Russia urges USA to release extradited mother

WASHINGTON (Itar-Tass) - Russia urged US authorities on
Thursday to release a Russian woman who was accused of abducting her own
children and "reinstate her rights, including a repatriation possibility,"
according to a note of the Russian embassy filed to the US Department of
State on Thursday.
Aziza Mirzoyeva was extradited to the United States from Germany and
faced three years in prison for having abducted her two children and taken
them to Europe in defiance of a court ruling that left the minors in the
care of their father.
On Wednesday the federal district court in Alexandria (Virginia)
officially ceased criminal persecution of Mirzoyeva. The Russian embassy
said "that means she had been unlawfully deprived of freedom and kept for
over half a year in custody without sufficient legal grounds."
Aziza was married to a citizen of Tajikistan Tohir Mirzoyev who is
employed by the International Monetary Fund. They had two sons.
When the couple filed for divorce, a U.S. court gave the children to
Aziza. After that, with the consent of Tohir, the woman left for Canada
with children, and from there, at her sole discretion, for Russia.
Aziza was detained with her sons in Germany where she was a medical
student and the boys were returned to the ex-husband, who informed the
court he had no more claims against his ex-spouse.
Despite court ruling Mirzoyeva remains in custody as she has no US
visa and other necessary documents. Authorities say an immigration court
has now to decide on her repatriation.

. an unbiased manner and pass a just ruling," the
spokesman said.
He recalled the court adjourned for a week on February 22 and quoted
trial participants as saying the break was necessary "to file some new
accusations against our citizens."
"We have been attentively following and continue to follow the course
of court hearings in Minsk and the trial initiated against two Russian
nationals Artem Breus and Ivan Gaponov," the spokesman said.