Russia has added Armenia to its list of high-risk countries for the arrest of its citizens

Russians travelling abroad should be aware of the risk of detention and extradition to the United States from third countries, Grigory Lukyantsev, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of Multilateral Human Rights Cooperation, told RIA Novosti.

“Many states, not only within the European Union but in a broader context, have certain extradition obligations. All of this must be taken into account when assessing the risks people may face if they travel abroad,” Lukyantsev said.

The diplomat stressed that the Foreign Ministry does not tell Russians where they may or may not travel, and can only recommend avoiding certain countries if citizens believe they may encounter problems with American or European authorities.

According to information published by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the countries considered high-risk for the detention of Russian citizens at US request include most of Europe and Latin America, as well as Australia, Canada, Armenia, Israel, the Maldives, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Liberia and Morocco. The ministry notes, however, that this list does not cover all countries bound to the United States by extradition treaties.