Hauled Away in Handcuffs: A man identified as Roman Bogdawynt, from Kyrgyzstan, was taken away in handcuffs and a raincoat Friday afternoon after he allegedly held at least one hostage inside the Russian Embassy in San José's Barrio Escalante.

An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale shook the area surrounding Poás Volcano, northwest of San José, Saturday, according to a statement from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) based at Universidad Nacional (UNA) in Heredia, north of San José.

Talk on Bird Monitoring at the Alexander Skutch Biological Corredor
Centro Científico Tropical, Sala Tosi, 4 p.m., San Pedro, east of San José, 100m. east of Servicentro el Higuerón.

Processing Pureed Fruit
How to make jam, today and May 21, 28, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Planta Agroindustrial, Agriculture School, Technology Institute, Cartago, east of San José. Info: 550-2523.

By Dave Sherwood
Tico Times Staff | dsherwood@ticotimes.net

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.

Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias Friday praised police authorities for smoothly carrying out emergency protocol to handle the situation in a statement from Casa Presidencial released Friday.

The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) Friday accepted a request from Ombudswoman Lisbeth Quesada to review the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) before the country votes on it in a referendum.

Sala IV judges will rule on the constitutionality of this controversial trade pact as it pertains to fundamental liberties and human rights.

Quesada has eight days to present a copy of CAFTA to the court for its review. The court then has one month to make a pronouncement on the agreement. The Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) has announced Sept. 23 as the tentative date the nationwide referendum on CAFTA will be held.

In a statement released by Quesada's office when she requested that the court review CAFTA April 27, she listed workers' rights, health benefits, intellectual property and the protection of minority groups as areas she sees as problematic or not included in the trade pact.

Casa Presidencial issued a statement Friday in response to the matter, saying it “respects” Quesada's right to ask the court to review CAFTA and “hopes this doesn't affect the tentative date announced by the TSE” for the national referendum.

-Tico Times

An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale shook the area surrounding Poás Volcano, northwest of San José, Saturday, according to a statement from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) based at Universidad Nacional (UNA) in Heredia, north of San José.

The quake occurred at 9:11 a.m. and was felt in the San José area; Alajuela, northwest of San José ; the central Pacific; and Cartago, east of San José.