19:55, 23 January 2004

Human rights activists: Russian military exaggerate number of rebels in Chechnya

The number of rebels on the territory of Chechnya comes up to 1,500 people, Deputy Russian Interior Minister Yuri Maltsev announced at a conference of "security agents" at the Khankala military base.

The figures given by the military in 2000, 2001 and 2002 were almost the same.

Some Chechen human rights defenders believe such "mathematics" is profitable for those who are interested in the extension of military actions in Chechnya and dragging the armed conflict out.

"Officials of Russian security agencies have been giving the same numbers of "active bandits" for four years. But who counted them? when? and who? If their exact number is known, if, as asserted by the same military, several rebels are destroyed or detained in Chechnya almost every day, then why does their number remain practically equal to that which was last year and the year before last? It means the only thing for me: at such a pace the "counterterrorist operation" here will last for tens of years," says an activist of the Human Rights Center "Memorial" in Grozny.

Source: Caucasus Times Website