Documented Evidence

Taking into account the proverb: "Actions speak louder than words", dedicated and enthusiastic Circassians who were devoted to extend the blessed efforts for the very existence, survival and savior of their Circassian nation with dignity, respect and pride,
had decided after almost a stillness of 140 years from the time of the end of the “Russian-Caucasian War” to sincerely tackle the “Circassian Question” and to deal with its impact, in order to resolve all the consequences and results of the disastrous and devastating status that the Circassian nation was treacherously and dangerously pushed to reach and to be cornered in a genuine gravely inevitable dissipation and extinction that was not inevitable, while they were planned and implemented by those who invaded and occupied Circassia after series of wars that the last, but harshest and toughest of all had lasted for 101 years.

Because Knowledge is power, as the truth one day will prevail, sincere Circassians had set up a plan to gather all possible and necessary information and documents from the Russian achieves that contained the original “Russian-Caucasus War” documentation that would show, verify, and provide evidence beyond any reasonable doubt that their nation’s justified and defensible case of proving all maltreatment acts during the savage war and all criminal performance that was committed against anything whether it was alive or not for the purpose of seizing the land and emptying/killing the Circassian inhabitants.

For the purpose of moving ahead, and progressing for their objective, they had established correspondence with the Russian “State Duma”, the Russian President office and eventually the European Parliament. Documents that the Circassians had collected, were handed over as attachment with the letter that was submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation on July 1st, 2005, concerning the recognition of the genocide against the Adygeyan (Circassian) people during and after the Russian-Caucasian War, and to the President of the Russian Federation with request to solve the Circassian Question, which the Circassian public organizations had addressed two of such letters to the Russian president’s office. First time was in the first of July, 2005, which there wasn’t any response. The repeated letter to the President of Russia was sent in 17, November, 2006, which was signed by 6 Circassian public organizations. The letters were signed beside the Circassian Congress by the public organizations of Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Circassia, Adygeya, Black sea Shapsugia, and the Circassian Diaspora organizations, from Belgium, Canada, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and USA.

The “State Duma” and the office of the Russian President as well had indicated and reflected negative reactions as was described in a way that they don’t consider that the Circassians’ treatment reached the degree of a genocide, which they seemingly thought that this sort of reply would end up the matter; but that negative response did not avert the efforts of seeking justice.

A letter was sent to the European Parliament in 11, October, 2006, which was received by the office of the President at the time, of the European parliament Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles, and was accompanied with a CD (Compact Disc) which included copies of the documents mentioned, the letter was signed by 20 Adygeyan (Circassian) public organizations from 9 countries, which had stated the archival documented facts, and the letter included an appeal for recognition of the genocide which would enlist other consequential liabilities on the responsible part according to the law.

There were more than 480 collected documents, which were written in Russian Language, and the Circassians had counted on them as a proof of their demands and claims, which will be evidence of the genocide that was committed against Circassians in all parts of Circassia. An index was established for all documents which mark each and every single document with a number that will be the same in all languages for the same document. In case of the presence of "any difference of the meaning between the original text and the translated text, the Russian documents will be considered the adopted reference”.

The “Committee of Volunteers” to accomplish this work, with great satisfaction coincide the efforts initiated by Diaspora Circassians represented here by “Justice For North Caucasus Group” and “Radio Adiga”, and other devoted individuals had decided to set up a plan of initially translating those important documents from the Russian Language to the English and Arabic Languages in order to expose and consolidate all hidden atrocities that would certainly strengthen the gathered real image of the disastrous consequences of the catastrophic war against Circassians and other nations of the North Caucasus.

We would like to mention the participation of “Kafkasya Forumu” in the translation of about one hundred and twenty documents to the Turkish language and the contribution of a Circassian Sister from Turkish Diaspora, for translating thirty documents to the Turkish language as well.

It was decided that the documents would be published and posted on a specially established Internet Website in the title of “The Circassian Genocide” which got the following URLs:

All interested are welcome to produce and publish the translated and/or the original information, but with no change to meaning and/or content of the documents in whole or in part. Also Internet Websites are invited to publish, translate, and post the information, but with no change to meaning and/or content of the documents.

The documents will be printed and distributed within certain arrangements and measures.
As the documents were translated to English and Arabic Languages, and part of them to Turkish Language, we will be at most happiness and gratitude if efforts extended by other Diaspora Circassians to translate the documents of evidence of genocide, ethnic cleansing, forced deportation and other acts of violence, to other languages that would enable the documents to be circulated, for people in order to be read and comprehend by the maximum possible Circassians and non-Circassians alike, so as to be able to provide the truth of the “Circassian Question” to Academicians, Legislatures, Study and Research Institutions, Universities, Human Rights Organizations, Media and International Public Opinion.

With honor and pride, volunteers who worked for years to present and bring up this important project into existence are intending to publish and disseminate this documented information for all whom it may concern, so that the narrative of the details of what had happened as per the correspondence taken place on the level of leaders and military commanders of the Tsarist Russian Empire would verify truth and tell the whole story of the Circassian Tragedy.

At this juncture of the Circassian history, it would be appropriate and sensible to assert that it is proper and appropriate to focus on the following:

“It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness”. In that manner, the intentions for all the elements of this important project is to high-light the occurrences, with the burden that had been inflicted on Circassians, which forced them to be scattered in their own homeland and tens of countries around the world, and at the same time to rise from beneath the ashes of the consequences of the war for the sake of peace, reconciliation, equality, and the better understanding between different peoples and nations, with the assistance of the civilized world, where humanity would cherish and human rights are admired in order to solve out all problems of differences and variations that were created by the Tsarist Russian occupation to Circassia and the North Caucasus, with all its devastating results until the present time. The confiscated rights should be reinstated and restored in accordance with the United Nations Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Law and the right of Indigenous peoples to self-determination.

“Committee of Volunteers”
May, 2012

In the following, copies of three attachments:
A letter from Circassian public organizations sent to the President of the European Parliament
A reply received by Circassians from the Russian State Duma denying the Circassian Genocide
The declaration of the Parliament of Georgia in 20, May, 2011, recognizing the Circassian Genocide by overwhelming Majority.

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Circassia: Adygs Ask European Parliament to Recognize Genocide

Circassian public organizations have sent the President of the European Parliament the reference letter with request for recognition of the genocide against the Circassian people.

Adygeyan (Circassian) public organizations of Russia, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Syria, the USA, Belgium, Canada and Germany have sent the president of the European parliament Mr. Joseph Borrell Fontelles the reference with request for recognition of the genocide against Adygeyan (Circassian) people within and after the Russian-Caucasian war of the XVIII-XIX centuries. The reference was sent yesterday, but already today, as the vice-president of the public movement of Adygeya «Circassian congress» Zaur Dzeukozhev informed, the organization - initiator of the action received the confirmation in reception of the reference signed by Annika Lopez Lotson, the secretary of the president.

In total in the signers’ list there are 20 organizations, said Dzeukozhev. A compact disc with the archival documents written in due time by the Russian imperial war commanders was enclosed to the reference. Natpress publishes the full text.

«To the President of the European parliament Mr. Joseph Borrell Fontelles
The reference of the Adygeyan (Circassian) organizations to the European parliament

We, Adygs (Circassians) are the aboriginals of the Northwest Caucasus. Our customs, ceremonies, traditions, language, the way of life were developed during the millenia in this territory. Vitality of our traditions is one of the brightest features of our people, and its material and spiritual achievements – the Maykop and the dolmen cultures, the heroic epos «Narts» - are universal heritage of the mankind.

During its formation the Adygeyan (Circassian) ethnos, often becoming an object of aggression, stood for protection of its freedom and independence. The military expansion of the Russian empire initiated in the second half of the XVIII century became for our people a real national tragedy, which consequences affect so far.

During the military actions of that time they carried out: occupation of territories, purposeful deprivation the peaceful population of the basic means of life-support - destruction of gardens and crops, stealing of cattle, burning completely of the peace settlements. Massacre of the peace population - women, children, and old men - was committed, too.

For the middle of the XIX century any organized resistance of Adygs (Circassians) was broken down. Since 1862 mass violent deportation of the indigenous population was started. Hundreds of thousand people, pushed down to the coast of the Black sea, perished because of colds, famine, epidemics. According to underestimated information of Adolph Berge (1828-1886) - who was considered at that time as the official historian of the Russian-Caucasian war - from among over one million Adygs (Circassians) they lost in the war over 400 thousand people; 497 thousand people were deported; in their historical native land only about 80 thousand people remained. However the troubles of our people had not ended with that.

Huge masses of Adygs-emigrants appeared to be scattered on the extensive territory of the Ottoman Empire. Great inflow of the immigrants and lack of preparation of the Turkish administration to their reception and accommodation caused mass extermination of the people.

In the numerous archival documents there are data of the participants of those tragically events that allow making the key conclusion: the war that the Russian state unleashed in the XVIII - XIX centuries against Adygs (Circassians) in their historical territory is impossible to consider as usual military actions. Russia had as the main purpose not only capture of the territories, but also utter extermination or eviction of the indigenous people from the historical lands. It is impossible to explain in any other way the reasons for such inhuman cruelty the Russian armies demonstrated in the Northwest Caucasus.

The process of Adygs’ violent deportation - both of separate families, and entire settlements - proceeded till the World War I. Small groups of Adygs (Circassians) that staid in their historical territories suffered from the policy of the violent cultural assimilation the imperial administration implemented.

The present Russian Federation, having proclaimed the democratic way of its political development for the country actually continues the policy pursued earlier by the Russian state. By the silent approval of the federal center during the last years in Adygeya Republic, as well as across all the Russian Federation, public organizations preaching the ideas of the national-chauvinism actively work. The final goal of such organizations is carrying out of a referendum on the status of the republic by the principle of the mechanical majority, that is to take advantage of the quantitative superiority appeared as a result of the Russian-Caucasian war (the indigenous Adygeyan population in Adygeya Republic now makes 24 percent).

Today on their ancestors’ lands Adygs (Kabardians, Circassians, Adygs, Shapsugs) - about 700 thousand people - live in 4 subjects of Russian Federation (Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Karachaevo-Circassian Republic, Adygeya Republic, Krasnodar territory) and now have no more than 20 percent of the territories from the historical lands they had occupied.

Over 3 million representatives of our people live outside the Northwest Caucasus in 50 states. Owing to that artificially created dissociation of the ethnic Adygs (Circassians) they gradually lose their culture and language.

During 142 years after the end of the Russian-Caucasian war Russia repeatedly changed its political system, but the attitude to Adygs (Circassians) remained constant - the violent cultural assimilation of the remained indigenous population in the historical territory and banning on returning for the Adygs (Circassians) expelled from theNorthwest Caucasus.

On July 1st, 2005 the Reference to the State Duma of Russian Federation concerning recognition of the genocide against Adygeyan (Circassian) people was submitted. However deputies of the Russian legislature could not have overcome religious and ethnic prejudices, having refused to recognize the moral and the legal responsibility for the brutal acts the Russian state had committed in the past.

According to the Convention on prevention and punishment of genocide adopted by the United Nations Organization (New York, December 9th, 1948) and the Convention on inapplicability of limitation period for war crimes and crimes against humanity of November 26th, 1968

- following the standard principles of equality of all the peoples irrespective of religious and ethnic elements and origin,
- basing on the incontestable historic facts testifying to the extermination and the violent deportation of Adygs (Circassians) from the territory of the Northwest Caucasus,
- Proceeding from that Russian Federation is the assignee and the successor of the Russian state,

We ask the European Parliament to consider in comprehensive and objective way our Reference and to recognize the genocide against Adygeyan (Circassian) people, being committed by the Russian state since the end of the XVIII till the beginning of the XX centuries.

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Circassia: Russian Duma on Circassian Genocide

On the inquiry about recognition of the genocide against Adygeyan (Circassian) nation "Circassian congress" of Adygeya has received the negative reply from the State Duma of Russian Federation.

After a rather long silence the Committee of the State Duma on affairs of nationalities replied to "Circassian congress" of Adygeya in relation to the inquiry concerned recognition of the genocide against Adygeyan (Circassian) people during and after the Russian-Caucasian war of the XIX century. The letter has been received today, on January 27th, as the chairman of the organization Murat Berzegov informed IÀ REGNUM correspondent.

Note: the reference of "Circassian congress" was handed over in the reception of the State Duma on July 1st, 2005, and the term of its consideration made one month. We shall remind also that after that reference to the Russian parliament it was sent several other references to support to the first one - from the public organizations of Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Circassia, Adygeya, Black sea Shapsugia, the foreign Circassian Diaspora.

In the received reply it was spoken: "the Committee of the State Duma on affairs of nationalities considered your reference to the chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russian Federation Boris Gryzlov concerning recognition of the fact of the genocide committed, in your opinion, by the Russian empire against Adygeysky (Circassian) ethnos, and informs the following.

According to the Institute of Russian history of the Russian Academy of Science during the Soviet period 16 ethnoses were undergone to reprisals under national attribute; another 45 ethnoses were touched by reprisals partially. Adygeyans (Circassians) did not appear in that list. During liquidation of consequences of the personal cult since the second half of 1950s in the USSR laws and decisions restoring historical justice concerning those people began passing. In 1991 the Supreme body of the RSFSR adopted the law "About rehabilitation of the repressed nations". On the legal base created in these years the state had been carried out practical measures on rehabilitation of the victims.

In our opinion, the modern realities demand new forms of activities on observance of the collective rights of peoples, and we suppose that today all of us should search for the common thing that unites the peoples of Russian Federation. Without that any perfection of our domestic statehood, strengthening of the interethnic world and the civil consent in the country is impossible".

"First of all, - said Berzegov, making comments on the reply of the State Duma, - it was the question of not about "Adygeysky (Circassian)", and about Adygeyan (Circassian) ethnos. The term "Adygeyan" is applied to designation of the nation been once unitary, and nowadays -separated nation - Kabardians, Circassians, Adygs, Shapsugs.

Secondly, we’ve been waiting not for their reminder on reprisals of the XX century, and the legal estimation of the events happened with our people earlier. And those events in the historical science are characterized as a genocide which from the point of view of law has no any limitation period".

The negative answer is a result, too, as the chairman of "Circassian congress" considered. Now the organizations - participants of the campaign have a right (including moral one) to address the international instances.

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By Strong Majority, the Parliament of Georgia Recognizes the Circassian Genocide

Based on the recommendation of the Parliament of Georgia's Committees on DIASPORA AND CAUCASUS ISSUES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL INTEGRATION, EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE, and LEGAL ISSUES, the Parliament of Georgia, during its session held on date 20, May, 2011, in the capital city of Tbilisi, has recognized the Circassian Genocide by a strong majority.

The draft presented from the committees has passed through voting in the parliament and became a Resolution by a strong majority, with the majority of heads of committees and Members of Parliament both the majority and the opposition who spoke during the session had shown strong and sincere support for recognizing the Circassian Genocide and the hostilities that this nation from the North Caucasus had been subjected to.

The following is the Resolution:

Resolution of the Parliament of Georgia

On the Recognition of Genocide of Circassians by the Russian Empire
Recalling the colonial policy of the Russian Empire towards Circassians during the Russo-Caucasus war (1763-1864), when the Russian political and military leadership planned and executed ethnic cleansing of Circassian territories, subsequently settling the territories with other ethnic groups;

Recalling the fact that as a result of multiple punitive military expeditions, more than 90% of the Circassian population was annihilated;

Recalling numerous official documents of the Russian Empire confirming its aggressive actions, such as artificially engineered famines and epidemics amongst the civilian population, aimed at the physical annihilation of representatives of the Circassian people;

Recalling the 7 February 1992 Decree of the Supreme Council of Kabardino Balkaria Republic (№977–XII-B) on the Condemnation of the Act of Genocide of Adyge (Circassians) During the Russian-Caucasian War, and legally and politically assessing the results of the Russo-Caucasus War (1763-1864),

The Parliament of Georgia:

1. Recognizes the mass murder of Circassians (Adyge) during the Russo-Caucasus War and their forceful eviction from their homeland, as an act of genocide, in accordance with the IV Hague Convention on Laws and Customs of War on Land of October 18, 1907 and the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 9 December 1948;

2. Recognizes the Circassians, forcefully deported during and after the period of the Russo-Caucasus War, as refugees, in line with the Convention on the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951.

Justice For North Caucasus Group
20, May, 2011.
www.justicefornorthcaucasus.info
www.radioadiga.com