15:05 August 18, 2003

Dozens of women rally near Chechen government building

Several dozen women are rallying near the entrance to the compound where the building housing the Chechen government is located. The women are demanding that their relatives, previously detained by law enforcers, be freed. The government's press service reports that some representatives of the demonstaration have been received by Chechnya's top security official Rudnik Dudayev. Dudayev asked the women to stop the protest but they refused.

The protesters claim that on August 13 the police detained several of their relatives and since then nothing has been heard of these people. The detained were peaceful citizens and were detained as they  were repairing power mains in the republic's Vedeno district. 

//Interfax//