Interdepartmental anti-terrorism exercises, known as «Blizzard», were held last week in the village of Ust-Ordynsky (near Irkutsk, East Siberia). From the outside they looked spectacular: the capture of buildings, snipers on the roofs, barricades and cordons. News editors, however, do not go for such news: morning play by children and an FSB training exercise do not have the same social significance, though they are simulations. This time it was different — representatives of the Federal Security Service (FSB) agreed to compromise with “Irkutsk Reporter” and agreed to show the underside of the exercise, or more precisely, allowed him to play the role of a hostage at a site captured by terrorists. Since these were games by grownup boys, the participants would take things very seriously. “They’ll go at it harshly,” we were promised. “And if something goes down, don’t take offense.”  ‘Irkutsk Reporter’ had his own interest: what does an ordinary person feel like in such a situation? Game or not, a hostage cannot really just get up and say, “I don’t want to play anymore, ‘bye.” That does not work. I hope that no one will have to find out the following in a real hostage situation for him or herself, but it is better to be aware of some aspects to this in advance.

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For two days in late May Ust-Ordynsky lived on emergency mode at the will of the local law enforcement agencies and security services. The center of the village was cordoned off, and explosions and gunfire could be heard coming from the restricted area.

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Расследование уголовного дела о захвате заложников в театральном центре на Дубровке не завершено, сообщила пресс-служба Следственного комитета России (СКР). «Главным следственным управлением СКР по Москве продолжается расследование по уголовному делу»,— говорится в сообщении ведомства.

Вместе с тем, как и сообщал «Ъ», в ведомстве подтвердили, что объявленному ранее в международный розыск 41-летнему Хасану Закаеву и задержанному в Крыму, в ближайшее время будет предъявлено обвинение в окончательной редакции. Хасану Закаеву инкриминируется пособничество в подготовке теракта

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Six survivors taken hostage on January 9th, 2015 in a kosher supermarket in Paris have filed a civil lawsuit against news agencies covering the attack. They believe that reporters put their lives in danger.

French police are investigating the complaints. The lawsuit is against the BFM TV news site, which carried a live broadcast from the scene and was highlighted separately (by other stations).

(In that attack) Amedie Coulibaly killed four hostages before police stormed the store and shot the assailant.

He was associated with persons who entered the editorial department of the weekly satirical magazine «Charlie Hebdo». He also killed a policewoman the day before taking hostages in the store.

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Court upholds extension of detention of suspect accused in Dubrovka attack

{mosimageMoscow City Court upheld an extension of the detention of Hassan Zakayev, who is accused in the case of terrorist attack on the Dubrovka theatrical center. This was reported by «Interfax» in reference to an appellate court ruling. Earlier, the Presnensky court of Moscow had extended Zakayev’s term of detention until June 21st.

According to investigators, Zakayev was a member of an organized criminal group led by Shamil Basayev and participated in the preparation of the terrorist attack on Dubrovka in 2002. According to the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR), he organized the delivery of weapons and explosive devices used by the terrorists to Moscow.

The investigation into the terrorist attack was reopened in connection with Zakayev's capture during an attempt to enter the Crimea from Ukraine using forged documents.

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