Armenia among states named by Moscow in extradition risk advisory

Russia has warned its citizens about a heightened risk of detention and extradition abroad, including in Armenia, urging travellers to carefully assess potential legal exposure when leaving the country.

Grigory Lukyantsev, Director of the Department for Multilateral Cooperation on Human Rights at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in comments to RIA Novosti that Russians should be aware of the possibility of being detained in third countries and extradited to the US.

“Many states, not only in the European Union but also in a broader context, have certain obligations regarding surrender and extradition. All this must be taken into account when assessing the risks that people may face if they travel abroad,” he said.

Lukyantsev stressed that the Russian Foreign Ministry does not impose formal bans on travel to specific countries. However, he noted that authorities may recommend avoiding destinations where Russian citizens could encounter legal difficulties involving American or European authorities.

According to the ministry, a wide range of countries fall into a category of elevated extradition risk for Russian nationals at the request of the US. These include most countries in Europe and Latin America, as well as Australia, Canada, Armenia, Israel, the Maldives, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Liberia and Morocco.

The Foreign Ministry emphasised that the list is not exhaustive and does not include all countries that maintain extradition agreements with the US, indicating that the potential risk may extend beyond the states specifically named.

By Tamilla Hasanova