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Strasbourg reaches a decision on ‘Nord-Ost’. On December 20th, the European Court of Human Rights almost fully satisfied claims by victims and relatives of the deceased victims of the terrorist attack on the theatrical center at Dubrovka. The applicants themselves consider today’s decision by Strasbourg to be a real victory, and had been waiting for several years. Now they hope that an objective investigation into the incident will take place. The victims and relatives of the deceased hostages filed their claims with the European Court back in 2003. In their petitions, they demanded that those who planned the hostage rescue...

Those responsible for the large-scale terrorist attack are named in a new criminal case The Moscow prosecutor’s office has canceled the order that terminated the criminal case concerning the terrorist attack on Dubrovka, which took place in October 2002. Igor Trunov, the attorney representing the victims’ interest, revealed this to ‘Svobodnaya Pressa’ (‘SP’). According to Trunov, the Moscow prosecutor’s office was instructed by the chief of the Russian Investigative Committee to carry out a supplementary investigation into the incident. Igor Trunov explains why prosecutors are once again investigating‘Nord-Ost’ ‘SP’: Igor Leonidovich (Trunov), the prosecutor’s decision to continue the investigation, what...

A book on 'Nord-Ost' has been published. One of the authors is Karagandan Svetlana Gubareva Every page of this book is a valuable document. In it are the affidavits of the former hostages who lived through that nightmare at the theatrical center on Dubrovka. There are also the autopsies and legal resolutions about the criminal case, papers that until recently were hightly classified. The authors of this book believe that everyone has a right to know the truth about 'Nord-Ost'. That is, all those who wish to know the truth. "AFTER A TERRORIST ATTACK PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR OWN""I wished...

"...Americans are very empathetic, because they know well what a terrorist attack is." What do you remember? "America for me was like a continuation of Karaganda. They met me at the airport and took me into Manhattan. They asked: 'Well, how do you like America? Isn't it striking?' And then I'm almost tossed from my seat by a pothole. I answered: 'The roads are the same as in Karaganda – I feel like I'm still at home'. What astonished me were those same terrible roads in Manhattan that we have. "But in California I had the impression that I was...

To the European Court of Human Rights From Oleg Alexandrovich Zhirov, Address ----------- The Netherlands Telephone: -------- A description of the events at the Dubrovka theatrical center, in the city of Moscow, October 23-26, 2002. On October 23, 2002, my wife, Natalya Zhirova, and our 14- year-old son, Dmitriy, were in attendance at the Russian musical 'Nord-Ost', being held at the Dubrovka theatrical center. I learned of the theater's seizure by terrorists from the television. I immediately dressed myself, and within 15 minutes I was at Dubrovka. I received the first call from my wife on my mobile phone as...

Irina Vasina is checking the 'durability' of the victims of the terrorist attack at Dubrovka, and will postpone judicial sessions   On April 25th, 2005, in Hall 203 of the Zamoskvoreche district court, Moscow (Judge Irina Vasina presiding), hearings continued on the complaint of 'Nord-Ost' survivor Svetlana Gubareva, whose 13 -year-old daughter and US husband Sandy Booker perished at Dubrovka. Prehistory The essence of Svetlana's complaint is that she is charging the Moscow city attorney's investigative group with inaction on the 'Nord-Ost' case. Up until now, the precise time and place of her loved ones' deaths has not been established....

A sensation in the 'Nord-Ost' case: the victims of the tragedy could for the first time read the attorney general's resolution refusing to bring a criminal complaint Judge Susina's achievement. The intriguing part of the sensation, and not there would be no sensation at all, if the machines of government had simply carried out the law. The 'Nord-Ost' victims had no access to the case materials for more than two years. The ice began to crack only on November 11th, 2004, and only as if by accident. Judge Natalya Susina of the capital's Zamoskvoreche law court, during the course of...

There was an unexpected, big break in declassifications last week. Apparently, after the events at Beslan, the Zamoskvorech'ye court decided to open access to some important documents concerning the investigation of tragedy at Dubrovka ('Nordost'). This is a positive step. From that which was declassified, it is clear that no one was guilty in the deaths of the hostages. This, in principle, is not news, since that has been the official position since immediately after tragedy. In turn, human rights activists learned from the declassified procurator's decisions that ambulances arrived at the theatrical center only two hours after the gas...

I would like to summon up my courage and declare that, of all the participants in this discussion, only I am personally acquainted with Anna Politkovskaya and, perhaps, the reality of Russia. And so, I feel that I have the right to say the following: 1. It is an abominable idea, that Anna was not poisoned, but was only trying to enhance her image. She has already made her name and displayed her authority, not only in the former Soviet Union, but in other countries as well. None of you show her any sympathy, though no one has the right...

Mourners carry portraits of Kristina Kurbatova and Arseny Kurilenko, 13-year-old actors of the musical "Nord-Ost" who died in the hostage crisis, during a funeral at Vagankovo cemetery in Moscow. (AP) MOSCOW — The Lefortovsky court of Moscow has sentenced a police officer- who had registered a Chechen woman that later took part in the Nord-Ost hostage crisis on Oct. 23, 2002 - to a seven-year imprisonment term. He was found guilty of fraud, bribe taking and abuse of official power for registering the woman in an apartment in Moscow. The Nord Ost crisis, which lasted for three day, came to...