Russian Foreign Ministry controls investigation of Yandarbiyev's murder

The Russian Foreign Ministry controls the investigation of Chechen envoy Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev's death, which is carried out by Qatar's authorities, the ministry's press and information department told RIA Novosti on Monday. "We are interested in the results of this investigation," said the source, adding that the Russian foreign ministry sent no official inquiry on the investigation to Qatar's authorities.

On Friday Qatar's Embassy to Russia officially informed the Russian foreign ministry on the explosion of Yandarbiyev's car in Doha. An explosive device blasted in the Chechen envoy's car, Doha police reported. Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev was badly wounded and died in hospital.

His son Daud was hospitalized. Today he is in stable condition. According to eye-witnesses, Daud got out of the burning car himself.

Qatar's Interior Ministry is investigating the accident.

Yandarbiyev lived in Qatar as "a refugee without the right of political activities" from 1999.

Moscow often raised the question of Yandarbiyev's extradition to Russia. "The Russian foreign ministry submitted all the necessary investigation and judicial documents to Qatar," the press and information department said.

Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev was a top-level official in Chechnya under President Dzhokhar Dudayev. In April 1993 Dudayev appointed him acting Vice President of Chechnya. Yandarbiyev was involved in ideological activities. After Dudayev's death in 1996 he was acting Chechen President for nine months.

On October 9, 2001 Interpol announced him internationally wanted together with other masterminds of the armed invasion into Dagestan in fall 1999, Aslan Maskhadov, Akhmed Zakayev, Khozhakhmed Nukhayev and Kazbek Makhashev.

During the investigation of the hostage taking in Dubrovka theater center in October 2002, the special services fixed telephone conversations between terrorists and Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev.

In June 2003 Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev was put on the list of the UN Security Council's committee on anti-Taliban sanctions.