Tehran Condemns ‘Violent’ Arrest of Iranian Students in Russia

Iran lodged a protest with Moscow over what it called the "violent" arrest of two Iranian students in the Russian city of Kazan, state media reported Saturday.

The students were detained Friday at Kazan Federal University after visiting a visa extension center, where police allegedly subjected them to "inhumane and unprofessional beating," according to the IRNA news agency, citing a statement from the Iranian consulate in Kazan.

Iran's government submitted a "protest note" to Russia's Foreign Ministry, condemning the incident and demanding "explanations."

The students were later released following intervention by the Iranian consulate.

Kazan police said in a statement Friday that officers had intervened in a physical altercation between students, detaining those they identified as the "instigators." The police did not disclose the nationalities of those involved.

Separately, regional investigators in the republic of Tatarstan, where Kazan is located, said two foreign nationals were arrested for allegedly "using violence against a representative of the authority."

Kazem Jalali, Iran's ambassador to Moscow, condemned "any sort of misbehavior with Iranian students" in a post on X, calling for accountability from Russian authorities.

Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi has "repeatedly" raised the issue, Jalali said.