Statement of the Chechen Information Centre

Date: January 8, 2000
Source: Chechen Information Centre, Poland
Translated from Polish by Aleksandra Wagner

The Assembly of Members issued a letter to the Polish Prime Minister on the situation in Chechnya.

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Association: the Chechen Information Centre
Krakw (Cracow), Rynek G wny 29

                    His Excellency
                    Professor Jerzy Buzek
                    the Prime Minister of the
                    Republic of Poland

Russian-Chechen war, started in the passing decade by the subsequent Russian aggression against Chechnya is going on. Russia, as many times in history, like in the agreement with Hitler of 17 September 1939 against Poland has broken the "Treaty on peace and the rules of mutual relationships between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria", sign by the Presidents of both states on 12 May 1997. Point #1. of the Treaty obliges the parties to "1. For ever renounce the use of force and/or threat of using force in solving all the disputable questions".

Over a few months Russia has not only broke the mentioned above treaty, but also allows, on a mass scale, towards Chechnya and her citizens acts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. They include bombing of civilians and residential areas, the use of chemical weapon, murdering unarmed civilians, tortures. All these genocide activities are aimed at the extermination of Chechen Nation.

The Assembly of Members of the acting from 1995 Association called the Chechen Information Centre calls upon the Government of the Republic of Poland to take, together with our allies from NATO, all the necessary measures aimed at:

1. Immediate stopping of the Russian aggression in Chechnya, in particular immediate cease fire proposed by the democratically elected President of Chechnya Aslana Maskhadov.

2. Immediate enabling international observers from the Organisation of the Security and Co-operation in Europe and International Red Cross to make the inspections on the whole territory of Chechnya, as well as in prisons and prison camps where Chechen citizens are kept - on the principle of mutuality.

3. Enabling immediately the peace talks and the withdrawal of Russian Army from Chechnya.

4. Action towards the recognition of the independence of Chechnya by the international community, in particular by the states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

5. Together with our allies from NATO, taking efficient measures to document the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the citizens of Chechnya, so that it can be possible to prove the guilt of the executors and inspirers, when they are brought before the International Tribunal.

We appeal to the Government of the Republic of Poland to enable the war refugees from Chechnya, due to humanitarian reasons, to pass the border, receive an appropriate legal status on the Polish territory and provide them security as well as relevant places of residence.
Krakw (Cracow), 8 January 2000

The President of the Assembly of Members of the Chechen Information Centre Ryszard Bocian