Russian Woman's Arrest in Chicago for Taking Daughter Out of US 'Illegal'

The arrest of Russian national Olga Pimanova by US authorities over accusations of illegally taking her daughter out of the country is illegal, Russian Children's Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Pimanova was arrested at the Chicago airport upon arrival in the United States on May 20, allegedly for taking her daughter out of the country two years ago. She is currently under house arrest in the United States. The next court hearings are scheduled for Monday.

"Together with the Russian Foreign Ministry, we are helping the mother and her daughter. We consider the arrest of a Russian mother and demands to return her daughter to the United States to be illegal," Astakhov wrote on his Twitter account.

On Friday, the Russian Embassy in Washington told Sputnik that according to preliminary information, the United States had no grounds for her detention, and the embassy had requested official information from the US authorities regarding her arrest.

Pimanova's daughter was born in Russia and has Russian citizenship, Astakhov said, adding that her return to Russia was legal. Pimanova's ex-husband claimed that Olga had taken their daughter out of the United States without his consent, which might be considered kidnapping. However, according to media reports, Pimanova says she is legally a single mother.