Story of arrest of Russian deserter in Gyumri isn`t as clear cut as  it seems

ArmInfo.Human rights NGOs in Armenia, with the support of a number of Russian liberal platforms,  began to "disperse" information that the military police of the 102nd Russian base detained another Russian deserter - Anatoly Shchetinin in Gyumri. But is everything so clear in this story? As ArmInfo learned from the competent law enforcement agencies, everything that is said around this case is not true.

According to sources, Shchetinin, accused in Russia of an act under  Art. 337.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, arrived in  Armenia back in November last year, through Minsk , already  the  well- established scheme for deserters. "On March 29 of this year,  Shchetinin himself came to the Russian Consulate General in Gyumri  and asked for assistance in returning to the Russian Federation. He  argued his request by saying that he was "tired of running away","  sources familiar with the situation told ArmInfo.

On April 9, the Vanadzor branch of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly  (HCA Vanadzor) issued a statement in which it accused the Russian  military police of the Russian 102nd military base of kidnapping  Anatoliy Nikolaevich Shchetinin and holding him illegally on the  territory of the 102nd military base. "Shchetinin is wanted and has  found refuge in the Republic of Armenia on grounds of rejecting  military service. Currently, according to our credible information,  the RF military base representatives are planning to transfer  Shchetinin to the Russian Federation by plane.  The RF law  enforcement officers, once again violating the RA legislation, carry  out illegal activities by abducting a person on the RA territory,  unlawfully holding him deprived of his liberty and attempting to  transfer him to the RF," HCA Vanadzor statement reads.  It is also  reported that the Office sent a corresponding statement about the  crime to the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia.

Notably, the military police of the Russian base was established  after the bloody murder of 7 members of a family in Gyumri by Valery  Permyakov, who left the territory of the military unit without  permission and cold-bloodedly shot the whole family, including a  child at the breast.  This caused mass protests in Gyumri. It is not  known whether the mentioned  military police of the base is  authorized to deal with anyone other than the military personnel of  the base itself.  However, according to an ArmInfo source, the story  with Shchetinin has become another far-fetched reason for  discrimination against the Russian armed forces deployed in Armenia.  The same thing was written about the detention of Russian citizen  Dmitry Setrakov in December last year in Gyumri, who also deserted,  although according to another version he was "identified" already  upon arrival at Yerevan Zvartnots airport.