Chechens Released from Prison Still Afraid of Extradition

Chechens Released from Prison Still Afraid of Extradition

Released Chechens Still Being Watched by Security Forces

The term of imprisonment for  the five Chechens arrested  by Georgian law enforcers in the summer of 2002 for illegally crossing the Georgian-Russian border and illegally transporting weapons has  come to an end. Four of the Chechen prisoners have already been released, and the fifth,  Kist Giorgi Kushtanashvili, will return to his family shortly. However, despite their release, these former Chechen prisoners do not feel safe in Georgia and ask both the Georgian Government and non-governmental organizations for help. According to a statement made by  the mother of one of the released Chechens named Aslanbeg  Khanchukaev, her son is the subject of constant observation and pressure from law enforcers who have been watching him ever since he has been released.  According to the Russian Government, the decision of the Georgian Supreme Court regarding the five Chechen prisoners was loyal and demands their extradition to the Russian Federation.

In the summer of 2002 Georgian law enforcers detained five Chechens; Aslanbeg Khanchukaev, Akhmed Magamedov, Khazmag Isaev, Aliev and Giorgi Kushtanashvili for illegally crossing the Georgian-Russian border and illegally transporting weapons. In its final ruling on the case, on November 25th 2003, the Georgian Supreme Court reduced the four-year-long imprisonment of Khanchukaev, Magamedov, Isaev and Kushtanashvili to two years and five months and sentenced Aliev to two years and eight months imprisonment because he had been tried once before.

Four of the Chechens have recently been released; Aliev on December 31st , 2004, Aslanbeg Khanchukaev on January 5th 2005, and both Khazmad Isaev and Akhmed Magamedov on January 6th 2005. Giorgi Kushatnashvili should be released in the near future.

Makar Khanchukaeva, mother of one of the released Chechen prisoners, Aslanbeg Khanchukaev, says that her son is being watched by the Georgian Security Service. On January 5th 2005, shortly after his release from prison, he noticed a white car which belonged to a Georgian Security Service employee outside of his friend Meka Khangoshvili’s house.  Makar Khanchukaeva is convinced that three Security Service personnel followed Aslanbeg Khanchukaev as soon as he left the prison. Although Khanchukaev has been moved to a safer place by his relatives, his mother asks the Georgian Government as well as non-governmental organizations to ensure her son's safety.

According to the Ministry of Exterior of the Russian Federation, these five Chechen prisoners should not have been released, and their discharge will not improve the relationship between Georgia and Russia. The Ministry of Exterior recently issued the following statement: "the Russian side has several times brought up the issue of extraditing the Chechens. Extradition of five persons has been made possible but Georgia refused to extradite others who had crossed the border illegally carrying weapons.”

Prepared by Nino Bestavashvili based on the information of "Media News"