15:50, 19 August 2003

Chechens who had come for berries were deported from Karelia

The Spiritual Administration of Moslems of the Republic of Karelia sent letters to the prosecutor of the republic Vladimir Panasenko and Interior Minister Dmitry Mikhaylov on the matter of the deportation of Russian citizens of the Chechen nationality beyond the Karelian bounds.

As the agency reports with reference to the press-cutting service of the Administration of Moslems, 44 Chechens were going to the republic by a private entrepreneur's invitation. They had to become seasonal workers - berry pickers. But law-enforcement organ officials deported them alluding to the fact they "had not got required documents both for work and for being at the frontier area". The Interior Ministry of the republic does not deny information about the Chechens' deportation.

In his appeal Mufti Sheikh Visam Ali Bardvil expressed his concern about the occurrence and demanded from the Prosecutor's Office and the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Karelia to demystify the situation with this disturbing incident.