Russia: Chechen human rights case programme “censored”

November 1st, 2011

Elena Vlasenko reports on Russian state-owned television channel NTV’s move to censor a broadcast detailing a campaign for a fair investigation into the kidnapping and alleged torture of Chechen man Islam Umarpashaev

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Russia: Report on torture of Chechen man “censored” by state television

October 31st, 2011

A 30 October report concerning the work of a Russian human rights group working in Chechnya was pulled off of the air on NTV, one of the nation’s largest federal channels. The segment covering the work of Joint Mobile Group with the case of Islam Umarpashaev, a Chechen allegedly kidnapped and tortured by state forces, was broadcast in Eastern Russia, but blocked in the rest of the country.The Joint Mobile Group has been campaigning for justice and a fair investigation of the kidnapping and torture of Umarpashaev by Chechen law enforcement officials in 2009.

Russia: Circle of Politkovskaya murder suspects widens

October 7th, 2010

Detectives with the federal Investigative Committee say they are examining an expanded circle of suspects in the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. The new suspects are said to be ethnic Chechens who wanted to get on the good side of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov. There is no evidence directly linking Kadyrov to the case. The original defendants are still considered as suspects. Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin told CPJ on 28 September that his agency was mistaken in “rushing” a previous case to trial.

Human rights activists detained in Chechnya

February 12th, 2010

Officials detained for 15 hours three human rights activists who were attempting to compile a list of missing persons. Aleksandr Cherkasov of the Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center said neither the reason for their detention nor their release were explained. Civil liberties groups including Human Rights Watch have called for an investigation into the detentions.

Chechnya: president wins Estemirova “defamation” trial

October 7th, 2009

Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov has won a defamation case against human rights group Memorial and its head, Oleg Orlov. But the trial has given the organisation a chance to address the injustices in the region. Tanya Lokshina reports
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Anna Politkovskaya: the search for justice continues

October 7th, 2009

On 7 October 2006, Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in her Moscow apartment building. Her sister Elena Kudimova spoke to Lance Lattig about Anna’s death, the ongoing search for justice, and the prize that bears her name

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Chechnya’s rebuilding masks a new wave of repression

September 15th, 2009

The killing of Natalia Estemirova is a sign of the republic’s drift into lawlessness and violence under President Kadyrov, writes Lucy Ash

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Court orders new Politkovskaya probe

September 3rd, 2009

The Supreme Court in Moscow has ordered a new investigation into the murder of Novaya gazeta reporter Anna Politkovskaya. The outspoken critic of Russia’s actions in Chechnya was murdered in October 2006.

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