Buenos Aires, Dec 8 (NA) – The Government responded to Elena Makarova, a Russian national who denied being a victim of the alleged sect that sexually exploited victims in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche, and recommended that she file a complaint with the Council of Magistrature. Sources in the case informed the Argentine News Agency that the National Directorate for Victim Integration and Justice Assistance issued the response after President Javier Milei received the letter written by Makarova last November 10. In that letter, the foreign national stated that she does not consider herself a victim of the alleged sect led by Konstantin Rudnev, who remains detained in the Rawson prison with preventive custody until April 2026. 'I request that I be excluded from the list of victims in this case,' Makarova requested, accusing the prosecutor's office of 'inventing arguments' with the aim of securing her detention and stating that Argentina treated her 'unjustly.' According to Elena's testimony, she was kidnapped in a place 'from which she could not get out,' 'could not speak Spanish,' and was only allowed to speak with her mother 'for 20 or 30 minutes a day': 'I am happy to be going home.' In this context, the Ministry of Justice stated that the Executive Branch does not have the authority to intervene in judicial cases by citing Article 199 of the National Constitution, which prohibits the head of state and officials from influencing the conduct of prosecutors. Nevertheless, the agency suggested that Makarova file a complaint with the Council of Magistrature, the body empowered to judge the functions of judges.
