Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Per our previous publication, on 19 July 2023, Senior Lieutenant of the Criminal Prosecution Department of Yerevan City Zvartnots airport line division of the RA Police H.V. decided to detain Russian national Irina Belacheu (born on 28.03.1968; has a refugee status in Ukraine) as a result of a number of activities that took place for a few hours late at night, invoking invalid Articles of the former Criminal Procedure Code.

HCAV advocate participated in the investigative activities that lasted till 2 am and ensured comprehensive protection of Irina Belacheu’s rights on the spot. HCAV team of lawyers urgently took measures and appealed the detention, as a result of which, at 16:20 on July 19, the body conducting the proceedings decided to release Irina Belacheu - who was wanted by the RF - based on absence of grounds for keeping her deprived of liberty. The decision issued as a result of appealing and comprehensive human rights protection measures was provided to Irina Belacheu, who was immediately released and whose rights and interests will further be protected by HCAV. 

Noteworthy, in the appeal of the detention decision, HCAV stressed

🔘  the lack of legality of the detention decision in the context of the acting RA Criminal Procedure Code,

🔘 the lack of corpus delicti in Irina Belacheu’s action (for which the RF initiated a criminal case against her)  in the RA Criminal Code,

🔘 political nature of the criminal proceedings initiated against Irina Belacheu and the entailing inadmissibility of Irina Belacheu’s extradition to the RF by virtue of the imperative domestic and international obligations undertaken by the RA.

Summing up, we record once again that the RA, represented by its competent bodies, should adopt a uniform and systemic practice for human rights protection and should not implement the unlawful requirements of a state internationally recognized as unlawful.

* At the same time, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor declares that all foreign nationals or stateless persons, who have been prosecuted in their countries for their beliefs and currently face the legal issue of being extradited  by the RA, can apply to the Organization to get the relevant legal support.

The aforementioned persons can call HCAV lawyers at

093-81-92-75

091-20-09-71