Russia has filed a formal request with Poland to extradite exiled Chechen leader Akhmed Zakayev to face trial on murder, kidnap and terrorism charges, Polish prosecutors said today.
Mr Zakayev was arrested and briefly detained in Poland last week while attending a meeting of Chechen separatists.
After his release, he flew back to London, where he has lived since Britain gave him political asylum in 2003. But he says he will return to Poland to fight his extradition if the case goes ahead.
Poland's prosecutor's office said it had received Russia's motion to extradite Mr Zakayev, marking the start of the process. "The motion is very complex, it will take us some time to decide if we are going to support it in the Polish court," said prosecutor's office spokeswoman Monika Lewandowska.
The prosecutors have until Friday to decide whether to appeal against a Polish court ruling last week that freed Mr Zakayev while the extradition process is being considered.
Mr Zakayev, a senior commander in two separatist wars with Moscow in the 1990s, represents the moderate wing of the Chechen separatist movement. Accused by Russia of being a terrorist, he has been subject to an international arrest warrant since 2001.
Chechen rebels conducting an insurgency in the North Caucasus called last year for Mr Zakayev to be killed, accusing him of abandoning Islam.
Speaking at a news conference in London, Mr Zakayev said a British court had already rejected Russia's evidence to support its extradition request.
He accused the Russian government of seeking to "eliminate me, politically or physically" and said he was prepared to return to Poland to fight the case in the courts.
"Any time that Polish prosecutors want to see me, I will go to Poland," Mr Zakayev told reporters. "What happened in Poland shows Russia's real position. They do not want stability and peace (in Chechnya). This is why they want to continue politically motivated prosecutions against me."
A British court turned down a Russian request to extradite Mr Zakayev in November 2003. Judge Timothy Workman accused the Russian government of seeking to extradite Mr Zakayev "on account of his nationality and his political opinions."
Mr Zakayev faced a substantial risk of being tortured if he was sent back to Russia, the judge added.
A European Union spokeswoman said last week that a person granted asylum by one EU country generally enjoyed protection in other EU states. Both Poland and Britain are EU members.
Reuters