The head of the Russian Embassy's consular department in Cairo says a group of Russian citizens who were detained in Egypt in August 2018 have been charged with extremism.
Consular section chief Yusup Abakarov said a court in Cairo held its first hearing on April 9 into the case against the five Russians from Ingushetia.
Abakarov said Russian diplomats and the father of one of the suspects were not allowed into the courtroom.
He said Egyptian officials told them the court sessions were "closed hearings."
Abakarov said the first time the five Russian suspects were allowed to see an attorney since their arrest was at their April 9 hearing.
He said the attorney later informed the Russian diplomats that all five were officially charged with "extremist activities."
As part of the same case, a Russian woman of Kyrgyz origin was also charged with extremist activities, Abakarov said.
He said that the woman was the mother of five children.
