Media Alert

For Immediate Release

Assassination Attempt on Aslan Maskhadov
Chechen president escapes 10^th attempt on his life

(WASHINGTON, DC – 01/17/00)  –  At 10:30 pm EST January 16, 2000, Mr. Anzour Aslan Maskhadov, son of the President of Chechnya, was able to contact ISCA offices via telephone from a secure location. He informed ISCA Chairman, Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, that an assassination attempt had been made on his father four days ago in the mountains outside of Grozny. During the attempt, several people were killed and many were wounded, but his father escaped without harm. Mr. Anzour Aslan Maskhadov requested that the council follow up on this matter with appropriate representatives of the international community to investigate this assassination attempt and determine who is responsible.

On behalf of his father, Mr. Maskhadov asked for all possible action to prevent further bloodshed in Chechnya, particularly to stop the devastation that affects civilians and is a travesty of human rights. He also called for humanitarian aid in the form of shelter, food, clothing and medicine. Mr. Anzour Aslan Maskhadov encourages the Chechen Foreign Minister Ilyas Akhmadov, in his current visit to Western countries, to continue to clarify the Chechen situation and to explain how important its resolution is to the whole Caucasus region. Mr. Anzour recalls for the public record that President Aslan Maskhadov is the democratically elected leader of the Republic of Chechnya, elected as a part of the peace agreement between the leadership of Chechnya and President Yeltsin in 1996.  The OSCE observed a high turn out in these fair and open elections, and recognized Maskhadov as the legitimate and democratic leader of the Russian republic.   

ISCA calls upon all parties concerned to end the fighting in Chechnya and to seek a diplomatic solution without delay. ISCA also calls upon the US State dept and the international community to immediately dispatch assistance to refugees of the war in Ingushetia and other areas. ISCA reminds the public that there are over 250,000 refugees as a result of the current crisis. We call on the International Red Cross/Red Crescent, international NGO’s and government bodies to do whatever is in their power to relieve the suffering and difficulties of the refugees.

For more information on ISCA’s efforts to end the war in Chechnya, please visit our Web site at http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.org.  
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