The sympathetic action of Austrian society

The Austrian international human rights organization “The Society of thepeoples under threat of destruction" in support of the long-sufferingChechen people, who are today exposed to the genocide, have collectedten thousand signatures of the citizens of Austria, requiring to stopthe war in Chechnya, reported one of the representatives of the ChechenDiaspora in Austria.

Early in January 2004, the leaders of this organization and therepresentatives of the Chechen Diaspora in Austria intend to present10,000 signatures to the head of the Austrian state with the request totransfer the signatures to the President of Russia. Carrying out thisaction, they hope once again to draw attention of Russian society andinternational community to the tragic destiny of the Chechen people.

It is known that the refugees from Chechnya, who managed to leaveRussia, mainly settle in the European states where their safety,protection of human rights and education of their children isguaranteed. In the Western and European states, where public opinion isof utmost importance, the peoples of these countries do not allow anyoneto be treated like puppets.

In ?IX-XX centuries the Chechens mainly emigrated to the easterncountries of the world. Only several hundreds of the Chechens havesettled in the West and in Europe. Having found themselves in thesecountries, Abdu-Rahman Avtorkhanov, Salavdi Gugaev and other Chechens,contributed to the benefit of their native land and left good impressionabout the Chechen people. These Chechens are known for their strugglefor the rights of their native people. The letter written by SalavdiGugaev in the 50s, for example, initiated the UN pressure on the USSR bymeans of the resolution, which compelled Khroushev to allow the deportedChechen and Ingush peoples to return home and to restore their autonomy- ChIASSR.

We hope that these 10,000 signatures against the war in Chechnya,collected in Austria, will affect those who can change the situation,and will serve as the contribution to the cause of putting the end tothe genocide of the Chechen people.

Alikhan Isaev, for Chechenpress, 04.01.04.

http://www.chechenpress.info/english/news/2004/01/06/02.shtml