7 Russian tourists were detained in Turkish Antalya on suspicion of setting fire to a forest, the Consulate General of Russia told RIA Novosti.

In the local gendarme office, seven Russian citizens were detained on suspicion of setting fire to a forest in the Chaglardzha region.

According to him, on the same day, an employee of the Consulate General visited the gendarme station to find out the reasons for the arrest of Russian citizens.

“He met with the detainees, explained to them the essence of the charges and the legal aspects of the upcoming trial. f the court, during which, according to the norms of the law, state lawyers were provided to the Russians free of charge and a qualified translation was provided. Despite the lawyers’ petition, the court decided to detain Russian tourists as suspects of unintentionally setting fire to the forest for the period of pre-trial investigation of the incident”, - the diplomat noted.

He added that the Consulate General sent a request to local authorities demanding official information on the arrest of Russian citizens and ensuring consular access to detainees.