New candidates nominated for War Prize

The nomination of candidates for the War Prize continues. The Institute for Social Development of Timur Aliyev announced the War Prize action on March 22. It is to end with the presentation of an original "anti-prize" to a politician or a public figure who has made "the greatest contribution" to the process of starting and developing the war in Chechnya (1994-2004). Several human rights and antiwar organizations and movements have supported the action, the Andrey Sakharov Museum and Public Center, websites of public and human rights organizations, and the Caucasian Knot information agency being among them. A number of new candidates have been nominated for the War Prize.

Kheda Saratova, a human rights activist and journalist: "As it is impossible to give the prize personally to Djokhar [Dudayev], I would give it to Ruslan Khasbulatov, who brought him unfortunately. As for Russians, it will probably make no difference who will get it since any of them will be pleased with such a prize."

Leonid Trus, chairman of the Novosibirsk branch of the Memorial Society: "In my opinion, Pavel Grachev is the one who deserves a special prize as he persuaded Eltsin that it was possible to settle the Chechen problem by force, by actions of a single paratrooper regiment. Of course, he is not the only one guilty of the Chechen tragedy, but there are not enough prizes for everybody."

Albert Voskanian, director for the Center of Civil Initiatives, Nagorny Karabakh: "It is difficult for me to nominate somebody. I think it is difficult to name one man in the Chechen war (Putin, Leontiev, Kadyrov, or somebody else). You see, if there is no Putin, Leontiev, or Kadyrov, there will be new Putins, Leontievs, and Kadyrovs. They are not to blame, the system that gives birth to such people, gives birth to such an attitude towards the peoples who want to live independently and at the same time to have good-neighbor relations with the others is to blame. After all, such a policy towards the Caucasians, and particularly towards the Chechens, has existed since the times of tsars."

Editors note: See also the article "War Prize competition continues".