|
|
|
|
TITLE: Chechnya: Year of War |
AUTHOR: Andre Jkokkonen |
PUB: Glasnost Foundation |
DATE: March 7, 2001 |
|
At a "Memorial" Human Rights Center press conference yesterday to review its activities in the Chechnya war zone, Chairman Oleg Orlov declared that the discovery of mass burial grounds of those who had formerly been detained by Russian troops is becoming a common occurrence. One of the latest such discoveries, for example, was a mass grave of more that 50 dead bodies found near Hankala military base in "Zdorovie" cottage village. Rumors about the burial ground started spreading in January 2001 when relatives of disappeared Chechnyans began visiting the village. The first body identified and removed by relatives from the village was that of Adam Chimaev on February 15. Chimaev had been detained by the Russian military on December 3, 2000. On February 21, the bodies of three citizens of Raduzhnoe village were found there and identified as Said Musaev, Odesa Meaeva and Magomed Magomadov. As the latter was a police officer, officers of the Russian Interior Ministry helped locate the bodies. On February 24, Magomadov's brother visited the village with officials, and an investigation was started. But on February 25, the commandant's office in Grozny announced that this burial place was established a year prior and that the dead bodies were those of the victims of separatists. On March 2, Chechnya's Prosecutor is quoted as saying that the bodies are likely those of separatists. However, representatives of Memorial Human Rights Center are convinced this explanation is without foundation. Although there are no conditions for carrying out a full-scale inquest, a visual examination of the dead bodies shows that most of the people are victims of illegal executions. Most of the bodies had their hands bound and bands over their eyes. Inasmuch as Hankala has been controlled by Russian troops for more than a year, this burial place could not have been created by separatists. Memorial representatives showed video recordings of exhumation of bodies. Interior Ministry statistics show that 20,000 people have been arrested so far this year. And the discovery near Hankala is a symbol of what is happening in the second Chechen war, say the Memorial human rights activists. In addition to Orlov, other press conference participants included Memorial Executive Director Tatiana Kasatkina, and organization members Alexander Cherkassov and Alexander Sokolov. Kalamanov Refuses To Meet The People He Represents The special representative of Russian President Putin in Chechnya, Vladimir Kolomanov, refused to meet representatives of four villages of Vedensky district, journalist Anna Politkovskaia reported in an interview with Moscow's "Echo" radio. About 7000 people were awaiting Kalamanov, she said. The people wanted to give him documents and appeals for Chechnya's prosecutor; some had documents that would permit them to leave the district and they hoped Kalamanov would help them, according to the Center for Hazardous Journalism. END |