Video: Several Armenian Citizens Deported and Held in Special Facility in Russia

SHAMSHYAN.com has received a report from Armenian citizen Karen Maksuyan, who stated that he has been held for several months in a special facility for immigrants in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, where the conditions are inhumane. He claims that the Armenian embassy in Russia has not taken any action to facilitate the return of him and three other citizens to Armenia.

In an interview with SHAMSHYAN.com, Karen said, "We have been in this special facility in Russia for 5 months, and we are deceived every day. Since March 12, we have been in the special facility in Nizhny Novgorod, and the situation here is terrible. We are not fed properly, there is no decent place to sleep, and we are allowed to go out for only 40-45 minutes to make phone calls home." Karen explained, "They took me in for one day, deported me, and threw me here, and I have been here for 5 months."

"We have proposed that they let us out on bail, but they do not allow that either," Karen added, mentioning that the reason for their detention is the closure of borders. "We keep calling the embassy asking for help, but no one answers the phones. Here we are only supported by the Armenian community workers and the director of the Armenian school in Nizhny Novgorod."

"There are people with me who have been detained for 7 months, one for 9 months. If we are in this position due to quarantine, at that time they were not even under quarantine. We don’t know who to turn to or what to do; we all have passports, but no one in Armenia is doing anything. We came here to work and support our families…this is like a complete colony; we are begging for your help, it's no longer possible," he pleaded.

Russian television has also reported on the complaints of citizens held in this special facility, showing the conditions under which deported individuals, including Armenians, are kept. According to the footage prepared by the channel, the special facility resembles a real prison, governed by penal colony laws and regulations. The citizens held in the facility have also declared a hunger strike.