Security forces in Armenia have released Vladimir Zhilinsky*.

Former coordinator of the Pskov movement "Voice"* Vladimir Zhilinsky* was released from a detention center in Armenia after four hours of detention and is returning to Georgia.

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," security forces in Armenia today detained Vladimir Zhilinsky, former coordinator of the Pskov-based "Golos"* movement, who arrived from Georgia. He was arrested in absentia in Russia on charges of failing to perform his duties as a foreign agent, and a case of justifying terrorism has also been opened against him.

Vladimir Zhilinsky* was released from a temporary detention facility in Armenia, lawyer Mikhail Benyash* announced today on his Telegram channel. "He's returning to Georgia," he wrote, without providing further details.

Vladimir Zhilinsky* himself announced his release on his Telegram channel. "That was a demo. I'm free after four hours in the detention center," he wrote.

The " Caucasian Knot " reported that Kazan activist Mark Serov, who lives in Georgia, was detained at the Georgian-Armenian border on May 10. He was subsequently released on bail. Serov is wanted in Russia for vandalism motivated by political hatred. The criminal prosecution was motivated by pacifist graffiti in an underground passage. While living in Georgia, Serov publicly condemned the actions of the Russian authorities in Ukraine, volunteered for Ukrainian organizations and foundations, and organized protests in Tbilisi. In late May, the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs allowed Serov to leave the country through the Georgian border. In recent years, Armenia has not extradited activists persecuted in their home country for their political views, analysts noted.

As a reminder, the "Golos"* movement announced its dissolution due to the threat of criminal prosecution for any form of participation in its work and the cessation of all projects, including the "Map of Election Violations." The cessation of activities is due to the five-year prison term of the movement's co-chair, Grigory Melkonyants, who was accused of collaborating with the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO)**. He pleads not guilty. "Golos"*'s decision to dissolve itself is motivated by concerns about protecting individuals from criminal prosecution, but election observation remains an important task for active citizens, according to the organization's representative. The political scientist is convinced that there are no longer any opportunities for independent election observation. 

* included in the register of foreign agents.

** recognized as an undesirable organization in Russia.

*** Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.