By Galina Mursalieva

In Novaya Gazeta

DR. ROSHAL: We have not even begun to heal the human tragedies in Russia

“There’s a bottom rung being put on the social ladder.  That’s the impression that I’m getting.  They tell me that there’s no bottom rung, that it’s simply the marketplace, another country, different conditions, and that everything’s different now.  But I’d like to know how it’s different?  I was, by the way, chairman of the coordinating medical council for the ‘White House’ (Russian parliament building) defenders in 1991, I could’ve died, as could everyone there.  Who knew how it would all turn out back then?  And I should know: what was it I could’ve died for?  Later it all turned out so monstrous, just take a look at our industry, at agriculture, at public health…”

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EMINENT JURISTS PANEL

The Eminent Jurists Panel on Terrorism, Counter-terrorism and Human Rights begins a public hearing in Moscow today. Three members of the Panel, Ms. Mary Robinson, Ms. Hina Jilani and Professor Stefan Trechsel, are in Moscow to examine how Russian law, policy and practice have developed in response to the threat of terrorism.

The Russia hearing is part of a global inquiry by the Eminent Jurists Panel, exploring the impact of terrorism and the fight against terrorism on human rights and the rule of law. The hearing is the tenth in a series of hearings held around the world by the Panel, a high-level and independent group appointed by ICJ in October 2005. The Panel will issue a global report on terrorism, counter-terrorism and human rights in autumn 2007.

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By Nataliya Pulina, Moscow

These days many Russians remember ‘Nord-Ost’

For now there is no information about a terrorist attack being prepared against Russia, but there is an unavoidable impression that one is imminent. It all began Friday afternoon when the evening editions of the electronic mass media reported an appeal by the federal operational headquarters of the National Anti-terrorism Committee (NAK), asking for all citizens to be alert. The next day the atmosphere in the large cities of the nation was frightening, while the populace relived the fears of ‘Nord-Ost’ and the apartment blasts on the Kashirsk highway.

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By Sergey Buntman

Radio Echo of Moscow, on the program “We’re looking for the exit”

SERGEY BUNTMAN: Good evening, this is Sergey Buntman on the microphone and today “we’re looking for the exit”. How and in what way can one negotiate with terrorists and with terrorist organizations that take hostages? Our reason for discussing this is the possible agreement on exchanging the Israeli corporal, Gelad Shalit, for 450 Palestinian prisoners. This is an absolute trade – they are paying with these prisoners through middlemen from Egypt, and there’s a chance that in six months Gelad Shalit will be returned. Today we’re going to discuss, of course, much more than just the Israeli situation, and our guests are Anatoly Yermolin, Member of Parliament and former chief of a combat operational unit of ‘Vimpel’. (Trans note: ‘Vimpel’ and ‘Alfa’ are FSB’s special weapons units similar to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team.)

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The Moscow Theatre Siege — transcript

NARRATOR (JACK FORTUNE): A year ago in Moscow terrorists took a thousand people hostage and threatened to kill them. The Russians problem was how to get them out, alive.

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By Andrey Romanov

In ‘Noviy Region’

Victims of the terror attacks on the theatrical center at Dubrovka, Beslan, and the Moscow-Volga airline crash intend to travel to 30 regions in Russia in order to meet with the public. Representatives of the ‘Nord-Ost’ public organization for cooperative defense of victims of terror acts declared today at a press conference in Moscow that the aim of this action is to draw the public’s and the authorities’ attention to cases regarding these terror acts.

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