PRETORIA, January 13. /TASS/: The Russian embassy to Uganda (with dual accreditation in South Sudan) has received a message from Russian nationals Ilya Varlamov and Pyotr Verzilov after their detention in the South Sudanese town of Kapoeta, a spokesperson for the embassy told TASS on Wednesday.
"They have got in touch with us," the Russian diplomat said. "They have not been arrested yet, but just detained. Work is underway."
According to the diplomat, the Russians are currently in South Sudan. The Russian Foreign Ministry has no diplomatic missions in that country. Russia’s further steps are being considered. TASS has learnt that Russia’s embassy to Uganda is holding permanent consultations with the concerned parties. The spokesperson for the diplomatic mission confirmed that the Russians were detained on Wednesday.
Earlier, Varlamov wrote on his website that he had been detained in South Sudan along with Pyotr Verzilov, the Mediazona publisher and a member of the Voina art group, and three other Russians. Later, he pointed out that their phones had been seized and then they had been arrested.
