Russia Wants Extradition of Detained Chechens
The Georgian side is still strongly against of conducting military operation in Pankisi and calls upon the armed groups in the gorge to give in their arms. But the Russian side continues pressing over Georgia, demanding international antiterrorist operations in Pankisi, while the fighter jets and helicopters, allegedly Russian, continue to bomb Georgian territories near the border with Chechnya.
State Security Minister of Georgia Valeri Khaburdzania claims that Georgia is able to get rid of illegal armed groups in Pankisi. “If Chechen fighters give up their arms and surrender voluntarily, then the Georgian government will grant a refugee status to them,” Khaburdzania said on August 3 and added that this will not apply to those, who had committed serious crime either in Georgia or the Russian Federation.
Parallel to this, Russian politicians keep urging the Kremlin to conduct antiterrorist operation in Pankisi. However, recently formulation of the demand has changed and now Moscow talks about the UN mandate.
“There is no other choice. Russia shall start consultations with the Security Council to determine whether the UN mandate is necessary to conduct combat operations in the gorge” – Sergei Margelov, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Russian Federation Council, said on August 4.
Chairman of the Upper House of the Russian State Duma Sergei Mironov also talked about possibility of Russia’s request to the UN regarding conduction of the antiterrorist operation. However, both senators mentioned that there might be only an issue of international antiterrorist operation, involving antiterrorist coalition member states along with the Georgian and Russian armed forces.
Official position of Tbilisi regarding use of foreign force in Pankisi remains unchanged. At August 5 briefing President Shevardnadze strongly excluded possibility of use of a foreign forces for restoring order in Pankisi. The Georgian government declares that the country is able to resolve the problem independently. Georgia tries to show Russia that it has both ability and will to do so.
On August 3 Georgian border guards captured 7 Chechen fighters who have illegally crossed the state border. Another group of 6 Chechen fighters was detained on August 5. Some of them had injuries.
Nika Laliashvili, Press Secretary of the State Security Ministry told the Civil Georgia “the captured Chechens are charged for illegal crossing of the state border and carrying of automatic weapons and explosives and will be tried in accordance with the Georgian laws”.
Russian President Vladimer Putin urged the Georgian side on August 5 to extradite detuned Chechen fighters to Russia. Putin said he welcomed the capture of the Chechens as a first sign that Georgian authorities are concerned with the need to fight international terrorism.
“We shall make judgments about how serious the intentions of the Georgian government are to fight terrorism depending on how fast these criminals will be placed in Lefortovo prison [in Moscow].”
The areas where the Chechen fighters were detained was bombed by the fighter jets on August 4, which entered the Georgian airspace from Russia, though the Russian side categorically denies bombardments of the Georgian territories. Georgian President Shevardnadze said at the news briefing on August 5, 2002 that the Georgian side “will not use the extreme measures and will not down helicopters violating Georgian airspace.” He expressed hope that the Russian side will prevent this kind of provocations against Georgia.
The US expresses full support for the Georgia’s policy towards Pankisi problem. In addition to the statement of support, made by the State Department on July 31, the American congressmen expressed uphold to Georgia during their recent visit to Tbilisi as well.
Head of the delegation, congressman David Dreier stated after the meeting with President Shevardnadze on August 3: “I want to say on behalf of my colleagues that we are very impressed with what we’ve seen as Georgia faces the extraordinary challenge of dealing with the threat of international terrorism. The United States strongly supports the Georgian government and their request to bring about a resolution to the challenge that exists there [Pankisi gorge]”.
Despite all these, real perspective that the Georgian government will be really able to solve the problem remains obscured. The only hope is the US funded Georgia Train-and-Equip Program, second phase of which ended on August 2.
Giorgi Sepashvili, Civil Georgia
