Russian foreign ministry seeks release of Russian tourist detained in Syria

The Russian Foreign Ministry and Russia's Embassy in Damascus are investigating the circumstances of Russian citizen Konstantin Zhuravlyov's detention by militants in Syria and are working to secure his release as soon as possible, the ministry said on its website on Tuesday. "We hope that those who are currently holding Zhuravlyov will demonstrate common sense, and we also count on all the forces that are able to influence the Syrian armed opposition to contribute to his safe return to Russia," the ministry said, Voice of Russia reported. "Regrettably, Zhuravlyov ignored the recommendations repeatedly published by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which advised Russian citizens against traveling to Syria while it was swept up by an internal armed conflict," it said. Zhuravlyov was reportedly detained by the Liva al-Tauhid armed group in Northern Syria at the beginning of October. On their website, the group's members called Zhuravlyov a "Russian spy" and promised to decide his fate "based on the results of a Sharia investigation". Konstantin Zhuravlyov, 32, a resident of the city of Tomsk, is a famous blogger and traveler, who is known for his unorthodox lifestyle, the ministry said. Zhuravlyov planned to cross Syria and other Middle East countries on his way to Egypt as part of his Alone with the Desert project.