Voice of Beslan

Voice of Beslan ( _ru. Голос Беслана) is a grassroots non-governmental organization created in the aftermath of the 2004 North Ossetian Beslan school hostage crisis, as a splinter group of more radical members of the Mothers of Beslan support and advocacy group of parents of children who were among the victims.

The group was created in response to what they see as the incompetence and excessive force used by the security services, especially with regard to the firing from tanks and flame throwers at the school. [ [http://www.kommersant.com/p621751/r_500/Police_Gag_the_Voice_of_Beslan/ Police Gag the Voice of Beslan] "Kommersant", Oct. 28, 2005] Voice of Beslan is chaired by sisters Ella Kesayeva and Emma Tagayeva.ru icon [http://newtimes.ru/magazine/issue_53/article_7.htm City of Angels. The inquest committee of Beslan procuracy initiated a criminal case against Beslan mothers] "The New Times", February 18, 2008]

Activities

Voice of Beslan have demanded an international investigation of the Beslan terrorist attack and in November 2005 called on the European Union and the European Parliament to help establish one, [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/11/mil-051130-rferl06.htm Relatives Want Europe To Probe Beslan Tragedy] Radio Free Europe, 30 November 2005] as well as on the United States leadership to publish satellite photographs of the school made during the siege. They have also asked private journalists with have any material on the attack to present them for an investigation. [ [http://www.pravdabeslana.ru/appeal.htm Appeal by Voice of Beslan] , Pravda Beslana, November 30, 2005]

Between February 9 and February 19 2006, six members of Voice of Beslan held a 10-day hunger strike to draw attention to their claims that authorities were covering up the truth about the Beslan attack. On February 22 2006, members of Voice of Beslan met with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour. [ [http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=416&issue_id=3630&article_id=2370811 Arbour visits Beslan] Eurasia Daily Monitor, February 23, 2006. Last accessed July 18, 2006]

In 2007, members of the group erected a sign pointing at the ruins of the Beslan school reading "Putin's course". [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2240307,00.html Relatives of victims of Beslan siege go on trial] "The Guardian", January 14, 2008] Same year, the Supreme Court of North Ossetia had obliged the court of the city of Beslan to consider the claim of the Voice of Beslan on appointing pensions to parents of the children who perished in the siege.

In February 2008, the group has filed a complaint against the actions of the investigatory group which was in charge of forensic medical examination of victims' bodies. [ [http://eng.kavkaz.memo.ru/newstext/engnews/id/1208256.html "Voice of Beslan" demands repeated examination of victims' bodies] Caucasian Knot, 22/2/2008] The complaint was rejected the next month. [ [http://eng.kavkaz-uzel.ru/newstext/engnews/id/1209777.html Court in North Ossetia rejects complaint of "Voice of Beslan"] Caucasian Knot, 13/3/2008]

plit

On August 28 2007, a court in Vladikavkaz has ruled that a group must change leaders to the less critical to the Kremlin and register again. [ [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/08/28/012.html Shake-Up Of Beslan Group Ordered] "The Moscow Times", August 28, 2007]

On December 21, 2007, a supreme court of North Ossetia has ordered the Voice of Beslan to disband. In response, its activists started a protest hunger strike. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/20/2123796.htm Belsan victim's relatives forced to disband] ABC News, Dec 20, 2007] "The decision was made by the authorities because our organization is fighting for the right to have a fair investigation of what happened in Beslan," group founder Ella Kesayeva said. [ [http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2007/12/21/013.html Court Orders Beslan Mothers to Disband] "The Moscow Times", December 21, 2007] The court refused to hear witnesses who said that the election of the new chairperson was falsified.

In February 2008, the group changed its name to Voice of Beslan All-Russian Public Organization of Terror Act Victims and decided it will not get registered again, saying that such form of public organization without registration is possible under the Russian federal law. [ [http://eng.kavkaz.memo.ru/newstext/engnews/id/1207422.html "Voice of Beslan" changes the name and will not get registered] Caucasian Knot, 8/2/2008] There's an other group called Voice of Beslan continuing to exist.

Criminal charges

In January 2008, Russian prosecutors in Nazran, Ingushetia, laid extremism charges against campaigners over a [http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/9311-25a.cfm 2005 appeal] the group issued to politicians in Europe and the United States. [ [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L10622667.htm Beslan siege group says faces trial over campaign] Reuters, 10 Jan 2008] [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3168913.ece Beslan protest group to stand trial] "The Times", January 11, 2008] [ [http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2008/01/14/018.html Beslan Group is Called Extremist] "The Moscow Times", January 14, 2008] [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080111/ap_on_re_eu/russia_school_seizure Russia investigates Beslan victims group] Associated Press, Dec 20, 2007] [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-beslan_nu_rodriguezjan18,1,1649328,full.story Beslan moms blame Putin, face charges] "Chicago Tribune", January 18, 2008] [ [http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/oksana_chelysheva/2008/01/extreme_injustice.html Extreme injustice] "The Guardian", January 24, 2008] [http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2188117.htm Beslan siege support group charged with extremism] ABC AM, 13 March, 2008] After several Ingush public figures have come out strongly against the harassment of the organization, [ [http://www.watchdog.cz/?show=000000-000008-000004-000099&lang=1 Ingush public opinion expresses opposition to harassment of "Voice of Beslan"] Prague Watchdog, January 16th 2008] the trial was transferred to North Ossetia. [ [http://eng.kavkaz.memo.ru/newstext/engnews/id/1205761.html Kesaeva is satisfied with transfer of the "Voice of Beslan" trial to North Ossetia] Caucasian Knot, 15/1/2008] The group could be banned if found extremist.

In a public appeal, Voice of Beslan asked the Russian president Vladimir Putin to stop prosecuting the organization. [ [http://eng.kavkaz-uzel.ru/newstext/engnews/id/1205492.html Voice of Beslan" asks Putin to stop prosecuting the organization] Caucasian Knot, 11/1/2008] Putin answered that the issue is beyond his competence. After receiving a reply, Kesayeva has stated "the end of illusions" in relation to Putin. [http://eng.kavkaz-uzel.ru/newstext/engnews/id/1206889.html Kesaeva: "Voice of Beslan" cherishes no more illusions on Putin] Caucasian Knot, 31/1/2008] The group threatened to use a legal action brought by authorities against them to expose Putin's role in Beslan tragedy. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1525477320080115 Beslan mothers threaten to condemn Putin in court] Reuters, Jan 15, 2008]

Several other charges against the group soon followed (the total of four cases as of February 2008). [ [http://eng.kavkaz-uzel.ru/newstext/engnews/id/1208390.html Another case initiated against "Voice of Beslan"] Caucasian Knot, 25/2/2008] In one, the group was accused of beating up court bailiffs. The group said prosecutors are fabricating assault charges to punish them for seeking the truth about the siege. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL11730779 Russian police summon Beslan siege campaigners] Reuters, Feb 11, 2008]

Quotes

"The terrorists who seized the school in Beslan also said that their families had died, their loved ones killed and that is why they had come to kill. But this is a vicious circle that has to be broken…. The law is above everything. If only the law had worked, then what happened to Kulayev and to us would not have occurred." [ [http://iwpr.net/index.php?apc_state=hen&s=o&o=l=EN&p=crs&s=f&o=342500 Ossetian Revenge Killer Honoured] IWPR, 06-Feb-08]

"How can people who suffered from a terrorist act become extremists themselves? We're the ones looking for the truth, looking for a better life, for a country where laws are followed and where children don't die in terrorist acts. And we're the ones accused of extremism."

"Those whom we consider responsible for our children's death will escape justice, and our tragedy will be forgotten once the trial ends." [ [http://thinkexist.com/quotes/ella_kesayeva/ Ella Kesayeva quotes] ]

ee also

* Mothers of Beslan

References

External links

* [http://www.golosbeslana.ru/ Voice of Beslan homepage] ( [http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.golosbeslana.ru%2F&langpair=ru%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8 machine translation] )
* [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/putins-legacy-is-a-massacre-say-the-mothers-of-beslan-787280.html Putin's legacy is a massacre, say the mothers of Beslan] , "The Independent", 26 February 2008