Human Rights Center "Memorial"

The Human Rights Organisation “Memorial” received the following reports from doctors at the divisional hospital of the village Stariye Atagi.

To:	The Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Chechnya The Military Commander of the Republic of Chechnya The Military Prosecutor The Human Rights Representative of the Russian Federation

STATEMENT

29^th June 2001, Stariye Atagi

We, the doctors at the divisional hospital in Stariye Atagi, Elvira Borisovna Zagalova (Obstetrician/Gynecologist), Makka Rizvanovna Tsukaeva (acting Head Doctor), Mali Alievna Khamidova (Delivery Room Obstetrician) and others not here named, wish to bring the following to your attention:

On the 29^th June 2001 at 17:00, a Federal forces unmarked armed unit burst into the hospital grounds and building. There were more than 100 men and two armoured motorbikes, two armoured carriers, four vans of the “Ural” type and four jeeps of the “UAZ” type. The number plates and the armoured vehicles were covered in mud. The soldiers spread out around and inside the hospital building and opened fire with machine-guns and high caliber bullets and other weapons, without warning or explanation. Both the inside and the outside of the recently refurbished hospital were damaged. Several doorways and partitions were destroyed and windows shattered.

The soldiers took 2 tonometers (instruments for taking measurements) and medicines to the value of 20958 rubles (US$720). A pharmaceutical counter was looted, and medicines to the value of 3500-4000 rubles (US$120-138) and a day's takings (300 rubles) were taken. The manager of the pharmaceutical counter, M. Atkaeva was emotionally traumatised. All the hospital employees and the in-patients (two maternity patients and four women with newborns) were forced out of the hospital along a corridor live with the constant shots being fired into the air and the hospital walls by the Federal Forces soldiers. In addition, the soldiers were under the influence of alcohol.

To the demands of the acting Head Doctor and the Duty Obstetrician/Gynaecologist (M.R. Tsukaeva and E. B. Zagalova) to identify themselves and explain what was going on, the Federal Forces soldiers replied with uncensored insults and threats of physical reprisals.

The armed robbery by the Federal Forces soldiers in the divisional hospital in Stariye-Atagi continued until 17:30.

The St. Petersburg special operations police (OMON) (the so-called police force of the village) who numbered 50-60 and were based in the central agricultural bureau, 100m from the hospital, made no attempt to hinder the violence of the Federal Forces soldiers. Claiming that the number plates of the raiders' vehicles were hidden by mud (or paint) they first asked the hospital employees if the last numbers of the plates had been visible. They then informed the Head of the village administration and employees of the hospital that they didn't know what soldiers robbed the hospital and where they had come from.

Over the last two weeks, this is the third 'visit' to a hospital by the Federal Forces soldiers. The first time they appeared in the hospital on the 17^th June 2001 at 15:00, they behaved themselves well enough but asked the head doctor to put his signature to a blank piece of paper. On his refusal to do so they announced that in one of the rooms of the destroyed part of the hospital, a radio-activated plastic explosive device had been found. They showed the obstetrician, Natasha Khamidova a grey piece of clay and she signed a statement to this effect.

On the 23^rd June 2001, under the pretence that rebels were shooting at their posts from the 2^nd floor of the building, soldiers of the Federal forces appeared a second time. There was restrained shooting but they tried to abduct some young pupils (both girls and boys) who were studying in the school, located on the second floor of the divisional hospital, because several of the 13 and 14 year olds didn't have documents on them.

The patients, the residents of nearby homes and the St. Petersburg special operations police stationed in Stariye Atagi can confirm this account.

We hereby request you to undertake an investigation of the described incidents and take measures to stop the soldiers from looting and harassing people.