Letters : Conflict in Chechnya

From Mr George Tarkhan-Mouravi and others Sir: We, the undersigned, as concerned individuals, express our indignation with the crime against humanity that is taking place in Chechenia at the present time.

Having no hope of stopping the mass use of force conducted by the state against its people, and not intending to judge the political aspirations of the parties involved, we feel the moral obligation to condemn the shameful bloodshed and extreme violence directed towards the peaceful citizens of the nation that we are accustomed to respecting.

We call upon all peoples of goodwill, their ethnic identity or political orientation notwithstanding, to join us in our protest.

We demand that the government of the Russian Federation halts activities that are inappropriate for a grand nation, and strives to find more civilised ways of resolving the conflict by peaceful negotiations! Yours faithfully, GEORGE TARKHAN-MOURAVI Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development NAIRA GELASCHWILI Director, The Caucasian House GHIA NODIA Chairman, Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development ARCHIL SAMADASHVILI Professor, Georgian Technical University MARINA TABUKASHVILI Vice President, A. S. Pushkin International Society, Tblisi GEORGE ANCHABADZE Professor, Doctor of History EMIL ADELKHANOV-STEINBERG International Memorial Society ANNE TSVINARIA Phylologist, Translator Tbilisi Republic of Georgia 16 December