Moscow will demand that rights of extradited Russian citizen Chukharev be duly observed
MOSCOW. April 4 (Interfax) - The Russian Foreign Ministry human rights commissioner, Konstantin Dolgov, and the director of the ministry's Latin America Department, Alexander Shchetinin, have lodged a protest with Costa Rica's charge d' affaires in Russia over the Costa Rican authorities' decision to extradite Russian citizen Maxim Chukharev to the United States.
"The Russian side has underscored that it was done with serious procedural violations, sidestepping generally accepted international norms," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday.
"Regrettably, amid the constructive steps taken by Costa Rica that allowed us to hope for the positive development of our bilateral contacts (Costa Rica's decision to abolish visa requirements for Russian tourists going to Costa Rica for up to 30 days and Russia's participation in the International Arts Festival as an honorary guests), San Jose, however, refused to respond to our repeated and persistent calls to demonstrate a responsible approach and not to get involved in this legal mayhem that is being waged by American "law enforcers" in relation to Russian citizens," the ministry said.
"We have already drawn the appropriate conclusions, especially bearing in mind the position assumed by Costa Rica in the present-day international situation," it said.
"This issue remains in the spotlight of the Foreign Ministry of Russia. We will try to make sure that the rights of this Russian citizen are duly observed," it said.