Voice of Beslan

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Beslan woman holding a photo of her granddaughter, a victim of the hostage crisis

Voice of Beslan is a splinter group from Mothers of Beslan support group of parents of children who were among the more than 365 victims of the 2004 North Ossetian Beslan school hostage crisis. The group is chaired by Ella Kesayeva.

[edit] Activities

Voice of Beslan was created in the aftermath of the hostage crisis as a response to what they see as the incompetence and excessive force used by the security services while trying to rescue the hostages, especially with regard to the alleged firing from tanks and flame throwers at the school when there were still live hostages inside.

Voice of Beslan have demanded an international investigation of the Beslan terrorist attack and 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 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour.