June 8
QATAR:
Court Asked to Sentence Russian Spies to Death
Qatari prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for 2 Russian spies
accused of killing a Chechen rebel leader, defense lawyers said on
Tuesday.
A Qatari court closed to the public heard closing arguments from the Gulf
state's prosecutors, who say the Russians planted a bomb in Zelimkhan
Yandarbiyev's car in February, killing him and 2 others traveling home
with him from a mosque.
His 13-year-old son was also severely injured and the bombing shocked tiny
oil-rich Qatar, which prides itself on its security and low crime rate.
Moscow insists the 2 men are unconnected to the attack on Yandarbiyev, who
was briefly president of Chechnya after rebels defeated the Russian army
in 1996. But it acknowledges they are spies who were engaged in
anti-terrorist work in Qatar.
"The prosecutor asked for the highest form of punishment, that they be
sentenced to death," said Ilya Levitov, spokesman for law firm Egorov,
Puginsky, Afanasiev & Partners, in Moscow.
"The judge said today that the verdict will be announced on June 30."
The trial threatened to cause a diplomatic breach between the 2 countries.
Russian politicians have been outraged, particularly by allegations that
the spies were tortured, and the government has expressed concern.
"Russia is doing everything possible to bring the Russians detained in
Qatar back to their homeland," said a foreign ministry spokesman, quoted
by Itar-Tass news agency.
Levitov said the prosecutors had tried to quash the torture allegations in
Tuesday's summing up comments.
"The prosecution attempted to disprove that torture was used on our
fellow-citizens," said a statement from the law firm.
"(The prosecution) argued that the confessions were made 4 days after the
arrest and said that, if torture had been used, they would have confessed
earlier."
Russia briefly arrested 2 Qatari wrestlers in what appeared to be a
retaliatory move after its spies were arrested, but has since said it will
respect the court's decision. Analysts said the conciliatory words
reflected a backroom deal that Qatar would pardon the men after the trial.
Yandarbiyev fled Chechnya after the Russian army stormed back into the
region in 1999, and went into exile in Qatar. He said he had no further
active role in the Chechen resistance, which still kills Russian police
and troops daily.
Yandarbiyev was added at Moscow's request to a list of people with
suspected links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda group, but the rebel denied
the charge.
(source: Reuters)
