In Ingushetia, power agents search the house of oppositionist Maksharip Aushev

In Nazran, law enforcement bodies are searching the house of Maksharip Aushev, one of the leaders of the opposition in Ingushetia and owner of web resource "Ingushetia.Ru" (now "Ingushetia.Org"), as was reported today by Magomed Khazbiev, another Ingush oppositionist and human rights activist. As he said, the search started at seven in the morning.

"I don't know what they are looking for in Aushev's house. The law enforcers presented no documents authorising the search; they gave no explanations and behave rude enough," the "Interfax" quotes Mr Khazbiev as saying.

The website "Ingushetia.Org" reports, with reference to a source in the administration of the President of the Republic, that the action was sanctioned personally by President Murat Zyazikov with the aim to intimidate oppositionists.

The oppositional resource reports that at about 7 a.m. Maksharip Aushev's house was surrounded by about three hundred armed employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ingushetia; all the entrances to the house were blocked; MIA agents brought military machinery for making the search. In the district, where Aushev's house is located, agents are inspecting people and transport means. The website marks that they are obscenely offending the residents.