Akhmed Zakayev

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Akhmed Halidovich Zakayev (Template:Langx; Template:Langx; born 26 April 1959) is a Chechen statesman, political and military figure of the unrecognised Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (ChRI). Having previously been a Deputy Prime Minister, he now serves as Prime Minister of the ChRI government-in-exile. He was also the Foreign Minister of the Ichkerian government, appointed by Aslan Maskhadov shortly after his 1997 election, and again in 2006 by Abdul Halim Sadulayev. An active participant in the Russian-Chechen wars, Zakayev took part in the battles for Grozny and the defense of Goyskoye, along with other military operations, as well as in high-level negotiations with the Russian side.<ref>Chechyna’s Theatre of War: Akhmed Zakayev – actor, politician and former resistance fighter – talks to Vanora Bennett Template:Sic Template:Webarchive, The Liberal, 2007</ref>

In 2002, Russia accused him, by then in exile, of having been involved in a series of crimes including involvement in acts of terrorism.<ref name="bbc_2002">UK actress defends Chechen rebel Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 6 December 2002</ref><ref name="bbc_accused">Chechen accused of terror acts Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 9 June 2003</ref> In 2003, judge Timothy Workman of Bow Street Magistrates' Court in central London rejected the extradition request due to lack of evidence and declared the accusations to be politically motivated, also saying that there was substantial risk of Zakayev being tortured if he was returned to Moscow.<ref>The Zakayev Case: Cui Bono? Template:Webarchive, Prague Watchdog, 5 August 2003</ref><ref name="autogenerated2003">Court rejects Chechen extradition Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 13 November 2003</ref>

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Zakayev has announced formation of the Separate Special Purpose Battalion of the Chechen Armed Forces, functioning as a Chechen volunteer battalion fighting with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

BiographyEdit

Early lifeEdit

Akhmed Zakayev was born in the settlement of Kirovskiy, Kirovskiy Raion (today called Balpyk Bi, Koksu District), in the Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union, which is now in Almaty Region, in Kazakhstan; his family was deported by Stalin's regime along with the rest of the Chechens in 1944. Akhmed is from the teip Chinkhoy. He graduated from acting and choreography schools in Voronezh and Moscow and worked as an actor at a theatre in the Chechen capital Grozny, specializing in Shakespearean roles. From 1991, he was the chairman of the Chechen Union of the Theatrical Actors. In 1994, Zakayev became a Minister of Culture in the Chechen separatist government of Dzhokhar Dudayev.

Chechen wars and the interwar periodEdit

After Russian forces entered Chechnya, starting the First Chechen War, Zakayev left his job and took up arms. Serving at first as a minor commander in the unit of Ruslan Gelayev, he took part in the 1995 battle of Grozny and then led the defence of the village of Goyskoye. After this the armed group under his command operated in the south-west part of Chechnya with its headquarters in the town of Urus-Martan. He was eventually promoted to the rank of brigadier general and appointed commander of the Urus-Martan Front. In February 1996, Zakayev became commander of the entire Western Group of Defense of Ichkeria. In August 1996, his forces took part in the decisive raid on Grozny,<ref>Risky Walk in Rebel-Held Chechen Capital Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, 14 August 1996</ref> where he personally led the attack on the city's central railway station.<ref>Moscow Gives More Evidence On Zakayev Template:Webarchive, The St. Petersburg Times, 3 December 2002</ref> Zakayev's war service paved his way to Chechen high politics. He became the acting president Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev's advisor for the security matters and the secretary of the Chechen Security Council and represented Chechnya at the peace talks in Khasav-Yurt, which brought a peaceful end to the first armed conflict between Moscow and Grozny.

After the war, Zakayev became Chechen Deputy Prime Minister (in charge of education and culture) and a special envoy of elected President of Ichkeria Aslan Maskhadov for relations with Moscow, taking part in the delegation that signed the official Chechen-Russian peace treaty at the Kremlin in 1997.<ref>Chechnya: The Turning Point That Wasn't, RFE/RL, 11 May 2007 Template:Webarchive</ref> During the interwar period, he opposed the rise of radical Islam in Chechnya and co-authored a book entitled Wahhabism – the Kremlin's remedy against national liberation movements, alleging an association between Islamist extremism and Soviet global "pro-terrorist" policy and support for dictatorships in the Muslim world. During the early phases of the Second Chechen War in 1999–2000, Zakayev commanded Maskhadov's presidential guard; he was also involved in negotiations with Russian representatives before and during the resumed hostilities. In 2000, having been wounded in a car accident during the new siege of Grozny, he left Chechnya for treatment. After this he stayed abroad and became President Maskhadov's most prominent representative in Western Europe, while Ilyas Akhmadov was the Chechen emissary to the United States.

In exileEdit

Since January 2002, Zakayev and his immediate family have been residing permanently in the United Kingdom. On 18 November 2001, Zakayev, officially internationally wanted by Russia, flew from Turkey to the Sheremetyevo International Airport near Moscow to meet the Kremlin's envoy, General Viktor Kazantsev for the high-level talks since the start of the war.<ref>Moscow opens Chechnya peace talks Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 18 November 2001</ref><ref>Russian, Chechen Rebel Envoy Hold First Talks Since War Began, Los Angeles Times, 19 November 2001</ref><ref>Kremlin and Rebel Envoys Discuss Peace for Chechnya Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, 19 November 2001</ref><ref>Russia opens talks with Chechens Template:Webarchive, CNN, 19 November 2001</ref><ref>Chechnya Peace Talks Get Under Way Template:Webarchive, The St. Petersburg Times, 20 November 2001</ref> These negotiations were fruitless because Kazantsev demanded a complete capitulation of the Chechen side, with the only acceptable topic for the Russian side being the disarmament of Chechen separatists and their re-integration into civilian life.<ref>Long negotiations with unclear results Template:Webarchive, Prague Watchdog, 16 November 2001</ref> On 18 July 2002, Zakayev also met with the former secretary of Security Council of Russia Ivan Rybkin in Zürich, Switzerland.<ref>Prominent Candidates for Russia's Presidency Template:Webarchive, Pravda, 12 December 2004</ref>

In October 2002, Zakayev organized the World Chechen Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark (which was attended among others by the former first speaker of the State Duma, Ruslan Khasbulatov). During the congress, Zakayev was accused by Russia of involvement in planning of the Moscow theater hostage crisis. He was detained there on 30 October 2002, under an Interpol warrant filed by Russia, which named him a suspect in the theater siege.<ref>Russian to the Core Template:Webarchive, Time, 3 November 2002</ref><ref name="dissident">Alex Goldfarb and Marina Litvinenko. "Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB." Free Press, New York, 2007. Template:ISBN.</ref> Zakayev denied involvement in the theater capture. He was held in Denmark for five weeks and then released due to lack of evidence, as Russia's formal extradition request did not include any evidence linking him to the siege.<ref name="dissident"/><ref>Russia pushes for Chechen extradition Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 2 November 2002</ref><ref>Denmark frees top Chechen envoy Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 3 December 2002</ref><ref>Zakayev Evidence On Shaky Ground Template:Webarchive, The St. Petersburg Times, 19 November 2002</ref>

On 7 December 2002, Zakayev returned to the UK but the British authorities arrested him briefly at London Heathrow Airport; he was released on 50,000 GBP bail, which was paid by British actress Vanessa Redgrave, his friend who had travelled with him from Denmark. He was accused by Russian authorities of 13 criminal acts.<ref name="bbc_accused"/> Zakayev welcomed the British deportation hearings as an opportunity to put his case before an international public.<ref>Zakayev Welcomes Deportation Trial, Institute for War and Peace Reporting, 21 February 2003</ref> All accusations were proven to be false.<ref name="dissident"/> One accusation, cutting fingers of a suspected FSB informer Ivan Solovyov, was based on a written testimony by Zakayev's former bodyguard, Duk-Vakha Dushuyev, provided by Russian authorities; however, it appeared that Solovyev had lost his fingers much earlier to frostbite. Dushuyev himself has escaped from Russia and then in his statement claimed that he was tortured at a Russian army base with electric shocks to extort the false testimony to be used against Zakayev.<ref name="dissident"/><ref>Key witness in Chechen extradition case 'was tortured', The Independent, 25 July 2003 Template:Dead link</ref><ref>Evidence gathered by torture Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 31 July 2003</ref><ref>Kadyrov Accused of Intimidation Template:Webarchive, The St. Petersburg Times, 9 September 2003</ref> In another accusation, Father Sergei, one of two Russian Orthodox Church priests allegedly murdered by Zakayev, turned out to be in fact still alive. The witness Reverend Filipp, allegedly kidnapped by Zakayev in 1996, also refuted his supposed testimony and even denounced Russian authorities for "implicating the Church in politics". Leading Russian human rights activist Sergei Kovalev told the court Zakayev would be at risk of death in Russian captivity (Kovalev spoke about two high-profile Chechen prisoners, field commanders Salman Raduyev and Turpal-Ali Atgeriyev, who died soon after being jailed in Russia, and of another, parliamentary speaker Ruslan Alikhadzhiyev, who has "disappeared" without trace after his arrest in 2000).<ref name=mrY/> According to Alexander Goldfarb, one of the defence's most important arguments was the 2001 meeting between Zakayev and General Kazantsev, since this meeting took place when the Chechen envoy had already been put by Russia on the international wanted list. At the time of the meeting Kremlin's spokesman on Chechnya Sergei Yastrzhembsky said on television that Russian government had no grievances against Zakayev.<ref name="mrY">Zakayev saved by Mr Y Template:Webarchive, Gazeta.Ru, 2003/07/01</ref> Therefore, on 13 November 2003, Judge Timothy Workman rejected the Russian request, deciding that it was politically motivated and that Zakayev would be at risk of torture in the case of "unjust and oppressive" extradition.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/><ref>Judge rejects bid to extradite Chechen rebel leader, The Guardian, 13 November 2003</ref><ref>Russia Loses Fight Over Chechen's Extradition, The New York Times, 29 November 2008</ref> The judge also said the crimes which involved Zakayev allegedly using armed force against combatants were not extraditable because they took place in the situation of internal armed conflict.<ref>Chechen rebel defeats Putin's extradition plea Template:Webarchive, The Telegraph, 13 November 2003</ref><ref>Russian request to extradite Chechen exile is turned down Template:Dead link Template:Cbignore, The Independent, 14 November 2003</ref> Russian authorities in turn responded by accusing the court of double standards.<ref>UK accused of hypocrisy on terror Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 13 November 2003</ref> On 29 November 2003, it was announced that Zakayev had been granted political asylum in the UK.<ref>Chechen envoy granted UK asylum Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 9 November 2003</ref>

After receiving political asylum in Britain in 2003, Zakayev made London his permanent residence, and he visited several countries (including France, Germany and Poland) without being arrested. During the September 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis, Zakayev consented to the request of the civilian negotiators and authorities of North Ossetia–Alania to fly to Russia to negotiate with the hostage takers. However, the siege ended in bloody confusion just a few hours before this could happen.<ref>Zakayev Was Asked to Assist in Negotiations at the School Template:Webarchive, The Moscow Times, 6 September 2004.</ref><ref>New Details Emerge on Maskhadov's Bid to Mediate in Beslan, The Jamestown Foundation, 6 January 2006 Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Communication Breakdown Template:Webarchive, Time, 12 September 2004</ref> As an envoy of Maskhadov, he also met in London with the representatives of the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia in February 2005, where they agreed on a peace proposal centred around a gradual cessation of violence by rebels corresponding with the three-week ceasefire unilaterally declared by Maskhadov (who once again called for President of Russia Vladimir Putin to negotiate). These efforts were ignored by the Russian government and Maskhadov himself was soon killed in Chechnya.

On 31 October 2007, Zakayev officially distanced himself from the newly resigned Chechen separatist leader Doku Umarov and the Chechen Islamist ideologist Movladi Udugov, who together had declared the creation of Caucasus Emirate in the place of abolished ChRI. In response, Zakayev called for the remnants of the separatist parliament to form the new government and salvage legitimacy.<ref>Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Template:Webarchive, Chechenpress, 31 October 2007</ref> Soon after, on 20 November 2007, Zakayev submitted his resignation from the post of foreign minister, but said this should not be viewed as a departure from "the fight for our independence, our freedom, and for the recognition of our state".<ref>Foreign Minister Of Chechen Separatist Government Resigns Template:Webarchive, RFE/RL, 20 November 2007</ref> He subsequently assumed the position of prime minister of the exile government.<ref name="caucasuswatch" /> In September 2008, Ramzan Kadyrov said he was now trying to persuade Chechens refugees and exiles to return, including Akhmed Zakayev, whom Kadyrov described as "a valuable artist who would be welcome to return to help revive Chechnya's cultural heritage."<ref>US 'provoked Russia-Georgia war' Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 10 September 2008</ref> Zakayev and Alla Dudayeva, the widow of the first Chechen President Dzhokhar Dudayev, accused Udugov of being a paid agent provocateur for the Russia's FSB.<ref>Russia: Is North Caucasus Resistance Still Serious Threat?, RFE/RL, 1 November 2007 Template:Webarchive</ref>

In London, Zakayev became friends with the Russian dissident and former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko, later murdered by radioactive poisoning in November 2006;<ref>Litvinenko laid to rest in historic Highgate Template:Dead link Template:Cbignore, The Telegraph, 08/12/2006</ref> Zakayev accused the Russian President Putin of ordering the death of Litvinenko. In 2007, British police warned Zakayev that there was an increased threat to his personal security shortly before the alleged attempt to kill Berezovsky by the FSB-connected Chechen gangster Movladi Atlangeriyev (or "Mr A").<ref>Police feared assassination for two Russian dissidents Template:Webarchive, The Guardian, 22 July 2007</ref> According to the KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky in 2008, Zakayev was placed #2 on the FSB assassination list, between Berezovsky and Litvinenko.Template:Citation needed In January 2008, Zakayev's name showed up on the purported hit list of Ramzan Kadyrov's enemies abroad to be killed, which was published on the Internet following the murder of the Chechen dissident Umar Israilov (a former bodyguard of Kadyrov who was shot dead after receiving asylum in Austria).<ref>Slain exile's family warns of death list, The Australian, 26 January 2009 Template:Dead link Template:Cbignore</ref> Zakayev was arrested by the Polish police during his visit to Poland on 17 September 2010.<ref>Chechen separatist leader Zakayev 'arrested' in Poland Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 17 September 2010</ref> He was released the same day.

In 2021, Zakayev expressed his condolences to the friends and relatives of the killed head of "Islamic State – Caucasus Province", Aslan Byutukayev, calling him and his followers "best of the best representatives of our people", a statement that met criticism from Ramzan Kadyrov.<ref>Рамзан Кадыров пригрозил посадить в подвал или убить Ахмеда Закаева Template:In lang</ref>

In September 2021, Zakayev released a statement on behalf of the Chechen government-in-exile regarding the Fall of Kabul and the conquest of Afghanistan by the Taliban. According to researcher Aslan Doukaev, the statement was "cautious", as it voiced concerns over "possible violations of fundamental human rights" and urged the Taliban to not abuse their power, pointing out that Muhammad had also behaved mercifully upon conquering Mecca. Doukaev contrasted Zakayev's wording with much more enthusiastic comments made by Islamist Chechen separatists.Template:Sfn

Increased activism amid the Russian invasion of UkraineEdit

In 2022, Russia launched a full invasion of Ukraine. At this point, several anti-Kadyrov Chechen militant groups like the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion and the Sheikh Mansur Battalion were already fighting for Ukraine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="theglobeandmail">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In May 2022, Zakayev travelled to Kyiv and met with Ukrainian officials for "confidential" talks.<ref name="caucasuswatch">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Later, the creation of the "Separate Special Purpose Battalion of the Chechen Republic's Armed Forces" was announced by Zakayev; this unit officially styled itself as the continuation of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. A fourth separatist unit, called "Khamzat Gelayev Joint Task Detachment" was also founded. As the Russo-Ukrainian War continued to escalate, the pro-Ukrainian Chechen separatists increasingly framed the war as a chance to restore the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 18 October 2022, Ukraine's parliament recognized the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as "temporarily occupied" state.<ref name="yahoo">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="reuters">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Zakayev had lobbied in support of this resolution.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In November 2023, the "Congress of the Peoples of the North Caucasus" (a political alliance of various northern Caucasus separatist groups) appointed Zakayev the head of its Defense Commission alongside Akhmad Akhmedov, Sheikh Mansur Battalion deputy commander. The Congress aims at coordinating the different separatist exiles to unite their efforts against Russia.Template:Sfn

Invitations to return to ChechnyaEdit

On 11 February 2009, Ramzan Kadyrov said he personally invited Zakayev to return to Chechnya if he does not want to be "used by special services and other forces against Russia". At the same time, Russia's ambassador in London, said Britain had turned into a "sanctuary" for Russia's fugitives, including Zakayev, still-wanted on terrorism charges.<ref>Kadyrov Invites Zakayev To Return to Chechnya Template:Webarchive, The Moscow Times, 11 February 2009</ref> In an interview for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Zakayev claimed to rebuff the Chechen president's reported offer and said that Kadyrov was only following the Kremlin's orders;<ref>Zakayev Rebuffs Chechen President's Reported Offer Template:Webarchive, RFE/RL, 11 February 2009</ref> he also reinstates this stance two days later in the interview for the BBC Russian Service.<ref>Template:In lang Закаев говорит, что не намерен возвращаться Template:Webarchive, BBC Russian Service, 10 February 2009</ref><ref>Zakayev says that he is not intended to return Template:Webarchive, Chechenpress, 12 February 2009</ref> Kadyrov has said that "He [Zakayev] is the only man on the part of Ichkeria who I would like to bring back home. I do not know what the competent bodies think, but I believe he did not commit serious crimes."<ref name="interfax_kadyrov">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

According to the Kavkaz Center, Zakayev, who may be granted amnesty, stated his readiness to return and "contribute to a long-term peace in the region" in an interview for Ekho Moskvy on the same day.<ref>According to Zakayev, Kadyrov can unite the Chechen society Template:Webarchive, Kavkaz Center, 17 February 2009</ref> Kavkaz Center – which supported Umarov – has called Zakayev "the head of a telephone government", referring to the fact that Zakayev has little influence on the insurgents on the ground.<ref>A Never-Ending War Template:Webarchive</ref>

On 23 August 2009, in a controversial move, he was reportedly dismissed as prime minister by the Chairman of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria parliament in exile, as he "transgressed his mandate and recognized the legitimacy of the Kremlin’s puppet regime",<ref>Saralyapov Accused and Dismissed to Zakayev Template:Webarchive Waynakh.com, 23 August 2009</ref> and shortly afterwards, he was sentenced to death by Sharia Court of the Caucasus Emirate, because he "professes democratic religion, propagates secularism, and prefers the laws established by men to the Shari'a law of Almighty and Great Allah."<ref>North Caucasus Resistance Sentences Chechen Leader To Death Template:Webarchive Radio Free Europe, 25 August 2009</ref>

BooksEdit

Subjugate or exterminate! : a memoir of Russia's wars against Chechnya, Academica Press, 2018, 511 p.
Russia, Chechnya, and the West, 2000–2006 : the emboldening of Putin, Academica Press, 2022, 512 p.

ReferencesEdit

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Works citedEdit

External linksEdit

Who is Akhmed Zakayev?, BBC Radio 4
Profile: Akhmed Zakayev, Chechnya's voice on UK stage, The Guardian, September 2008
The Zakayev Case at Amnesty International
Template:NYTtopic
Template:In lang Охота на Закаева (about the British extradition case)

Template:Leaders of Chechnya Template:Chechen wars Template:Separatists in Russia