Russian citizen detained in Armenia for desertion

A resident of the Kirov region, Nikolai Zonov, who left Russia in 2023, was detained in Yerevan. His wife, Armenian citizen Averik Zonova, said that after almost two years of working in the country, the man was going to obtain citizenship by marriage. However, he was recently detained by Armenian police after going to the passport office.

They said that a case of desertion was opened against Zonov in Russia. At the same time, according to Zonov's wife, he did not serve in the unit, did not sign the summons, and the criminal case was opened against him after moving to Armenia.

“In his statement, he directly indicated that he is against the war in Ukraine and is afraid to return. He wants to stay in Armenia and continue working here,” Averik Zonova said.

The man is currently in a pretrial detention cell in Yerevan. The court, which may decide on extradition, must take place within 60 hours from the moment of detention. Nikolai Zonov requested asylum in Armenia.

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