Attack on Crocus City Hall highlights issue of state assistance to victims of terror acts

In Russia, the status of victims of terror acts should be legislated and state assistance should be guaranteed to them, human rights defenders claim after the terror act at the Crocus City Hall. According to the human rights defenders, the authorities still do not provide full-scale assistance to the victims of the terror act in Beslan and the militant attack on Nalchik.

The “Voice of Beslan” public organization has prepared an initiative for a draft law on the status of people who fell victim to a terror act, and it has been approved by the “Spravedlivaya Rossiya” (Fair Russia) Party, as well as the heads and the parliaments of the republics in Northern Caucasus, announces Ella Kesaeva, the head of the “Voice of Beslan” public organization.

“Finally, the draft law has not been supported by the ‘Edinaya Rossiya’ (United Russia) Party with a strange wording alleging that there is no need to separately protect the rights of victims of terror acts, as such protection would put them in a privileged position,” the human rights defender noted.

“We developed a project providing for a number of measures to support victims of terror acts, including those who got disabilities. The project also provides for benefits and early retirement,” Ella Kesaeva explained.

The human rights defender notes that the assistance to victims of terror acts in their rehabilitation, treatment, and benefits fell on public organizations and at the discretion of local authorities.

“If during the first days after a terror act, the assistance is being provided, then victims are often forgotten later. However, the problems of the people who fell victim to a terror act do not disappear. The people who survived such violence are broken mentally, and they do not know how to live further,” noted Aneta Gadieva, the co-chair of the “Mothers of Beslan” Committee.

Valery Khatazhukov, the chair of the Human Rights Centre of Kabardino-Balkaria, considers it necessary to take long-term measures to support victims of terror acts. “People who suffered for absolutely nothing need the status of victims of a terrorist attack,” emphasized the human right defender.

Svetlana Gannushkina*, the chair of the “Civic Assistance Committee”*, also believes there is the need for permanent social assistance to victims of terror acts. “Psychological assistance should be provided to those people who survived a terror act and relatives who lost their loved ones. Material assistance should also be provided,” Svetlana Gannushkina*said.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.