Frustrated by his ''unpatriotic" journalism and his coverage of Russian atrocities, the Russian government arrested him in February 2000 and then handed him over to the Chechen rebels, allegedly in exchange for several Russian POWs. Babitsky himself then reported that in fact he had been handed over to pro-Moscow Chechens working for the Russian army. This conversation took place before Babitsky's release in March 2000 under pledge not to leave Moscow pending investigation.