Speaking Out: War Crimes and Politics of Terror in Chechnya, 1994 – 2004 by Everyday Emergency

Over 9 episodes, the Speaking out podcast: War Crimes and Politics of Terror in Chechnya, 1994 – 2004 explores the challenges and dilemmas MSF faced during the two wars in Chechnya between 1994 and 2004.

These wars raised many questions for MSF on when and how the organisation should speak out publicly about the war crimes its staff witness and the chilling effects of the politics of terror on the Chechen people.

Through MSF press releases, internal reports, speeches, and news articles of the time as well as eyewitness testimonies from MSF staff, this podcast series examines the challenges MSF faced when access to those in need was repeatedly blocked by the Russian authorities, forcing international staff to operate and train Caucasus teams at a distance.

Later on, when staff members were kidnapped, MSF was confronted with a terrible dilemma - whether to raise a voice or lay low until their colleagues were released?

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This MSF Speaking Out podcast is based on an original MSF case study called ‘War Crimes and Politics of Terror in Chechnya 1994-2004’, written by Laurence Binet. It is part of the Speaking Out Case Study series - an international project of MSF.

This podcast series is written, produced and mixed by Andrea Rangecroft. Interviews are recorded by Lucy Dearlove.

Editorial direction is from Nancy Barrett, Laurence Binet and Rebecca Golden Timsar.

The narrator is Nick Owen.
Extracts are read by Didi Bellos and Matthew Wade.
The voiceovers are by Michael Barrett, Christopher Bockman, Lucy Dearlove, Mark Fairclough, Kevin Halliwell, Clive Hayward, Chris Kelham, Andrea Rangecroft, Alex Vincent and Richard Westgate.
The music is by Lost Harmonies and Peter Sendberg.

A special thanks to:

Samantha Bolton
Dr Eric Comte
Steve Cornish
Austen Davis
Dr Alain Devaux
Jean-Christophe Dollé
Anne Fouchard
Dr Eric Goemaere
Graziella Godain
Michiel Hofman
Rafa Vila San Juan
Gabriel Trujillo
Dr Brigitte Vasset

To read the full case study and discover others, please go to our website: msf.org/speakingout

Thanks for listening.