22:19, 15 April 2020

"Mothers of Beslan" opposes holiday on day of remembrance of terror act victims

Relative of one of those perished in the terror attack on Beslan school in 2004. Phot by Alan Tskhurbayev for the Caucasian Knot

It is unacceptable to combine the Day of the End of World War II with the Day of Solidarity in the Fight against Terrorism, states the "Mothers of Beslan" Committee.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2005, in Russia, the day of September 3 became the Day of Solidarity in the Fight against Terrorism. The memorial date was established in connection with the tragic events in Beslan on September 1-3, 2004. Various mourning events are held on September 3.

On September 1, 2004, militants took 1128 hostages and kept them in the gym of School No. 1 in the town of Beslan in North Ossetia. In total, 334 of them, including 186 children, perished, other 810 persons were injured.

On April 14, the State Duma adopted a new bill in the third and final reading. Instead of the memorial date of "September 2 – The Day of the End of World War II (1945)", the bill sets up the day of military glory of Russia to be entitled "September 3 – The Day of the End of World War II (1945)", reports the website of the State Duma.

The "Mothers of Beslan" Committee is shocked by the Russian State Duma's decision, states Aneta Gadieva, the NGO's co-chair. "Our attitude to the new bill is negative. The Day of Solidarity in the Fight against Terrorism had been officially adopted earlier. And now, should it mean that the memory will be overlapped with the holiday? <...> They said that the terror act in Beslan was a tragedy of the whole country ... So, did they forget the tragedy?" said Aneta Gadieva as quoted by the "Govorit Moskva" on April 14.

Aneta Gadieva emphasizes that the "Mothers of Beslan" Committee will appeal to the federal and local authorities to annul the decision of the Russian State Duma.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 15, 2020 at 04:46 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.