Attacks in Ingushetia
Civil
society reacts to attacks:
From
the Conflict Zone - Bulletin of the Human Rights Center "Memorial"
in Nazran (unedited)
On June 28, on the initiative of HRC “Memorial”, a meeting of representatives
of human rights organizations and mass media took place in Nazran.
Human rights activists and journalists discussed the impact of the
tragic events of June 21 on Chechen-Ingush relations. They acknowledged
that the situation is conflict prone, emphasized the importance
of careful, balanced coverage of the events in both republics, discussed
the possible ways to employ people’s diplomacy and other mechanisms
to preempt possible tensions. The participants adopted the following
statement:
To representatives of human rights and humanitarian organization,
political and public figures, journalists:
A great tragedy happened in Ingushetia at night of June
22. Grief and suffering came to many homes. The Republic, which
until recently had remained an isle of relative tranquillity, which
had offered shelter to thousands of forced migrants, found itself
in the situation of crisis. We reached the point, where the danger
of conflict between Chechens and Ingush peoples has become visible;
the peoples, who are related not only by kin, but also by history,
culture, and languages.
The significance
of every publicly pronounced word has increased in this situation.
It can incite hostilities. But it can calm people down. It is capable
not only of helping the people to realize the unity of our nations
in the face of tragedy but also of becoming a catalyst of destructive
processes.
Dear ladies
and gentlemen, colleagues and friends! We appeal to your wisdom.
When covering the situation, do not give vent to your emotions.
Be careful and balanced in your statements, expressions, publications.
Be aware of the responsibility, put on every one of us for maintaining
peace and interethnic agreement.
We should be
aware that provoking clashes between Chechens and Ingush could have
been one of the aims for the organizers and participants of the
armed raid on Ingushetia. Not acquiescing with them is our main
goal!
Dala gech doila
d1abevlacharna! Bart lo’khuchu nek’at1ekh’. Dala a’tto boila vaina
massarna a! (May the soil be soft to all the deceased. May God help
all of us to find the way to agreement.)
HRC “Memorial”
Moscow Helsinki Group
International Helsinki Federation
Russian-Chechen Friendship Society
Chechen Committee for National Salvation
Aslambek Dadaev, Chechen Department of “Radio Liberty”, journalist
Timur Aliev, “Chechen Society”, editor
Apart from adopting
the statement, the working group developed a plan of public events
in Ingushetia and Chechnya, aimed at improving the inter-ethnic
relations.
Already on July
2, a delegation from the Chechen Republic visited Ingushetia. Respected
religious authorities, scientists, journalists and public figures,
as well as the deputy-minister for nationalities, information and
external relations, Vasilii Svetlichny, arrived to Ingushetia in
order to personally express condolence and support to the Ingushis
on behalf of a fraternal people – the Chechens.
The work of the delegation started in the office of “Memorial”,
where they met with human rights defenders and press. “We have lived
for ages as brothers, we cannot allow this terrible tragedy to separate
us. We deeply sympathize with the grief, which has now come to Ingushetia.
This is our common tragedy, and here we have solidarity”, - said
Islam Khatsiev, the representative of Muftiyat of Chechnya.
“When Imam Shamil
with his army wanted to subjugate Ingushis by force, they ousted
him, but when Kunta Hadji turned to Ingushis with peace and the
word of God, the people accepted him”, - reminded Khatuev Magomed-Emin,
a religious leader from Argun. “We, Chechens and Ingush, when talking
to each other do not need translators, we are brotherly peoples
and should not forget about this fraternity”, said a famous Chechen
ethnographer, Khasiev Said-Magomed. “This is the responsibility
of every one of us, every politician and every citizen of both republics.
Let us be reserved in our words and evaluations”, said Asya Vazaeva,
a journalist from Grozny.
Having recited
prayers and suras from Koran, the delegation went to Myftiyat of
the Ingush Republic. During the Friday prayer the religious authorities
from Chechnya delivered speeches in the central mosques of Ingushetia.
Memorial
Nazran reports on the events and their aftermath
The Russian
Human Rights organization Memorial operates an office in Nazran,
the site of the bloodiest attack of last week's assault on Ingushetia.
Memorial Nazran has documented human rights violations in Chechnya
and Ingushetia for a long time, and has detailed the events of last
week and their aftermath in four short reports. We are making them
available unedited and in the order we receive them.
From
the Conflict Zone - Fighting in Ingushetia (June 24)
Mass Detainments
and Harassment of Chechen Forced Migrants in Ingushetia (June
25)
Zachistkas
in IDP camps continue. More Chechen IDPs fleeing Ingushetia
(June 26)
Detentions,
arrests and more zachistkas (June 26)
From
the Conflict Zone - latest update (June
28)
CAN
Statement on the events in Ingushetia:
 |
Musa
Sadulayev / AP
A grieving man stands by a burnt out car in Nazran, the capital
of Ingushetia |
In
the early hours of June 22, a group of 200 armed fighters staged
coordinated attacks on government targets in serveral towns in
Ingushetia, the small republic bordering Chechnya. International
reports speak of up to 75 dead, but local residents believe that
there are many more. While it is not yet clear who was ultimately
responsible, there are some indications that the militants involved
were largely ethnic Ingush. So are the victims.
Ingushetia formed
part of the Chechen-Ingush republic at the end of the Soviet period;
the Ingush are closely related to the Chechens in culture and language.
In 1991, Ingushetia left this union after Chechnya declared its
independence, and tried to keep the chaos and war soon emanating
from Chechnya at arms length. Ingushetia became the main destination
for internally displaced Chechens during the first and especially
the second war, at one time hosting a refugee population twice as
large as its own.
Lately, the
situation in Ingushetia had deteriorated markedly, with an increase
of Russian secret services and armed forces activity in the republic,
the kidnapping of an Ingush public prosecutor who had criticized
human rights abuses and even isolated military assaults on civilian
homes. This was seen as a move by the Russian secret services and
military to expand the war beyond Chechnya. Whether the recent attacks
are a response to the increased instability and violence or whether
there are ulterior motives is hard to tell.
The Chechnya
Advocacy Network's members are shocked and saddened over this escalation,
especially the loss of life. One of our colleagues lost a cousin,
who got caught up in the fighting at his workplace. We would like
to express our sincere condolences to her family as well as all
those who lost loves ones.
We are also
concerned that the attacks and the crackdown that will likely follow
are the first steps down a slippery slope of violence and misery.
On behalf of all ours members, we call upon the Russian and Ingush
authorities to act with restraint and respect for the rights of
the civilian population and on those responsible for the attacks
to abstain from further acts of senseless bloodshed.
|
