The Russian 102nd Military Base is a Russian military base in Gyumri, Armenia.
RG72 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Russian military police in Armenia have detained a mobilized soldier on charges of desertion in what amounts to a violation of the ex-Soviet republic’s sovereignty, a European NGO based in Yerevan said Sunday.
The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor said Dmitry Setrakov was apprehended on Dec. 6-7 and is being held at a Russian military base in the northern Armenian city of Gyumri.
The NGO said it “condemns the abduction of and the illegal activities against a person under the Republic of Armenia’s legal protection by Russian military police in the Republic of Armenia’s territory.”
It argued that Russian authorities violated Armenia’s sovereign power to restrict a person’s liberty on its territory.
Дмитрия Седракова, который не хотел воевать и не побоялся дезертировать, мы вывезли 30 ноября из России.
а 7 декабря с нами связалась его жена — его задержали на территории Армении и удерживают на российской военной базе в Гюмри. по сути, это похищение. максимальная огласка pic.twitter.com/NWgjjrrSQP
Setrakov faces five to 10 years in prison if convicted of leaving his military unit during Russia’s mobilization period.
Idite Lesom (“Get Lost”), a project that helps Russians avoid fighting the war in Ukraine, said it had helped Setrakov flee Russia on Nov. 30.
The people who detained Setrakov had identified themselves to him as members of Armenia’s military police “but were obviously Russian soldiers and security services,” said Idite Lesom head Grigory Sverdlin.
Sverdlin said he hoped the Armenian government would secure Setrakov’s release.
Neither the Kremlin nor the Armenian authorities have commented on Setrakov’s reported detention.
English (United States) ·