Consulate General responds to video of Uzbek citizen held in Kazan (video)

A video circulating on social networks shows an Uzbek citizen allegedly being held in a temporary detention center for foreign nationals in the Russian city of Kazan for 45 days and appealing for help in returning home. The Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Kazan has issued a clarification regarding the incident.

According to the diplomatic mission, the individual in the video was identified as M.A., a citizen of Uzbekistan born in 1983. The investigation revealed that on August 2 of this year, administrative measures were taken against him not in Kazan, but in the Ozinsky District of Saratov Region. An officer of the local Department of Internal Affairs charged him under Part 1.1 of Article 18.8 of the Russian Federation’s Code of Administrative Offenses (violation of residency rules), and a decision was made to deport him from Russia.

The Consulate General also noted that M.A. had previously been held accountable under the same article on July 11 of this year. Furthermore, since his international passport contained signs of forged entry-exit stamps for crossing the Russian border, the document was sent for examination.

On September 2, the Saratov Regional Internal Migration Department requested the Consulate General to issue M.A. a certificate of return to Uzbekistan. The request was promptly reviewed and approved. A representative of the Saratov department is expected to travel to the Consulate General in Kazan to finalize the matter.

“The Consulate General in Kazan is monitoring the situation and continues to take necessary measures,” the statement read.