October 7 marks the 20th anniversary of the murder of *Novaya Gazeta* journalist Anna Politkovskaya. While the courts have identified the perpetrators and organizers of the crime, the person who ordered the killing has never been named. The statute of limitations for the case expired in 2021—fifteen years after the murder took place.
Russia needs certain assurances from Armenia in connection with its accession to the International Criminal Court (ICC), this issue remains to be resolved. This was stated by the press secretary of the Russian President Peskov, speaking about the possibility of Vladimir Putin’s visit to Yerevan.
On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin on charges of “illegal deportation of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine” to Russia during the “SVO.” Armenia officially became a member of the ICC on February 1, 2024 and is obliged to arrest the President of the Russian Federation in the event of his visit.
The day before, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, when asked by The Telegraph correspondent whether he could call Putin and warn him not to come, replied: “I don’t think he needs my advice.”