Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Official Statement

03/09/2004

WE EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES AND CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT TRANSPARENT INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION.



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses our deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of all victims of the hostage taking in Beslan. The Chechen nation, having lost 25 % of its population at the hands of the Russian state policy of genocide during the last 10 years, know very well the pain of loosing the loved ones, the horrors of monstrous brutality against innocent defenceless people, children, women and men. There is no a single Chechen whose relatives and friends have not been murdered, tortured or raped by the Russian troops and security services since December 1994.

As the past experience tells us that Russian security services often are involved in planning, executing or manipulating various terrorist attacks on the territory of Russia, including the apartment bombings in Moscow in 1999 and the hostage taking in the Moscow theatre in 2002, we call upon all Russian citizens to demand from the Russian government to agree to an independent and transparent international investigation of this hostage taking in Beslan. We strongly believe that the Chechens, Russians and the international community has the right to know what actually has happened and who really were the hostage takers and the organisers of this terrorist act, and we hope that this call will not go unanswered.