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British bid to extradite Chechen to Russia
Britain began extradition proceedings on Friday against a Chechen separatist wanted by Russia on charges of mass murder. The Home Office said it had given the courts authority to hear Russia's case against Akhmed Zakayev, an aide to Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov. Russian Justice Minister Yuri Chaika said the decision showed "our message has got through." "Britain has understood that terrorists cannot be one's own or someone else's," he told the Interfax news agency in Moscow. But the decision angered Zakayev's supporters, who include Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave. "A profound injustice has been done to the Chechen people. An injustice should not be done to their political representatives," said Redgrave, who attended Zakayev's hearing at a London court Friday. Russian authorities have compared Zakayev to Osama bin Laden and say he was a senior Chechen rebel military commander who helped kill at least 300 Russian security personnel. His supporters say Zakayev is a peace negotiator and a minister in the government of Maskhadov, who was elected president of Chechnya in 1997. Zakayev denies the charges against him. "I would like to say how grateful I am to the British court system, the Home Office and the Russian prosecutors," Zakayev said through a translator outside Bow Street Magistrates Court Friday. "The case going through the courts gives us the opportunity to show people how things really stand." At a brief court hearing, Judge Timothy Workman ordered Zakayev to attend a hearing on February 14, when the court will set a timetable for the extradition process, expected to last months. Britian beginning these hearings helps Tony Blair's relations with Russia. Hope they remember. Posted by: Steve 2003-01-31 |
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