Relatives of Militants Seek the G8 Support

The relatives of insurgents killed in Nalchik attack of October 13, 2005 called on the G8 leaders and international organizations of right advocates to urge Russia's authorities to give out the bodies for burial. "The law's provision that denies giving out the bodies punishes harmless mothers" and violates religious rights stipulated in the RF constitution, says the address that was made public via the mass media.

"We have called on the president of Russia, requesting him to show humanism and give out the bodies for burial," relatives of insurgents killed in Nalchik past October said in a letter, emphasizing the address to Putin was signed by over 10,000 residents of Kabardino-Balkaria.

Past Saturday, the Main Department of Russia's Prosecutors for South Federal District said nay to the request of relatives, making clear the response of Russia's president to them.

In the yesterday's address to the G8 leaders, the people of Kabardino-Balkaria shed light on multiple violations of believers' rights in the republic, which triggered "the armed revolt of the Moslems in Nalchik." "Ask a question, what would happen if, all mosques have been closed by force in Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia or in any other region of the world, where the Moslems are living, as it was done in Kabardino-Balkaria," the letter says.

The criminal cases for 95 killed insurgents were terminated for reasons of death. The relatives were denied the access to criminal files on grounds of non-involvement in investigation. They insist the number of bodies in the medico-legal morgue materially exceeds the official number, more than 160, and claim they have documentary evidences that the wounded insurgents "were killed and a few prisoners died during interrogation."