Russia bans liquor imports from Czech

Russia banned imports of hard alcohol from the Czech Republic following lethal poisoning cases in that country, Gennady Onishchenko, Russia's Directorate for Consumer Rights and Health Protection, said on Friday. "The Federal Customs Services are given an order not to let these products (into the country) until the situation is fully stabilized," Onishchenko told reporters. Twenty-two people died in Czech, six in Slovakia, and four in Poland this month, due to methanol poisoning after drinking Czech- made liquors, according to Onishchenko. Czech has suspended distribution of spirits containing over 20 percent of alcohol to the European Union (EU) on Thursday. Countries like Poland and Slovakia have banned sales of alcoholic drinks imported from Czech since last Sunday. Onishchenko warned that Russia might also ban imports of alcohol from Poland and Slovakia, where many poisoning cases were reported too. "So far we have received no information from the European Union, " Onishchenko added.