Chechen chief: Poland trampling freedom

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WARSAW, Poland, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Polish authorities are trampling on the idea of freedom, said a detained leader of Chechnya's so-called government in exile in Warsaw.

Akhmed Zakayev was detained by Polish police near Warsaw who said they were operating at the request of Interpol. Interpol has wanted the man since 2001.

Zakayev said Friday he was surrendering to local authorities when he was detained. He told a Polish daily that it was regrettable that Polish authorities took action.

"The most painful thing is that the Polish authorities trample democratic values fought for by Solidarity," he said in reference to the independent self-governing trade union. "They trample both the fight for freedom of other nations and their own independence from the dictates of foreign politicians."

Zakayev was granted political asylum in Britain in 2003 and denied charges filed by Moscow that he was responsible for armed rebellions, murder and kidnapping in the 1990s wars between Russia and Chechen separatists.

The Polish government didn't say if it would extradite Zakayev to Moscow, though the Warsaw Business Journal reported that it was unlikely.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told Polish radio Friday that any decision would be "in line with our sense of Polish interests, with our sense of justice and we will not fulfill anyone else's expectations."

Zakayev was in Poland to attend a Chechen people's congress. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said from Moscow that he expected Polish authorities to arrest and extradite Zakayev if he attended the two-day conference.

Polish authorities said they were obligated to arrest him because of the Interpol warrant.