Denmark has released leading Chechen envoy Akhmed Zakayev, after rejecting a request from Russia to extradite him on terrorism charges. The Danish justice ministry said in a statement that it had not received enough evidence from Moscow to justify handing over Mr Zakayev, a senior envoy of rebel Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov. Russian officials denounced the decision as politically motivated. Moscow maintains that Mr Zakayev, 43, is linked to attacks on Russian civilians, including a recent theatre raid in Moscow that left about 120 hostages dead. Mr Zakayev was arrested in Copenhagen on 30 October at the request of the Russian authorities, after he had addressed a controversial Chechen conference in the city.