Russia will not hand over Mihran Poghosyan, a former Chief Compulsory Enforcement Officer (CCEO) of Armenia charged with embezzlement and abuse of official authority, to authorities in Armenia.

Arevik Khachatryan, a spokeswoman for Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), broke the news today in a Facebook post, writing that the PGO has requested a detailed explanation from Russia’s PGO for the extradition refusal.

On April 15, 2019, Poghosyan, best known for his shady offshore financial dealings (see: Mihran Poghosyan: The Armenian General Who Mastered the Ins and Outs of Panama's Offshore Zone) was charged with embezzlement and abuse of official authority while serving as CCEO.

He was charged with embezzlement and fraud totaling close to AMD 100 million ($211,000).

Four days later, Poghosyan was arrested in the Russian city of Petrozavodsk.

Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office then filed extradition papers with the Russian government to have him returned to Armenia.

Poghosyan then applied for political asylum in Russia, arguing that he’s being politically persecuted in Armenia.