Russia says 200 hostages still held in Chechnya

MOSCOW, Dec 16 (AFP) - A Russian senior interior ministry official said Thursday that some 200 hostages were still being held by warlords in conflict-torn Chechnya, a figure that human rights groups say is too low.
Yuri Demidov, vice director of the ministry's organized crime and terrorism department, said more than 100 hostages had been freed so far this year.
Demidov accused separatist war chiefs of seizing and holding hostages to "discredit the forces of order."
But rights groups accuse Russian security forces and pro-Russian Chechen militias of carrying out many of the kidnappings.

12/16/2004 15:13 GMT - AFP