Moscovites Blame the Denmark Unscrupolousness with Deathly Silence - 2 November, 2002 - News

Russia boycotts Danish goods and businessmen

Today, supporters of People’s Party of Russia picketed Danish embassy in Moscow. Moscovites came to express their protest against the Danish authorities position on “Chechen issue.” As well known, at first Danish authorities refused to cancel World Chechen Congress which started in Copenhagen just after the hostages were released in Moscow. While now, Danes do not want to extradite to Russia Akhmed Zakaev, the arrested representative of ex-president of Ichkeria, Aslan Maskhadov.

According to RIA ‘Novosti’, today, about 50 people gathered before Danish embassy. They held slogans blaming “conniving position of Danish authorities on terrorists and their supporters.” The picket was carried out in “deathly silence”: the police banned to the picketers to cry out slogans.

“There is more than enough evidence of the Zakaev guilt, who, along with Basaev, was one of the organizers of the invasion of Dagestan,” – said at the meeting the leader of Moscow branch of People’s Party of Russia, State Duma deputy Arkady Baskaev. According to him, Zakaev, certaily, should be extradited to Russia.

The demonstrators also tried to hand over to the embassy workers an open letter addressed to Danish ambassador to Russia Lars Vissing, though nobody came out to them. Then, Baskaev fastened the letter to the embassy door.

The letter, in particular, blames the “unprincipled position” of Danish government, which “allowed to carry out in Copenhagen the World Chechen Congress. “In the mourning days, when the terrorists victims have not been buried yet, in the capital of the kingdom, masterminds of the bandits and their supporters gathered,” – the letter reads. The participants of the protest action behaved correctly, the police did not registered any violation.

In the meanwhile, Danish Justice Ministry refused to extradite Akhmed Zakaev to Russia. Danish minister for justice Lene Espersen said Friday that Russian side “did not present convincing proves of the Zakaev implication in the terrorist activity.” According to the minister, if Russian authorities do not present additional information till November 30, Zakaev will be released.

It should be remembered, that one of these days, political council of United Russia party called Russian citizens to boycotting Denmark. The politicians called Russians to cancellation of all business and tourist trips to Denmark, to stopping all business contacts with Danish firms and to not buying Danish goods, including Tuborg and Carlsberg beer and Lego meccano, Derby refrigerators and Danish hot-dogs in Stop-Top snackbars.

It is hard to say whether Russians will follow the politicians call. Though it should be noticed, that Danish goods are still not very popular in Russia because of their expensiveness. Denmark is considered to be nearly the most expensive country of Europe. Danish prices are approximately two times higher than that ones in neighbouring Germany. Dmitry Slobodyanyuk PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva