About 1,500 Thousand Chechen Militants Lay Down Arms Voluntarily - 10 April, 2003

According to the Chechen Interior Ministry, about 1,500 thousand Chechen separatists have laid down arms voluntarily and surrendered to the federal forces, Chechnya's Deputy Interior Minister Sultan Satuyev said at a press conference in Grozny. According to him, recently "about 1,500 thousand militants laid down arms voluntarily" in the republic. We know, that most of illegal armed units "have realised their fighting is hopeless and are ready to surrender," Satuyev said.

At present "about 1,500-2,000 armed criminals operate in the republic on their own," Satuyev added.

Besides, separatist mastermind Aslan Maskhadov is currently in Chechnya "seeking amnesty be all means," Satuyev said. "If they meet Maskhadov face to face, Chechen policemen will arrest him," Satuyev concluded.