In 23.02.1944 the Communist regime of the USSR committed the deportation of the entire Chechen people to Central Asia and Kazakhstan. The deportation, which lasted 13 years, eliminated the lives of more than 60% of the Chechen people. The territory of Chechnya is 17300 square kilometers. Since the beginning of the war in Chechnya in 11/12/1994 Russia killed about 300 thousand Chechens, including 4 Presidents and caused the damage about 300 billion of US dollars.

On June, 12-14 in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania there was initiated the International Congress “To evaluate the crimes of communism”. The representatives of 24 countries participated in it. The international congress established “The international Vilnius Public Tribunal”, which was informally named “Nurnberg – 2”. The Congress empowered the Tribunal to evaluate the communism regarding legal, political and social factors, to estimate the communist ideology and criminal actions of communist regime. The tribunal heard the prosecution of representatives of 15 countries, including the Chechen Republic.

The international Vilnius Public Tribunal (Further Tribunal), 27.09.2000 proclaimed the verdict.

We introduce the decision of Tribunal regarding the Chechen Republic.

All rise for the court!

In October 1917 there happened an event that did not have the precedent before in the history of mankind. In huge Russian Empire all power was in hands of communists. The crimes of communism towards Chechen people have their own peculiarities regarding the non-stopping fight of Chechens for their freedom and independence, which they lost in 1859 as the result of almost one hundred year war against Russia. Chechen people didn’t want to accept this situation, every 10 years there were rebellions.

In 1917 upon an initiative of Chechens all the people of the Caucasus united and declared the Independent United Mountain Republic. It consisted of 7 States: Abkhasia, Adygea, Dagestan, Kabardy, Karaachevo-Balkariya, Osetia and Checheno-Ingooshetia. In 1918 Russia destroyed the Independent United Mountain Republic and Chechnya became a part of Soviet Communistic Totalitarian Empire.

Beginning from 1922 and 40s civil uprisings started to take place – Chechnya couldn’t accept the tyranny of Communistic regime. Moscow responded with the severe theror.

In 1920-1940 repressive structures of the USSR eliminated about 35% of Chechen population. Communists called it fight against public enemies.

On Februare, 23-25 1994 all Chechen-Ingush people were deported to Kazakhstan, Siberia, and Central Asia. For about 12 thousand of Chechens were killed during eviction. They were shot on-site, bayoneted, blown up and burned in their houses, hospitals, establishments, drowned in the lakes, poisoned with intoxicated food products. During 13 years of deportation more than 60% of Chechen and Ingush people died. Those who survived suffered from moral and physical violence. Criminal communistic regime planned eternal deportation of Chechen and Ingush peoples.

At the end of 80s of the 20th century the initiated democtratic processes in the USSR brough the Chechens a hope for better.

On November, 27 1990 the Supreme Soviet of Chechen-Ingush Republic proclaimed the national sovereignty of Chechen Republic in accordance with all principals of international law as well as the legislation in power on the all territory of the USSR. On October, 27 1991 there were held the elections of the Parliament and the President. Dzhokhar Dudaev was chosen as the President. On March, 12 1992 the Parliament of the Chechen Republic adopted the Constitution of the Chechen Republic.

On December,11 1994 Russia initiated a full scale war against Chechen Republic, that lasted 2 years. 120 thousand of civilians were killed. About 400 thousand of people had to displace, 74 thousand people became physically challenged including 19 thousand of children, 12 thousand of children remained complete orphans. The economics and infrastructure of Chechen were completely destroyed.

On April, 12 1996 Russia killed villainously Dzhokhar Dudaev, the first President of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
On May, 12 1997 Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and the Russian Federation on behalf of two equal countries, represented by the Presidents A Mashadov and B. Eltsin, signed the treaty of peace, according to which the parties stop the 400 year conflict and based their relations on the principals of international legislation.

In September 1999 Russian initiated a new agression against Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. In 1999-2000 about 50 thousand of people were killed. Russian airforces and artillery destroyed cities and countries, heritage, ecology. Russia created more than 20 filtration camps in Chechnya that became death places for Chechen people. There plagued infection diseases, insanitariness and hunger. 80 thousand of Russian military officers who killed the civilians, women and children were sent to Chechnya, they used the most violent sadist methods, rape women, rob and burn their houses.

The international Vilnuis Public Tribunal viewed the actions of Russian government as the signs of crime against the mankind, military crimes and genocide.

The sentence of the International Vilnuis Public Tribunal states:

1. to attract the attention of public and show that cruel actions against the world, war crimes and genocide take place. The international society, countries and in particular the leaders of huge countries were and remain indifferent to millions of innocently extirpate people.

6. The International Vilnuis Public Tribunal considers the Russian War in Chechnya as the continuing statement of Russian Imperialism and the former communistic doctrine which is expressed as obvious genocide of Chechen people.

14. The sentence of the International Vilnuis Public Tribunal, its evidence must be presented to the International Court of Justicet of the United Nations.

Tribunal’s verdict can not be appealed.

16 years after the Tribunal

As the result of the violent and degrading war of Russia against Chechnya which lasted for years about 300 thousand of Chechen people died, among them 40 thousand of children. Actually in front of the whole world Russia commited genocide of Chechen people.

The presidents of Chechnya: February 13, 2004 – Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, March 8, 2005 – Aslan Maskhadov, June,17 2006 – Abdul-Halim Saydulaev were killed treacherously. Chechnya suffered from irreparable damage of their economy, infrastructure, culture, education. Entire towns and villages, factories, cultural, educational, and medical establishments, rare architectural, historical and cultural monuments were destroyed. Long-term Russian bombardment, artillery and other attacks have led to catastrophic contamination of water, soil and atmosphere, and inflicted a severe damage to the natural environment, flora and fauna. Long-term consequences of the war in Chechnya led to the massively dying population, children are born with physical and mental disabilities, there appeared epidemics of various incurable diseases.

Russia violated all the principles and norms of international law relating to the means and methods of warfare in Chechnya. Russia used all kinds of existing weapons, including those prohibited by international conventions, as well as chemical weapons and weapons with depleted uranium. Chechnya was turned into a death zone.

More than 300 thousand of Chechens became refugees and left their land forever. This process continues up to this day. Every year, thousands or even tens of thousands of people run from Chechnya to Europe who can not live there in constant fear because of the criminal regime, the regime of terror, repression and violence created by the Russian authorities in Chechnya.

Since the beginning of the war 12.11.1994 about 300 thousand of people were killed in Chechenya (this is 20% of the total population), including more than 40 thousand of children and about 526 thousand of injured. Russia put about 500 thousand of landmines that still remain on the Chechen land. The Russian military captured about 75% of the humanitarian aid provided by international organizations for the Chechens. Since 12.11.1994 Russia caused the financial damage of more than US $ 300 billion.

Russia turned Chechnya into a stage for the abolishment of people, for military equipment tests and improvement the troops of killing people.

These crimes committed by Russia have a legal definition – genocide.

In 2004 the European Parliament adopted a resolution which called the genocide the deportation of the entire Chechen people, in February 1944, in Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

International organizations and world leaders have not estimated the actions of the Russian military in Chechnya, where war was against the entire nation. They did not demand the responsibility from Russia for its crimes against the Chechen people.

Where are the law and justice?

In order to prevent the spread of aggressive Russian actions against sovereign states, in order to implement real humanism, justice and international law, to prevent the precedent of impunity for crimes against the Chechen people from becoming a motivation to inspire the criminals to commit new crimes, we, the members of the Vilnius Council of the Lithuanian liberation movement Sąjūdis are writing to you with an urgent request:

1. To Consider the Chechen question from the standpoint of the principles and norms of international law and justice.

2. To Implement fully the objective international investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia against the Chechen people.

3. To Bring to the international responsibility the perpetrators of war crimes against the Chechen people.

We present you a book «ANTI-COMMUNIST CONGRESS AND TRIBUNAL PROCCEEDINGS» Vilnius 2002, 1008 pages, pages 399-405, 848-850, 942-944, 984-985, 993-994 contain published material about the Chechen Republic.

Read about Vilnius Sąjūdis struggle for the independence of Chechnya http://www.sajudis.com