Ramzan Kadyrov's statement on Shamil Basaev's betrayal provokes debates among experts

Aslan Maskhadov was killed after a leak of information, organized by Shamil Basaev. This was reported by the acting head of Chechnya. According to Chechen historian Mairbek Vachagaev and political analyst Alexei Malashenko, Aslan Maskhadov had uneasy relations with Shamil Basaev. However, the experts expressed different opinions concerning the guilt of Shamil Basaev in the killing of Aslan Maskhadov.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 8, 2005, Aslan Maskhadov, the president of the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, was killed in the Chechen village of Tolstoy-Yurt during the unilateral ceasefire declared by him. On July 10, 2006, Shamil Basaev was killed in the area of the village of Ekazhevo in Ingushetia.

Ramzan Kadyrov announced that in spring of 2005, Aslan Maskhadov "was ready to start negotiations under any conditions."

According to a shorthand report of the Ramzan Kadyrov's statements, the acting head of Chechnya believes that Aslan Maskhadov "made efforts for a peaceful settlement."

The version that it was Shamil Basaev who had organized a leak of the information about the whereabouts of Aslan Maskhadov appeared almost immediately after the murder of the president of Ichkeria, emphasizes Alexei Malashenko, a member of the Scientific Council of the Moscow Carnegie Centre.

He has noted that Aslan Maskhadov and Shamil Basaev were rivals during the presidential elections of Ichkeria.

The opinion of Alexei Malashenko was not shared by the co-editor of the journal "Caucasus Survey". According to him, by 2005, it was clear for Aslan Maskhadov that "no one is going to stand up for the Chechen people."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.