Police excesses force Chechens to stay at home

But human rights officials say they see a pattern of officers using that pretext to intimidate and extort money from law-abiding Chechens, some of whom say they’re afraid to go outside.

‘‘The militia are abusing their authority. They are very biased now’’ against Chechens, said Oleg Mironov, a Russian official who serves as human rights ombudsman. ‘‘They detain people, arrest people, stop cars based on ethnicity. I am very concerned.’’ Eddy Isayev, who heads the Chechen government’s Moscow office, said about 200 Chechens have complained of mistreatment since the rebels seized the theatre eight days ago.

Aides to Aslanbek Aslakhanov, Chechnya’s representative in the Russian parliament, said about 10 people complain to his office each day. Nonetheless, Aslakhanov and other officials say the backlash is distinctly weaker than it was three years ago, after hundreds of people were killed by explosions in apartment buildings in Moscow and elsewhere blamed on Chechen rebels. The government has set up hot lines for complaints.

Roughly 800,000 Chechens are estimated to live in Russia outside Chechnya. The biggest concentration is thought to be in the capital, anywhere from 40,000 to 400,000. Some Chechens say their best bet now is to stay indoors.

Many Chechens say they’re afraid to voice their complaints, lest that spark more police visits. Ordinary Russians seem to be short on sympathy. In one poll of 500 Muscovites, one-fourth said Chechens should be forced out of the capital. (LATWP)