22 September 1999
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
State Security Committee Refutes Accusations Against Tatarstan's Residents...
The Public Relations Center of Tatarstan's State Security Committee reported on 21 September that Russia's Federal Security Service denies that it has information linking people from Tatarstan with the recent bombings in Moscow. The committee's comments contradict numerous reports made by the Russian media in recent days. Only one person, Denis Saytakov, who used to live in Tatarstan, is currently under investigation in connection with the explosions in Moscow. The PR Center reported that the Security Committee is making inquires into allegations that several inhabitants of Tatarstan organize and/or participate in illegal armed groups. Two of them, former students at Chally's madrasah Yoldiz and who were trained under the leadership of field commanders in Chechnya, were detained by the committee last week. But this case isn't linked to the Moscow bombings.
...As Does Muslim Spiritual Board
Tatarstan's Muslim Spiritual Board, in a statement on 21 September concerning the allegations against the Chally madrasah Yoldiz and some of its former students, said that some Russian media "carry out a political order" while participation of the madrasah students in the terrorist bombings "still hasn't been proved." It went on to say that "playing the religious card" in political interests affects the feelings of the multimillion Muslim community in the republic and can cause tension and interethnic/interreligious animosity.
Fatherland -- All Russia Collects Signatures
Some 15,000 signatures have as yet been collected in Tatarstan in favor of the Fatherland -- All Russia (Otechestvo -- Vsya Rossiya) electoral bloc, Tatar Radio reported. A nationwide campaign to collect signatures backing the federal list of Fatherland -- All Russia candidates for the State Duma deputy posts began on 11 September. The list is headed by former Prime Minister Yevgenii Primakov, Moscow Mayor Yurii Luzhkov, and St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev. Tatarstan's regional group is represented on the list by the Tatar president's state advisor, Rafail Khakimov, a professor at the Tatar Medical Institute, Mikhail Rokitskii, and the head of the Kazan district administration, Nail Khusnutdinov. The central and regional headquarters of the campaign also collect data on the income and property holdings of candidates from Fatherland -- All Russia.
Tatarstan's Women Leaders Favor Holding Up Conscription
Leaders from Tatarstan women's organizations held a meeting on 20 September to discuss the situation in Daghestan and last week's decision by Tatarstan's State Council to halt federal conscript from Tatarstan, Tatar-inform reported. The women cited Moscow's practice of sending untrained recruits to combat situations as the reason for the decision. They agreed that only professionally trained soldiers should be used in military actions. A statement was adopted at the meeting backing the resolution by the State Council. The women's organization leaders appealed to the Russian government and State Duma deputies to vigorously study the decision by Tatarstan's parliament before making any hasty conclusions.
Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova