Libya has released Russian sailors

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Libya has released three Russian sailors who were accused in fuel smuggling and arrested in September 2015. The news came right after a meeting between Russian MPs and Presidency Council head Ahmed Maetig in Tripoli.

Andrei Krynin, Stanislav Sirotkin and Valery Savitsky were arrested last September when their tanker was seized off Zuwara, Libya. On Monday they were released and came back to their hometown of Grozny, Chechnya.

Still three more Russian citizens are kept in Libyan prison. Captain Vladimir Tekuchev, chief officer Samoilov and senior engineer Pashchenko, together with other members of international crew, were arrested in June accused of fuel smuggling again. Russia’s foreign ministry is now demanding the release of these sailors as well.

“All possible measures have been taken to secure their release, which is difficult due to the military and political tensions that have persisted in Libya for the past several years and the lack of central control over several regions,” read a Tuesday foreign ministry statement.