07 December 2007, 11:30
Moslems from Chechnya beaten in North Ossetia
Pilgrims from Chechnya who were making their way to Saudi Arabia were beaten in North Ossetia. The fact was made public by Khamzat Khirakhmatov, Deputy Mufti of the Chechen Republic who accompanies the column of buses with pilgrims.
The Deputy Mufti has told that in the evening on December 6 the travellers from Chechnya stopped near Stary Terek village in North Ossetia for their evening prayer. Young people in several cars approached them and started offending them, "began molest the pilgrims." According to Khirakhmatov, the attackers demanded that the pilgrims leave the territory of the village, the "Interfax" reports. After that, the youngsters started beating the pilgrims with baseball bats, hammers and stones. Some of the criminals had small weapons with them. Apart from the people, damage was caused to the cars in which the Chechens were travelling.
The fact of the attack was confirmed at the Muftiyate of the Chechen Republic.
A source of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Ossetia has informed that today one of the attackers was detained and a criminal case was initiated.
The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the Muftiyate of Chechnya that in total almost 3,500 residents of the Republic plan to go to Saudi Arabia.
