Estonian Consul Meets Kohver
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said an Estonian representative has met the Estonian counterintelligence official Eston Kohver, who is being held in Moscow.
Kohver has not been allowed to communicate with any Estonian government officials since he has been in Russia. Contact was lost with him on Friday on the Estonian side of the border near Luhamaa while he was interdicting a smuggling-related crime. The next time he was seen, he was being paraded for Russian TV cameras on connection with his arraignment on espionage charges.
Estonian Internal Security Service officials are strictly prohibited from traveling to Russia and the leading version is that the FSB illegally crossed into Estonia to abduct Kohver.
Estonia has a bilateral understanding with Russia that access to prisoners is to be facilitated within 72 hours. Over three days had passed since he was arraigned in Moscow.
Paet said Kohver is in good health.
“The important part is that for the first time since he was detained, he saw someone who is on his side and who told him that Estonia is supporting him. The consul also forwarded messages from his loved ones,” Paet said.
Paet said the task now is to find Estonian legal representation for Kohver.