Russian Candidate Found Alive, Aide Says

[rodbarnett]

MOSCOW (AP) - The Russian presidential candidate missing since last week has been located in Ukraine and will return to Russia, a campaign staffer said Tuesday.

Ivan Rybkin, a critic of President Vladimir Putin who has been supported by one of the president's most outspoken foes, self-exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky, had been missing since late Thursday after being dropped off outside his Moscow home, according to his wife and campaign staffers.

A campaign aide who gave her name only as Maria confirmed a Russian media report that Rybkin had been found and was to return to Moscow on a flight Tuesday night. His wife, Albina, said she could not immediately confirm the report.

Rybkin's wife and staff filed a missing-person report on the 57-year-old Sunday, the day after his candidacy for the March 14 presidential election was approved by the Central Election Commission.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040210/D80KF7V80.html

[MaineDem]

1. This is going to be interesting

I'm curious as to how this will play out.

[ze_dscherman]

2. He's reported to have had a good time

German Spiege Online quotes Russian sources claiming "he had four wonderful days in Kiev and didn't know what the whole stir was about".

No english link at itar-tass or interfax yet.


Added Spiegel Online link: http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,285782,00.html