22:53, 15 January 2007

Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Chechnya is satisfied with the results of amnesty of militants

January 15 is the deadline for the amnesty declared last July by the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC) of Russia to participants of armed formations in North Caucasus.

According to different power agencies of Chechnya, during the amnesty the number of those who have voluntarily surrendered in the territory of the Republic varies from 430 to 470 former members of armed formations and their allies.

"The amnesty has given positive results. More than 400 persons got back to peaceful life. It is a huge number for our small Republic," an officer of the Chechen MIA told in an interview to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot."

Meanwhile, certain observers in Chechnya remark that the amnesty in the Republic was not such fluent as power agents assert. "For the most part, only former participants of armed formations surrendered to the authorities. The so-called "allies" were also included into those who laid down arms," one of local political analysts said.