Chechen children need psychological assistance December 22, 2003 18:39 Although the war action made everyone suffer, the most vulnerable section of the population - children - appear to be the hardest hit.
Unknown individuals shot down policemen in Grozny December 22, 2003 18:17 According to the Interior Ministry, unknown individuals fired automatic weapons at the policemen in the Zavodskoy district of the city at 7:05 p.m. Moscow time last Sunday. An Interior Ministry operations major and his partner, a sergeant of the police force, were killed on duty.
26-year-old woman hostage released in Chechnya December 22, 2003 18:10 The hostage, Oksana Bolshakova, was released in the course of the militia operation in the village of Shaami-Yurt. The woman was kidnapped in February 2003 in Budyonnovsk , Stavropol Territory and then taken to Kizlyar, Dagestan.
OLK leader: unpleasant surprises expect Armenian servicemen who intend to come to Baku December 22, 2003 17:33 "But the responsibility will rest with the Azerbaijan authorities that agreed on the arrival of the hostile country's servicemen," stated Akif Nagi.
Refugees in Pankisi Gorge area fear of provocations from Russian special services December 22, 2003 16:12 According to chairman of the Chechen International Human Rights Committee Aslanbek Abdurzakov, in difficult periods of the Georgian-Russian relations, the theme of the Pankisi Gorge always emerges as one of the means to either destabilize a situation in Georgia or put pressure upon it.
Workers engaged in construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Jeikhan oil pipeline are on strike in Georgia December 22, 2003 15:35 Due to the action, construction works are ceased in the towns of Rustavi and Marneuli, which are mainly populated by Azerbaijanians.
Konstantin Zatulin: "Turkey should really take into account the fair demand of the descendants of Genocide victims to compensate their damage" December 22, 2003 12:06 The fact that the Swiss Parliament joined the countries that recognized the Armenian Genocide in the beginning of the XX century in the Ottoman Empire is a victory of both Armenians and the Armenian Diaspora world wide and of all the human beings knowing the history.
Bombing attack on possible shelter of rebel group in Dagestan December 22, 2003 11:35 Results of the action are unknown yet. On December 22, at daybreak, federal forces resumed their search for rebels.
Regional operations headquarters perverted true reasons of death of two Chechen teenagers December 20, 2003 18:28 On December 11, 2003, some information agencies reported that two teenagers, residents of the village of Prigorodnoye, were killed while placing a landmine. Members of the Human Rights Center "Memorial" have conducted their own investigation and ascertained the real circumstances of the young boys' death, which completely contradict the version of the regional operations headquarters.
PACE to debate about problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan at January session December 20, 2003 17:14 Despite the fact that the Azerbaijan leadership unambiguously deny the presence of political prisoners in the county, the international community, particularly the Council of Europe, view this matter from a diametrically opposite prospective.
Georgian authorities deny visa to Radio Liberty correspondent Andrey Babitsky December 20, 2003 16:20 As the journalist himself reported, he applied to the Georgian Consulate in Vienna on behalf of the radio station last Friday, December 19, asking to grant him a visa to cover the presidential election in the republic. Consulate officials assured him the procedure was purely formal and the question would be settled soon.
Akhmed Zakayev: Russian oil blinds West to Chechen issue December 20, 2003 14:08 "The West is flirting with Putin and this of course is linked to its need for Russia's energy resources," Akhmed Zakayev said. "This is clearly pragmatism but in this case it is criminal pragmatism, in fact a form of racism. Chechnya is part of Europe but where else in Europe would the West allow such human rights abuses to go on for such a long time?"
Two thirds of people in Chechnya consider compensations for lost housing to be distributed by unscrupulous people, according to closed survey December 19, 2003 18:52 In the village of Goy-Chu (former Komsomolskoye), which was completely destroyed during the second Chechen war, 68% of respondents said they had to "share" their compensatory money with functionaries, and 33.5% gave them a half of the sum they received.
Partly Free Country status given to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova December 19, 2003 16:34 Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are those post-Soviet countries that are given Not Free Country status in the report "Freedom in the World 2003" prepared by the Freedom House human rights organization.
Calls to launch criminal case against Eduard Shevardnadze made in Georgia December 19, 2003 16:08 The All-Georgian Association for the Defense of Human Rights is demanding that a criminal case be initiated against former Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze.
"Products in Exchange for Work" humanitarian program carried out in Chechnya December 19, 2003 14:25 The program is carried out by the Czech charitable organization "Man in Trouble".
Chechen NGOs elected coordinating council December 19, 2003 14:01 The first republican meeting of Chechen non-government organizations (NGOs) took place in Grozny on December 10.
Chechen Government promises workplaces to displaced persons December 19, 2003 13:20 A consultation was held at the Government House in Grozny on December 16. President of Chechnya Akhmad Kadyrov, Russia's Minister for Chechnya Stanislav Ilyasov, the representative of the South Federal District Mr. Korobeynikov, and heads of Chechen ministries and departments took part in it.
New Year gifts for orphan children in Achkhoy-Martan district December 19, 2003 12:46 This act of charity is initiated by the Civilization regional public charitable foundation.
Ali Gasanov: "Azerbaijan does not need recommendations by Reporters Without Borders" December 19, 2003 12:44 According to the head of the president's public and political office, Azerbaijan has not met only two obligations in the field of information and press undertaken by the country to the Council of Europe. The country is expected to meet them by the end of the current year.