Court Discusses Case of Three Alleged Chechen Militants

(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, December 5, 2002) – Mtatsminda-Krtsanisis court in Tbilisi started discussion of the appeal of three Chechen militant suspects wanted by Russia.

On November 28 Georgian General Prosecutor said that Georgia would hand over Chechens to Russia.

Chechens want to suspend their extradition to Russia, due to the invalid determination of their identities.

Georgia agreed to hand over Chechens on the bases of the criminal case initiated by Russia against these three Chechens. But the lawyers say that Chechens detained in Georgia are other persons and the criminal case is initiated against unknown persons, thus extradition will be illegal.

These three Chechens were among those 13 armed persons detained by the Georgian border guards in early August near the Chechen border. Five of them have already been extradited to Russia.