Russian activists go to Syria to rescue traveler from militants' captivity
TOMSK. Nov 20 (Interfax) - Activists of the Alternativa all-Russia movement will try to free Russian traveler Konstantin Zhuravlev, who was captured in Syria, movement head Oleg Melnikov told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
Tomsk blogger and traveler Zhuravlev was captured by the Liva al-Tauhid armed group in northern Syria in early October. A statement of the militants posted online claimed he was "a Russian spy" whose future would be decided in a Sharia inquiry.
"Our activists went to Syria two weeks ago in order to rescue Zhuravlev. They are currently staying in Aleppo," Melnikov said.
He declined to say for security considerations how many activists were staying in Syria and what methods they were planning to use in order to set the Russian traveler free.
"I think the operation will last for a week or a week and a half or, probably, a bit longer," he said.
Melnikov added they would stay in touch with the activists visiting Syria.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier it was seeking the soonest possible liberation of Zhuravlev.
Besides, Nuralla Kalykakhunov, mufti of the Tomsk regional department of the Siberian Muftiat, appealed to Syrian militants to release the Russian traveler.