Moscow insists on the release of Russian citizens - ambassador to Belarus

The Russian authorities are calling on Belarus to release the country's citizens detained by the Belarusian security forces as soon as possible. This was announced on August 1 by the Russian ambassador to the republic, Dmitry Mezentsev, during a conversation with journalists. We insist on the speedy release of our citizens and close cooperation with law enforcement agencies of Belarus and lawyers, Mezentsev noted. The diplomat emphasized that the versions cited by the official Minsk regarding the fact of the arrest are far-fetched and surprising. Mezentsev noted that the Belarusian side did not provide any facts supporting the official point of view on the alleged preparation of riots in the country by Russian citizens. Recall, on July 29, law enforcement agencies of Belarus arrested 33 Russian citizens, accusing them of seeking to destabilize the situation in the country. Official Minsk insists that the detainees are employees of the private military company Wagner.