A British court threw out Russia's bid to extradite top Chechen envoy Akhmed Zakayev, who is wanted by Moscow on charges of "terrorism", a decision that drew a sharp reaction from the Kremlin. The court ruled that the case against Zakayev, an envoy of Aslan Maskhadov, was politically motivated and that he was at risk of being tortured if sent back. The decision means Zakayev is free to remain in Britain. Russia accuses 44-year-old Zakayev on 13 counts of alleged terrorist activity in war-torn Chechnya between 1995 and 2000. "I find that the Russian government are seeking extradition for purposes of prosecuting Mr Zakayev on account of his nationality and his political opinions," said judge Timothy Workman at London's Bow Street magistrates court. "I have come to the inevitable conclusion that if the (Russian) authorities are prepared to resort to torturing witnesses, there is a substantial risk that Mr Zakayev would himself be subject to torture." "The inevitable conclusion is that it would be unjust or oppressive to return Mr Zakayev to the Russian Federation," the judge said. Zakayev and his supporters said the court decision recognised the Russian authorities were committing human rights abuses against Chechens but he Kremlin reacted angrily, accusing London of trying to "justify terrorism" and selectively interpreting the law. "The British court system has a very strange and selective understanding of justice," ITAR-TASS quoted President Vladimir Putin's top spokesman on Chechnya as saying. "The court decision can be viewed as not only a policy of double standards, which was characteristic of the Cold War, but also as an effort to justify terrorism," spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembskyhe said. The Russian foreign ministry said Britain's refusal to extradite Zakayev would undermine bilateral relations and the global "war on terrorism". "This is a serious blow to our partnership, especially in the area of cooperation in fighting terrorism, which London has repeatedly vowed to do before the United Nations (news - web sites), and in the context of our joint fight against international terrorists," the ministry said in a statement. It accused London of "double standards" and said the move "contradicts the very basis of international cooperation in the fighting against terror". Zakayev was arrested in December 2002 at London's Heathrow airport after arriving from Denmark. Moscow had also tried to extradite unsuccessfully to extradite him from Denmark. "Today we got a fair decision by the courts which gives me the opportunity, and my friends, to continue the fight (against) the criminal (Russian) regime," Zakayev told reporters. "We will continue to fight and we will win." Gareth Peirce, a lawyer for Zakayev, said Moscow had scored "an own goal" in pushing for his extradition and said Britain's diplomatic ties with Russia should be "re-examined urgently". "(The judge) has found that the Russians, in bringing these proceedings, lied to the court, brought evidence that had been obtained from torture, evidence that was completely false," Peirce said. Human rights group Amnesty International called for an inquiry into an allegations from one of the witness in the case that he had been tortured into providing accounts to support Russia's extradition bid. British actress and human rights activist Vanessa Redgrave, who supported Zakayev's fight against extradition, said: "It is the greatest victory for the Chechen people and for Akhmed Zakayev and for all the Russian people who fought for the truth of the situation." Russia is still embroiled in Chechnya. It sent its troops back into the separatist republic in October 1999 and shattered the de facto independence that the southern republic had enjoyed since the end of the first separatist conflict from 1994 to 1996. The court decision on Zakayev comes two months after Britain granted political asylum to Russian billionaire tycoon Boris Berezovsky, a critic of president Putin. Judge Workman subsequently ruled against the extradition to Russia of Berezovsky, who is wanted there on fraud charges which his supporters allege are politically motivated. An organisation financed by Berezovsky, the Foundation for Civil Liberties, paid Zakayev's legal fees. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Chechen envoy Ahmed Zakayev arrives at Bow Street magistrates court in London. (AFP/Nicolas Asfouri)