Armenia to grant refugee status to Vladimir Balandin 

ArmInfo.On October 22, 2024, the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia made a decision to grant refugee status to Vladimir Balandin. According to the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki  Citizens' Assembly, this decision was the result of months of work by  the office and the legal department of the organization, headed by  lawyer Ani Chatinyan.

The organization's specialists spent more than eight months  protecting Balandin's rights, trying to prevent his extradition to  Belarus. "Now, having refugee status in Armenia, Balandin is no  longer at risk of extradition, since it is prohibited by the  international convention," the office added.

At the same time, the statement recalled that Vladimir Balandin is  facing criminal prosecution in Belarus for participating in  disobedience. At the same time, Balandin has been in prison in  Armenia since March 10, 2024. In view of this, the Vanadzor Office of  the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly emphasized that Armenia is obliged to  reject the extradition requests from a state where the death penalty  is applied. In case of extradition, the responsibility for the  violation of Vladimir Balandin's rights will lie with the Republic of  Armenia.