TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning for its citizens not to visit countries with ties to the United States to avoid being detained or extradited by the US under various charges.
Novinite news site reported on Monday that the Russian government had issued a warning following international sanctions against Russian officials., businessmen and media after Russia was accused of intervening in Crimea, former Ukrainian autonomous region.
"The US administration, groundlessly refusing to recognise the reunification of Crimea with Russia, which is in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter, is trying to make routine practice out of a 'hunt' for Russian citizens in third countries with the goal of their subsequent extradition and conviction in the US on the basis of, as a rule, dubious charges," wrote the ministry on its official website.
Russian embassies and consulates overseas also pledged to aid citizens who are having troubles, including if they are having legal issues in other countries.
A similar warning was also issued by Russia in September 2013 after an increase in detention of Russian citizens in third countries under US request. The statement mentioned the arrests of Dmitry Ustinov in Lithuania, Dmitry Belorossov in Spain, Maksim Chukhrayev in Costa Rica and Aleksander Panin in the Dominican Republic.
NOVINITE | THE MOSCOW TIMES | RT | CORNILA DESYANA