Chechen separatist ideolgue surrendered

Abdullah Aliyev, a 72-year-old Daghestan poet who writes under the penname of Adallo and is member of the republic's union of writers, has arrived in Makhachkala on a charter flight from Istanbul to give himself up to the authorities. For the few last years, he has been on the Interpol wanted list as an ideologist for Chechen militants and a henchman of Russia's most wanted terrorist Shamil Basayev. Now Aliyev says he is "an old, sick man", who has long given up his former delusions and wants only one thing, to die in his homeland.

He is the second separatist ideologue to give himself up to the authorities. Magomed Tagoyev crossed the Azerbaijan-Russian border in early April. He said he did it of his own accord "with the intention of surrendering to the Federal Security Service". At present his case is being heard in the Supreme Court of Dagestan.