Russia 'invites' Iran envoy to ministry over journalist arrest
Russia’s Foreign Ministry says it has “invited” Iran's ambassador to Moscow to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrest of a Russian journalist in the Iranian capital Tehran on suspicion of espionage.
Mehdi Sanaei was "invited to the foreign ministry to quickly clarify the circumstances" and ensure the rights of journalist Yulia Yuzik are observed, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
The Iranian ambassador told Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov that Yuzik had been detained to be questioned but "would soon be released," according to a statement by the ministry later Friday.
Yuzik, 38, who worked for several prominent Russian publications, was arrested in her hotel room on Wednesday.
“She has been detained on suspicion of having ties to Israeli intelligence services,” said a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Tehran, citing her mother.
"The representative of Russia's consulate is now at the Iranian foreign ministry trying to resolve this issue," said journalist Boris Voitsekhovskiy, identified by Russian media as Yuzik's ex-husband.
Moscow and Tehran enjoy strong bilateral ties and have been working in a strategic partnership format on their issues of mutual interest.
Russia has been critical of Washington’s exit from a 2015 multilateral deal with Iran and re-imposition of harsh sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The two countries have also been assisting Syria in its efforts to uproot terrorist groups that have been wreaking havoc on the Arab state since 2011 with the backing of Washington and its regional allies.
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