DUSHANBE, January 31, 2012, Asia-Plus -- Russian journalist Aleksandr  Rybin, who was reporting from Syria for the Tajik weekly Business  and Politics reportedly went missing ten days ago, Radio Liberty reported on January 30.

The  weekly''s  editor-in-chief,  Jamshed  Ulmasov said  Rybin’s companion,  Anastasia  Pichugina, who  remains  in  Syria, sent a message through Skype saying that Rybin left the seaside town of  Latakia on January 20 and “he has not been heard from since then.”

The paper asked the Russian embassy in Damascus for help.

The embassy confirmed this news but said they were waiting “for an official letter to arrive” to start the search.