360 Killed, 320 Missing In Wartorn Chechnya Since January

1,500 people had gone missing since Russia poured soldiers into Chechnya

MOSCOW, August 3 (IslamOnline &News Agencies)- Some 360 people were killed and 320 are listed as missing in the wartorn republic of Chechnya in the first six months of this year, the news agency Interfax reported Saturday, August 3.

Figures collated by the republic's prosecutor Nikolai Kostyuchenko also revealed that 1,500 people had gone missing since Russia poured soldiers into Chechnya in October 1999, Agence France-Press(AFP) reported.

Moscow has accused Chechen fighters of murdering civilians while human rights groups claim death squads, organized by Russian security services, now operate in Chechnya.

Meanwhile, three Chechen civilians have been found murdered, the Ria Novosti news agency reported Saturday.

One was shot while sitting on a bench in front of his home in Novye-Atagui, south of Grozny, the Interior Ministry told the news agency.

The bullet-riddled corpse of another Chechen was found near Dyshne-Vedeno southeast of Grozny while the body of another, who had died from stab wounds, was found in a forest near Novy-Tsentaroy, east of Grozny, Ria Novosti said.

Meanwhile, a poll last week revealed six out of 10 Russians want the government to open peace talks to bring an end to the Chechen war.

Only 29% of those interviewed were in favor of pursuing military operations in the southern Russian republic, according to a survey of 1,600 adults by the VTsIOM polling institute.

The lawless territory had enjoyed de facto autonomy since a 1994-96 war of independence.

Moscow maintains 80,000 men under arms in Chechnya and faces regular condemnation for its human rights record in the republic. 

In July 23, 2002 a statement, the international Helsinki Federation announced that a pattern of increasing disappearances is bordering to genocide, they stated: 

“While the authorities will release no statistics, human rights groups are documenting that between 50-80 are recovered in average months. The figures are much higher, and they report a clear trend toward increasing overall number of the disappeared. Those dying are generally men in their productive years.” 

The Chechnya tragedy started during the Soviet era, when Stalin, in order to maintain power and to avoid being overthrown "by external powers manipulating internal ethnic groups", was brutal in his control of the Chechen people.

The Chechens therefore actually said they would welcome Germany if they recognized an independent Chechnya. This led to a mass deportation and relocation of Chechen people (and others) to Kazakhstan and Siberia.

Around 800,000 people are said to have been relocated this way. Perhaps 100,000 or more of these people died due to the extreme conditions.

Chechnya later declared independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The 1994-96 war left 80,000 casualties. The Russian assault devastated Grozny and other parts of Chechnya.

However, the Chechens defeated Russia, revealing how poor Russian military capabilities were. Earlier in 1999, the Islamic uprising in the neighboring Dagestan region of Russia resulted in accusations by Moscow that Chechen government forces supported a Dagestan rebellion.

While this was denied, Chechen fighters (that are not controlled by the central government) did support the Islamic uprising in Dagestan. This incursion led to a conflict with Russian forces that defeated the Chechens.

Following the Chechen defeat in Dagestan, Moscow suffered bomb blasts believed to be by various independence activists (although never proven). This has also led to a rise in Russia of racist sentiments against people mainly from the Caucasus regions.

Russia is now engaged in a full-scale war with Chechnya. There have been many reports of bombing raids by Russian forces and over 200,000 people are said to have fled from Chechnya.

Grozny and other parts of Chechnya are being pounded and destroyed. Once more, the civilian population is caught in the middle. Civilian casualties have been high and there has been international outcry at the brutal Russian crackdown and indiscriminate bombing and targeting of civilians.

The Russian troops have been looting and burning homes and buildings, even executing those who resist.

On April 20, 2000, Chechen President, Ashlan Mashkadov, made a ceasefire offer. However, Russian demands have been stern, which triggered more suicide attacks and increased warfare by the Chechen combatants, indicating that the conflict is far from over.

As Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported in April 2001, "the U.N. Commission on Human Rights adopted a resolution on Chechnya that condemned serious human rights violations by Russian forces, and raised concern about forced disappearances, torture, and summary executions.   

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