Ambassador says Denmark cannot legally extradite Chechen envoy to Russia

AFP via Babelfish translation | October 30, 2002

[HAL9000]

Denmark cannot legally extradite Mr. Zakaïev (ambassador)

Wednesday October 30, 2002 - 9h53 GMT

MOSCOW, Oct. 30 (AFP) - Denmark cannot according to its laws extradite towards Russia the emissary of the independence president tchetchene Aslan Maskhadov, Akhmed Zakaïev, declared Wednesday the ambassador from Denmark in Moscow, Lars Vissing, on the radio operator Echo of Moscow.

"Denmark does not have any treaty of extradition with Russia and even if it had one of them, we cannot extradite somebody towards a country where one applies the death penalty", explained the ambassador.

Russia adopted a moratorium on the application of the death penalty since 1996 but did not modify its legislation on the matter yet.

"Whatever the application of the moratorium on the death penalty, from which profits such or such person in Russia, the process is not simple, because the death penalty is applicable in Russia", judged the ambassador.

The emissary of the independence president tchetchene Aslan Maskhadov, Akhmed Zakaïev, was stopped Wednesday in a hotel in Copenhagen by the Danish police force at the request of the Russian authorities.

It is suspected by Russia of being "one of the planners of the taking of hostages in a theatre of Moscow (October 23-26), and of having taken part in several terrorist actions of 1996 to 1999", according to an official statement signed by the director of the police force of Copenhagen, Hanne Bech Hansen.

"the Russian authorities must send an official request for extradition within 30 day following this arrest. And it is the ministry for Justice, in co-operation with the police force of Copenhagen, which will make a decision on this extradition ", underlined Mrs. Hansen.

"a decision on a possible extradition can be carried in front of the courts" which will slice in last spring, it added.

[Dante3]

Danes - a spineless people. But they are pretty good at holding hands, swaying side to side as they sing "Wonderful, Wonderful, Copenhagen".

[Brad C.]

So Putin comes out and declares that he is going to hunt down terrorists whereever they are, and the Danes say "Gee, you can't have the guy you think is most responsible". Or, in the words of another Dane "To be, or not to be..."

I just don't think it is a good idea to piss Putin off right now.

[frossca]

Sounds like a job for Spetsnaz...