Russia seeks the return of its citizens, detained in Qatar

Russia will take further steps to bring back two Russian citizens who are being held in Qatar, the official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Yakovenko, said on Tuesday.

Mr. Yakovenko gave a news conference in RIA Novosti and answered a question about the situation surrounding the return of two Russians being detained in Qatar.

Three Russian citizens were detained by the local secret service in Doha on February 19. All the three were in Qatar on a business trip. They were charged with being involved in the murder of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, a Chechen separatist leader. He died when his car was bombed on February 13 in Doha.

Alexander Fetisov, the first secretary of the Russian embassy in Qatar, was released and returned to Russia a week ago because he had diplomatic immunity.

Last Friday, a Qatar court prolonged the pre-trial detention of the two remaining Russian citizens for a month. The Russians maintain their innocence.