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“I’m Akhmed’s host. I’m his friend, I’m his guarantor,” the Oscar-winning Redgrave told British media, after bailing Zakayev out
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LONDON,
December 10 (IslamOnline) - Russia on Monday, December 9, officially
requested the extradition from Britain of top Chechen envoy Akhmed
Zakayev, embroiling London in a highly-sensitive case which could sour
close British ties with Moscow.
Russian
prosecutors have sent an extradition request as well as (alleged)
proof of Zakayev’s guilt to London, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor
general’s office told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“The
prosecutor general asks the British authorities to hand over Russian
citizen Zakayev for criminal investigation,” Robert Adelkhanyan,
head of the international department at the prosecutor general's
office, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
“We
think that the documents we presented will be enough to prove the
charges against Zakayev,” Adelkhanyan said.
Zakayev,
43, a top aide to Chechen elected President Aslan Maskhadov, is to
appear in a London court Wednesday, December 11.
Britain’s
Home Office said it was awaiting receipt of the extradition request.
On
December 7, Zakayev said that the Russian state prosecutor had
“served the Chechen cause” by failing to produce evidence to
justify Zakayev’s extradition from Denmark on terrorism charges.
“The
Russian state prosecutor has served my cause and that of all Chechens
by showing Europe what methods it employs,” Zakayev told the Russian
newspaper Kommersant.
“It
is very important that (the terrorism charges levied at me) are put to
the test of the law,” Zakayev said.
“The
European Union has already done so via Denmark but I also want Britain
to cast its judgment,” he said.
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Zakayev appears in a London court Wednesday
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“Denmark
has been criticized as a small country obsessed with democratic and
liberal values, but (Russian Foreign Minister Igor) Ivanov or
(Lower-House Foreign Affairs Head Dmitri) Rogozin would not attack
Britain in that way,” Zakayev argued.
“All
the noise around my name has helped me a great deal, and has drawn
worldwide public attention to the problem between Russia and
Chechnya,” he added.
“It
is our shared tragedy. If we cannot solve it ourselves, the
international community must help us do so,” Zakayev concluded.
Award
winning British actress, Vanessa Redgrave had earlier bailed Zakayev
out, offering to host and do her utmost to help him.
