Putin’s Third Term and the North Caucasus

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Notes

1. “V khode vooruzhenoogo konflikta na Severnom Kavkaze v 2011 godu pogibli i byli raneny 1378 chelovek,” Kavkazskii uzel, January 12, 2012 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/198756/; accessed March 8, 2018).

2. R. Barrett, “Beyond the Caliphate: Foreign Fighters and the Threat of Returnees,” The Soufan Center, October 2017 (available at http://thesoufancenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Beyond-the-Caliphate-Foreign-Fighters-and-the-Threat-of-Returnees-TSC-Report-October-2017-v3.pdf; accessed March 8, 2018).

3. D. Turovsky, “Rossiiane protiv rossiian v Sirii,” Meduza.io, March 28, 2016 (available at https://meduza.io/feature/2016/03/28/rossiyane-protiv-rossiyan-v-sirii; accessed March 8, 2018).

4. Author’s calculations based on data from Kavkazskii uzel.

5. Salafites are the followers of a fundamentalist movement in Islam that does not recognize the mixing of folk traditions with religious practice and advocates simplification of rituals and a literal reading of the Koran. A number of experts classify as moderate Salafites: followers of the Salafi movement who reject violence as a method for political battle, do not speak out against the state, and are prepared to cooperate with government bodies.

6. Data cited by FSB director Aleksander Bortnikov in December 2017. See “V Rossii v 2017 godu bylo predotvarshcheno 18 teraktov,” TASS, December 12, 2017 (available at http://tass.ru/proisshestviya/4804231; accessed March 8, 2018).

7. The Circassians resettled under an agreement with the Ottoman Empire; a large part of the population perished in the process of resettlement.

8. Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Adygea, Stavropol, and Krasnodar krais.

9. “Kak Kadyrov miril dagestantsev i chechentsev v Leninaule,” Kavkazskii uzel, July 12, 2017 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/305797/; accessed March 8, 2018).

10. The question often arises of why Ramzan Kadyrov does not stand up for Chechens in Dagestan so that the problem of restoring Aukh District could be resolved in their favor. It appears that this is one of the “red lines” the Kremlin has drawn for Kadyrov: He is not supposed to interfere in the affairs of neighboring republics, especially in territorial disputes. In addition, Avars from Kalinin-Aul and Lenin-Aul protect one of the strongest people in Dagestan—Sagidpasha Umakhanov. Sagidpasha did not lose the Kremlin’s trust during purges, and, in spite of an attempt on his life, which Kadyrov’s former advisor Shaa Turlayev is now suspected of organizing, Umakhanov continues to hold his ground and can quickly organize the Avars to counteract interference from Chechnya if necessary.

11. “Osetino-ingushskii konflikt 1992 g.: istoki i razvitie (po Mai 2005),” Human Rights Center Memorial, May 19, 2015 (available at http://old.memo.ru/hr/hotpoints/caucas1/prigorod/msg/2005/05/m291.htm; accessed March 8, 2018).

12. For example, two Ingush were killed in Beslan in July 2015, and a mass fight with the participation of Ossetian police officers occurred in the village of Kartsa in 2016. Another brawl took place in Kartsa in 2017: The conflict started as an everyday disagreement but grew into a large-scale clash involving the police, shooting from a non-lethal weapon, and injuries.

13. M. Krasina, “Kelekhsaev-Tedeev-Kharsiev. Integratsiia ingushei v seveeroosetinskoe obshchestvo vstrechaet soprotivlenie,” On Kavkaz, November 26, 2017 (available at https://onkavkaz.com/news/1981-kelehsaev-tedeev-harsiev-integracija-ingushei-vseveroosetinskoe-obschestvo-vstrechaet-soprotiv.html; accessed March 8, 2018).

14. Ibid.

15. “Zasedanie Soveta po razvitiiu grazhdanskogo obshchestva i pravam cheloveka,” President of Russia, December 8, 2016 (available at http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/53440; accessed March 8, 2018).

16. Author’s interview with Tamirlan Akiev, January 2018.

17. For more on support for Chechnya from the federal budget, see N. Zubarevich, “Otnoshenie tsentr–regiony: chto izmenilos’ za chetyre goda krizisa?” (available at http://www.counter-point.org/11_zubarevich/).

18. See “Spravka ‘Komiteta protiv pytok’ o sostoianii rassledovaniia ugolovnykh del vozbuzhdennykh po faktu ischesnoveniia liudei v Chechenskoi Respublike,” Human Rights Center Memorial (available at https://memohrc.org/ru/specials/spravka-o-sostoyanii-rassledovaniya-ugolovnyh-delvozbuzhdennyh-po-faktu-ischeznoveniya; accessed March 8, 2018); S. Sokolov, “Sledstvennyi tupik (available at https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2018/02/27/75636-sledstvennyy-tupik; accessed March 8, 2018).

19. R. Kadyrov, “Shakaly budut nakazany po zakonu Rossiiskoi Federatsii,” Izvestiia, January 18, 2016 (available at https://iz.ru/news/601935; accessed March 8, 2018); “Podzhog ofisa Svodnoi mobilnoi gruppy v dekabre 2014 goda proizoshel v trekh mestakh,” Committee Against Torture, July 2, 2015 (available at http://www.pytkam.net/press-centr.novosti/4220; accessed March 8, 2018); A. Elkina, “5 Samykh gromkikh sluchaev presledovaniia pravozashchitnikov v Chechne,” Deutsche Welle, January 10, 2018 (available at http://www.dw.com/ru/5-самых-громких-случаев-преследования-правозащитников-в-чечне/a-42097248; accessed March 8, 2018); “Vragi naroda, predateli, lakei. Kratkii putevoditel’ po vystupleniiam Ramzana Kadyrova,” Meduza.io, January 16, 2016 (available at https://meduza.io/feature/2016/01/19/vragi-narodapredateli-lakei; accessed March 8, 2018); “Napadenie na ofis PTs ‘Memorial’ v Chechne prodolzhilo taktiku podavleniia nesoglasnykh, zaiavili provozashchitniki,” Kavkazskii uzel, January 15, 2015 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/255642/; accessed March 8, 2018); “Metodichnoe unichtozhenie,” Lenta.ru, August 11, 2009 (available at https://lenta.ru/articles/2009/08/11/sadulaeva/; accessed March 8, 2018).

20. E. Maetnaia and A. Vinokurov, “Ramzan—eto vpolne ser’ezno,” Gazeta.ru, January 22, 2016 (available at https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2016/01/22_a_8036159.shtml; accessed March 8, 2018).

21. “’Kak po minnomu poliu.’ Chechenskie vlasti protiv nesoglasnykh,” Human Rights Watch (available at https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/chechnya0816ru_web.pdf; accessed March 8, 2018); “Chechnya: siloviki prodolzhaiut primeniat’ printsip kollektivnoi otvetstvennosti v otnoshenii rodstvennikov boevikov,” Human Rights Center Memorial, February 1, 2012 (available at https://memohrc.org/ru/news/chechnyaciloviki-prodolzhayut-primenyat-princip-kollektivnoy-otvetstvennostiv-otnoshenii; accessed March 8, 2018); “Rasplata za detei. Podzhogi domov v Chechne kak sredstvo kollektivnogo nakazaniia,” Human Rights Watch (available at https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/chechnya0709ruweb.pdf; accessed March 8, 2018).

22. “Chechnya: vnutrennee zarubezh’e. Doklad Mezhdunarodnoi krizisnoi gruppy,” Kavkazskii uzel, June 30, 2015 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/264772/#Atmosfera; accessed March 8, 2018).

23. “Geroi rassledovaniia ‘Novoi gazety’ publichno rasskazal o pytkakh v ‘sekretnoi tiurme’ dlia geev v Chechne,” Novaya gazeta, October 16, 2017 (available at https://www.novayagazeta.ru/news/2017/10/16/136184-geroy-rassledovaniya-novoy-gazetypublichno-rasskazal-o-pytkah-v-sekretnoy-tyurme-dlya-geev-vchechne; accessed March 8, 2018); “Chechnya: massovoe pokhishchenie zhitelei Groznogo,” Human Rights Center Memorial, December 5, 2017 (available at https://memohrc.org/ru/news_old/chechnyamassovoe-pohishchenie-zhiteley-groznogo; accessed March 8, 2018).

24. E. Milashina, “Eto byla kazn’. V noch’ na 26 ianvaria v Groznom rasstreliali desiatki liudei,” Novaya Gazeta (available at https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2017/07/09/73065-eto-bylakazn-v-noch-na-26-yanvarya-v-groznom-rasstrelyany-desyatkilyudey; accessed March 8, 2018); M. Proshkin, “’V Memoriale’ chastichno podtverdili dannye ‘Novoi gazety’ o massovykh kazniakh v Chechne,” Novaya gazeta, July 10, 2017 (available at https://www.novayagazeta.ru/news/2017/07/10/133343-v-memoriale-chastichno-podtverdili-dannye-novoy-gazety-omassovyh-kaznyah-v-chechne; accessed March 8, 2018).

25. Caucasian Knot, “Kak v Chechnye szhigaiut doma rodstvennikov boevikov,” YouTube video, December 20, 2014 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0cUQqm0WT4; accessed March 8, 2018).

26. Kadyrov addressing representatives of Chechen security structures, Vainakh television channel, August 10, 2010; “Kadyrov prizval chechentsev brat’ po vtoroi zhene,” Newsland, April 7, 2009 (available at http://newsland.com/user/4296647998/content/kadyrov-prizval-chechentsev-brat-po-vtoroi-zhene/3927823; accessed March 8, 2018); “Zhiteli Chechni ne iskliuchili rasprav iz-za siuzheta o vecherinke s ‘aptechnymi narkotikami,’” Kavkazskii Uzel, November 16, 2017 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/312561/; accessed March 8, 2018).

27. “‘Oni govorili, chto ia ne chelovek, a nichtozhestvo, chto luchshe by ia byl terroristom, chem pedikom.’ Doklad o faktakh presledovaniia LGBT v regione Severnogo Kavkaza,” Interregional social movement Rossiiskaia LGBT-set’, 2017 (available at https://lgbtnet.org/sites/default/files/oni_govorili_mne_chto_ya_ne_chelovek_a_nichtozhestvo_chto_luchshe_by_ya_byl_terroristom_chem_pedikom_0.pdf; accessed March 8, 2018).

28. E. Milashina, “Groznyi sud,” Novaya gazeta, November 11, 2017 (available at https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2017/11/11/74516-groznyy-sud; accessed March 8, 2018).

29. “Posle mnogotysiachnogo mitinga v Groznom za pravozashchitnikami iz gruppy Igor’ia Kaliapina nachalas’ pogonia,” Novaya gazeta, December 13, 2014 (available at https://www.novayagazeta.ru/news/2014/12/13/108655-posle-mnogotysyachnogo-mitinga-v-groznom-za-pravozaschitnikami-iz-gruppy-igorya-kalyapinanachalas-pogonya; accessed March 8, 2018); E. Maetnaia and A. Vinokurov, op. cit.

30. “V Groznom napali na pravozashchitnika Igor’ia Kalyapina,” Meduza.io, March 16, 2016 (available at https://meduza.io/news/2016/03/16/v-groznom-napali-na-pravozaschitnika-igoryakalyapina; accessed March 8, 2018).

31. “Rossiia: Proizvol’nyi arrest pravozashchitnika v Chechne,” Amnesty International, January 11, 2018 (available at https://amnesty.org.ru/ru/2018-01-11-tatiev/; accessed March 8, 2018).

32. VTSIOM: uvazhenie i doverie rossiian k Kadyrovu rastet,” May 12, 2017 (available at http://www.mk.ru/politics/2017/05/12/vciom-uvazhenie-i-doverie-rossiyan-k-kadyrovu-rastet.html; accessed March 8, 2018).

33. Kadyrov accuses the West of aspiring to destroy Russia and America of support for “Islamic State” terrorists.

34. N. Hauer, “A War Within a War: Chechnya’s Expanding Role in Syria,” November 30, 2017 (available at https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/11/30/a-war-within-a-warchechnyas-expanding-role-in-syria; accessed March 8, 2018). The data cited in this publication were confirmed by journalists who visited Syria in an interview with the author of this published article in January 2018.

35. “VII Mezhdunarodnaia vstrecha vysokikh predstavitelei, kuriruiushchikh voprosy bezopastnosti, nachalas’ v Groznom,” May 24, 2016 (available at http://www.grozny-inform.ru/multimedia/photos/72871; accessed March 8, 2018).

36. “Kadyrov: u menia khoroshaia armiia, chtoby napadat’ i zashchishchat’,” July 15, 2017 (available at https://meduza.io/news/2017/07/15/kadyrov-u-menya-horoshaya-armiya-chtobynapadat-i-zaschischat; accessed March 8, 2018).

37. “Pod egidoi Rosgvardii sozdaetsia novyi otriad dlia provedeniia uchebno-trenirovochnykh zaniatii v raionakh Arktiki,” Grozny-Inform, October 21, 2017 (available at http://www.groznyinform.ru/news/politic/89653/; accessed March 8, 2018; “Martynov Daniil Vasil’evich,” Kavkazskii uzel, April 26, 2017 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/297102/; accessed March 8, 2018).

38. Evgenii Argunov Live, “Chechnya Gudermes. Uchebnyi Tsentr sil spetsial’nogo naznacheniia 2017,” YouTube video, February 14, 2017 (available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2dWr9L_Pyw; accessed March 8, 2018).

39. N. Protsenko and L. Shapovalova, “Riskovannyi obmen,” Ekspert Online, March 8, 2018 (available at http://expert.ru/south/2013/06/riskovannyij-obmen/; accessed March 8, 2018).

40. “Vstrecha s Ramazanom Abdulatipovym,” February 1, 2013 (available at http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/17404; accessed March 8, 2018).

41. Gazetachernovik, “Mera Makhachkaly Saida Amirova zaderzhali i na vertolete etapirovali v Moskvu,” YouTube video, July 2, 2013 (available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgCY67y0Wdk; accessed March 8, 2018).

42. “Kto pretenduet na vlast’ v Dagestane,” Novaya gazeta, July 11, 2015 (available at https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2005/07/11/25049-kto-pretenduet-na-vlast-v-dagestane; accessed March 8, 2018).

43. “Delo eks-mera Derbenta Yaralieva sud vernul na dorabotku,” Regnum, July 24, 2017.

44. “Murtazaliev Sagid Magomedovich,” Kavkazskii uzel, April 26, 2016 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/237407/; accessed March 8, 2018).

45. I. Gordienko, “Pridut na zapakh kon’iaka,” Novaya gazeta, February 14, 2018 (available at https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2018/02/14/75506-pridut-na-zapah-konyaka; accessed March 8, 2018).

46. A. Politkovskaya, “Rasstrelian miting protiv korruptsii,” Novaya gazeta, May 18, 2006 (available at http://2006.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2006/36n/n36n-s00.shtml; accessed March 8, 2018).

47. For example, Said Amirov headed the United Russia branch in Makhachkala, was deemed best mayor in Russia in 2000, was awarded the Peter the Great Prize in 2001, was the winner of the all-Russian competition “Best Municipal Official of Russia” in 2003, and has been a member of the Best Managers Club of Russia since 2002.

48. “Prokuratura Dagestana s nachala 2014 goda privekla k otvetstvennosti bolee 700 chinovnikov,” RIA “Dagestan,” August 8, 2014 (available at https://www.riadagestan.ru/mobile/news/security/prokuratura_dagestana_s_nachala_2014_goda_privlekla_k_otvetstvennosti_bolee_700_chinovnikov/; accessed March 8, 2018).

49. V. Dergachev and D. Serkov, “Respublika pod sledstviem,” RBK, February 5, 2018 (available at https://www.rbc.ru/newspaper/2018/02/06/5a78680d9a79474a72f4c662; accessed March 8, 2018).

50. N. Gordienko, “Arkhitektor Makhachkaly poshel pod snos,” Novaya gazeta, February 5, 2018 (available at https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2018/02/05/75394-arhitektor-mahachkaly-poshel-podsnos; accessed March 8, 2018).

51. “Advokaty ukazali na vmeshatel’stvo Vasilyev v protsess vybora glavy Verkhovnogo suda Dagestana,” Kavkazskii uzel, February 15, 2018 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/316570/; accessed March 8, 2018).

52. “Vasil’ev anonsiroval proverku zdravookhraneniia v Dagestane,” Kavkazskii uzel, February 11, 2018 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/316399/; accessed March 8, 2018).

53. “Vasil’ev poobeshchal Dagestanu den’gi i otsutstvie natskvotirovaniia,” Kavkazskii uzel, October 6, 2017 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/310633/; accessed March 8, 2018).

54. Rossiia 24, “Vasil’ev: v Dagestan prishel ne ia, a ostal’naia Rossiia,” YouTube video, October 7, 2017 (available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li1Uj-WexiA; accessed March 8, 2018).

55. “Vasil’ev nazval novye prioritety Dagestana,” Kavkazskii uzel, February 10, 2018 (available at http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/316380/; accessed March 8, 2018).