The case of the Romanian detained by the Russian Federation’s Federal Security Service (FSB) dates back to December last year, and the Romanian authorities are making every effort to provide the respective citizen with consular protection and assistance, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Friday, noting also that the issue „has all the specifics of a FIMI RU ‘reheated’ case for propaganda purposes.”

According to the Foreign Ministry, the Romanian was initially detained in Abkhazia four months ago and was later transferred to Sochi, in the Russian Federation, with steps already taken with the central and local authorities to grant him consular protection and assistance in accordance with international relevant regulations.

The Ministry stated that it continued its efforts with the Georgian and Russian authorities in order to provide the Romanian national the necessary consular assistance and to ensure that his personal rights are respected, in accordance with international relevant law.

Ministry representatives are in contact with the family of the Romanian citizen and the Foreign Ministry continues to closely monitor the situation.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry calls for the subject to be treated in accordance with the European legislation in force „in order not to harm the rights of the Romanian citizen and his family”. Also, the Ministry reminds that there is a travel alert in effect for Georgia and for the situation in Abkhazia in particular.

The FSB in Sochi, Krasnodar region, has detained a Romanian citizen born in 2002 on allegations that he engaged in espionage activities in favor of the Ukrainian special services, and that in the summer of 2024 – acting on the instructions of the Ukrainian special intelligence services – he collected and relayed information about the locations of air defense installations in the city of Sochi.

In return, the Ukrainian special services allegedly promised the Romanian to help him safely leave Russia and join Ukraine’s volunteer force in order to participate in combat operations against Russia.

The Investigation Department of the Krasnodar FSB has opened a criminal case against the detained Romanian for the crime of espionage provided for in Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is under investigation.

AGERPRES