– All member organisations of the Russian Research Center for Human Rights support the initiative of the Soldiers´ Mothers, Liubov Vinogradova (picture)  underlines. Head of the Soldiers´ Mothers, Valentina Melnikova, says to HRH that the meeting in London was successful. (25-FEB-05)

Four representatives from the Union of Soldiers´Mothers met Akhmed Zakayev  toghether with representatives from the European in London today. They agreed upon a memorandum which states that terror will never lead to a peaceful solution of the conflict. Melnikova says that the Soldiers´ Mothers will use their own regional network to spread the outcome of the meeting.

So far, no meeting with the presidental administration is planned. Representatives from the Russian Resource Center for Human Rights had a meeting with the Russian ombudsman today where they also discussed the initiative by the Union Soldiers´Mothers.
– We need to use the institution which could operate as a channel between the society and the authorities, Vinogradova says.

Read the London Momorandum of 25 February below.

London Memorandum: «The Road to Peace in Chechnya»
The present memorandum has been signed by representatives of the Government of the Republic of the Chechen Republic and the Union of Committees of Soldiers’ Mothers of the Russian Federation (UCSMR) (hereafter referred to as «the Parties’) and is the result of talks held on 25th February 2005 at the offices of the European Parliament in London. The meeting took place at the initiative of the USMR within the framework of a peace mission, which has received wide public support in the Russian Federation. The Parties would like to express their gratitude to the Members of the European Parliament who organized and facilitated the meeting and the Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe who were observers at the talks.

The Parties are in agreement that:
* the armed conflict in the Chechen Republic has brought innumerable disasters to the peoples of the Chechen Republic and the Russian Federation. The hundreds of billions of roubles spent on the war have produced hundreds of thousands of victims in both the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed, and Chechnya’s economic infrastructure ruined. More than one generation of young people on both sides has grown up in an atmosphere of violence and hatred. The course of the Chechen conflict has also been marked by serious war crimes, massive human rights infractions and horrific acts of terrorism;

* the Chechen conflict cannot be settled by force. The continuation of military action cannot lead to victory for either side. Peace is the only real common victory;

* violations of human rights and terrorism in connection with the Chechen conflict cannot be justified and deserve unqualified condemnation. A peace process is indispensable to bring a speedy end to these horrors;

* the origin and growth of terrorism in the Chechen Republic and the Northern Caucasus lie in the short-sighted and criminal policies of the Russian Government, which initiated military action in 1994. A cessation of terrorism and a stabilization of the situation can be brought about only through the combined efforts of all parties to the conflict and those civic forces who have been active in condemning the war in the Chechen Republic and calling for a peaceful settlement of the conflict;

* in order to solve the existing conflict and to prevent any further spread of the conflict the European community (Council of Europe, European Union and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) is urged to give much greater support to the peace process;

The Parties believe that the meeting in London has been successful and that it is essential to continue in the future the discussion of all aspects of the problem. The Parties will familiarise themselves with the specific proposals made by each side.
The Parties count on the active support of the European structures for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, which is harmful to both the Chechen Republic and the Russian Federation.


London, 25.02.2005

Read the press release from the Human Rights House Foundation (Norwegian language)