Chechen rebel leaders yesterday signalled a willingness to compromise on demands for independence from Russia in exchange for guarantees to end human rights violations in the republic. In an interview with the FT, Akhmed Zakayev, deputy to Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, said: “We are open to discussions. The important thing is international guarantees for the Chechen people. The form is less important.” Mr Zakayev, who is in London pending an extradition request from Russia, added: “At the moment we have no law at all in Chechnya: whether Russian, international or sharia.” The self-proclaimed republic of Ichkeria split away from Russia in the early 1990s, although it gained scant international recognition and was claimed back by Moscow in both the war of 1994-96 and during the current conflict. Full Story
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