Ingushetia

Chechenpress Statement with regard to the events in Ingushetia:

The leadership of the ChRI has repeatedly warned Russia and the world community that it isn't possible to keep the flames of war within the borders of Chechnya for much longer. Today we see that military activity has gripped the territory of Ingushetia. Nobody can give solid guarantees that the war won't spread to still other territories of the Caucasus and to Russia itself, if the Kremlin continues to follow its blind suicidal course, tempted to solve the problems by force, which can only be solved by peaceful political means, due to their very nature.

It can be stated with certainty that the war in Ingushetia began already at the moment when the Kremlin forced President Aushev to retire and installed its humble protégé Zyazikov in his place, a Chekist cadre. From that time on, Ingushetia became a zone of the bloody trade of the Russian death squads. Murders, hostage-taking, terror against the Chechen refugees and complete lawlessness became a daily reality in Ingushetia, in the same way as the growing resistance against the intolerable arbitrariness which had ascended the throne in this region became a reality. Finally, the indignation of the people reached a critical mass and took the form of a direct, armed riot.

The Chechen leadership declares with all its authority that the entire fault for the tragic events in Ingushetia and their possible development lies on the Russian side and must be shared by its local puppets.

Vice-premier of the Chechen Government, Special Representative of the ChRI President to Foreign Countries, Ahmed Zakayev

Chechenpress, 22.06.04