Qatar sentences two Russians to life imprisonment over assassinating Yander Baieve

A Qatari court yesterday sentenced two Russian convicts of life imprisonment over assassinating former President of Chechenia Salim Khan Yander Baieve in Doha last February.

The chairman of the court, judge Ibrahim al-Nisf, announced life imprisonment ( 25 years) for Anatoly Belashkove and Vasseli Bokitshove, according to the Qatari law after they were convicted of assassinating Yander Baieve.

Al-Nisf accused the Russian leadership of issuing its order of assassinating the former Chechenia leader and that the two assassins committed their crimes at the orders of Moscow, but Russia has always rejected this charge.

The representative of the separatist Chechenia movement Ahmad Zakaieve said that the " sentence proved that the Russian government is practicing terrorism." However, Yander Baieve's widow expressed her satisfaction over the sentence, adding that "the two Russians were obliged to do what was pushed on them by the government of Moscow." The Qatari attorney called for the execution of the two Russians who are accused of implanting a bomb in Yander Baieve car in February and this resulted in his killing together with other two men, while the three were back from the mosque.

The trial had threatened of a diplomatic cut between Qatar and Russia, but observers expect the closing of the file and releasing the two men by the ultimate end. Moscow had expected an alleviated sentence against the two Russian. Russia admitted that the two men were two spies working " against terrorism" in Qatar, but it persist that there is no link between them and the killing of Yander Baieve who resorted to Qatar when the Russian forces invaded the Chechenia republic in 1999.