Overview

• Diplomatic sources say a French national has been arrested in Russia’s Far East and placed in pretrial detention, with no date or circumstances disclosed.
• French media identify the detainee as 44-year-old endurance cyclist Sofiane Sehili, reportedly arrested in Vladivostok.
• Le Monde reports he is accused of illegal border crossing, a claim not detailed publicly by Russian authorities.
• The Consulate General of France in Moscow has contacted Russian officials to pursue consular access.
• Sehili had been attempting a Lisbon-to-Vladivostok cycling record and said on 2 September he was blocked at the Sino-Russian border after two entry attempts.