Protest action against systematic violation of human rights in the North Caucasus
RUSSIA, Moscow. On July 10 in Moscow at Novopushkinsky Square, the Moscow department of the United Civil Front conducted a protest meeting against the systematic violation of human rights in the North Caucasus. Participants included representatives from the Committee on Anti-War actions, the human rights center “Memorial”, and the “Defense” movement - a total of about 30 people.

The organizers' statement said: “Do not believe deceitful propaganda!

Violence in the North Caucasus continues as before. Instead of proposing social projects to Russian citizens of this region, the Putin - Medvedev regime prefers to solve problems by shootings and by repression. Hostage-taking by intelligence agencies and unjustified aggression with respect to people who are only suspected of connections with fighters in the North Caucasus long ago became standard. In Moscow and throughout central Russia, people do not understand to what extent the prevailing situation is monstrous. What exactly is occurring in the North-Caucasian republics?

Ingushetia
In Ingushetia, robberies and shootings without legal consequences have become practically everyday events. Young people are the main targets. In Ingushetia "spetsoperatsi", occur frequently, in the course of which young people are shot in the streets, and then declared to be fighters. To prove the charges to be slander is then impossible. Attempts to detain those suspected of terrorism are not done as a rule. Youths are simply killed without any legal consequences. Victims of "spetsoperatsi" are usually the children of the 1982-1985 generation. In Ingushetia, many are convinced that tension is artificially supported by the federal authorities (siloviki), since the slloviki are paid well for their missions.

Chechnya
In Chechnya, according to the monitoring data of the human rights center "Memorial", in just the three winter months of 2007-2008 six hostage takings occurred in the republic. On January 13, 2008, in the city of Grozny, in the Petropavlovsk market, for no reason, twenty-year old student Adam Askhabov was shot down. He was carrying money to purchase a car. What became of Askhabov's body and his money is unknown. Apparently, the " siloviki" handled these at their discretion. And these are just the cases that are known to human rights activists.

Daghestan
In Daghestan, the problem of hostage taking in the republic was made clear in the spring of 2007 when ten young people in Makhachkala disappeared within a short time. Their "crime" consisted entirely of performing Muslim religious rites. On this basis they were accused in connection with the armed underground. One of those released said: "During the investigation they took illegal actions … They beat me in the kidneys, on my head, in my groin. They attempted to pull my nails out with pliers, and put a gas mask on me. Furthermore, they attempted to intimidate me by stating that they would give me a weapon, then conduct an operation with a known conclusion. I.e., they would kill me".

This regime, which covers up the violence of intelligence agencies, is extremely dangerous. At a time of inevitable social and economic crisis, these so-called power figures will use terror against the dissatisfied in all regions of Russia. Moscow will not be an exception. Shutting our eyes to the unthinkable situation in the Caucasus, we untie the hands of our future hangmen”.

Leader of the Committee of Anti-War actions, Mikhail Krieger, recalled that Vladimir Putin became President of Russia using the Chechen war for propagandistic purposes. When Putin began to gain authority, and the war eased in Chechnya, it spread to the entire North Caucasus, while on television he declares that there is peace, Krieger emphasized.

In Chechnya, children who are invalids as a result of the war die because of the absence of medical aid, while in Grozny fountains are built and sidewalks are paved in marble, noted anti-war movement activist and former Soviet political prisoner Elena Sannikova. Youths depart to the mountains daily, because all around them are lies and hypocrisy, and their fathers disappeared during the war. The same is now occurring in Ingushetia, which any minute now will explode, said Sannikova. In Chechnya there must be real peace, not peace for show, and to establish this negotiations are necessary, she emphasized.

Participants in the meeting handed passers-by and journalists the Anti-War club press release which noted that no fewer than 24 had died from July 3 to 9 in the North Caucasus and no fewer than 17 were injured.
The gathering chanted: “No to hostage taking! ”, “No to extrajudicial executions! ”, “No to torture! ”, “No to death squads!”, “Hangmen must answer for their crimes! ”, “Peace in the Caucasus! ”, “Russia - without violence!”.
They carried posters reading: “End the violence and tyranny of primary structures in the North Caucasus! ”, “The crimes of the authorities generate terrorism! ”, “Shootings, assaults, combat in the Caucasus - this is peace? ”, “20 people a week die in the North Caucasus. ORT, RTR, NTV - do not keep silent about this!”, “The intelligence agencies "liquidated" a 6 year old "terrorist"”, “Chechnya and Russia need democracy”, “Khasavyurt 1996. When peace was more important than ambition”.

At the conclusion of the meeting a minute of silence was held in memory of those killed in both Chechen wars, and the people who are perishing in the Caucasus at present.

At the meeting location there were many police and civilians. The latter took photos and videos of the proceeding.

Translated by OM Kenney
PRIMA –News Agency [of 2008-07-10-Rus-24]
 
http://www.prima-news.ru/eng/news/news/2008/7/11/41464.html