(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Moscow May 03 - Military OSCE observers captured by pro-Russian activists in Slavyansk on April 25 have been released Russian envoy Vladimir Lukin said as quoted by Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
"All 12 people I have on the list were freed" Lukin stated.
Last week the military observers were captured by anti-Kiev protesters who accused them of espionage. Earlier one of the detained - a Swedish officer suffering from diabetes - was released.
Lukin stressed the release of the observers wasn't a bargain. "It was a voluntary humanitarian act and we're very grateful for it to those controlling the city" he said.
Lukin is currently taking the OSCE observers to a checkpoint he told Itar-Tass news agency on the phone. He took them through one checkpoint but had to stop there as gunfire was heard at the next checkpoint.
When the released observers get to the final checkpoint "representatives of the Council of Europe will meet them. As soon as they are transferred to the representatives of the Council of Europe we'll be able to say that the mission is over." .
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