Chechen rebel prosecuted by Russia, but granted political asylum in the USA

One of the leaders of Chechen rebels, Ilyas Akhmadov who had been granted a political asylum in the USA, was announced on the international search list.
According to the representative of the Interpol National Central Bureau in Russia, in January 2004 the Bureau of Interpol in Russia submitted to the US law-enforcement agencies the request of Russian Office of Public Prosecutor to hand Ilyas Akhmadov to Russia.

Previously, American Committee for peace in Chechnya stated to RIA-Novosti that Akhmadov had been granted political asylum in the USA.

According to the Committee, in April 2004 the Immigration Court in Boston, Massachusetts granted political asylum to Akhmadov, but the US authorities immediately submitted an appeal to this decision.

"The appeal has been withdrawn, and the decision to grant a political asylum to Akhmadov cannot be changed", stated the Committee.

In December 2003 Russian Foreign Ministry called the USA to take Russia’s position into account while making a decision on Akhmadov’s case. "Our attitude to this accomplice of terrorists is well-known”, said the spokesman for Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Yakovenko to reporters. 

Russian law-enforces claim they have the proof of Akhmadov’s ties with Chechen rebels’ leaders Maskhadov and Basaev.