Chechen Prime Minister Welcomes Amnesty Declared in Republic

Chechen Prime Minister Anatoly Popov welcomes the announcement of amnesty in the republic.

According to the premier, the amnesty "will help to save those who wished to return to peaceful life".

There are a lot of young people in the composition of illegal armed formations who were deceived and threatened by militants. The amnesty will help those, who have not stained themselves with blood, to return to normal life, Anatoly Popov told journalists.

According to the Chechen Interior Ministry, some 1,500 Chechens voluntarily laid down their arms in 2003.