"Helpless, Humiliated": Indian Tourist Says Spent 3 Days In Russia Detention

At least nine Indian tourists allegedly met with "inhuman" treatment in Russia after they were detained upon arrival in Moscow. Amit Tanwar, one of the nine tourists detained by Russian immigration officials, claimed he landed in Moscow with 11 other Indians with all necessary and valid documents, but only three of them were cleared by the immigration officials.

In a lengthy post on Instagram, Tanwar narrated his hours-long ordeal and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Embassy in Moscow to intervene. "Whoever thinks India is a superpower or believes that India-Russia ties are strong - it's a myth," he said.

According to Tanwar, his nightmare started on July 8 when his group of 12 tourists landed in Moscow, "with all the necessary and valid documents."

"Out of the 12, only three were cleared by Moscow immigration, while the remaining nine (including myself) were held back without any explanation," he wrote. 

Tanwar said that Russian authorities took their passport and asked them to sit in a "corner filled with other Indian travellers." Their group was taken to a separate room about an hour later. 

There, Tanwar claimed, the immigration officers checked their mobile phones, "including our photo galleries, Google search history and YouTube activity for nearly 10-15 minutes." "They also went through all our documents, travel itineraries, and the cash we were carrying."

The group was later told that they would be deported. "The officers spoke only in Russian among themselves and later informed us that we were being deported. We were then moved to another room already filled with people - some of whom claimed to have been held there for 2-3 days," he stated. 

The man claimed that there was no clear communication or clarity from the Russian authorities about the reason for deportation or their current status. He said they were confined in a small, locked room, with no basic assistance. "We are being treated like criminals... The treatment we are receiving is inhumane, and we are feeling helpless and humiliated," he said.

Elaborating on his mental ordeal, Tanwar said, "They are departing us in small groups-- just 1 or 2 people at a time. Imagine the mental state of the last person left behind, waiting alone, unsure of then they'll be sent back or what will happen next."

Tanwar said the Russian authorities are sending them back via Baku in Azerbaijan, and expressed fear that the treatment they received in Moscow will be repeated there. He said the tourists offered to book their return flights themselves, but Russian authorities did not allow them to do so. 

"We are stuck here with no idea when we will be released - it might take 2-3 days, or maybe even 4-5...We are so scared of the authorities here that we are even hesitant to raise a complaint or speak publicly-- fearing that doing so might get us held even longer," he said.

He also shared the photo of the food served to the detainees by the Russian authorise, which was only a small amount of small rice and boiled veggies. Tanwar said they were given food and a 500 ml water bottle--only twice a day.

The Russian officials are extremely rude towards Indian citizens.

In a later post on his Instagram stories, Tanwar informed that he landed in Mumbai in the early hours of Thursday. 

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