Ukraine’s MFA closely follows detention of theater director Lavrenchuk in Italy

"The Consulate General of Ukraine in Naples provides consular assistance to Ukrainian citizen Yevhen Lavrenchuk, who was detained in Italy on December 17 at the request of the Russian Federation ... Consuls keep in touch with the penitentiary administration and relatives and closely follow the developments," Oleg Nikolenko, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, told Ukrinform.

According to him, the court of Naples chose a pre-trial restraint for the Ukrainian citizen in the form of detention in custody for the period of consideration of Russia’s extradition request. With the assistance of the Consulate General, Lavrenchuk got a lawyer.

Currently, the consuls and the lawyer are cooperating with Italian law enforcement agencies to find out all the reasons for the detention of Yevhen Lavrenchuk and protect his legitimate interests, Nikolenko added.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also said that the consul had visited Lavrenchuk on December 31. His detention conditions are acceptable and his health status is satisfactory.

The information about the detention of Yevhen Lavrenchuk, Ukrainian theater director, Shevchenko National Prize nominee, former chief director of the Odesa Opera and Ballet Theater, rector of the First Ukrainian School of Theater and Cinema, in Italy appeared on social media on January 3. A publication on the Free Eugene Lavrenchuk group said that Russia demanded the extradition of the Ukrainian citizen, accusing him of financial impropriety he had allegedly committed in Russia 8 years ago.

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