Chronology Year Dagestan Ingushetia Chechnya Russian Federation
Reporters Without Borders June 2009 Russian Caucasus – media iron curtain - Report of a fact-finding visit to Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia
Appendix 2: Chronology
Year Dagestan Ingushetia Chechnya Russian Federation
November Creation of the 1922 autonomous region of Chechnya
December Creation of the Autonomous Republic of 1936 Chechen-Ingushetia
February 1944 The Republic is dismantled on Stalin’s orders. Mass deportation of its inhabitants.
1957 Restoration of Chechen-Ingushetia Prigorodny District, which had a mainly Ingush population and which was incorporated into North Ossetia when the Ingush and Chechens were deported in 1944, was not restored, depriving the Republic of 40 per cent of its territory. The district includes some of Vladikavkaz’s suburbs.
1991 Dzhokhar Dudayev is elected president. Chechnya declares independence on 1 November. Moscow rejects this. State of emergency proclaimed. In a December referendum, the Ingush districts vote for the creation of a Republic of Ingushetia that is part of the Russian Federation.
1992 War breaks out Chechens refuse to between the Ingush sign the Russian and Ossetians over Federation Treaty and Prigorodny. Russian promulgate their own forces intervene on constitution in March. the side of the Russian troops Ossetians. withdraw. Chechnya refuses to 1993 Ruslan Aushev is take part in the Presidential election, elected president of Russian presidential adoption of a new Ingushetia. election and to adopt constitution. the new Russian constitution. Chechen parliament dissolved. Russian intervention 1994 starts First Chechen War. Reporters Without Borders June 2009 Russian Caucasus – media iron curtain - Report of a fact-finding visit to Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia Gen. Lebed and Aslan 1996 2,000 people are Maskhadov sign taken hostage by Khasav-Yurt Chechen rebels. Accord in August. A referendum on Chechnya’s status is to be held by 2001. Aslan Maskhadov 1997 is elected president, defeating Islamist warlord Shamil Basayev, who goes on to be prime minister. Growing tension between secular nationalists and Islamist warlords who are turning to Wahhabism.
1998 Ruslan Aushev is reelected president of Ingushetia. Start of Second 1999 A Chechen rebel Chechen War. In September, the incursion into After an incursion federal authorities Dagestan is from Chechnya into blame a series of condemned by Dagestan by Islamist bombings in the south the Maskhadov fighters led by Shamil of the country on government. Basayev and Chechens. Commander Khattab, the Russian federal authorities launch an “anti-terrorist” operation in September and cease to recognise the Maskhadov government. The Russians bomb Grozny and other parts of the country.
Between 150,000 and Chechnya is placed President Vladimir 2000 250,000 refugees flood under direct Russian Putin announces the into Ingushetia from presidential rule in end of the operations in Chechnya, almost March. Chief Mufti Chechnya in February doubling its population. Akhmad Kadyrov is but nonetheless sends Aushev welcomes the appointed president in reinforcements. refugees, appeals to June. the UNHCR for help and urges Moscow to negotiate with Reporters Without Borders June 2009 Russian Caucasus – media iron curtain - Report of a fact-finding visit to Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia Maskhadov. A pro-Russian The interior ministry is 2001 government is installed put in charge of anti- in Grozny. terrorist operations in Chechnya. Ruslan Aushev resigns The Russian high 2002 as president and is command claims replaced by former victory in Chechnya but KGB general Murat the violence continues. Zyazikov. The Chechen rebels take refugees are gradually several hundred people deported back to hostage in a Moscow Chechnya. Tensions theatre in October. mount in Ingushetia. The death of 130 of the hostages when Russian special forces retake the theatre sparks a controversy. . First disappearances of With no international 2003 Ingush civilians in June observers, a referendum is held on a new constitution and a new way of electing the president and parliament. 96 per cent reportedly vote “yes”. elections. In the absence of a serious rival, Kremlin candidate Akhmad Kadyrov is elected president in October with 82 per cent of the votes. Attacks on interior President Hundreds are 2004 ministry posts and Kadyrov is killed taken hostage in a police posts in June by by a bomb in a Grozny school in Beslan a force of about 1,000 football stadium that is (North Ossetia) on Chechen and Ingush claimed by Shamil 1 September. The rebels leave about 100 Basayev. Former authorities say more dead and as many interior minister Alu than 330 people die wounded. The attacks Alkhanov is elected to (half of them children) are claimed by Shamil replace him. Russian when Russian special Basayev. soldiers based in forces retake the Chechnya are allowed school. Shamil Basayev to vote in the election. claims the attack on the school.
Aslan 2005 Maskhadov’s death in a special forces operation is announced in March. Reporters Without Borders June 2009 Russian Caucasus – media iron curtain - Report of a fact-finding visit to Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia The pro-Putin party wins parliamentary elections in November. Kremlin public Around 50 separatist Anna 2006 enemy No. 1 fighters surrender in Politkovskaya, a Shamil Basayev, August. reporter for the vice-president of the Moscow-based rebel Republic of biweekly Novaya Gazeta Ichkeria, is who has often criticised “eliminated” in the Russian government Ingushetia in July. in her coverage of the war in Chechnya, is killed in the hall of her Moscow apartment building on 7 October.
Rebel raid on the Putin accepts Alu 2007 village of Alyurt in July. Alkhanov’s resignation Ingushetiya.ru posts one in February appoints of the few reports on Akhmad Kadyrov’s son the raid. The Ingush Ramzan Kadyrov, opposition calls for as interim president. President Murat He is officially installed Zyazikov’s departure, on 5 April. accusing him of doing nothing in the face of an increase in disappearances. The local authorities Ruslan Yamadayev, a The trial of three men announce an anti- former Chechnya accused of taking part terrorist operation in representative in the in Novaya Gazeta Nazran, the former Duma and brother of reporter Anna Ingush capital. The the commander of the Politkovskaya’s murder press is prevented Russian army’s Vostok opens in Moscow in from covering it. battalion, is gunned November. Crackdown on down at the wheel of demonstrations calling his car in Moscow in for Zyazikov’s September. departure and accusing him of tolerating disappearances and kidnappings for ransom. Journalist Magomed Yevloyev, the owner of Ingushetiya.ru (which thereafter becomes Ingushetia.org), is shot dead while in custody on 31 August. Zyazikov is forced to resign on 30 October. He is replaced by Yunus- Reporters Without Borders June 2009 Russian Caucasus – media iron curtain - Report of a fact-finding visit to Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia The local authorities Ruslan Yamadayev, a The trial of three men announce an anti- former Chechnya accused of taking part terrorist operation in representative in the in Novaya Gazeta Nazran, the former Duma and brother of reporter Anna Ingush capital. The the commander of the Politkovskaya’s murder press is prevented Russian army’s Vostok opens in Moscow in from covering it. battalion, is gunned November. Crackdown on down at the wheel of demonstrations calling his car in Moscow in for Zyazikov’s September. departure and accusing him of tolerating disappearances and kidnappings for ransom. Journalist Magomed Yevloyev, the owner of Ingushetiya.ru (which