On March 8, 2005, Russian military forces assassinated Mr Aslan Maskhadov, legitimately elected President of Chechen people. However, so far Russia didn’t give his body back to his family. Thus, the Save Chechnya Campaign has published a public appeal and asked Russia to give Aslan Maskhadov’s body back.

P U B L I C   A P P E A L

March 8, 2013

Subject: Aslan Maskhadov, President of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

Eight years ago, on March 8, the Chechen people lost their leader, but more importantly, the world community lost its humanity and honor while staying silent about Russia’s state terrorism against the elected President of the Chechen people!

In January 1997, Aslan Aliyevich Maskhadov was legitimately elected, gaining more than 59% of the votes in the free and democratic elections in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, under the aegis of international institutions like UN and OSCE. One of his first actions was signing a peace treaty between the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and the Russian Federation. During his term, he defended human rights and did his best to keep peace alive. But despite all of his efforts, the war machine worked once again at the end of 1999, and he headed the defense of his native land against the unlawful Russian military occupation as the leader of the Chechen people. However, during all his military and political life, he strongly condemned any kind of terrorist actions and stood against terrorism. He believed that he could bring an end to this war if he might talk for only a few minutes face to face with the Russian President Putin; in this aim, he announced a unliteral ceasefire while hoping to find peace. However, the Russian state’s answer was brutal and they assasinated the President of the People in front of the world community. Their cruelty didn’t end with this, they seized his body referring to their inhumane law about their right to keep the bodies of “terrorists”! Whatever the Russian law says, this practice cannot be considered legal, neither in a political context, nor in ethical terms.

We, the Save Chechnya Campaign, once again ask the Russian authorities to bring an end to this horrible practice and give his body back to his family for burial according to Muslim and Chechen traditions!

We, the Save Chechnya Campaign, ask all international institutions and human rights organizations as well as people of goodwill to apply pressure and demand the return of the body of the President of the People!

Save Chechnya Campaign