Support The Moscow Times!

Russians Return Home After 3 Years in Libyan Jail

Sirte, Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi has spent his last days.

Two Russian citizens arrested in Libya in 2011 on suspicion of aiding former President Moammar Gadhafi have been freed and allowed to return home, Kommersant reported Tuesday.

Alexander Shadrov, 61, and Vladimir Dolgov, 53, who had been working as engineers in Libya's oil industry during the country's turbulent civil war, have reportedly returned to Russia after quietly being freed over the summer.

The circumstances of their release remain unclear, but a Ukrainian citizen who was held in detention along with them was cited by Newsru.com as saying: "Russia freed us."

Dolgov first commented on his release on the Odnoklassniki social network in mid-September, writing: "It's a sweet word — freedom!"

The two Russian men were sentenced to life imprisonment by a military tribunal in Tripoli in June 2012 for allegedly having helped Gadhafi, who had been captured and killed by rebels months earlier. They Russians were charged along with about 20 Ukrainians and three Belarussians for repairing military equipment that the new government said was used by Gadhafi against his own people.

Russia's Foreign Ministry considered the men's detention illegal and repeatedly demanded their release, sending diplomats to visit them in jail and supply them with food and clothes.

The ministry confirmed the men's release in a statement Tuesday, saying they had returned home thanks to "intensive, well-targeted work that didn't allow for publicity."

In the aftermath of Gadhafi's ouster, thousands of people were rounded up and detained by various rebel factions. During the trial of Shadrov and Dolgov in 2012, a spokesman for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry told Interfax that more than 5,000 foreign citizens, including Europeans, were being held in Libyan prisons.

Gadhafi was in power for 42 years before being violently overthrown.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more