Residents of Chechnya report about persecution of militants' relatives

Residents of Chechnya report about a failed attempt of power agents to detain in the plain Naur District of the republic of two young men - brothers of participants of the armed underground - and threats to their parents with a demand to bring their runaway sons to law enforcement bodies.

A resident of Severny village of the Naur District told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that about two weeks ago a young man, a resident of this settlement, received a call to his mobile phone from one of his two elder brothers, who joined militants last year. Then, armed power agents arrived in Severny and tried to grasp the young man and his other brother; however, the young men managed to escape from the surrounded district, where their house is, and hide in the nearest forest in spite of the fire opened on them.

After that, according to the source, power agents demanded from the runaways' parents to immediately find them and bring to the militia. "The parents were threatened that otherwise they will have very serious problems. They are frightened and don't know what to do," said the source.

According to his story, neither father nor mother knows where to look for their children; they are worried about their fate in case they are found and voluntarily agree to appear at the militia.

The law enforcement bodies of the republic refused to make any comments on the case. The spokesman from power agencies of Chechnya told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that parents should bear full responsibility for actions of the children and take timely steps not to allow their sons "giving in to false ideas and joining the bandits who are at war against their own people."