The German Foreign Ministry has indirectly confirmed information that Russian authorities have detained a German citizen in St. Petersburg, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
A spokesman for the diplomatic service said that the authorities are aware of the case and are making efforts to provide consular assistance.
“However, we do not comment on specific consular cases in which we provide assistance to German citizens,“ the spokesman added.
Earlier, the German publications “Welt“ and “Spiegel“ reported that a 41-year-old German man was detained on suspicion of donating 900 rubles - about $10 - to the organization of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
According to the reports, the detainee, who is the manager of a gym in St. Petersburg, is accused of providing financial resources to an organization designated by Russian authorities as extremist.
A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said that since the beginning of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, the country's authorities have reacted ruthlessly to any form of resistance.
„The problem here is that it is alleged that money was donated to Navalny's organization. "This fits perfectly into the overall picture," he said.
According to him, what is happening is indicative of the current situation in Russia.
“This is not just a trend, this is the reality of everyday life in Russia,“ said the spokesman for the German diplomatic service.