A 48-year-old Belgian-Russian man has been imprisoned in Russia for charges of “treason and threatening national security” after visiting Saint Petersburg in June, Le Soir reported on Monday.
Mikhail Loshchinin, who was born in Moscow and has lived in Europe for over 25 years, is now set to face trial on 15 January in Pskov, a city near the Latvian border. He could face up to 12 years in prison.
He was arrested at the Russian border, and his family claims he was “kidnapped and tortured without cause.”
According to his sister, the Belgian embassy has been requesting permission to visit Loshchinin since August but has received no response from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Belgium’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Le Soir that it is aware of the situation but declined further comment, citing regulations against discussing personal cases.
