State Duma speaker urges not to panic over seizure of hostages in Moscow's Theatre Centre

Gennady Seleznev, speaker of the State Duma (Lower House of the Russian parliament), urges not to yield to panic over the seizure of hostages in Moscow's Theatre Centre. The head of the Lower House of the Russian parliament made this statement on Thursday.

Seleznev noted that an emergency meeting of the State Duma council was held on Thursday morning, which instructed the Duma committee for security to draft a statement in connection with the incident.

Seleznev has called upon people to "hold back emotions" and not to be panic-stricken. "We must entrust all the executive structures whose job it is, to settle the task as they should do it," stressed Seleznev.

"Our main task now," continued Seleznev, "is to start negotiating with those who are holding the hostages and to preserve the lives of the hostages."