MOSCOW, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - German Sterligov, a Russian businessman arrested by security forces in Afghanistan where he was buying rams for his farm, has been released, he said on Wednesday.
A friend of Sterligov earlier claimed the businessman was being held hostage.
"Local special service officers arrested me two days ago," Sterligov said, speaking by phone from Herat airport in the western part of the war-torn mountainous country. He said officers have returned his mobile phone and documents, and he is hoping to fly to Kabul soon.
"Although we were held at gunpoint with automatic rifles, we were treated cordially, and politely," he said, adding that "Russians are generally treated well here."
While on the road, the only problems the group encountered were when U.S. troops stopped them, and carried out numerous checks.
Sterligov said he and the group he was travelling with had planned to buy two stud rams, and to take photos for the press. He was detained while moving towards the Iranian border along with two fellow travelers and two Afghan guides. He said they "did manage to purchase the rams."
The businessman said if he does not manage to catch a flight to Kabul, he will "don local-style clothing and make his way via mountain paths."
Vladimir Samoilov, a spokesman for Russian truck-producing company KamAZ, said earlier that his close friend Sterligov was in the hands of Afghan General Mohammed Fahim, a prominent Afghan military commander, and a former defense minister.
Sterligov was one of the first Russian millionaires in the early 1990s. Prior to opting for reclusive lifestyle in the country, he had several businesses. He previously intended to run for the presidential elections in Russia, but was denied registration. The businessman also gained notoriety for his PR campaign during the U.S. invasion in Iraq, offering "comfy" coffins for U.S. soldiers.
