| Novye Aldi massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Second Chechen War | |
  Novye-Aldy Location of Novye-Aldy in Chechnya | |
| Location | Novye-Aldy, Groznensky District, Chechnya, Russia |
| Date | February 5, 2000 |
| Target | Civilians |
Attack type | Mass murder, looting, arson, rape, robbery, massacre |
| Deaths | 60–82 |
| Perpetrators |  Russia |
The Novye Aldi massacre was the mass murder of Chechen civilians on February 5, 2000, in which Russian forces went on a cleansing operation (zachistka), summarily executing dozens. The village had been cluster-bombed a day prior to the massacre, and local residents urged to come out for inspection the next day. Upon entering the village, Russian forces shot their victims with automatic fire at close range. The killings were accompanied by looting, rape, arson and robbery. As a result of the deadly rampage by Russian forces, up to 82 civilians were killed in the spree.[1][2] Houses of civilians were burnt in an attempt to destroy evidence of summary executions and other crimes. Looting took place on a large scale and organised manner.[3]
The official investigation into the Aldi massacre established that the "sweep operation" there was conducted by the paramilitary police of OMON from the northern Russian city of Saint Petersburg (possibly also from the southern Ryazan Oblast). As of 2016 the Russian authorities had failed to hold anyone to account for the crime. The guilt of the Russian state in the Aldi murders and the denial of justice to the victims was formally established in two different judgements by the European Court of Human Rights in 2006–07.
- ^ 82 civilians feared dead in Chechen massacre, The Guardian, February 23, 2000
- ^ Russia Condemned for Chechnya Killings, Human Rights Watch, October 12, 2006
- ^ European court assails Russia over killings in Chechnya, International Herald Tribune, July 26, 2007