RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 7, No. 113, Part I, 17 June 2003

Cultural figures protest war in Chechnya

Several nongovernmental organizations -- including For Peace in Chechnya, Memorial, and For Human Rights -- organized a rally against the war in Chechnya in Moscow's Pushkin Square on 16 June, newsru.com reported. More than 300 artists, musicians, writers, and scholars participated in the rally, calling for an end to the terrorization and kidnapping of civilians in "cleansing" operations. Some speakers called on the government to initiate peace talks with Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov, while some demonstrators wore badges depicting President Putin in the guise of Adolf Hitler. Speaking on Ekho Moskvy on 16 June, writer and television personality Viktor Shenderovich, one of the organizers of the protest, said the demonstrators believe the government is unable to resolve the problems in Chechnya. The recent referendum in the republic proves that the government is only going through the motions of finding a political settlement in Chechnya, Shenderovich said. VY