When Is Akhmed Zakayev Delivered to Russia?

The controversy around the Chechen terrorist, who was arrested in Denmark, is still going on

Akhmed Zakayev, an international terrorist, will probably have to leave his neat Danish jail next week and move over to a less comfortable dwelling. The countdown will take a different form for Zakayev there.

Danish Justice Minister Lene Espersen’s deadline to Russia is coming tonight, at midnight. Denmark set that period of time for the Russian government to collect and present the documents that are necessary for the decision pertaining to the extradition of the controversial Chechen national Akhmed Zakayev to Russia.

Akhmed Zakayev, the emissary of the fugitive President of Chechnya, Aslan Maskhadov, was arrested in Copenhagen on October 30th during the so-called World Chechen Congress. The Danish government did not venture to ban the congress in their country, despite the hostage crisis in Moscow. Zakayev was arrested after Russia’s official inquiry. A bit later, the Danish Justice Minister asked for more documents from Russia in order to find a reason for the terrorist’s extradition. The Russian Prosecutor General gave a part of the documents to Lene Espersen in Moscow on November 5th. After that, Russia repeatedly sent more documents to Denmark. The latest evidence was given to the Danish Justice Ministry on Wednesday. This was the testimonial evidence from Chechen commander Salman Raduyev.

On November 26th a court of Copenhagen prolonged Akhmed Zakayev’s stay in Denmark until December 5th. Supposedly, the Danish Justice Ministry will make the final decision regarding Zakayev’s extradition to Russia next week.

Website Nasha-rodina.Ru wrote in its news section: “There has been quite a commotion caused around Akhmed Zakayev, a prisoner of the Danish King. More and more people get involved in the struggle to support the poor and lonely man. The first one of them was fugitive Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky. Now actress Vanessa Redgrave is going to pay Zakayev’s lawyers. The society is waiting, when Sergey Kovalev and other human rights defenders will contribute something to the Chechen terrorist. Actress Redgrave is intended to set up a fund for Zakayev’s protection. This means that there might be a fight between potential sponsors. Therefore, the only way out for the Danish government is to deliver Zakayev to Russia in order to avoid further tension.”

PRAVDA.Ru has reported before that Moscow was not certain about the final outcome of the competition with the Danes. Assistant to the Russian President, Sergey Yastrzhembsky, did not say anything definite on the issue. Russia does not have the information, if Zakayev is going to be delivered or not. “I do not have this information at my disposal yet. We need to wait until tomorrow,” Yastrzhembsky said on November 25th. Russia does not have that information today either.

Sergey Yugov
PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov