MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd January, 2021) Three Russians and a Ukrainian national who have been recently released in Libya are sailors whose pleasure craft entered Libyan waters to refuel, Alexander Malkevich, the head of Russia's Foundation for National Values Protection, has said.
On Saturday, the nonprofit's chief said that three Russians and one Ukrainian had been released from captivity in Libya. In the early hours of Sunday, he reported that they had arrived in Russia. The Tripoli-based government's Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala told Sputnik that these people had not been kidnapped, but had been arrested after their boat had apparently got lost and entered Libyan waters.
"[They are] sailors, it was a pleasure yacht. They ran out of diesel fuel and decided to make a stopover in Libya to refuel. Apparently, there were attempts to extract some confessions from them," Malkevich, who is also a Russian Civic Chamber member, told reporters.
According to Malkevich, the prompt return of the four sailors, who had been seized in Libya several weeks ago, was facilitated by Russian diplomats, including Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.
Their release comes days after sociologist Maxim Shugalei and his interpreter Samer Sueifan, employees of the Russian nonprofit, returned home after 18-month detention in Libya. The two had been captured in Libya by a police unit aligned with the Government of National Accord for alleged attempts to influence the country's elections. Russia, which has denied the charges, secured their release on December 10 and flew them home the next day.
