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International Federation of Journalists calls on Iran to release detained Russian reporter

BRUSSELS, October 4. /TASS/. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) call on the Iranian government to release Russian national Yulia Yuzik, detained earlier in Tehran, the statement published by the IFJ on Friday informs.

"The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) joins their affiliates the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) in urging Iran to clarify the reasons for her arrest and to respect press freedom," the statement says.

"The IFJ and the EFJ are calling for a full investigation into the arrest," the organizations stated, demanding an immediate release of the Russian reporter in the face of a lack of proof.

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Russian journalist detained in Iran to be released soon, says Iranian ambassador

Earlier on Friday, it was reported on social networks that Yuzik, who had earlier worked as a journalist in Iran, flew to Tehran on Thursday and was detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite military force of the Islamic Republic.

The Russian Embassy in Iran informed TASS that Yuzik was arrested at a hotel in Tehran on October 2. The Iranian authorities had confiscated her passport on her arrival to the airport, reassuring her that Yuzik can have it back when she leaves Iran; however, she was detained at her hotel. The Russian embassy noted that she did not address the Russian diplomatic mission with concerns over her confiscated passport earlier.

Yuzik earlier worked as a reporter for Komsomolskaya Pravda and Russian Newsweek journal. Since 2003, she has been conducting journalistic investigations. She published a book Brides of Allah, which was released in nine countries.

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