Summary of the main news related to the conflict in Chechnya. Compiled by Prague Watchdog.
Monday, August 11
No major events.
Tuesday, August 12
Chairwoman of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Lyudmila Alekseyeva, announced that the Group will monitor the election of the President of the Chechen Republic scheduled by the Kremlin for October 5. The Group will send its observers to most constituencies, Alekseyeva added.
Commemorating the first anniversary of the kidnapping of Arjan Erkel, the head of the Mission for Dagestan of the Swiss section of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) by unknown men in the Dagestani capital of Makhachkala, MSF expressed its indignation about the lack of results in his case. The United Nations and the Dutch government urged the Russian authorities to intensify their efforts to achieve his release.
Wednesday, August 13
Chechnya's deputy in Russia's State Duma Aslanbek Aslakhanov asked the Chechen Election Commission to register him as a candidate for the post of the President of the Chechen Republic. Aslakhanov became the 15th candidate for the post.
Thursday, August 14
Salambek Maigov, the envoy of the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria to the Russian Federation, resigned his post due to the Kremlin's unwillingness to hold genuine talks with the Chechen resistance movement as well as due to Aslan Maskhadov's criticism of his work. Maigov was appointed to the post by Maskhadov on February 3, 2003.
All tent refugee camps in Ingushetia will be dismantled by October 1 and their inhabitants, who now number 9,500, will be provided with housing either in Chechnya or in Ingushetia, Moscow-backed Premier of the Chechen Republic Anatoly Popov told a news conference in Moscow.
Ruslan Chasbulatov, former speaker of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation, told Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that he eventually decided not to take part in the election of the President of the Chechen Republic because in his opinion the current situation in Chechnya does not provide conditions for democratic and free elections.
Friday, August 15
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) protested against the "unacceptable treatment" of displaced Chechens who have been forcibly moved by Ingush policemen from Ingushetia's Askanovskie Garazhi temporary settlement to the Bella camp, from which they were evicted recently.
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