TUNIS, December 17. /TASS/. The Russian Embassy in Tunisia is in close contact with local investigative authorities regarding the detention of Russian citizens, the diplomatic mission told TASS.
"The Russian Embassy in Tunisia is closely monitoring the situation concerning the arrest of 11 Russians by Tunisian law enforcement. The embassy is in constant contact with the investigative authorities and consular service of Tunisia's Foreign Ministry," the diplomatic mission reported.
Russian diplomats have already met "with the local authorities to clarify the circumstances of the case." "The Russian citizens are now being held at the Mornaguia prison [located in a town of the same name 14 kilometers away from Tunis]," the embassy informed. The date of the first court hearing, which will take place behind closed doors, will soon be announced.
A group of 11 Russians was detained in Tunisia in mid-November. They set off to the village of Haidra near the border with Algeria to study local lore. However, the area is controlled by local security forces because the country's critical infrastructure, including that of Tunisia's Defense Ministry, is located there. Apart from that, border tensions remain high due to terrorist cells active in the area.