10:40, 2 June 2015

"Mothers of Beslan" ask to expand the list of hostages of 2004 terror act

The "Tree of Grief" in the memorial cemetary located in the City of Angels. Photo by Emma Marzoeva for the "Caucasian Knot"

The members of the committee "Mothers of Beslan" have addressed Valentina Matvienko, the head of the Russia's Federation Council, asking to add 66 children to the list of victims of the 2004 terror act and provide them with the due social benefits.

On September 1, 2004, militants took 1128 hostages at Beslan School. The rescue operation ended on September 3, 2004. The storming killed 334 people, 186 of whom were children.

The members of the "Mothers of Beslan" met Valentina Matvienko on June 1, when she visited North Ossetia.

Susanna Dudieva, the Chair of the "Mothers of Beslan" Committee, asked Matvienko to add over 60 children to the list of victims.

"66 children remain, who were in the pre-school age; four of them were born after the terror act; their mothers were pregnant... Why do we need to apply to the Strasbourg Court, to a foreign country for justice? We believe that you, a woman, will understand us better than men," said Dudieva.

Matvienko promised to consider the appeal, stressing that the Russian government will continue supporting the victims. The children, who suffered from the terror act in Beslan, have privileges in education at Russia's institutions, the "Interfax-South" reports.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.