Photograph supplied by Daria PetrenkoThe wife of an Irish citizen being detained in a Russian prison has asked Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee to intervene in her husband’s case, saying she fears for his safety. Dmitry Simbaev (49), a dual Russian-Irish citizen, has been detained for almost seven months after messages expressing anti-Russian sentiment were found on his phone. She believes Russian authorities think her husband’s Russian citizenship supersedes his Irish status and, as such, may not co-operate with Irish officials. Speaking about the case last December, McEntee confirmed officials were “providing consular assistance to this individual who holds dual Irish and Russian citizenship”. “As with all consular cases, a dedicated consular officer has been assigned to the family of the Irish citizen who has been detained, and they remain in contact,” she said at the time.

Source: The Irish Times March 10, 2026 19:46 UTC