The Prague Watchdog Weekly Newsletter, No. 39

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THE PRAGUE WATCHDOG WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, No. 39 (September 26, 2005)
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1) THE WEEK IN BRIEF (September 19 - 25)

September 17-24 - Alu Alkhanov, the Moscow-backed leader of the Chechen Republic, made an official visit to Jordan and Syria.

September 20 - Three policemen were shot dead in Ingushetia's village of Karabulak.

September 21 - Representatives of several dozen Chechen public organizations established in Bern, Switzerland, the Chechen Civil Society Forum in order to consolidate Chechen civil society and enable Chechen NGOs direct access to European institutions.

September 22 - Chechen lawyer and human rights defender Lida Yusupova was awarded the 2005 Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize "in recognition of her brave and unrelenting efforts to document human rights violations and act as a spokeswoman for the forgotten victims of the war in Chechnya."

September 22 - Former Chechen guerrilla commander Magomed Khambiyev, who surrendered to the Moscow-backed Chechen authorities under unclear circumstances in March 2004, will take part in the November 27 parliamentary elections, annouced Ramzan Kadyrov, First Vice-Premier of the Moscow-backed Chechen government.

September 23 - Dozens of local and Chechen students of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University clashed in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria. The Chechen students were supported by Chechen policemen, who used their firearms.

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2) UPCOMING EVENTS

September 29 - Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia / Russia): The North Ossetian parliamentary commission of inquiry into last year's Beslan massacre should familiarize the republic's Parliament with its report on the causes and circumstances of the tragedy.

October 3 - Stockholm (Sweden): Arsen Sakalov, coordinator for the Russian Justice Project (formerly Chechnya Justice Project), will receive the Per Anger Prize for his efforts to bring justice to victims of human rights abuse connected to the conflict in Chechnya.

For more upcoming Chechnya-related events go to http://www.watchdog.cz/calendar.

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3) REGIONAL REPORTING

Museum-preserve in Chechnya under threat of complete destruction (by Lecha Sadayev, September 20)
Relics of Chechnya’s medieval architecture may be completely destroyed, fears Ismail Munayev, head of the Chechen office of the Rosokhrankultura agency.
http://www.watchdog.cz/index.php?show=000000-000002-000002-000045&lang=1

Chechen election campaign picks up speed (by Lecha Sadayev, September 21)
Among those who expressed a desire to fight for parliamentary seats are Salambek Kunchalov, former member of the parliament of independent Chechnya.
http://www.watchdog.cz/index.php?show=000000-000004-000001-000173&lang=1

Two corpses discovered in Grozny district (by Lecha Sadayev, September 22)
According to criminology experts, their deaths were caused by multiple bullet wounds.
http://www.watchdog.cz/index.php?show=000000-000008-000001-000407&lang=1

One policeman killed, another kidnapped in Chechnya (by Lecha Sadayev, September 24)
The body of a Chechen police officer was found in Grozny with gunshot wounds to the head and body.
http://www.watchdog.cz/index.php?show=000000-000005-000004-000114&lang=1

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4) HUMANITARIAN - SURVEY

After 15 years of "depression," people of Kabardino-Balkaria long for change (Caucasus Times, September 26)

Results of a survey conducted in Nalchik by "Caucasus Times"

http://www.watchdog.cz/?show=000000-000002-000001-000161&lang=1


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5) ATTACKS ON HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
Monitoring attacks on the rights defenders whose work is connected with the Chechen conflict.

Link: http://www.watchdog.cz/attacks

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6) LATEST ADDITION TO OUR LINKS LIBRARY:

Society for Threatened People (Switzerland) - http://www.gfbv.ch
The Swiss NGO that helped Chechen NGOs to establish the Chechen Civil Society Forum in Bern this past week.


For more Chechnya-related links go to our Links library ( http://www.watchdog.cz/links ), which is being continuously updated.


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Prague Watchdog Weekly Newsletter is a publication of Prague Watchdog. If you wish to subscribe (unsubscribe) to it, please send us an e-mail to mail@watchdog.cz. The newsletter is usually sent out on Monday evenings.

Prague Watchdog launched its website in August 2000 and its aim is to collect and disseminate information on the ongoing conflict in Chechnya, focusing on human rights, media coverage, political situation and relief aid.

Visit us at http://www.watchdog.cz. For the Russian version, go to http://www.watchdog.cz/russian.
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