PRESS-RELEASE

MOSCOW, JANUARY 23, 2000

Statement of Nikolay Khramov, secretary of the Antimilitarist Radical Association:

"The "political decision" announced by the president Putin on the eve of the opening of the PACE session, concerning partial withdrawal of the troops from Chechnya and transmission of the guidance of the "counterterrorist operation" to the Federal Security Service instead of the army command, by no means must delude neither western public opinion nor western diplomates. During the first Chechen war we lost count of similar statement of Yeltsin. Our position, the position of the radicals, the position of Russian human rights movement remains invariable: immediate negotiations of the president Putin with legally elected legitimate president Maskhadov; investigation of all the war crimes and crimes against the humanity committed by the Kremlin's army in the Chechen Republic Ichkeria; cease-fire and withdrawal of all the Russian troops from Chechnya. Until it happens it is premature to raise a question about restoration of full powers of the parliamentary delegation of our country in the PACE".

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

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ARA - Antimilitarist Radical Association

Pechatnikov Per. 6, 103045 Moscow, Russia

Tel. & fax +7-095-208.1805

mailto:ara@ara.ru

www.ara.ru