Three Russian nationals have been detained in Chad, as confirmed by Russia’s foreign ministry late Monday, corroborating earlier reports.
The ministry identified the detainees as Maxim Shugaley, Samer Sueifan, and E. Tsaryov, stating that it had taken “necessary measures to facilitate their swift release.”
According to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, Shugaley and Sueifan—referred to as “sociologists”—have been held at the airport in Chad’s capital since September 19, based on information from unnamed sources.
The agency reported that the pair was detained without explanation after previously visiting the France-allied nation without incident.
Additionally, the ministry noted that a Belarusian citizen, named A. Denisevich, had also been apprehended.
The Russian government stated that it is maintaining “close communication” with Chad’s authorities.
Shugaley leads a Moscow-based NGO called the Foundation for the Defence of National Values, which is associated with a media group linked to the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former chief of the Wagner paramilitary organization.
At 58 years old, Shugaley is under EU sanctions for allegedly working directly under Prigozhin as the “public relations arm of the Wagner Group” and for disseminating “propaganda and disinformation.”
In his most recent Telegram post from August, Shugaley commemorated the one-year anniversary of Prigozhin’s death in a plane crash, referring to the victims as “heroes.”
Shugaley and Sueifan were arrested in Libya in May 2019, accused by Libyan authorities of interfering in elections on behalf of Moscow. They were released after 18 months in December 2020.
Following their release, Prigozhin’s company, Concord, announced it would compensate the duo nearly $500,000.
