Protest against military offensive in Chechnya

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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 11:57:04 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: Protest against military offensive in Chechnya

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Czech Helsinki Committee <[email protected]>

Protest against military offensive in Chechnya


Dear Colleagues, Dear Friends,
 
The Czech Helsinki Committee has sent the attached urgent appeal to
the representatives of the Russian Federation. Simultaneously we
kindly ask your organisation to join our initiative. In case you would
decide to supplement your support, please, be so kind and send your
protests as soon as possible. We suggest you to either join a short
sentence about your support, or to write your own protest.
 
1. at the address of President Boris Jelcin to Moscow, or
 
President of the Russian Federation
Boris Jelcin
Kremlin
Moscow
Russian Federation
e-mail: [email protected]
 
2. at the address of the Russian Embassy in Prague:
 
Embassy of Russian Federation
Pod Kastany 1
160 00 Praha 6
fax: +420/2/373 800
e-mail: [email protected]
 
Sincerely Yours,
Hana Havelkova, President
Libuse Silhanov�, Vice-President
Czech Helsinki Committee
 
*****************************************
Prague, 8th October 1999
Mr. President,
Mr. Premier,
 
The armed forces of the Russian Federation have launched a punitive
military offensive against the Republic of Chechnya and have justified
this act by the intended liquidation of terrorist pockets which
allegedly threaten the safety of citizens of the Russian Federal
Republic. We are convinced that the intention of finding and punishing
the terrorists who have caused the destruction of houses and the
killing and maiming of their inhabitants would call for an adequately
sharp police action such as are taken against terrorists in all parts
of the world. The military offensive of Russian armed forces against
Chechnya which will most probably result in major human loss on both
sides is an inadequate intervention and a gross violation of human
rights from the part of the Russian Federation. It is also causing a
human catastrophe of large-scale proportion. Group terrorism must not
be punished by indiscriminate military action against the civilian
population of any country.

We voice our strong protest against this military intervention and we
call upon you to halt it.

We are also appealing to all non-governmental organizations involved
in the defence of human rights and the promotion of humanitarian
co-operation in the world to join us in this protest.
 
Hana Havelkova, President
Libuse Silhanova, Vice-President
Czech Helsinki Committee
 
This letter has been distributed to organizations for human rights and
humanitarian co-operation and to the media.
 
--
*****************************************
Cesky helsinsky vybor - Czech Helsinki Committee
P.O.Box 4 - Jeleni 199/5, 119 01 Praha 012-Hrad
tel./fax +420/2/2437 2335
http://www.helcom.cz
*****************************************

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