14:14, 3 May 2019

Rights defenders demand to remove Russian border guards from Armenian airport

A terminal of the "Zvartnots" Airport in Yerevan. November 11, 2011. Photo by Armine Martirosyan for the "Caucasian Knot"

The Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly has demanded from the Armenian authorities to suspend the work of Russian border guards at the "Zvartnots" Airport after an incident of non-admission of the Ukrainian MP into the country.

Russia "uses the territory of Armenia in its policy against Ukraine by denying its citizens entry into the country," the office's website has stated.

"On May 1, Russian border guards of the airport refused to let the Ukrainian MP into the country, referring to the ban on entry. They failed to name the reason ... The entry was allowed after the intervention of the Ukrainian Embassy to Armenia," the message states.

In the opinion of the Vanadzor Office, such actions "violate the human's freedom to travel and are contrary to the Constitution of Armenia."

The office calls on the Armenian authorities to replace Russian border guards at the airport by Armenian ones.

Mustafa Nayem, the MP, told in his Facebook about the incident at the airport and reproached the Armenian authorities for their pro-Russian position on conflict issues.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 3, 2019 at 09:03 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Tigran Petrosyan

Source: CK correspondent