Terrorists Have Killed One Hostage - 24 October, 2002 - News

A dead body was taken out of the music theatre

A dead body of one hostage, reportedly a woman, was taken out of the building of the Moscow music theater at about 5:15 MSK. The body was covered with a blanket. A correspondent of MK Novosti reported that the body was handed over to doctors. The dead woman was reportedly 20-25 years of age. She allegedly died yesterday after being shot while trying to use her mobile phone. It is known that there are two Jordanian doctors among the hostages.

A top official of the Central Internal Affairs Department of the Moscow region confirmed the fact of a hostage’s murder. However, the terrorists earlier claimed that no one had been killed. One of the terrorists told Echo of Moscow radio station that the hostage-takers had not caused any harm to any hostages. The terrorist introduced himself as Khasmamat, a member of the suicidal gang. “If Akhmad Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen administration, has the courage to enter the hall, then it will be possible to release 50 hostages. He is not worth a human finger, though,” said Khasmamat. He also rejected the information that all the hostages were not allowed to use bathrooms or their cell phones: “This is nonsense. I do not even want to comment on that,” said the terrorist.

Khasmamat repeated the terrorists’ requirements. They demand an immediate cease fire in the republic of Chechnya. The terrorists also want to start negotiations and Russia to withdraw troops from Chechnya. They said that a week was a enough to withdraw all troops. Answering a question pertaining to hostages’ further fate, Khasmamat said: “You should not bring everything to the hostages in the hall of the music theatre. There are other hostages on the territory of Chechnya, but no one thinks about them. Three thousand children under ten years of age have been killed in Chechnya during the two wars. Thirteen thousand people are missing, about four thousand children have been disabled, and 250 thousand people have been murdered. Let Putin think it over how he is going to withdraw Russian troops from Chechnya.” According to Khasmamat, negotiations between the federal authorities and the Chechens can be conducted only with the Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov.

NTV photograph

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov