Victims of Vainakhs' deportation commemorated in Russia and abroad

On February 23, 2009, Chechens and Ingushes, as well as Russian and international community, were grieving over the 65th anniversary of deportation of Chechen and Ingush people to Middle Asia and Kazakhstan.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today mourning ceremonies have been held in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Moscow and St-Petersburg.

In Moscow, several dozens of persons came to commemorate the deportation victims. In the square near the A. Sakharov Museum and Public Centre, about 40 persons rallied. They lit up candles and held a minute of silence, as the "Echo Moskvy" Radio has reported.

In St-Petersburg, the commemoration event was held in the Trinity Square. It was organized by the Society "Memorial" and attracted some fifty city residents. They laid flowers to the Solovki Boulder, as reported by the Baltic Information Agency (BIA) and the press service of the "Defence" Movement.

The International Forum of the Chechen Civil Society has published a statement reminding about numerous cases of cruelty and destruction of those who could not then go to exile. "On February 23, 1944, in high-mountainous Yalkharoy village Soviet soldiers executed 86 Chechens. In the Nozhay-Yurt District, Chechens were put into corn cribs, poured over gasoline and burnt alive. The exact number of victims of these monstrous actions is still unknown. In the Targim-Assin Trough of the mountain part of Ingushetia, old people and sick residents were burnt alive. And, finally, the fact known worldwide of destruction of innocent people - the incident when on February 27, 1944, militaries burnt alive more than 700 residents of Khaibakh village, mainly children, women and old men, later named as 'Chechen Holocaust'," runs the statement signed by the members of the Forum Ruslan Badalov, Dzhunid Ababukirov, Shakhman Akbulatov and 30 more signatories.

Today, British newspaper The Guardian has published a letter of public figures "Chechnya needs a fair political settlement", initiated by the British Public Organization "Peaceful Forum of Chechnya".

"The reality is that carpet bombarding was replaced by regime of fear and repressions, which has destroyed the civil society in Chechnya and suppressed every open and democratic voice," says the Forum's statement in response to the assurances of the authorities about restoration of peace in Chechnya.

According to authors of the appeal, the only way to establish real peace in Chechnya is to hold free and fair elections; "the latest of this sort took place more than a decade ago."

Meanwhile, as the "Kasparov.Ru" writes, on February 22, the Diaspora of refugees from Chechnya and Ingushetia held a commemoration day in Helsinki of deportation victims."

Top Russian officials have also spoken on the occasion of the mourning date.

"The history of Chechens is a chain of heavy trials, which fell on them with a regular periodicity. But always, at all times, Chechens overcame the burden of their fate with honour, by reinforcing their spirit and hope for their bright future. This was in the years of deportation, and now during two bloody wars," said President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov in his appeal, as the nohchi.vu reports.

President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov has noted, in his turn, that "Ingushes had shared the fate of millions of other nationals of Northern Caucasus, who were also deported," as the press service of the Ingush president reports.

At the rally in Ingushetia, the telegram of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev was announced, addressed to the Ingush people and President of Ingushetia, in which he also expressed his regret for the deportation and condolences to the victims.