This state of terror and impunity is hidden under Russian official propaganda that continues to victimize Chechens around the world. The tiny Chechen nation is falsely accused of being a part of Bin Laden’s terrorist network, Taliban’s oppressive regime, Saddam Hussein’s communist style dictatorship, and international crime from Asia to Europe. The fact that not a single Chechen fighter, died or alive, unlike Russian, European and American nationals, has been identified in anti-western networks in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere is conveniently overlooked.

Having ruined Chechnya and crippled its nation, Russia is now committing crimes against democracy. The 23rd March Russia’s faked referendum in Chechnya, where tens of thousands Russian occupying forces voted instead of the hundreds of thousands Chechens they had murdered, crippled and expelled, is planned to be followed by a farce of the so-called presidential elections next month, where the biggest Russian-created criminal in Chechnya, Mr. Kadyrov, will be declared the winner under the Russian imposed ‘Chechen constitution’, which does not even mention the Chechen people. The world has never seen such a mockery of democracy and such a travesty of free will.

President Bush will be hosting Russian President Putin this weekend. We urge President Bush to tell President Putin to withdraw his genocidal troops from Chechnya, accept an international involvement, and start a genuine political dialog with the freely elected Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov. The Chechen government has proposed a peace formula that calls for an interim international administration to build a genuine democracy and the rule of law in Chechnya. This formula meets both the legitimate aspirations of the Chechen people and Russia’s genuine security interests. This formula is in the best interests of both the Chechen and the Russian peoples. We therefore urge President Bush, who has repeatedly vowed to fight for freedom and democracy around the world, to commit the United States of America to resolving the genocidal conflict by bringing Chechnya under an interim international administration.

Signed

Ilyas Akhmadov
Foreign Minister