WASHINGTON, October 20. /TASS/. The US has been conducting a real ‘hunt’ for Russian citizens in other countries for 15 years, the Russian Embassy in Washington said in a statement.

"It is noteworthy that myths about the risks of staying in Russia come from a representative of a country (US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller - TASS) that has been conducting a real ‘hunt’ for Russian citizens in ‘third’ countries for 15 years. The number of incidents of this kind has exceeded 60. After arrest and extradition, compatriots face a biased attitude from the American justice system," the statement said.

The embassy also pointed to "the inhumane prison conditions and refusals to provide medical care [to Russians]." "We demand from the local authorities to stop the persecution of Russians. Respect their legal rights. To abandon the imposition of Russophobic rhetoric. Not to draw artificial dividing lines between the Russian and American peoples, who have always had deep respect for each other," the embassy said in a statement.

On April 25, 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following a visit to New York as part of Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council that about 60 Russian citizens were currently being held in the United States.