LONDON, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- A London court rejected a Russian request Thursday for the extradition of Chechen envoy Akhmed Zakayev, the BBC reported.
The court accepted a plea by lawyers for Zakayev that he would not get a fair trial and even could face torture in Russia.
Zakayev is accused of a range of crimes including kidnapping, taking part in the murder of Russian soldiers and fomenting war.
The allegations relate to incidents between October 1995 and December 2000 when Chechnya was fighting for independence.
But the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office said the court had attempted to find a political overtone in what was a purely criminal case.
"Once again, terrorists are being split into two groups -- good terrorists and bad ones," the office said in a statement.
This is the third time in recent months Britain turned down a Russian request for the extradition of one of its citizens.
