Deputy Prosecutor General about Planned Amnesty in Chechnya

Deputy Prosecutor General Sergei Fridinsky does not rule out the possibility that a planned Chechen amnesty may apply to Colonel Yury Budanov accused of killing 18-year-old Elsa Kungayeva suspected of being a rebel sniper.

According to Fridinsky, the amnesty should also apply to military personnel engaged in special operations.

The planned amnesty will be another step towards mutual trust, the Deputy Prosecutor General pointed out at a Friday press conference. Meanwhile, he was against the overall amnesty, which might lead to a significant rise in crime, Fridinsky said.

The amnesty must first of all apply to those who will come laying down arms and say, "We are ready to co-operate," the Deputy Prosecutor General said. At the same time, these people must not be accused of violent crimes, such as murder, otherwise they must take responsibility for what they did, he stressed.