Russian police told the TASS news agency the four had come from the city’s Grand Choral Synagogue when they engaged in what authorities described as disruptive behavior outside the FSB headquarters.
The Jewish community in Russia reported that the group was initially held without charge but was released following community intervention. However, local police said the four remain in custody.
The FSB, Russia’s primary agency for internal security, counterintelligence and counterterrorism, wields extensive powers, including arrests, investigations and oversight of borders, communications and organized crime.
