The plane with a group of oppositionists flying to Moscow to take part in a picket under the slogans of the resignation of Murtaza Rakhimov was detained for 6 hours at the Ufa airport. The rally on Lubyanskaya Square in Moscow was scheduled for 11 am, but the picketers did not make it by the appointed time. After the protests of passengers who reported the events in the media, the plane flew to Moscow. Representatives of the Bashkir opposition took part in the rally, which was postponed for several hours.

First, the plane was delayed for an hour and a half, and then a passenger was put on it, whom the oppositionists regard as a provocateur. This man suddenly announced his desire to leave the plane, and the airfield services - his intention to re-check all passengers' luggage. The plane was driven off the taxiway, the passengers refused to leave it.

"We assumed in advance that this could happen ," the leader of the Bashkir opposition Ramil Bignov told a REGNUM correspondent by phone from the plane. " Their goal is clearly to detain us here as long as possible and thereby disrupt the picket in Moscow . "

A few hours later the plane flew to Moscow.

Sources

Plane with Bashkir oppositionists detained in Ufa // IA REGNUM. 2005. 7 April.
Bashkir oppositionists could not be kept in Ufa // IA REGNUM. 2005. 7 April.
Bashkir oppositionists detained in Ufa expect to arrive in Moscow by 3 p.m. // IA REGNUM. 2005. 7 April.
Bashkir opposition began a rally in the center of Moscow // Grani.Ru. 2005. 7 April.

They tried to detain Bashkir oppositionists at the airport