Russian ombudsman to work on problem of hunger strike of Balkarian elders in Moscow

Russian Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin met the Balkarian elders at the
Russian Public Chamber. The elders have been holding a hunger strike
by Manezhnaya Square since summer. Vladimir Lukin and the elders came
to an agreement to open their office at the social forum in Pyatigorsk
in 2011, the press service of the chamber told RIA Novosti.

Balkarians are the second largest ethnicity in Kabardino-Balkaria
after Kabardinians. They live mainly in the mountainous areas. The
elders say that there are violations of human rights in
Kabardino-Balkaria, part of the land has been lost and they have no
office to represent themselves.

Lukin proposed they would have two or three representatives to hold
negotiations at the social forum in Pyatigorsk in 2011. The Balkarians
agreed.

Nikolai Svanidze, head of the commission of the Public Chamber for
inter-ethnic relations and freedom of conscience, Lyudmila Alexeyeva,
head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, and Mikhail Fedotov, head of the
presidential council for development of institutions of civil society,
are among organizers of the forum.

Alexander Brod, member of the Public Chamber, said that his
organization will send a letter to the authorized presidential envoy
to the North Caucasian Federal District Alexander Khloponin after the
meeting.