MOSCOW. Aug 5 (Interfax-ANV) - About 200 people have been abducted in Chechnya over the past six months, the republic's envoy to Moscow Ziyad Sabsabi told a news conference at the Izvestia media center on Thursday.
"Some 200 people have been kidnapped over the past six months. This is a frightening figure. This problem is a disaster for our state," he said.
Abduction rates in 2004 are about 50% lower than the year before, he said. "Unfortunately, there are still several organizations that do not coordinate their activities" with the regional headquarters for the counter-terrorism operation, he said.
All arrests and detentions of civilians in Chechnya should be carried out in compliance with the law, Sabsabi said.
"We are tackling this problem and will continue to do so. We are not opposed to arresting suspects. But their families need to know who has detained them and on what charges they have been detained," he said.