Russia frees US national held on drug charges

Russian authorities have released an American national who was arrested at a Moscow airport this month for cannabis possession, the US state department has confirmed.

Kalob Byers, 28, was stopped at Vnukovo International Airport on 7 February after marijuana-laced sweets were discovered in his luggage, Russian state media reported.

The 28-year-old from Ohio is now back on US soil, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. A spokesperson for the state department told the BBC his release was a "welcome gesture" by Russia.

The department also reiterated its "strong warnings about the risk of detention for US citizens in Russia".

"US citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately, as stated in our Level 4 Do Not Travel Advisory for Russia," the statement said.

A report by Russia's Tass news agency last week said a US national arrived in Moscow from Istanbul on 7 February.

The man, now identified as Mr Byers, told airport officials the cannabis sweets found in his luggage had been prescribed by an American doctor.

He was facing 5-10 years in prison on drug smuggling charges as well as a fine of one million roubles ($10,900; £8,600), state media said.

In a post on Facebook, Tonya Shuler, who says she is Mr Byers' mother, said he has epilepsy and takes cannabis as medication to help control his seizures.

"He's a severe epileptic and took seizure medications for his disease. One of those were marijuana/THC/CBD to help control his seizures," she said, adding that he had been without the medication for eight days while detained.

She said Mr Byers had been travelling from Istanbul to Moscow with his fiancee, who is a Russian national.

Russian state media identified her as Naida Mambetova, and said she had also been placed in pre-trial detention on the same charges.

In an update on Facebook on Tuesday, Ms Shuler said Ms Mambetova had also been freed and all charges dropped. The BBC has not been able to verify this.

Mr Byers was freed only hours before talks between US and Russian officials over the war in Ukraine were set to begin in Saudi Arabia.

Asked about Mr Byers at a news conference on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow expected "to discuss restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations" at the talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, "so certain events can be viewed in this context".

The state department has expressed hope that Moscow would also consider the release of detained US nationals, Stephen Hubbard and Ksenia Khavana. Both have been detained on charges related to the war in Ukraine.

In recent years, Russia has detained a number of US citizens on various charges, with some Western officials suggesting the Kremlin is "hoarding" Americans to trade for allies and operatives imprisoned abroad.

Last week, American national Marc Fogel, who was arrested in 2021 and was serving a 14-year prison sentence, was freed in a prisoner exchange with jailed Russian national Alexander Vinnik.

Other US nationals freed in recent years include basketball star Brittney Griner, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan.

At least 10 Americans remain in prison in Russia, including:

• Gordon Black - a US Army staff sergeant who flew to Vladivostok to see his girlfriend and was then accused of stealing from her
• Robert Woodland, who was adopted from Russia as a child and was working as an English teacher when he was convicted of drug offences