| Russian intelligence officers will stay at home Qatari Emir Hamad Al Thani presented Russia with a royal gift. Yesterday evening, two Russians, accused in February of this year of involvement in the murder of the leader of the Chechen separatists Zelimkhan Yandarbiev, returned to Moscow on a plane of the state company "Russia" from Doha. As predicted by the Vremya Novostei newspaper , the Russian and Qatari authorities agreed that Yablochkov and Bogachev (these names are indicated in their documents) will sit not in a Qatari prison, but in a Russian prison. On June 30, a Qatari court sentenced them to life imprisonment, which according to local law meant 25 years.
This is a true success of our diplomacy. The leadership of the Security Council and the Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly promised that the intelligence officers will return this winter. As you can see, the promise has been fulfilled. Secretary of the Russian Security Council Igor Ivanov, who had recently flown to Doha without publicity, returned to Moscow on the same flight. He was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov and lawyers.
An agreement, unprecedented for Qatari legal practice, was signed between the countries “on the extradition of criminals” so that they would serve out their sentences in their homeland. As a high-ranking Russian diplomat explained to Vremya Novostey, a “very subtle formulation” was found in the final agreement. The Qataris called the purpose of extradition “to serve a sentence in their homeland.” But Russian lawyers explained to Vremya Novostey that it can also be interpreted as “execution of justice” in the homeland. This means that the punishment can be changed in accordance with Russian legal norms.
The main thing is that our compatriots have returned, there is no longer any reason to fear for their lives and health. According to Vremya Novostei, yesterday they communicated with relatives. It was noticeable that in the Qatari prison the prisoners were kept well - they were not beaten, they were fed well, they were allowed to walk and play sports. So the only reminders of serving time in a hot country were the light tan and beards of the burned-out scouts.
Moscow has always maintained that two middle-aged Russians (presumably GRU officers) were merely collecting analytical information in Qatar. The Russian embassy in Qatar assured Vremya Novostei that these people equipped the embassy with a security system. Elena SUPONINA |
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