Victims resentful of incompliance

A hearing of the case of Mr Nurpashi Kulayev, a participant in the Beslan school attack on 1-3 September, 2004, has again been postponed in North Ossetia's Supreme Court today. This time, the reason is the defence lawyer Albert Pliyev's disease which Beslan residents have called into question though.

It is the second time the Beslan trial has been postponed. The chief justice, Tamerlan Aguzarov, did not come to the process on 8 December. Defence lawyer Albert Pliyev is ill today. Beslan residents have come to the courthouse with placards reading "Dzasokhov, You Coward!", "Putin, Whom Prosecutor General's Office Works For?", and "Andreyev a Red-hat General."

Ms Zarema Muzhkhoyev convicted of attempting a terrorist act in Moscow was to give evidence at this hearing. Mr Rustam Ganiyev sentenced to life for blowing up a bus with military men in Mozdok, North Ossetia, has also been delivered to the court today. None of the witnesses summoned has come though. Representatives of the Beslan Mothers Committee have expressed their concerns that "work" is under way on the above-mentioned convicts so that they say nothing compromising and the agencies "fail to meet the deadlines set" for that.

A number of high-ranking officials such as North Ossetia's ex-president Alexander Dzasokhov, Federal Security Service chief Nikolai Patrushev and others do not come to the court either although they have been summoned as witnesses, which Beslan Mothers also consider an outrage.

Beslan residents stayed in the courtroom for about four hours. The question was examined whether to stay and protest again or to leave the courtroom. As a result, they decided to lodge two petitions, both regarding the "intentional" failure to come to the court on the part of officials.

"We are constantly told that we should act within the framework of the law," Ms Rita Sidakov, a Beslan Mothers member, said. "So, are there some special laws published for them?"

The women are convinced that the officials fail to come to the court intentionally, but they have promised to wait until Thursday for which the next hearing has been scheduled. "They are constantly wired from the court, but they ignore the summons and we believe that this is done intentionally," Ms Anneta Gadiyev, a Beslan Mothers member, concluded.

• French doctors helping Beslan children