Moscow: Russia on April 9 denied reports that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had
taken refuge in its Embassy in Baghdad.
"This type of claim absolutely does not and cannot correspond with reality. This is
yet another attempt to put the security of Russian Embassy in jeopardy," Russian
Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said.
Yakovenko said Moscow fears attack on its Embassy by Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) teams posing as "marauders" to grab secret diplomatic papers.
"At the highest level Russia has demanded from American side to fully comply with
all those obligations which belligerent parties take upon them in relations to
diplomatic missions," he told Channel 1 TV network.
"We are guided by the fact that any hostile acts, committed by anyone, would be
gross violation of Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges and the
clear-cut obligations taken by the belligerent parties before us on bilateral
basis," he added.
There are 12 Russian diplomats and technical staff in the Embassy, the spokesman
said, adding over 20 mediapersons have also been asked to move in the compound in
emergency.
Speaker of Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri had earlier said, "Saddam Hussein could
have found refuge in the Russian Embassy in Baghdad."
PTI
