TUNIS, January 30. /TASS/. Tunisian authorities detained eleven Russian nationals in November on allegations of involvement in terrorist activities, the Russian embassy in the Arab republic said.
"The reason for the detention of Russian citizens remains unchanged: they are suspected of links to terrorist activities. According to law enforcement, ‘equipment unrelated to their stated tourist purposes’ was confiscated from the detainees," the embassy reported. However, the investigation may result in less severe charges, it added.
So far, no formal charges have been brought against the group, despite multiple rounds of questioning, the embassy noted. Processing and translating a substantial volume of digital audio and video materials into Arabic is a lengthy process, meaning it is premature to set a court date, the embassy added.
A group of 11 Russians was detained in Tunisia in mid-November while on an exploratory mission in Haydrah, Kasserine Governorate, near the Algerian border. The area is under heightened security due to the presence of strategic sites, including defense ministry facilities. Additionally, the border region remains volatile due to active terrorist cells.