Albania releases Russian, Ukrainian citizens held on spying charges

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - An Albanian court has decided to release the citizens of Russia and Ukraine arrested last August on spying charges.

Svetlana Timofeeva, a blogger, was arrested on Aug. 20 along with another Russian and a Ukrainian, while trying to enter a military facility in Albania.

She is also facing spying charges back in Russia for “illegally obtaining information constituting a state secret.”

The Elbasan Court of First Instance said in a statement on Thursday night that a decision was made to drop the detention order of Mikhail Zorin, Fedir Alpatov, and Svetlana Timofeeva, who are under investigation.

The investigations against them would continue freely, the statement added.

Meanwhile, another Russian citizen, Mikhail Zorin, was placed under house arrest.

Russian authorities asked for Timofeeva's extradition in January, but the request was turned down by the court.

A court statement said Timofeeva did not consent to the extradition and asked to remain in Albania.

In Albania, Timofeeva and the other two suspects are accused of “attacking an officer on duty” and “obtaining confidential information.”