Statement by the YABLOKO party, 03.09.2016

A terrorist attack taking the lives of 334 people, including 186 children, happened in Belsan, [North Ossetia], twelve year ago. We express our deepest sorrow and condolences to all the relatives and friends of the innocent victims. Terrorism and terrorists taking the lives of innocent people can not be justified. No political goals can be reached via terror. For three days, the country was frozen in pain watching what was happening in the Beslan school, and heard a lot of lies.

The results of an independent confirm that most of the hostages were fatally injured in the battle of FSB special forces with the terrorists. The official investigation and the parliamentary commission have not been able to name those responsible for the failure of the rescue operation, the lies about the circumstances of capture of the school and the number of hostages, the disastrous storming school with flame guns and tank shells. No one answered the questions of the Beslan mothers.

The endless investigation has been classified as secret.

Twelve years later, we still have not learned the truth. We have not learned it, because the truth is terrible and uncomfortable. However, this does not remove the responsibility from those who were unable to provide security in Beslan and did not use all the possibilities for negotiations in order to save lives of the hostages.

The society has not forgotten about Beslan. We have not forgotten how the state abandoned defenseless children and mothers. While the memory still lingers on, all those guilty of the deaths will not escape punishment sooner or later.

It is our duty is to continue seeking the truth.

Emilia Slabunova,

Chairperson, YABLOKO

Grigory Yavlinsky,

Chairman of the Federal Political Committee, YABLOKO