- Cypriot authorities are investigating the death of a Russian diplomat and the disappearance of a businessman.
- The diplomat was found dead at the embassy in Nicosia on Thursday.
- The police were not allowed into the embassy and the body was handed over in the courtyard.
Cypriot authorities are investigating the death of a high-ranking Russian diplomat, who was found dead in his embassy office in Nicosia last Thursday, and the disappearance of Russian businessman Vladislav Baumgertner. This was reported by the Cyprus Mail on Monday, writes TASR.
According to the portal, unnamed sources familiar with the case said that the man was found around noon on Thursday, but the police were not informed of his death until several hours later. At the same time, the dispatched policemen were not allowed into the building of the Russian embassy, where they wanted to examine the office of the deceased diplomat, and his body was handed over to them in the courtyard. The police confirmed that the refusal of access was justified by the fact that the diplomatic mission falls outside the jurisdiction of the Cypriot state.
Officials of the Russian embassy informed the authorities that a Russian citizen committed suicide and left a letter. The embassy will send the letter directly to Moscow and will not make it available to investigators, it said.
In parallel with this case, according to the Cypriot media, an extensive search continues for Baumgertner, the former CEO of the Russian company Uralkali, which is a producer and exporter of potash. He was last seen leaving his residence in the city of Limassol on January 7.
Baumgertner is known for the case from 2013, when Belarusian authorities detained him during his visit to Minsk and accused him of abuse of office in connection with the collapse of the Russian-Belarusian joint venture for the sale of potash. He was subsequently extradited to Russia.
