#5 - RW 268
Russia, US discuss extradition of Russians held in Guantanamo
Interfax

Moscow, 7 August: Moscow sees no political obstacles standing in the way of extraditing some Russian citizens who were detained among Taleban fighters in Afghanistan from the United States.

"Russia and the United States are now negotiating the organizational, technical and legal aspects of these people's extradition. We do not see any political reasons that might hamper the extradition process," a Russian Foreign Ministry source told Interfax on Thursday [7 August].

He recalled that Moscow had asked Washington to extradite a group of Russian citizens, former Taleban movement fighters, who faced criminal cases in Russia.

The source noted that the Prosecutor-General's Office is handling the negotiations and the Foreign Ministry is working "to ensure their extradition".

At the same time, he declined to say that a final decision will be made.

The list of people facing possible extradition includes residents of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Kabarda-Balkar Republic, the Chelyabinsk and Tyumen regions. They are now being held at the US Guantanamo base.

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