ArmInfo.Human rights NGOs in Armenia, with the support of a number of Russian liberal platforms, began to "disperse" information that the military police of the 102nd Russian base detained another Russian deserter - Anatoly Shchetinin in Gyumri. But is everything so clear in this story? As ArmInfo learned from the competent law enforcement agencies, everything that is said around this case is not true.
According to sources, Shchetinin, accused in Russia of an act under Art. 337.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, arrived in Armenia back in November last year, through Minsk , already the well- established scheme for deserters. "On March 29 of this year, Shchetinin himself came to the Russian Consulate General in Gyumri and asked for assistance in returning to the Russian Federation. He argued his request by saying that he was "tired of running away"," sources familiar with the situation told ArmInfo.
On April 9, the Vanadzor branch of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly (HCA Vanadzor) issued a statement in which it accused the Russian military police of the Russian 102nd military base of kidnapping Anatoliy Nikolaevich Shchetinin and holding him illegally on the territory of the 102nd military base. "Shchetinin is wanted and has found refuge in the Republic of Armenia on grounds of rejecting military service. Currently, according to our credible information, the RF military base representatives are planning to transfer Shchetinin to the Russian Federation by plane. The RF law enforcement officers, once again violating the RA legislation, carry out illegal activities by abducting a person on the RA territory, unlawfully holding him deprived of his liberty and attempting to transfer him to the RF," HCA Vanadzor statement reads. It is also reported that the Office sent a corresponding statement about the crime to the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia.
Notably, the military police of the Russian base was established after the bloody murder of 7 members of a family in Gyumri by Valery Permyakov, who left the territory of the military unit without permission and cold-bloodedly shot the whole family, including a child at the breast. This caused mass protests in Gyumri. It is not known whether the mentioned military police of the base is authorized to deal with anyone other than the military personnel of the base itself. However, according to an ArmInfo source, the story with Shchetinin has become another far-fetched reason for discrimination against the Russian armed forces deployed in Armenia. The same thing was written about the detention of Russian citizen Dmitry Setrakov in December last year in Gyumri, who also deserted, although according to another version he was "identified" already upon arrival at Yerevan Zvartnots airport.