CHECHEN SEPARATISTS STAGE ANOTHER DISARMAMENT SHOW
Vremya Novostei, June 3, 2002, p. 3
On Saturday, more separatists voluntarily laid down their arms in Chechnya. This time it was the 27 men gang headed by field commander Musat Kutiyev, the ringleader himself included. They surrendered to the federal troops on the square in the settlement of Tsentoroi, in front of the house of Mr. Akhmad Kadyrov who had discussed the term of surrender with them. Having ceremoniously handed over the weapons to federal servicemen, the gunmen marched to the prosecutor’s office, where detectives and investigators would be checking their involvement in crimes and terrorist acts. All gunmen who have not committed grave crimes will be released. Accepting the capitulation, Kadyrov said he assumed personal responsibility for every ex-separatist, saying that he had informed President Vladimir Putin of the surrender of Kutiyev’s gang. According to Kadyrov, he had also negotiated the surrender of another splinter group comprising of almost 50 men.
JAILS SANS BORDERS
Vremya Novostei, June 3, 2002, p. 3
European justice ministers met in Berlin last week and agreed to open borders to ordinary citizens and officials of law enforcement agencies. Russia is going to subscribe to most international agreements, according to Justice Minister Yuri Chaika. A Russian-German bilateral treaty on extradition will become one of the first steps in this direction. During a meeting between the two, Mr. Chaika and his German counterpart Gerta Deubler-Gmelin agreed that the last round of negotiations would take place in Moscow on June 17 – 19, and the document itself might be signed in autumn.
Deubler-Gmelin referred to the agreement at the press conference held afterwards to illustrate the necessity of fostering closer cooperation in the sphere of justice between European Union members and other European states.
Chaika advocated for more frequent meetings of European justice ministers. He even suggested the formation of a permanent body to ease efforts of cooperation in this sphere. Actually, Russia was present at the conference as a mere observer, which means that talking about our merging with the common continental justice system is too early.
YURI BUDANOV IS NOT RESPONSIBLE
Izvestia, June 4, 2002, p. 3
The Caucasus District Military Court returned to hearings on the case of Colonel Yuri Budanov yesterday. It considered the request of the Kungayevs’ lawyer Stanislav Markelov for another psychic examination. The last one conducted by specialists of the Serbsky Institute found Budanov to be insane at the moment of committing the crime. Markelov wanted another examination to be conducted by independent specialists. Budanov’s lawyers objected and the state prosecution mentioned that this might take another six months. The request was denied. Judges also have in their possession the result of examinations carried out by Rostov specialists, who concluded that Mr. Budanov had been in a state of emotional turmoil. The result judges decide to refer to will determine the article under which Budanov will be tried. If the court bends towards charges of act of carelessness, the officer may be jailed for up to three years under Article 107. If on the other hand the court decided in favor of emotional turmoil, Budanov may be released.