Russian political emigrant Salman Sever arrested in Armenia

A Yerevan court has arrested for two months Maxim Baidak, a Muslim activist, the press secretary of the Association of Russian Muhajirs of Turkey, a blogger and political analyst, also known as Salman Sever. He is suspected of forging documents and illegally crossing the Armenian border. His defence associates the arrest with the fact that Russia had put him on the international wanted list on charges of justifying terrorism.

The "Caucasian Knot" was informed about Mr Sever's arrest by Arthur Sakunts, the head of the Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly.

In 2016, Maxim Baidak moved from Russia to Ukraine, where he obtained citizenship and changed his name to Bogdan Kalyussky.

His defence has reported that Armenian law enforcers are trying to isolate Maxim from Ukrainian diplomats and are preparing his extradition to Russia.

Dalman Sever became known as a Russian opposition activist and rights defender, who rendered help to the Muslims, repressed by Russian law enforcers. After emigration from Russia for fear of arrest and imprisonment, he lived for several years in Turkey; and later moved to Ukraine for safety reasons.