16:26, 22 March 2004

Taliban fighters extradited from Guantanamo base to Russia, not allowed to meet relatives

Mothers of captive Taliban fighters extradited from the Guantanamo base, the US, to their native land turned for help to the sub-delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Northern Caucasus on March 18, asking to visit their imprisoned sons in Pyatigorsk, where they are being held. They said their sons were subjected to beatings there.

The mothers themselves, Nina Odizheva and Fatimat Tekayeva, have not been able to meet their sons so far. According to them, they were denied the meeting. ICRC representatives filed a request with Russian Deputy Prosecutor General in the South Federal District Sergey Fridinsky for a written permit and received the reply it would be given only in two weeks.

Lawyer Vladimir Bogoslavtsev, defending interests of Ruslan Odizhev and Rasul Kudayev, told the Caucasian Knot correspondent via phone he did not know whether they would stand trial. "I think there are no legal grounds for the trial," he said.

Editors note: See also the article "US transfers 7 to Russia from Guantanamo base".

Author: Luiza Orazayeva, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot