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Embassy to US seeks consular access to detained Russian national - Foreign Ministry

"He was detained by FBI officers at the airport right upon the arrival," it added

The Russian Foreign Ministry Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

The Russian Foreign Ministry

© Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, January 5./TASS/. The Russian Embassy to the United States is seeking consular access to Russian national Dmitry Makarenko detained at the request of the FBI, which the US authorities should have granted before January 2, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary on Saturday.

"Our fellow citizen Dmitry Viktorovich Makarenko, born in 1979, arrived on the island of Saipan (the Northern Mariana Islands) on December 29 together with the wife, underage children and elderly parents," the Foreign Ministry said. "He was detained by FBI officers at the airport right upon the arrival," it added.

"Our Embassy to the US continues to seek consular access to him, which should have been granted to us before January 2 under the convention on consular relations," it said.

Russia demands from Washington explanations as to the reasons behind the arrest of Russian national Dmitry Makarenko, the Foreign Ministry said in a commentary.

"We demand from Washington to provide explanations for the reasons behind the arrest as well as to respect the rights of a Russian national," it said.

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