A Russian diplomat and the head of a Russian bathroom fixture company have been freed after being taken captive over a $500,000 debt by angry factory workers in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, officials and news reports said Sunday.
Vitaly Rudykh, general director of the Irkutsk-based Advento company, and his translator Olga Borisevich were seized last Monday when they arrived to terminate a partnership with the shower cabin factory because of financial difficulties, Itar-Tass reported.
Yevgeny Gryaznov, a diplomat from the Russian Consulate in Shanghai, was detained when he arrived at the factory on Friday afternoon to negotiate their release.
The three were held in a tiny room by unknown captors and not given food or water, Rudykh told Interfax. He complained that local police did nothing to help.
After Gryaznov arrived, the irate Chinese workers ratcheted up the drama — dousing the hostages with water and throwing a flowerpot, news reports said. One tearful Chinese woman fell in front of Gryaznov, crying that she had been hit by one of the captives, Consul General Andrei Smorodin told Lenta.ru.
The Chinese partners and factory workers were demanding that Advento repay a nearly $500,000 debt, Interfax reported.
Rudykh said he paid the factory workers last week and was preparing to pay his Chinese partners. His translator put the repaid debt to the factory workers at $39,000, Lenta.ru said.
The trio was released Friday night and arrived at the consulate in Shanghai around 1 a.m. Saturday, a consulate official said by phone Sunday. Rudykh and Borisevich flew back to Russia that afternoon.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
