Russian diplomat brutally banged by Argentine police

According to the Russian embassy in Buenos Aires, Georgy Todua was arrested and his face was disfigured by a police office in the center of the South American capital.

An unexpected scandal has undermined the bilateral ties between Russia and Argentina, one week ahead of the visit of Russian Primer Minister Mikhail Fradkov to Buenos Aires. The Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires denounced that one of its main officials had been seriously wounded by the local police, violating all international standards about the protection of foreign diplomats

The Russian delegation released an angry formal protest on Thursday, one day after the two main newspapers of the country told a story about a case of street violence involving a drunk Russian diplomat – presumably Georgy Todua- who resisted to the local police after being arrested for violating traffic lights and exceeding speed limits in the center of Buenos Aires. Moscow declined to comment about the reasons of his detention, but accused the local police of seriously beating Todua to the point of disfiguring his face.

“This is an unprecedented violation of the Vienna Convention of 1961, which establishes the immunity and diplomatic privileges of foreign diplomats”, reads the statement released on Thursday. “The Argentine Foreign Ministry has already expressed its deep concern for the events and sincerely regrets the injuries caused to the Russian diplomat”, concluded the document.

The investigation of the events is in charge of the Argentine Supreme Court of Justice, which will evaluate the incident and report to the local Foreign Ministry. Todua is under medical treatment, but his life is not under risk.

Hernan Etchaleco