12 August 2003, 23:16
Leader of public organization of Chechen refugees was detained in Ingushetia
On August 10, 2003 the Chairman of the International United Committee of Refugees from Chechnya Shirvani Gunayev was detained by the officers of the Sunzhensky regional interior department in his tent in the tent camp "Sputnik" situated on the outskirts of the village Sleptsovskaya (Ordzhonikidzevskaya) in Ingushetia.
In his interview to a correspondent of the Information Center of the Society for the Russian-Chechen Friendship the head of the Sunzhensky regional interior department Isa Merzhoyev could not distinctly explain motives of the detention and answer a question about the legality of Gunayev's holding in custody. He promised "to make the question out".
In a period between wars Shirvani Gunayev worked in the staff of the Interior Ministry of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. When the operations had began, he left his post and moved to Ingushetia, where he had been living for more than tree years as a refugee and had been taking an active part in antiwar and human right activity.
Source: Infromation Center of the Council of NGOs