Posted on 12/20/2011 11:03:13 AM PST by struwwelpeter
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 operation be brought to justice. The security forces at the time released a poisonous gas into the auditorium where the audience and actors of the musical ‘Nord-Ost’ were being held hostage. Information about the gas is still a secret. The plaintiffs believe that the use of this gas killed and injured not only the terrorists, but a large number of hostages as well.
They also state that the government was unable to organize necessary medical assistance to the victims. There were no measures taken to block off traffic so that ambulances could quickly reach the hospitals, and physicians at the hospitals simply had no idea how to treat people poisoned by an unknown gas. In their lawsuits, they also pointed out that there was no effective investigation into the incident.
As it has now become known, Strasbourg found for the victims. The court decided that the Russian authorities had violated fundamental provisions of the Convention on Human Rights, and agreed with almost all the plaintiffs’ demands. Tatiana Karpova, head of the ‘Nord-Ost’ public movement and one of the applicants, called the decision long awaited, and just. At the same time she expressed regret that the truth can only be achieved in the West.
Karpova: “We’ve been waiting for this decision by the European Court for eight and a half years. We’ve been through all the Russian courts, where our treatment was a total outrage. The courts merely acted on behalf of the government, which at that time was headed by Mr. Putin. We didn’t even have the right in these courts to call witnesses, we weren’t listened to, and in the city courts they merely scoffed at us. We’re infinitely joyful and happy that we won today, because someday the people need to be told the truth. Their statement, that everything was done to save the hostages, didn’t satisfy us. Nothing was done, it was all a mess and people could’ve been saved. They could’ve been saved professionally.”
Karina Moskalenko, the attorney representing the interests of victims, spoke on the importance of today’s decision. According to Moskalenko, the Russian authorities are now required to conduct a new investigation, and identify those responsible for the fact that 130 died following the storming of Dubrovka.
Moskalenko: “The Russian authorities have no choice but to open a criminal case on the actions, the planning and implementation of this operation, to find out where they acted improperly, and who didn’t organize proper assistance. There are a lot of questions. An objective investigation should be carried out on all these issues, since there never was such before, and these materials should be transferred to the court.”
Moskalenko added that, according to the European Court, Russia would have to pay all the applicants compensation of 8,000 to 60,000 euros. The money, however, was not important in this issue - the primary task was to find out what really happened at ‘Nord-Ost’, and who should be punished for it.
Good luck with that.
I’m sorry....all things considered, the Russians handled the situation fairly well.
I remember at the time thinking the death-toll was going to be “everyone”. But, if I recall correctly, it was 160 or so.
The Chechnyan terrorists were rigging the place (and themselves) with explosives while the Russians attempted to talk/negotiate. I think it’s clear that negotiations weren’t in the cards when the terrorists took over.,
I thought the security forces used an anesthetic gas, but failed to provide for the antidotes to the overdoses.
However, it was hella-cool that the Russians walked up to the unconscious terrorists, who were wearing explosive vests, and put rounds in their heads while they slept. We could never do that.
The European Court of Human Rights upholds complaint by victims of Dubrovka terrorist attack
The European Court of Human Rights issued a positive decision on a complaint by the victims of the terrorist attack on the theatrical center on Dubrovka in Moscow, which took place in 2002. The court found that the Russian authorities violated their rights to life and a fair trial, and ordered Russia to pay the victims compensation of more than one million euros.
More than sixty of the victims had turned to the Strasbourg court. They were desperate to be heard by the Russian courts, to which they first turned with complaints shortly after the terrorist attack.
On October 23rd, 2002, during a performance of the musical ‘Nord-Ost’, terrorists took 912 people hostage and held them for three days. The rescue of the hostages turned into a new tragedy - an assault using a special gas, the composition of which is still a secret, ended with the deaths of 130 people.
20.12.2011 13:29
Radio Liberty
http://www.svobodanews.ru/archive/ru_news_zone/20111220/17/17.html?id=24427707&mid=55
I remember when that happened I was thinking there was just about nothing the Russians could do that would not result in huge casualties.
In hindsight they probably could have done things better but that is nearly always the case.
There was concern that the terrorists had outside spotters. Any attempts to prepare for the gassing and assault may have been compromised as soon as the ambulances started queuing up outside the theater. Just a thought.
The Russian authorities were trying to save the lives of as many hostages as possible. A tragedy that 160 of them perished.
Maybe the European court should now issue a judgement on the Chechen savages who perpetrated this horror on unarmed civilians though they ultimately were thwarted in their evil plot.
Lest we forget, the abortive Dubrovka atrocity was followed by the slaughter of innocent children in Beslan just two years later, by the same Chechen murderers under the same leader (now dead, thanks to the Russian police).
Perhaps some things immediately after the assault could have been handled better, but it's easy to second guess when you have years to whine and complain and pick at every detail, something the planners did not have. The results as is were near miraculous.
This is the standard internationalist crapola, and the Russians should thumb their noses at it.
FSB RF: DURING THE HOSTAGE RESCUE OPERATION IN THE TEATRICAL CENTER THE TERRORISTS PUT UP FIERCE ARMED RESISTANCE
During the hostage rescue operation in the theatrical center on Melnikov Street, the terrorists put up a fierce armed resistance, wounding and causing blast injuries to several security service commandos. Spokesmen from the ‘Alfa’ and ‘Vympel’ directorates of the FSB Special Forces Center participating in the operation gave this report to journalists.
According to them, many of the bandit hostage takers “were still fully conscious, so we had to work accurately and we hadn’t have much time, so that’s how the groups worked.”
The security forces representatives reported that entrance into the theatrical center building was carried out in two directions.
Almost immediately after entering the building, the security forces “were met with armed resistance from assault rifles,” said the spokesman for the ‘A’ directorate.
“One of the terrorists was destroyed by gunfire in the corridor, and, when they entered the room, where two days ago Barayev and his associates gave an interview, they were met by automatic weapons fire from inside,” said the ‘Alfa’ representative. The militants were destroyed with counter fire and grenades.
The entry of the special units directly into the auditorium, where the hostages were located, was from the direction of the stage and through the main entrance, reported the spokesman from the ‘V’ directorate.
According to him, the bandits that were set up on the stage opened fire on the security forces, but were destroyed by automatic weapons fire in response.
Near the entrance to the auditorium, the commandos killed a terrorist woman who tried to take a shot and even throw a grenade. “In one hand she had a gun, and in the other a grenade with the pin already removed, but she never managed to open her hand” and was shot, said the ‘V’ directorate representative.
As a result of combat with the bandits, who were “well prepared”, several members of the special units “were wounded and received shell shock,” the journalists’ source emphasized.
In evaluating the actions of the special units during this operation, representatives of the FSB Special Forces Center declared: “the groups worked with great professionalism, though not without a bit of luck.”
In Lenta.ru, October 27th, 2002
http://lenta.ru/terror/2002/10/27/storm/
Exactly. An anesthetic gas used in this situation caused that many deaths because people were exhausted being held hostages under stress for days without food and water.
You can’t blame CT teams for that, just like for Beslan school massacre.
Terrorists were about to kill everyone rigging the place with explosives, they had spotters outside including a muslim mole within a police ranks, they were scanning an emergency radio traffic etc.
Considering all of the above any other force couldn’t do better.
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