Forwarded from Russian Embassy in London
Embassy's comment on the situation around Sergei and Yulia Skripal
▪️We are perplexed that for the past four and a half years the Russian side has remained in the dark about the fate of two our citizens, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, who found themselves in the center of a resonant incident in the English city of Salisbury in March 2018. No official information is available about their state of health, legal status and whereabouts.
▪️We have repeatedly appealed to the UK authorities, demanded to provide appropriate explanations and ensure the possibility of consular access to our citizens. We also offered to participate in establishing the circumstances of the incident, since it affected Russian nationals.
▪️We requested, within the framework of generally recognized international legal procedures, assistance in relation to a criminal case opened in Russia, and at the very least preliminary conclusions based on the results of the investigation.
▪️There was no meaningful response to our requests. Instead, we have witnessed the proliferation of politicized accusations and speculation by the British authorities, the media and so called experts. Hypothetical constructs are being presented as established facts and used to straw far-reaching, yet untrue conclusions. The investigative work announced by London with regard to the Salisbury- linked incident in Amesbury shifted towards semi-transparent quasi-judicial procedures. In fact, these proceedings are essentially classified.
▪️This approach may be clearly perceive as being indicative of the British side's desire to conceal the truth about what happened and prevent the disclosure of the real circumstances, although, in our view, UK citizens are no less entitled to know them.
▪️For our part, we confirm our repeatedly expressed interest in ensuring the objective nature of the investigation of the events of 2018, the reliable confirmation of the safety and well-being of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and the possibility of consular access to the Russian citizens.
▪️The Russian side will continue to undertake all appropriate efforts in this regard. We proceed from the premise that it is unacceptable to ignore questions clearly related to citizens of another state. On September 1, we once again officially addressed the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom in this regard. We look forward to its reaction in line with steady diplomatic practice.
#Russia #UK #Skripal
▪️We are perplexed that for the past four and a half years the Russian side has remained in the dark about the fate of two our citizens, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, who found themselves in the center of a resonant incident in the English city of Salisbury in March 2018. No official information is available about their state of health, legal status and whereabouts.
▪️We have repeatedly appealed to the UK authorities, demanded to provide appropriate explanations and ensure the possibility of consular access to our citizens. We also offered to participate in establishing the circumstances of the incident, since it affected Russian nationals.
▪️We requested, within the framework of generally recognized international legal procedures, assistance in relation to a criminal case opened in Russia, and at the very least preliminary conclusions based on the results of the investigation.
▪️There was no meaningful response to our requests. Instead, we have witnessed the proliferation of politicized accusations and speculation by the British authorities, the media and so called experts. Hypothetical constructs are being presented as established facts and used to straw far-reaching, yet untrue conclusions. The investigative work announced by London with regard to the Salisbury- linked incident in Amesbury shifted towards semi-transparent quasi-judicial procedures. In fact, these proceedings are essentially classified.
▪️This approach may be clearly perceive as being indicative of the British side's desire to conceal the truth about what happened and prevent the disclosure of the real circumstances, although, in our view, UK citizens are no less entitled to know them.
▪️For our part, we confirm our repeatedly expressed interest in ensuring the objective nature of the investigation of the events of 2018, the reliable confirmation of the safety and well-being of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and the possibility of consular access to the Russian citizens.
▪️The Russian side will continue to undertake all appropriate efforts in this regard. We proceed from the premise that it is unacceptable to ignore questions clearly related to citizens of another state. On September 1, we once again officially addressed the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom in this regard. We look forward to its reaction in line with steady diplomatic practice.
#Russia #UK #Skripal
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