Zakharova on deportation of Armenian political expert: The files have  been transferred to Armenian Foreign Ministry 

ArmInfo. The files on deportation of Armenian political expert Stepan Grigoryan have been transferred to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova,  Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing on October 6.      

In the meantime, Stepan Grigoryan has told ArmInfo that he has  received no information about this incident. "I hope the Armenian  Foreign Ministry will give me the relevant files. The most important  thing is that the ice has broken up," he says.     

To recall, Stepan Grigoryan, Head of the Analytical Centre on  Globalization and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC), previously said that  on August 30 at 8 am he arrived at Sheremetyevo Airport in Russia but  he was unable to enter the territory of Russia because he was  detained by Russian border guards due to a ban on travel to Russia  until 2030.    

"I arrived in Russia to visit one of the Moscow cemeteries, where my  father Gevorg Grigoryan was buried in October 2014. I had only 10  hours and on Aug 30 night I was to fly back to Yerevan. I was given a  notification, which contained references to the Russian Federal Law  "On departure and entry to the Russian Federation," which mostly  concerned various kinds of actions of foreign citizens, who violate  the law. This has absolutely nothing to do with me, because I have  conducted no activities in Russia over the past 20 years. In my case,  only Item 9 of Article 26 of that Law (On deportation of foreign  citizens who take part in international organizations' activities,  which are undesirable in the territory of Russia) was important. It  is no secret that the Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional  Cooperation (Armenia) headed by me is actively cooperating with  European NGOs, analytical centers and various democratic foundations  that support our initiatives. Besides, we do not conceal that we see  the future of Armenian people in the European family based on  democratic values. It is obvious that the Russian authorities'  decision was politically charged," Grigoryan said on his Facebook  page. "On August 30, 2016, I applied to the Armenian Foreign Ministry  to protect my rights and I will be waiting for the reply for a few  days.  Afterwards, I will start my own actions to defend my infringed  rights," Grigoryan said. 

Later, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan said  that the Armenian Foreign Ministry was studying the issue and would  publicize the results later.