Nowhere safe

Putin’s henchmen pursue critics as far as Armenia

A policeman checks on the right in the Armenian capital Yerevan.

(Bild: APA/AFP/KAREN MINASYAN)

Since the start of the major war of aggression against Ukraine and the partial mobilization ordered by the Kremlin, many Russians have fled abroad. In doing so, they opposed the Moscow regime and the idea of patriotism that it instilled in them, according to which one must kill for one's homeland. However, many of them no longer feel safe anywhere.

Even two years later, many Russians cannot describe what February 24, 2022 (the start of the war in Ukraine, note) felt like for them. An opponent of the regime now living in Vienna, for example, says that all hopes that the country would "come to terms" and everything would be fine were dashed on that day. For him, there was a Russia before the war in Ukraine and a very sad one afterwards.

The fact that he now lives in Vienna is a huge privilege, he told krone.at, expressing his gratitude. However, many Russians did not make it to Western Europe - they now live in the ex-Soviet republics of Armenia and Georgia, for example. But as more and more is now leaking out, they should not be lulled into a sense of security there.

In recent weeks, Russians critical of Putin have been persecuted in Armenia, warns the international organization Helsinki Citizens' Assembly. Refugees from the war-torn country have told human rights activists that they are openly following men dressed in Russian military uniforms at their new addresses and are interested in how they live in their current homeland.

During their missions, they would drive around in an unauthorized car with Armenian license plates, which was intended "exclusively for operational intelligence operations". According to the activists, such surveillance requires the consent of the Prosecutor General's Office or other law enforcement agencies. The Helsinki Citizens' Assembly also claims that not only Russians are being persecuted - Armenians who have a critical view of Putin and his policies are also increasingly coming under scrutiny.

Fugitive extradited to Russia
In general, the mood has been tense since the arrest of Dmitry Setrakov in Armenia by the Russian military police in December last year. The man had deserted from the army in April and left Russia in November because he did not want to fight in Ukraine. After his arrest, the fugitive was extradited to Russia.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was outraged by this and described the actions of the Russian security forces in the country as illegal. It is still unclear where Setrakov is and whether he is still alive at all.

Setrakov's wife told the online portal "Cholod" that she in no way condemns her husband for his decision to leave Russia and stands behind him: "He is not a warrior, he is a kind-hearted person. He's not one of those people who can kill people and who simply don't care about the death of their comrades."