Nine years ago terrorists seized a school in the North Ossetian town of Beslan. The hostages were held for three days. Nine years later, Susanna Dudiyeva, leader of the 'Mothers of Beslan' public organization, spoke with 'Vlasti' correspondent Zaur Farniyev on how the former hostages and their relatives have been living these years, and why they continue to believe that the truth is being hidden from them.

'Vlasti': The investigation into the Beslan terrorist attack continues. What has changed? Do you have any hope that it will end soon?

Susanna Dudiyeva: They have even stopped notifying us, the victims, of extensions to the investigation. Personally, for the last year I have not received a single letter about the investigation being extended, which was the case during the previous eight years. During this same year, neither my friends nor I have received a single summons to see the prosecutor, nor have we gotten any answers to the questions we asked. I am to understand that the investigation is at a standstill. There is complete silence. I think that the investigation team is called «the investigation of the Beslan terrorist act», but it has apparently been busy with any and all the other chores and errands.

'Vlasti': Then, why do they not just close the case?

Susanna Dudiyeva: Because in the future there is a hearing in Strasbourg on the victims' complaint, and until this point it will not be closed. In addition, they still have not investigated two unidentified terrorists. (We have received) no response from the investigators to our request to re-examine the operational headquarters leadership, or to our questions about what went on at the school and the operational headquarters from September 1st to the 3rd. If the case got closed right now, it would be unfair to us and would cause quite a stir among the victims. Right now all of us, the victims, are like one big, exposed nerve, and I cannot even imagine what people might be capable of if it turns out that the investigation into the terrorist attack gets shut down.

'Vlasti': And what is the fate of the complaint the victims in Beslan made to the European Court of Human Rights?

Susanna Dudiyeva: The process of communication with the parties in the suit is finished. All the questions have asked of the victims and the defendant. Now we are waiting for them to assign the start date for the suit. I think that by the end of this year the suit will already get started. Recently we sent a petition that they conduct the proceedings in Russian, and tried to convince the court that our participation in the process would be fruitful. We have not yet received a reply.

'Vlasti': What do you expect from the investigation in Russia?

Susanna Dudiyeva: Some kind of information should show up that «dots the i». There remain a lot of witnesses who participated, either assisting in the hostage rescue, or, on the contrary, not participating, so this information cannot stay hidden forever. Just like information got out about wires to the improvised explosive devices in the gym not being connected. This came out during questioning of the Gaglovyev and Nabiyev, the leaders of the explosive ordnance disposal team, who were among the first who entered. I will not say how we got this recording, but the two sappers maintain that the explosion did not come from inside the gym. I am sure that information such as this will certainly come out.

'Vlasti': For a long time, high-ranking officials from Moscow have not shown up at anniversaries of the Beslan tragedy. Do you expect anyone to visit?

Susanna Dudiyeva: For me personally it is not important, but there are people for whom it this. So far they have not named any of the law enforcement heads, those who were supposed to ensure public safety, yet, by their errors, allowed the terrorist attack to happen. There should be some investigation into these errors. They need to tell everything to the public.

'Vlasti': Now you hold the position of director of 'My Family', a center for the prevention of child abandonment and the development family care for orphans and other children left without parental care. Your ally, Marina Pak, works at the Center for Rehabilitation of Children at a convent in Alaguir. There they care for children who suffered at Beslan. Other than taking control of the investigation into the terrorist attack, have you have found any new use for your authority?

Susanna Dudiyeva: At the center, which was built after the terrorist attack, there are children of different faiths and nationalities. I think that our mothers that work there find it gratifying to see the spiritual growth of Muslim and Orthodox children, simply our Ossetian children. For them, perhaps, it is kind of a relief. And I am working with orphans and their possible foster parents. I already said that we are all one single nerve. Relief comes only when we are able to help others. Our committee is at work, now we have a lot of issues — there is the problem of university admission for former hostages, problems of with rehab in sanatoria, employment. By the way, the biggest problem is with employment.

'Vlasti': Why?

Susanna Dudiyeva: Our kids mainly attended schools that train law enforcement officers, but now it is very difficult to get a job because there is a decree according to which law enforcement agencies will not accept former hostages. So it is difficult.

'Vlasti': And what has happened with the women who became handicapped to wheelchairs after the terrorist attack and the assault? As I recall, in 2011 Dmitriy Medvedev promised them help.

Susanna Dudiyeva: Yes, back then at a meeting with us, Dmitriy Medvedev, who was serving as president of the country, promised to help six women who needed treatment abroad. Three of them are mothers who risked their lives saving children. This year, with help from the leadership of the (Ossetian) republic, we were able to send Zalina Khuzmiyeva, who lost her hearing, for treatment (abroad). Now she can hear. Two of her children were killed in the terrorist attack, and the fact that she was deaf and can now hear is for us a great joy. At the meeting with Dmitriy Medvedev, we insisted that he send four women — the most severe cases — to Germany and leave them there until there was a positive change in their condition. Dmitry Medvedev said that this is not a problem for the government, but apparently it was a problem still. But Germany is not the issue! Why not send them to the Burdenko Institute of Neurosurgery, where our highly respected Professor Konovalov is working wonders with these patients?

'Vlasti': So, after your meeting with Medvedev these women got no help at all?

Susanna Dudiyeva: There was a clinical examination — by our local physicians. I would like to remind you that these young women, the oldest of whom is 40, need a high-tech tests and treatment. I cannot understand how one can give up on them. Primary care physicians do not come see them, and it can be a whole year without even a call. Social workers do not work with them. Everyone is already used to the idea that these women bear their own cross.

'Vlasti': I remember there were problems with psychological rehabilitation of former hostages. Is any such rehabilitation getting done?

Susanna Dudiyeva: No. If someone is working on this, it is only on a voluntary basis. Volunteers come and work with the children. Basically, these are people from overseas who are raise money all year so that they can work here. There is no special program for psychological rehabilitation, and because of that there are many problems. The behavior of many of these former hostages is often simply inadequate. The hell through which they passed could not but leave an impression on their minds. Afterwards, their parents raised them suggesting that everyone owed them something, so there is a lot of work for the psychologists, but no one is engaged in this.

'Vlasti': In working with orphans, you have probably heard about 'Dima Yakovlev's Law' (forbidding overseas adoptions). How do you feel about this?

Susanna Dudiyeva: If it is the law, then I am obliged to carry it out, but as a woman and as a mother I disagree with them solving political issues this way. They just needed to tighten up on adoptions of children abroad and to agree on how to keep track of each child. It is wrong when someone restricts children from the hope of a cure or a new and better life. In Russia it is always like this: in order for something to change, someone has to die. The death of Dima Yakovlev impacts the fate of other children, depriving them of the opportunity to use a chance for recovery. I mean that children with congenital or acquired abnormalities could have replacement parents (foreigners) and get high-tech medical care. In Russia there are such people, but if you such an opportunity abroad, in America, it is simply not fair to the children to deny them assistance from foreigners, to deprive them of a chance to enjoy a full life.

'Vlasti': Nine years after the terrorist attack in Beslan, have people come to terms with what happened?

Susanna Dudiyeva: People have learned to live with the pain. They have learned to hide it deep in their hearts. We do not even need to talk about it — we see people's state of mind in their eyes. We begin to speak of our grief only when we meet with weeping injustice.

In 'Kommersant'

Be first to comment this article

Write Comment
Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article. Personal verbal attacks will be deleted. Please don't use comments to plug your web site. Such material will be removed. Just ensure to *Refresh* your browser for a new security code to be displayed prior to clicking on the 'Send' button. Keep in mind that the above process only applies if you simply entered the wrong security code.
Name:
E-mail
Homepage
Title:
Comment:
Code:*
	I wish to be contacted by email regarding additional comments

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze — www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved