Chechnya: non- exonerated community

By Timur Utsayev, exclusively to VK
The ancestors of the Vainakh people used to say that you should look into the past before searching for answers in the future. When Chechens bring up the tragic events they have had to live through, they always say that God never sends calamities without positive sides, that they should come to the correct conclusions and prevent future mistakes.



On May10 Chechnya marked the National Day of Memory and Grief. Last year the Chechen government united all the tragic dates of Chechen history (because many of them coincided with Russian national festivals) and moved them to this date. From now on May 10 is the day when Chechens commemorate the events of Stalin's deportation, the victims of the two wars, the death of the first President of the republic and many other tragic events. Chechen public organizations suggested that this day would not only be a day of memory, but a day of repentance, and called for the victims of deportation and counter-terrorist operations to be rehabilitated.



For example, human rights activist Madina Magomadova says that the federal law on rehabilitation of political convicts doesn’t help the repressed Chechens and their descendants to get justice. ‘It is offensive when they offer 10,000 rubles as compensation for the moral and physical damage these people had to live through. Proper bodies should address the Russian Constitutional Court and demand this law to be changed.’



When Putin visited Grozny in 2005, he admitted that the deportation was a crime, but, as the head of the republican parliament Abdullah Istambulov said, no one bothered to promote this statement.



The compensation sum can be changed only when the federal law is changed. The Chechen parliament has proposed it three times, but their proposals were dismissed. Grozny also calls on Moscow to pay compensation to the innocent victims of the counter-terrorist operations. A lot of victims of these operations had to address the European Court for Human Rights to ask for compensation, as there was no opportunity to do so in Russia.



Another unresolved issue is the payment of compensation for apartments destroyed during the counter-terrorist operations. The sum stated by the Supreme Court – 350,000 – is by no means full compensation. Russia still pays the full sum – but only after personal suits. However, the state doesn’t pay compensation for perished possessions at all.



Of course the Chechens recognize the great contribution of Moscow to the restoration of their republic, and they believe that with time they will make their republic flourish so that they will be able to help others instead of needing federal help.
Source http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/society/26985.html