Voice of Beslan

Voice of Beslan (Russian: Голос Беслана) is a grassroots non-governmental organization created in the aftermath of the 2004 North Ossetian Beslan school siege, as a splinter group of more radical members of the Mothers of Beslan support and advocacy group of parents of children who were among the victims.

The group was created in response to what they see as the incompetence and excessive force used by the security services, especially with regard to the firing from tanks and flame throwers at the school. Voice of Beslan is chaired by sisters Ella Kesayeva and Emma Tagayeva.

Voice of Beslan have demanded an international investigation of the Beslan terrorist attack and in November 2005 called on the European Union and the European Parliament to help establish one, as well as on the United States leadership to publish satellite photographs of the school made during the siege. They have also asked private journalists with have any material on the attack to present them for an investigation.

Between February 9 and February 19, 2006, six members of Voice of Beslan held a 10-day hunger strike to draw attention to their claims that authorities were covering up the truth about the Beslan attack. On February 22, 2006, members of Voice of Beslan met with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour.

In 2007 members of the group erected a sign pointing at the ruins of the Beslan school reading "Putin's course". Same year, the Supreme Court of North Ossetia had obliged the court of the city of Beslan to consider the claim of the Voice of Beslan on appointing pensions to parents of the children who perished in the siege.

...
Wikipedia