Beslan residents doubt that senior officials may be interrogated

The trial of Mr Nurpashi Kulayev, the only surviving participant in the attack on school No 1 in Beslan, continues in North Ossetia's Supreme Court.

Fourteen witnesses and one victim gave evidence in the courtroom this morning, Caucasian Knot's correspondent reports. Once witnesses have begun to give evidence, Beslan residents are again taking interest in the process. The reason for that consists in whom they view as the key figures on the list of witnesses: North Ossetia's ex-president Alexander Dzasokhov, former chief of the Federal Security Service Department for North Ossetia Major-General Valerii Andreyev, former head of North Ossetia's Internal Affairs Ministry Lieutenant-General Kazbek Dzantiyev, and other officials. Ms Susanna Dudiyev, Chair of the Beslan Mothers Committee, believes that the above public officials should be "near the defendant Kulayev" though.

At the hearing on 8 November, representatives of Beslan Mothers expressed their discontent with the fact that the prosecutor's did not summon those witnesses who could give what they think objective evidence. In his comment on this statement, Mr Shepel said that all witnesses on the prosecution's list would be interrogated at the trial in the first instance. Only after that, the court will proceed to inquiring other witnesses if representatives of the victims and defence lodge a corresponding petition. After a conversation with Beslan Mothers, Nikolai Shepel gave assurances that those whom the victims would like to listen to most of all would be summoned to the courtroom. He said, in particular, that he did not see obstacles for Alexander Dzasokhov and Kazbek Dzantiyev to give evidence at the trial, according to Grani.ru.

However, Beslan residents are afraid that officials will find a reason to refuse to give evidence, although this is prohibited by the law. This is what has become a new stumbling block between the terrorist act victims and representatives of the prosecution. Such fears have also served as one of the main reasons for "high attendance": around 50 people were in the courtroom today, Caucasian Knot's correspondent reports.

Fourteen out of the 16 summoned victims told the courtroom about what had been going on near the school during the hostage-taking. "It was complete anarchy during the onslaught, everyone was shooting at random," says Mr Zelimkhan Khonosov, a retired colonel whose eight-year-old daughter had been in the school.

The only victim interrogated today was Ms Elena Ganiyev, school manager. Those present wanted to ask her a lot of questions. Ms Marina Pak accused Ms Ganiyev of the decision she had made to start the 1 September ceremony at 9.00 a.m. instead of 10.00 a.m. MSK. In saying that, Ms Pak referred to the evidence of the former headmaster Ms Lydia Tsaliyev. Mrs Ella Kesayev was interested in dummies in the school instead of bombs.

"Starting the ceremony a little earlier was a common decision, it had been made at a meeting of the teachers shortly before 1 September," Ms Ganiyev was nearly making excuses. "And I don't remember dummies, we thought everything was real in the school."

Meanwhile, North Ossetia's Supreme Court allowed the injured party to engage five additional witnesses in the trial. This request was expressed in the courtroom by Ms Susanna Dudiyev, according to Interfax.

Two hundred and twenty-one victims and 20 witnesses have presently been interrogated at the trial and 399 statements have been read out, according to Ms Angela Suanov, Press Secretary for the Supreme Court of North Ossetia. Victims in the Beslan terrorist act case number a total of 1,343.

• Courtroom unrest