78 abducted in Chechnya in 2004, according to rights activists

More than 78 Chechen residents have been kidnapped in the republic since the beginning of the year, the Memorial human rights center said.

"According to our incomplete information, 78 residents have been abducted in Chechnya since the beginning of 2004. Of them, 33 have been released, 41 are believed to have gone missing and 4 have been found dead," the Memorial spokesman, Dmitry Grushkin, said to Interfax on March 31.

A total of 60 Chechens have been killed in the republic in 2004, Grushkin said, adding that "of them, 30 were civilians, 6 were officials of Chechen security agencies, 7 are presumed to be members of illegal armed units, and 17 have yet to be identified."

"A total of 495 people were abducted in Chechnya in 2003. Of them, 155 were released, 52 were found dead and 288 are still missing," he said.

Asked who is responsible for the abductions, Grushkin said that he "has a feeling that more people have been kidnapped by Chechen security agencies. Rebels are continuing to abduct people as well. Feuds between criminal groups can be blamed for a certain percentage of abductions."

Grushkin complained of ineffective investigations into these crimes in Chechnya. "We send a letter asking the prosecutor's office to provide information on virtually every abduction. They open a criminal case following every abduction. Most of the prosecutor office's replies to our requests say that the kidnappers have not been found," he said.