Alliance With Russia Pays Off for Belarus - Hostages in Libya Freed Thanks to Kadyrov Mediation
Today, two Russian girls, aged 3 and 4, returned to Moscow. They were released from a prison in Baghdad. The relatives of Kavsar Magomedova from Makhachkala and Sumaiya Gumatdinova from Tyumen met the girls at Vnukovo airport, Moscow. The children had been taken to Iraq by their parents, who went to fight for ISIS. The Head of Chechnya — Ramzan Kadyrov, and his envoy for Middle Eastern countries spear-headed the release.
They also contributed to a happy ending of yet another story. Two Belarusian doctors returned from captivity in Libya.
Here's the report by Andrey Grigoryev.
For the first time, after a year in captivity in Libya, he is calling his mother in Belarus: "I'm in Moscow. Everything is OK. They came and got me".
The truth was kept away from his elderly mother for her not to worry.
Lyubov Zdota, Sergei Zdota's mother: "He conducted operations there with no fatal cases, and they depended on him — Doctor Sergio".
The Belarusian couple, both of whom are doctors, spent 7 years in Libya, where they had gone to work before Gaddafi was ousted. It was a common practice under the Jamahiriya leader. Experienced doctors were invited to the country from all former Soviet countries.
Inessa Babich, scrub nurse: "It's rather demoralizing for foreigners to live in Libya as the country is quite different. There are no laws for foreigners".
She's a scrub nurse, he's a traumatologist, specializing in gunshot wounds. They have saved dozens of lives. This video was shot in a Libyan field hospital by Sergey. There are many wounded people, and there just aren't enough doctors.
When their contract expired, the management of a clinic in the city of Zintan decided to keep the doctors in the country by all means — by negotiations or by force.
Sergey Zdota, traumatologist: "Zintan is a state within a state. They wanted to make me, a doctor, and my wife, a nurse, pawns in a political game".
They were put under house arrest, threatened with jail, and their passports were revoked.
Sergey Zdota: "It was almost impossible to get a visa in this improvised passport".
These documents, which allowed the doctors to leave, as well as the release itself, are the result of the joint efforts of Russian, Belarusian, and Libyan diplomats, as well as the Libyan Government of National Accord security service.
Lev Dengov, head of the contact group for the Libyan settlement: "The operation was kept secret as some people would have wanted to prevent us from successfully completing the operation".
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic, acted as a mediator. Back in September, he promised to assist Belorussian President Alexander Lukashenko with the release of the doctors.
Sergey Zdota: "It's largely thanks to you that everything worked out. I am very grateful to you".
Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic: "It's good that you got home by New Year. We're glad we managed to help and do some good".
They aren't the only ones going through this, other Russians and Belarusians are still in trouble in North Africa and the Middle East. Their stories are being kept under wraps. The people will be evacuated as promptly as practicable.
The freed doctors feel completely safe on Russian territory. Their journey isn't complete just yet. Soon, they'll be on their way home — to Minsk.
Andrey Grigoryev, Vladimir Myasnikov, Yury Lepatnikov for Vesti.