16:53, 10 November 2003

Abducted press photographer freed in Ingushetia

On November 7 in the village of Voznesenovskaya, Ingushetia's Malgobeksky district, officers of the Ingush Department for Struggle Against Organized Crime freed Artur Petrosian, press photographer of the republican "Ingushetia" newspaper abducted before. As it was reported by the Ingush Interior Ministry, Petrosian had been kept in a private house, in a pit 80 to 150 centimeters in size. The security agents detained two criminals who were guarding Petrosian. They were Sharpudi Sultakhanov, a 38-year old citizen of Chechnya, and Adam Aushev, a 25-year old citizen of Ingushetia. Earlier two other accomplices of Petrosian's kidnappers were detained in the town of Nazran: Musa Pashaev, a 24-year old native of Grozny, and Anzor Bushalov, a 21-year old resident of the village of Kulari, Chechnya's Urus-Martan district.

Artur Petrosian was abducted from his house in Nazran on October 12. There was information the kidnappers called his relatives several times demanding ransom.