13 years ago in Chechnya, Russian militaries massacred residents of Samashki village

In April 1995, regiments of federal armed forces made a punitive "zachistka" (clean-up) in the village of Samashki, Achkhoy-Martan District of Chechnya, which turned into massacre of unarmed people, robberies and marauding.

Today, Chechnya is planning no official events on the occasion of another anniversary of the Samashki village tragedy. A number of local NGOs and public figures held a roundtable in Grozny dated to the events in Samashki 13 years ago.

The roundtable with participation of some 15 activists of different NGOs and public figures was held today in Grozny, in the office of the NGO "Children of Kazakhstan". Aslambek Apaev, head of the Committee for Defence of the Rights of Forced Migrants, and an expert of the Moscow Helsinki Group for Northern Caucasus, was the organizer.

"13 years ago federal troops made a bloody massacre in the village of Samashki. For several days in a row they were brutally killing peaceful residents, plundered their property and did whatever they would. Until now, the actions of militaries in Samashki have not actually received any legal assessment, and none of the commanders of this 'special operation', neither commanders of the units nor rank and file participants of this brutal execution have ever been punished, or at least named," Mr Apaev said.

According to human rights organizations, over 90 (by other sources - more than 200) persons were executed in the course of this action without any trial or investigation. About 130 persons more were detained and passed through the horrors of the so-called "filtration", when they were exposed to beatings and tortures for several days. Militaries did not let members of international organizations, media and physicians into the village for a couple of days.