New Facts in Alleged Chechen Militants Case Delays Court’s Ruling

(Tbilisi. April 15, 2003. Civil Georgia) – The lawyers of one of the alleged Chechen militants submitted to the Supreme Court today evidence proving that he is not the one wanted by Russia.

The Russian Prosecutor’s Office requested to extradite Elkhajiev last year. The documentation included the facts proving that Elkhajiev committed crimes in Chechnya and participated in fights against the Russian troops.

At the trial today the lawyers presented to the court the passport and identification card of the suspected militant proving that he is not Elkhajiev, thus claimed that the his extradition would be illegal.

The prosecutors said that the presented passport and ID were faked and accused the lawyers in deliberate delaying the trial.

The court was to announce the final ruling today, but due to new facts in the case the trial will continue.

The Mtatsminda-Krtsanisi District Court of the capital city ruled on March 13 that two of the three alleged Chechens should be handed over to the Russian side, while extraditing the third one was ruled illegal, because he has a refugee status. Both, defense and prosecution challenge the court ruling and appealed the Supreme Court.

Three persons from Chechnya were in the group of 13 armed men, detained by the Georgian border guards last August for illegal crossing of the border. Georgia has already extradited five of them to Moscow, fulfilling Russia’s demand for extradition.

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