Russian Who Spent Three Years in Captivity in Syria Was Held in Turkey

Konstantin Zhuravlev, a Russian traveler recently freed after being kidnapped by militants in Syria, was held on Turkish territory starting from at least August, Oleg Melnikov, the leader of the Alternativa anti-slave labor movement, told RT.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Melnikov said that the group that held Zhuravlev captive in Turkey for several months was controlled by the Free Syrian Army.

The Alternativa movement tried to negotiate Zhuravlev’s release for three years.

"In August we received information on his [Zhuravlev’s] location on the territory of Turkey and shared it with the Russian Investigative Committee. I think as a result of this, as well as the help of Turkish special services, Konstantin has returned to his homeland," Melnikov told RT.

Konstantin Zhuravlev, a traveler and blogger from the Russian city of Tomsk, was kidnapped by militants in Syria three years ago.

In the fall of 2013, Zhuravlev wanted to cross Syria as part of his "Alone With Desert" project and continue his journey across the deserts of the Middle East with Egypt as the final destination. Militants captured the Russian blogger in northern Syria after he had crossed the border from Turkey.

On Friday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said that Zhuravlev had returned to Russia.

On Saturday, Zhuravlev arrived to Tomsk from Moscow. He told local television that he was treated well while in captivity and that he plans to travel to Somali or Afghanistan after he gets his new passport.