Albanian Police Arrest Russian 'Islamic State Fighter'

By Reuters

July 12, 2019

A Russian national accused of fighting for the Islamic State militant group against Syrian government forces was arrested in Albania and will be extradited to Russia, Albanian police said on Friday.

Police said the 34-year-old man, identified as R.M., who was born in and a resident of Norilsk in Russia, entered Albania illegally after a court in Russia's republic of Chechnya ruled in April 2015 he should be arrested for being part of a terrorist group.

"In June 2013, this citizen left Russia for Syria, joined the illegal armed group named 'Islamic State' and was an active participant in fighting against government forces in Syria," a police statement said.

It added NATO member Albania's anti-terror unit had spent several months locating and identifying the Russian national wanted by Interpol Moscow. Increasing numbers of Russian and Ukrainian citizens visit Albania during the summer holidays.

Islamic State is a terrorist group banned in Russia.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

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 you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue