An official says a nephew of Saddam Hussein has been detained in Austria and taken to a "safe place" to protect him from possible attack by Iraqis with grievances against the former dictator.

 

Interior Ministry official Karl-Heinz Grundboeck says the 41-year-old told police he was Hussein's nephew after police stopped him and two Iraqi companions in Traiskirchen, south of Vienna. None were carrying passports.

 

Grundboeck said an identity check subsequently established that the man was telling the truth.

 

He said Friday that the three said they were seeking asylum. He did not identify them by name, in keeping with Austrian law.

 

The three were stopped Thursday. Grundboeck said they told officials that they had flown to Austria from Turkey.

 

(Source: Sapa-AP)