Voice of Beslan
Encyclopedia
Voice of Beslan 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 tank
s and flame throwers at the school. Voice of Beslan is chaired by sisters Ella Kesayeva and Emma Tagayeva.
terrorist attack and in November 2005 called on the European Union
and the European Parliament
to help establish one, 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.
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
.
In 2007, members of the group erected a sign pointing at the ruins of the Beslan school reading "Putin
's course". 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 pension
s 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. The complaint was rejected the next month.
has ruled that a group must change leaders to the less critical to the Kremlin and register again.
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
. "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. 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
. Another group called Voice of Beslan continues to exist.
s in Nazran
, Ingushetia
, laid extremism
charges against campaigners over a 2005 appeal the group issued to politicians in Europe and the United States. After several Ingush public figures have come out strongly against the harassment of the organization, the trial was transferred to North Ossetia. 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. Putin answered that the issue is beyond his competence. After receiving a reply, Kesayeva has stated "the end of illusions" in relation to Putin. The group threatened to use a legal action brought by authorities against them to expose Putin's role in Beslan tragedy.
Several other charges against the group soon followed (the total of four cases as of February 2008). In one, the group was accused of beating up court bailiff
s. The group said prosecutors are fabricating assault charges to punish them for seeking the truth about the siege.
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
created in the aftermath of the 2004 North Ossetian Beslan school hostage crisis
Beslan school hostage crisis
The Beslan school hostage crisis of early September 2004 was a three-day hostage-taking of over 1,100 people which ended in the deaths of over 380...
, as a splinter group of more radical members of the Mothers of Beslan
Mothers of Beslan
Mothers of Beslan or Beslan Mothers' Committee is a support and advocacy group of parents whose children were among the more than 365 victims of the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis in North Ossetia-Alania. The group is led by chairwoman Susanna Dudiyeva and has nearly 200 members...
support
Support group
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic...
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 tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s and flame throwers at the school. Voice of Beslan is chaired by sisters Ella Kesayeva and Emma Tagayeva.
Activities
Voice of Beslan have demanded an international investigation of the BeslanBeslan
Beslan is a town and the administrative center of Pravoberezhny District of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia. In terms of population, Beslan is the third largest town in the republic behind Vladikavkaz and Mozdok...
terrorist attack and in November 2005 called on the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
to help establish one, as well as on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
leadership to publish satellite photographs
Satellite imagery
Satellite imagery consists of photographs of Earth or other planets made by means of artificial satellites.- History :The first images from space were taken on sub-orbital flights. The U.S-launched V-2 flight on October 24, 1946 took one image every 1.5 seconds...
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.
Between February 9 and February 19, 2006, six members of Voice of Beslan held a 10-day hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
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
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour
Louise Arbour
Louise Arbour, is the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Court of Appeal for Ontario and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda...
.
In 2007, members of the group erected a sign pointing at the ruins of the Beslan school reading "Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
's course". Same year, the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
of North Ossetia had obliged the court of the city of Beslan to consider the claim of the Voice of Beslan on appointing pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
s 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. The complaint was rejected the next month.
Split
On August 28, 2007, a court in VladikavkazVladikavkaz
-Notable structures:In Vladikavkaz, there is a guyed TV mast, tall, built in 1961, which has six crossbars with gangways in two levels running from the mast structure to the guys.-Twin towns/sister cities:...
has ruled that a group must change leaders to the less critical to the Kremlin and register again.
On December 21, 2007, a supreme court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
of North Ossetia has ordered the Voice of Beslan to disband. In response, its activists started a protest hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
. "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. 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
Federal law
Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a country. A federal government is formed when a group of political units, such as states or provinces join together in a federation, surrendering their individual sovereignty and many powers to the central government while...
. Another group called Voice of Beslan continues to exist.
Criminal charges
In January 2008, Russian prosecutorProsecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
s in Nazran
Nazran
Nazran is a town in the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia. It served as the republic's capital in 1991–2000, until the town of Magas was specially built as the new capital. Nazran is the largest city of the republic: -General:...
, Ingushetia
Ingushetia
The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
, laid extremism
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
charges against campaigners over a 2005 appeal the group issued to politicians in Europe and the United States. After several Ingush public figures have come out strongly against the harassment of the organization, the trial was transferred to North Ossetia. The group could be banned
Ban (law)
A ban is, generally, any decree that prohibits something.Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some see this as a negative act and others see it as maintaining the "status quo"...
if found extremist.
In a public appeal, Voice of Beslan asked the Russian president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
to stop prosecuting the organization. Putin answered that the issue is beyond his competence. After receiving a reply, Kesayeva has stated "the end of illusions" in relation to Putin. The group threatened to use a legal action brought by authorities against them to expose Putin's role in Beslan tragedy.
Several other charges against the group soon followed (the total of four cases as of February 2008). In one, the group was accused of beating up court bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
s. The group said prosecutors are fabricating assault charges to punish them for seeking the truth about the siege.
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 KulayevNur-Pashi KulayevNur-Pashi Kulayev , a native of Engenoi, Chechnya, is thought to be the sole survivor of the 32 hostage-takers in the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis, although Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev denied the claim, stating that one other escaped....
and to us would not have occurred."
"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."
External links
Voice of Beslan homepage (machine translation)- Putin's legacy is a massacre, say the mothers of Beslan, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 26 February 2008