BERLIN, January 22. /TASS/. The Russian Embassy in Germany has requested consular access to a Russian national who was detained earlier on charges of supplying humanitarian supplies to Donbass, the Russian diplomatic mission’s office said in a statement on its Telegram channel on Thursday.
"We have drawn the attention of our colleagues to the German Prosecutor Office’s information about the detention of a Russian citizen accused of supplying humanitarian and other goods to Donbass, including clothes and medicines, as well as transferring financial funds," the statement from the Russian Embassy reads.
"We have expressed our rejection of that official interpretation of the German Prosecutor General's Office, which cited support of ‘foreign terrorist groups’ in the DPR and LPR [the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic respectively]," the statement continued. "We strongly reject such formulations as unacceptable and legally null and void, and demand an explanation of who came up with such a definition and on what basis."
"We have reiterated that civilians in Donbass were subjected to terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime after the unconstitutional coup in Ukraine in February 2014 with the tacit approval of the West," according to the statement. "At the same time, the new Russian regions became part of the Russian Federation based on the free will expression of its citizens."
"We have also stated that under such developments we see Berlin’s assumed direction to brand as criminal all contacts with residents and organizations in Donbass, including in the humanitarian area. We have appealed to the German side for immediate consular access to the Russian national to clarify the situation as well as to protect his rights and interests," the statement added.
Russian citizen’s detention
On January 21, the press office of the German Prosecutor General’s Office reported that the German Federal Criminal Affairs Office had detained two suspects in Brandenburg on charges of supporting the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. The suspects were identified as Russian citizens Suren A. and Falko H, who holds German citizenship.
The warrant was issued on January 12, and the federal Prosecutor's Office authorized arrests on January 21. The Criminal Affairs Department staff conducted searches at the suspects' place of residence in the Dahme-Spreewald and Markisch-Oderland districts. On January 22, the detainees were summoned by the investigating judge of the Federal Supreme Court, who ordered them to be taken into custody.
According to investigators, the suspects have held "high positions" since 2016 in a group that organized the delivery of foodstuffs, medicine and drones to Donbass for the "[people's] militia" of the DPR and the LPR.