Moscow does all to set free Russians detained in Qatar

The Russian leadership is doing everything necessary to gain liberation of the Russians detained in Qatar, Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Saltanov, now on a visit in Lebanon, told RIA Novosti.

In the early hours of February 19, the Qatar secret services arrested three Russian nationals on a business trip in Qatar. They have been accused of having to do with the assassination of a leader of Chechen separatists Zelimkhan Yandarbiev.

One of the detained, having diplomatic immunity the first secretary of the Russian embassy to Qatar was released and on March 24 returned home.

Moscow has many times declared innocence of the Russians, demanded their liberation and immediate return home.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in the statement that the Russian nationals "were on stay in Qatar on legal grounds performing, without any violations of the local laws, information-analytical missions related to opposition to international terrorism".

According to the Qatar laws, lawyers for the accused can be only subjects of Qatar and, therefore, Russian lawyers stay there only as consultants rendering assistance to the accused.

If found guilty, they will face capital punishment. In theory, the monarch may pardon them.