1. INTRODUCTION

This Report deals with questions, concerning the problem of people returning, who have been displaced from their permanent residence as a result of Ingush-Osetian conflict in Autumn 1992. The report describes the course of events of autumn 1992. It does not aim at naming those who are guilty of instigating this conflict, or those who committed mass crimes against people of this region. The events of autumn 1992 are described only to such an extent, that is necessary for discussing the main questions of this report.

The report does not deal with questions concerning migration of the Russian population from or into Ingushetia and North Ossetia, which is not directly connected with the events of 1992. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) «Memorial» intends to prepare a separate report, which will deal with this question.

This Report is based upon material collected by the «Memorial» Human Rights Centre representatives during trips to North Ossetia and Ingushetia in 1993, February 21-24, 1994, July 3-31, 1994, and in September 1994. The documents referred to in the Report were also collected by the HRC «Memorial» from the beginning of the conflict through to the present time.

During their trips the representatives of the HRC «Memorial» talked to the President and Vice-President of Ingushetia Republic, North Ossetia Republic (NOR) and Ingushetia Republic (IR) parliament heads, the Chairman of Ingushetia Republic Government , government members, deputies, Ministries of the Interior officials of both republics, officials of the Provisional Administration on the part of North Ossetia and Ingushetia Republic territories, public organizations' members, local administration representatives and persons, who became victims during the Ingush-Ossetian conflict and their relatives. The HRC «Memorial» has visited a number of populated areas within the Prigorodny Zone territory in North Ossetia, which suffered during the Autumn 1992 conflict and has talked to citizens both of the Ossetian and the Ingush nationality. The HRC «Memorial» members have visited a number of camps for displaced persons, as well as other places of their temporary residence.

The HRC «Memorial» would like to express its gratitude to the officials and public organization members from Ingushetia Republic and Ossetia Republic and the Provisional Administration officers on the part of North Ossetia Republic and Ingushetia Republic for their cooperation and help to our representatives.

The following people took part in the expedition of the HRC «Memorial» into the zone of the Ingush-Ossetian conflict: T.Kasatkina, D.Lozovan, S.Markelov, Y.Rachinsky, A.Tavrizov,D.Shkapov, M.Yakovlev. O.Orlov is the author of this report.

The HRC «Memorial» thanks A.B.Roginsky for taking part in the discussion of the report.