Chechen rebel emissary wanted by Russia requests asylum in England

AFP via Babelfish translation ^ | December 6, 2002

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Zakaïev required the political asylum in London, according to one of its partisans

Friday December 06, 2002 - 6h59 GMT

MOSCOW, 6 déc (AFP) - Akhmed Zakaïev, the emissary of the independence president tchetchene Aslan Maskhadov, arrived to Great Britain where it asked the political asylum Friday morning, one of its partisans indicated to the radio operator Echo of Moscow.

Zakaïev was briefly held on its arrival in an airport of London but given in freedom after payment of a guarantee by the actress Vanessa Redgrave, specified with radio operator Alexander Goldfarb, head of the Funds for civil freedoms which supported the leader tchetchene during its démélés with Danish justice.

Zakaïev had left Thursday afternoon Denmark, according to the representative of Tchétchénie in Copenhagen, Ousman Ferzaouli, which had not explicitly revealed its destination, letting however hear that it was Great Britain.

The family of Akhmed Zakaïev resides in London.

Akhmed Zakaïev had arrived to Copenhagen on October 24 of London to take part in the first "world congress" tchetchene on October 28-29 in the Danish capital, whose behaviour had been vigorously denounced by Moscow.

Holder of a valid Schengen visa until November 2, it was to return on October 30 to London.

But the Danish police force had stopped it in the night from the 29 to October 30 on the basis of international warrant for arrest of Interpol emitted at the request of Russia.

It had spent 34 days in provisional detention to Copenhagen at the request of Russia, which claimed its extradition for "terrorist" activities.

It was released after the rejection of this request for extradition by the Danish ministry of Justice, for lack of evidence.