DHS Reviewing Consular Notifications in Case of Russian Who Died in Custody

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency said that US officials are reviewing whether Russian consular officials were timely notified of the detention of Russian national Igor Zyazin prior to his death in US custody last week.

NEW YORK (Sputnik) — US officials are reviewing whether Russian consular officials were timely notified of the detention of Russian national Igor Zyazin prior to his death in US custody last week, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) said in a statement.

"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to complying with all international agreements and DHS officials are looking into the circumstances surrounding the consular notifications in this case," the statement noted on Wednesday.

Russian Foreign Ministry’s Human Rights Ombudsman Konstantin Dolgov said that Washington did not inform Moscow about Zyazin’s detention prior to his death, which constitutes a direct violation of the US- Russia consular convention agreement of June 1, 1964.

On Tuesday, ICE issued a statement that 46-year-old Zyazin died in custody on Sunday night at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. The Russian national was first detained by officers with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on April 20 and was then transferred to ICE on April 24.

According to the ICE, Zyazin had presented a Russian passport to CBP officers at the port of entry into the United States, after which officers determined he had previously been deported in 2009. Zyazin had no criminal history in the United States, ICE added.

The Russian Consulate General in California has established contact with ICE to find out the details of the incident.