Medvedev instructs FSB Director to consider CTO termination in Chechnya

At his meeting on Friday with Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the FSB and head of the National Antiterrorist Committee (NATC), President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev asked him to consider the issue of lifting the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime in Chechnya, which has lasted for more than nine years.

We remind you that on March 25 President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov said that the long-term counterterrorist operation will officially come to its end in Chechnya in the end of March.

He was supported by State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov. "The situation is normalized, therefore, I think that the issue to terminate the counterterrorist operation in the republic can be raised," said Mr Gryzlov.

President Medvedev has emphasized today that the FSB "together with other law enforcement bodies should continue controlling the situation, introducing, if necessary, certain elements of the CTO regime and undertaking required actions both in the Chechen Republic and in other southern republics, where the threat of terrorism still exists," as the "Rossijskaya Gazeta" reports.

The issue of lifting the CTO regime in Chechnya will be considered at the next NATC session on March 31, as the Committee's spokesman has informed journalists today, on March 27.

"It's absolutely clear that after 2004 the republic has achieved serious successes, and lifting the CTO regime will allow increasing the investment attractiveness of Chechnya and become an essential stimulus for the population," said Alexander Torshin, a NATC member and First Vice-Speaker of the Council of Federation, as quoted by the "Interfax".

"There are no grounds to state any defeat of terrorism or any victory over armed resistance," said on air Oleg Orlov, Chairman of the Board of the HRC "Memorial".

The "Caucasian Knot" wrote that the data for 2008 and beginning of 2009 indicate that the situation in Chechnya is still instable. During a year, at least 97 militiamen and militaries were assassinated, at least 138 were wounded. 39 terror acts were committed, at least 10 more were prevented, and at least 59 hiding places with weapons and explosives were detected. 25 peaceful civilians were lost as a result of explosions, skirmishes of militants with law enforcers and attacks of unknown persons. The same number - 25 persons - were injured. 16 attacks and skirmishes ended without casualties and victims. In the end of 2008, in Chechnya the number of kidnappings went up again. Thus, according to the HRC "Memorial", only during last November-December 10 persons were kidnapped in Chechnya, and in total in 2008 - 42 persons. Of them, four residents of the republic were liberated; three - disappeared and three more were found murdered.