Armenian GPO explains persecution of Salman Sever

A Muslim activist and blogger, known as Salman Sever, had two passports. One was issued in the name of Maxim Baidak, under which he was put on the wanted list by the Russian law enforcement bodies, while the second one was issued in Ukraine in the name of Bogdan Kalyussky. The possession of two passports issued in different names made it possible for law enforcers to assume that Kalyussky-Baidak illegally crossed borders with forged documents, the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Armenia reported.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that rights defenders from five countries called on the Armenian authorities to release Muslim activist and blogger Bogdan Kalyussky, a citizen of Ukraine, who was arrested in Yerevan.

Bogdan Kalyussky was suspected of forging documents after the inspection of his belongings at the Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan, when law enforcers found his two Ukrainian passports issued in different names, the General Prosecutor's Office of Armenia reports in its press release.

According to the General Prosecutor's Office, one passport in the name of Maxim Baidak was issued on January 27, 2017, while the second, in the name of Bogdan Kalyussky, was issued on January 22, 2018.

Maxim Baidak was declared wanted by the Russian law enforcement bodies under Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public calls for terrorist activities or public justification of terrorism), the General Prosecutor's Office of Armenia reports.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.