The Russian Foreign Ministry warned on Friday Russian citizens traveling abroad about the increasingly high risks of being being persecuted by the US law enforcement agencies both in the United States itself and in third countries
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2019) The Russian Foreign Ministry warned on Friday Russian citizens traveling abroad about the increasingly high risks of being being persecuted by the US law enforcement agencies both in the United States itself and in third countries."We remind our compatriots traveling abroad once again about the existing threat of being persecuted by US law enforcement agencies and special services, both in the United States and, at the request of its authorities, in third countries," the ministry said in a statement, published on its official website, urging Russians to consider the risks when traveling abroad.
According to the ministry, a total of 46 Russian nationals have been arrested at the United States' request in third countries since 2008, including seven cases in 2018.
"Russian citizens extradited to the United States, as well as those arrested on the US territory, are often treated by local bodies and courts with prejudice. In order to beat out the necessary confessions [from detained Russians], [US authorities] apply to them not only psychological measures, including direct threats, but also such a method as severe detention conditions," the statement added.
Moreover, following the closure of the Russian consulates general in the cities of Seattle and San Francisco in 2017 and 2018, Russian diplomats are seriously limited in their ability to provide assistance to Russian nationals on the US West Coast.
