Caucasus on fire

There are international terrorist network cells which spend millions of dollars in all regions in the South federal district, according to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office. This is what Deputy Prosecutor General Nikolai Shepel told ITAR-TASS news agency.

According to him, terrorist groups with uniform ideology and hierarchy "operate currently practically in all subjects of the South federal district, including the Stavropol territory and the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions.

"This criminal organisation is headed by Shamil Basayev who has close connections with emissaries of international religious extremist organisations," the deputy prosecutor general said.

In an interview with Shamil Basayev, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ichkeria, posted by the Chechen separatist website Kavkaz-Center, the rebel leader confirmed that he had taken part in organising the attack on the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik, on 13 October last year.

"Two years ago I was in Kabardino-Balkaria and found no understanding with most Muslims in the republic that time, but last spring they called me themselves," Mr Basayev says.

He says that this situation is linked with violations of Muslims' rights in Kabardino-Balkaria: "Muslims have no religious freedom, mosques are destroyed and closed, and Muslims are degraded and tortured for wearing beards and not drinking or smoking. Even pregnant Muslim women are insulted and beaten for wearing a burqa and being dressed modestly."

The Chechen rebel leader claims that reports about large numbers of rebels detained in Nalchik are not true. He says that they are based on "production targets" which law enforcement and security agencies have to detain members of illegal armed formations.

"In Chechnya, for example, if a law enforcement or security agency fails to detain or kill at least one mojahideen during a week, they are stripped of a part of their extra payment. It is therefore no wonder that there are so many 'killed and detained rebels' in Nalchik," Mr Basayev alleges.

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