British woman held over Olympic protest

Anne Callaghan is against Beijing's Olympic bid

A British woman protesting against Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympics was detained by Russian police carrying sub-machine guns.

Anne Callaghan, from Stoke Newington, north London, was held in Moscow after handing out leaflets condemning China's treatment of Tibet.

She said police spotted her outside a hotel where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was holding a press conference hours.

Ms Callaghan said: "We were frogmarched into a room where armed police tore through our belongings and seized every piece of "Free Tibet" literature we had.

Threat of arrest

"They were extremely aggressive. I was very nervous."

She was then quizzed for almost two hours before being escorted to the nearest underground station.

Police told her that if she handed out any more leaflets she would be arrested.

Despite this Ms Callaghan, campaign organiser for the Free Tibet movement, continued to protest.

It seems to me that it is the behaviour of the IOC and the Chinese government that is not in keeping with the Olympic spirit

Anne Callaghan

On Friday morning she was stopped and searched by police as she arrived at the World Trade Centre in Moscow where the IOC is meeting.

She said: "A representative of the Olympic Committee told us that asking questions about the appropriateness of Beijing's bid was against the Olympic Charter.

Ms Callaghan, who was then turned away from the venue, said: "It seems to me that it is the behaviour of the IOC and the Chinese government that is not in keeping with the Olympic spirit.

"As long as Beijing continues to maintain its brutal occupation of Tibet and deny the rights of its own citizens, China is unfit to represent the Olympic ideal."