Subject: CHECHNYA: APPEAL OF SERGEJ KOVALEV
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X-Comment: The Transnational Radical Party List
(information agency "Express-Khronika", release N 1417, December 25, 1994)
On December 24, the appeal of Sergej Kovalev, the Plenipotentiary on Human
Rights of Russian Federation, to the Russian president Boris Eltsin:
Grozny, December 24, 1994, 23.00
Every day we see by our eyes the aircrafts, bombing with unpunity living
blocks. Every day we see bodies of killed civilians - chopped by splinters,
some of them without heads or legs.
Mr. Eltsin! I'm ashamed to answer the questions addressed to you, as well
as to me: "When it will be over?", "When this barbaric violence will be
stopped?".
It's time for a cardinal decision. Still, there is a choice. The
possibility of such a choice will not be more repeated. It can be good seen
here, under this bombs: either to stop the happening, or to cover it by
coming back to the repressive state. It means terror, and not only in
Chechnya.
I understand, Mr. Eltsin, that I enter into some confrontation with you.
But it is necessary to understand finally, that you catastrophically loose
time, that those who unleashed this war will soon not need you anymore.
But you still can break this vicious circle of lies and murder. Now only
you can stop this crazy massacre, tear out the country from vicious circle
of cynical, desperate, bloody lies. Lies, that here not Chechenians, but
the aliens are at war, lies, that here people explode their homes in order
to deceive the world community. The circle of lies, initiated by the
declarations about unidentified aircrafts bombing a Russian city, about
unidentified tankists in Russian tanks, now is closed. Now we lie on the
highest level, that Chechenians annihilate themselves. This lies calls to
response. This lies makes impossible to preserve the leadership in the
hands of its authors.
I know that my appeals not always reach you. I know that also this appeal
probably remains without answer. Therefore I appeal at the same time to the
public opinion and to the international community.
I, as the Plenipotentiary on Human Rights of Russian Federation, being
still in office, call upon all the political forces in Russia, all the
international community to stop massacre of civilians. The negotiations
should be immediately resumed. I know reliably, that Chechen part is ready
to it.
I never called nobody to manifestate. Now I call upon: go! I call upon all
the mothers to demand back their sons, dieing on this war.
I call upon again to exert all possible influence on Russian leadership
using every open or diplomatic channel. I call upon the West to remember
that Christmas is not only traditional vacations, but also remembrance
about mercy and about many centuries' efforts to establish peace on earth.
Forget about peace in your hearts, until explosions thunder in Grozny.
Sergej Kovalev,
Plenipotentiary on Human Rights
of Russian Federation
