The hunger strikers main demand is the cessation of military action and the commencement of negotiations with President Maskhadov. Furthermore, they demand the ending of the "cleansing" operations, unlawful detentions and disappearances.
The hunger-strike is taking place against a background of refugees under extreme psychological stress. This applies to those living in camps and those in the private sector in Ingushetia. On the one hand, people want to return home as soon as possible. On the other hand, this isn't considered an option whilst peaceful citizens continue to be killed in Chechnya. The main fear of the refugees are the plans of the Russian federal authorities and the Government of Chechnya which call for all Chechens to return home as soon as possible.
The group of refugees began their hunger-strike on the evening of June 14th. By this date, one refugee, Makhmud Abdulshaidov, had been on hunger-strike for 18 days. However, this had not received widespread attention. More and more people began to join the hunger-strike and after 21st June it began to take massive proportions. On 24th June there were 232 hunger strikers including 3 young girls.
On the evening of 24th June a rally was held with the participation of the voluntary organizations "The Society of Russo-Chechen friendship", "Sintr", the Chechen Committee of National Salvation (CCNS) and also imams from mosques at the "Sputnik" and "Satsita" camps. The same demands were expressed at the rally that were put forward by the hunger strikers. At the same time, the representatives of the voluntary organizations and the clergy appealed to the protesters to end their strike. Their main concern was to appeal to the children to end their hunger-strike since it contradicts Islamic precepts.
On 25th June 200 people agreed to end the hunger-strike. 33 people remain on strike (another person went on hunger-strike on the same day). Saddest of all is that the 3 girls are amongst the remaining strikers. Today Ruslan Badalov, the chairman of CCNS, talked with the hunger strikers urging the children and their parents to end their action immediately. The condition of one of the girls is giving cause for alarm. The children were taken to hospital along with the father of one of the girls who has a tumour.
There are no doctors on duty 24 hours a day. In the evening and during the night there is no medical help to be found at all. Ruslan Badalov has asked for police protection for the hunger strikers due to fears of provocation.
25.06.2001