Chechnya's former president who fought for independence. Aslan was the last president (1997 - 2000) of Chechnya who was elected in a vote which is broadly accepted to have been a reflection of popular will. He was a symbol of the popular struggle against Russian imperialism that extends back to the 1880s. Maskhadov, the soft-spoken leader, continued his best of being open to a negotiated settlement while continuing military action against 'Russian occupiers.' Aslan Aliyevich Maskhadov was born in exile, in the Karaganda region, in the steppe of Kazakhstan where entire Chechen people had been dumped by the Soviet dictator, who, in 1944, had feared their rebellious temperament, would make them ideal collaborators with the Nazis. Aslan died in a confrontation with Russian special forces though opinion differ as to how his death caused as do opinions of his life and legacy.