Mothers of Beslan
Encyclopedia
Mothers of Beslan or Beslan Mothers' Committee is a support
and advocacy group of parents whose children were among the more than 365 victims of the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis
in North Ossetia-Alania
. The group is led by chairwoman Susanna Dudiyeva and has nearly 200 members. Marina Litvinovich, who helped to create the Mothers, runs the website http://www.pravdabeslana.ru/.
as a response to what was seen as the incompetence and excessive force used by the security services during the rescue attempt. They are also investigating negligence
and corruption
of the North Ossetian leadership, notably the former president Alexander Dzasokhov
, whose resignation was demanded by the group.
They are highly critical of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin
for allegedly covering up the circumstances of the siege. According to the Mothers of Beslan the terrorists made use of weapons and supplies that had been pre-positioned in the school, suggesting it was an inside job by school employees or town officials. This version of the events strongly contradicts the official narrative. The group met with Putin in Moscow
on September 1, 2005.
In 2005, roughly 30 members of Mothers of Beslan headed by Ella Kesayeva split to form a second group, the Voice of Beslan
.
In September 2005, some members of Mothers of Beslan, including Dudiyeva, were involved in a debacle with the self-proclaimed healer and miracle-maker Grigory Grabovoy
, who had promised he could resurrect their killed children for a large sum of money. The group has since denounced Grabovoy as a fraud
and a charlatan
and his actions as part of a drive to discredit Mothers of Beslan. Grabovoy was officially indicted of fraud in April 2006.
In July 2007, the Mothers of Beslan asked the FSB to declassify video and audio archives on Beslan, saying there should be no secrets in the investigation. They didn't receive any answer to this request. Same month, the Mothers organization have disclosed a video tape they received anonymously, that they say proves Russian security forces started the massacre by firing rocket grenades on the besieged building. The film, apparently showing the prosecutors and military experts discussing the militant bombs and structural damage in the school in Beslan, had been kept secret by the authorities for nearly three years, and was officially released by the Mothers on September 4, 2007.
In September 2007, Taimuraz Chedzhemov, the lawyer representing the group and seeking to prosecute Russian officials over the massacre, said he has pulled out of the case because of a death threat
to his family.
Support group
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic...
and advocacy group of parents whose children were among the more than 365 victims of the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis
Beslan school hostage crisis
The Beslan school hostage crisis of early September 2004 was a three-day hostage-taking of over 1,100 people which ended in the deaths of over 380...
in North Ossetia-Alania
North Ossetia-Alania
The Republic of North Ossetia–Alania is a federal subject of Russia . Its population according to the 2010 Census was 712,877.-Name:...
. The group is led by chairwoman Susanna Dudiyeva and has nearly 200 members. Marina Litvinovich, who helped to create the Mothers, runs the website http://www.pravdabeslana.ru/.
History
Mothers of Beslan was created February 25, 2005, in the aftermath of the hostage crisisHostage crisis
A hostage crisis develops when one or more terrorists or criminals hold people against their will and try to hold off the authorities by force, threatening to kill the hostages if provoked or attacked....
as a response to what was seen as the incompetence and excessive force used by the security services during the rescue attempt. They are also investigating negligence
Negligence
Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances. The area of tort law known as negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm.According to Jay M...
and corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
of the North Ossetian leadership, notably the former president Alexander Dzasokhov
Alexander Dzasokhov
Alexander Dzasokhov is the former head of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.He was born April 3, 1934 in Vladikavkaz, graduated in 1957 from the North Caucasus Mining Metallurgical Institute and holds a doctorate in politics. From 1992 - 1993, he was a people's deputy of Russian Federation and...
, whose resignation was demanded by the group.
They are highly critical of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
for allegedly covering up the circumstances of the siege. According to the Mothers of Beslan the terrorists made use of weapons and supplies that had been pre-positioned in the school, suggesting it was an inside job by school employees or town officials. This version of the events strongly contradicts the official narrative. The group met with Putin in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
on September 1, 2005.
In 2005, roughly 30 members of Mothers of Beslan headed by Ella Kesayeva split to form a second group, the Voice of Beslan
Voice of Beslan
Voice of Beslan is a grassroots non-governmental organization created in the aftermath of the 2004 North Ossetian Beslan school hostage crisis, as a splinter group of more radical members of the Mothers of Beslan support and advocacy group of parents of children who were among the victims.The...
.
In September 2005, some members of Mothers of Beslan, including Dudiyeva, were involved in a debacle with the self-proclaimed healer and miracle-maker Grigory Grabovoy
Grigory Grabovoy
Grigory Petrovich Grabovoy is a Russian psychic who claims the ability to abolish death, resurrect the dead, cure cancer and AIDS, teleport, and pinpoint and resolve at distance mechanical and electronic problems on airplanes, space stations, atomic electric power stations and any other...
, who had promised he could resurrect their killed children for a large sum of money. The group has since denounced Grabovoy as a fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and a charlatan
Charlatan
A charlatan is a person practicing quackery or some similar confidence trick in order to obtain money, fame or other advantages via some form of pretense or deception....
and his actions as part of a drive to discredit Mothers of Beslan. Grabovoy was officially indicted of fraud in April 2006.
In July 2007, the Mothers of Beslan asked the FSB to declassify video and audio archives on Beslan, saying there should be no secrets in the investigation. They didn't receive any answer to this request. Same month, the Mothers organization have disclosed a video tape they received anonymously, that they say proves Russian security forces started the massacre by firing rocket grenades on the besieged building. The film, apparently showing the prosecutors and military experts discussing the militant bombs and structural damage in the school in Beslan, had been kept secret by the authorities for nearly three years, and was officially released by the Mothers on September 4, 2007.
In September 2007, Taimuraz Chedzhemov, the lawyer representing the group and seeking to prosecute Russian officials over the massacre, said he has pulled out of the case because of a death threat
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
to his family.