The Continuation of the Trail of Blood in Russian History from the Last Century Statement by Lithuanian Intellectuals February 25, 2002, Vilnius TO: Mr. Pat Cox Chairman of the European Parliament Mr. Peter Schieder President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Mr. Jaime Gama Chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The noble and beneficial actions of the ancestors are honored throughout the world. By their example, the nations teach their children to seek the truth, justice, fairness, love and empathy and to honor the path of righteousness and wisdom blazed by the self-sacrifice of humanity's noblest souls and thinkers. God has given each nation a humble place on earth and in heaven. The Russian empire took that place away from the Chechens in the last century. The Chechen nation's right to self-determination was obliterated in blood and tears in 1994 and 1999. The current Russian government's goal - to annihilate as many Chechens as possible, to drive them from their homes and from their homeland - means the bloody tide from the idea to destroy the Chechen nation in exile on February 23, 1944 continues to rise. The planned policy of terror and extermination by death squads and 100,000 Russian troops and the consequent trail of blood and suffering left in their wake can't go unnoticed from the legal standpoint. This is the blackest chapter in Russian history and in the world community's current account of its moral responsibility. In the previous war the president of Chechenia, Dzhokhar Dudayev, was assassinated. In this war, chairman of the Chechen parliament Ruslan Alikhadzhiyev was arrested and he has disappeared. History knows nothing of any document wherein Chechenia freely agrees to join the Russian empire or the Russian Federation. Russian authorities continue to accuse the entire Chechen nation of being terrorists. In place of proposed peace negotiations or an internationally arbitrated settlement, extermination operations have sadistically tortured and murdered the people for three years running. We, Lithuania's intellectuals, condemn the Russian government's war in Chechenia. We believe that you, in accordance with your international status, have a personal, historical, political and legal obligation of responsibility concerning the obvious extermination of the Chechen nation and the denial of their human, political and national rights. Signed: Vytautas Kubilius, professor, habil. doctor; Zigmas Zinkevi*ius, academician; Bronius Grigelionis, academician; Algimantas Liekis, doctor; Jonas Juškaitis, poet; Giedr* *ilinskien*, doctor; Vytautas Dumšaitis, actor; Regina Tumalevi*i*t*, soloist; Irena Tumavi*i*t*, philologist; Irena Ylien*, soloist; Jonas Urvelis, soloist; Ona Voverien*, professor, hab. doctor; Algimantas Bujauskas, professor, hab. doctor; Eugenijus Ignatavi*ius, writer; Vitalijus Gruodis, journalist; Dainius *alimas, doctor; Algimantas Marcinkevi*ius, professor; Juozas Šeškevi*ius, lawyer; Augustinas Gudmonas, painter; Antanas Kudzys, academician, hab. doctor, professor; Sigitas Mar*iukaitis, professor, hab. doctor; Andrius Tumavi*ius, historian; Petras Kaltenis, professor, hab. doctor. Contact address: Vytautas Dumsaitis, Antakalnio g. 118 bt. 34, Vilnius, Lithuania