Press release, 20.12.2018

Yabloko Chair Emilia Slabunova demanded that Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov find the residents of Ingushentia who went missing in Egypt.

On 14 August 2018 a number of Russian citizens from different regions of the country were detained in Cairo, Egypt. They came their to study religion. After a while some of them were release. However, the whereabouts of five residents of Ingushetia are still unknown: Ileza Ashuyeva, Ismail Chemurziev, Khazir Dugiev, Ali Dzeitov, Ramzan Pliev.

The absence of information on the reasons and grounds for their detention as well as their whereabouts indicates that international law was violated. According to Yabloko, this act can be determined as abduction in the least.

The relatives of the people who went missing appealed to the Russian embassy in Egypt. However, they did not receive any certain information. The embassy informed them that the Egyptian authorities had refused to provide them with any information on the detention and whereabouts of the people.

According to Yabloko Chair, one of the key responsibilities of Russian embassies and consulates is to react to human rights violations of Russian citizens abroad, protect Russians from arbitrary rule abroad and unsure that international law is implemented [to protect the citizens].

“On the basis of the above facts I ask you to immediately step in to the case and trace the whereabouts of the five Russian citizens,” Emilia Slabunova’s address runs.