| Baltic News Service LITHUANIAN MPS URGE EU NOT TO CLOSE ITS EYES TO BLOODSHED IN CHECHNYA VILNIUS, Dec 13, 2005 Lithuanian parliamentarians have urged European institutions not to close their eyes to the bloodshed in Chechnya, which is seeking independence from Russia. A group of Lithuanian MPs have addressed the leaders of the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, proposing to "thoroughly consider the problem of Chechnya." "There is an alternative: either law and justice or violence and blood. We are inviting to admit that the law is above selfish actions by individual politicians or half measure solutions, which are ruining humanity, the mission of international organizations and the honor of each of us," reads the address signed by over 30 Lithuanian MPs. In the lawmakers' words, showing no reaction to the bloody attacks in Chechnya, the European Union is indirectly contributing to the massacre of the Chechen nation. "International organizations are ignoring the legal and historical reasons for Russia's war in Chechnya and at the same time are indirectly sanctioning annihilation of the Chechen nation. We think that this is causing disagreement among nations, ruining the European civilization and posing a real threat to all. There is only one way out - demand that Russia honor recognized international legal norms," the address reads. The open letter to the heads of EU institutions and organizations proposes to admit that the parliamentary elections held in Chechnya in late November were "absolutely undemocratic and fictitious." Forces favorable to Vice-Prime Minister Razman Kadyrov -- de facto Moscow henchman in the Chechen region -- won the parliamentary elections, the first since the start of the second Russian army's invasion of Chechnya in 1999. The European Union saw the Chechen parliamentary elections as a step towards democracy. Chechen separatists did not participate in the polls, dismissing them as sham, however, the EU that had earlier criticized Moscow for human rights violations in the violence-stricken republic, gave a more positive assessment of the voting. Since 1999, Chechnya has been shaken by clashes between the Russian army and Chechen guerillas seeking independence. Although larger encounters are not frequent, both parties in the conflict incur damages nearly every day. Lawfully-elected Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov was killed in an operation by Russian security forces in March this year. Maskhadov was elected the president of Chechnya in early 1997, after peace agreements came into effect in 1996, upon the end of the first war between Russia and Chechnya. The elections were found lawful both by the international community and Russia. Just like the rest of the international community, Lithuania does not recognize independence of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria declared more than a decade ago, considering the North Caucasus republic a part of Russia but calling for peaceful solution of the conflict with independence supporters. Vilnius newsroom, +370 5 2396414, politika@bns.lt |