QATAR: Court Asked to Sentence Russian Spies to Death

Qatari prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for 2 Russian spies accused of killing a Chechen rebel leader, defense lawyers said on Tuesday.

A Qatari court closed to the public heard closing arguments from the Gulf state's prosecutors, who say the Russians planted a bomb in Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev's car in February, killing him and 2 others traveling home with him from a mosque.

His 13-year-old son was also severely injured and the bombing shocked tiny oil-rich Qatar, which prides itself on its security and low crime rate.

Moscow insists the 2 men are unconnected to the attack on Yandarbiyev, who was briefly president of Chechnya after rebels defeated the Russian army in 1996. But it acknowledges they are spies who were engaged in anti-terrorist work in Qatar.

"The prosecutor asked for the highest form of punishment, that they be sentenced to death," said Ilya Levitov, spokesman for law firm Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev & Partners, in Moscow.

"The judge said today that the verdict will be announced on June 30."

The trial threatened to cause a diplomatic breach between the 2 countries. Russian politicians have been outraged, particularly by allegations that the spies were tortured, and the government has expressed concern.

"Russia is doing everything possible to bring the Russians detained in Qatar back to their homeland," said a foreign ministry spokesman, quoted by Itar-Tass news agency.

Levitov said the prosecutors had tried to quash the torture allegations in Tuesday's summing up comments.

"The prosecution attempted to disprove that torture was used on our fellow-citizens," said a statement from the law firm.

"(The prosecution) argued that the confessions were made 4 days after the arrest and said that, if torture had been used, they would have confessed earlier."

Russia briefly arrested 2 Qatari wrestlers in what appeared to be a retaliatory move after its spies were arrested, but has since said it will respect the court's decision. Analysts said the conciliatory words reflected a backroom deal that Qatar would pardon the men after the trial.

Yandarbiyev fled Chechnya after the Russian army stormed back into the region in 1999, and went into exile in Qatar. He said he had no further active role in the Chechen resistance, which still kills Russian police and troops daily.

Yandarbiyev was added at Moscow's request to a list of people with suspected links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda group, but the rebel denied the charge.