatherland), in the Chechen language, published a draft of the Constitution as well as the Act on Elections of Executive and Legislative Power. Daimokh’s editor-in-chief, Luisa Satuyeva, assured the public that issues would be distributed throughout the entire country. Translation of the documents will help Chechens understand the issues in greater depth; and they are invited to send suggestions to the paper’s editorial department pertaining to legislative amendments

January 11

Irek Murtazin, Chairman of the State Broadcasting Company of Tatarstan, was forced to leave his job after the siege of the Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow last year. A live program that Murtanzin aired on the day of the terrorist attack caused his removal. He was accused of being a terrorist sympathizer and supporter of extremist ideas. However, Murtazin told Radio Svoboda that he was only trying to find answers to questions like: What is the primary cause of these events? Are they a consequence of the continuing war in Chechnya? How can the eruption of Islamophobia be prevented? He added that several days later, excerpts from the radio program reached “some very high places;” yet he claims that the prosecution’s investigation found no grounds for civil irresponsibility. Nevertheless, Murtazin believes that his removal was caused by the fact that Chechnya irritates President Putin and his select circle.

January 13

Viktor Kazantsev, Russian presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District congratulated journalists on the 300th anniversary of the Russian press. He stated that “Thanks to the mass media, citizens have become aware that the countries in the south of Russia need a new philosophy to help develop peaceful ideas, good neighborly relations and mutual cooperation.” Kazantsev believes that the main objectives are to “strengthen this group, make every effort to attain decent living standards, and ensure full implementation of human rights.”

January 16

Presidential aide Sergei Yastrzhembski denounced the use of the mass media by Akhmad Kadyrov, head of the Moscow-backed administration of Chechnya, and Prime Minister Mikhail Babich, to publicly carry on their argument regarding the appointment of the Chechen Finance Minister.

January 17

Oleg Panfilov, Director of the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations, said on Radio Svoboda that he had requested an explanation from Aleksander Gurov, Chairman of the Security Committee of the Russian State Duma, regarding his letter to Gennadiy Selznev, Speaker of the Russian State Duma, in which he claimed that the Center is preparing an “anti-Russian event” under the auspices of the OSCE. This “event” referred to a round table seminar for journalists who were to take part in an educational program. According to Panfilov’s statement, he prepared the seminar at the suggestion of Freimut Duve, OSCE’s representative on Freedom of the Media. But after it was introduced at their Permanent Council, the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry insisted that Duve’s office discontinue its involvement in the project. According to Panfilov, the aim was to gather together a round table of Chechen, Russian and foreign journalists, and conduct an educational seminar on how to prepare a new platform for Chechen journalism. Panfilov affirmed that the Center is not involved in any anti-Russian activities.

January 17 – 19

The regional operative office (ROO) for counter-terrorist operations in the North Caucasus announced that “Chechen extremists and international terrorists are seeking new possibilities to enhance their information and propagandist influence.” According to information of the Russian police, a new site in the Japanese language dealing with the “activities of Chechen extremists” has appeared on the Internet. The office believes that the site is run by Watanabe Chiaki, living in Japan, who has close relations with Mairbek Tsutsayev (a.k.a. Taramov), the editor of a similar site living in Azerbaijan. Russian special services announced that the activities of the Japanese Internet site “led a number of people from Japan to the ranks of the Chechen fighters.” They also claim that a Japanese citizen named Minami Hirosi is a member of the troops headed by the Chechen field commander Ruslan Gelayev.

On January 19, the Japanese on-line issue of Chechen Watch published a statement by the journalist Kosuke Tsuneoka, who refuted ROO’s allegations about him and said he had never concealed his plans to visit Chechnya in order to inform about the events there. Russian media, however, stated that Tsuneoka illegally crossed borders to Chechnya in 2000 and 2001 from the territory of Georgia. Tsuneoka was in Georgia at that time, accompanying the troops of Ruslan Gelayev solely as a journalist. He said that the Russian media “rudely wants to drive the world community’s attention from the violations of human rights and mass killings committed by the Russian army in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.”

The editor of the ChechenWatch on-line Watanabe Chiaki expressed his “gratitude to the Russian colleagues” as the number of visitors of the site tripled after an announcement about ChechenWatch in Russian media.

January 19

The Chechen military and political coalition called “Nochkho” founded a new periodical of the same name. The first issue (4 sheets, 3,000 copies) is devoted entirely to the “peaceful resolution of the Russian-Chechen military conflict.”

January 20 - 28

Ilya Shabalkin, the official representative of the regional operative office (ROO) for counter-terrorist operations in North Caucasus, stated that the ideology of Chechen separatist Movdali Udugov includes seeking new on-line sources. According to him, Udugov is looking for contacts in the Ukraine, Poland, Turkey, Denmark and the Baltic states, and plans to register the Turk Tekom Company in Turkey, which would provide website services for Chechen fighters. Shabalkin added that Sarunas Broga, a Lithuanian, is assisting Udugov. Russian special services state that separatist material is distributed in Georgia by Khasan Israpilov (a.k.a. Visami Tutuyev), who is supported by Zviyad Pochkhuya, the editor of one of Georgia’s newspapers. According to ROO’s information, a number of on-line or other NGOs from the USA, Great Britain, and Malaysia, who provide services to the Chechen separatists, officially broke off relations with them.

On January 28, Zviyad Pochkhua, editor of the Georgian newspaper, Tribuna, refused to accept the accusation that his newspaper disseminates information at the request of Chechen separatist leaders. He says that Tribuna publishes material, within the norms of freedom of speech, obtained through contacts and interviews with leaders of the Chechen formations; and that the rebels also have the right to express their point of view. Tribuna pointed out that during the Abkhaz war, the Russian media issued regular reports about the actions of Abkhaz separatists and no one viewed any of this as supporting the terrorists.

January 20

The first issue of the thrice-weekly youth newspaper Molodaya smena was published in Chechnya. “The paper will focus on youths and students,” said Aleksey Vasin, advisor to the Chechen Prime Minister. But it will also write about the scheduled March referendum on the Constitution.

January 20

In connection with reports about new possible terrorist acts in Moscow, Abdul-Khakim Sultygov, special Russian presidential representative for the observance of human rights and liberties in Chechnya, appealed to the mass media not to provoke anxiety. He criticized certain media members who had alleged that the Moscow chief of police issued a secret order in response to a risk of new terrorist acts in the capital, that protective measures in the city had been strengthened, and that police are checking all Chechens living in Moscow. Sultygov noted that Moscow’s police called all this a lie. “Journalists and the mass media do not understand that extremists use terrorist information to alarm the public,” said Sultygov. He added that “extremists learn how to conduct a technological war by giving out information via various human rights organizations or through the Internet and, unfortunately, the media buys it.” He called upon the Russian media to exercise caution and responsibility when assessing information on terrorism and Chechnya’s situation.

January 21 - 31

Galina Borisovna, a representative of Mastak.ru (a website provider), said that starting January 24, on-line sources of the Chechen Committee of National Salvation (ChCNS) and the Committee of Non-governmental Organizations (CNO) will be shut down. “Our company has always tried to remain outside of politics, and your websites express anti-Russian attitudes, which pose serious obstacles to our work.” ChCNS’s pages were placed in January 2002, and the CNO site the following September. ChCNS’s Chairman Ruslan Badalov denied an “anti-Russian attitude” in the organization’s activities. “In doing our work, we have never engaged in anything of this sort and have always conveyed the truth about events.” According to him, not one ChCNS statement or document included a single word against Russia. On the contrary, the Committee brought unknown information to the Russian public. Badalov is convinced that Mustak.ru’s management was pressured by Russian special services to close down the site; that this is “just one small factor in blocking information about the ongoing terror and violence committed by Russian soldiers against vulnerable civilians in the Chechen Republic.”

On January 23, representatives of various organizations issued a joint statement to explain that the activities of their organizations are not aimed against Russia, but against the war. The statement was signed by the chairman of the ChCNS Ruslan Badalov, the head of the cultural center of Lam Zuleykhan Bagalova, chairwoman of the public organization Echo of War Zaynap Gashayeva, chairwoman of the Union of Women of Chechnya Libkhan Bazayeva, and chairwoman of the public organization Mothers of Chechnya for Peace Madina Magomadova. The authors of this document believe that the “criminal and dirty war” can only be terminated by providing truthful information about events in Chechnya. They consider present events as an action targeted against the human rights movement, and appeal to the Russian and international community to pay serious attention to the “despotism applied to human rights organizations, which may be followed by even crueler and more oppressive measures”.

On January 31, Olivier Dupuis, European Parliament member and Secretary of the Trans-national Radical Party submitted a request to the European Commission regarding the website closure of the Committee of Non-governmental Organizations of Chechnya. He believes this decision constitutes a breach in the rights of free information for Russians and Chechens. Dupuis called this “another attack on the fundamental freedoms and rights of citizens, and violation of international obligations of the Russian Federation.” Dupuis noted that the decision to shut down the site “facilitates further strengthening of media censorship in connection with numerous abuses committed by Russian soldiers and semi-military forces in Chechnya.”

January 23

The Khankala military base in Chechnya began issuing additional copies of the Russian Defense Ministry’s periodical Krasnaya zvezda. This material will be transmitted via satellite using the Russian Technical Information Channel, and then published and distributed at the same time as it is in Moscow. Soldiers in Khankala and other military bases near Grozny can now receive the paper between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. This is possible due to an automated printing set called “Journalist,” with an output of 10,000 to 12,000 copies an hour.

January 23

A new periodical, the republican Vozrozhdenie Chechni was issued in Chechnya. According to the deputy editor-in-chief Khasan Gapurayev, 15,000 copies of the newspaper will be published three times a week.

January 23

Radio station Chechnya svobodnaya informed listeners that early this year, in Stavropol, the Chairman of the Chechen State Broadcasting Company Beslan Khaladov received new computer equipment for the company. The set, worth at 1,200,000 rubles, was purchased with funds collected by 60 regional TV companies and actively supported by the State Broadcasting Company. At the ceremony marking this event, broadcasting representatives stressed that the purchase of modern equipment reflects positive changes in the Republic. Chechnya svobodnaya pointed out that three years ago, when TV “revival” in Chechnya began, all they had was one camera; whereas today the station is one of the best equipped technologically in the south of Russia. And this will enable the Chechen staff to implement new technical approaches in TV broadcasting, which will help facilitate their competitiveness and help launch new TV programs. At present, Chechen TV broadcasts a few Russian channels and relays local informational and entertainment programs twice a day on the RTR channel. The refurbishment schedule will be in several stages; and new equipment from Moscow is expected to arrive shortly in Chechnya.

January 24

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) launched the first issue of a new newspaper called Vmeste (Aset Mishiyeva, 1,000 copies). The newspaper will be published in Ingushetia and Chechnya. The first issue is almost completely devoted to IRC’s work with refugees.

January 28

The Social Insurance Fund of the Chechen Republic filed charges against Vesti respubliki in connection with an article published in December 2002 that accused the Fund’s staff of accepting bribes. The article claimed that the people responsible for arranging summer camps for children took bribes from their parents. The dispute is being investigated by the Leninski district court in Grozny, said one of the defendants, Adlan Sagaipov, deputy chief editor of Stolitsa plus. Meanwhile, publication of Vesti respubliki was discontinued as a result of the structural reorganization of the Chechen Mass Media Ministry and has been replaced by Stolitsa.

January 29

Russian journalistAnna Politkovskaya was interviewed in Berlin by Tagesspiegel on her new book about Chechnya and said that the West does nothing to terminate the war in Chechnya. “Europeans should force Putin to conclude peace.” In her opinion, only one law – the law of war, governs Chechnya. Politkovskaya believes that the West has been closing its eyes for more than three years to what is happening to human rights in Chechnya.

January 30

Ilya Shabalkin, official representative of the regional operational office for the management of anti-terrorist operations in North Caucasus, sharply criticized the Chechen inter-district newspaper Marsho. He said it had published several articles with unfair allegations about him and also misquoted him. Shabalkin said he was ready to “clear this up” with the editor of Marsho. Aslanbek Batalov, director of Grozny-inform, interviewed Shabalkin and assessed his statement as an attempt to restrict freedom of speech in Chechnya. “Nevertheless, we will continue publishing facts as they are.” Batalov claims that the Deputy Press and Information Minister of Russia agreed to fully support freedom of the press in Chechnya.

January 31

Ruslan Badalov, Chairman of the Chechen Committee of National Salvation stated his intention to file charges against Trud based on the article, “A Long Way Home,” published this past January. Badalov thinks that the author, Vladimir Yanchekov, used words allegedly uttered by Larisa Khadizova, a refugee from Grozny, to spread gossip and discredit him as a human rights defender. Badalov claims that Khadizova never said: “Yesterday Ruslan Badalov, Chairman of the Chechen Committee of National Salvation came to visit; he and his people set up a photo exhibit in the camp which was horrible to look at: pictures of corpses, and badly beaten, and bloodied bodies. We were told that this awaits everyone who returns to Chechnya; that there is no humanitarian aid there, and no work; you’ll die of hunger.” Badalov said that he personally spoke with Khadizova and she denied saying any of this. Badalov is seeking $50,000 compensation from the newspaper; and attorney Abdul Khamzayev agreed to represent him.