Nine foreign soccer fans being held in Moscow jails
MOSCOW. June 21 (Interfax) - Several foreign soccer fans who came to Russia for the World Cup are currently detained in Moscow jails, Ivan Melnikov of the Public Monitoring Commission told Interfax on Thursday.
"A total of nine foreign fans, including two women, are being held in Moscow detention facilities. The arrested citizens are from Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Iran," Melnikov said.
The foreigners have not made complaints about the conditions in which they are being held, though some have shown disgust for prison food, he said. "But that is not because the food is bad, they are being well fed. It is because they are used to a different diet, spicier foods, for example. So now they're getting used to this," Melnikov said.
Both women are being held in a spacious ten-inmate cell with a television set and a refrigerator, he said.
"Their cellmates have no criminal records. They were arrested for non-violent crimes like theft, fraud, drug trafficking. We checked their jail conditions, they are quite alright," Melnikov said.
All of the detainees, regardless of nationality, are allowed to watch soccer games, and the administration of Moscow prisons made sure there are TV sets in as many cells as possible, the official said.
"I will note that while in jail, the foreign citizens are entitled to all medical aid despite not having insurance. Thus, a Peruvian woman who had a sore throat was examined by a doctor and is already receiving the treatment he has prescribed," Melnikov said.