04 July 2008, 14:51
"Voice of Beslan" sends the bill "On Social Defence of Terror Act Victims' Rights" to Russian President
The All-Russian Public Organization "Voice of Beslan" has finished collecting signatures in support of the bill named "On Social Defence of Terror Act Victims' Rights"; they managed to gather over 1600 signatures. Then, the "Voice of Beslan" sent the document together with the accompanying letter to President of the Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev, Parliament of North Ossetia and deputies of the State Duma.
The accompanying letter to President Dmitri Medvedev runs that "currently, Russia lacks a law that sets up the status of a terror act victim and is intended to socially defend such victims."
In the opinion of the authors of the bill, "Russia lags behind the majority of civilized countries, where such victims are legislatively protected by the state."
"As of today, the Beslan victims, like victims of other terror acts all over Russia, are in fact deprived any state support and are dependent on arbitrariness of bureaucrats. We are rejected rehabilitation, sanatorium vouchers, medicines, pensions, free-of-charge travels to treatment and educational facilities, or compensation of moral damage for the sufferings caused. Certain scanty assistance is distributed by bureaucrats at their own discretion within a narrow circle of victims from among relatives and friends," the authors of the letter assert.
The bill "On Social Defence of Terror Act Victims' Rights" elaborated by the All-Russian Public Organization "Voice of Beslan" and the Volgodonsk-based public organization of terror act victims comprises 19 articles.
Author: Emma Marzoyeva, CK correspondent