Former militant from Salman Raduev's group surrenders in Chechnya

A local resident, 37, who for some time had been a fighter of the regiment of field commander Salman Raduev (who had been sentenced to life imprisonment and died in Solikamsk colony in December 2002 under unclear circumstances), has surrendered to employees of law enforcement bodies in the Oktiabrskiy District of the capital of Chechnya.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by a source in law enforcement bodies of the Republic. As he said, the former Raduev fighter was persuaded to plead guilty by the employees of the Oktiabrskiy ROVD (District Militia) of Grozny.

In the opinion of one of human rights activists, there are no factual grounds to suspect the former militant of committing any serious crimes.

"Both Salman Raduev and all his subordinates, who participated in attacks on Kizlyar and Pervomaiskoe in Dagestan, were later amnestied by a special decision of Russian State Duma in exchange for release of Novosibirsk militiamen captured by them in Pervomaisk. Nevertheless, it did not stop Russian special agencies from seizing Salman Raduev in March 2000 (who actually took no part in the second Chechen war) and taking him to Moscow. Then, Raduev was sentenced to life imprisonment as a terrorist, and in December 2002 he was murdered in 'Bely Lebed' (White Swan) in Solikamsk of the Perm Territory," he asserts. "Moreover, periodically, our valorous 'enforcers' are reporting captures of his former subordinates, although, as in the latter case, the detainees might have nothing to do with committing grave crimes."