Answer of Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the MFA of Russia Maria Zakharova to the media's question on the situation around Russian citizen Alexander Panin

Question: How can you comment on the situation around the extradition of the Russian citizen Alexander Panin from the Dominican Republic to the United States?
Answer: In connection with reports on the extradition of Alexander Panin from the Dominican Republic to the U.S. we would like to note that the appropriate department of the MFA of Russia and the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C. are following this situation closely. On July 26 a representative of the consular division of the Embassy visited Alexander Panin held in one of the prisons in Georgia. We are maintaining contact with his mother and his U.S. lawyer.
We are certainly extremely concerned about the fact that we are dealing with another arrest of a Russian citizen in a third country at the U.S. request. We consider this practice that has already become a vicious tendency quite inappropriate and unacceptable. We have repeatedly pointed out to the U.S. side that in case of legal questions to our citizens it is necessary to send relevant requests to the Russian law-enforcement bodies in accordance with the Russia-U.S. Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty but this is not happening.
We continue to undertake necessary measures for securing Alexander Panin's legal rights.