¹211 1st November 2000

SUPREME SHARIA FIELD COURT

Open letter from the jury of the Supreme Sharia Field Court

Today, an inhumane and cruel war is, once again, being conducted on our long-suffering territory. Insidious Russian policy has always focused and continues to focus, at any price, on poisoning us, Chechens, against one another and they have tried everything to achieve this. Every time we have applied our wisdom and our traditional sense of endurance, the Kremlin's plans have been foiled and fluttered to the wind. However, many of us have been cheated or have been bought out with bribes from the members of the KGB and trod the path of open treachery.

In reality, Moscow hasn't yet finished with our territory, which is already stained with the blood of tens of thousands of our dignified sons. And here, once again, the stupidity and the lack of substance of the temporary administration become clear. Many are, however, now beginning to see the situation clearly and understand what is going on. Today, we are convinced that the only reason Russian occupational forces are still here is due to our national traitors.

We have been patient for a long time and have appealed to our people to support us. Remember, you who have supported the occupying powers for many decades, even your ancestors couldn't look us in the face.

This letter is primarily addressed to the so-called heads of the village administration. Our patience has run out and we believe that it is our duty to warn you so that you will know that the punishment we give you will be implemented lawfully by elected representatives of the agencies of power under the supervision of the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeriya, A Mashkhadov.

We would advise you to immediately leave your posts under any pretext, for which you have until 15^th November 2000. If you do not, by the time this period expires, you will all be regarded as enemies of the people, of Chechen statehood and therefore as collaborators with the Federal Security Service. Evidently, the Supreme Sharia Field Court will pass verdicts if this demand is not met, the implementation of which will be the responsibility of all field commanders of all federal troops mobilised in this conflict. Think carefully about this letter. It is better to come to your senses late than not at all.