07 February 2005, 23:49
Chechen police do not confirm Basayev's death
Chechen law enforcement agencies have no reliable information concerning the death of Chechen field commander Shamil Basayev. The information about Basayev's alleged death is being checked now, a Chechen police source told the Caucasian Knot correspondent. In the Vedeno district, where Basayev's close relatives live, no facts indicating his death have been noticed.
The police officer said that a few weeks ago, relatives of Aslan Maskhadov's former associate, who died in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), performed appropriate rites. "The body of Arbi Kurbanov, who was a district prefect in Grozny in the time of Maskhadov and who died in the UAE, was delivered home, and he was buried in accordance with our customs. I think if Basayev had really died, funeral rites would have been performed in the house of his relatives. It's possible though that his death is just being kept back," he explained.
Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent
