Qatar authorities may release arrested Russians shortly

Qatar authorities may release the two Russian special servicemen – suspects of murder of former Chechen militants’ leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiev - within the next few hours.
Interfax quoted Al-Jazeera report that simultaneously Russia will release the two Qatar sportsmen detained in Moscow on February 28. The sportsmen are from Qatar national judo team.

Zelimkhan Yandarbiev was killed in Qatar capital Doha on February 13 – the vehicle he was in when returning from the mosque, was exploded.
Russian Embassy in Qatar has no data on releasing the arrested Russians.
Russian Embassy in Qatar has no information that the arrested Russians can be released on March, 1.

The Embassy representative said to RIA-Novosti that they have no official information and know the news on the possible release of the detained Russian from media.

Russia accused the two detained Qatar citizens of ties with militants.
Russian special services detained two Qatar citizens in Moscow and brought the charges of ties with the illegal militant units in Russia against them.

The Qatar citizens were detained on the same day when Qatar authorities arrested Russian special service officers on accused them of organizing the assassination of Zelimkhan Yandarbiev.

According to Qatar QNA state information agency, the arrested men are members of Qatar national judo team. They were going to Serbia to participate in the tournament to prepare for the 2004 Olympics. The two sportsmen were arrested on February 26 while boarding the plane in a Moscow airport. They arrived in Moscow from Belarus.

Obviously, the arrest of Qatar citizens in Moscow is Russia’s response to detaining two Russian special service officers in Qatar capital Doha. Later the arrested officers were accused of organizing the murder of Yandarbiev.

Director of Moscow Bureau of Al-Jazzera Akram Khasam said to Interfax reporter February 29 that Qatar ambassador in Moscow received to explanations on the incident.

Group of Russian lawyers arrived in Dokha.

A group of Russian lawyers arrived in Qatar capital Dokha on February 29 to provide legal assistance to the two Russian citizens arrested in Qatar.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Alexander Saltanov said in an Interfax interview that Russia “is conducting serious preparations for defending the Russian citizens arrested in Qatar”.

Earlier Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Ivanov made special statement that “Neither Russia nor its detained  citizens are involved in assassinating Yandarbiev”.

Source: Newsru