CAIRO, February 26 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Embassy in Egypt is studying documentation concerning a dispute over Russian dolphins that the owner says are being held in Egypt illegally, a Russian diplomat said on Thursday.

The contract for shows involving the three Black Sea dolphins - Stesha, Masha and Styopa - at an aquatic center in Sharm-el-Sheikh expired last March. However, the Egyptians are still refusing to let the animals go. The Russian owners have sought help of the Russian Embassy in Egypt and lodged a complaint with the upper house of Russia's parliament.

"We have to study the latest court ruling on the issue," consular section head Bashir Malsagov said. "After that, we will consider our further actions on the issue."

The affair involves three parties: the Russian dolphinarium, an Egyptian manager, and the Polish company that owns the Egyptian aquarium, which signed the contract with the Russian dolphin owners in 2003.

A year ago, the Egyptian partner proposed extending the contract for the dolphins directly with the Russians, bypassing the Polish party, and later submitted to an Egyptian court a copy of a document confirming his sole ownership of the facility.

The Polish intermediaries lost the most recent court decision on January 25, and have failed to get support from the Polish authorities, who said the affair was the company's private business.

The situation is complicated by the fact that the Russian dolphinarium had no direct agreement with the Egyptian side.

"Only two sides - Polish and Egyptian were mentioned in the litigation, and the Russian owner of the dolphins is somehow not mentioned at all," Malsagov said.