Aslakhanov, Aslanbek Ahmedovich

Politician and statesman. Deputy of the State Duma.

Born March 11, 1942, in the village of Novye Atagi, Shalinsky County, Checheno-Ingush ASSR (Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic). In 1959-1961 worked as a road worker and construction brigadier. In 1962-1965, served in the military and studied at distance-education section of Kharkov State Pedagogic Institute, which he graduated from in 1965. In 1965-1967, was an instructor at Mining Institute. In 1967-1975, worked in different positions in MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) structures: was commissary (operupolnomochenny), senior commissary, and head of the Economic Crime Service department. In 1975, graduated from Kharkov State Nutrition Institute as economist major.

In 1975-1979, A.A. Aslakhanov worked in the Baikal-Amur Railroad (BAM) area: was deputy chairman of the city council of Dinamo sports society, militia (police) department head, and deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Department of MVD in Bamstroy (BAM construction site).

In 1981, graduated from MVD Academy. In 1981-1989, was senior special inspector, deputy head and head of the Socialistic Property Theft Prevention Administration (Glavnoe upravlenie po borbe s khischeniyami sotsialisticheckoy sobstvennosti), and Senior Inspector of the Organizational Inspectorial Administration Inspection of the MVD of the USSR.

Aslakhanov became famous after the hostage rescue operation in Mineralnyye Vody airport in 1988. Volunteering to organize the negotiation with the terrorist, Aslakhanov, a then MVD Senior Inspector, accessed the captured airplane board. The hostages were soon freed, and Aslakhanov was awarded the Order of Courage (orden Muzhestva).

In 1990, was elected people's deputy of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic) from Gudermes national constituency No. 138. Was the head of the Law, Order, and Crime Prevention Committee of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation.

Aslakhanov is considered to be one of the politicians who paved the road to power for Djokhar Dudaev in 1991. In August 1991, the Party leader of Checheno-Ingushetia Doku Zavgaev openly supported the GKChP (State Emergency Committee). After the putsch fiasco, general Aslakhanov purposefully arrived from Moscow to Grozny where he spoke at crowded meetings to back Russian reforms and Chechen sovereignty. Even before that, Aslakhanov was general Dudaev's zealous supporter ? he visited him in the Baltic and personally asked him to head the Chechen Republic. According to some testimonials from Aslakhanov's close ones, he was later "awed at what Dudaev started to do" and continually attempted to pacify the latter ? once even together with Mikhail Poltoranin who came to Grozny on this purpose. However, Aslakhanov never became close with Dudaev's most influential enemy in Russia of that time, the Supreme Council Speaker Ruslan Hasbulatov (Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper, September 2000).

In 1992, was appointed the head of Ingushetia Interim Administration. In the same 1992, Aslakhanov created Law Enforcement Employee Association (ARPO ? Assotsiatsiya Rabotnikov Pravookhranitelnykh Organov). ARPO united several structures: consulting, guarding, and juridical. Entrepreneurs, tired of paying to the mafia bandits, could address to ARPO for assistance. To protect its clients, ARPO addressed to Organized Crime Prevention Administration (RUOP) and other law enforcement structures, with which it had special agreements (Kommersant-Vlast, August 2000). In late 1999, created one more social political organization ? Union of Chechnya's Peoples (Soyuz narodov Chechni) whose goal was proclaimed coordination of the citizens of Chechnya residing outside their historic motherland. Starting 1993, lectured in MVD Academy of the Russian Federation. In 1995-1996 repeatedly criticized the actions of the federal forces in Chechnya and demanded conclusion of the military action.

On August 20, 2000, Aslanbek Aslakhanov was elected a State Duma Deputy from the Chechen Republic (received 31% of votes). Joined the Motherland ? Entire Russia (Otechestvo ? vsya Rossiya) faction. Deputy head of the State Duma Commission for Political Reconciliation and Human Rights Watch in the Chechen Republic, deputy head of the State Duma Committee on State Formation.

During the terrorist attack in the Dubrovka Street theater center in October 2002, was one of the intermediaries in negotiations with the terrorists.

Resigned major general.

Author of Democracy Cannot Be Criminal, Mafia, the Fifth Power, and Mafia in Russia with No Sensation.

Master of sports in wrestling, sambo, and judo. Until 1987, was Vice President of Moscow Judo Federation, later was the President of the International Judo Federation uniting CIS countries' athletes.

Married, two children.