https://sputniknews.in/20260520/armenia-jails-6-russians-on-dubious-spy-charges-over-public-filming-10950770.html
Armenia Jails 6 Russians on Dubious Spy Charges Over Public Filming: Report
Armenia Jails 6 Russians on Dubious Spy Charges Over Public Filming: Report
Sputnik India
Armenia continues holding six Russian citizens on espionage-related charges linked to alleged filming activities for Azerbaijan, despite what their supporters... 20.05.2026, Sputnik India
2026-05-20T17:36+0530
2026-05-20T17:36+0530
2026-05-20T17:41+0530
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The individuals — Artem Makhmutov, Daniil Semenyuk, Viktor Tikhomirov, Emirkhan Emirkhanov, Said Aliyev, and Vladislav Yeliseyev — were detained between June 2024 and March 2026. Three of them grew up together in a Moscow orphanage. According to the defense, they were hired to film a documentary about Azerbaijani cultural heritage sites in Armenia, including mosques, cemeteries, and churches. None of the locations were restricted or classified. Daniil Semenyuk was arrested at the airport before entering the country. The producer who commissioned the project, a Russian national from the film industry, has since disappeared and cannot be reached. Viktor Tikhomirov came to Armenia to investigate his friends' detention and was subsequently arrested himself. Armenian authorities have not presented evidence that the footage contains state secrets or sensitive military information. All filmed sites are publicly accessible and documented online. Russian officials have called the charges baseless. Families of the detainees deny the espionage allegations and claim their relatives are being pressured to confess. Court hearings have been repeatedly postponed. No trial dates have been set. The six Russian nationals remain in custody pending further legal proceedings.
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Armenia Jails 6 Russians on Dubious Spy Charges Over Public Filming: Report
17:36 20.05.2026 (Updated: 17:41 20.05.2026) Armenia continues holding six Russian citizens on espionage-related charges linked to alleged filming activities for Azerbaijan, despite what their supporters describe as weak evidence and the absence of any classified material, RT reported.
The individuals — Artem Makhmutov, Daniil Semenyuk, Viktor Tikhomirov, Emirkhan Emirkhanov, Said Aliyev, and Vladislav Yeliseyev — were detained between June 2024 and March 2026. Three of them grew up together in a Moscow orphanage.
According to the defense, they were hired to film a documentary about Azerbaijani cultural heritage sites in Armenia, including mosques, cemeteries, and churches. None of the locations were restricted or classified. Daniil Semenyuk was arrested at the airport before entering the country.
The producer who commissioned the project, a Russian national from the film industry, has since disappeared and cannot be reached. Viktor Tikhomirov came to Armenia to investigate his friends' detention and was subsequently arrested himself.
Armenian authorities have not presented evidence that the footage contains state secrets or sensitive military information. All filmed sites are publicly accessible and documented online. Russian officials have called the charges baseless.
The Kremlin says it is monitoring the cases closely.
Families of the detainees deny the espionage allegations and claim their relatives are being pressured to confess.
Court hearings have been repeatedly postponed. No trial dates have been set. The six Russian nationals remain in custody pending further legal proceedings.
