Astrid Essed: EU criticism on Russian hostage crisis

Dear Editor
I've learnt with great astonishment from the displayed indignation of the Russian government about the recently reviewed passage in the EU-statement in which an expalantion was asked about the ending of the hostage-drama in the school in Beslan by a Russian military action by which occasion  more then 300 persons were killed.

Not only the Russian government is judicially and morally obliged to start an independent inquiry after the real or alleged responsibility of the Russian security-forces, moreover this is from the utmost importance regarding the fact that in former hostage-actions Russian security troops made themselves guilty of taking irresponsible risks with the lives of the hostages as well of the committing of extrajudicial executions against the hostage-takers.

Further it is characterizing for the EU policy to ventilate relevant criticism regarding the above named serious incidents as the ending of the hostage-drama, but to abstain from fundamental criticism regarding the Russian political-military conduct in republics like Chechnya where continuing serious Russian human rights violations cq war-crimes against the civilian population for an important  part have led to very condemnable terrorist attacks like the recently committed hostage-drama in Beslan.

Therefore it is of the greatest importance, that the EU uses political pressure-means to persuade the Russian government to maintain the universally accepted human  rights rules in this.

Astrid Essed
Amsterdam the Netherlands