Russia to demand Yandarbiyev's extradition from Qatar

One of these days, Russia will ask Qatar to extradite Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, the former Vice President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, announced the Russian president's aide Sergei Yastrzhembsky.

According to his words, Yandarbiyev and several other Chechen militant leaders are wanted by the authorities for committing a number of crimes, which fall under three articles of the Criminal Code.

Qatar's reaction to Moscow's request will show the country's willingness or unwillingness to cooperate in the effort to combat international terrorism, said the aide.

Russia has some questions it wants to pose to Turkey, a country that "openly collects money to support illegal armed units and is often visited by Udugov" (the No.1 propagandist of the Chechen separatists).

A few questions will also be posed to Georgia, which has an "Ichkerian representative office" functioning on its territory. Tbilisi's excuse that the office in question was not registered officially "is unconvincing, and there are Maskhadov's people visiting it all the time," said Yastrzhembsky.

He also said the terrorist act in Moscow had prompted Azerbaijan to close down its "Ichkerian representative office."