Executive News Svc.

AP   08/17 2055  Soviet-Krishna
   MOSCOW (AP) -- A dozen members of a Moscow Hare Krishna group were detained
by police Monday as they sang prayers on an outdoor shopping mall, a dissident
source said.
   Andrei Shilgov told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that there
were no injuries among the Hare Krishnas, who were marking a religious holiday
on the Arbat Mall.
   Quoting witnesses, he said 12 to 15 Hare Krishnas were taken away by police
in a bus.
   There was no indication how long the group would be held, or whether they
would be charged with any crime, he said.
   Members of the religious group say Soviet authorities prevent them from
openly practicing their religion. Soviet law does not prohibit religious
practice, but it requires that religious groups register with the state.
   In April, five Hare Krishnas met with Western reporters in Moscow and told
them authorities have refused or failed to respond to their requests to
register.
   The group also said that 26 Hare Krishnas are in Soviet jails or psychiatric
hospitals because of their beliefs.