On September 8, Armenian security forces detained pro-Russian blogger Mikael Badalyan, who criticized local authorities for ties with the United States and the EU, and Sputnik columnist Ashot Gevorkyan.

"A day before the kidnapping, Mikael Badalyan took part in my program on Sputnik radio, where he spoke rather harshly with an opposition point of view and criticized the Armenian government for, as Mr. Badalyan believed, anti-Russian policies," Evgeniy Primakov, the head of Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, said.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia confirmed the detention of Badalyan and Gevorkyan. According to the department, they were detained as part of a criminal case of illegal trafficking in firearms. "On the sixth and seventh of September in the Syunik region, on reasonable suspicion of committing a crime under the article "Illegal trafficking in firearms committed by a group of persons," seven people, including Mikael, were detained in the framework of a criminal case initiated by the National Security Service of Armenia and transferred to the Investigative Committee Badalyan and Ashot Gevorkyan," the message added.

Response from Russia

Maria Zakharova, the Spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Yerevan has blacklisted Russian media managers and political analysts who have not violated the law to enter Armenia, thus damaging the interaction between the countries. 

Zakharova called the blacklisting of some Russian figures from entering Armenia an odious precedent. "This kind of 'undesirability' of persons who are leading media managers and political scientists of our country, who did not violate the law, but only expressed their personal, private opinion, causes significant damage to the interaction between Russia and Armenia, especially on the information track," the diplomat stressed.

She noted that what struck the information space of both Russia and Armenia yesterday was the detention of Sputnik Armenia radio columnist Ashot Gevorgyan and blogger Mikael Badalyan. "The provocation committed right during our Russian-Armenian Media Forum is apparently aimed at disrupting this important event for bilateral relations. It is obvious that behind this provocation are the very forces that are not interested in the rapprochement of our countries and their peoples," Zakharova pointed out.

Moreover, the Russian Embassy in Yerevan said it monitors the situation with the detention of pro-Russian activist Mikael Badalyan and Sputnik columnist Ashot Gevorkyan.

"The embassy is aware of the detention of pro-Russian blogger and activist M. Badalyan and Sputnik Armenia columnist A. Gevorkyan. We are in contact with the editors of this news agency. We are closely monitoring the development of the situation. We are concerned about the fate of the detainees, and we will take steps to clarify the circumstances of what happened," the message added.

On September 9, the Armenian ambassador to Russia was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a note of protest in connection with the anti-Russian steps of the Armenian authorities. Two hours later, the Armenian Investigative Committee announced the release of the pro-Russian blogger and journalist of the “Sputnik”.