Verbitsky remains unable to leave Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prominent mathematician Mikhail Verbitsky, who was detained three days ago at Zvartnots International Airport, has been released. According to his lawyer, Vache Simonyan, the release indicates that Russian law enforcement authorities did not submit a request to Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office seeking his detention, Azatutyun reports.

At the same time, Verbitsky is still unable to leave Armenia.

According to his lawyer, this is due to the charges brought against him by Russia and his status on an international wanted list. As long as the scientist remains wanted, Armenia’s competent authorities cannot permit him to cross the border.

The mathematician said he holds a ticket to return to Israel but is now forced to remain in Armenia.

“They detained me right at the airport, put handcuffs on me, and took me behind bars to a detention facility. At first they told me nothing, then they said they would transfer me to Russia. I was detained because Russia has put me on a wanted list. I knew about that, but I did not know that I would be detained upon arriving in Armenia. I had heard good things about Armenia, so it was unexpected. Many American and British journalists and writers are wanted as well. If they came to Armenia, would they be detained too? I did not expect it,” he said.

Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has not yet disclosed what documents, if any, have been received from Russia regarding Verbitsky’s case.

The scientist also offered his own interpretation of the charges against him.

“They claim I questioned the results of the investigation into the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall. That is true in a sense, because the people accused of the attack had their ears cut off, their eyes injured, and were beaten. It was horrifying. I was not questioning the results of the investigation but the way it was conducted — people had their ears and eyes damaged, they were beaten, and all of this was shown on television while people said it was good and wonderful,” the mathematician said.

Verbitsky added that if he is forced to remain in Armenia, he may cooperate with local scientists. He noted that he currently works at the University of Rio de Janeiro and can continue his work remotely.

“If I have internet access here, I can work remotely,” he said.

The 56-year-old scholar, who earned a doctorate from Harvard University and has taught at several international universities, has been wanted by Russia since 2025.

According to his lawyer, Vache Simonyan, Verbitsky was informed while crossing the Armenian border that Russian authorities had opened a criminal case against him on charges related to public calls for terrorist activity, justification of terrorism, or terrorist propaganda, and had placed him on a wanted list.

Mikhail Verbitsky is also known for publicly criticizing Vladimir Putin’s government and Russia’s war against Ukraine.