Relatives of the missing storm Government House in Grozny

Relatives of people abducted by officers of federal security agencies gathered in the center of Grozny and broke into the building of the Chechen government at about 1 p.m. on June 2. However, the building was cleared soon after it and the people were dispersed.

On June 1, Kheda Saratova, an activist of a local organization, stated she knew the whereabouts of approximately 1,500 missing people. She alleged that the people were being kept in prisons in neighboring regions and republics and she had corresponding lists.

On June 2, a crowd of relatives of people who disappeared after detentions at the posts, during "purges" and night special operations, and even after official arrests gathered in the center of the town. Many of them came from remote villages. The crowd numbered over one thousand people. There have been no such spontaneous meetings in Grozny for a long time. It is not surprising since thousands of people have disappeared in such a way. The number of cases opened in connection with their abductions exceeds 1,500. But investigation into almost all of these cases has been suspended because of "the impossibility to find guilty people."

Kheda Saratova came to see the people and presented lists of over 1,200 missing people made up by different organizations in different periods of time. But the people expected to learn of the whereabouts of the missing from her. Then Ms Saratova confessed she did not know anything about their whereabouts and suggested addressing this question to the Chechen government.

The people headed for the complex of government buildings and broke through several posts making their way to the Government House. A deputy minister who came out of the building was also not able to tell the people anything intelligible. He suggested that they choose five delegates for negotiations. But it was too late. The situation was too heated. Women were throwing stones at soldiers and armored vehicles.

Servicemen and officers of Chechen security structures who came to the aid to the guard cleared the territory of the government complex of the people by force. They beat them with butts and fired above their heads. Some people were wounded (possibly by ricochet), several people were hospitalized. The crowd was dispersed in the upshot. Several people were detained. One might say that this provocation did not end in deaths only by a miracle.