The Russian Embassy in Cairo has asked the Egyptian Prosecutor General to consider extraditing to their homeland four Russian citizens, natives of Ingushetia, detained in 2018 on suspicion of extremism. The press service of Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova reported this on Wednesday.
"As a result of consideration of the appeal of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Ingushetia and relevant materials in the interests of four natives of Ingushetia, detained by Egyptian law enforcement authorities and held since August 2018 in the Cairo prison "Tora", the Russian ambassador to Egypt asked the Egyptian Prosecutor General to consider the issue of extradition of Russian citizens to their homeland," the message says.
It is specified that the reason for sending an appeal was the fact that the Russian citizens have been in detention for more than two years without any judicial decision.
Despite the strict quarantine regime in the prison, the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Egypt was able to provide the arrested with money, warm clothes, essential food and medicines, and managed to visit them on December 7, the press service reported. According to the ombudsman, Russian diplomats were also able to agree on improving detention conditions and organizing a medical examination of Russian citizens.
In August 2018, Russian citizens who wanted to receive religious education in Egypt were detained in Cairo. Some of them were later released, but the fate of five natives of Ingushetia remained unknown. In April 2019, it became known that five Russian citizens - four natives of Ingushetia and a native of Kyrgyzstan - were charged for extremism. According to the press service of the ombudsman, the whereabouts of one of the Russians has not yet been established.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Arab Republic of Egypt
Based on materials from TASS