MOSCOW Ñ Russia has renewed its criticism of what it terms Saudi Arabia's
support for Islamic insurgency groups.
Russian officials said despite numerous appeals the Saudi kingdom
continues to provide money and religious guidance to Chechen insurgency
groups. They said Riyad has harbored Chechen fugitives and helped finance
their training in the war for independence against Moscow, Middle East Newsline reported.
The officials cited a sentencing last month by a Saudi court of two
Chechen insurgents convicted of hijacking a Russian aircraft to Saudi
Arabia. Deni Magomersaev and Iriskhan Arsaev were sent to six and four years
in prison, respectively, for the March 2001 hijacking, in which a Russian
stewardess were killed.
The court case came after Saudi Arabia refused to extradite the Chechens
to Russia for prosecution. Instead, the two men underwent proceedings in an
Islamic court.
"This sentence was very mild," Russian government deputy chief of staff
Aleksei Volin said last week. "It makes Saudi Arabia a sanctuary for
terrorists."
Volin said the sentencing by the Islamic court was much lighter than the
punishment Saudi authorities mete for common thieves. Islamic law calls for
the amputation of the hand of a thief.
