14:19, 10 August 2007

Militia violently disperses meeting of "Dagestan Mothers"

Svetlana Isaeva, representative of the "Dagestan Mothers" Committee, has reported that in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, the militia had dispersed a peaceful meeting organized by relatives of kidnapped young men.

"We were kicked and beaten with truncheons," the "Echo Moskvy" Radio quotes Ms Isaeva.

"Three young people were taken to the Sovietskiy ROVD (District Militia Department). One of them was a meeting participant, but the remaining two were just passers-by, who were walking along and asked, "Why are you kicking women, you, men?" They were pushed into UAZ minivans and taken to the ROVD. One of them was released, but his friend is still kept there. The participant of the meeting is charged of disobedience to employees of law enforcement bodies, because he would not get into the militia minivan. We are now in the Republic's Office of Public Prosecutor, where we want to file a complaint on this awful fact," Svetlana Isaeva said.