Russia is considering Armenia’s petition for the extradition of Armenia’s former Defense Minister Mikayel Harutyunyan, who is also ex-chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia.

An informed source told Interfax news agency that Moscow has received a formal petition from Yerevan, and for the extradition of Harutyunyan, for whom an interstate search was declared within CIS countries, and along the lines of the criminal case into what had occurred in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan in March 2008.

“The petition has been addressed to the law enforcement bodies of the Russian Federation, and now it’s at the phase of consideration,” the source said, in particular. “[But] a preliminary decision has been taken that the petition for extradition will be rejected, since it has been confirmed that Mikayel Harutyunyan has a Russian passport ever since 2002.”

Also, the source recalled that under the constitution of Russia, Russian citizens are not extradited to other countries, including to face criminal accountability. 

The source added that the petition was received through the Interpol bureau in Russia.

Ex-Defense Minister Mikayel Harutyunyan has been charged in Armenia within the framework of the criminal case into the tragic events that transpired in capital city Yerevan on March 1 and 2, 2008—and under Article 300.1 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code; that is, breaching Armenia’s constitutional order, in conspiracy with others. But since Harutyunyan is not in Armenia, a search for him was declared.

On March 1 and 2, 2008, the then authorities used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the recent presidential election. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes. But no one had been brought to account for these deaths, to this day.