Chechen Terrorists Detained on Georgian-Russian Border to Be Extradited to Russia

In Moscow, they regard "with satisfaction" the decision of the district court of Tbilisi on extradition to Russia of the Chechen terrorists detained on the Georgian-Russian border.

Asked by Russian mass media about this decision, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Alexander Yakovenko recalled that on March 13 the district court of Tbilisi had agreed to the extradition of two Chechen militants detained during their crossing of the Russian-Georgian border in August 2002.

He stressed that this decision "is naturally satisfactory". At the same time, Yakovenko added that the court had not taken a decision on the extradition of the third militant explaining this by "alleged 'uncertainty' of his status as a refugee".

In this connection, Moscow "hopes that the earlier attained accords on extradition of militants, charged with perpetrating terrorist acts on the territory of the Russian Federation, will be soon fulfilled in full", the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia emphasised.

Ruslan Gelogayev, Khusein Alkhanov and Rustam Elkhadzhiev were detained during the border crossing in August 2002. All the three of them are charged by the Russian law-enforcers with acts of banditry and encroachment on the life of law-enforcers on the territory of Russia.