Konstantinova: militia detains Gipsies in Volzhsk, Volgograd Region

Starting from April 10, plenty of Gypsies have been detained in the city of Volzhsk, Volgograd Region. Elena Konstantinova, leader of the Volgograd Regional NGO in defence of Gipsy women's rights named "Congress of Romany Women - Juvlicano Romano Congresso", has made this statement in her conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Our organization has already received 35 complaints from the Gipsies, detained by militia," said Ms Konstantinova. "It's like in 2007, when militiamen caught Gipsies in streets and houses."

"People are afraid to go out," she continued. "Same people are caught again and again. They are brought to militia stations, photographed; and their fingerprints are taken. When detainees say that they had already been examined, they are told that law enforcers are also sick and tired of them: 'Complain to our bosses; all commands come from them.'."

Svetlana Smolyaninova, head of the information and PR division of the GUVD (Chief Interior Department) of the Volgograd Region, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that this year no facts of mass detention of Gipsies were fixed in the Volgograd Region. According to her version, there were and could be no orders to detain any persons just because of their nationality issued by the GUVD; and they received no complaints to this end.

In her turn, Elena Konstantinova has noted that Gipsies are mostly legally illiterate people; therefore, they bring their complaints to the "Congress of Romany Women".