Armenia Did Not Extradite Belarusian To Minsk

Despite Shved's visit.

Belarusian citizen Kiryl Balandzin will not be extradited at the request of Minsk, he will be granted refugee status in Armenia, the Armenian service of Radio Liberty reports.

The decision was made by the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Kiryl Balandzin was detained in March this year in connection with the request of the Belarusian authorities, this happened at the Bagratashen checkpoint on the border of Armenia and Georgia. According to his lawyer, Ani Chatinyan, on May 31, the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia decided to extradite 36-year-old Balandin to Belarus. This decision was challenged in Armenian courts, but without success.

At home country, Kiryl is accused of "embezzlement". We are talking about Art. 211 of the Criminal Code (misappropriation or embezzlement).

According to the lawyer, Balandzin was transferred from the Vanadzor penitentiary institution to a similar institution in Yerevan in October, which could mean his extradition "in the near future."

The Armenian Prosecutor's Office reported that the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus provided guarantees for the protection of his rights and freedoms.

The Vanadzor office of the human rights organization "Helsinki Civil Assembly" is engaged in protecting the interests of Balandzin in Armenia. Armenian and Belarusian human rights activists have no doubt that in the event of extradition, the rights of a man will be violated in his country. According to them, Balandzin may be prosecuted in Belarus for participating in the 2020 protests.

Earlier, Chatinyan said that the extradition of the Belarusian may be canceled if the Immigration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs grants him asylum. The corresponding application was sent to the service.

On October 3, 2024, Prosecutor General Andrei Shved, according to the Belarusian department, at a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Anna Vardapetyan, discussed the issue of extradition of Belarusians accused and convicted in criminal cases. The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia did not mention the issue of extradition of persons in the report on the visit of Shved.

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