Gulnara Rustamova presents plan of centre to help wives of killed militants to Russian President's Council at sitting in Makhachkala

At the travelling session of the Presidential Council on Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, which takes place today in Makhachkala, Gulnara Rustamova, co-chair of the Dagestani movement "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy), spoke about plans to establish a centre intended to help the women, whose husbands had been killed in special operations or are in prisons. Summing up the today's discussion, Mikhail Fedotov, Chairman of the above Council, said that President would need concrete measures to change the situation in the region.

Let us remind you that the two-day travelling sitting of the Presidential Council is one of the stages of preparation for the meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, which is planned in Northern Caucasus.

During the period allotted by the agenda for discussion, the speakers mainly told about specific cases of violence against their relatives, and that these crimes are not investigated and are not solved, thus causing a new wave of violence.

Gulnara Rustamova, co-chair of the "Pravozaschita", told about the plans of her organization to set up a centre intended to help the women, whose husbands had perished during special operations or are in prison now. According to her story, the need for the centre stems from the fact that these women cannot get employed: they wear hijabs; and employers would not hire them; for the same reason their children are not taken to school, or their children themselves do not want to go to school, because they are blamed there for their fathers being militants.

Ms Rustamova also noted that convicts under extremist articles are sent to northern regions of Russia, where their wives cannot visit them because they fear persecution for those same hijabs.

According to her story, the would-be centre could be in charge of psychological rehabilitation, talks and discussions on resolution of religious conflicts, rendering medical assistance and organization of professional training courses, as well as studying the Arabic and English languages.

The discussion was summed up by Emil Pain, a member of the Presidential Council on Civil Society Development and Human Rights and Director of the Centre for Ethno-Political and Regional Studies. "I've also suffered: my friend - Magomedsalikh Gusaev, Minister for National Policy, Information and External Relations of Dagestan - was lost (Gusaev was killed on August 27, 2003, in Makhachkala, - note of the "Caucasian Knot"). People die on all sides," said Emil Pain.

In his opinion, if this is a dialogue, not an imitation, it is necessary to talk about the problems that generate violence, and not just state facts. Mr Pain also agreed with Bekmurza Bekmurzaev, Minister for National Policy, Religious Affairs and External Relations, that given the absence of the relevant federal ministry, it is difficult to develop programmes in these areas.

Svetlana Gannushkina, head of the Human Rights Committee "Civil Assistance", noted in her speech that crimes of the authorities provoke people to crimes in response.

Mikhail Fedotov, Chairman of the above Presidential Council, called on to offer particular measures, not "cries for help", to the Russian President during the meeting in July.