The father and brother of eco-activist Arshak Makichyan were banned from entering Russia for 50 years «for reasons of defense and state security,» follows from the FSB's response to a request from lawyer Maxim Olenichev, who collaborates with the First Department.
< p>“The ban on entering Russia for such a long period of time is not justified by anything. The FSB made the decision arbitrarily and in violation of Russia's international obligations in this area,» Olenichev said. Arshak's father, Artur Makichyan, will turn 62 in April, and his brother Gagik will turn 25.
Decrees on the ban on entry into Russia were issued to Makichyan's father and two brothers in early February, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not indicate the validity period of the decisions.
The activist's family left Armenia in the 1990s due to the war. Arshak received Russian citizenship in 2004 and studied at the Moscow Conservatory as a violinist. He participated in the environmental movement Fridays for Future, going out on solo pickets every Friday. In 2022, Makichyan also took part in anti-war actions.
Last fall, a court in the Moscow Region granted a claim by the prosecutor's office to recognize Arshak, his father Artur and two brothers who have not acquired Russian citizenship. In February, the Moscow Regional Court rejected their appeal, and the decision came into force.
According to human rights activists, the claims were related to the fact that the Ministry of Internal Affairs, after granting citizenship in 2002, lost the personal file of Father Makichyan — a few years later he I had to re-do the document. According to the prosecutor's office, the man «delivered knowingly false information about himself» when in 2004, even with his first passport, he applied for the children to become Russian citizens.
Human rights activists link the court decision with Arshak's activism Makichyan. He himself left Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine and the detention before the anti-war action.