DOHA, 19 April 2004 — Russia told Qatar yesterday it wanted a “friendly” verdict in the trial of two Russians charged with murdering a former Chechen rebel leader in the country.
The two Russians pleaded not guilty to the murder of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev when they went on trial on April 11. The trial will resume on April 25 to begin hearing witnesses.
“The case is before the Qatari courts, which we respect. We hope they will issue a verdict which conforms with the spirit of friendship between the two states,” Igor Ivanov, secretary of Russia’s National Security Council, said after talks with Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani in Doha.
The Qatari minister said it was up to the courts to decide the verdict, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) said.
“As a Qatari official I cannot say whether they are guilty or not. The courts will look into this matter,” Sheikh Hamad said. Doha would ensure a “positive atmosphere” during and after the trial and see to it that the case did not affect ties with Russia, he added.
Qatar, a key US ally, charged the two Russians in February over a car blast that killed Yandarbiyev, blamed by Russia for the deaths of hundreds of its citizens in a Chechen separatist war. A third Russian was freed and expelled.
Moscow reacted by demanding the release of the two, acknowledging they were spies but saying they were involved in fighting global terror and had nothing to do with the death of Yandarbiyev. The Chechen was added at Russia’s request last year to a UN list of people with suspected links to Al-Qaeda.
Russia accused Qatar of aiding terrorism by giving Yandarbiyev refuge for three years, a charge Doha dismissed.
QNA has said the first defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges but that the second pleaded guilty to a secondary charge of “deception and forgery”. Qatari and Russian officials have declined comment on the trial.
