No legal procedures observed in detaining Russian man in Maldives - Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. July 11 (Interfax) - Moscow is continuing to demand that Washington immediately release Russian citizen Roman Seleznyov, who was forcibly taken from the Republic of the Maldives to the Island of Guam on July 5, and insists that no proper legal procedures were observed in the process.
"New shocking details of this story have become known from a telephone conversation between the Russian citizen, who is currently being held at a Guam prison, and officials from the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary.
"As it turns out, Roman Seleznyov, who was planning to fly to Moscow and was undergoing pre-flight control at the Maldivian capital airport, was asked to proceed to an additional check room. Right afterwards, three U.S. special services officers rushed there and declared his detention in a rude form, handcuffed him, and swiftly escorted him on board a private plane, which started immediately moving toward the runway. No more than 20 minutes passed from our fellow countryman's seizure to takeoff," it said.
"No legal procedures involving local authorities were conducted. Even the detention itself was accomplished by U.S. agents acting on Maldivian territory in a snap special operation style, ignoring any legal formalities," it said.
"Hence, the Russian citizen was literally abducted, which is a flagrant violation of laws of any civilized state and international law," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
