Anatoly Bilashkov and Vassily Pokchov were jailed for 25 years -- the life term in Qatar -- for the Feb. 13 killing of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, a former Chechen president who lived in exile in Doha.

The court accused the "Russian leadership" of being behind the killing.

"In August (2003), the Russian leadership gave the order to kill and liquidate former Chechen President Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev," the judge charged.

"The two Russian intelligence officers, who served as diplomats in the Russian Embassy in Qatar" worked out "the assassination details," the judge added.

"Moscow considers that the two Russian citizens detained in Qatar had nothing to do with the assassination of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Jakarta after the ruling.

"Respecting Qatar's judicial proceedings, our lawyers will appeal the decision. We will keep up our efforts to quickly return the Russians to their homeland."

The Japan Times Weekly: July 10, 2004
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