Chechen rebels' website reopens on server maintained by client of TeliaSonera Finland

Last month Lithuania shut down Chechen site after pressure from Moscow

Šamil Basayev

print this

A website supporting rebels who continue their violent campaign for an independent Chechnya has reopened out of Finland. Only three weeks ago, Lithuanian authorities ordered the shutdown of the Kavkaz Center site after pressure from Moscow.
      The Kavkaz Center site's latest IP address refers to a domain name hosted by a client of telecom operator TeliaSonera Finland's broadband services.
      The kavkazcenter.com website, which opened through its Finnish host last Wednesday, has operated out of several different countries. The site acts as a mouthpiece for Chechen rebels such as Shamil Basayev, who has claimed responsibility for planning the Beslan school siege.
      Kavkazcenter.com pages release statements and articles in Russian, English, and Turkish.
     
According to TeliaSonera abuse investigator Arttu Lehmuskallio, the website service was purchased by a Visami Tutuev, whose address and phone number details originate from Georgia.
      The existence of the kavkazcenter.com pages came as a surprise to TeliaSonera on Friday. According to Lehmuskallio, TeliaSonera plans to examine the content of the site in detail.
      "TeliaSonera will automatically close down any site that contains child pornography or racist comments. Otherwise an official shutdown request from authorities in the country where the service contract was signed is needed", Lehmuskallio explains.
      It is possible that Russian authorities will ask Finland to block the site.
     
According to the Finnish Channel 4 TV news in its Sunday bulletin, the Russian Embassy in Helsinki says the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs has launched an investigation into the content of the Chechen site.
      TeliaSonera has commented that it can only shut down the site if the Finnish authorities request it.


Links:
  Kavkazcenter.com

Helsingin Sanomat