Moscow confirms release of 2 Qatar residents from custody

Two citizens of Qatar, detained in Moscow in February, were released from custody on March 23 and left Russia, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) told RIA Novosti on Wednesday The detainees were suspected of taking part in illegal armed units.

The Arab TV channel earlier reported on the release of the Qatar citizens with reference to a spokesman for Qatar's Foreign Ministry.

According to him, the detainees left Moscow for Doha on Tuesday.

Al-Jazeera says that they were detained on February 26, on the day when Qatar's authorities charged two Russian nationals with the involvement in the murder of Chechen separatist leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev.

Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev's car exploded on February 13 in Doha where he lived in the past few years.

On February 18 night Qatar's secret services arrested three Russian citizens in Doha. One of them, a diplomat, was later released.

The Russian Foreign Ministry repeatedly insisted on their release and return home.

According to the Russian President's press service, on Tuesday Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Klalifa al-Thani. The two leaders spoke about the further development of Russia-Qatar relations and discussed the situation in the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf area.