About forty activists participated in the action, including the victims of the militia arbitrary rule in the republic, representatives of the Bashkirian opposition and retired officers of the Bashkirian interior.

Deputy Chairman of the Moscow branch of the YABLOKO party Sergei Mitrokhin, human rights activist from Bashkiria Ildar Isangulov, member of the Human Rights Commission under the President of the RF Valery Borschov, Co-Chairman of the Movement “For Human Rights” Lev Ponomaryov, as well as some other human rights activists and representatives of the Bashkirian opposition made speeches at the meeting.

In his speech at the meeting Sergei Mitrokhin said, “Why, have all the authorities, the President can not suspend from office an open criminal? Putin must demonstrate the force he enjoys and restore justice in Bashkiria!”

Deputy Head of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO and organiser of the action Alexei Navalny said, “We are determined to make the authorities send the head of Bashkirian interior Rafael Divayev to dismissal! If President Putin is not ready to do this, then all his words about strengthening the interior are simply words.”

Journalists were demonstrated correspondence between Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Bashkiria Alexander Shabrin with Deputy General-in-Chief of the armed forces of Ichkeria Shamil Basayev.

In addition a letter of a top rank official of the Bashkirian interior ministry was circulated during the meeting. This letter provided evidence on unlawful shipments of weapons and armament from the areas of military actions in Chechnya to Bashkortastan under the cover of Divayev.

The slogans of the action were “Divayev to dismissal!” “Fascists out from the Bashkirian interior!”, “Who will stop the bloody business of Divayev?”

See also:

Human Rights

Press Service, September 14, 2004