June 17, 2026

Almost Extradited to Russia


Almost Extradited to Russia
Leaving Yerevan? The Russian Life file.

On June 12, at Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport, Armenian authorities detained and then later released a Russian mathematician at the request of Russia. The academic is on Rosfinmonitoring's list of Russians wanted for "terrorism" and "discrediting the army."

Mikhail Verbitsky currently works at the National Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before leaving Russia in 2015, he worked at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics and taught at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow. His career also includes positions at the University of Glasgow and the Free University of Brussels.

Verbitsky is also known for his blog "Tifaretnik," and for creating an alternative blogging platform, lj.rossia, as an independent alternative to Livejournal. On his website, he describes himself as a "communist," an "anarchist," and a "satanist." In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he was affiliated with the National Bolshevik Party.

In 2014, Verbitsky was a defense witness in the state show trial against publicist Boris Stomakhin, who was accused of promoting religious hatred, calling for extremism, and justifying terrorism. Verbitsky's own run-ins with the law began in January 2025, when, according to his wife, Yulia Fridman, authorities opened a case against him for "discrediting the army" and "justifying terrorism" after he publicly questioned the methods used to investigate the March 2024 Crocus City Hall terror attack.

On June 12, Verbitsky was arrested at Zvarnots airport and sent to a Yerevan detention center. According to lawyer Ana Chatinian, of the Yerevan office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly "Vanadzor" (HCAV), if Russia solicited extradition, Verbitsky would remain in Armenian custody for 40 days. Otherwise, he would be released within 72 hours.

On June 13, the head of HCAV, Artur Sakunts, announced that Verbitsky was to be released and would not be extradited to Russia.

 

 

You Might Also Like

Beefing About Rations
  • June 17, 2026

Beefing About Rations

A fraudulent operation sent 170 tons of barely edible rations to Russian soldiers.
Recruiting For a Drone Army
  • June 12, 2026

Recruiting For a Drone Army

The Ukrainian project Khochu Zhit found a list of students recruited into Russia's unmanned forces.
The Man Who Saw Too Much
  • June 16, 2026

The Man Who Saw Too Much

A new translation of works by Vasily Grossman that are as powerful as they are essential to read.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955