Russian Foreign Ministry urges Russian citizens to be cautious with trips abroad
MOSCOW. April 26 (Interfax) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has not intention to intimidate with warnings regarding trips abroad but urges Russian to be cautious in this regard, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.
"The warning of the Russian Foreign Ministry for citizens going abroad on the possibility of being subject to detention and arrest upon requests of the U.S. law enforcement agencies and special services is of recommendation character, of course. This is rather information for consideration and advise how to avoid problems at the common sense level, which could emerge due to the specific nature of the law and law enforcement practice in the U.S.," Lukashevich said.
"We would like to elaborate that it refers not to bans - not to mention intimidation and revival of phantoms of the past as some are trying maliciously to present this in mass media outlets - but basic caution amid globalizing world and the U.S. aspiration to apply its national legislation extraterritorially. Put simply, not to spend time on legal formalities and proving guilt under the Russian legislation using the bilateral agreement on mutual legal assistance on 1993, but to try to detain the individual regarding whom issues exists in a third country in order to move to the U.S. and prosecute there even amid shaky evidence," the spokesman said.
"We repeat that we do not discourage trips abroad and are not going to escalate situation. It concerns a different thing - it is important to not just know the half-truth of the Twitter account of the U.S. embassy in Moscow inviting law abiding citizens to the U.S., who they say, have nothing to fear, but to have a comprehensive picture with all risks and possible problems in order to make right deliberate choice. Namely this is the essence of the Russian Foreign Ministry's warning," Lukashevich said.