Picket in memory of "zachistka" victims in Novye Aldy held in Moscow

In the Pushkin Square in the centre of Moscow, a picket was held in memory of the victims of the clean-up ("zachistka") conducted eight years ago in Novye Aldy settlement located in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya. On that day, on February 5, 2000, Russian OMON (Special Militia) fighters killed, according to different sources, from 56 to 115 residents of the settlement, including old men, women and children.

Despite the rain, the action was attended by more than 30 persons.

The picketers suggested the passers-by to sign individual appeals to the General Public Prosecutor of Russia with a demand to investigate the events in Novye Aldy that took place on February 5, 2000.

The demonstrators were disseminating free of charge CDs with a documentary film "Novye Aldy: Crime against Humanity", made by the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" on the basis of video evidences filmed by the survived residents of Novye Aldy several days after the tragedy.

Immolation rites were held in the settlement of Aldy, Zavodskoy District of Grozny, Chechnya, in memory of the peaceful residents killed by special agents in February 2000.

"The administration of the Zavodskoy District bought two cows for its money and delivered the animals to Aldy residents for conducting immolation rites. The meat of the sacrificial animals was distributed among needy people and the families who had lost their members on that terrible day," an employee of the administration of the Zavodskoy District of Grozny told in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.