22 Dec 2017 22:03

Two detained foreigners escape from Moscow court during smoke break

MOSCOW. Dec 22 (Interfax) - Two foreign nationals who were detained on administrative charges escaped from Moscow's Kuzminki District Court during a smoke break after a hearing, Moscow City Court spokeswoman Ulyana Solopova told Interfax.

"On Friday, the Kuzminki court was hearing an administrative case against two foreign citizens. After the ruling was read out and when its copies were being made, said individuals, while still in the custody of police officers, asked the latter for permission to smoke, went outside and ran away," Solopova said on Friday.

At the time of the escape, "these individuals had not yet been handed over to bailiffs for the enforcement of the court order," she said.

The fugitives were facing administrative charges of "violation by a foreign citizen or non-citizen of the mandatory rules relating to the enforcement of an administrative expulsion from Russia or deportation" under the Code of Administrative Offenses, Solopova said.

Meanwhile, a Moscow police spokesperson told Interfax that efforts were under way to locate two men who fled custody after appearing in court to face administrative charges.

"Police officers are trying to locate two citizens brought before the court to resolve the matter of bringing them to account for violation of the administrative legislation. They left the court building on their own," the spokesperson said.

The incident is being investigated and will be resolved in accordance with the law, he said.

An informed source told Interfax that Moscow police had launched Plan Interception to catch two natives of Uzbekistan born in 1989 and 1992.