Most wanted Chechen 'terrorist' Zakayev arrested by Polish police

One of Russia's most wanted men - a charismatic Chechen activist who counts Vanessa Redgrave among his supporters - was arrested yesterday on Russian charges of murder, kidnapping and terrorism during Chechnya's separatist war in the 1990s.

Akhmed Zakayev, who was granted asylum in Britain years ago, maintains the accusations are falsified and defiantly said the day before his arrest that he was in Poland "absolutely legally" and would not hide from authorities. The Kremlin casts the dapper activist as a dangerous guerrilla mastermind.

The 51-year-old was apprehended "without any trouble" as he left a home in Warsaw early yesterday and turned over to prosecutors, national police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski said.

Mr Zakayev appeared relaxed as he arrived in a police car at the prosecutor's office. "I am not expecting anything that would violate the rules of the law," he said. "Poland is democratic, law-abiding nation. When I learned that there will be no problems I decided to come."

The arrest comes at a time when relations between Moscow and Warsaw are beginning to thaw. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is to visit Poland later this year as a sign of a "new start" in bilateral relations that offer a huge potential in all fields, the Russian ambassador has said.

If Zakayev is not turned over to Moscow, the diplomatic bridge-building could run into trouble.

Prime minister Donald Tusk said before the arrest that police would be legally bound to pick Zakayev up if he showed up for the World Chechen Congress because there was an international warrant for his arrest distributed by Interpol. However, he stressed that "we will not be trying to meet anybody's expectations".

Russian Ambassador to Poland Alexander Alekseev said earlier this week that Russia "has proof" Zakayev had been involved in terrorism. But it appeared from Russian officials' statements yesterday that the charges sent to Poland were similar to those used in previous - unsuccessful - extradition requests.

Zakayev was arrested in 2002 in Denmark, then released after officials ruled Russia failed to provide sufficient evidence to merit his extradition. He then flew to London, where he was picked up on the warrant distributed by Interpol. But British authorities decided not to extradite him, instead granting him asylum saying that he risked being tortured if sent back.

After examining the Interpol-distributed warrant and questioning Zakayev, Polish prosecutors asked a Warsaw regional court to extend the detention period beyond the preliminary 48-hour limit to 40 days. Court spokesman Wojciech Malek said it was not immediately clear when it would rule on it.

Mr Zakayev entered politics in 1994, when as an actor he was named culture minister by Chechnya's first separatist president just months before the Russian army rolled in to crush the region's independence bid.The war ended in a cease-fire and a humiliating Russian withdrawal that left Chechnya de facto independent and largely lawless.

When the Russian army marched back into Chechnya in 1999, Zakayev was an assistant to separatist President Aslan Maskhadov. He was wounded and left Chechnya, becoming Maskhadov's top envoy abroad.

Zakayev's charisma has won him many supporters, including actress Vanessa Redgrave, who has campaigned in his favour and paid his $98,000 bail after he was detained at London's Heathrow Airport in December 2002. He has said he represents the Chechen separatist political faction, and distanced himself from radical Islamic rebels. This year he denounced the militant leader who claimed responsibility for the Moscow subway bombings in March, which he described as a "monstrous crime."