Zahra Kamalfar Trapped at Sheremetyevo Airport - true!

My doubts about the story of the Iranian dissident trapped in the Moscow Sheremetyevo airport with her two children are over. The story is undoubtedly true.

Follows and excerpt from the Russian Gaseta.ru:

В пресс-службе аэропорта "Газете.Ru" сообщили, что знают о недавнем задержании Захры Камальфар, однако отказались сообщить какие-либо подробности. Пресс-секретарь не смогла объяснить, как иранка смогла прожить в Шереметьеве без малого три месяца. При этом она перенаправила корреспондента "Газеты.Ru" в пограничную службу аэропорта, которая, по ее словам, и производила задержание. Секретарь погранслужбы отказался отвечать на какие-либо вопросы, сказав, что "руководства нет и будет оно только завтра".

Which, hastily translated, means:

The [Sheremetyevo] airport press-service told that they know about the recent detainment of Zahra Kamalfar, but refused to add any details. The press-secretary could not explain how the Iranian could live in Sheremetyevo for almost three months. At that, she referred the Gazeta.Ru correspondent to the immigration(border) control of the airport that, according to her, carried out the detainment. The border control secretary refused answering any questions, saying that "the managers are absent and will be only tomorrow".

This does not bode well for Zahra Kamalfar. The western press may still be naive or blind enough to believe in good intentions of Russian regime. But, save an immediate and forceful intervention of human rights organizations, governments and press, Ms Kamalfar will be sold down the river as sure as anything.

And the reported presence of these three Farsi-speaking gentlemen with earpieces only adds to the grim picture. There could not be any doubt regarding the future of the Kamalfars. So far the world is mostly indifferent to their plight.

Update: CNN has got into the play, at last (via Pajamas Media via Dick Stanley). And here is the transcript of the CNN clip, with rather good news:

This week, an American law firm began applying for political asylum on their behalf. In the meantime, the Kamalfars take another lap around the terminal. Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Moscow

Europe, where art thou?

***