Chechnya: The week in brief: 01 - 07 Apr 2002

Summary of the main news related to the conflict in Chechnya. Compiled by Prague Watchdog.

Monday, April 1

No major events.

Tuesday, April 2

Pro-Moscow Chechen leadership announced they had set up news agency "Grozny-Inform", which should provide "objective information about the situation in the republic". The agency, which has 11 staff led by Aslanbek Batalov but neither headquarters, nor equipment, should provide news to both local and foreign media.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned a US diplomat to protest against the launch of US Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty broatcasts to North Caucasus in the Chechen language, scheduled for April 3, which according to Russians can hinder stabilisation in the region.

Wednesday, April 3

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty launched broatcasts to North Caucasus in Russian and three local languages (Avar, Chechen, and Circassian) from its Prague-based facility.

Thursday, April 4

Russian presidential spokesman on Chechnya, Sergei Yastrzhembski, said that the first programmes of RFE/RL's broadcast to North Caucasus were one-sided, as it was expected.

The pro-Moscow Chechen government decided to set up a governmental commission that will organise a two-day census in the Chechen Republic in October 2002, to coincide with the October 9-16 census in the Russian Federation.

Friday, April 5

Mediasoyuz, a Russian professional association of media workers, adopted a programme of assistance to the media of the Chechen Republic, which will include seminars and conferences for Chechen journalists, direct information and technical assistance and long-term stays in major Russian media.

Saturday, April 6

The Ingush election committee removed Khamzat Gutseriyev, the hottest favourite, from the list of candidates in the April 7 presidential elections in Ingushetia, after the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation cancelled Gutseriyev's registration.

Sunday, April 7

Alikhan Amirkhanov, Ingush deputy to the Russian State Duma, and Murat Zyazikov, former Deputy of the Russian President's Plenipotentiary in the Southern Federal Region, passed to the second round of the presidential elections in Ingushetia, receiving some 32 % and 19 % of votes, respectively, according to preliminary results.