CHECHNYA: Olivier Dupuis reaches 13th day of hunger strike

MESSAGES FROM OUMAR KHANBIEV, ANDRE AND FRANCOISE GLUCKSMANN

Brussels, 31 January 2004

MESSAGE FROM OUMAR KHANBIEV, MINISTER OF HEALTH IN THE MASKHADOV GOVERNMENT

"Dear Olivier, I am very grateful for what you are doing for the Chechen people, but I am very worried about this decision to undertake a hunger strike, which represents a serious threat to your health. The decision is mistaken, because in order to fight against injustice and inhumanity in this world we must have an alert spirit and strong health. I have always admired your courage and your sense of sacrifice. You have done a lot for the Chechen people, who know this and respect you for it. This is why, on behalf of the government and the President, we beg you to end your hunger strike in order to continue to fight vigorously for justice. With best wishes, Oumar Khanbiev.

PS. The President has decided to decorate Antonio Russo with the Order of Honour of the Nation: he will soon issue a decree to confirm the decision"

MESSAGE FROM ANDRE AND FRANCOISE GLUCKSMANN

"Dear Olivier, we admire your spirit and your courage, and the persistence of your struggle. You will excuse us for saying that we believe you are irreplaceable on this front, that we must make sure you do not get any worse. Despite the initial solitude of the Chechens, and then of the rare people like you who do not cease to recall their tragedy to the supposed world conscience - where are the millions of anti-war campaigners, where are the pacifists? - despite the despair by which we are sometimes overcome, do not let yourself get weak. We need you too much. Nothing is ever entirely hopeless: in fact - a little flicker of hope - Colin Powell dared in the Izvestias to remind Putin of some human realities. The Europeans would be happy to follow suit, more than de Villepin who is not far from apologising to Ivanov for having dared for once to call a spade a spade, to call Putin's so-called anti-terrorist operation "open war". It is too late to hope, but too early to give up. Thanks for everything, but be careful to keep up your energy. Best wishes. André and Françoise Glucksmann"

On 18 January the MEP Olivier Dupuis, a member of the Transnational Radical Party, began a hunger strike to urge the authorities of the European Union and of the member States to address the question of the Chechen genocide, without further delay, from a political and humanitarian point of view. In particular, he is calling on Europe to support the Peace Plan presented by the Akhmadov government for the establishment of an interim United Nations administration in Chechnya, to welcome Chechen children wounded in the conflict into hospitals around the EU, and to draw up a "white list" guaranteeing members of the Maskhadov government the possibility to reside and circulate freely throughout the territory of the Union.

You can support the Peace Plan for the establishment of an interim United Nations Administration by signing the international Appeal at www.radicalparty.org

=====

Olivier Dupuis Member of the European Parliament http://www.radicalparty.org/ tel. +32 2 284 7198 fax +32 2 284 9198