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Swiss authorities fail to confirm reports on detention of Russians in Basel — diplomat

Earlier, the Swiss media reported that two Russians had been detained at the Basel customs at the attempt to cross into Switzerland from France on suspicions of ties with radical Islamists

GENEVA, December 17. /TASS/. The Swiss authorities have not confirmed reports published by the newspapers Basler Zeitung and 20 Minutes about alleged detentions of two Russian nationals at the Swiss-French border in early December on suspicions of ties with radical Islamists.

"Switzerland’s official authorities that we have asked to clarify the situation have failed to confirm the fact Russians have ever been detained," a diplomat at the Russian consulate told TASS.

"We filed a request with the Swiss competent agencies, namely the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police and Border Guard Corps No.1 which the authors of the articles were citing, and they claimed to be unaware of the developments. Nobody of the officials has known about it or knows about it and they do not possess any information," Andrey Stukov said.

Moreover, those Russians had not contacted Russia’s consulate, he said.

"Nobody has contacted us," Stukov said. "In line with international law, they (the detained Russians) stay out of contact if they wish and the Swiss (authorities) do not inform us in case of their unwillingness."

Earlier in the day, the Swiss newspapers Basler Zeitung and 20 Minutes reported that two Russians had been detained at the Basel customs at the attempt to cross into Switzerland from France in early December on suspicions of ties with radical Islamists.