By Dave Sherwood
Tico Times Staff | dsherwood@t…

A young man from Kyrgyzstan accused of holding hostages inside the Russian Embassy in eastern San José’s Barrio Escalante Friday was released from police custody the following day, according to the daily La Nación.

Although the Prosecutor’s Office asked a Second Circuit Court in San José to order the 20-year-old man identified as Roman Bogdawynt six months preventive prison, the judge denied this request, the daily reported. The Judicial Branch has not released information about whether other the judge ordered other preventive measures while officials investigate the case. Nor has information been made available as to why the request for preventive prison was denied.

The hostage situation ended peacefully Friday after a few tense hours of negotiation. Bogdawynt entered the embassy at approximately 12:30 p.m. for consular services and became enraged, taking at least one person hostage with a firearm.

Bogdawynt’s mother Tatiana Bogdawynt told La Nación a dispute with a former friend identified by as Andrey Yurenkov, 22, over a failed investment in a pineapple farm here prompted the incident.

Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) officer Javier Montera told The Tico Times at the scene that 10 people, including the hostage-taker, remained in the embassy at approximately 1 p.m. However, it appears that only Yurenkov was a direct hostage. Russian Ambassador Valery Dmitrievich Nicolayenko was among the embassy personnel who chose to stay in the building “to control the situation,” the ambassador told Channel 7 TV News by phone from inside the building.

At approximately 5 p.m., Bogdawynt turned over his weapon and was escorted from the building along with his hostage. Authorities immediately transported him to the Second Circuit Court for questioning.