Beslan victims dissatisfied with investigation progress

In the opinion of Susanna Dudieva, head of the "Beslan Mothers" Association of Terror Act Victims, the investigation of the terror act in Beslan was deliberately "braked" and will be further protracted. Discontent with the course of investigation was also voiced by Ella Kesaeva, leader of the All-Russian Public Organization "Voice of Beslan". Alexander Khalin, head of the investigatory group, does not agree with them.

"I see no active and stormy work of the investigatory group. I see that everything is braked down. Many people come to our committee and ask why no confrontations are conducted on their evidences. I believe that the new investigatory group was set up to still further protract the inquiry. They are writing fact-finding letters; they invite us to study examination results and to all other investigatory actions" they'll do it with every victim. It's just a huge red tape," Susanna said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

She noted that now every person will come and get acquainted with the examinations. "We wrote two years ago that these examinations are far-fetched, unreasonable and absolutely unnecessary. No examination will now define the power of the blast wave or the force of impact rendered on the wall of the school gym. For this purpose we need no examinations, while investigatory-operative actions should have been made right at the beginning. And we had then plenty of witnesses," she said.

Last November the victims sent a petition with five points. Ms Dudieva marks that inspectors accepted some of them to consideration and said that the rest of them should be updated.

"One of the major issues in our petition was the expediency of using tanks and flame throwers in rescuing hostages. These heavy weapons were used; and we drew attention to the person who gave order to do it. We still have no answer, and people are revolted. We also raised the issue of additional interrogations and confrontations with the leaders of the Operative Headquarters," said the human rights defender.

Ella Kesaeva, leader of the "Voice of Beslan", agrees that the investigation goes slowly; she was also indignant that activists were not admitted to study the materials of the case.

Inspector Khalin, who now heads the investigatory group on Beslan tragedy, refused from interview, saying that he had an order of his bosses not to communicate with journalists. The question whether he agreed with the victims that the investigation is slow was answered negatively by him.

Besides, as Ms Dudieva said, this year the "Beslan Mothers" will face the issue of preserving the rehabilitation centre for victims' children built by the German Orthodox community at the Alan Women's Monastery in Alagir.

The programme of the German community was planned for five years, and now it is over. The victims raised the issue before the republic's government that the latter should support this rehabilitation centre for the children to be able to go on receiving help. Now, the committee is preparing the budget on a year-long support of the centre. Susanna believes that the question will be solved positively.