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Russian arrested in Israel on US request — Russian Foreign Ministry

Burkov was arrested at the Tel Aviv airport on December 13
Israeli police officers AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
Israeli police officers
© AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Russian national A. Burkov (no name is given) was on December 13 detained in Tel Aviv airport and placed under arrest on US authorities’ warrant, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s commissioner for human rights, democracy and rule of law, Konstantin Dolgov, said in a comment posted on the ministry’s website Friday.

"On December 24, the Israeli side, in response to our relevant requests, informed us that the arrest was carried out in line with US competent authorities’ warrant," Dolgov said.

According to Dolgov, Russia’s Foreign Ministry demands that Israel provide all information on the arrest of Russian A. Burkov and Russian consuls be allowed to visit him.

"We decisively condemn this regular case of exterritorial use of US legislation regarding the national of the Russian Federation," he underscored. "This strongly unacceptable practice has already become chronic."

"The American authorities keep stubbornly violating relevant norms of international law, infringing upon the legitimate rights and interests of Russian nationals, ignoring the bilateral regulatory and legal framework in the law enforcement sphere," Dolgov said.

"We responsibly state once again that this is a dead-end track, which complicates even more the Russian-American relations that are living through hard times through no fault of ours," he said.

"We demand that all information on the grounds for arrest of the Russian national be provided immediately and consular access be provided to him urgently," Dolgov underscored.

"We hope the Israeli authorities will prevent extradition of A.Y.Burkov to the United States, where he, like many other Russian nationals, would surely be in for politicized and biased ‘justice’," Dolgov said.