Parents who lost children in the Beslan school seizure last year have agreed to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during the massacre's first anniversary this week.
Some of the parents opposed the meeting, saying its timing was inappropriate, but most felt it was a chance to speak their mind to Putin, said Susanna Dudiyeva, head of the Beslan Mothers' Committee.
"To invite us on September 2 is the height of cynicism," said Ms Dudiyeva, whose 13-year-son, Zaur, was one of more than 330 people killed in the attack on Beslan's School No. 1. But she said the meeting was an opportunity to address their grievances, including unhappiness with the official investigation.
"We have things to say to the president, we cannot pass up such an opportunity. First, we will tell him that the government is responsible for what happened and that we want the investigation to be objective," she said.
The mothers are angry that the only person facing trial is the sole surviving hostage-taker, Nur-Pashi Kulayev. They have accused the government of mounting a cover-up and demand that high-level officials also be prosecuted in the case.
In his first public comments on the issue, Mr Putin said he had asked his envoy to the region to organise the meeting.
The Beslan mothers have long sought to meet the president to protest the failure to prevent last year's September 1st to 3rd seizure of the school and more than 1,100 hostages by 32 heavily armed militants in the southern Russian town.
The mothers had warned Mr Putin to stay away from Beslan during the anniversary ceremonies, however, saying his presence there could provoke angry protests.