Mikhail Gutseriev. File photoMOSCOW, Jan 23The well-known Russian businessman Mikhail Gutseriev never paid terrorists for releasing hostages in the North Caucasus in the 1990s, said Alikhan Amirkhanov, deputy of the State Duma of the third convocation. in 1994-1996. The creator and curator of this special economic space in the status of Vice Speaker of the State Duma was Gutseriev. In 1998, he organized the release from captivity of the plenipotentiary of the President of Russia in Chechnya Valentin Vlasov, as well as employees of law enforcement agencies — Captain of the Armed Forces Vitaly Korotin, Major of the North Caucasian RUBOP Ministry of Internal Affairs Vitaly Khapov and many others. As Amirkhanov told Rossiyskaya Gazeta, seeing a successful experience of the Gutseriev team in releasing the hostages, they began to periodically turn to them for help. «They asked Gutseriev to lead the negotiation process for the release of kidnapped people. We can also recall completely unknown stories of the release of women who were fraudulently lured to Chechnya. They were from Nalchik, Kurgan , Tyumen regions, Makhachkala, Sochi and Nazran,» he said. Gutseriev offered people who were ready to help in the release of hostages their help in return, but «he never gave money to bandits,» the source said. «He said: for money I I will not save anyone, because if I give it back, then I will help the terrorists,» Amirkhanov said. Speaking of help, which Gutseriev offered in exchange for the release of the hostages, Amirkhanov called food supplies, assistance in arranging housing, the release of relatives from prisons — «exactly as far as the authorities were ready to go.» According to him, refugees from Chechnya to Ingushetia helped the Ministry of Internal Affairs to contact the kidnappers. In addition, negotiations with them have always been «purely human conversation without violence and pressure.» The release of the hostages was also told by the ex-head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and former Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin. He recalled the story of the kidnapping of French official Vincent Cochetel on January 29, 1998 in Vladikavkaz. The Frenchman was then the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
"We did not give ransoms, although there were such rumors. In general, I am a categorical opponent of all kinds of ransoms, because many were then engaged in the ransom and rescue of hostages business,» Stepashin emphasized.
According to him, Gutseriev was able to put pressure on «some so-called businessmen in Chechnya who lived and worked in Moscow» — this helped in rescuing Koshetel, who spent almost a year in Chechen captivity. On December 12, 1998, the Frenchman was released as a result of a special operation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the participation of Deputy Minister Vladimir Rushailo and Gutseriev.
"Koshetel was released and returned to Moscow. He spoke very warmly about those who saved him — he remembered me, Boris Nikolaevich, Mikhail Safarbekovich (Gutseriev. — Approx. ed.), Vladimir Rushailo. (French President Jacques. — Ed.) Chirac then called Yeltsin and expressed his deep gratitude to him,» Stepashin said.
«But Mikhail Safarbekovich, learning about this, objected:» I don't need orders for this — I'm not fighting, «he said. The former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that the French awarded him the Order of the Commander of the Legion of Honor, but, according to Stepashin Stepashin also expressed his sincere gratitude to the businessman for his participation in the rescue of military personnel, for courage and bravery. A temple built with the support of Mikhail Gutseriev was consecrated in Belarus