Russian ISPs block access to Chechen rebel web site

Wed Sep 15 12:18:23 UTC 2004

BBC Mon FS1 FsuPol kt/mjm/skh
Source: Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow, in Russian 0800 gmt 14 Sep 04

Russian Internet providers block access to Chechen rebel web site

It seems that Moscow has managed to close down a Chechen separatist web
site. Since this morning access to the Kavkaz-Tsentr web site and the
Chechenpress page has been blocked.
Yesterday the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that Lithuania stop
Kavkaz-Tsentr operating. The fact is that the separatists' server is
located in the private flat of a Lithuanian MP. The Lithuanian ambassador
to Russia was summoned to the Foreign Ministry yesterday.
Meanwhile, Lithuanian official structures have not yet asked the service
provider for Kavkaz-Tsentr to shut down the site. Ekho Moskvy was informed
of this by the head of the Elneta company [Internet service provider],
Rimantas Pasys.
Pasys noted that at present the Kavkaz-Tsentr web site is working. It
seems that access to the site is being prevented by service providers
based in Russia.