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| Europe |
| Russia blasts Britain on Zakayev |
| 2002-12-06 |
| The Russian foreign minister issued harsh criticism Friday of Britain's decision to free on bail a senior Chechen official wanted by Moscow on murder and rebellion charges. Akhmed Zakayev, an aide to Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, was arrested at Moscow's request Thursday night at London's Heathrow airport after flying from Denmark, which refused to extradite him to Moscow. Police released Zakayev early Friday. He was to appear at Bow Street Magistrates Court in central London for an extradition hearing Wednesday. Zakayev's release, just days after Denmark freed him from custody and refused to extradite him to Russia, angered Moscow. Russian authorities say Zakayev was a senior Chechen military commander and helped to murder at least 300 Russian security personnel in 1996. "Say another terrorist turned up in London, Bin Laden ... and he were to announce that new terrorist attacks were forthcoming against civilian sites in the United States," Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov asked. "How would you deal with him? Would you react in the same way as with Zakayev? Would you talk to him in a police station and let him out again onto the street?" The Russers seem to be getting precious little Eurocooperation on Zakayev. They deserve better than that from the Brits — but I have a horrible suspicion something similar might happen if the guy came here, and I have just as horrible a suspicion that he could. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |