Publication of record of last phone conversation on December 29, 2:30 p.m. between plenipotentiary on human rights assistant Lidia Siomina and plenipotentiary himself Sergei Kovaliov, expert of Committee on human rights Oleg Orlov, deputies of Russian State Duma Valeri Borschiov and Mikhail Molostvov, who are all in the military action zone in Chechnia now:

Yesterday night, after conversation with you, we went outdoors and heard explosions in center of the city again. Fire began, bank building was burning. At the moment Factory part of Grozny is bombed. They suppose, that army uses missile installations "Grad" from Sunzhen and Tersk mountain ranges (towns Argun, Samashki, Tolstoj-Yurt). Since 4:00 a.m. two oil tanks at Sharipov plant in Factory part of the city are set on fire. There are many air-raid shelters in that part, so evacuation of people in those shelters is still going on. Third oil tank burns. It is situated near cisterns with chlorine and ammonia. In case those cisterns will be damaged, chemical attack will take place, and all living, including Russian soldiers, will be destroyed. At the same time, intensive skirmishes are not stopping in suburbs of Grozny -- Chernorechje, former airbase, Prigorodnoje village. Refugees are mainly in basements, and many would like to leave Grozny. There are squads that help them to leave.

Problems. At first, Chechen villages, where refugees are taking cover (Urus-Martan, Chili-Yurt), are bombed. So, the most urgent problem is "where to bring out refugees". At second, Ministry on Extreme Situations must urgently contact Grozny administration, that is ready to start evacuation. Urgent and serious initiative of Ministry on Extreme Situations is essential for effective organization of rescue of refugees.

About creation of Commission on human rights in Chechnia. Chechnia means new circumstances, that threaten human rights in Russia, because any people that oppresses another people can not be free.

Lie is much more terrible then bombardments. Bombs will end sooner or later (when Grozny will lie in ruins), while lie in the state is source of new bombs and bombardments, because nothing EXCEPT VIOLENCE can conceal it. Yesterday press conference of Lobov and Shakhraj is evidence of state lie. "There will not be onslaught, but the city will be cleaned up,"-- what does he mean, who says that, and who gives instructions to say this? Or, for instance, Shakhraj's sentence, that transport expenses to move body of American journalist should be recovered from Dudajev later. Whose artillery shell killed her? Nothing except state apologies and condolences could be appropriate. We just see auctions and scores and trials on TV. Shame... Where does the state with such a government go? We are in the mud!

Humane help for Chechen residents. Information about how much cargo was transported to Mozdok is not enough. State services and mass media must inform perfectly and regularly, how much and what cargo, and in what Chechen villages was it brought to. Today, at least, in those Chechen villages where refugees are gathered, nothing is known about medicaments or provisions transferred to regions of conflict.

Way of life and spirits in the city. Well-known facts: no water (emergency water tanks are demolished), electric network failures (electricity is the only source of heat), wet and narrow basements, where people hide from bombardments. Spirits: want to leave, fear, despair. Common for all -- indignation. They say about bombs falling: "it falls the humane help".

General conclusions. Official lies became normal. In the situation it is senseless to speak about human rights and democracy. Only social efforts may save us. Violence and lie are always together. That tandem has come to political sphere of Russia again, and now it will develop itself, because the choice we have warned about is already made. And it is the most tragic choice, because one can not find way out of it. Democratic community must be strong enough to convince or make authorities find way out, or democracy will fail again. President has made his choice, so now the choice may be corrected only by society.

Mikhail Mikhailovich Molostvov:

As a representative of "Choice of Russia", I must recognize, that Russian government has preferred another, not democratic choice. I was a boy when I experienced German bombardments near Rzhev and Viazma. I was a student of Philosophy department, I endured it and suffered, when our tanks entered Budapest by force. Unfortunately, I could not be present at the Red Square, when Larisa Iosiphovna Bogoraz, Pavel Litvinov, and their courageous comrades went out to protest against our tanks, that were driven to Czechoslovakia. Now I am 61, and I bitterly enjoy being in Grozny with Kovaliov, Orlov, Borschiov, and Petrovski, because here and now the fate of Russia is created. However factions we represent here could be called, we are all adherents of DEMOCRATIC CHOICE (without any quotation marks). The President is free to make his own choice.

Translated into English by A.Prishchenko, Kiev, 6/01/1995.