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Madina Magomadova -
Chairman of the organization of "Chechen Mothers", delivered a speech
at 57th session of the Commission of United Nations under Human rights in Geneva.
Madina Magomadova
informed that she speaks on behalf of the international Bureau of the world
non-governmental organization, which is deeply concerned about proceeding for
second year of severe and lawless war in the Chechen Republic.
"Under the slogan of
"counter-terrorist operations", Russian government continues war in
Chechen Republic.
The peaceful population first of all especially children suffers from military
actions. The event should be qualified as war crime, a crime against humanity.
During two military
campaigns in the Chechen Republic, 175000 peaceful inhabitants have been killed.
Majority of them were children, women and old men. In February 2000 in one
village Katyr-Yurt as a result of bombardments made by the Russian armies, were
lost 420 peaceful inhabitants. For the first time in Europe during last
half-centuries is destroyed up to the basis a city with half million population
- Grozny and 300 populated points out of 425", - declared Madina Magomadova.
"The Chechen
Republic for last one and a half year became absolutely closed zone, a test
field, where military men and police of the Russian government, according
to their communal interests, test new kinds of weapon and means of mass
destruction of people and their environments of habitation.
Absence of real local
authorities and law-enforcement system, and also of the international control
promotes practice of impunity and irresponsibility. This closeness has resulted
in monstrous escalation of war crimes and crimes against humanity in such scales
and parameters, that their estimation will need new international tribunal.
Now Russia - the full
member of the Council of Europe also bears complete responsibility for
performance of obligations accepted to respect rights and freedom. However, we
are compelled to ascertain that any of these obligations is not executed. Some
appreciable improvement with observance of human rights in the Chechen Republic
Ichkeriya has not taken place yet.
We regret, that many
politicians of the foreign states do not wish to see a real picture of events in
the Chechen Republic and are satisfied with declarations and symbolical steps on
the part of the Russian authorities.
Methods of conducting war
on Northern Caucasus, chosen by Russia, have made present "Chechen campaign"
as the grave crime, which has entailed mass victims behind self ", -
emphasized Head of the organization of "Chechen Mothers".
"Besides actions of
the Russian occupational forces are actions of military men and policemen, which
are taking place under command of internationally recognized authority of Russia,
signed a lot of the international legal documents, taken on themselves
obligations to observe human rights. For this reason, violations of human rights
by the Russian armies are especially heavy and especially cynical.
Military actions proceed
- they have taken character of guerrilla war. And the guerrilla occupational
forces respond to offensive attacks of terror against the peaceful population of
the Chechen Republic. Examples to that are many. 1500 peaceful inhabitants were
missing during the first war of the Chechen Republic. Not less than 6000 persons
in the second war were lost according to the most conservative estimates.
Relatives of arrested persons cannot receive information on the reason of
detention; cannot find out, where is the arrested person and what accusations
have been declared against him. It is natural that arrested persons cannot take
advantage of services of lawyers.
The majority of detained
people are found in undisclosed common tombs. Bodies of arrested persons are
found with traces of tortures and violent death. However, there are many cases,
when the peaceful inhabitants of the Chechen Republic detained by federal forces,
are not possible to find anywhere.
In places of deployment
of the Russian army, the ground is covered with torture holes, which contain
detained peaceful inhabitants of the Chechen Republic. These torture holes are
illegal filtration points.
The detention in torture
hole of the peaceful inhabitant of village Old Atagi, Adelbek Isaev, finally
finished in his death with terrible torments: his heart was pulled out, his
scalp was removed, his hands and legs were broken, and executioners cut out
stomach with a knife.
In a mass burial place
under Khan-Kala, found out in February 2001, there was a body of the
six-year-old girl, shot in head, and similarly - bodies of three women with
traces of terrible tortures, who were detained by Russian military men in July,
2000.
In the modern Chechen
Republic, such stories are in thousands. Any official guilty of such crimes of
detained people has not been held responsible for it. Moreover, any case was not
investigated, when people disappeared without a report.
We are grateful to the
Commission of Human Rights for a position of principle with which it has
occupied in relation to the tragic events occurring on Northern Caucasus, and
for the rigid resolution on a situation in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeriya,
passed in the last year. But, unfortunately, we consider necessary to inform,
that the Russian side did not fulfill any section of this resolution.
On behalf of distressful
Chechen people, who are close to utter annihilation, we address to the
Commission with an appeal to immediately create international independent
commission on investigation of the crimes committed by the Russian soldiers in
territory of the Chechen Republic ", - spoke Madina Magomadova at session.
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