MOSCOW, April 9 (RAPSI) – The Foreign Ministry submitted information on the number of Russian convicts serving sentences in foreign prisons to the Presidential Council for Human Rights, the advisory body’s member Alexander Brod told RAPSI on Thursday.

According to the data, there are Russian inmates in USA, Spain, Germany, i.e. in the countries with the most serious coronavirus outbreak. It is now important to monitor the situation and supervise the conditions they got themselves to, Brod said. He believes it necessary to apply to the embassies, ombudsman and contact with relatives in order to provide jailed Russians with all required medical aid and essential goods, he stated.

On Wednesday, Brod turned to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov seeking information on the measures the body undertakes to ensure health and safety of Russian citizens serving jail terms in foreign countries.

The Human Rights Council, Brod informed the Minister in a letter a copy of which RAPSI had, received calls from relatives of Russian convicts abroad, who found themselves in a situation of danger because of the coronavirus pandemic and encounter problems due to worsening incarceration conditions and catering.

There is a growing risk of infection because of unsafe epidemiological environment of some Russian convicts in United States prisons, the letter of the rights activist read.

Brod asked Lavrov to present relevant statistics so rights activists could stand up for Russians serving terms abroad in cooperation with their home and foreign partners.