The statement from Kiev said that Lira "has the citizenship of one of the countries of Latin America" but omitted that he is also California-born U.S. citizen, as ZeroHedge contributor Space Worm reported at the time.
Following his release, Lira said he was tortured in a Ukrainian prison, explaining that "two thugs held my head and used a toothpick to scratch the whites of my left eye, while asking me if I could still read if I had just one." Lira informed followers that he was making a mad-dash via motorcycle towards the Hungarian border: