YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Russia’s Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin says he has no information on ex-official Mihran Poghosyan being granted asylum in Russia.

“If Mihran Poghosyan is in Russia this doesn’t mean that he has received political asylum, as far as I understand. The talk about Poghosyan is about legal procedures regarding the issuance of corresponding documents,” the ambassador said at a press conference.

Asked about Vahagn Harutyunyan, a former law enforcement officer in charge of the March 1 case who is also wanted and is in Russia, the ambassador told reporters to address respective bodies. “You must address relevant bodies. The citizenship issue or other issues can play a role here”.

Asked whether or not the non-extradition of wanted suspects can be viewed as a “message” to the current government, the ambassador gave a negative answer and emphasized that Yerevan and Moscow are strategic allies.

“The only message that we have is that Russia and Armenia are strategic allies, we are brotherly peoples,” he said.

The former head of Armenia’s Compulsory Enforcement Service, an agency responsible for executing court orders and judicial acts, Mihran Poghosyan is wanted for misconduct and embezzlement since April 2019. An arrest warrant remains outstanding. He was detained earlier in Russia and remanded into custody pending a decision of extradition, however Russian authorities demanded more documents from Armenia.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan