|
Britain grants Chechen rebel political asylum Chechen rebel leader Akhmed Zakayev, charged with murder and kidnapping by Russia, has been granted asylum in Britain, the Home Office said on Saturday. Russia, which sees its fight against Chechen rebels as part of the global "war on terrorism", has already criticised Britain's decision not to extradite Zakayev, accusing London of double standards. The EU has criticised Russia for human rights abuses in Chechnya. Zakayev has been in Britain since December last year and requested asylum within days of his arrival. He said he feared he would be killed if he returned to Russia, which accuses him of atrocities dating from the first of two wars in the breakaway Russian region from 1994-96. Earlier this month Britain rejected Russia's bid to extradite him, saying there was a substantial risk he would tortured if he were sent to Moscow for trial. That decision drew an angry response from Moscow, warning of damage to otherwise friendly Russian-British relations. "We can confirm Mr Zakayev has been granted refugee status. His application (for asylum) has been successful," a Home Office spokesman said. Russia had sought to extradite Zakayev on 13 charges from the mid- 1990s. Russia first asked for his extradition during the notorious Moscow theatre siege last year, when a Chechen "suicide squad" held hundreds of hostages prisoner. In the years between the first Chechen war and his flight to Britain, Zakayev became the chief Chechen peace negotiator, meeting Russian officials in Moscow as recently as 2001. Russian forces left Chechnya in defeat in 1997 at the end of the first war but returned in 1999. They have failed to restore peace in the region and still fall prey to frequent guerrilla attacks. In the past year, Chechens have increasingly turned to suicide bomb attacks on targets both inside Chechnya and in other parts of Russia. //Reuters// Russian foreign minister sharply criticizes London for granting political asylum to chechen emissary LONDON, November 29 (RIA Novosti correspondent Alexander Smotrov) - Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov sharply criticized the British Home Office and its head David Blunkett for provision of political asylum to Akhmed Zakayev, emissary of Chechen separatists. In his interview to The Times the Russian minister stated that "such a decision was a shock for multiple terrorist victims in Chechnya and other Russian cities." He warned that if Britain continued providing asylum to terrorists it might harm bilateral cooperation in the struggle against international terrorism. Igor Ivanov stressed that he was hopeful that "such a decision would not create a precedent and would be the last of its kind." According to him, alternatively "any terrorist would attempt to present himself as a political victim and thus would avoid legal consequences." According to Ivanov, the decision to provide asylum to the Chechen emissary was part of the ongoing Western problem of "double standards" in relation to terrorism. The Russian foreign minister stated that he did no criticize the verdict of the British court on Zakayev's extradition as the court explained that decision by lack of sufficient evidence presented by the Russian side to extradite Zakayev. But Ivanov made it clear that the decision to provide political asylum to the emissary of Chechen terrorists was a "political and unacceptable decision." Ivanov linked the decision to the new anti-Russian campaign in the West on the Chechen issue. At the same time the minister stressed that nobody in the West was paying attention to positive changes in Chechnya. The head of the Russian foreign ministry stated that "universities were opened there, children went to school, but nobody is talking about positive transformations." The British Home Office took the decision to grant political asylum to Akhmed Zakayev several days ago but it was not made public. Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman(D-CT) today introduced legislation urging the President to suspendRussia’s membership in the Group of Eight (G-8) industrializeddemocracies until the Russian Government ends its assault on politicalfreedom, independent media, and the rule of law and demonstrates itscommitment to the democratic principles that unite all other members ofthe G-8. The McCain-Lieberman resolution would express the Sense of Congress thatthe Russian Government’s selective prosecution of its politicalopponents, suppression of free media, and commission of widespreadatrocities against civilians in Chechnya do not reflect the minimumstandards of democratic governance and rule of law that characterizeevery other member of the G-8. Their resolution would condition Russia’s participation in the G-8 onits adherence to democratic norms and standards, including the rule oflaw; a court system free of political influence and manipulation; a freeand independent media; a political system open to participation by allcitizens and which protects freedom of expression and association; andthe protection of universally recognized human rights. TheMcCain-Lieberman resolution urges the President to work with the othermembers of the G-7 to suspend Russia’s participation in the G-8 until itdemonstrates its commitment to those democratic principles. “ The United States must not remain silent as a creeping coup againstthe forces of democracy and market capitalism in Russia threatens thefreedom of the Russian people and the foundation of U.S.-Russiarelations,” said Senator McCain. “I believe it is time for a hard-headedand dispassionate reconsideration of American policy in response to theresurgence of authoritarian forces in Moscow. It is time to send asignal to President Putin’s government that undemocratic behavior willexclude Russia from the company of Western democracies.” “President Putin’s assault on democracy in Russia violates the spirit ofth Group of Eight industrialized democracies,” said Senator Lieberman.“It also breaks the commitment Russia made when it was invited to jointhe group. We should use the leverage of G-8 membership to get Russiaback on the democratic track. To allow Russia to remain a member as itcontinues to suppress political opposition parties and silence free andindependent media would make a mockery of the democratic principles thatbind the G-8 together.” Congressmen Tom Lantos, ranking member on the House InternationalRelations Committee, and Chris Cox, Chairman of the House PolicyCommittee, introduced identical legislation in the House. http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Newscenter.ViewPressRelease&Content_id=1190 |