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Russia prepared for swap with Qatar
Moscow is preparing an exchange of two Qatari nationals detained here three weeks ago for two Russian secret service agents arrested in Doha on murder charges, the Kommersant business daily reported on Friday. The two men, arrested at Moscowâs Sheremetyevo airport on February 26, had been held by the Federal Security Service (FSB, ex-KGB), but were recently put under the jurisdiction of Russiaâs foreign ministry ahead of the planned swap, the newspaper said. Foreign ministry press officials declined to comment on the report.
| This is the traditional Russian reaction when its guys are caught. Remember the exchanges that used to take place at Checkpoint Charlie? |
The Qataris were detained shortly after Dohaâs arrest of two Russian intelligence agents, who are charged with assassinating a leading Chechen rebel, the former president of the breakaway republic Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, in the Qatari capital on February 13. Qatari officials however have identified the detainees as Nasser Ibrahim Saad al-Madhihiki and Ibrahim Ahmed Nasser Ahmed, members of the nationâs wrestling federation. The Qataris were detained when customs discovered that al-Makhihiki was carrying 7,200 dollars that he did not declare, according to Alexander Dubrovksy, their Belarusian team trainer who was stopped along with the two men and later released. Russiaâs new Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday reiterated Moscowâs demands that Qatar free the two Russian agents.
Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-03-20 |
