It is hard to switch from moral commitment to political analysis. At least a European institution has expressed and implemented a moral judgement.ĥEmma Gilligan should have kept to her moral stance. Fortunately, the European Court of Human Rights’ multiplying verdicts on Chechen cases against the Russian state compensate for the European moral humiliation. PACE’s further relevance can thus now be questioned. Symbolically, this would have been a strong gesture. It could have shown itself to respect its own values by not having restored Russia’s voting rights too quickly in 2001. However, as the sole pan-European structure more morally-oriented than politically-determined, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s (PACE) dismissive attitude is unforgivable. Let’s put aside the UN Commission on Human Rights that had already shown its extensive weaknesses in other cases, and the OSCE, which at a minimum could be considered a political actor owing to its political strategies. It is hard to say whether the UN Commission on Human Rights, The Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have neglected the issue only out of fear of Russia or, through simple disinterest in such a small disappearing nation. Who has talked about the 40,000 Chechen children, left as amputees or dead during the years of war? Once again, it also fits very well with the overall committed militant tone of the book.ĤShe could not then avoid also targeting the international community (Chapter 7) whose cowardice on the Chechen issue has reached extraordinary levels. To some extent, it does indeed make sense. Interestingly, she even quotes a Russian victim, expressing her hate for the Chechens whilst understanding them. For her, those operations are only a response to the Russian behaviours previously detailed. However, her chosen title for Chapter 5 – “Chechen Retaliation” – clearly indicates a biased assessment. She tries to be balanced and to draw attention also to their horrific actions, such as the hostage takings in Buddennovsk and Kizliar (1995), in the Dubrovka Theatre (2002) and at the Beslan School (2004) with threats of suicide bombings.
But, no worries: tragically in Chechnya, those single cases can be generalized.ģEmma Gilligan is fully aware of the abuses committed by the other side, the rebels quite rapidly turning into “terrorists” at some point. Her narrative approach, focusing upon a few victims’ testimonies, makes the inhumane torments of the Chechen population more real and proves to be quite disturbing for the reader. The synonym of “terror” would not have been sufficient to illustrate the random bombings of cities (Chapter 1) or fleeing refugees (Chapter 4), the sweep operations (best known as Zachistka in Russian, Chapter 2), the disappearances and night-time abductions during the first years (Chapter 3). It is likely anyway that by sticking only to a broad explanation, she would have been short of words. Gilligan’s book adds visibility and authority to the account of the crimes, going beyond however the temptation of a general description. For a decade, thanks to the work of several committed Chechen-Russian human rights organizations, such as Memorial, the Society of Russo-Chechen Friendship or Echo of War, whose daily and constant reports of horrors have been relayed to the outside world by leading Western Non-Governmental Organizations, facts-based, exhaustive and reliable information has spread about the closed Chechen warzone. That’s important.ĢNo one today really doubts the pains suffered by the Chechen population resulting from the monstrosity of the Russian counterinsurgency tactics. As unscientific as it may appear, it proves in reality to be fair and needed. It is more about the author’s commitment itself. It is not about disclosing hidden truths any informed person would have heard about the horrors and abuses in Chechnya. She explicitly points out who are the bad guys in those sad stories. In an unambiguous fashion and with strength, accuracy and application, the author lays out the abominable responsibilities of the Russian state, its military and police forces, as well as of its Chechen auxiliaries, in the mass and horrific crimes which awfully stamp the first, but mainly the second, Chechen wars. That is the clear and courageous stance of Emma Gilligan’s Terror in Chechnya.
To some extent, it cannot be any other way. When it comes to the issue of Chechnya, particularly to the two atrocious successive wars occurring respectively from 1994 to 1996 and from 1999 to an unknown end, the expression of a moral judgement can hardly be avoided. 1Even in academic works, moral positioning is sometimes strongly required.
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