Russia asks to Extradite Gelaev, Patarkatsishvili

(Moscow, November 10, Interfax-Civil.ge ) Russia’s Prosecutor General’s office officially addressed Georgia for extradition of the Chechen guerrilla commander Gelaev and Russian oligarch Beresovsky’s aide Badri Patarkatsishvili.

“Russian side hopes that Georgian officials would react on this request and take immediate measures,” Deputy Prosecutor General Valentin Simuchenkov told Interfax.

Russia claims that Chechen field commander Gelaev is “the most dangerous criminal and terrorist.” A warrant for his arrest has been issued September last year. Gelaev was suspected in recent escalation in Georgian breakaway province of Abkhazia. According to the Russian sources, wounded Gelaev has been evacuated to central part of Georgia .

Badri Patarkatsishvili, former financial director of the national ORT TV channel and aide to Russia’s financial tycoon Boris Berezovsky’s is wanted for organizing an attempt at jailbreak by former first vice-president of “Aeroflot” national airlines. Patarkatsishvili arrived to Tbilisi last month and was alegedly buying shares of the independent media sources. He allegedly was the financial force behing Kakha Targamadze, Georgia’s infamous Interior Minister dismissed on the wave of public protests on November 1.