The chairman of the RF IC, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed to study the reasons and legal grounds for the detention of Russian citizen Alexander Franchetti at the Prague airport.

This was reported by the press service of the department. 

“According to media reports, it is possible that his detention is connected with his active participation in 2014 in the events of the reunification of the Crimean peninsula with Russia.

The warrant for the arrest of a Russian citizen was issued by Ukraine, where he can be prosecuted, ”the press service of the RF IC says. 

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Czech side has not yet informed Russia about the detention of its citizen.  

“Requests have been sent through the embassy and the UK.

We want to understand what is being charged against our citizen ... We hope that the Czech authorities will follow the principles of legality and not succumb to political provocations, ”Lavrov said. 

As stated in the comments of the official representative of the department, Maria Zakharova, published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian side, during a conversation with the Czech Ambassador to Moscow Vitezslav Pivonka, demanded to provide detailed information regarding the motives of the actions of the Czech authorities and the offenses incriminated to the Russian citizen.

“The ambassador was warned that the continuation of the destructive line of Prague towards Russia and its citizens would lead to further degradation on the initiative of the Czech side of bilateral relations and would not remain without a reaction from our side,” Zakharova said.

Also on russian.rt.com Zakharova commented on the situation with the detention of a Russian in the Czech Republic

Did not hold a weapon

Activist and participant of the "Crimean Spring" Alexander Franchetti was detained on September 12 at the Prague airport on the basis of an international arrest warrant issued by Ukraine.

The man, along with his daughter Dia Franchetti, was heading to Moscow, but the airport staff had questions for him.

As the girl said in an interview with "Zvezda", her father was taken to the office, and later she was informed about his arrest because of "charges of terrorism in Ukraine."

As military and political expert Yan Gagin suggested in an interview with RT, Franchetti may be extradited to Ukraine in the very near future. 

“I think that the Czech Republic is doing this under US pressure.

In my opinion, the authorities of our country are obliged to intercede, - Gagin believes.

- He is charged with participation in a coup d'etat on the territory of Crimea.

I know what he did in 2014 during the Crimean Spring.

He did not hold a weapon in his hands.

This person cannot be called a war criminal, because there is simply no corpus delicti, incriminated to him. "

Gagin also noted that Franchetti is not a Czech citizen, according to media reports.

According to him, the Russian has only a residence permit (residence permit), which he received in 2000 and periodically renewed.

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“They could have detained him and just passed him on quietly, like Bout.

But they did it publicly for some reason.

On purpose.

He says that this is a political provocation in order to get a reaction.

If he is still handed over to Ukraine, he will face torture and death, ”the expert said.

In turn, the head of the regional military-patriotic public organization "Sevastopol Defense" Nikolay Shchennikov

(Franchetti is the founder of the organization) told RT that this situation indicates that all members of the organization may be in Franchetti's place. 

“The guys broke through, there is an article on him in Ukraine.

I think that this is the situation with many of our guys who were on the defensive.

This happened after Zelensky's meetings.

I think after that the arrest warrants were issued and that's why it happened like that, ”Shchennikov said.

Serbian Deyan Berich, who came to the DPR as a volunteer, in an interview with RT, said that Franchetti traveled to the Czech Republic twice a year after the events of 2014.

“He lived in Russia, this time he went to his daughter in the Czech Republic.

Before that I was leaving to sell a car with Czech license plates.

Usually I went to the Czech Republic twice a year.

There have never been any problems, "says RT Berich.

Health problems

According to the head of the working group on international legal issues at the permanent representation of the Republic of Crimea under the President of the Russian Federation Alexander Molokhov, the arrest warrant for Franchetti was prepared back in 2019.

“Ukraine initially put him on an internal wanted list.

International search is a lengthy bureaucratic procedure.

And this was done a little later.

He was in this kind of hibernation.

Firstly, due to covid restrictions, Alexander did not often appear on the territory of the Czech Republic, and secondly, this case was not set in motion.

According to my information, this is directly related to the Crimean Platform.

Why the precedent is dangerous: Alexander is only the first swallow, ”Molokhov said. 

As he told RT, Franchetti is accused of a number of articles, including participation in a coup, participation in illegal armed groups, and more.  

“Of course, he did not hold a weapon in his hands.

What the Sevastopol defense was doing in March-April 2014 was the function of the people's militia, the protection of public law and order, they monitored possible provocations so that no one would touch the power lines, Molokhov told RT.

- It is impossible to leave it all, because it is a blatant injustice and impudence.

This must be nipped in the bud.

We need legal assistance, we need resonance and active action from the Russian authorities. "

Franchetti's girlfriend Svetlana told RT that Alexander still suspected that he might be detained.

“I learned about everything directly from Alexander.

We were in touch when he checked in at the airport.

He assumed (about a possible detention. -

RT

) even when he flew to the Czech Republic.

He just went to visit his daughter, to see relatives.

He has already been to the Czech Republic more than once, but for some reason only now it was all organized against him.

We are doing everything we can, ”Svetlana concluded in an interview with RT.

According to her, Franchetti has serious health problems.

“He has an autoimmune disease - rheumatoid arthritis.

This is when all joints swell.

Under no circumstances should he be nervous.

He needs a good hospital, not the situation he is in, ”the woman said.