| Second Chechen War |
Article Index for Second |
Website Links For Second |
Information AboutSecond Chechen War |
The Second Chechen War is a Military Campaign conducted by Russia starting August 26 1999 , in which Russian forces largely recaptured the Separatist region of Chechnya . {Link without Title} The Second Chechen War was officially started in retaliation of the Dagestan War and Russian Apartment Bombings . The campaign largely reversed the outcome of the First Chechen War , in which the region gained '' De Facto '' Independence as the Chechen Republic Of Ichkeria . Although it is regarded by many as an internal conflict within the Russian Federation, the war has attracted a significant amount of foreign fighters. The war bolstered the domestic popularity of Vladimir Putin , who launched the military campaign one month after becoming Russian Prime Minister . However, the war eventually became less popular; according to a 2007 poll 70 percent of Russians believe there should be negotiations with the separatists, and only 16 percent believe the military campaign should continue. The conflict greatly contributed to the deep changes in the Russian politics and society.[http://economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9254176 During the initial campaign, Russian Military and pro-Russian Chechen Paramilitary faced Chechen separatists in open combat, but eventually seized the Chechen Capital of Grozny in 2000 after a winter Siege . After the full-scale Offensive , Chechen Guerrilla Resistance throughout the North Caucasus region continued to inflict heavy Russian casualties and challenge Russian political control over Chechnya for several more years. Chechen separatists also carried out attacks against Civilians in Russia, such as notably taking Hostages inside a Moscow Theater in 2002 and later doing so in a School In Beslan , North Ossetia in 2004. These Terrorist Attacks , as well as widespread Human Rights violations by Russian and separatist forces drew international condemnation. The exact Death Toll from this conflict is unknown, yet estimates range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands dead or missing, mostly civilians in Chechnya. No clear figures for Russian losses exist, but military deaths in two wars thought to at least equal the losses suffered during the Soviet War In Afghanistan of 15,000. {Link without Title} Meanwhile, the fortunes of the Chechen independence movement sagged, plagued by the internal disunity between Chechen moderates and Islamist radicals and the changing global political climate after September 11, 2001 , as well as the general war weariness of the Chechen population. The Russians have succeeded in installing a Pro-Moscow Chechen Regime , composed of the former separatists, and eliminating most of the more prominent Chechen separatist leaders, including former President Aslan Maskhadov and leading Warlord Shamil Basayev . By now, large-scale fighting has been replaced by low-level Skirmish ing, Hit And Run attacks and bombings targeting federal troops and forces of the regional government, with the violence often spilling over into adjacent regions. Since 2005 , the insurgency has largely shifted out of Chechnya proper and into the nearby Russian territories, such as Ingushetia and Dagestan ; the Russian Government , for its part, has focused on the stabilization of the North Caucasus . The conflict remains largely unpublicised in the West . {Link without Title} HISTORICAL BASIS OF THE CONFLICT See Also: History of Chechnya Russian Empire See Also: Caucasian War Chechnya is a region in the Northern Caucasus which has constantly fought against foreign rule, including the Ottoman Turks in the 15th Century . The Russian Terek Cossack Host was established in Lowland Chechnya in 1577 by free Cossacks who were resettled from the Volga to the Terek River . In 1783 Russia and the Georgia n kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti signed the Treaty Of Georgievsk , under which Kartl-Kakheti became a Russian protectorate. To secure communications with Georgia and other regions of the Transcaucasia , the Russian Empire began spreading its influence into the Caucasus region, starting the Caucasian War in 1817 . Russian forces first moved into Highland Chechnya in 1830 , and the conflict in the area lasted until 1859 , when a 250,000 strong army under General Baryatinsky broke down the mountaineers' resistance. However, many troops from the Annexed states of the Caucasus also fought unsuccessfully against Russia in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78 . Soviet Union Following the Russian Revolution Of 1917 , Chechens established a short-lived independent Emirate which included parts of Dagestan and Ingushetia . The Chechen state was opposed by both sides of the Russian Civil War and was crushed by Bolshevik troops in 1922 . Then, months before the creation of the Soviet Union , the Chechen Autonomous Oblast of RSFSR was established. It annexed a part of territory of the former Terek Cossack Host . Chechnya and neighbouring Ingushetia formed the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1936 . During World War II Chechens were accused by Stalin of aiding Nazi forces. In February 1944 Stalin Deported Nearly All (522,000) the Chechens and Ingushs to Kazakh SSR and Kirghiz SSR , and Siberia . Up to a quarter of these people died during the "resettlement."Robert Conquest, ''Nation Killers'', Macmillan, 1970. In 1957 after the death of Stalin, Khrushchev allowed the Chechens to return and the Chechen republic was reinstated. Although the population of the republic experienced widespread political and religious repression, the authority of the Soviet government gradually eroded. The First Chechen War ]] See Also: First Chechen War With the Dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 , Chechnya declared its Independence from Russia . In 1992 , Chechen and Ingush leaders signed an agreement splitting the joint Chechen-Ingush republic in two, with Ingushetia joining the Russian Federation and Chechnya remaining independent. From 1991 to 1994 , as many as 300,000 people of non-Chechen ethnicity (mostly Russians) fled the Chechen Republic and Chechnya's industrial production began failing after Russian engineers and workers were expelled. The debate over independence ultimately led to a small-scale Civil War in 1993 , in which the Russians supported the anti- Dudayev opposition forces. The First Chechen War began in 1994, when Russian forces entered Chechnya to restore constitutional order and central rule. Following nearly two years of brutal fighting and the 1996 Khasavyurt Ceasefire agreement, the defeated Russian troops were withdrawn from Chechnya. PRELUDE TO THE SECOND CHECHEN WAR Chaos in Chechnya See Also: Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Following the war, the separatist ", was rife as well. In 1998, a State Of Emergency was declared by Grozny. Russian-Chechen relations in 1996-1999 Despite Russia's early recognition of Chechnya's independence and the 1997 Moscow peace treaty, a troubled relationship developed between the two nations. The 1997 election brought to power the separatist president Aslan Maskhadov . Further tensions arose in January and February of 1999 as Maskhadov announced that Islam ic Sharia law would be introduced in Chechnya over the course of the next three years. In 1998 and 1999 President Maskhadov survived several Assassination attempts, blamed on the Russian intelligence services. In March of 1999, General Gennady Shpigun , the Kremlin 's envoy to Chechnya, was kidnapped at the airport in Grozny, and ultimately found dead in 2000. Among ordinary Russian citizens, there existed a strong perception that Chechnya was firmly a part of Russia; the notion that it might secede was implausible and unacceptable, even after events of the First Chechen War. Within the Russian government, there was a concern that allowing Chechnya substantial autonomy might lead to a , January 14 2000 (in Russian) Terrorist and border incidents On . Some claim it was Chechen Nationalists , others feel members of the Dagestani "caviar mafia" were involved; some even suspect the Russian government of this (and other) bombings as attempts to create violence and disorder and then blame the Chechens. This latter claim is of course highly controversial and no substantial proof has surfaced to support it. (See "Bombings in Russia" section below for more on this.) This note is list of hearings.--> Three people died on April 23 1997 when a bomb exploded in the Russian Railway Station of Armavir ( Krasnodar Krai ), and two on May 28 1997 , when another bomb exploded in the Russian railway station of Pyatigorsk ( Stavropol Krai ). On March 19 1999 51 people died in an explosion which occurred in the central Market of Vladikavkaz ( North Ossetia ). {Link without Title} On December 22 1997 , Central Front Of Liberation Of Caucasus And Dagestan fighters and the Chechnya-based Arab Warlord Ibn Al-Khattab Raided The Base of the 136th Motor Rifle Brigade of the Russian Army in Buynaksk , Dagestan , inflicting severe losses on the men and equipment of the unit. On April 16 1998 a Russian army convoy was ambushed in Ingushetia near the Chechen border; among the dead was a general and two Colonel s, and the local Ingush Militants were blamed. On April 7 1999 , four Russian Policemen patrolling the border were killed near Stavropol . In late May Russia announced that it was closing the Russian-Chechnya border in an attempt to combat terrorist and criminal activity; border guards were ordered to shoot suspects on sight. On June 18 1999 , seven Servicemen were killed when Russian border guard posts were attacked in Dagestan. On July 29 1999 , the Russian Interior Ministry troops destroyed a Chechen border post and captured a 800 meter-section of strategic road. On August 22 1999 10 Russian policemen were killed by an Anti-tank Mine blast in North Ossetia , and on August 9 1999 six servicemen were kidnapped in the Ossetian capital Vladikavkaz . On several occasions, Russian Special Forces raided deep inside the Chechen territory. Conflict in Dagestan See: Dagestan War In August and September of 1999, Shamil Basayev (in association with the Saudi born Khattab, Commander of the Mujahedeen) led two armies of up to 1,400 Chechen, Dagestani, Arab and Kazakh militants from Chechnya into the neighbouring Republic of Dagestan. The purpose was to help local Islamic fighters who were under attack by Russian Federation forces in the villages of Kadar , Karamakhi , and Chabanmakhi . This conflict saw the first use of aerial-delivered Fuel Air Explosive s (FAE) in populated areas, notably in the village of Tando . By mid-September 1999, the militants were routed from the villages and pushed back into Chechnya. At least several hundred people were killed in the fighting; the Federal side reported 279 servicemen killed and approximately 987 wounded. The Russian government then began a bombing campaign in southeastern Chechnya, a region which they saw as a staging area for Chechen militants. On September 23 , Russian Fighter Jet s bombed targets in and around Grozny. Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev vowed that the bombing of Chechnya would continue until "the last bandit is destroyed." {Link without Title} Bombings in Russia See Also: Russian apartment bombings 1999-2000 RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE Air war See Also: 1999 Russian bombing of Chechnya In late August and September 1999, Russia mounted a massive 1999 Russia's Ministry Of Emergency Situations admitted that 78,000 people have fled the air strikes in Chechnya; most of them were heading for Ingushetia, where they were arriving at a rate of 5,000 to 6,000 a day. As of September 22 1999 Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov said that Russian troops had surrounded Chechnya and were prepared to retake the region, but the military planners were advising against a ground invasion because of the likelihood of heavy Russian casualties. By the end of September Russian forces made repeated incursions onto Chechen soil, and had captured some territory. {Link without Title} Land war The Chechen conflict entered a new phase on October 1 1999 , when Russia's new Prime Minister Vladimir Putin declared the authority of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov and his Parliament illegitimate. At this time, Vladimir Putin announced that Russian troops would initiate a land invasion but progress only as far as the Terek River , which cuts the northern third of Chechnya off from the rest of the republic. Putin's stated intention was to take control of Chechnya's northern plain and establish a '' Cordon Sanitaire '' against further Chechen aggression; however, later recalled that the cordon alone was “pointless and technically impossible,” apparently because of Chechnya's rugged terrain. According to Russian accounts, Putin accelerated a plan for a major crackdown against Chechnya that had been drawn up months earlier. {Link without Title} The Russian army moved with ease in the wide open spaces of northern Chechnya and on , 1999 , Maskhadov outlined a peace plan offering a crackdown on renegade Warlord s; {Link without Title} the offer was rejected by the Russian side. On October 12 1999 the Russian forces crossed the Terek and began a two-pronged advance on the capital Grozny to the south. Hoping to avoid the significant casualties which plagued the first Chechen War, the Russians advanced slowly and in force, making extensive use of Artillery and Air Power in an attempt to soften Chechen defences. Many thousands of civilians fled the Russian advance, leaving Chechnya for neighbouring Russian republics. Their numbers were later estimated to reach 200,000 to 350,000, out of the approximately 800,000 residents of the Chechen Republic. The Russians appeared to be taking no chances with the Chechen population in its rear areas, setting up notorious " Filtration Camps " in October in northern Chechnya for detaining suspected members of ''bandformirovaniya'' ("bandit formations"). On within sight of Grozny, dislodging 200 entrenched Chechen fighters. After heavy fighting, Russia seized Chechen base in the village of Goragorsky , west of the city. {Link without Title} On including Red Cross workers and journalists. Two days later The Russian forces conducted a heavy artillery and rocket attack on Samashki , despite the Demilitarization of the village. {Link without Title} Reports claimed civilians were killed in Samashki in revenge for the heavy casualties suffered there by Russian forces during the first war. {Link without Title} On November 12 1999 , the Russian Flag was raised over Chechnya's second largest city, Gudermes , when local Yamadayev Brothers commanders defected to the federal side; the Russians also entered the bombed-out former Cossack village of Asinovskaya . Two days later, 30 Russian solders were killed during a Chechen Counterattack on the outskirts of the village of Kulary ; the fighting in and around Kulary continued until January 2000. On November 17 1999 , Russian soldiers dislodged Rebel s in Bamut , the symbolic rebel Stronghold in the first war; dozens of Chechen fighters and many civilians were reported killed, and the village was leveled in the FAE bombing. Two days later, after a failed attempt five days earlier, Russian forces managed to capture the village of Achkhoy-Martan . On November 26 1999 , Deputy Army Chief Of Staff Valery Manilov said that phase two of the Chechnya campaign was just about complete, and a final third phase was about to begin. According to Manilov, the aim of the third phase was to destroy "bandit groups" in the mountains. A few days later Russia's Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said Russian forces might need up to three more months to complete their military campaign in Chechnya, while some generals said the offensive could be over by New Year's Day . Ramazan Tsakayev , one of the most influential Chechen field commanders, was killed in an explosion in Grozny. The next day the Chechens briefly recaptured the town of Novogroznensky . {Link without Title} On December 1 1999 , after weeks of heavy fighting, Russian forces under Major General Vladimir Shamanov took control of Alkhan-Yurt , a village just south of Grozny. The Chechen and foreign fighters inflicted heavy losses on the Russian forces, killing more than 70 Russian soldiers before retreating. During the two weeks that followed, Russian forces Went On A Rampage , Looting and burning the village and executing at least 14 civilians. On the same day, Chechen rebel forces began carrying out a series of counterattacks against federal troops in several villages as well as in the outskirts of Gudermes. Chechen fighters in Argun , a small town five kilometers east of Grozny, put up some of the strongest resistance to federal troops since the start of Moscow's military offensive. The rebels in the town of Urus-Martan also offered fierce resistance, employing Guerrilla Tactics Russia had been anxious to avoid; by December 9 1999 , Russian forces were still bombarding Urus-Martan, although Chechen commanders said their fighters had already pulled out. On December 4 1999 , the commander of Russian forces in the North Caucasus, General Viktor Kazantsev , claimed that Grozny was fully blockaded by Russian troops. The Russian military's next task was the seizure of the town of Shali , 20 kilometers southeast of the capital, one of the last remaining separatist-held towns apart from Grozny. Russian troops started by capturing two bridges that link Shali to the capital, and by December 11 1999 , Russian troops had encircled Shali and were slowly forcing rebel forces out. On December 13 1999 , two Russian helicopters were destroyed while searching for the Su-25 attack plane that crashed near the village of Bachi-Yurt earlier. Ultimatum issued by General Gennady Troshev ordered Shali to Surrender or face "destruction". By mid-December the Russian military was concentrating attacks in southern parts of Chechnya and preparing to launch another offensive from Dagestan. Siege of Grozny See Also: 1999-2000 battle of Grozny Meanwhile, the assault on Grozny started in early December. The battle accompanied by the struggle for the neighbouring settlements ended when the Russian army seized the city on February 2 2000 . According to the official Russian figures, at least 368 federal troops and an unknown number of pro-Russian militiamen died in Grozny. The rebel forces too suffered heavy losses, including losing several top commanders. The siege and fighting left the capital devastated like no other European city since World War II ; in 2003 the United Nations called Grozny the most destroyed city on Earth. {Link without Title} Battle for the mountains Heavy fighting accompanied by a massive shelling and bombing continued through the winter of 2000 in the mountainous south of Chechnya, particularly in the areas around Argun, Vedeno and Shatoy , where the fighting involving Russian Paratroopers raged since the late 1999. with the Chechens armed with anti-aircraft missiles]] On 2000 , a Russian army transport helicopter was shot down in the south, killing 15 men abroad, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo said in a rare admission by Moscow of losses in the war. {Link without Title} On February 29 2000 , United Army Group commander Gennady Troshev said that ''"the counter-terrorism operation in Chechnya is over. It will take a couple of weeks longer to pick up splinter groups now."'' Russia's Defense Minister, Marshal Of The Russian Federation Igor Sergeyev , evaluated numerical strength of the rebels at between 2,000 and 2,500 men, "scattered all over Chechnya." On the same day, a Russian VDV paratroop company from Pskov was Attacked By Chechen And Arab Fighters near the village of Ulus-Kert in Chechnya's southern lowlands; about 85 Russian soldiers were killed in the especially heavy fighting. On March 2 2000 a unit of OMON from Podolsk Opened Fire In Grozny on another OMON unit from Sergiyev Posad ; at least 24 servicemen were killed and 31 wounded in the incident. In March a large group of more than 1,000 Chechen fighters led by field commander Ruslan Gelayev , pursued since their withdrawal from Grozny, Entered The Village Of Komsomolskoye in the Chechen foothills; they held off a full-scale Russian attack on the town for over two weeks, but suffered hundreds of casualties in the process; the Russians also admitted more than 350 dead and wounded. On March 29 2000 a total of about 52 Russian soldiers were killed and more than 15 wounded as a result of the Rebel Ambush On The OMON Convoy from Perm . On April 23 2000 a 22-vehicle convoy carrying ammunition and other supplies to the Airborne unit was ambushed near Serzhen-Yurt , in the Vedeno Gorge; in ensuing 4-hour battle the federal side lost up to 25 dead, according to official Russian report (the rebels claimed killing more than 50 soldiers and suffering no casualties, while General Troshev told the press that the bodies of four rebel fighters were found). {Link without Title} Soon, the Russian forces seized last centres of the organized resistance. INSURGENCY Restoration of federal government See Also: Federal government in Chechnya Russian President Vladimir Putin established Direct Rule of Chechnya in May 2000. The following month, Putin appointed Akhmad Kadyrov interim head of the government. This development met with early approval in the rest of Russia, but the continued deaths of Russian troops dampened public enthusiasm. On March 23 2003 , a new Chechen Constitution was passed in a controversial Referendum . The 2003 Constitution granted the Chechen Republic a significant degree of Autonomy , but still tied it firmly to Russia and Moscow's rule, and went into force on April 2 2003 . The referendum was strongly supported by the Russian government but met a harsh critical response from Chechen separatists; many citizens chose to boycott the ballot. Since December 2005, Ramzan Kadyrov , leader of the pro-Moscow militia leader known as '' Kadyrovites '', has been functioning as the Chechnya's ''de-facto'' ruler. Kadyrov, whose Irregular forces are accused of carrying out many of the abductions and atrocities, has become Chechnya's most powerful leader and on February 2007 , with support from Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov replaced Alu Alkhanov as president. Guerilla war in Chechnya See Also: Guerilla phase of the Second Chechen War Although large-scale fighting within Chechnya has ceased, daily attacks continue particularly in the southern portions of Chechnya, spilling into nearby territories. Typically small rebel units target Russian and pro-Russian Officials , Security Force s, and military and police convoys and vehicles. The rebel units employ IED s and sometimes group up for larger raids. Russian forces then retaliate with artillery and air strikes, as well as Counter-insurgency operations. Most soldiers in Chechnya are now '' Kontraktniki '' (contract soldiers) as opposed to the earlier Conscript s. While Russia continues to maintain military presence within Chechnya, Russia's federal forces play less of a direct role in Chechnya. Pro-Kremlin Chechen forces under the command of the local strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, known as the '' Kadyrovtsy '' now dominate Law Enforcement and security operations, with many members (including Kadyrov himself) being former Chechen rebels who have defected since 1999. Suicide attacks See Also: Chechen suicide attacks of the republican government complex]] Between June 2000 and September 2004 Chechen insurgents added Suicide Attack s to their tactics. During this period there have been 23 Chechen related suicide attacks in and outside Chechnya. The profiles of the Chechen suicide bombers have varied just as much as the circumstances surrounding the bombings, most of which targeted military or government-related targets. Assassinations See Also: List of Second Chechen War assassinations Both sides of the war carried out multiple Assassination s. The most prominent of these included the February 13 2004 killing of Exile d former separatist Chechen President Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev in Qatar , and the May 9 2004 killing of pro-Russian Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov during the parade in Grozny. Georgia factor See Also: Georgian-Russian relations Russian officials have accused the bordering republic of s on purported rebel havens in the Pankisi Gorge in which a Georgian civilian was reported killed. On 2004 , following a number of cross-border raids from Georgia into Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan, Gelayev was killed in a clash with Russian border guards while trying to get back from Dagestan into Georgia. Political radicalization of the rebel movement The Chechen rebels are becoming increasingly more radicalized. Former Soviet Army officers Dzhokhar Dudayev and Aslan Maskhadov have been succeeded by people who rely more and more on religious ideology, rather than the Nationalistic feelings of the population. While Dudayev and Maskhadov were seeking from Moscow recognition of the independence of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria, Sadulayev and Basayev spoke out more and more about the need to expel Russia from the territory of the whole North Caucasus , an impoverished mountain region inhabited mostly by Muslim , non-Russian Ethnic Group s. In April 2006, asked whether negotiations with Russians are possible, the top rebel commander and future president , war everywhere our enemy can be reached. (...) And this means mounting attacks at any place, not just in the Caucasus but in all Russia."'' Reflecting growing radicalization of the Chechen-led guerrillas, Udugov said their goal was no longer Western-style Democracy and independence, but the Islamist "North Caucasian Emirate ". Caucasus Front ]] See Also: Caucasian Front (Chechen War) While the anti-Russian local insurgencies in the North Caucasus started even before the war, in May 2005, two months after Maskahdov's death, the Chechen separatists officially announced that they had formed a Caucasus Front within the framework of "reforming the system of military-political power." Along with the Chechen, Dagestani and Ingush "sectors," the Stavropol , Kabardin - Balkar , Krasnodar , Karachai - Circassian , Ossetian and Adyghe ''jamaats'' were included in it. This, in essence, means that practically all the regions of the Russia's south are involved in the hostilities. The Chechen separatist movement has taken on a new role as the official ideological, on October 13 2005 . WAR CRIMES AND TERRORISM ]] See Also: Second Chechen War crimes and terrorism Russian officials and Chechen rebels have regularly and repeatedly accused the opposing side of committing various War Crimes including kidnapping, Murder , Hostage Taking , Looting , Rape , and assorted other breaches of the Laws Of War . International and humanitarian organizations, including the Council Of Europe and Amnesty International , have criticized both sides of the conflict for blatant and sustained violations of International Humanitarian Law . Russian rights groups estimate there have been 3,000-5,000 disappearances in Chechnya since 1999. They say Russian troops have used Abduction , rape and Torture as weapons there and that the government has done too little to punish those responsible. {Link without Title} US Secretary Madeleine Albright noted in her March 24 2000 , speech to the United Nations Commission On Human Rights : :We cannot ignore the fact that thousands of Chechen civilians have died and more than 200,000 have been driven from their homes. Together with other delegations, we have expressed our alarm at the persistent, credible reports of Human Rights violations by Russian forces in Chechnya, including Extrajudicial Killings . There are also reports that Chechen separatists have committed abuses, including the killing of civilians and prisoners. ... The war in Chechnya has greatly damaged Russia's international standing and is isolating Russia from the international community. Russia's work to repair that damage, both at home and abroad, or its choice to risk further isolating itself, is the most immediate and momentous challenge that Russia faces. {Link without Title} According to the 2001 annual report by Amnesty International: :There were frequent reports that Russian forces indiscriminately bombed and shelled civilian areas. Chechen civilians, including medical personnel, continued to be the target of military attacks by Russian forces. Hundreds of Chechen civilians and prisoners of war were extra judicially executed. Journalists and independent monitors continued to be refused access to Chechnya. According to reports, Chechen fighters frequently threatened, and in some cases killed, members of the Russian-appointed civilian administration and executed Russian captured soldiers. {Link without Title} In 2001 the Holocaust Memorial Museum has placed Chechnya on its Genocide Watch List. {Link without Title} The Russian government failed to pursue any accountability process for Human Rights Abuses committed during the course of the conflict in Chechnya. Unable to secure justice domestically, hundreds of victims of abuse have filed applications with the European Court Of Human Rights (ECHR). In 2006 the court issued the first rulings on Chechnya, finding the Russian government guilty of violating the right to life and the prohibition of torture with respect to civilians who had died or forcibly disappeared at the hands of Russia's federal troops. Many similar claims are pending before the court. CASUALTIES See Also: Casualties of the Second Chechen War Military Military casualty figures from both sides are impossible to verify and are generally believed to be higher. On , Federal Security Service , Militsiya and a local paramilitaries. The independent Russian and Western estimates are much higher; the Union Of The Committees Of Soldiers' Mothers Of Russia for instance estimated about 11,000 Russian armed forces servicemen have been killed between 1999 and 2003. Civilian Civilian casualty estimates also vary widely. According to set their "perhaps a too conservative" estimate of the total Death Toll in two wars at about 150,000 to 200,000 civilians. {Link without Title} AFTERMATH Social impact Impact on the Chechen population According to the 2003 World Health Organization in-depth study of the Psychological health in Chechnya, 86 percent of the Chechen population was suffering from physical or emotional "distress" (about 30 percent more than people living in the Chernobyl reactive zone). 31 percent of those studied showed symptoms of ill health recognizable as post-traumatic stress syndrome. {Link without Title} A whole generation of Chechen children is showing symptoms of ; the number is increasing. {Link without Title} Impact on the Russian population See Also: Human rights in Russia Anti-national sentiment in Russia Since the Chechen conflict began in 1994, cases of a young , unemployable and anti-social. {Link without Title} This conflict was linked to the rising brutality and general are hard to come by, but in a statement released January 31 , 2006 , the internal affairs department of Russia's Interior Ministry said that the number of recorded crimes committed by police officers rose 46.8 percent in 2005. In one nationwide Poll in 2005, 71 percent of respondents said they didn't trust their police at all; in another, 41 percent Russians said they lived in fear of police violence. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} The wars in Chechnya, and the associated Caucasian terrorism in Russia, were a major factors in the grow of claimed responsibility for over 30 racially-motivated murders in the course of one year, saying that "since school hated people from the Caucasus." Massive anti-Chechen Pogrom -style riots took place in several regions of Russia, with fatalities among the Chechens and the locals.[http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSL05224442._CH_.2400 The Caucasians also face ethnic violence in the ranks of Russian Army.[http://iwpr.net/?p=crs&s=f&o=159879&apc_state=henicrs2000] OTHER ISSUES Amnesties There were at least seven , and then another between mid-2006 and January 2007. According to Ramzan Kadyrov, himself former rebel, more than 7,000 separatist fighters Defected to the federal side ("returned to the peaceful life") by 2005. In 2007 the International Helsinki Federation For Human Rights published a report entitled Amnestied People as Targets for Persecution in Chechnya , which documents the fate of several persons who have been amnestied and subsequently abducted, tortured and killed. Environmental damage Government censorship of the media coverage See Also: Russian censorship of Chechnya coverage The first war, with its extensive and largely unrestricted Coverage (despite deaths of many journalists), convinced the Kremlin more than any other event that it needed to control national television channels, which most Russians rely on for news, to successfully undertake any major national policy. By the time the second war began, federal authorities had designed and introduced a comprehensive system to limit the access of journalists to Chechnya and shape their coverage. {Link without Title} The Russian government's control of all Russian television stations and its use of repressive rules, harassment, ), kidnapped ( Andrei Babitsky ) or murdered ( Anna Politkovskaya ), and foreign media outlets ( American Broadcasting Company ) banned from Russia; the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society human rights group was shut down. According to a 2007 poll only 11 percent of Russians said they were happy with media coverage of Chechnya. {Link without Title} Land mines See Also: Landmine situation in Chechnya Chechnya is the most was evicted by Russia in December 1999. In June 2002, Olara Otunnu , the UN official, estimated that there were 500,000 land mines placed in the region. UNICEF has recorded 2,340 civilian landmine and Unexploded Ordnance casualties occurring in Chechnya between 1999 and the end of 2003. 2005 unilateral ceasefire events On February 2 2005 , Chechen rebel president Aslan Maskhadov issued a call for a Ceasefire lasting until at least February 22 (the day preceding the anniversary of Stalin's deportation of the Chechen population). The call was issued through a separatist website and addressed to President Putin, described as a gesture of Goodwill . On March 8 2005 , Maskhadov was killed in an operation by Russian security forces in the Chechen community of Tolstoy-Yurt , northeast of Grozny. Shortly following Maskhadov's death, the Chechen rebel council announced that . SEE ALSO
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS ;Timelines and chronologies ;Summaries
;Human rights issues
;2005 ceasefire events
;Articles
;Advocacy groups and mailing lists |
|
|