Russian traveler believed detained by Syrian rebels

MOSCOW -- A Russian travel blogger missing in Syria for more than a week has reportedly been detained by a Syrian armed opposition group, Russian officials said.

Russian Embassy officials in Damascus said Saturday that they are looking for Konstantin Zhuravlev, who disappeared in the vicinity of Aleppo on Sept. 30.

Zhuravlev reportedly entered Syria from Turkey last month to hitchhike in the war-ravaged country. On Friday, a Syrian agency, Shamel News, associated with rebels, posted on its Facebook page a scan of Zhuravlev’s passport, saying that a rebel “security battalion arrested Zhuravlev who was spying on rebel factions and supplied information to Russian and Syrian intelligence.”

The report said that a relevant video would be posted soon.

A Russian Embassy official called Zhuravlev’s trip in Syria an irresponsible act.

“We are bewildered why, knowing about combat actions in Syria, the man goes there to hitchhike on his own,” Vice-Consul Vasily Kartuzov told Interfax on Saturday. “What did he count on? What do people who act like him count on?”

An unnamed Syrian security official told ITAR-TASS that Zhuravlev is probably being held by rebels.

“Most likely Zuravlev is in the hands of the Islamist group Live-at-Tauhid which reported arresting a Russian spy,” the official said.

Zhuravlev, who was born in the city of Tomsk in central Siberia, is known in Russia for a 77-day hitchhiking trip around the world.

On his personal website he describes himself as a free-thinking adventurer.

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