Open appeal of the President of National Olympic Committee of the Chechen Republic, sport-master of international class Ruslan Badalov to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. (13-AUG-04)
Mister President! Military campaign on the territory of the Chechen Republic began on September 5, 1999 from aviation bombardments of settlements Nozhaj-Jurtovsky region as a result dozens of peace inhabitants were lost. From this moment in recurrent time the distressful Chechen people bear on themselves an exhausting burden.
Unfortunately, the appeals made by me in 2000 before Summer Olympic games in Sydney and Winter Olympic games, taking place in 2002 in Salt Lake City, according to Resolutions of the United Nations and ancient Greek tradition “Ichkeriya”; or “Olympic armistice”, offering to stop all wars and conflicts during realization of Olympiads, are left without any attention of you.
I called and continue to call you to declare about the cessation of military operations in the Chechen Republic and to start negotiations with the President of the Chechen Republic Ichkeriya A.Mashadov, legally is elected on January, 27, 1997 under the aegis of OSCE and is recognized by the Russian authorities in the person of the first president of the Russian Federation B.Eltsin that is legally fixed in the Peace treaty on May, 12, 1997, signed in the Kremlin.
“Counter-terroristic operation” in the Northern Caucasus, directed on struggle with international terrorism´´, a place of constant distribution which for some reason in the last years it is accepted to count the Chechen Republic, became undisguised and planned destruction of the best representatives of the Chechen people. The promised by you consummation of counter-terroristic operation within three months dragged on for five years and there is no end to it.
Really, today in the Chechen Republic scale militant operations are not observed, however daily local clash take place between the forces of Resistance and the Russian armies.
As a result of the acts of sabotage spent by the Chechen forces of Resistance, the Russian military men die. And the Russian force structures, in their turn, vent anger on the peace inhabitants. During realization of so-called special war operation – “zachistka” – each day among the peace population of the Chechen Republic innocent people perish and disappear, dreaming only about one – about the termination of this infinite nightmare. About it the annual reports of authoritative international and Russian human rights organizations such as: the International Helsinki Federation, Human Rights Watch, the International Amnesty, Memorial, the Moscow Helsinki Group, For Human Rights, the Transnational Radical Party and others testify eloquently.
Fell to the citizens of the Chechen Republic lot trials are not comparable with anything, but firm conviction in a triumph of justice helps them to bear any burdens.
In this connection, the National Olympic Committee of the Chechen Republic on behalf of the majority of members of Olympic movement of the Chechen Republic once again addresses to you, as to the Head of the multinational State and as to the sportsman in the past, more than once declaring about a confession and respect of Olympic ideals, to reconsider the positions on settlement of the Russian – Chechen armed conflict.
Pending forthcoming the 28th Summer Olympic Games which opening is held on August 13 in Athens, it is the very moment to remember about valueless of human life. Here it is unacceptable vanities some politicians and militaries promoting continuation of this massacre.
Certainly, from the reasonable approach both the Russian side and the side of Chechen Resistance in the decision of this not easy task depend life and calmness of hundreds thousand innocent people, among them large number of talented and outstanding sportsmen. Among victims of this severe war there were also sportsmen of children´s and youthful age – possible future champions and prizewinners of Olympic games, the championships of Europe and the World.
It is necessary to note, that the Chechen side in the person of A.Mashadov more than once declared about readiness for negotiating process without preliminary conditions, and offered their plan of political settlement of the Russian – Chechen war conflict.
One more opportunity has appeared to stop this madness and to carry out the obligations accepted by the Russian Federation before the world community, and in particular such international organizations, as the PAES, the United Nations, OSCE in the decision of the Chechen question only by the political way.
August 10, 2004, Nazran, Republic of Ingushetia
You can also read an “Open appeal to the President of International Olympic Committee, Chevalier Dr Jacques ROGGE” on the local web site.
