Statements by German authorities about how Russia was providing unsatisfactory assistance in the investigation into the murder of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Georgian national of Chechen decent, are not true, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2020) Statements by German authorities about how Russia was providing unsatisfactory assistance in the investigation into the murder of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Georgian national of Chechen decent, are not true, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
Khangoshvili was killed in Berlin in August. In early December, Germany stated that either Russia or government officials in its Chechen region were behind the killing of the Georgian man, who fought on the side of Chechen militants from 2000-2004. Berlin finally declared two Russian diplomats personae non grata over the Kremlin's alleged refusal to help in the murder investigation.
"The German side's statement about unsatisfactory level of assistance from our relevant agencies in the investigation of the killing of terrorist Khangoshvili is untrue. Contacts on this case have been carried out since late August 2019 via partner channels established between the Russian and German intelligence services," the ministry said in a statement containing media questions received at a press conference on the ministry's activities in 2019.
The ministry went on to say that Berlin had information about Khangoshvili's presence of in Germany long before he was murdered, and Russia had applied for his extradition, but that nothing happened over the lack of mutual understanding.
"Despite this, as [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin has already said, the Russian side is ready to provide the German law enforcement authorities with the necessary support to clarify the circumstances of this murder," it added.
Putin said on December 10 that Russia had repeatedly asked Germany to extradite Khangoshvili over his involvement in organizing deadly terror attacks. Putin also said it was wrong to expel Russian diplomats over the matter and pledged that Russia would assist the investigation.
