The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has sent a request to relevant Polish law enforcement agencies on the extradition of Ahmed Zakayev, said the Office on its website on Monday.

Zakayev, one of the separatist leaders in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, has been wanted by Russia since 2001.

The man in charge of cultural and foreign affairs in the separatists' leadership since 1994 has been living in London after the insurgents were defeated by Russian federal forces.

Russian authorities stressed they wanted the self-proclaimed General Zakayev for criminal rather than political accusations, such as murder, hostage taking and unlawful imprisonment.

If extradited, Moscow would guarantee the 51-year-old Zakayev treatment in accordance with international standards, said the Prosecutor General's Office.

Zakayev was detained in Warsaw when heading for the World Chechen Congress on Friday, and was released by a Polish court due to his British refugee status after a 12-hour detention.

According to Polish media reports, Zakayev, as one of the initiators of the World Chechen Congress, left Warsaw for Britain, but had promised to return to Poland for the hearing on whether the Polish authorities should extradite him to Russia.

A request of the Russian government to Britain on the extradition of Zakayev in 2002 was rejected.