Pro-Chechen websites targeted

Date: September 21, 2004
Source: Computer Crime Research Center
By: Timofey Saytarly

September 14, 2004 leading websites of Chechen separatists “Chechen Press” and “Caucasus Center” became unavailable to visitors. It happened after Lithuanian government refused a Russian request to shut down a pro-Chechen Web site that published a $20 million reward for assistance in the capture of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it cannot take action without a court order. Servers of “Chechen Press” were hacked on September 4, the next day after the assault on a school in Beslan, where terrorists held more than 1,200 of hostages for more than 2 days.

The Internet address Chechenpress.com turned unavailable too. The owners of the site changed the domain name to chechenpress.info. For the last 10 days these servers have been exposed to numerous hacker attacks, however they have been still accessible.

According to Associated Press, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Lithuania's ambassador, Rimantas Sidlauskas and requested that Lithuania close the Chechen-oriented Web site.

Unfortunately the days where the Russian government could make such requests and despatch the Lithuanian website owners to the salt mines are long gone and the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry told the Russians to get a court order like everyone else.

The Lithuanians are waiting a ruling from their own Constitutional Court which is looking into an attempt by the Lithuanian State Security Department to suspend activities of the Chechen portal last year.

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