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Russia Reports FBI To Search Russian Consulate and Apartments Saturday

Sept. 1, 2017 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced this afternoon that the FBI has informed them that they intend to search the Russian San Francisco Consulate tomorrow, Saturday, literally hours after being ordered to vacate the building. They also, according to Zakharova (as reported by RT), will search the private apartments of Russian diplomats who have residences in the building. Such a blatant lawless act, if true, is unprecedented.

"Alongside the yet another raid on expensive objects of Russian state property, which [the U.S.] have blocked and are now persistently offering us to put on sale, this time the orders of the U.S. authorities pose a direct threat to security of Russian citizens"

in the U.S., the ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement, noting that the diplomats have immunity. The diplomats were ordered to leave their apartments, with all family members, for 12 hours to allow the FBI search, the statment says.

"We are talking about an invasion in the consulate office and homes of diplomatic staff, who themselves are being ousted not to disturb FBI agents,"

Zakharova stated.

RT writes:

"Washington’s actions seriously violate international norms, including the U.S.’ obligations in the Vienna declarations on diplomatic and consulate relations, Zhakarova said."

Bloomberg reports this afternoon that the decision on closing the Consulate

"went through a more rigorous inter-agency process, according to U.S. officials who participated in it. The FBI in particular pressed for closing the consulate in San Francisco because it was a center for Russian espionage activities on the West Coast."

It should be noted that the Russian Counsel General in San Francisco, Sergey Petrov, has participated in two public events with the Schiller Institute: June of 2016 on the Belt and Road, and July of 2017 on the Belt and Road.

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