A Step At A Time

Just a reminder that I also blog at Nordic Voices in Translation, a literary blog that discusses issues related to creative writing in Scandinavia and its translation - in several senses - into an English-language context. When I'm not here, I'm often to be found there.

Labels: Languages, Literature, Nordic countries, Translation

posted by David McDuff  # 8:35 AM

Live Journal blogger pumchik has posted a series of photographs of Grozny at night.

(Via Prague Watchdog)

Labels: Chechnya, Grozny, North Caucasus, Russia, Russian Federation

posted by David McDuff  # 11:22 AM

Via Caucasian Knot:

"Memorial" links Estemirova's murder to authorities' policy in Chechnya

jul 16 2009, 18:00

The statement of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" that has arrived to the "Caucasian Knot" runs that Ramzan Kadyrov has made the work of human rights activists in Chechnya impossible. Russia is under state terror; those who try to tell the truth and criticize the regime are assassinated; and Natalia Estemirova's murder is also a result of such policy.
Human rights advocates are sure that the murderers of Estemirova, who was, for almost ten years, the leading expert of the "Memorial" for Northern Caucasus, first of all for Chechnya, wanted to stop the flow of truthful information outgoing from this republic. "Natalia was repeatedly threatened by bureaucrats of all levels; however, she could not imagine herself away from her work in her homeland - in Chechnya," the statement says.

Natalia's latest reports about new kidnappings, extrajudicial executions and a public killing in one of Chechen villages have caused angriness among Chechnya's top leaders. "This is what the so-called Ombudsman in Chechnya Nurdi Nukhazhiev said to the head of our Grozny office. He said that would not like anything to happen, therefore, he would criticize human rights defenders," the statement further runs.

Oleg Orlov, Board Chairman of the HRC "Memorial", directly points to Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov as to the person in charge of Estemirova's murder. "Ramzan has already threatened Natalia; he insulted her and treated as his personal enemy. We don't know, whether he gave the order himself, or it was done by his closest allies to please their boss. While President Medvedev is probably satisfied to have a killer as the head of one of Russia's subjects," Mr Orlov has stated.

When Natalia dared to speak disapprovingly that girls are almost forced to wear headscarves in public places, she had a talk with Kadyrov. She said later that Kadyrov threatened her and said literally the following: "Yes, my arms are elbow-deep in blood; and I'm not ashamed of it. I've been killing and I'll keep killing bad people. We're at war with enemies of our republic."

Human rights and political organizations of St Petersburg have also adopted a statement, emphasizing that there are no doubts that the murder is directly linked with Natalia's public work, since she made public war crimes in Chechnya related to execution of peaceful citizens, including women and children; she held numerous investigations and disclosed facts of kidnappings and extrajudicial killings.

"We assert that Natalia Estemirova's murder is another proof of a complete failure of Russian authorities' policy in Chechnya, where unlimited power was vested into Ramzan Kadyrov's hands, and where not a single human right out of those fixed in the Russian Constitution is guaranteed, including the right to live," runs the statement of St Petersburg's organizations.

The authors of the statement from the Scientific-Information Centre "Memorial", St Petersburg Branch of the "Yabloko" Russian United Democratic Party (RUDP), "Civil Control", "Home of Peace and Non-Violence" and the Ecological Human Rights Centre "Bellona" call to a resolute amendment of this policy and demand a careful investigation of Natalia Estemirova's murder and unconditional punishment of those guilty.

The administration of US President Barack Obama has also condemned the murder in Ingushetia of Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the "Memorial" Centre and called Russian government to hold the killers liable.

See earlier reports: "Natalia Estemirova: "I'm sure that human rights defenders are murdered on authorities' blessing"," "In the near future, Chechen human rights activists will advance their version of Estemirova's murder," "HRC "Memorial" confirms Estemirova's murder in Ingushetia."

Labels: Chechnya, Estemirova, Human Rights, Kadyrov, North Caucasus, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 4:48 PM

Via Caucasian Knot:

jul 15 2009, 21:00

In her last video interview to the "Caucasian Knot", Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the HRC "Memorial", who was shot dead on Wednesday, July 15, expressed her "complete confidence" that the murders of her friends - journalist Anna Politkovskaya and advocate Stanislav Markelov - were committed "upon blessing of those in power." She gave the interview on January 23, at the Ostankino cemetery, the day Markelov was buried there.

According to Estemirova, despite all the threats that Stanislav Markelov received, neither she nor her colleagues could believe that he would be killed. Natalia had also repeatedly received threats during many years of her human rights work in Chechnya.

"Her life was all the time in danger. She was threatened by special power services, by militants, by federal forces and by special troops," Radio Liberty reported back in 2007.

"We, human rights advocates, are defending human rights and fight against the crime, while the state fights against us," said Natalia Estemirova at Markelov's funeral. "Not only that criminal cases are all the time opened against human rights activists, and Stanislav also had problems, we see no investigation into their murders."

See earlier reports: "In the near future, Chechen human rights activists will advance their version of Estemirova's murder," "HRC "Memorial" confirms Estemirova's murder in Ingushetia," "Olga Trusevich claims Markelov accepted cases other lawyers refused to undertake."

Author: Vyacheslav Feraposhkin; Source: CK correspondent

Labels: Chechnya, Estemirova, Human Rights, North Caucasus, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 4:29 PM

Live Journal blogger hasid discusses the impossibility of liberalization with Medvedev (my tr.): 

It's really very strange to see liberals expecting a political thaw under Russia's youngest president, Medvedev.

Surely some historian ought to explain to them that in Russia's history any reform or thaw during an economic crisis leads to an even greater crisis.

Ever since the days of Muscovy, Russia has constantly teetered on the brink of becoming a failed state. Let's leave for another occasion the reasons for this permanent lack of success in state-building. Facts are what matter right now.

On the contrary, during an economic  crisis Russia has to tighten the screws with particular ferocity. During this period Russia must have curfews, prison sentences for being late, half the country must wear uniform on both body and face (sideburns, mustaches or beards, depending on social status).

Even the poorly educated modern youth that now surfs LJ ought to remember what liberalization led to under Gorbachev, during a period of very low oil prices...

Labels: Economics, History, Medvedev, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 10:05 AM

At Prague Watchdog, journalist and historian Kirill Kobrin writes about Orientalism and Imperialism in Russia.

Labels: History, Middle East, North Caucasus, Orientalism, Russia, Russian literature

posted by David McDuff  # 11:56 AM

Prague Watchdog's obituary of Natalya Estemirova - the English version, published yesterday:

Today Natasha Estemirova was murdered. I am afraid that the political significance of this killing, about which many words are going to be written, will obscure the tragedy of the death of a very good person, and the intolerable pain, bitterness and rage of hundreds and thousands of people who knew her.

The Russian government no longer restricts itself in its choice of victims. Among those who are abducted, killed, or go missing in Chechnya are Russian citizens of every kind: ordinary people, businessmen, government officials.

In Chechnya there is no longer any question of political rights. Although it does not understand the extraterritorial nature of humanitarian law, Russia’s power elite is nevertheless forced at least sometimes to respond to the protests of Western public opinion about the very serious violations of human rights that take place there. That is why the dissemination of information on such crimes is one of the principal instruments in the hands of human rights defenders.

Natasha had to deal with a system that is hopelessly sick and criminal, trying to ease the burden that oppresses those who live amidst the nightmare in southern Russia.

Now she is no more. It matters little who was behind the assassination – Kadyrov’s forces or some other special service (no one else could have kidnapped a woman in Grozny and then removed her from the republic). The important fact is that it was an agency under the control of the Russian government.

What will happen now? "Memorial" will have to give more thought to the safety of its employees, and possibly limit the organization's activities in Chechnya. Staff members will naturally have to act with caution, knowing that their lives are menaced not by some abstract threat, but by a danger that is real and imminent, lurking round every corner.

Of two things we may be certain. Those who committed this deed will never be caught. On the other hand, the list of those who cannot learn to keep silent will continue to grow longer.

Labels: Chechnya, Estemirova, North Caucasus, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 11:20 AM

A group of former Central and East European presidents, ambassadors and government officials has sent an open letter to U.S. President Obama, appealing for a renaissance and renewal of the Atlantic alliance.

Labels: Defence and Security, Eastern Europe, Europe, NATO, Obama, United States

posted by David McDuff  # 6:57 AM

Her corpse, which showed signs of a violent death, was found at 5.20pm (1320 GMT) near Ingushetia's main city Nazran, ITAR-TASS news agency said, citing the regional interior ministry.

"The body had two wounds to the head, it was clear she had been murdered in the morning," Madina Khadziyeva, a spokeswoman at the ministry, told Reuters. She did not specify the nature of the injuries.

Labels: Chechnya, Estemirova, Ingushetia, North Caucasus, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 4:05 PM

AP is reporting that the Russian human right activist and Memorial Centre worker Natalya Estemirova has been abducted.  According to Caucasian Knot her present whereabouts are unknown, and her mobile numbers are not answering. Caucasian Knot says that [my tr.]

Natalya Estemirova was seized by unknown persons near her home [early on Wednesday] and forced into a white VAZ-2107 car - she only managed to shout that she was being abducted. Natalya was followed from the entrance to the place of abduction by a woman -- possibly a police informant, a report on the website of the "Memorial" Human Rights Centre says.

"Today Natalya was scheduled to meet staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic and travel with them to Stavropol Kray," Memorial worker Alexander Cherkasov said on the radio station Ekho Moskvy. "But the law enforcement agencies say they know nothing about what has happened."

According to Tatyana Lokshina, deputy director of the Russian branch of Human Rights Watch, several witnesses saw Estemirova being pushed into the car.

Labels: Chechnya, Estemirova, North Caucasus, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 3:08 PM

While it leaves little doubt as to the depth of the contempt and loathing felt by many Russian intellectuals for the West, and especially for Russia's "near abroad" - in particular, the small Baltic state of Estonia, a recent interview with the Russian economist Mikhail Delyagin in the Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda reveals a strange and unsettling twilight zone, where humanity appears to fade and go out of the window altogether, becoming replaced by something else. The economist is asked by one of the interviewers about Russia's plans: perhaps the tanks will go as they did in the 1930s, and be greeted with flowers?

For that , they [Estonians] need to stew in their crazy nationalism for another five to eight years. Secondly, our nation needs to heal itself. And thirdly, what do we need these insane farmers for? What would Russia do with [Estonian prime minister Andrus] Ansip? Show him at the zoo? But then there definitely might not be enough room for Saakashvili ...

Labels: Baltics, Delyagin, Economics, Estonia, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 12:36 PM

DPA reports a US State Department spokesman as saying that President Medvedev's visit to South Ossetia was not "any kind of step forward in terms of establishing stability in the region.”

Labels: Georgia, Medvedev, NATO, Russia, South Ossetia, United States

posted by David McDuff  # 7:48 AM

The U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Stout has anchored off the Georgian port of Batumi for joint military exercises with Georgian coastguard vessels, the AP reports. Meanwhile, Russian jets flew over the Russian Black Sea port of Novirossiisk, watched by President Dmitry Medvedev, who yesterday made an official visit to Tskhinvali in the Russian-occupied Georgian territory of South Ossetia.

Commenting on yesterday's visit by President Medvedev, Georgian Parliamentary Chairman David Bakradze said (my tr.):

“At a time when the whole of Europe is drawing up an agreement that is aimed at facilitating the diversification of energy supplies, at destroying Russia’s energy monopoly in Europe and at shaping the project that will supply gas to Europe bypassing Russia, the Russian President has made a visit to the occupied territory of Tskhinvali.

“This is not a choice and not a path by which Russia can respond appropriately to the events that are taking place in Europe and the world. I think today's visit to Tskhinvali once again confirms the very sad fact that today there are people in power in Russia who have made the causing of harm to Georgia a part of their plan of action ... The Russian President’s conspicuous visit to Tskhinvali is a step taken against the state of Georgia.”

Bakradze also said that the Russian leadership “was unable to give an answer in the presence of the United States President" to the support that Barack Obama declared in respect of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that "this is the form (the visit to Tskhinvali) they have chosen in which to express their position.”

Labels: Defence and Security, Georgia, Russia, United States

posted by David McDuff  # 4:56 PM

FrontPage magazine has published an interview with Yelena Maglevannaya.

Labels: Chechnya, Maglevannaya, North Caucasus, Russia, Torture, Zubayrayev

posted by David McDuff  # 7:29 AM

Today's signing of the Nabucco gas transit agreement by Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Turkey is a first step along the way to the construction of a pipeline that will ship gas from the Caspian to central Europe via Turkey, bypassing Russia. But there are some imponderables: if suppliers of gas for the pipeline include not only Central Asian states include Iran, Iraq and Russia, there are likely to be political problems - and the Central Asian states which originally agreed to be suppliers are coming under pressure from Moscow, which is prepared to go to almost any lengths to prevent the pipeline being completed. Another factor is Georgia - President Saakashvili's presence at the signing ceremony in Ankara underlines the EU' leadership's view of Georgia as a natural transit country.

Labels: Energy, EU, Europe, Georgia, Nabucco, Russia, Russian Federation, Saakashvili

posted by David McDuff  # 6:02 PM

At Prague Watchdog, Sergei Markedonov writes about Russia's "internal aliens" - the peoples of the North Caucasus republics who either live there as native residents, or as migrants to the towns and cities of Russia further to the north. Markedonov believes that a solution to the conflict and tension that has racked the North Caucasus both in the past and in the present could be found if there was a two-way exchange of recognition amd acceptance between the inhabitants of the region and the inhabitants of the rest of Russia:

it is obvious that the formation of a new (non-ethnocratic) Russian Caucasus elite would be strategically far more useful than the introduction of counter-terrorist operation regimes and additional troops in the Caucasian republics (where they will be rejected by the local population and exist in the conditions that were described by Tolstoy in his Prisoner of the Caucasus). But for this, there is one small requirement. It is not only that migrants from the Caucasian republics must see Russia as their Fatherland. Russians themselves must view Chechens, Ingush, Kabardinians or Lezgins as their fellow citizens, and not as aliens or the "enemy within". In their turn, for this to be possible, Russians must perceive the North Caucasus region not only as a place to travel to on temporary assignments, but also as their homeland (as was the case for many generations of Cossacks and peasants who headed for this region after the "Great Reforms").

Labels: North Caucasus, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 9:20 AM

The tenth report of the British House of Commons Defence Committee is now online.

From the Conclusion:

39.  Although Russia does not pose a military threat to NATO as an Alliance, some Central and Eastern European NATO Member States are understandably concerned about the military threat that Russia poses to them individually, given Russia's actions in Georgia. It is important they are reassured. (Paragraph 211)

40.  It is in NATO's interests to continue to support the territorial integrity of Georgia. If Russia believes it has carte blanche to disregard international law there is an increased risk of other countries suffering the same fate as Georgia. The credibility of NATO as a military alliance is based on its ability to provide mutual defence to its Member States, as outlined in Article 5. NATO's new Strategic Concept should contain a renewed commitment to Article 5 as well as ensuring that NATO is militarily capable of acting inside and outside of NATO boundaries. NATO is strongest when its Member States are united; the UK Government should work within NATO to ensure that this is achieved. (Paragraph 212)

41.  It is right that NATO, the EU and the UK Government engage with Russia both on areas of cooperation and areas of disagreement. Russia has much to gain from positioning itself firmly within the community of nations. Engagement is important to build trust and avoid a new confrontation arising between Russia and the West. The Government should adopt a hard-headed approach to engagement with Russia, based on the reality of Russia's foreign policy rather than abstract and misleading notions of shared values. (Paragraph 213)

Labels: Defence and Security, Russia, Russian Federation, United Kingdom

posted by David McDuff  # 2:01 PM

The following is a translation of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's televised address of July 9 2009:   

Of course we have been watching this meeting in Moscow closely, because we know how high the price of this geopolitical situation is for Georgia, for Georgia’s future, for the security of our citizens and for their welfare.

I think that at last everyone now understands what we have been saying – that Russia had been preparing for last year’s war for a long time. Unfortunately Putin’s government, which was ready to attack Georgia, received some very mistaken messages from the West and from our traditional partners.

Much of what happened did so simply because many people did not believe that this attack would take place. It is a fact that the refusal by some of our partners to grant Georgia a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) at last year’s Bucharest summit had very grave consequences; I think that they [Russia] drew ambiguous conclusions from the Sochi U.S.-Russia summit – that was not the intention of the U.S. side, and we are very well aware of that, but the conclusion they [Russia] drew was ambiguous. Their [Russia’s] provocation did not receive an adequate response from the West – and that was another factor which played a part in encouraging Putin to carry out the attack [on Georgia].

The attack, you will recall, was followed by a very strong reaction from the European Union and especially from the United States – although it came with several days of delay; and for several days we prevailed, thanks to the heroic resistance of our armed forces; the figures are now available – the enemy’s ground forces were twelve, fourteen times larger, plus 200 aircraft; in fact, we confronted an adversary which as hundred times stronger than us, and our armed forces allowed us to prevail for several days.

After that, the United States became involved, and this prevented the realization of Russia’s main goals – the collapse of the Georgian state, a move into the Georgian capital and the destruction of the Georgian army.

You will be aware that throughout this period Putin did not conceal his disappointment and loudly stated that there was “unfinished business” to attend to, claiming that he had yet to finish the job of taking complete control of Georgia, which in turn meant control of the Caspian region and the restoration of the Soviet Union; and on the other hand he wanted to completely destroy the Georgian armed forces, as the Russians view it as a serious challenge to them.

In this situation, of course, there was some risk – and frankly speaking a serious risk – of a military attack by Russia on Georgia and on the Georgian capital. But I think that the first serious signal sent by our partners was in the UN Security Council, when for the first time since 1993 Russia used its right of veto in respect of a regional conflict, which meant that Russia acted in complete isolation.

Russia failed to pass a resolution on an issue which was very important for Moscow. It failed to trade this issue for some other issues – the practice to which it has usually resorted in the past, including unfortunately in respect of Georgia as well.

Unlike last February, and unlike at the Bucharest summit, Russia has now received a serious signal in New York [at the UN Security Council] – and here I want to mention the good work of our mission at the UN. But we would have sent that signal alone, even without the very strong position that were taken by France and Germany, which were unusual, and without the very uncompromising position of the Americans, which was agreed with us.

Everyone was waiting for the [U.S. President’s] meeting with Medvedev in Moscow. Russia was ready to pay a high political price, to make deals on issues like disarmament, Afghanistan and Iran in exchange for Georgia. They were ready to engage in the classical kind of trading they adopted in the past, and to trade for control of Georgia other issues on which they were prepared to cooperate with the U.S. and its new administration.

If they had managed to succeed in that, or had received an ambiguous message [from the United States], there would have been a repeat of 1921 [when the Bolshevik Red Army occupied Georgia]. We should be under no illusion that that if we declare neutrality, Russia will calm down and give up its plan of controlling the Caspian, the regions of Central Asia and the energy transportation routes. It is not a question of what kind of relations Russia has with Saakashvili or with anyone else. When a country has imperial ambitious, it is a question of strategy.

Our new strategic partner, the United States, has responded to their [Russia’s] attempts to make a trade-off on Georgia with a firm “no”. There has been no trade-off. Georgia has not been sold.

Russia has failed to destabilize Georgia – attempts were made in this regard beginning in February and March this year, and especially of course in April [when a group of opposition parties launched street protests to demand Saakashvili’s resignation]./ It is an internal Georgian political problem, but [Russia] has been involved, and this involvement has included serious funding. But they have failed with this plan.

If this destabilization plan had been successful, it would have been very difficult to secure the support of our partners, because it is very difficult to support a country that is destroying itself and showing suicidal tendencies.

But the plan has failed. Hence today on the one hand we had this failed plan for the internal destabilization of Georgia and on the other hand the hope of a trade-off over Georgia – and this threat has now disappeared.

So today I can say it very boldly: all the fears and expectations connected with the threat have not been realized and all the hopes of revenge and the carrying out of a new military confrontation on the part of our aggressive neighbour, which of course wants to take over Tbilisi, have not been realized.

In Moscow they are very well aware that if the Georgian state survives and Georgia remains a partner of the democratic world, there is not even a one percent chance that Russia will be able to keep our occupied territories – this is the 21st century, when no one recognizes occupation.

Obama stated it clearly: firm support for Georgia’s territorial integrity; firm support for Georgia’s sovereignty over its entire territory, and the establishment of policy in this direction…

…As a result of last year’s aggression, Russia has received an enormous global foreign policy problem; our problem, which was of local [significance] and was not in fact of the first importance, has now become a primary concern of global politics.

So in fact at the expense of the tragedy of our villages [a reference to those areas of breakaway South Ossetia which were under control of the Georgian authorities before the August war], at the expense of the people who died [in the war] – of course those several dozen of villages are a serious loss for us, as they are temporarily occupied; at the expense of these small territorial gains – and for Russia it was a small territorial gain – Russia has received a serious international problem; Georgia will come out of all this even stronger than before.

And today I want to say boldly that all their aggressive plans for the near future have been foiled, and the war they have been planning and dreaming of will be no more.

Labels: Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, Saakashvili, South Ossetia

posted by David McDuff  # 9:25 AM

A swaying and grimacing Dmitry Medvedev at the G8 summit made some observers wonder what the trouble might be. The video is here.

Labels: G8, Medvedev, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 4:53 PM

Via Maidan (and www.zaprava.ru)

The Khodorkovsky-Lebedev trial must be stopped immediately.

Labels: Khodorkovsky, Lebedev, Russian Federation

posted by David McDuff  # 8:52 AM

Georgia's President Saakashvili, in Lithuania for the Baltic republic's Millennium celebrations, said in a televised statement on July 6, following U.S. President Obama's first meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow:

In recent months we have been hearing from some [persons] – including from some of our compatriots, who are blindly repeating a lie thrown in by the Russian propaganda, that Georgia is in isolation, that Georgia has lost the western support because of this government.

But look, the only major issue, which was named [at the meeting] as the major source of disagreement between the United States and Russia was Georgia’s territorial integrity and the United States has unconditionally expressed support [to Georgia] at this very first meeting – usually showing disagreements at first meetings are shunned away.

We all should understand one thing: the occupants will fail to maintain our territories; we will win in our struggle with the support of rest of the world if we stand together and if we ourselves do not undermine [the country].

What we have been saying is now being confirmed: we have maintained the support; we will have even more support; we will integrate our country into the western; democratic world; we will get stronger and we, together with our friends, will definitely de-occupy our territories and definitely expel occupant forces from our territories.

I am absolutely sure in that and I am also absolutely sure that the democratic world will continue supporting us in this, if we remain wise and if we remain united. “

Labels: Baltics, Georgia, Lithuania, Medvedev, Medvedev. Putin, Obama, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, Saakashvili, United States

posted by David McDuff  # 8:37 AM

Prague Watchdog has published an interview with Dokka Umarov.

Labels: Chechnya, Islamism, North Caucasus, Russia, Umarov

posted by David McDuff  # 5:26 PM

As Moscow waits for President Obama's official visit, which begins on July 6, the commentators of Ej.Ru don't take an optimistic view of the likely outcome. Lilia Shevtsova wonders how Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov can square his often-repeated claims that the ending of the Cold War also marked the end of the dominance of Western civilization in the world with his assurances that Russia shares the same goals as the West. And Yulia Latynina remarks that

The United States tries to solve problems. Russia tries to create them. That is the definition of a pariah state. A pariah state is one that is important in international politics because it creates problems.

Labels: Cold War, Obama, Russia, United States

posted by David McDuff  # 9:15 AM

Via civil.ge:

A Russian soldier has abandoned his military unit in breakaway South Ossetia to seek asylum in Georgia – the second case of this type in less than six months.

The Russian Defense Ministry, according to Interfax, has confirmed that one of its soldiers serving in South Ossetia deserted his unit.

The serviceman, identified as Dmitry Artemiev, told Georgian journalists on July 2 that he deserted a post in the village of Perevi on the western part of South Ossetia’s administrative border.

The solder, standing outside the UN refugee agency’s Tbilisi office told journalists that he had been “treated very badly and was beaten” in his unit.  

In January Russian serviceman, Alexandr Glukhov, also deserted his military unit in South Ossetia and defected to Georgia.

In June Lieutenant Alik Bzhania, who served in the Georgian coast guard, appeared on the Moscow-based radio station, Echo Moskvy, and announced that he had fled Georgia to seek political asylum in Russia.

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

posted by David McDuff  # 12:32 PM

Russia has launched its large-scale military exercises in the North Caucasus, which will last until July 6. According to the Russian defence ministry the military manoeuvres will involve approximately 8,500 personnel, up to 200 battle tanks, 450 armoured vehicles and 250 artillery systems of various types.  General Vladimir Boldyrev, commander of Russia's land forces, has announced that the Russian troops deployed in South Ossetia and Abkhazia will also take part in the exercises.

Georgia's deputy foreign minister, Davit Jalagania, has protested about the holding of the exercises, saying that "against the background of the explosive situation 'they] will only contribute to further tensions."

Meanwhile, the OSCE mission in Georgia has today wrapped up its operations there - seventeen years after it was established with an initial mandate to facilitate settlement of the South Ossetian conflict, Civil Georgia reports.

On June 16, following Russia's veto, UNOMIG also ceased its activities in Georgia, including the occupied region of Abkhazia.

Labels: Caucasus, Georgia, OSCE, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United Nations

posted by David McDuff  # 5:07 PM

In the Moscow Times, Yulia Latynina asks:

If Georgia is really planning to start a war, why is Russia going to such lengths to expel international observers who will be able to testify to the whole world how Georgia started the war?

The Akhalgori district is key to any future war in Georgia. In violation of all agreements signed by Moscow at the conclusion of the August war, Russia never withdrew its troops from Akhalgori -- territory that was previously under Georgian control and located only 30 kilometers from Tbilisi. If Russia starts a war, Akhalgori would be the obvious launching area. If, however, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili initiates the war, Akhalgori would be one of his first military targets.

Read it all.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

posted by David McDuff  # 8:43 AM

This is a guest post by Jeremy Putley

Mikhail Borisovich,

On the occasion of your birthday on 26 June I send to you my congratulations and respectful greetings.

Today, by coincidence, is International Day in Support of Torture Victims. The United Nations General Assembly selected June 26 to honour the day in 1987 when the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment came into effect.

The convention was created to reaffirm that the equal and inalienable rights of the human family are the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.

I believe in the inevitability of human progress. My experience of life has shown to me that there is an overwhelming tendency for the state of humanity to improve over time. Perhaps you will agree that this is so. Indeed, there is nothing new in this idea. Sometimes the trend reverses. The coming into power of the present regime in Russia was such an example.

Eventually, with the support of people of good will around the world it will pass away, just as other malignancies have come and gone in the course of human history.

The historical tendency for mankind to improve is the result of millions and millions of people making their individual efforts to make their conditions better, each day, and every day, during all of their lives. We see a result when we look at the world as it is now, because it has become a world in which the great majority of countries are governed under the civilising rule of law where people are not impeded from contributing their small or large improvements to the quality of human life. This world has convincingly shown a determination to throw off mistaken ideologies and to turn away from the leadership of wicked men. And it is by the small accretions of individual human progress that the world crawls to a better condition with the inevitability of plate tectonics – but not so slowly.

This is a simple, even trite, observation, and, as I say, it is not new – indeed, it is why people buy shares in companies, so that they can take part in their progress, as I do not need to explain to you in particular.

The efforts of the many thousands of people who have become active in support of human rights around the world – whether as members of organisations like Amnesty International, or as individuals – are visibly contributing to the improvement of the human condition. Your leading counsel, Yuri Schmidt, has reminded us that in Russia, with its long traditions of struggle to achieve the rights of mankind, there are the memories of honoured men to give inspiration – Sakharov, Solzhenitsyn, Bukovsky and Sharansky. I would add the name of the great Russian patriot Sergei Kovalev. It is now your experience to participate in the continuing effort to achieve a proper recognition in Russia of the vital importance of the rule of law, and justice under the law for all its citizens, in opposition to a procuracy which seems determined corruptly to obey the secret instructions of a corrupt hierarchy. The judicial proceedings against you and Platon Lebedev are a mockery of justice, and are seen as such around the world.

You could easily have avoided these abuses of justice, by leaving Russia. Because you are a true Russian patriot you decided to stay. This trial, in which you now play a leading role in the continuing fight for the fundamental rights of Russian citizens under the law, marks you as an historic figure. You are opposed by sinister men occupying positions of great power who are determined to succeed in the interest of preserving their influence and wealth. Because you have opposed them, the world can see them for what they are. This is already a partial victory.

Therefore, I send you my salutations and very best wishes on the occasion of your birthday, in the hope and expectation that the day will come soon when you will be set at liberty.

Yours very respectfully and sincerely

Jeremy Putley

Labels: Khodorkovsky, Russia, Russian Federation, Torture

posted by David McDuff  # 3:11 PM

At Maidan, the Ukrainian poet and translator Moses Fishbein writes about the Russian government's continuing smear campaign against Ukraine and the Baltic States:

I would like to remind Mr. Churkin that from 1939 to 1941 the USSR, whose successor today is the Russian Federation, was an ally of Nazi Germany.

Labels: History, History. Europe, Revisionism, Russia, Ukraine

posted by David McDuff  # 12:57 PM

If the Russian powers that be could understand the nature of their opponents, they might be able to counter them. But the evidence at present is that Moscow and its local backers do not and are thus likely to continue to pursue policies that will fulfill Sukhov’s prediction that the war there “will not end.”

Labels: Ingushetia, Jihadism, North Caucasus, Paul Goble, Russia, Window on Eurasia, Yevkurov

posted by David McDuff  # 10:50 AM

Via Paul Goble's Window on Eurasia blog:

In what many are certain to view as his response to US President Barak Obama’s Cairo address earlier this month, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told a meeting of the Arab League there yesterday that Russia is “an organic part” of the Muslim world and opposes Western efforts to promote democratic change in the Middle East.

“Islam,” Medvedev told his audience, “is an inalienable part of Russian history and culture, given that more than 20 million Russian citizens are among the faithful. Consequently, he said, “Russia does not need to seek friendship with the Muslim world: Our country is an organic part of this world” (www.i-r-p.ru/page/stream-event/index-23456.html).

Labels: Islam, Islamism, Jihadism, Medvedev, Middle East, Russia, Russian Federation

posted by David McDuff  # 10:26 AM

In the wake of the opening of Estonia's 1919 Victory Monument, Moscow is doing its best to whip up anti-Estonian feeling among Russians.

Marko Mihkelson writes (tr. by Leopoldo, my editing):

As I was leaving [the opening ceremony] at midnight on Monday an Estonian diplomat said to me: "Let's see what the the Russian media will say about the victory monument to the war of independence. And as might have been feared, out came the story in all its propagandistic glory. To tell the truth, nothing else could have been expected from the official Russian television media (in this case ORT 1). The constant emphasizing of the SS-line, the Estonia-hating positions of Linter and Zarenkov, the manipulation of the Ganin assassination story.

Not a word, of course, about the War of Independence and its meaning in the history of the creation of the Estonian state. It just doesn't fit into the script of the Kremlin's "truth commission". Only a few days ago one learned that the FSB had ordered a documentary film on "Ukraine's fascism", the purpose of which is the international discrediting of Ukraine's authorities.

These news reports go to show that in the so-called "official" version the general stance on Estonia and Russia's other neighbours has not changed. Nevertheless, at the same time there are also signs of a certain improvement in  Estonian-Russian relations, which are not as emotional as those reflected in the Russian TV media.

Labels: Estonia, Europe, Propaganda, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 9:55 AM

In the Moscow Times, Lilia Shevtsova writes about the efforts of Russia's elite to separate itself from the mass of the country's citizenry and establish its own private relationship of the privileged and wealthy with the United States and the West, while cutting the rest of the population off from Western influences by means of an orchestrated campaign of anti-Western and anti-American propaganda. Shevtsova sees this as a danger for President Obama - she suggests that when he visits Moscow next month, he may be walking into a carefully-prepared trap:

The White House has little chance of being able to cooperate with the Kremlin without making some concessions to the Russian elite. However, such cooperation promises to promote the current Russian system, which functions with the "besieged fortress" mentality in which Russia is surrounded by enemies. If Obama takes a value-based approach, his opportunities on security will be limited.

Labels: Anti-Americanism, Medvedev, Obama, Putin, Russia, United States

posted by David McDuff  # 9:06 AM

Last night saw the formal opening of the Victory Monument on Tallinn's Freedom Square. The monument commemorates Estonia's victory in the Estonian War of Liberation - the defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allied White Russian Northwestern Army against the Soviet Western Front offensive and the Baltic German Landeswehr offensives in 1918–1920 in connection with the Russian Civil War.

Labels: Estonia, Germany, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 11:34 AM

Jamestown analyst Pavel Felgenhauer is once again pointing to the possibility of a Russian intervention in Georgia this summer:

The most dangerous period within which a new full-scale war with Georgia might occur will be from July 10 until after President Barack Obama visits Moscow, while the invasion forces are already deployed and poised for action, under the cover of "Kavkaz-2009." If Russian forces go into action, their objectives will be decisive.

This is not quite clear, as according to most sources President Obama's Moscow visit is scheduled for July 6-8. Perhaps July 10 is a typo for July 1?

See also: Risk of Russian military intervention in Georgia?

Labels: Felgenhauer, Georgia, Medvedev, Obama, Russia, Russia Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, Russian Federation, United States

posted by David McDuff  # 6:19 PM

Ingushetia's President Yunus-bek Yevkurov has been wounded in an assassination attempt, AP reports.

Labels: Ingushetia, North Caucasus, Russia, Russian Federation

posted by David McDuff  # 11:27 AM

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, D.C. now has a web site, the Global Museum on Communism.

The site is quite dependent on flash video, and on some systems the graphics can take a while to load, but the project is both ambitious and worthwhile, and represents a serious effort to chronicle and portray the history and the victims of Communism worldwide.

(Hat tip: Leopoldo)

Labels: Communism

posted by David McDuff  # 6:28 PM

Again at Prague Watchdog, a discussion of the choice that currently faces Chechens: either the Moscow-backed Islamism of Ramzan Kadyrov, or the genuine Islamism of Dokka Umarov. Is there really much to choose between them? And is a third alternative possible?

See also: Russia without the Caucasus

Labels: Caucasus, Chechnya, North Caucasus, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 3:38 PM

Dear all,

I have just got information from Malika Zubajraev. She is in Grozny. She tells that the last info on Zubajr's whereabouts was a week ago. An unknown person called her number on Zubajr's request (in her words) to let them know that he was temporarily being located in Novosibirsk. Malika tells that she has been trying to contact Novosibirsk after that but was told that Zubajr had been already moved. There has been no information on his whereabouts since then and it is not known whether he was brought to Enisejsk (Krasnojarsk region) or not.

What is really worrying is that Malika told that she also received an official notification from Volgograd that she will be taken to account for "defamation" against LIU 15 colony. Tne letter is from May 22 and it is signed by the deputy head of UFSIN of Volgograd Zubov.

Best, Oksana[Chelysheva]

Labels: Chechnya, Zubayrayev

posted by David McDuff  # 3:25 PM

However needless to say that we are ready to and will discuss with our partners all the issues related to the whole security situation in the Caucasus, the issues of both humanitarian and economic nature, being prepared to do this in any venues. The only thing is that we have some kind of "red lines". One of them I already mentioned- this is our decision to grant recognition. And the second one is our attitude to the present Georgian regime. It is our view that this political regime committed a crime and we shall have nothing in common with it. At the same time after elections that sooner or later will be held in Georgia we surely will be ready to resume deliberations on different issues if the Georgian people elect a new leadership capable of maintaining a friendly dialogue with Russia and with close neighbors of the Georgian state - peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Labels: Abkhazia, Caucasus, Georgia, Medvedev, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, Saakashvili, South Ossetia

posted by David McDuff  # 12:40 PM

At Prague Watchdog you can read my condensed translation of a two-part article by the Russian publicist and LiveJournal blogger Mikhail Pozharsky on the subject of the possible separation of the North Caucasus from Russia.

Labels: North Caucasus, Prague Watchdog, Russia

posted by David McDuff  # 9:25 AM

Russia's defence ministry has announced that the Kavkaz-2009 military exercises will be held in the North Caucasus from June 29 until July 6. The exercises will involve more than 8,500 personnel, up to 200 battle tanks, 450 armoured vehicles and some 250 artillery systems of various types, the independent Georgian news and information service Civil.ge reports.

Labels: Caucasus, Chechnya, Dagestan, Defence and Security, Georgia, Ingushetia, North Caucasus, North Ossetia, Russia, Russian Federation, South Ossetia

posted by David McDuff  # 8:38 AM

Labels: Chechnya, Dictatorship, Kadyrov, North Caucasus, Paternalism, Prague Watchdog

posted by David McDuff  # 8:44 AM

In an interview published on the website of Ekho Moskvy, Major-General Vyacheslav Borisov, the deputy head of Russia's paratroop forces who commanded the paratroopers during the conflict in South Ossetia and and the invasion of other parts of Georgia, has confirmed that Moscow was preparing to invade Georgian territory long before August 8 2008.

From The Messenger:

"...General Shamanov was in command of the troops being sent in the direction of Abkhazia and I commanded those sent to South Ossetian and Georgia. As you know, we had regularly conducted trainings in those regions, our troops had gained considerable experience of the terrain. We had conducted trainings on those territories, exactly there, one week before and had only just left the area, which is why we could conduct the march to Tskhinvali much better than the central and regional troops. For us, this did not entail any sort of difficulty. We also dealt with certain other matters in a much better way, and this was noted by the leadership of the armed forces, the Head of the General Staff and the Defence Minister..." said Borisov in part of his interview, as quoted by the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

“We are hopeful that this additional confession made by yet another Russian aggressor, will help the international commissions come to adequate conclusions when they seek the truth about the 18-year undeclared war conducted by Russia against Georgia, the last episode of which took place on August 7, 2008,” says a special statement made by the Foreign Ministry on its official webpage on June 6.

Labels: Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, Russia Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, South Ossetia

posted by David McDuff  # 10:49 AM

Reuters reports an unidentified source in Russian law enforcement agencies as saying on Monday (via Interfax and Itar-Tass) that Caucasus Emirate leader Dokka Umarov has been killed by Russian forces "on the territory of one of the republics of the North Caucasus".

Axisglobe now says that according to Russian sources the body has not yet been identified,

In 2006 the Moscow-backed Chechen government claimed that Umarov had surrendered, though this proved to be erroneous.

On June 4 Russia's Channel One reported that President Dmitry Medvedev held a meeting with FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov - the current situation in the North Caucasus was at the top of the agenda, and Bortnikov is thought to be under pressure to achieve results.

Update: Reuters (via Moscow Times) has Ramzan Kadyrov  saying that Umarov was severely wounded --  "too early to say" whether he was killed. 

Labels: Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, North Caucasus, Russia, Russian Federation, Umarov

posted by David McDuff  # 8:31 AM