Watchdog

The Spanish authorities have approved the extradition of Murad Gasayev to Russia.

Gasayev, an ethnic Chechen, is wanted in Russia on suspicion of involvement in an attack by an armed group on government buildings in the Republic of Ingushetia in June 2004.

He has said he was detained and tortured for three days by law enforcement officials in Ingushetia in August 2004 and released without charge.

Gasayev fled to Spain in 2005, where he claimed asylum, but his claim was rejected on the basis of "confidential information provided by the Spanish authorities."

Amnesty International has urged the Spanish government not to send Gasayev "to a country where he is at a high risk of being tortured."

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) urged Kyrgyzstan today to restore suspended broadcasts by U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the BBC.

"Both RFE/RL and BBC are reputable public-service sources of information for Kyrgyz society," the OSCE's media freedom representative, Miklos Haraszti, said in a statement. "Their suspension would be a loss to pluralism, which is a major OSCE commitment in the media field."

The 56-member OSCE is the world's largest regional security organization, known also for its role in election monitoring.

The Kyrgyz state-owned television and radio company KNTR said earlier this month it had switched off the BBC's local radio service because it failed to install required radio equipment. KNTR also said Prague-based RFE/RL owed it $57,000 in service fees.

In a statement, RFE/RL President Jeffrey Gedmin said, "The suspension, which began on October 8, was initially portrayed as a payment dispute, but we have since traced the payments and confirmed deposit and receipt. Nine weeks have passed. Our programs remain off the air. Kyrgyz officials have refused to meet with us to resolve the situation. Frankly, we expected more from a country trying to prove its reformist credentials in the region."

KNTR head Melis Eshimkanov told Reuters today that BBC broadcasts had been restored this week after it agreed to provide KNTR with some equipment. But Harazsti said the BBC still had no long-term contract in place to secure future operations.

"I urge the authorities to renew the contracts of both RFE/RL and BBC, so that they can resume full operation in the nearest future," he said.

Eshimkanov said KNTR would hold talks with RFE/RL management within a few days.

(by Reuters)