Russian call to Finland to block Chechen rebels' web pages comes after proprietor has already shut down

Controversial website taken offline on Monday

Sergei Lavrov

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The shut-down of the Chechen rebels' Kavkaz Center website, operating out of Finland, was demanded by the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, while on an official visit to Iran. According to the Finnish Security Police, Lavrov's outcry came slightly late, as the proprietor of the website had already blocked its content.
      In an acrimonious tone, Lavrov made it clear that Finnish authorities should understand how publishing the results of terrorist activities could not be permitted.
      According to the news agency Interfax, Lavrov said Russia had approached Finland in the form of a pertinent diplomatic note concerning the matter.
      "We hope Finland will recognise the unlawfulness of providing those inducing terrorist actions with an information channel to promote their activities", Lavrov said.
      On Monday Finland was also rebuked in a Russian Duma debate over the existence of the Kavkaz Center website on a server in Finland.
     
The Kavkaz Center website started operating out of Finland on Wednesday of last week, through a server that uses a high-speed connection provided by the network operator TeliaSonera Finland.
      The website, which in recent years has gone online from hosts in several different countries, is the primary mouthpiece used by a number of Chechen rebel leaders.
      The Head of Finland's Security Police (SUPO) Hannu Moilanen told Helsingin Sanomat on Monday that SUPO had contacted TeliaSonera for clarifications.
      According to Moilanen, the actual owner of the website domain had "drawn certain conclusions" and had removed the pages from the server.
      Before the withdrawal, SUPO had "discussed the implication of the web pages on a general level" with the owner of the site, Moilanen reveals.
      In its Monday stock exchange bulletin, TeliaSonera emphasised that it was not the host of the disputed website. TeliaSonera explained that the Kavkaz Center website was located on a server belonging to one of TeliaSonera's clients. TeliaSonera merely provides the client with a network connection.
      TeliaSonera chooses to keep the client's identity confidential.
     
On Monday, The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs had no knowledge of the diplomatic note mentioned by Lavrov. The Finnish Embassy in Moscow was equally unaware of the existence of any such notes.
      Until a diplomatic note is delivered, the issue is not political but remains a private matter between the Russian government and TeliaSonera.
      Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja (SDP), confirmed from Luxembourg that Lavrov has not contacted Finnish authorities directly in connection with the Chechen website.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Chechen rebels' website reopens on server maintained by client of TeliaSonera Finland (11.10.2004)

Links:
  TeliaSonera Stock Exchange Release

Helsingin Sanomat