Russian Detainees In Belarus Say Were In Transit To Latin America - Consul

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2020) Russian citizens recently detained in Belarus said that they were en route to a country in Latin America, the Russian consul in Minsk, Kirill Pletnev said Monday.

"On July 25, they were all supposed to fly from Minsk airport to Istanbul. Afterward, on to a third country. The final destination was a state in Latin America," the diplomat said, as aired on Rossiya 1 channel.

According to Pletnev, the detainees were taken aback by the recent events.

"I would like to say and stress that each of the detainees has told Russian diplomats that the purpose of their visit to the Republic [of Belarus] was travel in transit," Pletnev said.

On July 29, Minsk said 33 Russian citizens were detained. Minsk claimed that the detainees were members of a private military company. Belarus suspects them of planning to organize unrest in the country.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Russian president, said Friday that it appeared likely that the Russian detainees worked for a private security company, were in Belarus in transit and missed their flight. According to Peskov, the detainees did not breach any law. Russia has never interfered in Belarus' internal affairs, the spokesman said.