Can Armenia extradite me to Russia or another CIS state?

Armenia and these states are parties to CIS conventions on legal assistance, so they can ask Armenia for extradition. Each request is checked against Armenian law and international treaties, and it must be refused when a ground for refusal applies.

My relative was detained on an extradition request. Can the family hire an advocate?

Yes. A relative can sign the agreement with the advocate. The advocate then visits the detained person and takes part in every hearing.

I have a residence permit in Armenia. Does it protect me from extradition?

A residence permit alone is not a ground to refuse extradition. A home, work and family in Armenia are still strong arguments against custody while the case runs.

How long can a person be held for extradition?

The court sets the term of detention and can extend it at the request of the prosecutor. The defense can object at each hearing and appeal each decision.

I am on a wanted list. Is it safe to travel through Armenia?

A person on an INTERPOL or CIS wanted list can be detained at the airport or at a land border. Talk to an advocate before the trip, so that the documents for court are ready in advance.

Extradition Lawyer in Armenia

An extradition lawyer in Armenia defends a person whom another state wants to prosecute or to send to prison. Most of these people are citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and other CIS states who now live and work in Armenia. The arrest often comes without warning: at the airport, at a border crossing or during a routine document check. From that moment the time to act is short. For the wider rules on defense of foreign nationals, see the separate page.

What happens after an arrest for extradition

Police detain the person on the basis of an INTERPOL notice or an interstate wanted listing.
Within 72 hours the person must be released or brought before a court. Only a court can order detention for extradition.
The requesting state sends a formal extradition request with documents. The prosecutor’s office of Armenia examines it.
The decision on extradition can be challenged in court and then appealed to the higher courts.

At each step the person has the right to a lawyer of his choice, the right to an interpreter and the right to remain silent. A detained person also has the right to have a relative informed. The general rules for the first hours are on the page what to do if you are arrested.

What to do now

Ask for your advocate and an interpreter before you answer questions.
Do not sign a consent to be sent back or any paper that you do not fully understand.
Do not discuss the foreign case with officers or with other detainees.
Tell the advocate about all your citizenships, your residence permit, any asylum application and any threats or ill-treatment in your home country.
Relatives should collect copies of the passport, residence permit, lease, employment contract and documents on a spouse or children in Armenia.

If a family member has already been taken, read a relative is detained for the first steps.

Grounds to refuse extradition

The defense checks every ground that can apply to the case:

Armenian citizenship. Armenia does not extradite its citizens, except as international treaties provide.
A real risk of torture or inhuman treatment in the requesting state.
Political persecution, when the true reason for the case is political views, religion, nationality or race.
The act is not a crime under Armenian law.
The limitation period for the case has expired.
The person has refugee status or asylum in Armenia.

Each ground needs evidence. The advocate collects documents on the background of the case, reports on prison conditions in the requesting state, medical records and proof of pressure on the person or the family.

INTERPOL notices

A red notice is a request to find a person and arrest him for extradition. In Armenia only a court decides on detention. INTERPOL rules forbid notices in political, military, religious or racial matters. A notice can be challenged at the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files. After deletion, the notice no longer appears in INTERPOL databases. A CIS interstate wanted listing is a separate system, and the Commission’s decision does not apply to it.

Asylum and extradition

A person who fears persecution can apply for asylum in Armenia. The asylum and extradition procedures are separate, and each affects the other. The facts in the two files must agree, because a contradiction harms both. The advocate plans the two procedures together and uses the same evidence where possible.

European Court of Human Rights

After the domestic remedies, an application to the European Court of Human Rights is possible within 4 months of the final decision. When there is a real risk of torture, the Court can ask Armenia to stop the extradition while it examines the complaint. The defense prepares this request in advance, because the transfer can follow soon after the final decision.

How extradition lawyer Mnatsakan Marukyan helps

Advocate Marukyan is a criminal defense lawyer in Yerevan and a member of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia. He works in Armenian, Russian and English, so the client speaks with his lawyer directly.

He comes to the police station or the court as soon as possible, at any hour.
He checks the extradition request and the documents of the requesting state.
He argues against detention and asks for bail or another measure. Read more on pretrial detention.
He builds the case for refusal and takes it to the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation.
He prepares the challenge at the INTERPOL Commission and the application to the European Court.

The first consultation is free. Call +374 91 403961, or write on WhatsApp or Telegram. Advocate Marukyan is available 24/7 for arrests and searches.

Extradition lawyer in Armenia: defense against extradition and INTERPOL notices