Russian Prosecutor General and US Attorney General to discuss collaboration between the two departments

Russian Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov will meet Monday US Attorney General John Ashcroft. The information and public relations department told RIA Novosti that the meeting "will be devoted to the two structures' mutual assistance." According to the sources at the law-enforcement bodies, the visit of Ashcroft is directly connected with the delivery to the Cuban Guantanamo naval base of another two men who were seized in Afghanistan. They are allegedly Russians by birth and fought on the side of the Taliban.

It was earlier reported that three citizens of Russia (Shamil Khadzhiyev and Ravil Gumarov from Bashkiria and Rasul Kudayev from Kabardino-Balkaria) are kept in the camp for Taliban prisoners situated at this base.

The prosecutor's office, the sources recalled, launched a criminal case on the given fact and asked the competent organs of the USA to render legal assistance, including for collecting evidence of the direct participation of these citizens in the military operations against the anti-Taliban coalition. The investigation is being conducted by the Russian prosecutor general's department in the North Caucasus.

Deputy prosecutor general of the Russian Federation in the southern federal district Sergei Fridinsky said recently about his intention to officially inquire at the US justice ministry about information concerning the Taliban-Russians case, including the two new men.

Incidentally, Fridinsky is expected to participate in the meeting of Vladimir Ustinov with John Ashcroft.