Translated with AI
French cyclist Sofiane Sehili, who attempted to set a world record for cycling across Eurasia, is in custody in the Ussuriysk pretrial detention center in Russia on charges of illegally crossing the Russian-Chinese border. This was announced by Vladimir Naidin, Chairman of the Public Monitoring Commission (PMC) of Primorsky Krai.
Sehili, a 44-year-old French native, previously worked as a documentary filmmaker but dedicated himself to cycling several years ago. He has completed around 20 major races, including victories in 11 competitions, including the prestigious Tour Divide. On July 1, he set off from Lisbon with the goal of breaking the world record for crossing Eurasia, charting a route through Tajikistan, Mongolia, and China.
According to the Public Monitoring Commission, on September 2, a cyclist attempted to illegally cross the Russian-Chinese border to reach Vladivostok. During a conversation with commission representatives, he indirectly confirmed the violation, noting that he had a Russian e-visa. "The investigation will determine the reasons that prompted the foreign citizen to violate Russian law," Naidin noted.
In the pretrial detention center, Sekhili has been provided with everything he needs: a bed, dishes, a television, and a kettle, and three meals a day. He has been assigned a public defender and has been able to communicate with his relatives through the "FSIN-Letter" system. The prison administration has notified the French consulate of his whereabouts.
"Sekhily speaks English, and we communicated with him without an interpreter. He asked for a shower, which was promptly granted by pretrial detention center staff. He made no other complaints," Naidin clarified.
