About 3,000 conscripts die each year while doing their mandatory service in the  Russian army, according to Veronika Marchenko (picture) at the Mother’s Right Foundation. The most dangerous places to serve are in the Moscow region and the North Caucasus region surrounding the Chechen Republic. (22-FEB-05)

Marchenko spoke at a conference yesterday that marked the 15-anniversary of “Mother’s Right” Foundation, a member-organization of the Russian research center for human rights. It was held at the Independent Press Centre in Moscow. 

Higher than official statistics
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 1,100 people had died in the army in 2004. However, the Mother’s Rights Foundation says this amount is  underestimated.
marchenko2– The number is three times as high. About 3,000 conscripts die each year while doing their mandatory service in the  Russian army, said the Mother’s Right foundation head, Veronika Marchenko.

Worst near Moscow and the Chechen Republic
The most dangerous places to serve are in the Moscow region — where 28 percent of the deaths occur — and the North Caucasus region surrounding the Chechen Republic, where 14 percent of the deaths occur, Marchenko said.

Murdered
According to Marchenko, 35 percent of the parents seeking guidance at her Foundation said that their sons had committed suicide. About 15 percent are the result of murder and beatings, while 17 percent are the result of military action.

– In a hundred cases we have managed to prove in court that the reason of conscript’s death is not suicide, but provocation to a suicide or pure murder, the Foundation lawyer Lyudmila Golikova said.  According to the lawyer, parents often do not know about death of their children within many months.

BACKGROUND

STATISTICS FROM THE MOTHER’S RIGHT FOUNDATION

During the 2004 lawyers of the Foundation assisted to 1765 citizens who addressed to the Foundation: 388 people got assistance during their visit of the Foundation; petitions of behalf of the Foundation have been sent to various government bodies upon 1244 appeals; 5914 people received consultations over the telephone. Apart from it more than 1500 complaints about compensation of material and moral damages to the parents, whose sons were killed in Chechen Republic and during military service during peace time.
Lawyers working in the Foundation take part in litigations on free-of-charge, in which parents of victims act as claimants. In 2004 they participated in 130 litigations in 58 Russian cities.

ABOUT THE MOTHER’S RIGHT FOUNDATION

“Mother’s Right” Foundation was established in 1989-1990’s to strike against “VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE RUSSIAN ARMY”. The Foundation acts in following directions: a) legal advocacy by the publishing the brochures, distributing the information bulletins, letters to the parents containing the legal information, publishing articles on questions concerning the rights of families of servicemen died during military service; b) providing legal consultative service by the lawyer; c) the written answers to questions of parents and members of families; d) the Foundation made recommendations to legislative and executive branches of the Government concerning amendments of law on assistance to parents and families of servicemen who died during military service. 

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