Yulia Yuzik

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The Iranian foreign Ministry has not confirmed information about the imminent release of detained in Tehran, the Russian journalist Yulia Yuzik, the press attache of the Russian Embassy Andrei Ganenko

Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Islamic Republic of Iran

The Iranian foreign Ministry has not confirmed information about the imminent release of detained in Tehran, the Russian journalist Yulia Yuzik, the press attache of the Russian Embassy Andrei Ganenko. According to him, this information “is not denied, but not confirmed”.

In an interview with RBC diplomat said on Saturday Russian Ambassador to Tehran met with colleagues from the consular Department of the foreign Ministry of Iran. Russian diplomats formally requested consular access Yuzik and explanations regarding the reasons for her detention and of charges.

“The Iranians have taken note of our appeal and promised to respond soon,” said Ganenko. He added that the Russian Embassy is in constant contact with the Iranian side and is doing everything possible for the speedy release of the journalist. 4 Oct invited to the foreign Ministry the Ambassador of Iran in Moscow Mehdi Sanai said that Yulia Yuzik testified the Iranian law enforcement authorities and will soon be released.

The journalist arrived in Tehran on September 29 for a private invitation at the airport for unknown reasons, she seized the passport, promising to return it on departure from the country. October 2 fighters of the Islamic revolutionary guard Corps arrested Yuzik the hotel, broke down the door to her room.

About the detention of the journalist was reported in Facebook by her ex-husband, journalist Boris Voitsekhovsky, and daughter. According to Wojciechowski, Yuzik was suspected of spying for Israel and it threatens till ten years of prison. In the Russian Embassy said that the journalist had not informed the diplomatic mission about the difficulties with the passport. While Yuzik, according to her husband and daughter, “I expected to run into difficulties”.

In addition to diplomats, finding-out of circumstances of detention Yuzik deals with the Union of journalists of Russia (szhr). The head of the organization Vladimir Soloviev suggested that the problems it could occur because of the Israeli visa in the passport. International and European Federation of journalists called on Iran to clarify the reasons for the detention Yuzik and respect the freedom of the press.

Yulia Yuzik has worked with many Russian and foreign mass media, publishing materials on the struggle with terrorism and the topic of suicide bombers. Since 2003 she engaged in literary work and investigative journalism. Yuzik is the author of books about suicide bombers “Brides of Allah”, which is reprinted in nine foreign countries, as well as the book “Beslan dictionary”, in which draws on conversations with survivors of the tragedy at the school N1 in Beslan. In 2016 Yulia Yuzik stood in deputies of the state Duma from the party PARNAS, with the support of the “Open Russia” Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

According to “Moskovsky Komsomolets” Yulia arrived in Iran at the invitation of the Director of the Russian-language satellite channel Iran Today Bahram Hanlar, with whom the journalist had worked. Now the latest news published on the main page of this channel date back to 2018.

“Газета.Ru” he writes that the version about the problems Yuzik because of the Israeli visa is in doubt. The journalist was last moved to this country 13 years ago and since then a few times I was in Iran. Friend Julia told the publication that about a year ago, she “worked in a very Orthodox Islamic TV channel” in Iran and at least once she had been detained because of suspicions that Yuzik “supposedly not quite loyal to the Iranian regime.”

The source publication added that the journalist and this time it is suspected that it can hold, so before departure, leave their data access to Facebook and other emergency contacts youngest daughter. Julia has four children: two daughters 16 and 13 and 10 year old twins. According to MK, Yuzik have diagnosed “a disease not compatible with life” and she needs surgery. The journalist did not advertise it.