Cyclist from France held in Russia to stay in custody until October
In a surprising turn of events, a French cyclist named Sehili has been detained in Russia's Primorye region, according to reports from the Ussuriysk district court. Sehili, who was attempting to break the Eurasia cycling record on an 18,000-kilometer route from Lisbon, Portugal, to Vladivostok, Russia, was arrested on or around September 2nd.
Sehili's planned route was posted online, and he was aiming to arrive in Vladivostok in early September. However, his visa only allowed him to cross the border by train. When he attempted to cross the border with his bicycle, which was not authorized for foreigners at the checkpoint he chose, he was arrested.
The court has imposed pre-trial detention on Sehili until at least October 4th, but the charges against him remain unspecified. This arrest comes amidst an increase in arrests on charges of spying and collecting sensitive data in Russia since the start of its war in Ukraine.
Sehili's family has hired a lawyer in Russia, and the French embassy is in touch with them. However, communication is difficult due to the time difference and tense relations between France and Russia. Sehili's partner, Fanny Bensussan, reported his disappearance to local authorities on September 2nd after losing contact with him on the same day.
Vladimir Naidin, a member of a government-linked monitoring organisation, visited Sehili in prison. Despite the challenging circumstances, Sehili is reported to be in good health but is struggling to communicate with officials due to the language barrier.
This incident has raised concerns among Sehili's supporters, with Bensussan fearing that Sehili's case could take on diplomatic proportions unrelated to the nature of the trip or the world record attempt. It's worth noting that another French researcher was arrested in Russia in 2023, charged with espionage.
As the situation unfolds, the international community and Sehili's supporters will be closely monitoring the developments in this case. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
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