Chechnya without CTO: 292 casualties in 320 days

March 3 was the 320th day after cancellation in the Chechen Republic of the longstanding counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime. From that moment on, the casualty rate as a result of the armed opposition of the underground against power agencies in Chechnya has reached 292 persons, in fact twice the figure of the same period prior to the CTO cancellation, when 154 persons were lost.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the CTO regime was lifted in Chechnya on April 16, 2009. One of the reasons for this step was reported to be stabilization of the situation in the republic. However, the analysis of the events in Chechnya after CTO cancellation shows a noticeable growth in the number of murders, terror acts, armed attacks and kidnappings, committed in the region, as compared with the time when the CTO regime was in force.

The "Caucasian Knot" is periodically making a comparative analysis of activity indicators of power agencies and the armed underground, as well as of the situation with human rights in Chechnya for equal periods before and after CTO removal. The analysis of time spans of 70, 100, 120, 150, 170, 200, 220, 250, 270 and 300 days is based on archive data of the "Caucasian Knot" and information from open sources.

Militants in Chechnya are still active

For the 320 days after cancelling of the CTO regime, the number of murdered power agents reached 85, and 168 more were wounded. During the same period before the cancellation the figures were 50 and 140 persons accordingly.

Terror acts have not ceased to occur in Chechnya. Already a month after CTO cancellation, the republic saw explosions committed by militants-suicide bombers. While out of 52 terror acts committed during 320 days prior to CTO cancellation only one was undertaken by a suicide bomber, for the same period after the cancellation, out of 57 terror acts and explosions 9 were committed by suicide bombers. Also, at least one terror act of a suicide bomber was prevented, as law enforcers had reported.

Special operations without CTO

Towards the end of the first month of this year - on January 19 - head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov announced a start of a broad-scale special operation against members of the armed underground. The operation zone covered all the mountainous and a number of foothill areas; and the mission was formulated as finding and liquidating Doku Umarov, the militants' leader, and his closest retinue.

The mission was not fulfilled; however, the number of special operations and skirmishes with suspected militants for the 320 days after CTO cancellation reached 122, essentially exceeding the similar indicator for the same period prior to cancellation - 81 power operations for 320 days prior to CTO cancellation.

In total, during 320 days after CTO 177 persons, announced to be militants and their helpers, were liquidated, 166 persons were detained, including 9, who, according to power agents, surrendered voluntarily. During the 320 days before the end of the CTO regime 124 persons, announced as militants or their helpers, were detained, 18 of them had surrendered. However, the casualty rate more than doubled after CTO cancellation, as during 320 days before it 85 persons were liquidated.

Peaceful people continue perishing in Chechnya

Losses among civilians after cancellation of the CTO regime are also higher than before it. However, recently these figures tend to gradually go down. For example, in the last two months this sad statistics was not updated, probably also because such incidents are not always made known to the public.

In total, for the 320 days after lifting the CTO regime, at least 18 murders, 32 injuries and 32 kidnappings of civilians were reported from Chechnya.

For the period of 320 days prior to CTO cancellation, these figures were as follows: 17 murders and 23 injuries of peaceful residents and 14 kidnappings.

The situation in Chechnya, and in Northern Caucasus as a whole, is in the course of gradual stabilization - this is stated by the Chechen authorities. According to Lord Frank Judd, head of the Human Rights Group of the UK Parliament, which visited Chechnya not long ago, the republic really builds up; however, the unsolved safety issue still exists behind the external well-being. "Climate of fear reigns in Chechnya," adds his colleague Joanne Swinson.

The "Caucasian Knot" continues monitoring the situation in the Chechen Republic after cancellation of the almost 10-year CTO regime, and runs the chronicle of committed murders, terror acts and kidnappings.